FIFA U-17 New-Zealand 2008

[Vic]

NZ's turbo teens face test of fire

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4732221a18075.html

[New Zeland coach Paul] Temple says a solid build-up programme over the past 18 months has honed his side into an efficient unit, and he was heartened by two 4-0 wins over their Australian counterparts last April and a 1-1 away draw with Paraguay (who are in Group C with the USA).

Hutt Valley attacking midfielder Hannah Wall, Auckland midfielder- striker Rosie White, Hamilton striker Sarah McLaughlin and Auckland striker Lauren Murray are vying for three attacking places in a likely 4-4-2 formation.

"There are four key players who are in the team to score goals and hopefully a few others will chip in," said Temple. McLaughlin, who once hit 18 goals in one game for Hamilton North, is a former tough rugby international. "She has a fantastic shot and scores from both short and long range which is what you want from your strikers," said Temple.

"We've got ourselves in really good shape so they're fit and able to play quite fast on the break . . . we've got some real quick players in the team," said Temple. "It will be a counter-attacking style, hoping to play with pace and move the ball quickly . . . that will hopefully lead to some entertaining football."

In New Zealand, government sports funding agency Sparc reports 30,000 players, with one in every five junior players a female.

[Canada has 400,000 female players]

[Vic]

Soccer: All ages turn out for debut U17 cup

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10539616

A quick look at the 336 players in the Under-17 Women's World Cup which kicks off at North Harbour Stadium tonight backs Fifa's strong belief that soccer is the game for all ages.

Of the players from the 16 nations who will run out for matches at this inaugural tournament, more than half (186) were born in 1991. Only players born on or after January 1, 1991, are eligible.

The surprise is that the four oldest players - Jessica Rollings (New Zealand), Noelia Cuevas (Paraguay), Carine (Brazil) and Anne Thirup Rudmose (Denmark) - were all born on January 3, 1991.

The youngest player at the tournament is Ghana's Ellen Coleman (12 years 11 months) who was born on December 11, 1995. She will be eligible to play at this level again in 2010 and 2012.

New Zealand's youngest player, at 14 years seven months, is Katie Bowen.

As expected, the Europeans have brought the most experienced squads.

The French have a spread of just one year, three months between their youngest, Floraine Hellio (16 years six months) and their oldest, Pauline Crammer (17 years nine months) while the highly favoured Germans have Carolin Simon as their youngest at 16 years and Isabelle Linden (17 years 10 months) as their oldest.

But when the first ball is kicked tonight as New Zealand tackle Canada, age will count for nothing. Brazil, in Beatriz (at 14 years 11 months), have one of the youngest players but already she is seen as a contender for the player of the tournament award.

New Zealand, under coach Paul Temple, have taken a low-key approach. Realistically likely to finish nearer the bottom than the top when final rankings are revealed, the young New Zealanders have remained positive and will be chasing a result tonight as they pursue their dream of winning through to the second phase.

[Vic]

Soccer: Ferns carry the torch for Kiwis

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=10539163

"That first game is huge, particularly the first 30 minutes when I'm sure both teams will be caught up with the occasion," said Temple. "But, make no mistake, there will be no easy games in our group. Denmark and Canada are big names in women's football and Colombia are the South American champions."

While he has not seen any of his opponents in action live, Temple has video coverage of them all.

At the 2007 Australian Youth State Championships, they opened with a 0-0 draw with NSW and went on to beat Victoria and Western Australia before returning home with a two-win, three-loss, one-draw record, scoring eight goals and conceding nine.

Three home friendlies followed against South Korea - who will play in group D at the World Cup - for a narrow loss, a humbling 0-6 reversal and, finally, an encouraging 1-1 draw.

The Future Stars Tournament in Auckland this year was another sobering experience, but one from which Temple continued his building processes. In three matches the Young Football Ferns failed to score in going down 0-4, 0-5 and 0-1 to Germany, the United States and Australia respectively.

The best results came in April in Canberra, where the New Zealanders twice beat Australia under-17 by 4-0 before going down 4-2 to the more experienced Australian under-20 XI.

The final international part of the preparation was played in Paraguay in July with the tour finale 1-1 draw with their Paraguayan counterparts the highlight. Temple said that South American experience was invaluable and a good guide to what to expect.

[Vic]

Some U17 Cup numbers:

$12 million - cost of tournament

$1.5 million - cost kicked in by NZ Government two weeks ago

1,200 - number of volunteers

155 - countries the games are televised in

[The Ref]

quote:Originally posted by Vic

Some U17 Cup numbers:

$12 million - cost of tournament

$1.5 million - cost kicked in by NZ Government two weeks ago

1,200 - number of volunteers

155 - countries the games are televised in

Canada not part of the 155.

[Vic]

Even stranger considering we have something like the 3rd top standard of living in the world and our women are ranked 10th in the world.

[AlanDouglas]

If a game is being shown on the CBC website, then I'm quite certain Canada is one of the 155, otherwise the CBC would not be a able to show it.

These numbers are often exagerated anyway. The 155 is probably the number of countries that could potentially show the games given the distribution channels available to the broadcast partners.

[Vic]

World Cup wait finally over for hosts

http://www.nzsoccer.com/plugins/newsfeed.cgi?rm=content&plugin_data_id=25381

Canada’s coach Bryan Rosenfeld has also hinted that his side would depart from the direct style of football that has seen Canada earn a top-ten ranking at senior level and qualify for nine of ten age-group or senior World Cups, but Temple said his side could foot it with their more fancied visitors whatever they style they adopted.

“We’ll have to wait and see whether they’ll depart from the traditional Canadian style. Every team is different, but there’ll be similar traits and we’re prepared for the different scenarios.

“To an extent we’ll have to be similar in order to match them in that opening period but we’re a good footballing team and when our movement and timing is on, we can hurt teams when we go forward.”

Temple identified Canada’s midfield duo of diminutive Danica WU and captain Bryanna McCarthy as key players which suggests New Zealand’s Annalie Longo might have to call on her 15 caps and two World Cups worth of senior experience to gain the upper hand in the engine room.

In attack, Tiffany Cameron – who netted five goals in as many World Cup qualifiers and scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 friendly win over World Cup favourites USA looms as the Canucks’ primary threat.

“I think all round Canada have got some good players, but there’s a lot of talk about Tiffany Cameron and a lot on her shoulders being their main player up front. But we’ve been working on ways to counter that and are confident we can get them worrying about our front players instead.

Working in New Zealand’s favour, Temple said, were the twin x-factors of a home crowd and an unwavering belief that his side could buck the historical trend of group stage World Cup exits for New Zealand sides.

[The Ref]

quote:Originally posted by AlanDouglas

If a game is being shown on the CBC website, then I'm quite certain Canada is one of the 155, otherwise the CBC would not be a able to show it.

These numbers are often exagerated anyway. The 155 is probably the number of countries that could potentially show the games given the distribution channels available to the broadcast partners.

The fact remains that Canada, namely CBC, is not broadcasting the game in any of their TV satellite or cable feeds. With the complicity of the CSA they hold a cruel monopoly of the FIFA TV rights. This prevents other TV networks from broadcasting the game in Canada.

[Eric]

So, is not possible to watch the game anywhere then?

[Richard]

It is available in Canada at cbcsports.ca and elsewhere via FIFA webcast so yes, you can watch the game pretty much anywhere, just not on TV.

[Eric]

Ok thanks

[Vic]

Pretty good quality on the streaming in the East.

[Vic]

As a general comment I would say the nerves are a big factor, lots of impatience...

[Vic]

Halftime talk: 3 words - hit the net.

[Richard]

Good stream in Vancouver too. It seems the CBC has beefed up their streaming resources as the service is way better than it was even earlier this year.

[tarnado1555362291]

1-0 Canada!!Goal by Lamarre

[CoachRich]

Yes, hit the net!!!

Lamarre is impressive

Good match

[CoachRich]

Yes, hit the net!!!

Lamarre is impressive

Excellent heart by the Young Ferns

Good match by both teams

Great move on FIFA's part to have the U17's. Kiwi's are always great hosts & such a great sporting nation.

[Vic]

I liked the game a lot less in the 2nd half when we pulled a player back off the attack. I would say we were lucky to get the full 3pts, especially given the last 60 seconds. I hope the injured player isn't seriously hurt, because she was pretty critical to the attack.

Twice our keeper went deep into no-man's land on long corners and got caught, and I imagine the Colombians will look to draw her into there. And you can be guaranteed once they gain midfield they will look to play to the right and work through the left side of our back line.

The next two opponents are about three grades above the Kiwis.

[Vic]

Soccer: NZ fans thrill Canadians

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/under-17-fifa-womens-world-cup/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502778&objectid=10540245&ref=rss

American-born Canadian team manager Stephanie Rushton was blown away by local fans who high-fived and shook hands with her players after they had beaten New Zealand 1-0 in the opening game of Fifa's inaugural Under-17 Women's World Cup at North Harbour Stadium on Tuesday night.

"The fans have been wonderful. There was no booing and they really appreciated what they saw. I have already told people I could easily come and live in New Zealand. I was very impressed with the New Zealand team and hope they can join us in going on."

There are now 366,510 registered women players in Canada - and probably just as many unregistered - and the sport has overtaken ice hockey as the most popular.

"Once they are in our national programme we don't allow them to play at school," said Rushton. "They are too good. We let them play with their clubs, but only from April to September. The rest of the time is spent at training academies."

Every player in the squad is guaranteed a scholarship at an American university. At US$30,000 ($50,500) a year, they are a dream come true just as victory in this tournament would make the hard work worth the effort.

Soccer: Groomed to succeed

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/under-17-fifa-womens-world-cup/news/article.cfm?c_id=1502778&objectid=10540246&ref=rss

No surprise Canadian captain Bryanna McCarthy and her teammates were able to dig deep when the pressure went on from New Zealand in the opening game of the Fifa Under-17 Women's World Cup.

While everything at North Harbour Stadium was as close as possible to perfect, there are times at home when conditions are anything but. Between January and March it is often a case of rolling up your sleeves and start shovelling to get the snow off the pitch before training or playing matches.

It is this "get stuck in" work ethic which has led Canadian soccer players to being at the top of the list when American universities come scouting.

McCarthy and the other 20 players in the squad already have their playing futures mapped out.

Driving and soccer have long been a big part of McCarthy's life.

For the past 18 months she has driven an hour or more to training four or five times a week including Saturday and Sunday.

"We have had plenty of training camps together," said McCarthy. "We also had a pre-camp before the Concacaf [qualifying] tournament and also had a week in France in September. We have had a pool of about 30 players with players coming in and out right up to a week before we came here when the final squad was named."

Of tomorrow's game against Colombia, McCarthy said the Canadians are not sure what to expect.

"We have to refocus," said McCarthy. "Again, we have to be patient. It was huge for us to win against New Zealand and to have scored the first goal at the first Under-17 tournament."

Of tomorrow's late game between New Zealand and Denmark, McCarthy said she did not want to pick a winner.

"I don't know [who will win], they are both very direct."

[Soccer9]

"Between January and March it is often a case of rolling up your sleeves and start shovelling to get the snow off the pitch before training or playing matches."

After that quote... the world will start thinking that besides living in Igloos, that we have to shovel snow before we play soccer during the winter months? :-)

I guess she was referring to that one time we saw this during a National Team camp last year..??

Or I am out to lunch and this happens often?

[soccer10]

Soccer9 - it is truly the case that the NTCO plays outdoors all winter, except when the temperature is too dangerous. There have been times when the field had to be cleared of snow before practice could begin. This will be the 4th winter that my daughter has trained at the Vaughan site, where Steph Rushton is manager. She is not exagerating. Sometimes they have even handed the PARENTS the shovels... lol .... but only a few times, thank goodness.

I give these girls a lot of credit. The odd time, it was minus 15 with the wind chill and still they were outdoors - and a few of the parents were crazy enough to be out field side watching.... moi included...lol

[VPjr]

^ why are the girls training outdoors at the soccer center when their is an indoor facility on site? I'm just curious. Why are top club teams able to train indoors at facilties like Hershey Sportszone, the Hanger, etc... while the best players in the province/country are training outdoors in the dead of winter. seems a bit ridiculous to me but maybe i'm missing something.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by VPjr

^ why are the girls training outdoors at the soccer center when their is an indoor facility on site? I'm just curious. Why are top club teams able to train indoors at facilties like Hershey Sportszone, the Hanger, etc... while the best players in the province/country are training outdoors in the dead of winter. seems a bit ridiculous to me but maybe i'm missing something.

Well, I know that air resistance is the big difference between indoor and outdoor facilities. Your shot is always going to be more powerful inside than outside because their less resistance and you are going to kick farther inside as well. But I'm not sure this justify our best young players to train outside on a frozen pitch.....I must be missing something as well.