Coach predicts Erceg’s return
A return to the Football Ferns for Abby Erceg appears to be drawing closer, and she could be available for the team’s games in the March international window.
The veteran defender announced her retirement from the Ferns last February, aged 27, citing the lack of support amateur domestic-based players received from New Zealand Football.
Erceg has been in New Zealand over the summer, during the offseason of the American National Women’s Soccer League, where she plays for the North Carolina Courage.
New Ferns coach Andreas Heraf said he had met Erceg twice while she was back home, that they had had good talks, and that he was confident she would soon be available.
‘‘In my opinion she will come back, but it’s her decision and she’s waiting for an agreement between the PFA and New Zealand Football,’’ he said.
‘‘We have to accept that. Hopefully that will be done soon, then there is no reason that she won’t play for us.
‘‘I think she should play for us, because we are going for a World Cup, we are going for the Olympic Games very, very soon.
‘‘New Zealand Football can’t afford to be without its best players, and for sure, Abby Erceg is one of the best players.’’
Erceg did not want to comment when contacted by Stuff.
The Professional Footballers Association went public in early November with its desire to achieve a world-first joint collective agreement, giving the country’s male and female international footballers equal working conditions.
To make that happen, the PFA was seeking increased travel benefits for the Ferns, specifically business class flights to and from games for foreign-based players. It also called on NZ Football to disclose its plans for the development of the women’s game going forward.
Negotiations have been ongoing since then.
The Ferns’ next scheduled matches are a pair of friendlies against Scotland in Spain at the start of March.
Heraf is set to name his squad for those matches on February 9.
They are the first assignments in a year that ends with the Oceania Nations Cup, which serves as the qualifying tournament for next year’s World Cup in France.
Erceg, a central defender, is New Zealand’s most-capped international footballer, with 131 appearances between 2006 and 2017.
She has played at three World Cups – 2007, 2011 and 2015 – and three Olympics – 2008, 2012 and 2016, and captained the side from 2014 until her retirement last year.