Unbelievable, says Adshead

Press, 16 December 1981, Page 46

Unbelievable, says Adshead

NZPA Kuwait “It’s unbelievable. We must be the unluckiest side in the World Cup.” That was the immediate reaction of New Zealand’s soccer coach, John Adshead, after Kuwait’s last-minute goal almost certainly deprived New Zealand of a place in the World Cup finals next year.

“We played with heart, effort and skill out there tonight but luck was jnst not sitting on our shoulder. Still, it’s a game that is all about the breaks,” he said. Mr Adshead was warm in his praise of the eleven Kiwis who had so nearly brought off an historic win for New Zealand soccer. “They were marvellous, every one of them. The

people watching it back home should be proud of them and I hope thay went to bed feeling for them. If they didn’t something’s wrong.” Mr Adshead said that, in particular, the two goalkeepers, Richard Wilson and Ahmed Tarabulsi, had played magnificently. He defended the way in which New Zealand had de-

clined to bring everybody back in defence while they were holding a 2-1 lead: “We defended a little more but we are simply not a side that can sit back and defend,” he said. Although the circumstances leading up to the fatal final corner were disputed by Wilson — he claimed he had taken a cross fairly and the corner should

not have been awarded as he was always in play — Mr Adshead said he was happy with the refereeing of the Dane, Henning Lund Sorensen. The free kick tally of 24-14 to Kuwait — which frequently worked the offside trap — put the 33-10 count to the Kuwaitis when the teams last met in Auckland into some perspective.