[1] Nick Rzepecky Footballsouth's national women's youth league team makes its final home appearance, against Capital at Logan Park, at 1pm today.
Spectators are more than usually curious about this team, which has played excellent football in patches, but has also sustained collapses that defy belief.
In the season's first match away against Central, the collapse came early, conceding three goals in the first 15 minutes after an arduous air journey, but Footballsouth fought back to an eventual 4-2 loss.
Then another 4-2 loss, this time against Mainland, treated local fans to a brilliant first half of stylish football, but team shape fractured and eventually the more experienced Canterbury side triumphed.
Coach Nick Rzepecky said the Canterbury loss was "tough to swallow, knowing we played some great football and took a deserved 2-1 lead over them, before our fitness faded and we conceded three quick goals."
Possibly the most bizarre match was away against Capital in Wellington. Goals to Mary Fraser and Shontelle Smith (two) produced a 3-1 halftime scoreline that must have delighted Rzepecky.
But in more of an avalanche than a collapse, the Otago team self-destructed to eventually lose 8-3, and spent considerable time navel gazing on the flight home. So today's match against Capital will test the mental toughness of Rzepecky's team as much as its fitness.
The Otago United youth team is another developmental crew that is full of potential but will have to dig deep to deliver against Manawatu in Palmerston North.
From the pits of an opening match 9-1 defeat by Wellington, Otago showed resolve and skill to beat Manawatu recently 3-0 in Dunedin despite being reduced to 10 men.
Coach Tony Martin must now spur the same effort away from home with 11 men in Manawatu.
The Otago United ASB Premiership team has no game this weekend, and will face Hawkes Bay at noon next Sunday at Tahuna Park.
Representative Squads
• Football South Women's Youth: Tessa Nicol, Chelsea Martin, Shontelle Smith, Caitlyn Bloxham, Alice Foote, Chelsea Whittaker, Kelsey Kennard, Tess Barker, Paige Aitcheson, Sara Stannard, Una Madden, Sam Muirhead, Jordyn Walker, Monique Francois, Georgia Brown, Melissa Todd, Courtney Dunn, Amber Larsen, Carena Oosterbaan, Emma Luxton, Mary Fraser.
• Otago United Youth: Os Rodriguez, Joel Stevens, Andrew Ridden, Nick Hindson, Jackson Mitchell, Matt Brook, Ross Howard, Aaron Whitaker, Will Mcintyre, Matt Webb, Jack Kirkland, Nikki Meglinski, Keiran Stevenson, Jesse Smith, Shay Kerry, Lian Riley.
No comments:
Post a Comment