Football Ferns have a clear goal

The Football Ferns scored five goals in 24 hours of football in 2023. One came in a 1-1 draw with Iceland in Turkey in April, when Michaela Foster put the ball on the head of Hannah Wilkinson at a corner.

Two arrived in a 2-0 win over Vietnam in Napier in July, when it really should have been five or six, considering how uninterested their opponents were.

One goal that will be remembered forever – Wilkinson’s winner against Norway in front of a 43,000-strong crowd at Eden Park on the opening night of the Women’s World Cup 10 days later.

And one by Betsy Hassett, following up after her penalty hit the post in a 2-1 loss to Chile in an untelevised, behind-closeddoors match in September.

You shouldn’t be able to cover off a national football team’s goals so succinctly, but this is a long-running problem that has no easy solution.

Before scoring just five times in 16 matches this year, the Ferns scored six in 12 in 2022, six in seven in 2021, two in three in 2020 and five in 12 in 2019.

At the same time, they conceded 31 goals in 16 matches this year, 18 in 12 in 2022, 18 in seven in 2021, six in three in 2020 and 21 in 12 in 2019.

All up, over the last five years, they have scored 24 times in 50 matches, while conceding 94 times down the other end.

There’s room for improvement at both ends, though when it comes to the defence, it’s worth noting more than a quarter of those goals were shipped in five matches against the United States.

In the three matches that mattered more than any others over the past five years – the three at the Women’s World Cup on home soil on July – the defence came to the party.

The Ferns conceded just once in 270 minutes in the win over Norway, the 1-0 loss to the Philippines and the 0-0 draw with Switzerland that ultimately resulted in a group-stage exit.

It was the attacking end of the pitch that was the cause of the most frustration, especially in the second and third matches, and ultimately it was a lack of goals that made 2023 a disappointing year.

Creativity remains a New Zealand football problem in general, not one exclusive to the Ferns, and it’s hard to know where to turn next in pursuit of answers. It was a shame Wellington Phoenix midfielder Macey Fraser was ruled out of this month’s matches against Colombia after falling ill on the eve of the international window, as she is the kind of creative player the Ferns sorely need.

Next up for the Ferns is the Oceania Olympic qualifying tournament in Samoa in February, which will be like playing a different sport entirely.

Last time the New Zealand women played their Pacific rivals, they scored 43 goals in five matches while conceding none.

Barring a dramatic upset there, they will resume action in April, with six friendlies to play before a Paris Olympics campaign where Colombia will be their weakest potential opponent.

With just 18 players making the cut for the Olympics squad, the time is coming when some calls about which attacking players to stick with and which to move on from will have to be made.