Gutendorf highly confident

Press, 28 April 1981, Page 32

Gutendorf highly confident

In spite of Australia’s disappointing performance on Saturday, the coach, Mr Rudi Gutendorf, is highly confident his team will beat New Zealand in the return World Cup soccer clash at Sydney on May 16. ‘‘l rated it as a victory to bring a point away from New Zealand, and I am positive we will win in Sydney,” said Mr.Gutendorf after his team’s 3-3 draw against New Zealand at Mount Smart Stadium. “We didn’t lose a point, we won a point,” he said. “My

team has played a lot better, but I am happy with three goals. That is something.” Mr Gutendorf was fulsome in his praise of the New Zealand team’s tremendous character. “It was astonishing that New Zealand had the guts to come back from behind three times,” he said. Not surprisingly, his New Zealand counterpart, Mr John Adshead, did not share the German’s sentiments on the return encounter. "I doubt Australia will win at Sydney, but I have no doubt that we are a better

footballing side,” he said. “I expected a lot more football from Australia than we saw today. They had very little to offer.” Bobby Almond, New Zealand’s sweeper, admitted to being “surprised” by one aspect of the Australian display. “I was surprised that the Australian defence was so easy to penetrate,” he said. “We would have been home and dry if we hadn’t given those goals away.” Almond put the defensive lapses, which cost New Zealand a win, down to a lack of

concentration, but he believes that problem will be rectified. “I still feel we are a better footballing side than they are, but we have to start consolidating. I think we will,” he added. Steve Sumner, the New Zealand captain, who scored the third equalising goal ten minutes from the end of the match, after the game. “I think that’s the first I have scored with my head for 17 years. I picked the right time, didn’t I,” he quipped.