North Shore Times (New Zealand)
Shore girls up against world no. 1 USA side
While the Football Ferns are in Denver for their two-match tour against the top-ranked international footballing side, the United States, domestic titles were being decided.
The Football Ferns squad holds three players currently representing North Shore clubs in the Women’s Northern Regional Football League Premier division and Northern Football Federation Men’s Division one.
Sixteen-year-old Anna Leat plays her football with Glenfield Rovers and missed her chance to stake a claim at silverware on September 10 when her club beat Eastern Suburbs 5-4 in the final of the National Women’s Knockout Cup.
Leat was already on the plane to America, and hoping to add to her two caps for the Ferns, when her club side was winning their fourth national title in seven years.
Another member of the Ferns squad is 18-year-old Malia Steinmetz from Forrest Hill Milford.
Steinmetz received her first call up for the 2017 Cyprus Cup back in March, but has yet to make her debut for New Zealand.
Recently, Leat and Steinmetz have represented New Zealand at the OFC U19 Championship, where New Zealand took top honours and qualified for next year’s FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.
North Shore United’s Victoria Esson recently decided to play in men’s football to boost her progress as a goalkeeper and push for a call-up to the national side.
Every Saturday this season, Esson was turning out for North Shore Seagulls in the Northern Football Federation Men’s Division one.
To date, Esson hasn’t made an appearance for New Zealand, but will be pushing for the starting spot against the USA.
The squad also holds, former Glenfield Rovers players, Katie Rood, Erin Nayler, Hannah Wilkinson and Katie Bowen and former Forrest Hill players, Aimee Philips, CJ Bott and Daisy Cleverley.
The Football Ferns lost their opening match of the two-match tour, 3-1.
Wilkinson scored the Football Ferns’ goal. It was her 25th goal in 82 internationals for New Zealand.
The two sides meet again in Cincinnati at Nippert Stadium on September 20 (NZT) for the final match of the tour.