On Friday, New Zealand released the roster for its Olympic women’s soccer team (NZFootball.co.nz). Sixteen of the eighteen primary players participated in last year’s Women’s World Cup. The roster features six U-20 players in all: three on the main roster, and three alternates. The Football Ferns will also have one of the oldest players, starting goalkeeper Jenny Bindon, who will be 39 years, 150 days when the Olympic soccer tournament begins in July.
The two newcomers are veteran back-up goalkeeper Rebecca Rolls and U-20 defender Rebekah Stott. Rolls is a two-sport player, as she has also competed with the women’s national cricket team of New Zealand (www.espncricinfo.com). Stott, a native New Zealander, just recently switched her FIFA national status from Australia, which is where she has lived since age eleven (NZFootball.co.nz).
Besides Stott, two other U-20 players will be on the main roster, forwards Rosie White and Hannah Wilkinson. White, the captain of the U-20s, currently attends UCLA, while Wilkinson, who scored against the senior USWNT earlier this year in Texas, will be attending the University of Tennessee this fall. Also, three of the alternates are U-20 players: defender Katie Bowen, a UNC recruit; defender/midfielder Holly Patterson; and goalkeeper Erin Nayler. Nayler is the only uncapped player on the entire list.
The only other current collegiate player is Cal’s Betsy Hassett.
New Zealand is coached by Tony Readings, who previously helmed the Football Ferns’ youth teams. Readings took over from John Herdman who is now in charge of Canada’s women’s soccer team.
New Zealand is in Group E, where they will face host Great Britain in the opening match of the tournament, followed by Brazil, and finally Cameroon.
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NEW ZEALAND’S SEMI-OFFICIAL OLYMPIC ROSTER
Goalkeepers:
Bindon, Jenny (Hibiscus Coast)
Rolls, Rebecca (Fencibles United)
Defenders:
Erceg, Abby (Fencibles United)
Green, Anna (Lokomotive Leipzig, GER)
Hill, Kristy (Eastern Suburbs)
Percival, Ria (USV Jena, GER)
Riley, Ali (Malmö, SWE)
Smith, Rebecca (VfL Wolfsburg, GER)
Stott, Rebekah (Melbourne Victory, AUS)
Midfielders:
Hassett, Betsy (UC Berkeley, USA)
Hoyle, Katie (Bad Neuenahr, GER)
Longo, Annalie (Three Kings United)
Moorwood, Hayley (Chelsea, ENG)
Yallop, Kirsty (Vittsjö, SWE)
Forwards:
Gregorius, Sarah (Bad Neuenahr, GER)
Hearn, Amber (USV Jena, GER)
White, Rosie (UCLA, USA)
Wilkinson, Hannah (Glenfield Rovers / U. of Tennesse)
Alternates:
Bowen, Katie (Glenfield Rovers / UNC)
McLaughlin, Sarah (Claudelands Rovers)
Nayler, Erin (Eastern Suburbs)
Patterson, Holly (Claudelands Rovers)
TABLE: New Zealand’s Semi-Official Olympic Roster, By Position
PLAYER P. S# D.O.B. Caps G Bindon, Jenny GK 1 02/25/1973 69 0 Rolls, Rebecca GK 18 08/22/1975 14 0 Erceg, Abby DF 5 11/20/1989 72 4 Green, Anna DF 3 08/20/1990 50 6 Hill, Kristy DF 14 07/01/1979 19 0 Percival, Ria DF 2 12/07/1989 70 2 Riley, Ali DF 7 10/30/1987 61 1 Smith, Rebecca DF 6 06/17/1981 68 4 Stott, Rebekah DF 15 06/17/1993 3 0 Hassett, Betsy MF 12 08/04/1990 38 4 Hoyle, Katie MF 4 02/01/1988 62 1 Longo, Annalie MF 16 07/01/1991 42 0 Moorwood, Hayley MF 8 02/13/1984 80 10 Yallop, Kirsty MF 11 11/04/1986 59 11 Gregorius, Sarah FW 10 08/06/1987 28 15 Hearn, Amber FW 9 11/28/1984 59 30 White, Rosie FW 13 06/06/1993 35 9 Wilkinson, Hannah FW 17 05/28/1992 33 12 --- ALTERNATES ------------------------------------- Bowen, Katie DF 19 04/15/1994 8 0 McLaughlin, Sarah FW 20 06/03/1991 11 0 Patterson, Holly MF 21 04/16/1994 4 0 Nayler, Erin GK 22 04/17/1992 0 0
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SEE ALSO: Other Olympic Rosters
(in order of release date, most recent first)
- New Zealand
- Sweden
- Colombia
- Great Britain
- Canada
- South Africa
- United States
Still waiting on Brazil (June 29th), Japan, Cameroon, and North Korea.
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