KEY POINTS:
BEIJING - Fed a diet of nationalistic pride and old-fashioned hard work the New Zealand women's soccer team are embracing the chance to open their country's Olympic campaign on Wednesday.
The youthful Football Ferns will be the first New Zealand team in action at the 29th Olympiad when they face Japan at the coastal Chinese city of Qinghuangdao.
Despite their inexperience, coach John Herdman doesn't think his team will be overawed by the occasion, which arrives two days before the Opening Ceremony and - with a palatable 9pm kickoff (NZT) - will probably attract more interest in New Zealand than any women's match in history.
"It's magic to know we're first away," Herdman said.
"The players have been excited about that but they are focused now. We've gone through the spiritual experience of being in the Beijing Olympic Village but now we've moved out to Qinghuangdao and there's nothing they need to motivate them."
Herdman deliberately planted his team in the Village for three days last week to give them a taste of the scale of the Olympics.
He was sure that some words of encouragement from 2004 cycling gold medallist Sarah Ulmer - in the Village in a mentoring role - and the support shown by other athletes and management will pay dividends on the field.
"That will add another 10 per cent to their performance, that spur of knowing that all these people are behind them.
"You wouldn't miss that sort of thing for the world.
"But having said that, we've been on the road now for more than a month and to reach Qinghuangdao at last is a nice feeling. We're away from a lot of the excitement and distractions."
Herdman said while his team were the youngest in the tournament, they boast experience beyond their years. Several played at the Youth World Cup in Russia in 2006 and/or last September's senior World Cup in China.
"Last year they played in front of crowds of 60,000 people when they played against China and 50,000 against Brazil," he said.
"This occasion obviously brings an extra emotional attachment but I think they'll be fine.
"They've got their heads screwed on and we've got coping strategies in place and those are acquired through their experience."
Herdman believed the recent 1-1 draw with highly-rated Canada showed their intense five-week buildup through the heat of Southeast Asia and China was paying dividends.
He was surprisingly-confident it can translate into victory against a Japanese side ranked fractionally below Canada but well above New Zealand.
"They play a really attractive style of football but this team feels that their scalp is one we should take in this group and take quite comfortably," he said.
"That first game is one we see as the most important one. If we take three points from that then we know exactly what we need to do to get through this group. Two draws in the next game could see you through."
New Zealand's other pool games are against Norway at the same venue on Saturday and the United States at Shenyang on Tuesday next week.
The top two teams from each of the three pools advance to the quarterfinals, along with the two best third-placed sides.
- NZPA
