SELECTORS TO NAME TEAMS Strikers, Wings Head Soccer Priorities

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31984, 10 May 1969, Page 15

SELECTORS TO NAME TEAMS Strikers, Wings Head Soccer Priorities

(By Our Soccer Reporter)

Aggressive, two-footed, sharp-shooting striker? and fast wings able to open up defences in swift attacking movements will head the priorities of the national soccer selectors as they watch the three representative matdies to be played at the week-nd.

At the end of them, they will sit down on Sunday evening to select the two teams to play in the trial match at Wellington tomorrow week.

Whether they will have found what they are looking for is an entirely different matter, for strikers and wings of that stature are wanted by soccer selectors throughout the world. The national panel has split forces today to get a comprehensive coverage. The South Island selector, Mr G. Evans, will be in Dunedin for the match between Otago and Southland, and the North Island selector, Mr D. Wallace, will arrive in Christchurch this morning to watch Canterbury’s fixture with Nelson at English Park. Both will then return to Wellington to join the convener (Mr J. G. Shankie) for the third of the build-up matches, in which the northern league will play the central league tomorrow. The present indications are that they will be looking most urgently for strikers and wings. There appear to be destroyers and mid-field makers but few that can finish { movements quickly and decisively. The position in New Zealand has been aggravated by the withdrawal from representative soecer of both T. Haydon (Canterbury) and C. Shaw (Auckland), who were internationals last year, and by the loss to Australia of the Hungarian, S. Nemet,

[ who was an outstanding sue- , cess on the wing on the last Asian tour. Among the strikers who , must be prominent in the ' selectors’ minds are the two I internationals, P. Breslin (central league) and E. 1 Thomas (northern league), M. Guildea (Auckland), and possibly the Southland centre--1 forward, D. Carse, who heads 1 the southern league goal 1 scorers this season. Breslin will be in opposi- , tion to both Thomas and Guildea at Wellington tomor--1 row, and backed by another ' firm favourite, M. Bland, of ' Gisborne. The only Canterbury player likely to challenge these four is Christchurch City’s playercoach, A. Gowans, should the ' selectors decide to play him in a more attacking role. The wing positions are probably the widest open of all, with only the Aucklander and present international, J. Legg, appearing a certainty for the trial teams. MADRUSSAVS CHANCE For this reason, today's game against Nelson will be a- testing one for F. Madrussan, of Canterbury. He must be in the selectors* notebooks, as a possible, and his performance today may decide whether it remains as a pencilled entry or is inked in. But Madrussan will have to give 90 minutes of effort and not allow himself to drift out of the play, as he has done

too often in recent matches, to win selection. Reports from Auckland this season have spoken highly of the young international, D. Taylor, and he and Legg are the front runners, being challenged most strongly by Madrussan, L Kiss (whose injury has forced him to withdraw from the central' league side tomorrow), S. Bruce (Wellington) and L. Reyntjes (Otago). Canterbury’s strongest candidates for the trials are the goal-keepers, D. Phillips and O. Nuttridge, the defenders, K. France, G. Davis and W. McKenna, and the linkmen, T. Conley and Gowans. The teams for the trials are only the first step before the selectors. Their next tasks will be choice of the two New Zealand Xis and the full national side to play the English F.A. next month, opponents for the proposed visit of the French Olympic XI, and finally the squad for the World Cup elimination matches in Israel in October.