Japan a familiar opponent for hockey coaches

Press, 7 August 1985, Page 31

Japan a familiar opponent for hockey coaches

By

KEVIN TUTTY

The two coaches who will direct the fortunes of the New Zealand senior and junior hockey teams in internationals against Japan this week can recall previous internationals against that nation with differing degrees of fondness. Barry Maister, the coach of the New Zealand junior team which will play Japan today and tomorrow, was a member of the last New Zealand team which met Japan — at the World Cup in Amsterdam in 1973. New Zealand won that match, 8-1, and it has not achieved such a wide winning margin in an international since. Trevor Blake, the coach of the senior team, recalls previous contact with the Japanese with mixed feelings. He played in the first international between the two countries in Christchurch in 1971. Japan played two tests on that tour and New Zealand won them, 2-0 and 2-1. Three of the four New Zealand goals were scored by Mr Blake, and considering he scored five goals for New Zealand in an international career spanning 21 matches and six years, he has reason to remember those initial two tests with some pride. The next meeting, five months later, at an international tournament in India, brought little satisfaction to New Zealand. It won, 1-0, against an energetic rival. Dwo and a half sars

later New Zealand and Japan met again, and the memorv of the match still haunts Mr Blake. It was at. the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo and the home side beat a dispirited New Zealand team, 1-0. That was Japan s only win in seven internationals between the two countries. Now Mr Blake is in charge of the national team, and while he may take a little personal satisfaction from a series win against Japan, he will be observing the two tests from another point of view. In six weeks New Zealand will depart for Europe where it will play a senes of internationals leading up to the Inter-Continental Cup in Barcelona from October 11 to 19. v

New Zealand must finish in the top five in that 12team tournament to qualify for the World Cup in London next year. New Zealand has been seeded first for the tournament, and should qualify comfortably, but Mr Blake will be using the internationals this week-end to hone the attacking skills of his team, and tighten the defence. The inability of New Zealand forwards to capitalise on the many scoring chances created has been a headache for successive New Zealand coaches. Mr Blake will be seeking more commitment in the circle from his forwards this week-end. Japan’s tour of New Zealand did not start well. A draw with the New Zealand Indians, and then consecutive losses against Northland and Auckland, is not an auspicious record. Wellington, the New Zealand juniors and New Zealand can expect more formidable opposition though. The Japanese found the soft, slow grounds in Auckland difficult They are used to fast artificial turf surfaces, and their natural speed and aggression will pose more of a problem on a familiar surface. Messrs Blake and Maister, have both had recent experience of Japanese hockey. They were the manager and coach, respectively, of the New Zealand

team in the Asia-Oceania Junior World Cup qualifying tournament in Kuala Lumpur last year. New Zealand beat Japan, 3-1, in a practice game, but the teams did not meet during the tournament. Ten members of that Japanese team are included in the

party of 17 players on this tour. With an average age of less than 21, it is obviously a team that is being groomed for the Seoul Olympics in 1988, but more immediately for the InterContinental Cup where it will play in the opposite pool to New Zealand.