Football: Ferns starting run to World Cup

The Football Ferns' run towards the Women's World Cup in Canada in June goes up a gear early tomorrow morning as they meet Denmark. Photo / Getty Images.

The Football Ferns' run towards the Women's World Cup in Canada in June goes up a gear early tomorrow morning as they meet Denmark in the first of two internationals between the sides in Turkey this week.

Playing at the Spice Hotel Football Grounds in Belek, the 18th-ranked Football Ferns meet the 16th-ranked Denmark as they begin to fine tune their preparations for their third consecutive appearance at the World Cup.

Football Ferns coach Tony Readings said because it was a World Cup year, the matches the team played before heading to Edmonton took on added importance.

"With it being 2015, having our first games is key and what's important is we keep adding new dimensions to our game and refining the things that currently work," Readings said.

Readings said the opposition for this trip had been secured with one eye on June so the team could build experience dealing with certain aspects of play they will face from their Group A opposition at the World Cup of Holland, Canada and China.

"What we are doing is using every single game we play this year in the lead up to try and be as specific as we can to our World Cup opposition so we don't waste any time so when we do actually get to the tournament itself, we've done a lot of the preparation against those teams without having played them.

"Denmark have got a few things in the way they play that are similar to a couple of our [World Cup] opponents so we're really focusing on those areas so we can make the most of this tour."

That objective will be tackled with a team Readings rates as one of the best assembled as the coach and his staff welcome back several regulars who have missed action in recent times.

"This is probably one of the strongest squads we've had for a long time," Readings said.
"We're welcoming back Katie Bowen and Rosie White who were unavailable for the last tour, Hayley Bowden is getting a lot closer to her full match fitness and Kirsty Yallop was pretty much unavailable for the last tour.

"We want to give players an opportunity to impress and show what they've got."

In a change from the squad named in December, defender CJ Bott has replaced injured striker Jasmine Pereira, while, if selected, goalkeeper Cushla Lichtwark will make her Football Ferns debut.

The first match of the series against Denmark kicks off at 1am NZT, tomorrow morning.

Football Ferns (from): Erin Nayler (GK), Ria Percival, CJ Bott, Katie Hoyle, Abby Erceg (capt), Rebekah Stott, Ali Riley, Hayley Bowden, Amber Hearn, Sarah Gregorius, Kirsty Yallop, Betsey Hassett, Rosie White, Meikayla Moore, Annalie Longo, Hannah Wilkinson, Katie Bowen, Helen Collins, Cushla Lichtwark (GK), Daisy Cleverley

Schedule
Match 1
Tuesday, 1am (NZT)
Spice Hotel Football Grounds, Belek, Turkey
Match 2
Thursday, 9pm (NZT)
Spice Hotel Football Grounds, Belek, Turkey
Record v Denmark
1991 World Cup (China) - 3-0 loss
2007 World Cup (China) - 2-0 loss
2011 Matchworld Cup tournament (Switzerland) - 1-0 loss