Ferns call up Longo, Phoenix youngsters
Annalie Longo has been included in a Football Ferns squad for the first time since the Tokyo Olympics.
Coach Jitka Klimkova´ has also handed two Wellington Phoenix defenders their first callups in naming a 24-strong squad for a pair of friendlies against Norway and Wales.
Kate Taylor and Mackenzie Barry were included in a squad that also features Ally Green, who trained with the Ferns in April after switching her international allegiance from Australia and is now set for her debut.
Forward Ava Collins and fullback Anna Green have dropped out from the group that had a pair of losses to Australia’s Matildas two months ago.
Green scored a spectacular goal to put the Ferns 1-0 up in the first match of that tour, where they then conceded twice in stoppage time to suffer a heartbreaking defeat.
Midfielder
Ria Percival suffered a serious knee injury in that game and is set to be out for the rest of the year.
Centre back Abby Erceg and goalkeeper Anna Leat continue to be absent, having been said in April to be unavailable for personal reasons.
CJ Bott missed the matches in Australia due to injury and is absent once again, though she did play 28 minutes in the final game of her club Leicester City’s season at the end of May.
Longo works for NZ Football as its women’s football development manager and will be looking to add to her 124 caps.
‘‘This is a great time to welcome Annalie back to the team,’’ Klimkova´ said.
‘‘She’s always impressive, and we know that the experience and quality she has is exactly what we need in midfield, both now and in the future – in particular her reading of the game and always being one step ahead.’’
Taylor was the Phoenix’s vicecaptain in their inaugural A-league Women campaign and looked assured beyond her years playing at centre back.
The 18-year-old captained the New Zealand under-20 team to a 2-1 friendly win over Australia last Sunday, scoring the decisive goal from the penalty spot.
‘‘Kate is a player we’ve been watching since the A-league Women’s season began,’’ said Klimkova´ .
‘‘For such a young player to be such a valuable member of her team is incredibly exciting. She has a lot of potential, and we’re delighted to see her in the senior Ferns environment.
‘‘Mackenzie is another player we’ve watched closely, and it’s been really pleasing to see her progression during the A-league season, in particular her improvement on the ball.’’
Klimkova´ said she was looking forward to facing Norway, who are ranked 11th in the world, 11 places above the Ferns, and Wales, who sit in 31st, as her side continues to prepare for next year’s Fifa Women’s World Cup on home soil.
‘‘Taking on two very different sides in the same window give us the chance to test ourselves in the way we will be tested at the World Cup, with the short time in between games replicating what we will encounter in July 2023.’’