Positive mindset for Ferns
The Football Ferns will play with a positive mindset as they begin their World Cup preparations, putting the negative approach that overshadowed their last major international behind them.
It’s been almost nine months since the loss to Japan that proved to be Andreas Heraf’s last match in charge, and there should be no sign of the ultradefensive tactics he adopted when the team takes on Australia in Sydney tonight.
That match is one of three the Ferns will play over the next week across the Tasman, as part of the Cup of Nations tournament, and the first of seven they have lined up between now and the World Cup in France in June.
Their new coach, Tom Sermanni, took charge of the team in October before the Oceania Women’s Nations Cup, which the Ferns won with ease to book their place at the World Cup, and faces his first real test – against the country he calls home and coached from 1994 to 1996 and 2005 to 2012.
Ahead of tonight’s match, where the world No 19 Ferns will be seeking their first win over the world No 6 Matildas since 1994, striker Sarah Gregorius was excited about where the team was headed.
‘‘I think you have to have a positive mindset when you go to a World Cup. If you want to win football games you have to score goals – and not concede as many as you score,’’ she said.
‘‘With Tom, he’s so
experienced and he’s so capable of building a team that’s competitive, particularly at those world events, so I think you’ll see a way of playing that brings out our strengths collectively and individually, because that’s what he’s known for. That’s what you have to do if you want to get results, you have to bring the best out of people, not just as individual players but as one cohesive unit too.
‘‘He’s definitely got some tactics and some plans around how to do that best. He already knows our players so well because he’s so up to speed with women’s football and he’s kept an eye on us even when he wasn’t our coach, and obviously he’s been working hard since he got the job.
‘‘I’m excited, both individually and for the team, because I think we’ll play in a way that will really accentuate our strengths and I’m pretty sure everyone will be happy to see what he’s come up with as well.’’
The Ferns have two goals for this year’s World Cup – the fifth they will have been to and the fourth in a row since Australia left Oceania – to win their first game at the event and advance to the knockout stages for the first time.
They welcomed centurions Abby Erceg and Katie Duncan back from retirement in January. Gregorius said having the experienced duo on board would be a
big boost.
‘‘There’s a few of us that have spent some time away from the environment and have come back in, but you don’t come back in with zero caps, you come back in with 100 caps, or 80 caps, or 30 caps, so that’s massive. Every bit of international experience, every cap gained is crucial and important and valuable.
‘‘It’s pretty incredible that you can reintegrate people into the environment that have been there and done that already, but because they haven’t been around for a while, you do get this new infusion of talent and experience.’’
Tonight’s match was moved from Jubilee Stadium to Leichardt Oval earlier this week due to concerns over the state of the pitch, with Sermanni among those worried.
After taking on the Matildas to begin the Cup of Nations, the Ferns play Argentina on Sunday in Brisbane and South Korea next Wednesday in Melbourne.