Onehunga local Malia Steinmetz has played a big role in the New Zealand U17 Women’s team qualifying for the World Cup, which is scheduled for Jordan in September this year.
The team had a perfect record in their qualifying tournament in Rarotonga, beating Samoa 11-0, New Caledonia 12-0 and Tonga 13-0 in the group stage. Then Fiji 11-0 in the semis and finally Papua New Guinea 8-0 in the final on the 24th of January.
Although Malia did not manage to get her name on the scoresheet, she did win MVP of the final and was vice-captain, which saw her wearing the captain’s armband a couple of times late in games.
With the team having qualified, Malia’s focus is now on maintaining her fitness and form to ensure selection for Jordan.
Although still in Year 13 at school she is already playing premier league football for Eastern Suburbs. With the team making the quarter-finals of the national play-offs last year. Malia was also named MVP at last year’s U16 National Tournament.
As for the future beyond 2016, her two main goals are the 2020 Olympics, when she will be 21 and then ultimately the full national squad for a World Cup.
