Football Ferns hopeful they can rebound against Australia, after poor United States campaign

The Football Ferns return to action on Friday night against Australia. Photo / Photosport

Football Ferns coach Jitka Klimkova believes her team have rediscovered their mojo – and are ready to perform in the upcoming clashes with Australia.

The Ferns face the Matildas on Friday in Townsville (9.45pm), before the second game in Canberra on Tuesday (9.45pm), in the first transtasman series at this level since 2016.

The New Zealand team have something to prove, after their forgettable performances at the recent She Believes Cup in the United States.

The Ferns scored an invitation to the prestigious tournament off the back of encouraging progress last year against Canada and South Korea but seemed to regress in the USA, unable to score a goal across 270 minutes and outplayed across all three matches.

Klimkova was openly disappointed with the team's mentality during the tournament, where few players reached their potential amidst some passive displays, but feels they have rebounded.

"The spirit of this team is back, it's very positive," said Klimkova. "We are making steps every day, on the field, off the field to work as a team that creates a safe environment when everybody is courageous. If we have it in our team consistently, it will allow us to perform more consistently during the game."

Klimkova added that the underwhelming campaign was part of the journey towards the 2023 World Cup, as she builds combinations and assesses individuals.

"It's normal, the team development takes a while," said Klimkova. "We are making steps forward but we are prepared to make a couple of backward steps. That's what happened [there] and sometimes you need to make those steps to go forward again. And we are going forward again."

The Ferns haven't beaten Australia in 31 attempts since a 2-1 win in Port Moresby in 1994, though the rivalry has been closer over the last decade, with three draws and some narrow defeats.

The Matildas have accelerated away again in recent years, highlighted by their fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics. The recent quarter-final Asian Cup exit at the hands of South Korea was a shock, but Australia will still be warm favourites.

"In football everything can happen," said Klimkova. "We know we are facing really tough opposition. And this was our plan. We know we can learn from those games the most and having three points or any point from these two games would be amazing."

Klimkova plans to rotate the squad across the two games – "we are still in exploring mode" while also being mindful of results. Improving the flank defence was a major priority of this tour, particularly around marking in the penalty area and accurate clearances. There will also be a focus on combinations in possession – to allow better attacking penetration – and decision-making in the final third.

Klimkova admitted there would be some tough selection decisions, with more competition for places that at any time during her tenure, thanks to the progress of younger players.

Australian-born defender Ally Green is training with the team, ahead of her expected switch of allegiance later this year, and has made good progress, learning about the environment and the style of play.

Forward Emma Rolston is the only player in doubt for Friday's match, after arriving in camp with an injury niggle.