Fifa World Cup: USA arrive in New Zealand for World Cup dress rehearsal

L-R: Naomi Girma, Alex Morgan, Crystal Dunn and Becky Sauerbrunn with Tazuni the Penguin during the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team media event at The Cloud Queen’s Wharf, Auckland, New Zealand on Friday 13 January 2023. Mandatory credit: Alan Lee / www.photosport.nz

The world’s best women’s football team are in Auckland for the first time to familiarise themselves ahead of the World Cup in six months, while also hoping to win over some Kiwi fans.

With New Zealand and Australia co-hosting the World Cup kicking off in July, the United States play the Football Ferns in two friendly matches next Wednesday in Wellington and Saturday at Eden Park.

Those two cities will host all three US World Cup group games, as well as their quarter-final and semifinal, should they progress that far.

This is the first time the world No 1 team have played in New Zealand, and the US squad includes the likes of Mallory Swanson (nee Pugh), Rose Lavelle, Lindsey Horan and Alex Morgan.

USA celebrate winning their fourth World Cup title with the trophy in 2019. Photosport

Eight American players were at the Cloud today and agreed their focus was adjusting to New Zealand’s conditions, culture and travel.

And the team aiming for a third straight World Cup are grateful for the opportunity.

Morgan, nominated for Fifa’s 2022 women’s player of the year, said the trip was an important part of their preparation.

“Just to get used to the travel we’re expected to make in July, the travel time and the two stadiums we’re expected to play in,” Morgan said.

US captain Becky Sauerbrunn said it was about getting a feel of many things, “even the grass”.

“Really, I think it’s to replicate the travel of it because now Fifa is mandating that people travel match day minus one and that’s something we’ve never done before in a World Cup, and so [this trip is about] the travelling between Auckland and Wellington, the cities, the sites, the training venues,” Sauerbrunn said.

This trip was also an opportunity to experience Aotearoa’s culture before a busier schedule in July.

“We were welcomed yesterday by a Māori tribe and I thought that was really amazing that they welcomed us and sang us some songs. We actually sang them a song ... we all panicked and didn’t know what to sing them, so we sang the national anthem,” Sauerbrunn said.

The US also hope to win over a few fans on this tour.

With the defending champions likely to go deeper in the World Cup than the Football Ferns, the US players were hopeful the Kiwi sporting public would get behind them as the tournament progressed.

“We have some really exciting players to watch,” Lavelle said. “We have some fun personalities and I think we’re a cool team.”