The World Cup kicks off on 20 July as the Football Ferns host Norway in Auckland. That’ll be quite a challenge against the highest ranked team in their group but the kiwis do play the Philippines in their next match, a side they beat 2-1 in September 2022, and if they can win that one in Wellington then the last group game against Switzerland in Dunedin may well have a spot in the knockouts on the line.

Then again, it may be best not to think so far ahead for a team that has never won a World Cup game before in its history. Might wanna cross that first bridge before we worry about making the knockouts or whatever else. Those ponderings can take place once we’re safely on the other side. If the Fernies win a game but don’t make the knockouts then that should still be considered a successful tournament – doing better than you’ve ever done before is definitive success.

Especially as the team hasn’t exactly been grinding out the positive results lately. They’re currently on a ten-game streak without a win. Only two draws and only two goals scored in that span. Jitka Klimková’s overall record is: 3 wins, 4 draws, 16 losses. This after Tom Sermanni ended his reign with a 12-game winless streak. Since the 2018 Oceania Nations Cup, the Aotearoa women’s footy team has only won six games in total. Although... sneaky trend is that two of those wins were against Philippines and Norway whom they’ve drawn in their group. Another was against England who are now the European champions. The others were Argentina, South Korea, and Mexico.

They may well have broken that winless streak by the time the World Cup begins. A warm-up against Vietnam in Napier shapes as a pretty useful opportunity to do exactly that and also to grab some much needed confidence heading into the tournament. However they will first have to pick their squad on the back of that 10-game drought and that’s not exactly going to be a simple task with only a handful of players truly demanding their places.

An extended training camp began at the start of May and that mahi is going to carry through pretty much until the tournament itself. Players will arrive when their club commitments allow. Most of the A-Leaguers are already there. Those that made ALW finals got an extra week or two off. Others based overseas won’t arrive until next month. Some, who are playing in pro leagues that don’t break until the international window, won’t turn up until right around the time of the Vietnam friendly (there’ll be other games but they’ll be unofficial and behind closed doors – there are already games going on in camp against Auckland boys sides meant to mimic the style of the three group stage opponents). Luckily there are only a few players that applies to: Ali Riley, Jacqui Hand, and Erin Nayler.

This training camp is therefore the last opportunity for players to earn World Cup selection. It should also be an extremely helpful get-together not only to grind out some tactical ideas, which there usually isn’t much time for on normal tours, but also to lift the vibes and raise the mana off the pitch as well.

Two months of sustained work with the core of the squad sounds pretty useful, particularly when you consider that European clubs are trying to put their foot down and prevent players from being released until the last possible moment, only ten days before the tournament actually begins. That’s for load management/player welfare reasons which is understandable... but the Ferns will hopefully only have a few players swept up in that whereas a team like Norway or Switzerland could potentially have bare minimum preparations (Norway had been planning for a month’s build-up). Having the Olympics and Euros pushed back has been especially hard on those European nations whose best players are in the middle of a run where four consecutive offseasons will have a major international tournament (Olympics to Euros to World Cup to Olympics).

The yarns about where this team sits in the global scheme of things... those have already been written. Read this and read this for the overview. Once that’s been indulged, it’s a lot easier to look at the Fernies with calmness and clarity and accept that they are where they probably should be compared to other nations – and from there we can start thinking about how to spring a few upsets. How to make the most of the players that they have available, tailoring things to their strengths rather than expecting them to be better than they are. We don’t expect the All Whites to play like Brazil or Spain or England or whoever, no reason to think the Footy Ferns ought to be any different.

23 players will be in the squad for the World Cup. Based on publically available information, there will be 41 women partaking in this training camp – including the late arrivers – which gives us a solid idea of what we’re working with. No uncapped players in that group outside of a couple goalies and a rookie midfielder. Now is not the time for starting afresh, we’re already behind the eight-ball in not yet knowing for sure what the bulk of that 23-player squad should be.

Klimková has used 40 different players across her 23 games. Some of that was down to the early days having to pick travel-restricted squads, some is down to the ongoing quest to find steady reliable options at a time when the first eleven is less settled than it has been for years thanks to a bunch of veteran retirements and a lack of previously cultivated depth. There are also another ten players who have been officially called up to squads but not been capped by JK – though two were capped under previous coaches.

Here are the players reportedly partaking in the pre-World Cup camp...

Ali Riley, Ally Green, Alyssa Whinham, Aniela Jensen, Anna Leat, Annalie Longo, Ashleigh Ward, Ava Collins, Betsy Hassett, Brianna Edwards, Chloe Knott, CJ Bott, Claudia Bunge, Daisy Cleverley, Deven Jackson, Emma Rolston, Erin Nayler, Gabi Rennie, Grace Jale, Grace Neville, Grace Wisnewski, Hannah Blake, Hannah Wilkinson, Indiah-Paige Riley, Jacqui Hand, Kate Taylor, Katie Bowen, Lily Alfeld, Liz Anton, Mackenzie Barry, Maggie Jenkins, Malia Steinmetz, Meikayla Moore, Michaela Foster, Milly Clegg, Murphy Sheaff, Olivia Chance, Paige Satchell, Rebekah Stott, Ria Percival & Vic Esson

Note that Chloe Knott is still ineligible for NZ selection, she’s just there getting a headstart for the next cycle. Helps that she’s available from the very beginning to make up numbers too. Also Katie Rood was going to join up at the end of her season in Scotland before she tore her ACL, ruling her out. Annalie Longo is recovering from an ACL injury as well but is going to give it a crack.

Players who have been capped under Klimková but who aren’t joining the camp...

Abby Erceg, Anna Green, Rosie White, Amelia Abbott, Tayla O’Brien & Katie Rood

And those who’ve been called up but not capped under JK, who also aren’t in this camp...

Jana Radosavljević, Tahlia Herman-Watt, Sam Tawharu & Rebecca Lake

Here are the most common faces during the Klimková Era, both in terms of overall caps (out of 23 total games) and how many starts they made within that time...

That gives us a good idea of what we’re working with. There are others who could claim to be worthy of top 50 status... but the task is not to debate the top 50, the task is to figure out the top 23. So that’s what we’re going to do right now. This is an estimate as to what the squad could look like. Onwards.

GOALKEEPERS

This is an easy one because there are only three kiwi goalkeepers playing professionally above A-League level. You’ve got Victoria Esson at Rangers in Scotland, currently competing for a league/cup/league cup domestic treble (they’ve already won the league cup, are into the final of the main cup, and are hanging on in a three-way league title race). Esson has been the single most influential player in the Aotearoa team since JK took over. Six of their seven positive results have come in Esson’s starts despite her starting less than half the games (thanks to injuries and her initial backup status). She’s the number one. First name on the teamsheet if we’re judging it on form. Carry on.

Next we’ve got backup Anna Leat at Aston Villa. Like Esson, only more so, Leat is in and out of the starting gig at Villa as she rotates with a home international teammate (Jenna Fife for Esson, Hannah Hampton for Leat). But when she does play it’s clear that none of the potential she showed at the U17 World Cup a few years back has gone to waste. Leat’s on track to be the number one soon enough but it’s Esson’s tournament this time around. No dramas, Leat will be there in case of emergency.

As will Erin Nayler, whose new gig at Norrköping in Sweden has so far only seen her sit on the bench and then get injured which doesn’t do her any favours as far as pushing up the international queue goes... but not sure it’d have made a difference anyway. Nayler is the most experienced and was the top option for a number of years. Her career has stalled since she left France and there’s now more of a gap between Leat and Nayler for second and third than there is between Esson and Leat for first and second choice GK. However she remains well clear of the outsiders. An experienced third-choice keeper is ideal for a tournament like this.

There isn’t much competition beyond those three so we can safely lock them all in. It’s a nice balance. The reliable starter, the emerging prodigy backup, and the experienced third-stringer. Of course after this tournament it’ll be a different story. Brianna Edwards made huge strides over the ALW season with the Welly Nix - very curious what happens there next season after captain Lily Alfeld missed the whole campaign with injury, preventing her from pushing for Nayler’s spot. Murphy Sheaff also started ahead of Edwards at the U20 World Cup and both of them have been called up to Ferns squads as injury replacements on recent tours. Too young for this tourney but next time we’ll have quite a scramble.

Squad Prediction: Victoria Esson, Anna Leat, Erin Nayler

Challengers: N/A

Outsiders: Brianna Edwards, Lily Alfeld, Murphy Sheaff

Central Defence

Jitka Klimková isn’t as bad as Danny Hay used to be with this but she does tend to pick more central defenders than necessary for squads. In the Fernies’ case, at least that’s because most of their best players are defenders. Not only that but they’re versatile defenders, many of whom are also capable of playing fullback and, in some cases, even in the midfield or as wingers.

So not such a big deal in the end... although if JK wants to squeeze in an extra attacking option or two then that may quickly lead to some harsh calls along the backline. We saw that last time when Liz Anton was left out of the initial squad having played a lot of footy for the national team in recent times. Anton ended up in the squad anyway because of CJ Bott’s injury but that’s definitely a lil teaser as to what may be on the cards when the final 23 is named. There’s plenty of scope for an expected name or two to be missing (though with this team’s injury curse it may not matter).

Starting with the CBs, barring a miraculous Abby Erceg return it would appear that we have three players locked in and competing for the two starting spots. Rebekah Stott, whose assured presence made a big difference against Iceland recently and although injuries have severely limited her club season she is employed for WSL club Brighton & Hove Albion and therefore does her thing at the highest club level of any of the defenders. A level that Claudia Bunge will hopefully herself graduate too after the World Cup. There were rumours around a WSL move a year ago but Bunge chose to do another year with Melbourne Victory instead (probably for the guaranteed minutes in a World Cup year, as well as chasing a three-peat). That season started slow but Victory ended up making it to the preliminary final with Bunge again one of their key players.

That pairing was the choice the last time that NZ played Norway although the most recent games saw Katie Bowen preferred to Claudia Bunge. Bowen is more experienced and better on the ball. She’s also not as good of a defender and as a converted midfielder can have the occasional lapse in instinct. But that ball-playing is pretty important for a team trying to get better at maintaining possession. Dunno. We’ll see which combination sticks in the end... although know that while Bowen played most of her Melbourne City season on the left of a back three she did end it as a central midfielder after they switched formations. Those were arguably her best couple of games too (including an excellent showing in the elimination final against Bunge’s Victory). Either way, all three will be in the squad.

The other CB with regular starts under JK is Meikayla Moore but those starts seem to have dried up lately – with only four in the last nine games and three of those were as a right back. Not only that but Moore’s gone missing for her club side Glasgow City over the last couple months due to what Klimková has suggested is a back injury. Hasn’t been part of a matchday squad for two months. Moore tore an achilles on the eve of the last World Cup so it’d kinda stink if she was injured/dropped for another one. Don’t think she will be... but she’s clearly dropped down the pecking order and there’s competition nipping at her heels.

That comes in the form of Kate Taylor, Mack Barry, and Liz Anton most of all. Doubt we need seven CBs so at least one of them is going to miss out... and based on the last tour Anton might be most at risk. Anton had been at a boost thanks to her ability to cover left-back but Michaela Foster making the squad has changed that dynamic. There may still be a back-up spot on the right to compete for however Barry is equally adept in that role. Taylor less so, more of a pure CB, though Taylor is also the only one of the three to have actually started a game in the middle (Anton’s eight starts have all been at fullback).

We’ll stick with what we were told with the last squad and leave Liz Anton on the outer... but that’s a very soft prediction. Could be any one of those three who miss out or it could even be Moore or maybe they all get picked and there’s one less fullback than we’re anticipating or perhaps only one of them makes it. Mileage may vary. Right now it feels like they’d be better off with an extra attacking bench player than an extra defensive one so Kate Taylor may have to wait until the next one.

Other than that lot, Marisa van der Meer did all she could during the ALW season to press a case as a defensive utility, while Rebecca Lake was picked for the understrength squad vs USA earlier in the year as a domestic player. And while the chances of Abby Erceg un-retiring are probably 1/10,000... there is still a conceivable possibility no matter how slim. Don’t bank on it though.

Squad Prediction: Rebekah Stott, Claudia Bunge, Katie Bowen, Meikayla Moore, Mackenzie Barry

Challengers: Liz Anton, Kate Taylor

Outsiders: Marisa van der Meer, Rebecca Lake, Abby Erceg (but not really)

Right Back

There’s one easy call here and that’s to select CJ Bott. Not played much in recent times due to some pesky injuries, only one of the last sixteen games has included CJB at right back (granted she’s played a couple wide midfield games as well), yet prior to that she made 15 starts in a row in the position. Having nailed down the starting RB spot at Leicester City during that team’s remarkable relegation battle resurgence – which isn’t over yet but they’re in a much healthier place than they were at the turn of the year when they’d lost nine out of nine – there is no doubt that Bott is the kiwi’s best right-sided fullback. No doubt whatsoever. Bott has been superb for Leicester City, it’s been fantastic to see. She also brings an element of mongrel that this team is going to need at the World Cup.

Having said that... there is also the possibility of sliding Bott further forward. That would mean Ali Riley on the right side, therefore creating room for Michaela Foster and her set pieces to start on the left. It’s food for thought, at least.

Grace Neville is best shout to sneak in as CJB’s backup... even though the Riley/Foster combo would probably be what actually happens in the event that Bott doesn’t start at RB. Neville had a really good season with London City Lionesses in the English second tier. Her pace and directness does keep her as a wing-back option too in case of a change in formation. As does Bott, as does Riley. Less so for Foster.

But as previously mentioned there are several central defenders who can also cover the right side of defence in case of emergency. Indi Riley would suit as an attacking wing-back alternative. Ally Green started on the right side against USA a few months back... although got subbed off pre-half-time so... yeah. With all those versatile options the question isn’t about who’s third in line, it’s about whether there’s a need to pick Grace Neville.

Squad Prediction: CJ Bott

Challengers: Grace Neville

Outsiders: Marisa van der Meer, Saskia Vosper

Left Back

The left side is more interesting because of the specialist players in competition. Ali Riley captains not only the Footy Ferns but also Angel City in the NWSL. Undeniable leadership qualities and still one of the key players for this squad... although at 35yo this is probably going to be her last World Cup. It will also be her fifth World Cup, an NZ record that will also be matched by Ria Percival and Annalie Longo supposing they’re all there. Two of them will be though Longo is in serious doubt due to her ACL recovery.

But Riley hasn’t always been available over the last twelve months and she’s also had to play games on the right and even through the middle. Hence Klimková has been able to take a good look at a number of other left-backs. Anna Green is retired so we can scratch her name off the list. Ashleigh Ward hasn’t really kicked on since signing for Southampton, only getting a handful of games this season in the English second tier (same division as Neville). Ally Green has also had a tough time forcing her way onto the pitch both for the Ferns and at club level since leaving Sydney FC. That’s getting better now that she’s switched to AGF in Denmark although it became clear late last year that Liz Anton was preferred to both Ward and Green as the reserve left-back.

That is until Michaela Foster’s breakthrough Wellington Phoenix season, with her defensive solidity and set piece ability surging her into the Ferns mix as an injury replacement for Stotty in the February games. The Welly Nix Player of the Season debuted against Argentina and started the two most recent games – setting up the goal against Iceland – to make it four consecutive appearances. Meanwhile Anton didn’t even make the initial squad for that Turkey trip so it’s going to take a massive training camp to switch that dynamic back around. Anton may make the squad anyway as a defensive utility but Foster is ahead of the pack and even making a not-inconsiderable case for starting duty.

Squad Prediction: Ali Riley, Michaela Foster

Challengers: Liz Anton, Ally Green

Outsiders: Ashleigh Ward

Central Midfield

Blessings be upon us because Ria Percival has returned to football. It took 13 months to recover from a nasty ACL/Meniscus tear, the double whammy knee disaster, suffered against Australia last April but the journey is now complete. Helps to have the professional facilities of Tottenham Hotspur and their medical team at her service. Percy’s last few months have been a steady procession of milestones after milestones leading up to her introduction off the bench for Spurs against Stotty’s Brighton in early May. She’s since played 30 minutes against Manchester United and has two more WSL games with which to raise up her match fitness leading into the World Cup.

Percival is perhaps the team’s best player – she certainly was at the point she got injured. Not only that but she’s crucial to how they’re trying to play. A combative midfielder who leads the press and wins her tackles. The recent tailspin of the Ferns makes a lot more sense when you factor in the absence of Ria Percival... great to have her in contention again. And there may even be space for Annalie Longo as she works back from her own ACL injury. Longo suffered hers four months after Percival so if she’s working on the same timeframe then there’s no chance. But we now know that Percy’s injury was on the more serious scale even compared to other ACL tears so that offers hope for Longo even if she doesn’t have those Spurs facilities at her disposal, nor any professional club help at all. She will get the opportunity to show where she’s at during training camp.

If those two were fit and healthy then that’s probably the starting pairing. If Longo doesn’t recover in time then we’re looking at Malia Steinmetz, Betsy Hassett, and Daisy Cleverley as the other options. Katie Bowen too if she isn’t preferred in defence. Also Olivia Chance is a midfielder though has mostly played as a left mid for the Ferns over recent years. Steinmetz has been the best performer of the bunch and a Steinmetz/Percival combo would cause carnage in winning the ball back... albeit at the expense of having a silky passer or ball-carrier. Hassett or Bowen or Chance all offer that instead. Cleverley to a lesser degree. The friskiness comes with how many midfielders are required in the squad because DC could find herself sliding off the edge if Longo is fit. The dynamic may shift if Hassett, as we’ve seen a few times this year, is pushed wide into more of an attacking role.

So don’t expect Welly Nixer Grace Wisnewski to make the final cut even though she’s coming off the back of an excellent A-League campaign. It may well be that she’s the heir apparent to Percival’s spot but there just isn’t the need to pick more than 4-5 central midfielders in a 23-woman group. Especially not with Bowen and Chance’s presence. Chloe Knott is ineligible but it’d be the same deal for her too. Also Wisnewski’s U20s teammate from last year Aniela Jensen is uncapped but is part of the camp. She’s been called up three times by Klimková who clearly rates her talent. One for the future at this point though.

Squad Prediction: Ria Percival, Betsy Hassett, Malia Steinmetz, Daisy Cleverley

Challengers: Annalie Longo (if fit, she takes DC’s spot)

Outsiders: Grace Wisnewski, Chloe Knott, Aniela Jensen, Amelia Abbott

Wide Midfield

Gonna combine the two wing positions because most of them can play on either side. Over the last couple of tours it has become clear that Grace Jale (right) and Olivia Chance (left) are the starting eleven choices. Chance has been the Ferns’ most creative weapon since... possibly since the last World Cup. That’s relative for a team with minimal attacking success and Chance only has two international goals to her name... but they don’t create much without her. On that topic, very concerning to see her go down with a knee injury against Iceland. She still hasn’t played for Celtic since though Klimková has assured us it’s not the worst case scenario and that she’ll be okay for the World Cup. We’ll take her word for it.

And while Jale has a strong case to be starting up front instead of out wide, she does bring a defensive strength to her game that’s very helpful at RM while her facilitating mindset is also worthy. Jale was one of the leading assist-makers in the A-League last season. She’s started seven of the last eight games on the right side of midfield. That’s her spot.

Unless Betsy Hassett gets slid across now that Percival’s back. We’ll see how that goes. Beyond those two there are likely to be some harsh cuts across the wide mids and strikers. JK has used plenty of players there and few have served up anything near the desired production levels so that’s kinda how the cookie crumbles. Most of the strikers can also play on the wings too. We’ve seen it from Paige Satchell, Gabi Rennie, Ava Collins, Jacqui Hand, etc. in the past. Katie Bowen can do a job out wide. Already mentioned the possibility of CJ Bott doing so (or even Ali Riley). So... we don’t really need a lot of specialist backups. One or two at the most.

That’s where it becomes an A-League battle between training camp invitees Indiah-Paige Riley, Hannah Blake, and Alyssa Whinham. Indi Riley scored on her return to Brisbane Roar but then never added to that. She’s stalled a bit in her career. Blake is fresh out of college in the States and was a really nice addition to Perth Glory playing mostly as a right midfielder same as IPR does. Whinham didn’t play much for the Nix but we saw what she can offer last season with her thrilling flair and skill... although this team doesn’t currently operate with the number ten role that she’d prefer.

Then there’s also Maggie Jenkins. 21yo winger still at college, she was given a senior international debut way back in 2017 at the age of 16 – debuting in the same game as Steinmetz, Esson, and Anton (a 5-0 win over Thailand). No caps since although she has been involved in a couple of wider Klimková squads. She’s the one true bolter here so gotta respect the possibilities.

Squad Prediction: Olivia Chance, Grace Jale, Indiah-Paige Riley

Challengers: Hannah Blake

Outsiders: Alyssa Whinham, Maggie Jenkins, Jana Radosavljević

Centre Forward

Bringing us now to the most debated position on the field: the centre-forwards for the team that doesn’t score goals. Of course, blaming that purely on the strikers is dumb because if they’re not getting the ball then how are they supposed to score? But there have also been enough games to be able to assess the various options compared to each other.

Having done so... there’s maybe only one player who has done enough to expect to be there and that’s Hannah Wilkinson. Not been in the best form this past season with Melbourne City and has rarely found a groove at international level since the ACL injury prior to the last World Cup... but still clearly the best option available. She’s also the only attacking option with any proper experience. Even Liv Chance has only got 42 caps. Wilkie did begin to bang a few goals away towards the end of the ALW campaign and this training camp should help plenty – hard not to wonder if her lesser impact (compared to what she’s capable of) may also be to do with the rotating cast of strike partners.

For awhile there it was Paige Satchell as the preferred second striker. Satch didn’t burst through with the Phoenix as was hoped for and more recently we’ve seen Gabi Rennie, Ava Collins, and Jacqui Hand each start instead of her. Satchell and Wilkinson simply weren’t a good combination. They didn’t link together. Satchell’s runs didn’t align with Wilkinson’s hold-up play. Her raw pace keeps her a strong option off the bench though, an injection of chaos against tired legs.

As for those others mentioned... Jacqui Hand’s two performances against Iceland and Nigeria picked up where she left off before getting injured last year. She’s now regularly playing as a striker for Aland United in the Finland top division and is scoring and assisting goals at an even higher rate than she did for them last year. All of a sudden she’s surged into probable starter territory... and is also someone who can play on either wing if needed.

But jeezus it gets frisky after that. Emma Rolston didn’t boost her case with a season at the Welly Nix, not scoring a single goal and struggling with availability. Rollo has been missing out on squads lately and Hand’s emergence likely keeps her on the fringes. Cool to see Deven Jackson given another go to stake a claim after debuting against USA – she was one of the standouts within the Eastern Suburbs National League championship run of 2022. Again though, hard to find a place in the 23. Likewise even for Ava Collins who has been a solid youngster willing to do whatever the coach has asked of her but without the x-factor to quite crack the big time yet.

Gabi Rennie’s hefty work-rate and goal poaching ability does give her an edge over some of the others, while Milly Clegg’s got that unicorn number nine potential despite her inexperience and may just be the option that Klimková needs on her bench to throw on for the last ten minutes when chasing a goal. Clegg debuted last tour in a squad that Collins wasn’t picked for. Spare a thought for Katie Rood whose knee injury has prevented her getting amongst the camp.

Indi Riley and Grace Jale can play in the frontline so there are probably no more than five spots available here, maybe only four. Wilkinson and Hand get two. The rest are up for grabs. Since we’re talking about bench options it makes sense to select Satchell and Clegg. Then the debate is whether you’d rather an extra defender or an extra attacker. Initially this article had Kate Taylor in the 23 but she’s had to make room for Gabi Rennie. Then again, Rennie could make it at Indi Riley’s expense instead. Or Hannah Blake ahead of both of them. Or Clegg misses out.

Frankly, these are the riddles that Jitka Klimková has got to solve over the next two months. Won’t be an easy task whatsoever but the cool part of it is that those in contention will all get to have their metaphorical say... and those that miss out will still have been a part of the wider World Cup journey.

Squad Prediction: Hannah Wilkinson, Jacqui Hand, Paige Satchell, Gabi Rennie, Milly Clegg

Challengers: Ava Collins, Emma Rolston

Outsiders: Deven Jackson, Katie Rood, Michaela Robertson, Tayla O’Brien

FULL SQUAD PREDICTION:

Victoria Esson, Anna Leat, Erin Nayler, Rebekah Stott, Claudia Bunge, Katie Bowen, Meikayla Moore, Mackenzie Barry, CJ Bott, Ali Riley, Michaela Foster, Ria Percival, Betsy Hassett, Malia Steinmetz, Daisy Cleverley, Olivia Chance, Grace Jale, Indiah-Paige Riley, Hannah Wilkinson, Jacqui Hand, Paige Satchell, Gabi Rennie, Milly Clegg

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