Coach Promotes Clapham
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D4 WEEKENDSPORT Saturday, February 11, 2012 THE PRESS, Christchurch FOOTBALL GOLF Lee in Top NZ footballer ready for US sizzling Fred Woodcock AT A GLANCE Readings, who took over the top job from John Herdman If there were individual after the Englishman ■ WHAT: International player rankings in world accepted an offer to coach the form women’s football football, Ali Riley would Canadian national team. ■ WHO: United States v New comfortably be the highest- Four other Football Ferns Kiwi golfer Danny Lee has Zealand ranked Kiwi of either gender. staff and management fol- always had the ability to ■ WHERE: FC Dallas Stadium, After all, the 24-year-old lowed Herdman to Canada shoot low but the 21-year-old Texas Stanford University graduate after last year’s competitive says he’s only just coming to ■ WHEN: 10am tomorrow (NZ is considered by many to be World Cup showing, leaving terms with doing so in the time) the best left back in the world, Readings to make a fresh start toughest tournaments. ■ TV: No TV coverage but and certainly good enough to with a new group. Lee yesterday shot a siz- match will be streamed live make the top-ranked United The current 18-strong zling first-round nine-under at ussoccer.com States team, a path she could playing squad is a constant, 63 to be in a three-way tie for ■ Football Ferns squad: have chosen having been however, boasting almost 750 the lead at the multi-course Jenny Bindon (Hibiscus born in Los Angeles and caps. AT&T Pebble Beach National Coast), Erin Nayler (Eastern raised in the US. It’s akin to The big difference between Pro-Am in California. Suburbs), Abbey Erceg an All White being Spanish or now and a year ago is that 12 Playing at Pebble Beach, (Adelaide United, Brazilian national team of the current squad ply their the toughest of the three Australia), Anna Green material. trade overseas, either pro- courses used, Lee’s spectacu- (Lokomotive Leipzig, But in an odd twist, New fessionally or for a US college, lar round was highlighted by Germany), Kristy Hill (Three Zealand’s best footballer finds as opposed to one or two such five birdies and two eagles Kings United), Ria Percival herself on the hunt for as Riley and captain Rebecca including a 106 yard hole-out (FFC Frankfurt, Germany), employment less than six Smith. on the par-four 11th, his Ali Riley (unattached), months out from the Following some impress- second hole. Rebecca Smith (captain, Olympics after America’s ive performances at last Lee said it was the tough VfL Wolfsburg, Germany), Women’s Professional Soccer year’s World Cup, a swag of nature and low cut lines of the Betsy Hassett (UC League folded last week. Kiwis were picked up by Nationwide Tour that helped Berkeley, USA), Katie Hoyle ‘‘It’s been a pretty crazy 10 overseas clubs, with defender him regain his ability to shoot (Bad Neuenahr, Germany), days,’’ Riley said from Texas Anna Green the latest having in the low 60s. Annalie Longo (Three Kings yesterday as the Football just signed for German club ‘‘I was actually struggling United), Hayley Moorwood Ferns prepare to play world Lokomotive Leipzig. for a couple of years and [the (Chelsea, England), Kirsty No 1 the United States at FC ‘‘It’s really different,’’ Riley Nationwide Tour] taught me Yallop (Vittsjo, Sweden), Dallas Stadium tomorrow (NZ says. how to make low scores,’’ he Amber Hearn (USV Jena, time). ‘‘We’re used to the team said. Germany), Sarah Gregorius ‘‘I love soccer and I have to being together throughout the He carded a four-under 32 (Bad Neuenahr, Germany), keep playing to get ready for entire year [in Auckland] and on the front nine then got Rosie White (UCLA, USA), the Olympics, so I am Top class: Ali Riley, right, of New Zealand is challenged by Natalie Vinti, of Mexico, during their Women’s World Cup Group B soccer match in Sinsheim, then a couple of us coming in really hot. Hannah Wilkinson exploring options in a few Germany, in July last year. Photo: REUTERS from overseas teams, but now A bit of luck and ‘‘some (Glenfield Rovers), Holly leagues, both domestically [in almost everyone is playing good breaks’’ made all the Patterson (Claudelands the US] and overseas. Germany or England, the us all in a tough position and the coming weeks, because a tive with the likes of the overseas and it’s a different difference, the former world Rovers). ‘‘It’s really important for other top women’s leagues. it’s really competitive. It’s lot of girls don’t. Right now United States. dynamic. No 1 amateur said. me to be in the best training The former rookie of the hard and really stressful right I’m really just trying to focus ‘‘It’s a big challenge but ‘‘It’s going to be tough to One of those good breaks environment possible to pre- The league hopes to return year and All Pro selection has now,’’ says Riley, a psy- on this match in Texas.’’ we’re looking at it very get used to but having so was on the par-5 second – pare for the Olympics.’’ next year but the decision has been talking with ‘‘a couple of chology major. The match marks New positively,’’ Riley says. many players in the top Lee’s 11th hole. Riley played for the US left the players jobless in what top teams’’. But complicating ‘‘We knew there was Zealand’s first on their ‘‘Road ‘‘This will show us where leagues can only be beneficial. He’d just birdied the par-4 champions, Western New is an important year for the matters is that transfer instability, and my first team to London’’. Qualification we are right now and where ‘‘The tricky thing is com- first then on the short, but York Flash, but the five-team international players, with windows in Europe have just [FC Gold Pride] folded, but it’s through Oceania for the we need to be by the ing together and getting on difficult par-5 second, Lee league was cancelled last London 2012 looming. closed and most teams have still a shock for your job to 12-team Olympic tournament Olympics. It’s good, there’s a the same page again, but we found himself in the green- week because of an ongoing A player of Riley’s calibre done all their business, leav- disappear. should be a formality in late- lot of fresh faces in our camp had a great training session side bunker for two with legal dispute between the should get picked up easily ing little cash to pick up high- ‘‘I’m really lucky that I March, early-April, but to do and we’re ready to go.’’ today, everyone looks fit and plenty to do to get close to league and a former team enough, whether it be in a US quality free agents. have the national team pro- well at the Olympics, the One of the fresh faces is healthy and we just picked up what was meant to be a owner. lower league or in Sweden, ‘‘It’s really tricky, it puts gramme to look forward to in Ferns will have to be competi- former assistant coach Tony where we left off.’’ Fairfax NZ difficult pin placement. ‘‘I hit the pin . it was the only way to stop the ball and it went in,’’ he said. ‘‘After that I had some good momentum going and I Coach promotes Clapham Phoenix want big crowd think I played really nicely.’’ He birdied the par-three fifth and on the tiny par-three Tony Smith SQUADS Braithwaite said the seventh knocked his tee-shot awards were great recog- to lift game against Roar to four feet for another birdie. Canterbury United coach Canterbury United: Adam nition for the two individuals, He scored four twos in all, Keith Braithwaite believes Highfield, Tom Batty (gks), but he is looking forward not Hamish Bidwell beat themselves. ‘‘At this with birdies on three of captain Aaron Clapham is in Julyan Collett, Mark back now with the playoffs I’d love to see point in the season it’s all Pebble Beach’s four par- the best form of his career and Johnston, Tom Schwarz, looming. It’s not quite football fever, about the three points and I’d threes as well as his eagle two is disappointed at his omis- Daniel Glozier, Nick ‘‘We’ve got four games left but there’s certainly a buzz of 15,000-plus, rather win ugly than keep the on 11. sion from the All Whites. Wortelboer, Joe Murray, and three of those are against sorts surrounding tomorrow’s ‘ because the boys ball for 90 per cent of the game ‘‘I guess [earlier] I was too Clapham, who has five Aaron Clapham (capt), Cole the top three clubs, so our big A-League clash between and lose,’’ said Durante. nervous and not focusing on international caps, was Peverley, Josh Smith, Andy destiny’s in our own hands.’’ the Wellington Phoenix and thrive on that ‘‘Brisbane will look to do my own game so I just learned among a clutch of New Barton, Calvin Opperman, Tomorrow’s tussle shapes Brisbane Roar at Westpac type of crowd that to us. They’ll probably a way to play a little bit better Zealand international players Ken Yamamoto, Russell as a potential six-point fixture Stadium in Wellington. and hopefully dominate the possession stats than what I was used to over left out of Ricki Herbert’s Kamo, George Slefendorfas.