N.Z. soccer team plumbs new depths

Press, 26 April 1984, Page 40

N.Z. soccer team plumbs new depths

Special correspondent Singapore From the giddy heights of just two years ago, New Zealand soccer has hit rock bottom. The failure to take a point and to score only one goal in four games at the Olympic qualifying tournament has left the muchheralded All Whites as firmly the most disappointing team of the 10 in Singapore. Against Bahrain in their last match they had a chance to salvage some pride. Again, sadly, they blew it. Dominant for long

periods and a better all round side than the tournament outsider, Bahrain, New Zealand made its customary error, yet again. It was punished when Ibrahim al Hardan scored the only goal of the game. It was a performance of which few could be proud. The feeling of abject disappointment in the dressing room later, with some players in tears, was perhaps a more honest assessment of the effort rather than clutching at straws and making excuses. At international level there is no allowance for mistakes. New Zealand has made far too many here in crucial situations and has

suffered accordingly

It matters little that New Zealand had 14 strikes at goal against the four that Bahrain managed, or forced eight corners to one. The failure to score from any is more than countered when a team has a virtual famine but makes the most of what it does get.

Afterwards the New Zealand coach, Allan Jones, who admitted to “letting fly” at his team at halftime, pointed to a number of reasons for the dismal showing.

“Certain players were obviously not good enough,” said Mr Jones. “When you drop your level you will get

done. I believe we had the best available players here but you will fail badly when players lie down.

“You can’t come to international tournaments without your best players. Those players must then play well — and they haven’t. The failure of some players to perform has left the defence under constant pressure, which led to the odd mistake for which we were soundly punished.”

But excuses do not win football matches. Clearly, this was not the team Mr Jones wanted, but it was supposedly the best available.

The newcomer, Keith Garland, showed the way.

Unfortunately his example was not followed and for too much of the time New Zealand appeared to be content to play at half pace with no real Kiwi pride in wanting to do better.

Against South Korea New Zealand played closer to the old ways of the All Whites. Apart from a disastrous four-minute spell which cost two goals, it looked a reasonably accomplished unit. Two days later it again retreated.

Injuries, even after selection, made it impossible for Mr Jones to field a settled line-up. New Zealand was obviously in the hardest group. The team went to

Singapore with a less than adequate build-up. Again, excuses, perhaps valid ones but really only whitewash as a cover for some poor results.

The reconstruction job must start now.

Mr Jones has promised some hard talking at next month’s New Zealand Football Association council meeting.

He has a two-season build-up programme towards the World Cup. Given the money, and the players, he is certain New Zealand can get back. Although he will not say it, it is obvious that only half a dozen or so of the players in Singapore would

be in the forefront of a national side in that period. Given a team including Duncan Cole, Ricki Herbert, Garland, Kenny Cresswell, Keith Mackay, Steve Sumner, Allan Boath, Grant Turner, Wynton Rufer and Steve Wooddin along with the goal-keeper, Frank van Hattum or Barry Pickering, Mr Jones says he would be ready to go back into the international arena.

With the back-up of others such as Michael Groom, Peter Simonsen, and Billy McClure along with the two or three who are expected to meet naturalisation qualifications in the interim, New Zealand would

be on the way again. without the best, New Zealand is wasting its time. While some of the younger players in Singapore may well benefit from the experience, they are obviously (not in the immediate future anyway) still well short of what is required to survive at the highest level. Finance remains the biggest bugbear for New Zealand soccer; but money alone could not have bought success in Singapore. Rather it was good oldfashioned Kiwi pride and ingenuity which was lacking. Without that as the basic ingredient New Zealand soccer will again be back to the bad old days.