Goalkeeper Vic Esson – six months old when the Football Ferns last played in Christchurch 31 years ago – is “absolutely ecstatic” at the chance to bring the team home.
Esson and defender Meikayla Moore are two of the more prominent Christchurch-born members of the Football Ferns will play in two games against South Korea for family and friends on November 12 and 15.
The pair, now playing for rival Glasgow clubs, hoped Christchurch’s matches could help Canterbury fans recover from the disappointment of missing out on hosting matches at the 2023 World Cup to be held in New York. Zealand and Australia will be played.
“I don’t think anything will make it right, but it’s definitely a starting point,” Esson said on Wednesday.
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“It’s an opportunity for us to come home to play football and give some exposure to high-performance football in Canterbury.”
The Games in Korea will be the first four years of the Football Ferns in New Zealand since a 3-1 defeat to Japan in Wellington in June 2018.
“I think Christchurch deserves the games,” Esson said. “Obviously they missed hosting the World Cup games, maybe they will become a training center for the World Cup, but in terms of the World Cup games they can’t get one because of the after effects of the earthquakes.
“So I think this is a good opportunity for us to be able to go home to Christchurch… We haven’t played there in our generation anyway, I know the last game was a long, long time ago.”
Albert Perez/Getty Images
Vic Esson saves for the Football Ferns against Australia.
Esson, who plays for Glasgow Rangers, was born in 1991 – the year the Ferns last played in Christchurch in a goalless TransTasman Cup tie against Australia.
Moore, 26, has 57 caps since her debut nearly a decade ago, but has never been able to represent her country in the city she grew up in.
“Because I’m from Christchurch and haven’t played there for many years, it’s very exciting,” she said.
“Unfortunately, with Covid and everything, we have not been able to come home, but we can now and to play such a good side as Korea will be another very good test for us.
“We had a good result against them last time” [a 2-0 win after an earlier 2-1 loss in Korea last November]so hopefully we can do the same on our own soil.”
Mark J. Terrill/AP
Football Ferns defender Meikayla Moore plays against the United States.
Moore agreed it would be “huge” to be back in Christchurch and hoped the games there would inspire Canterbury football fans to “follow us across the country” during the World Cup.
It is also an opportunity for the Football Ferns to record their first win in Christchurch after three defeats and a draw in four previous encounters since 1980.
Esson, who has nine caps, got a rare start in the second game against South Korea last year and distinguished himself with some fine saves.
She is engaged in a triple battle for the goalkeeper jersey with 79-cap veteran Erin Nayler and 21-year-old Aston Villa netted Anna Leat, who saved four penalties in a League Cup shootout win over Manchester United last weekend.
Esson said “the competition is fantastic” and the trio “pushed each other to get better. Every time we go on tour, we enjoy training together and I look forward to continuing that next year.”
Getty Images
Meikayla Moore clashes with Iceland’s Agla María Albersdättir.
Moore and Esson spoke to media from Nagano where the Football Ferns prepare for a game against former world champions Japan on Sunday.
She said Wednesday it would be another tough challenge.
“Japan has always been a solid team, they are very technical, very disciplined and they have a lot of respect for the game. Every time we get to play them it’s always fun and again they bring their own strengths.
“But there are also parts of our game that we’ve built that we can bring to them. Very similar to Korea, there are aspects we can look at to achieve success.”
Japan ranks 11th in the world, South Korea at 18th and the Football Ferns at 22nd.
AT A GLANCE
Football Ferns Series Against South Korea in Christchurch
Game 1
Saturday 12 November
Kick-off: 2.30 pm, Orange Theory Stadium.
Game 2
tuesday 15 november
Kick-off: 6 p.m., Oranje Theory Stadium.
History of Football Ferns in Christchurch
The New Zealand women’s team has played four previous matches in Christchurch.
1980: v Australia, lost 3-2.
1986: v Australia, lost 1-0.
v Taiwan, lost 2-1.
1991: v Australia, tied 0-0.