New Zealand name 20 player squad for Matildas series

Football Ferns coach Tony Readings has named a 20 player squad to face the Matildas in next month's two game series in Victoria.

“We have picked an exciting squad which gives us plenty of attacking options,” said Readings.

“It will give us a good benchmark of where we are at in high pressure situations."

For Readings the two matches against the Matildas are prime build up for their Rio 2016 Olympics campaign where they will face world champions USA, world no. 3 France and South Americans Colombia.

"We are playing well enough to compete in football matches consistently and the next step is to turn those performances into results. We feel like we have picked a squad that is capable of doing that.”

“We know that against the likes of Australia – and at the Olympics we are going to come up against USA, France and Colombia – we need to be much more effective in the way we attack."

[More: Australia to face New Zealand in Rio 2016 farewell matches]

To assist the attacking depth, Reading has called up untested attacking duo Jane Barnett (Unattached) and forward Paige Satchell (Three Kings United), while forward Hannah Wilkinson (University of Tennessee) returns from injury.

The strong NZ squad also includes American based captain Abby Erceg and fellow NWSL players in goalkeeper Erin Nayler and striker Katie Bowen; who are both yet to line up for their club teams. Meanwhile European based players Ria Percival, Kirsty Yallop, Katie Duncan and upcoming centurion Ali Riley will also make the long trip to Australia.

The Football Ferns coach is looking to utilise the Australian tour to assess players ahead of the pairing down of the squad from 20 to 18.

Apart from Olympic preparation, they will also be looking to end a long drought in which they have been unable to defeat Australia in over 20 years.

“We haven’t beaten them in a while but we have been very close to them in recent times," he said.

"With it being in Australia, you know when you go to the Olympics there is that extra push, that extra edge and we are going to have that when we play Australia anyway because there is that fierce rivalry and we know it will be a battle.”

FOOTBALL FERNS SQUAD FOR AUSTRALIA TOUR

Jane Barnett (Unattached 0, 0), Catherine Bott (Forrest Hill Milford United AFC, 3, 0), Katie Bowen (FC Kansas City, USA 35, 0), Katie Duncan (FC Zurich, Switzerland, 113, 1), Abby Erceg (Western New York Flash, USA, 124, 6), Anna Green (Malbackens IF, Sweden 59, 7), Sarah Gregorius (Speranza FC Osaka-Takatsuki, Japan, 76, 24), Betsy Hassett (Werder Bremen, Germany 89, 8) Amber Hearn (USV Jena, Germany, 110, 50), Cushla Lichtwark (Upper Hutt City FC, 0, 0) Annalie Longo (Cashmere Technical, 89, 8), Meikayla Moore (Norwest United, 12, 0), Erin Nayler (Sky Blue FC, USA, 38, 0), Ria Percival (USV Jena, Germany, 114, 11), Jasmine Pereira (Three Kings United, 16, 0), Ali Riley (FC Rosengard, Sweden, 99, 1), Paige Satchell (Three Kings United, 0, 0), Rosie White (Liverpool FC, England, 79, 14), Hannah Wilkinson (University of Tennessee, USA, 72, 23), Kirsty Yallop (Malbackens IF, Sweden, 97, 12)