Football Ferns 'nowhere near' the required level in loss to Venezuela, coach says
Photo:
Photosport
Football Ferns coach Michael Mayne isn't ruling out benching his starting players for the next international match after a comprehensive 3-1 loss to Venezuela in Spain.
The Ferns were behind 2-1 at halftime on Sunday morning in the first of two games against the South Americans, with Venezuela sealing the result in the 86th minute with their third strike.
"There are some questions for me to answer about some individual performances and how they help the team," Mayne said.
"There are some pretty motivated players and hungry players who want to have an impact in this next game.
"We need to learn very quickly and the team that takes the field on Wednesday, we need to make sure that we react very positively in that game and look for the result that we need."
Having been named full-time coach just last week, Mayne admits they weren't at their best, with a host of problems in defence.
"To concede three goals like we did, all very similar goals, we were nowhere near the level we needed to be at in and around our box," Mayne said.
Mayne is settling in after his appointment to lead the team for the Women's World Cup 2027 cycle.
Looking ahead to the second game, Mayne stressed the importance of learning quickly and bouncing back.
"We're a senior international team and need to perform despite being early in the cycle," Mayne said.
"I felt we were one or two touches away from really opening them up.
"I don't think it was all doom and gloom but we're working on a new system.
"The way we tried to press, and that's where our goal came from, worked really well."
Katie Kitching equalised for the Ferns after Venezuela opened the scoring in the 25th minute through Deyna Castellanos.
The South Americans responded quickly, regaining the lead just before halftime with Mariana Romero finishing an attack down the right-hand side, assisted by Gabriela García.
Despite the positive momentum, Venezuela extended their lead in the 86th minute with a long-range strike from Malanie Chirinos.
Ferns midfielder Betsy Hassett marked a special milestone as she played again at the international level for the first time since giving birth to a daughter last September.
The 34-year-old campaigner initially returned to her club in Iceland just months after becoming a mother.
The Football Ferns will take on Venezuela again early on Wednesday morning.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero
,
a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
15 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Education Minister on proposed scrapping of NCEA
The Minister of Education talks to Susie about her proposal to remove NCEA, and replace it with new qualifications. Levels two and three are to be replaced with a New Zealand Certificate of Education and an Advanced Certificate. Students would be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to get each certificate. The changes would be phased in from next year, with the new certificates in place for year 12 from 2029 and year 13 the following year. Stanford says the flexibility of NCEA has led to students focusing more on credit counting than mastering essential skills. Education Minister Erica Stanford and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announce changes to NCEA. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
RNZ News
15 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Explainer: What's replacing NCEA and how to have your say
The government announced sweeping changes to school qualifications on Monday morning, including the end of the NCEA system that has been in place for more than 20 years. The government plans to replace it with a new educational qualification system Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said will give graduates "the skills to succeed in the modern global economy". The qualifications will still retain a standards-based assessment as NCEA does. NCEA Level 1, which typically takes place in Year 11, will be abolished. Students in Year 11 will be required to take English and Mathematics and sit a new 'Foundational Skills Award' test that documents achievement in literacy and numeracy, or te reo matatini and pāngarau. It is not yet clear if the new Foundation Certificate for Year 11 will simply be the current online literacy and numeracy tests. Two new qualifications replace NCEA Level 2 and Level 3. Year 12 and 13 students will now qualify with the New Zealand Certificate of Education (NZCE) and the New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education (NZACE) respectively. Students will be required to take five subjects and pass at least four to attain each certificate in Years 12 and 13. A to E pass fail grades will return instead of "excellent, merit, achieved and not achieved" rankings, and the government says plans include "working with industry to develop better vocational pathways so students are getting the skills relevant to certain career pathways". The new qualification will be underpinned by a new national curriculum for Years 9-13 that will clearly outline what students need to learn in each subject and when, providing more consistency. "This is about making sure our national qualification opens doors for every young person, whether they're heading into a trade, university, or straight into work. Parents can be assured their kids will get the best possible opportunity to thrive," Education Minister Erica Stanford said. An example of what a student's record of achievement could look like under the New Zealand Certificate of Education and New Zealand Advanced Certificate of Education. Photo: Supplied / Ministry of Education NCEA - which stands for National Certificate of Educational Achievement - has until now been the main secondary school qualification. It was introduced between 2002 and 2004, replacing School Certificate, University Entrance, Sixth Form Certificate and Bursary qualifications. The changes will be phased in over the next five years, starting in 2026. The proposal is open for public consultation until 15 September before final decisions are made. Feedback would then be analysed, and in November Cabinet would consider the final policy commendations. The government says students who are currently Year 9 in 2025 will continue to receive secondary school learning under the old curriculum and will be assessed under NCEA Levels 1, 2, and 3. Students who are currently Year 8 in 2025 will begin to receive new curriculum learning from 2026 and will be assessed under the new award and qualifications. Photo: Supplied / Ministry of Education "It is important that changes to the curriculum and the qualifications are aligned - so that students are being taught and assessed under either the current curriculum and NCEA, or the new curriculum and qualifications," the discussion document says. So, for a period of time during the transition teachers will be grading across two different frameworks. "The evidence shows NCEA is not consistent and can be hard to navigate," Luxon said. "It doesn't always deliver what students and employers need." "While NCEA was designed to be flexible, for many students that flexibility has encouraged a focus on simply attaining the qualification," Stanford said. "This has come at the cost of developing the critical skills and knowledge they need for clear pathways into future study, training or employment." There have been many reports about students suffering anxiety over NCEA exams . Last year, barely half the teenagers who tried to pass the critical NCEA literacy and numeracy benchmark via online tests succeeded. The Education Review Office has called for changes to NCEA Level 1 or to drop it altogether. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
15 minutes ago
- RNZ News
Live: All Blacks Rugby Championship squad naming
New Zealand head coach Scott Robinson, Lipovitan-D Series, New Zealand All Blacks v France. Photo: Kerry Marshall/ The All Blacks have a tough schedule coming up, with two tests in Argentina followed by a visit from the world champion Springboks and a Bledisloe Cup series against a resurgent Wallabies side. Who will Scott Robertson entrust with the task of taking victory in The Rugby Championship? Follow the squad naming with RNZ's live blog:
