Soccer squad leaves today

Press, 1 May 1981, Page 24

Soccer squad leaves today

PA M Auckland The New Zealand soccer team leaves Auckland this morning determined to make the most of its four away games in the Oceania section of the World Cup qualifying tournament. “We have got to arrive in Sydney undefeated,” said the coach, Mr John Adshead. “That will put the pressure on Australia for our return game.” On Sunday New Zealand will play Fiji at the provincial town of Ba near Lautoka. Then its on to Taipei for the match against Taiwan,

on Thursday, May 7. The 1 third game is against Indonesia, in Jakarta on May 11, and then comes the allimportant match against Australia, in Sydney on May 16. “It’s vital we get six points from the other games," said Mr Adshead. “Australia won’t have had another game since the match at Mount Smart, while we should have seven points. “Then they will have to come out and go for a win because they still have all their away matches to go.” “If we drop three points on our way to Sydney, the Socceroos will just be able to sit

back and play for a draw,” said Mr Adshead. He is quite convinced the Australians can be defeated at home, as by the time the match is played the New Zealand team will have been together for a month. The Indonesian and Taiwanese teams are something of an unknown quantity for Mr Adshead. A Taiwanese youth team toured New Zealand several years ago and was soundly beaten by local sides. At the last Merdeka tournament New Zealand and Indonesia drew, 1-1. Fiji should hold no surprises, the New Zealand 18-

man squad being a substantially more experienced one than that which had a loss, a draw and a win against the Fijians 14 months ago. The side has had two solid workouts each day this week, and on Tuesday, with the addition of a few Manurewa national league side members, played a practice game. “Everybody has come through fit and rearing to go,” said Mr Adshead. The side is likely to have only a light run once arriving in Fiji, where the final playing eleven won’t be announced until the day of the match.