KEY POINTS:
A quick look at the 336 players in the Under-17 Women's World Cup which kicks off at North Harbour Stadium tonight backs Fifa's strong belief that soccer is the game for all ages.
Of the players from the 16 nations who will run out for matches at this inaugural tournament, more than half (186) were born in 1991. Only players born on or after January 1, 1991, are eligible.
The surprise is that the four oldest players - Jessica Rollings (New Zealand), Noelia Cuevas (Paraguay), Carine (Brazil) and Anne Thirup Rudmose (Denmark) - were all born on January 3, 1991.
The youngest player at the tournament is Ghana's Ellen Coleman (12 years 11 months) who was born on December 11, 1995. She will be eligible to play at this level again in 2010 and 2012.
New Zealand's youngest player, at 14 years seven months, is Katie Bowen.
As expected, the Europeans have brought the most experienced squads.
The French have a spread of just one year, three months between their youngest, Floraine Hellio (16 years six months) and their oldest, Pauline Crammer (17 years nine months) while the highly favoured Germans have Carolin Simon as their youngest at 16 years and Isabelle Linden (17 years 10 months) as their oldest.
But when the first ball is kicked tonight as New Zealand tackle Canada, age will count for nothing. Brazil, in Beatriz (at 14 years 11 months), have one of the youngest players but already she is seen as a contender for the player of the tournament award.
New Zealand, under coach Paul Temple, have taken a low-key approach. Realistically likely to finish nearer the bottom than the top when final rankings are revealed, the young New Zealanders have remained positive and will be chasing a result tonight as they pursue their dream of winning through to the second phase.
* Match schedule
Today: New Zealand v Canada, North Harbour Stadium 7pm (group A).
Tomorrow: Denmark v Colombia noon, NHS noon (A), Costa Rica v Germany noon (B), Korea DPR v Ghana, Christchurch 3pm (B).
Oct 30: Japan v USA, noon (C), France v Paraguay, Hamilton 3pm (C), Brazil v England, noon (D), Korea DPR v Nigeria, Wellington 3pm (D).
Nov 1: Colombia v Canada 1pm, NZ v Denmark 4pm, NHS; Ghana v Germany 1pm, Costa Rica v Korea DPR 4pm, Christchurch.
Nov 2: Paraguay v USA 1pm, Japan v France 4pm, Hamilton; Nigeria v England 1pm, Brazil v Korea DPR 4pm, Wellington.
Nov 4: Germany v Korea DPR 4pm, Canada v Denmark 7pm, Hamilton; Ghana v Costa Rica 4pm, NZ v Colombia 7pm, Wellington.
Nov 5: USA v France 4pm, England v Korea DPR 7pm, NHS; Paraguay v Japan 4pm, Nigeria v Brazil 7pm, Christchurch 7pm.
Quarter-finals
Nov 8: 1st A v 2nd B 1pm (match 25), 1st B v 2nd A 4pm (26), Wellington.
Nov 9: 1st C v 2nd D 1pm (27), 1st D v 2nd C 4pm (28), Hamilton.
Semifinals
Nov 13: Winner 25 v winner 27 4pm (29), winner 26 v winner 28 7pm (30), Christchurch 7pm (30)
Nov 16: 3rd-4th play-off, loser 29 v loser 30 1pm, final, winner 29 v winner 30, North Harbour Stadium 4pm.
