Soccer coach stays with victorious 11

Press, 12 October 1985, Page 80

Soccer coach stays with victorious 11

By

DAVID LEGGAT

The New Zealand soccer coach, Mr Kevin Fallon, has retained the same 11 men who produced an emphatic victory seven days ago for today’s World Cup qualifying match against Chinese-Taipei at Queen Elizabeth II Park.

In announcing an unchanged team which dished out a 5-1 beatiing to the Chinese at Mount Smart stadium, Mr Fallon added a rider: that at some stage of the match he will introduce the long-legged HanimexNorth Shore attacker, Kevin Hagan. “I spent a lot of time thinking about the team,” said Mr Fallon. “It was not an easy decision. But they did the job for me in Auckland, and they’re capable of doing it again.” The team is: Frank van Hattum; Richard Mulligan, Ceri Evans, Malcolm Dunford, Allan Boath (captain), Ken Cresswell; Steve Sumner, Duncan Cole, Declan Edge; Colin Walker, Grant Turner.

Reserves: Clint Gosling, Sean Byrne, Keith Hobbs, Billy McClure, Kevin Hagan.

The only change which had seemed possible through the week the squad has been in Christchurch was the inclusion of Hagan, the Player of the Year, for Cole or Sumner. Instead Mr Fallon, ever the psychologist, has left the players aware that they must perform, or be replaced. Mr Fallon played down suggestions of a seven or eight-goal winning margin against the Chinese-Taipei team, whose defence has contrived to concede 16 goals in three World Cup games so far. More important matters had to be dealt with first.

“We are just going out to try and win the game,” he emphasised. “We’ve got to

stamp our authority on the game very early. We can’t afford to falter in this one. Nothing less than a win is worth talking about.”

For the Chinese, the match represents a chance to regain some pride in what has been a totally undistinguished campaign. It would not be surprising if they mount a solid defensive approach. That should play into the All Whites’ hands.

If they take the game by the throat in the opening 20 minutes, and providing the ways and means of piercing a packed defence are found, the spectators — and they will be the only ones to see the game, because of the television controllers’ strike — should have an entertaining afternoon. The final training run for New Zealand yesterday produced some impressive set piece work, with no one looking sharper on the ball than Walker. His success rate from direct free-kicks was nothing short of outstandiing.

Where Mr Fallon will be looking for marked improvement on last Saturday’s display is the midfield, which he pinpointed as the root of the All Whites selfimposed difficulties in a second half which went strangely flat after the frothy brew of the opening 45 minutes.

For the New Zealand defence, there will be the desire to prove that the Chinese-Taipei goal in Auckland was nothing more than a momentary aberration on its part. At the other end of the pitch, more efficient finishing will be the aim, after the squandering of highly acceptable openings last week.

With Wynton and Shane Rufer to come into the team for the last three crucial matches, and armed with the knowledge that the versatile Hagan will come in at the expense of one of the front five players, the All Whites should take the field today bursting to prove their right to remain in the squad for the business end of the qualifying series. Victory today will plant New Zealand on the top of the Oceania qualifying group, with five points, one more than Israel.

The Chinese-Taipei team will not be finalised until this morning, but it is likely to contain changes from that which was walloped a week ago. The referee for the match is an Australian, Mr Don Campbell, aged 39. A Scottish-born official from Adelaide, he is rated No. 1 in Australia.