STIRRING SOCCER.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 234, 3 October 1932, Page 14

STIRRING SOCCER.

AUCKLAND-NAVY DRAW. ROUSING RETURN ENCOUNTER. SAILORS' FINAL SPURT SUCCEEDS. The Auckland Soccer representative season was brought to a close on Saturday with the return game with the Navyeleven, and in delightful weather conditions a large concourse of spectators witnessed a contest that was one long thrill from start to finish. The scoring was of a see-saw nature, and right to the final whistle the result was in doubt. It was the class of Soccer that is most popular nowadays, characterised by flashing passages, strenuous man-to-man contest, long kick and speedy following up, with exciting melees in front of goal aplenty. There certainly was zest in the performance of every player, the astonishing feature of the game being the unvarying pace at which the struggle waged during the entire 90 minutes. In the major representative games this season Auckland has not suffered defeat, which certainly must be highly satisfactory to the association, and also to Mr. A. E. Backhouse in his first season a.s selector. Without detracting in the least from credit that'is due to the selector,, it must be said that there is yet a long leeway to be made up ere the Auckland representative eleven has reached anything like the standard of football by which this province gained and held the supremacy of New Zealand for six successive seasons. Several positions must yet be considered as requiring alteration, and the inherent - understanding and tactical perfection that Aucklanders saw a few seasons back has yet to be developed. Nevertheless, Auckland's representatives can claim more victories than defeats, and that is certainly an improvement on the position that pertained at the close of last season.