Odds stacked against 1986 World Cup place

Press, 20 September 1985, Page 20

Odds stacked against 1986 World Cup place

Tomorrow, in Auckland, the New Zealand soccer team starts its campaign to win a place in the finals of the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. DAVID LEGGAT assesses the team, and its opponents in the qualifying rounds.

Four years ago, New Zealand set out on the road to the World Cup soccer finals in Spain, with hopes of perhaps progressing through the first qualifying round before bowing out honourably at the second stage. What transpired 15 matches later is history. Tomorrow, the All Whites mount their bike and start pedalling again, along a much shorter but infinitely more treacherous path. This time the goal is one of the 24 places available in the 1986 finals, to be held in Mexico in June and July. Back in 1981, New Zealand began its programme with a thrilling 3-3 draw against Australia at Mount Smart Stadium, coming from behind three times. As that sort of character manifested itself in the New Zealand team, and impressive results were strung together, soccer’s popularity in the country’s winter sporting stakes soared to a height which would have been inconceivable 15 years ago. Crowds of up to 30,000 turned out to watch New Zealand do the unthinkable, and progress to the finals, arguably the finest sporting achievement, considering all the odds, of any New Zealand team.

The public support grew mainly because a national side, and an underdog at that, was doing exceedingly well. Part of the reason, however, was that the All

Whites had players who captured the imagination. Steve Sumner became one of the best known faces in New Zealand sport, and others such as Bobby Almond, Steve Wooddin, Grant Turner and Richard Wilson had a certain appeal. The New Zealand Football Association’s cupboard is bare. What it is desperately hoping for are crowds in excess of 20,000 for the home games in the qualifying group against Australia tomorrow, and Israel on October 26. Unfortunately, anyone expecting ChineseTaipei to command the same sort of attention in Auckland on October 5 and at Queen Elizabeth II Park a week later is living in fantasyland. (The Chinese must play all their group matches away from Taipei, as a result of a F.I.F.A. ban.)

Now to get something approaching those figures, the N.Z.F.A. should move smartly to lift the profiles of the present squad. There is a distinct shortage of personalities, certainly none to compare with Almond and Sumner of 1981-82.

It is asking a lot of people

to warm to faceless individuals. It might seem a trite point compared to the playing of the game, but to a discerning audience, and particularly in terms of attracting the sporting equivalent of the “swinging voters,” it is important. The qualifying series is sure to come down to a three-way battle between Australia, Israel and New Zealand. Already, Israel has beaten Chinese-Taipei twice, 11-0 on aggregate.

New Zealand’s first four matches are at home and provided it can get seven of a maximum eight points, the matches in Sydney, on November 3 and Tel Aviv seven days later, can be approached with confidence. The All Whites, despite the Olympic qualifying disaster in Singapore two years ago, have an impressive record overseas in recent times.

Of the opposition, Israel could provide the biggest threat. Little is known of the style and strengths of its squad, other than that its defence includes the former Liverpool player, Avi Cohen, while the attack will be led by a gifted striker, Eli Ohana, who is making his

presence felt in West Germany.

Australia is sure to adopt a defensive approach for tomorrow’s match, reasoning that three points out of four against New Zealand will be an eminently satisfactory haul. But taking two points in Sydney will not be easy, as it discovered four years ago when Australia was undone as much by its own swaggering over-con-fidence as a tremendous All White performance. Its coach is a Yugoslav, Frank Arok, known as a cautious, uninspiring planner. Those thoughts will have been further strengthened with the absence of his finest striker, Marshall Soper, who cited work commitments for his withdrawal, an interesting observation when put alongside the remark of a New Zealand player familiar with most of the Australian squad. Soper, opined the player, has scarcely “worked a day in his life.” So Mr Arok has his problems, as has the New Zealand coach, Kevin Fallon. His chief concern is the defence, and primarily whether Shane Rufer, who arrived with his brother, Wynton, on Wednesday, is

good enough to hold a place at right back. If he is not, then Richard Mulligan, not the strongest defender, or, Duncan Cole, will have to be used. Seven players can be regarded as certainties — Frank van Hattum, Malcolm Dunford, Allan Boath, Ken Cresswell, Wynton Rufer, Colin Walker and Turner. The remaining places will come down to the tactical requirements. New Zealand’s biggest problem will be scoring goals. In the 15 matches the All Whites have played this year, they have mustered 33 goals, a paltry total considering some of the opposition.

Much, it seems, will depend on Wynton Rufer. It is asking a lot of the 23-year-old striker to come up with the goods three days after arriving from Zurich, and fitting in with team-mates he has not played with for three years. Mr Fallon has no doubts that he will.

Rufer has, claimed his coach, developed too professional an attitude to accept failure. “I think Wynton will expect a lot from himself.” For New Zealand’s sake, one hopes Mr Fallon’s faith in the young professional is justified, otherwise the All Whites’ campaign could splutter to a halt scarcely before it has begun. Footnote: The group winner will meet either Scotland or Spain, home and away, at the end of the year for a place in Mexico.