PLAYERS OF SOCCER

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, Issue 17690, 2 July 1927, Page 13

PLAYERS OF SOCCER

From the Land of the Mnple

THE CANADIANS’ VISIT.

(By “Observer.”)

Anlielpaticn of the visit of tli3 Canadian Association loam, at present touring New Zealand, will be realised on Monday, when the afternoon express from Christchurch will convey the wearers of tho Maple Leaf to Timaru. They will be met on arrival by by the officials of the South Canterbury Football Association and the businessmen of the town. At'4 p.m. they will he tendered a civic, welcome by the Mayor and Mayoress at the Council Chambers.

During their stay in Timaru the Canadians will be shown some of the industrial activities of our town, and a series of entertainments has been arranged by tbe Executive of tho South Canterbury Football Association for their benefit. Mr and Mrs J. F. K. .Jamieson, of Kinuoull, Tycho, have invited the Canadians to afternoon Lea at their residence, and the party will he conveyed thither in, private cars. A dance given by the Caroline Bay Association on the evening after the game with South Canterbury will enable our visitors to bo present at the chief social event during their stay here. Visits to the theatres have been arranged, to the “Grand” on Monday evening, and to the Theatre Royal on Tuesday evening. The various works to he visited include the South Canterbury Woollen Mills, the “Silo” Flour Mills, and the Colonial Motor Company’s premises in Sophia Street. So much for Ihe social side. . But ,how is South Canterbury going to fare on the field? With 12 games played, 10 won, one drawn, and one lost, 60 goals for, 7, against, on the Canadians’ score-card, South Canterbury’s chance of' a- win against the Canadians is not rosy. It might be said that the home side lias the advantage regarding ground, but Fraser Park is as strange to the South Canterbury representative team as it is to the Canadian team, so no advantage can he claimed for our representatives on that,, score. They lidve had very little opportunity of playing together, and they are not accustomed to play in front of the large audience which will l)e present at Fraser Park on July 6th. Notwithstanding these somewhat doleful and pessimistic reflections, the selectors have managed to put a strong eleVen in the field, and South Canterbury have yet to he beaten at “Soccer" in Timaru. On the occasion of the Chinese University team’s visit to Timaru, the score came as a distinct surprise to many who had followed the game in this sub-pro-vince. Opinion was expressed the other day that in the South Island play is of a higher standard than in the North Island, and that may be true, because the West Coast Association beat tho Canadians, 1 0Their win was due to the meritorious performance of the goal-keeper, but I venture to write that Bellenger at his best is quite as good. The Canadian vanguard indulge in long shooting. They should not get- many goals, past Bellenger by that method, and it. is up to the defence to see that they don’t indulge in sharp-shooting from close quarters. Our front line is sound, and Davies at centre-forward will want some looking after when inside the visitors’ penalty area. The halfback line on paper is the weakest spot, blit with a certain amount of understanding with the full-backs on the method of defence to be adopted, they may hold the Maple Leaf in check.

In some of the centres visited by the Canadians the home side has relied on one or two star performers, but the South Canterbury team is well-balanced in this respect, and they know how much to expect of the other man either in defence or attack.

It would be'presumption to say that South Canterbury will win, but that they will not be disgraced, as a provincial team against the pick of Canada, is certain. “Soccer” is not New Zealand’s national game, as it is the national game in Canada, hut if the visitors hold South Canterbury cheap, as some provincial visitors have done, they will be surprised at tbe talent that can be got together by the South Canterbury Football Association, who have not marked time when considering the visit of the Canadian team.