Football Ferns to play USA in Missouri in May

WELLINGTON: The Football Ferns will receive the ultimate test of their title credentials when they meet the best team in the world in their buildup to the 2019 Fifa Women’s World Cup.

The OFC Women’s Nations Cup champion will play the United States, the threetime Fifa Women’s World Cup winner and defending champion, in an international friendly on May 16 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri.

Ferns manager Thomas Sermanni, who coached the United States women’s national team for over a year from early 2013, is looking forward to taking on his old team as the Ferns complete their preparation for the World Cup, which will be staged in France during June and July of next year.

‘‘This is a fantastic fixture and a great one leading into the World Cup with it being so close to the tournament,’’ Sermanni said.

‘‘It will give us a really good benchmark for where we are at and will help us in the final part of our preparation.’’

The Football Ferns will meet European champions the Netherlands, World No 5 Canada and Cameroon in group E of the Women’s World Cup as they look to pick up their first win in the competition.

Sermanni believed taking on the tournament favourites on their home soil would be ideal preparation.

‘‘Just the quality of the game in itself will help us first and foremost. The style of game we will face will be similar to Canada and similar to the Netherlands. There will also be a physicality to the American game that will hopefully help us against Cameroon.’’

‘‘The USA are going to be a huge test for us; they are the best team in the world. They have some outstanding players and they will be ready to go at that stage — most of them will

be playing in their league competitions — so it will be a formidable test.’’

The US and New Zealand have met 16 times, with the world No 1 having won 14, drawn one and lost just once to the Ferns.

New Zealand played the US in two international friendlies in 2017, the Tony Readings-coached team going down 31 and 50. The previous meeting before those encounters was the opening game of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, when the US defeated the Football Ferns 20 in Belo Horizonte.

New Zealand was also the US’s opponent at Busch Stadium during the buildup to the 2015 Women’s World Cup, the home team winning 40 in front of more than 35,000 fans.

The coming clash will mark 32 years since New Zealand’s only victory over the US, which came in the first match between the teams in 1987 — a 10 victory for the Football Ferns. — RNZ