The New Zealand Olympic Committee has named the
men and women who will be the first football players
to represent New Zealand at an Olympic Games.
Both 18-player squads are will benefit from the
availability of key players for the August 6-23
tournaments.
Barry Maister, New Zealand Olympic selector, is
delighted to have the squads named and will look
forward to honouring New Zealand's first Football
Olympians. “With the naming of two big squads today,
the New Zealand Olympic Team to Beijing 2008 now
stands at 163 athletes, he said. “With some squads
as yet unnamed and qualification tournaments still
to be contested, New Zealand is expecting its
largest team Olympic Team ever.”
The Fooball Ferns (Senior Women)
After ending a 16-year absence from the world stage
at the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Football
Ferns return to China with their strongest squad in
John Herdman’s two-year tenure as head coach.
Goalscoring midfielder Kirsty Yallop – who missed
the World Cup through injury but played a major part
in World Cup and Olympic qualifying on either side –
gets her chance to foot it against the world’s best,
while fullback Marlies Oostdam and striker Rebecca
Tegg have both recovered from ACL injuries that have
kept them out of international football since the
World Cup.
The Peace Queen Cup in June saw the return of
Sweden-based World Cup defender Rebecca Smith (from
injury) and former Arsenal striker Amber Hearn (from
a three-year break from the sport). Strong team
performances at that tournament included a 1-0 win
over South American champions Argentina.
“It’s exciting going into an Olympic Games knowing
that all 18 players bring something different and
that they can all make a significant impact to the
team performance in their own unique way.” Herdman
said.
“We’ve got players coming back from injury at the
right time with Oostdam and Tegg back in for the
first time since the World Cup and Rebecca Smith
coming back on board at the Peace Queen Cup.
Five teenagers in the squad and an average age of
just 22 give the Football Ferns a youthful look,
although Kristy Hill’s selection is a belated
present for her 29th birthday on Tuesday and reward
for a fine debut in Korea less than a month ago.
With football beginning two days before the Olympic
opening ceremony, the Football Ferns will be New
Zealand’s first Olympians in action when they meet
Japan in Qinhuangdao on August 6, and Herdman and
his team were relishing the opportunity to kickstart
New Zealand’s involvement.
“It’s all special – the whole mantle of being an
Olympian. We know what it means to New Zealanders to
be at the Olympics, and to be the first team in the
first event makes it even more special,” Herdman
said.
“To have the chance to get off to a good start by
getting a win against Japan and maybe inspiring the
rest of the Olympic team is extra motivation.
“The Peace Queen Cup added a bit of realism to that
prospect. We’ve taken some key steps over the past
nine months towards consistently performing in a way
that will lead to results against top teams.”
The Football Ferns finish pool play with matches
against world number five Norway on August 9 world
number one USA on August 12.
Football Ferns (Senior Women):
Name (Club – age – caps/goals)
Goalkeepers:
Jenny Bindon (Waitakere City FC – 35 – 23/0)
Rachel Howard (TSV Crailsheim – 30 – 14/0)
Defenders:
Anna Green (Three Kings United – 17 – 8/1)
Abby Erceg (Western Springs – 18 – 24/2)
Kristy Hill (Three Kings United – 29 – 2/0)
Marlies Oostdam (Eastern Suburbs – 30 – 24/0)
Ria Percival (FC Indiana – 18 – 24/2)
Rebecca Smith (Sunnana SK – 27 – 27/2)
Midfielders:
Katie Hoyle (Lynn Avon United – 20 – 12/0)
Emily McColl (Cocoa Expos/Coastal Carolina
University – 22 – 17/0),
Hayley Moorwood (Lynn Avon United – 24 – 32/3),
Ali Riley (Stanford University – 20 – 19/0)
Kirsty Yallop (Lynn Avon United – 21 – 16/5)
Forwards:
Amber Hearn (Lynn Avon United – 23 – 9/1)
Emma Kete (Lynn Avon United – 20 – 11/2)
Renee Leota (Western Springs FC – 18 – 10/1)
Merissa Smith (Three Kings United – 17 – 15/1)
Rebecca Tegg (Eastern Suburbs – 22 – 5/0)
Management: John Herdman (Head Coach), Tony Readings
(Assistant coach/ Technical Analyst), Julie Hogg
(Manager), Simon Eaddy (Goalkeeping Coach), Helen
Tunstall (Sports Scientist), Alysha Blackwell
(Physiotherapist), Mark Fulcher (Doctor).
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