N.Z. junior soccer ‘in good heart’

Press, 12 September 1984, Page 44

N.Z. junior soccer ‘in good heart’

New Zealand soccer, at youth level, is in good heart, according to the man in charge of the country’s under 19 team. Doug Moore.

And he should know. Last week, he watched the national under 16 tournament at Warren Park, looking for the players who will make up the bulk of the 1987 under 19 team for the biennial world youth championships. That capped off three weeks of solid soccer watching for Moore, starting with the secondary schools’ tournament, and continuing with the national under 14 tournament at Nelson.

Moore is in his first year as the top man in youth soccer. He has been the assistant to the national team coach, Allan Jones, on the last two ventures in the world youth championships. In 1981, New Zealand was grouped with Argentina and Israel and performed creditably in the qualifying matches, played in Argentina. Two years later, New Zealand was squeezed out by Australia in the Oceania region qualifying tournament in Papua New Guinea. Australia won the decisive match, 4-3, after extra time.

Moore’s responsibilities go beyond selecting, preparing and guiding the New Zealand team in its qualifying round early next year in Australia. He is also the overseer of all age group soccer in the country. In that role, he is well placed to assess the quality of New Zealand’s young players. "The general trend is up. I don’t think we have a (Wynton) Rufer or an (Ceri) Evans, but we do have far more capable players now.” Rufer and Evans were outstanding members of a very good youth team three years ago, and have gone on to become key players in the full national side. Moore stressed his point by adding that in choosing 18 players for next February’s tournament, he will be obliged to leave out some “very good players.” Doug Moore was a Rothmans League coach at Nelson in 1978 and 1979, and again at Manurewa the following year, until he was sacked towards the end of the competition, with his team third in the league.

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Talent spotting for youth teams differs markedly from the task of a national league coach. Prerequisites for selection were, said Moore, the right mental approach, enthusiasm and good technique. “For me, players have got to exhibit enthusiasm to play. I’m not interested in players with innate ability who just go through the motions and stroll.

“You look for a player who an get hold of a ball, control it and do something with it. I don’t worry if a player makes a mistake when he’s trying to do something with the ball.” Here, Doug Moore comes to a point which does disappoint him. “Unfortunately at these tournaments, winning becomes very important. Players panic, they don’t learn, they don’t want to make a mistake.”

There are exceptions, and one was the Wellington under 14 team, coached by lan Wells, the chairman of both National Mutual Miramar, and the New Zealand Lawn Tennis Association.

“They played superb football. They had the right attitude, ' that winning wasn’t everything.” And the crunch. “People should remember tournaments are for children to play soccer.” Taking that theme a stage further, Doug Moore made no bones about where his priorities lie when it comes to picking youth < team players. “Behaviour is very important. I’m not prepared to tolerate yahoos. At top level you take the best players,

DAVID LEGGAT

that’s different. But the game is bigger than results. If you’re trying to establish the game, it’s got to be on a good footing. “Don’t get me wrong. Nobody wants to win more than me. But I won’t sacrifice my principles to win at all costs with young players.”

Moore shares with Jones a total admiration for the approach and commitment to the game of New Zealand players. The uncharitable might suggest Jones’ fulsome praise for his senior players’ attitude is designed to cover their technical inadequacies. No such suggestion could be levelled at Doug Moore. “Young English pros don’t show the same courage and love of doing something for their country as these players do for New Zealand. Their attitude is top class.” With Doug Moore’s special soccer interest focused on youth, he is particularly keen to see the young players get a chance to test themselves in the Rothmans League. The coaches of the 12 clubs have generally been “very supportive” to his requests to give young players an opportunity.

“Some clubs will give youth a fling. There is not one national league coach who doesn’t bend over backwards to help. I’d like to see clubs latch young players to squads and play them when appropriate.”

Moore believes he will be taking a good team to Australia in February. Three players from the 1983 championship team, Mark Cossey (Napier City Rovers), Darren McLennan (Waitemata City) and Stuart Jacobs (National Mutual Miramar), are sure of retaining their places, provided Cossey and McLennan have recovered from injuries.

Although the squad will not be announced until late in the year, Jacobs, a gifted midfielder, has already been named captain. The heartening aspect about this team is that its strength will undoubtedly be in its attack.

Defensively, Moore admitted, New Zealand will not be as strong. There will, he added, be no question that New Zealand will be setting out to score as many goals as it can, as many as might be needed to cover defensive deficiencies.

But then, any other approach would be contrary to Doug Moore’s basic philosophy on youth soccer.