In 468 days, New Zealand and Australia will open the FIFA Women's World Cup - but on Friday, the two host nations are going head-to-head.
The trans-Tasman rivalry will be re-ignited in Townsville in the first of two friendly matches with the Football Ferns looking to break a 28-year winless drought against the Matildas.
"We are preparing ourselves to beat Australia," says head coach Jitka Klimkova. "In football, anything can happen. We know we are facing really tough opposition."
That's a bold claim considering that's something the Football Ferns haven't done since 1994.
Defender Claudia Bunge wasn't even born to witness New Zealand's last win against the Matildas. But the 22-year-old has invaluable inside knowledge after a second-straight A-league women's title with Melbourne Victory.
"We're both quite familiar with each other," Bunge said of New Zealand and Australia's rivalry. "A lot of us play against and with each other in the A-League, so there's definitely added pressure."
It's pressure they're determined to rise above - unlike in their last meeting, at the Olympics, which saw Australia take a 2-1 victory.
"We will make steps forward," Klimkova added. "But we are prepared to make a couple [of] backwards steps."
The Ferns are looking for a much improved performance from their SheBelieves Cup campaign while hoping to close the gap between their trans-Tasman rivals on the pitch.
"Over the last five to ten years, they've started doing really well," Bunge added. "You can tell by the players they have. They're a good team across the park."
But Friday is all about one thing, and one thing only.
"On the field, it's not about co-hosting, it's about competing," Klimkova said.
Competing to be in the best shape possible come July next year.
