Homecoming, World Cup, Jurgen Klopp
Canterbury centreback Meikayla Moore is thrilled to be playing at home after a challenging year. Tony Smith reports.
Meikayla Moore’s seeking more than just a happy homecoming in Christchurch with the Football Ferns for the doubleheader with South Korea.
The experienced defender insists showcasing the Ferns in her birthplace before New Zealand co-hosts the 2023 World Cup is only part of the equation.
‘‘Being the first games we’ve had in New Zealand for a while and obviously the closeness of the World Cup, they’re important,’’ she said. ‘‘We’re here to win, to play to win.
‘‘We had a good result in our last game against Korea, they’re a tough side . . . we are here to perform and hopefully put on a good show for the crowd.’’
Moore was as disappointed as anyone that Christchurch missed the cut as a World Cup venue, but believes the Korean clashes today and Tuesday at Orangetheory Stadium will whet the Canterbury football community’s appetite for the 2023 tournament.
‘‘The women’s game is just growing and growing as a worldwide sport. I don’t think people understand or can comprehend the huge potential that this World Cup is going to bring.’’
There will be ‘‘a big Moore Crew’’ to support her against Korea.
‘‘All my family’s based here, and I keep in contact with a couple of school friends still and they’re going to come to the Tuesday game, I think.’’
This is the first time the Football Ferns have played in New Zealand since 2018 when Moore scored in a 3-1 loss to Japan in Wellington.
The Glasgow City centreback was also on target from the penalty spot in the Ferns’ last game – a 2-1 win over the Philippines (who will be New Zealand’s World Cup pool rivals) in California in September.
The goal earned her a supportive message from Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and it also drew a line under a challenging year.
Moore had to show her resolve after conceding three own goals in the first half of a 5-0 loss to the United States in the She Believes Cup in June and also to navigate a change of clubs in Britain.
The US experience was ‘‘character building to say the least’’, she admitted, while stating that it was ‘‘very much’’ behind her.
‘‘The tour in September was almost a full circle for me. That chapter is well and truly closed. 2022 will go down as a very challenging year, but it’s been and done, and I can only look forward now to next year.’’
When she needed it most, Moore was ‘‘flooded in support’’ from the Kiwi football community.
‘‘I wouldn’t have seen the half of it, to be honest, I was off socials for a long time. It was just immediate family and friends.’’
Klopp also reached out. Moore met the German-born Liverpool manager when she played for Liverpool’s women’s team. Together they fronted a video for the Reds’ Rainbow Laces promotional campaign to promote diversity in football.
‘‘I have his number on my phone, he messaged me when I moved to Glasgow and he messaged me after I scored [against the Philippines] as well,’’ Moore said. ‘‘He’s amazing . . . from what you see on TV he’s very personable, but after meeting him in person, it’s very much the case as well.
‘‘He was incredible, it was a very natural conversation and everything I went through he was very supportive
. . . he’s a pretty cool guy.’’
Moore’s time at Liverpool ended last season after helping the club to earn a return to the Women’s Super League.
That led to her move to Glasgow where she is one of three Football Ferns in Scotland’s largest city. Goalkeeper Vic Esson is at Glasgow Rangers and midfielder Liv Chance at Celtic.
But the Kiwi trio haven’t yet had a chance for a catch-up coffee – let alone a sneaky deep-fried Mars bar – at a Sauchiehall St cafe.
‘‘We haven’t actually met up yet. I was finishing my degree, so I’ve been swamped with that. Vic’s got really good friends at Rangers, Liv’s the same at Celtic, we just kind of hang out with our own people on our off days.
‘‘I see them enough as it is [at Football Ferns camps],’’ she quipped.
Moore said the move to Scotland has ‘‘been really good for me. I fitted into the team really well, the girls are fantastic, I’m loving Glasgow as a city and enjoying where I’m living. Everything’s come together really nicely. It’s not where I want to end up, but it’s definitely a good place for where I’m at currently and building towards where I want to get to in future’’.
She’s also proud to have completed a bachelor of health science degree after six years’ part-time study extramurally through Massey University.
‘‘I literally just finished it at the end of October. I was in no rush to get it done, [but it was] something to do alongside football and now I can switch entirely to a football mind, which is nice heading into next year.’’
It’s always been football ever since Moore, ‘‘an Avondale girl from the east side’’, began playing ‘‘just around the corner’’ at Burwood AFC. She stayed there ‘‘playing with boys until I was 12’’ before switching to her first girls team at Avon United (now FC Twenty 11) and then linking up with the Coastal Spirit premier women’s team.
Moore moved to Auckland, but the Avonside Girls’ High School graduate’s red and black roots were so strong she commuted home to play for the Mainland Pride, and now she is back with the Football Ferns after 58 caps.
‘‘What you see on TV he’s very personable, but after meeting him in person, it’s very much the case as well.’’
Meikayla Moore on Jurgen Klopp, left