Soccer: Ferns see Cyprus Cup as step to world honours

Olivia Chance. Photo / Bay of Plenty Times

For a team which finished in the top four in 2009 and runners-up last year, you might think the Football Ferns would have designs on winning the Cyprus Cup this time around.

They're certainly keen to triumph at this week's tournament involving 12 of the world's top teams but of greater importance is getting ready for July's World Cup in Germany, where they have set lofty goals.

Coach John Herdman is renowned for slick spreadsheets and Powerpoint presentations and he has already worked out a formula for the Cyprus Cup where each player already knows how many minutes they will play in each game and what system they will employ.

"Things have changed a bit this year," Herdman said before flying out to Cyprus.

"We have gone into the last two tournaments wanting to win them and proving our worth on the international stage. But we have to be bigger than that this year; we have to make sure that whatever we set in place gives us a good crack at the World Cup."

The Football Ferns are ranked 23 in the world but have recorded some notable results in the past two years, including defeats of Italy (11) and the Netherlands (15) and draws with France (8), Canada (9) and England (10). They made the final of last year's Cyprus Cup before being beaten 1-0 by Canada.

It has raised expectations and Herdman and his players genuinely believe they will cause a stir at the World Cup.

They have drawn a good group - Japan (5), England and Mexico (22) - and avoided the big three of Brazil, Germany and the US.

"Winning the World Cup is our target," Herdman says. "Too often in the past, we have set the target of making the second round but then got scared when we get close to that. We have been to enough World Cups now that we know what it's about."

Making the second round is a more realistic target and would be a good outcome.

Only the under-17 boys (2009) have progressed out of their group at a Fifa tournament, although other teams are getting closer to achieving this more regularly.

With this in mind, the Football Ferns will play with some caution at the Cyprus Cup. While they will come up against the Netherlands, Switzerland and France, they know they will also be watched by England and Mexico and don't want to reveal too much about the way they will play at the World Cup.

Herdman is also keen to see whether talented youngsters can put pressure on the incumbents for a starting spot.

One is 17-year-old Olivia Chance, who Herdman described as a "dribbler" and a "maverick" in the mould of Phoenix tyro Marco Rojas.

"We have been crying out for a player like that, so this will be a good test to see how far away she is from senior international football," Herdman says. "She will feature quite heavily.

"In the past, I have been guilty of relying on the same players time and again but I need to give opportunities to the Marco Rojas-type player. This is the most talented side I have ever taken away, so we need to have a plan A, B and C up our sleeve by the time we get to the World Cup."

The squad will gather again in May before internationals against Australia and China on their way to Germany.