New Zealand's Junior Football Ferns will kick off the World Cup against Switzerland on August 19.
Aug. 1, 2012
By Stephanie Juncker
GoBulldogs.com
FRESNO, Calif. ---Fresno State rising sophomore Nadia Pearl has been named to New Zealand's Junior Football Ferns squad which will compete at the sixth FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. The tournament will run from Aug. 19 to Sept. 8 and the Junior Football Ferns will take on Switzerland Aug. 19 to begin U-20 World Cup action.
"Nadia is a budding talent with a bright future for us and her national programs," said head coach Brian Zwaschka. "We have a good working relationship with her federation to ensure that Nadia has a positive development experience with both of our programs. Long term we will both stand to gain as Nadia increases her level of play and maturity on the stages she'll be performing."
The 21-day tournament will take place across five venues, including Hiroshima, Kobe, Miyagi, Saitama and Tokyo, with the historic Japanese capital playing host to the final.
"Opportunities playing for your country, especially in world level tournament settings, are irreplacable moments in any player's career," said Zwascka. "Nadia is already gaining many cultural, athletic, and emotional life-changing experiences. She will benefit greatly from her trip to Japan as she works to develop as a player, a student, and person going forward. We are very excited for her accomplishment and wish her the best."
Sixteen nations have qualified for the U-20 World Cup and they are divided into four groups of four, with the top two teams from each group progressing to the quarterfinals. Pearl and New Zealand are in Group A along with host country Japan, Mexico, and Switzerland.
"They are three very different opponents and on paper it's a good draw for us," said Aaron McFarland, head coach of the Junior Football Ferns, in the national team release. "Switzerland presents themselves as an orthodox, tough defending side. Japan is a team that will hurt us if we allow them a lot of possession and Mexico are a mix of Latin flair and pragmatism but we feel that each match presents an opportunity to collect points."
The Junior Football Ferns will be among the first nations to get underway at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup campaign when they face European outfit Switzerland before a crunch match with host nation Japan at the Miyagi Stadium in Rifu. Powerhouse Mexico awaits the Junior Football Ferns in their final group match in Kobe on Aug. 26.
Junior Football Ferns squad for FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Japan 2012
Goalkeepers
Erin NAYLER (Eastern Suburbs)
Corina BROWN (Three Kings United)
Jess REDDAWAY (Lynn-Avon United)
Defenders
Bridgette ARMSTRONG (Glenfield Rovers)
Tessa BERGER (Three Kings United)
Caitlin SMALLFIELD (Glenfield Rovers)
Ashleigh WARD (Glenfield Rovers)
Holly PATTERSON (Claudelands Rovers)
Midfielders
Rebecca BURROWS (Three Kings United)
Lucy CARTER (Fencibles United)
Kate LOYE (Claudelands Rovers)
Tayla O'BRIEN (Lynn-Avon United)
Nadia Pearl (Fresno State, USA)
Katie BOWEN (Glenfield Rovers)
Evie MILLYN (Eastern Suburbs)
Olivia CHANCE (Claudelands Rovers)
Rosie WHITE (UCLA, USA)
Strikers
Stephanie SKILTON (Glenfield Rovers)
Georgia BROWN (Three Kings United)
Hannah WILKINSON (Glenfield Rovers)
Katie ROOD (Lincoln Ladies, ENG)
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