Full name Abby May Erceg Years Team Weight 68 kg Name Abby Erceg | Playing position Role Footballer Position Defender 0000–2004 Three Kings United Height 1.77 m | |
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Date of birth (1989-11-20) 20 November 1989 (age 26) Profiles | ||
Place of birth Whangarei, New Zealand Current team Western New York Flash | ||
Abby erceg interview new zealand football
Abby May Erceg (born 20 November 1989) is a professional New Zealand footballer who plays as a defender. She is the captain of both the New Zealand national team, and the North Carolina Courage in the National Women's Soccer League. She has previously played for Chicago Red Stars in the NWSL, Espanyol in the Superliga Femenina, and Adelaide United in the Australian W-League. Erceg was the first player (male or female) from New Zealand to play 100 international matches.
Contents
- Abby erceg interview new zealand football
- Footballer abby erceg back in nz team
- Club career
- International career
- Personal life
- Abby erceg interview
- References
Footballer abby erceg back in nz team
Club career
Erceg signed with German side Jena in 2013. She was loaned to the Chicago Red Stars, an NWSL club, and played there for two months during the Bundesliga's 2014 summer break. After she returned and played the first half of the 2014–15 Bundesliga season, she and the Jena club ended her contract during the winter break.
Erceg then signed with the Chicago Red Stars in May 2014.
In November 2015, the Red Stars traded her to the Western New York Flash.
In 2016, she captained the Western New York Flash to a NWSL League Championship.
International career
Erceg made her full Football Ferns début in a 0–3 loss to China on 14 November 2006, and represented New Zealand at the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup finals in China, where they lost to Brazil 0–5, Denmark (0–2) and China (0–2).
Erceg was also included in the New Zealand squad for the 2008 Summer Olympic games where they drew with Japan (2–2) before losing to Norway (0–1) and USA (0–4). In the following tournament, Erceg helped New Zealand reach the quarterfinals, the Ferns' first ever knockout game in a FIFA tournament. There they lost 2-0 to the United States.
She was included in the U-20 squad for the 2008 Women's U-20 World Cup finals in Chile. Erceg earned her 50th cap for New Zealand aged just 21 when starting New Zealand's 2011 Cyprus Cup opening match against the Netherlands on 2 March 2011 and becoming the third most capped female player in New Zealand Football history with 62 caps to her name. Erceg was also a part of the team that qualified for the Women's Football World Cup that took place in Germany, in 2011 where they finished 12th overall.
Erceg's experience led her to be named captain of the Football Ferns in 2014. In the first game of the 2014 OFC Women's Nations Cup, she became the first player from New Zealand to reach 100 international caps.
She featured in all New Zealand's three matches at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. Erceg was named for the 2016 Olympics squad, which will be her sixth international tournament representing New Zealand.
Personal life
Erceg is of Croatian-Māori descent, and affiliates to the Ngāpuhi iwi.