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OCEANIA-OFC NEWS

April 13, 2003 SWANZ primed for the game of their lives by Jeremy Ruane New Zealand's national women's soccer team, the SWANZ, are primed and focused ahead of what is their very own Women's World Cup Final at Canberra's Belconnen Soccer Centre at 9pm (NZ time) tonight (Sunday). The SWANZ take on Australia in a winner-take-all encounter, the prize being a place at the fourth FIFA Women's World Cup Finals in China in September, as the representatives of the Oceania Football Confederation. SWANZ captain, Rebecca Smith, says she and her team-mates are keeping their minds on what they need to do, rather than concern themselves with their opponents' strengths and weaknesses. "We're focusing on how we approach the game physically, mentally and technically", the twenty-one-year-old Duke University student said. "It will be a different game to the others we've played in this tournament, and the intensity will be very high". Right from the off in this qualifying tournament, the SWANZ have always approached things with a view that they would have to beat Australia to qualify for the Women's World Cup Finals for the first time since 1991. Nothing has changed to alter this situation, with a draw being sufficient to see the Matildas advance to their third consecutive Finals, but SWANZ coach Sandy Davie is very keen for the latest chapter in the history of trans-tasman sporting rivalry to be a contest which sees women's soccer as the winner. "The rivalry between New Zealand and Australia, in any sport, is one of the best in the world. I certainly don't want it to be a grudge match, so I was a bit perturbed to see it being built up as such in Saturday's Sydney Morning Herald. "I don't have any animosity towards the Australians, and I'm sure the same applies towards us. I'd be delighted if women's soccer is the winner at the end of the day, as well as New Zealand, obviously!!" The final game of the 2003 qualifying tournament is a potentially poignant one for Davie - his SWANZ-song, if you will. For his contract with New Zealand Soccer expires at the conclusion of the SWANZ involvement in the Women's World Cup. Understandably, he has mixed emotions on the deal, given the uncertainty surrounding his own future. But that is far from his mind heading into the biggest game in the lives of his young charges. "My situation has nothing to do with their performance in this encounter. I've done my best to have the players fully focused on football over the past four weeks, both through our tour of Texas and here in Canberra, and they've really responded to that. "They know what they need to do tomorrow, so what will be will be". Davie is optimistic that the SWANZ will have a full compliment of players available and raring to go in the game of their lives, with the final line-up to be confirmed late this morning. Taking their chances in this match will be paramount for the SWANZ, but in Maia Jackman (ten goals) and Nicky Smith (seven), they boast two of the tournament's top three goalscorers, Australia's April Mann (eight goals) separating the free-scoring double-act on the standings. But defending as if their lives depend on it will be just as important for the New Zealand combination, against a side which has had the wood on their trans-tasman rivals since October 1994. A SWANZ victory would be a huge fillip, both for the team and New Zealand women's soccer in general, and the captain and her comrades know just how much it would mean to put one over their rivals. "Everyone's really excited", says Smith, "and in really good spirits. It's a huge game for us, and we're definitely not going out there to lose!" _