Recapping The All Whites Game That Never Happened This International Window
It was a shocking bit of news when South Korea withdrew from their proposed friendly against Australia in Brisbane just a few days out from the match. It was to have been Graham Arnold’s second game in charge of the Socceroos, following on from a 4-0 win away to Kuwait in October, but it’s believed that recent news coverage back in the Asian republic about Australia’s horrible and inhumane treatment of refugees caused unease amongst the players who were due to tour and sparked demands of a boycott amongst fans. Sure enough, new manager Paulo Bento sided with his players and the South Korean FA chose to withdraw from the proposed game at late notice.
That left the Australians with a booked stadium, a fully assembled squad and a whole lot of tickets sold… which is exactly when a newly proactive and ambitious New Zealand Football regime, seeking to put the emphasis back on the field in the wake of the damning Muir Report into its organisational failings, got on the phone and suggested an alternative. Advertisers and broadcasters were alerted and a snap press conference was called for, officially confirming that New Zealand would step in for South Korea – thus providing fans a first Trans-Tasman football clash between the Socceroos and All Whites since 2011, when Australia triumphed 3-0 at the Adelaide Oval. That game featured the likes of Brett Emerton, Shane Smeltz, Jon McKain and Chris Killen. This game ended the longest stretch of time without an Australia vs New Zealand men’s football international since the mid-1960s.
There was some talk about what New Zealand’s offer meant as far as tacit acceptance of the atrocities being committed on Nauru, considering the rumoured reasoning for South Korea’s withdrawal, but football commentators in Australia were quick to applaud the move, Mark Bosnich saying “this is about football not politics”. Regardless, the decision did present some logistical difficulties for the kiwis. Manager Fritz Schmid was extremely keen to play the game as he’d been manager of the All Whites since February and yet had only had four games with the team and none with anything resembling a full-strength squad. Multiple international windows had passed without even a whisper of an upcoming game.
He wouldn’t quite get that chance here either, with injuries to key players such as Winston Reid, Ryan Thomas and Tyler Boyd (although it’s questionable whether Boyd would have been available for selection anyway), as well as to possible replacements like James Musa and Sam Brotherton, limiting his available options. It was anticipated that Chris Wood would miss the game too, being on such short notice and all, yet the Burnley striker surprised fans by announcing on twitter that: “of course ill be available. Love representing my country and wearing that fern on my chest #silverfern #newzealand” (sic).
With the man affectionately known as The Woodsman on board, others quickly made themselves available too and the FIFA window made that a relatively simple process. Not every player volunteered. Several players based in America had only recently come to the end of their seasons and were understandably reticent to cut short their holidays – while Bill Tuiloma was asked by his Portland Timbers club not to play as they need him available for their upcoming Western Conference finals games. Only Stefan Marinovic, Michael Boxall and Myer Bevan would be selected out of the United States.
Still, it was quite a strong team that was named to play this game. Certainly heavy on players based in Australia. It was an all A-League midfield duo with Mike McGlinchey and Matt Ridenton, while the fullbacks were also based out of the local comp with Storm Roux on the right and Tom Doyle on the left – Roux’s first game for the All Whites since September 2017. Stefan Marinovic was picked in goal, his first appearance under Schmid, while the Boxall brothers Mike and Nikko made for an historic combination in central defence. Schmid has preferred a 4-2-3-1 formation in his previous games with the New Zealand national side and sure enough it was the same here. Chris Wood captained the team from centre forward, while Marco Rojas, Sarpreet Singh and Kosta Barbarouses played across the attacking midfield line.
One notable trend was the lack of any players out of the NZ Premiership. Schmid had given several players opportunities out of that competition earlier in the year but with a full round of fixtures this same weekend, it was decided against unnecessarily disrupting the top level of domestic football in Aotearoa, risking the integrity of a beloved institution. It was also hinted at, through several semi-cryptic tweets from Eastern Suburbs assistant coach Declan Edge, that none of his players would have been released anyway.
Meanwhile Australia named quite a strong side for Graham Arnold’s first home game as manager. Matt Ryan started in goal, with a back four of Josh Risdon, Trent Sainsbury, Mark Milligan and Aziz Behich while Aaron Mooy and Massimo Luongo kitted up in the midfield, with Jamie MacLaren up front supported by Robbie Kruse, Tom Rogic and Matt Leckie. A very strong team stacked with European-based players in their prime… yet it was the kiwi side that made the brighter start.
Chris Wood was an immediate handful for Sainsbury and Milligan. The All Whites targeted him with long balls in the early stages and he was constantly busy, throwing his body around and conceding a couple free kicks in the process but laying down a warning too. One time he brought down a McGlinchey ball off his chest, held off Sainsbury, and slipped a ball through on the turn for Kosta Barbarouses… though Barbarouses wasn’t quite able to time his run and the offside flag went up before he could angle back towards goal. The Socceroos settled down after that and began a good period of possession, Mooy pulling the strings, but nothing that led to much of note as the Boxalls won seemingly every header. Although Doyle did pick up a yellow for a late challenge on Rogic.
And then, in the 22nd minute and against the run of play, the New Zealanders took the lead. It was a mistake from Luongo that began the move, misplacing a pass towards Leckie which Storm Roux stepped up and intercepted, sending a quick pass straight down the line towards Rojas. The Heerenveen forward held it up and played a quick one-two with Singh before swinging in an early cross toward the far post which had Matt Ryan in two minds and Chris Wood thumped it into the roof of the net on the half-volley, reeling away towards a small group of kiwi fans in the corner to celebrate.
That goal gave new life to the visitors and they went close again when McGlinchey curled a free kick over the top (following a foul on Sarpreet Singh) before a header from Wood earned a corner which Michael Boxall flicked just past the far post. At the same time, the home side began to play a little more expansively and get their front four involved and working together. Rogic had their best opportunity of the first half when he cut past Michael Boxall with a beautiful first touch but his low curling shot struck the outside of the post and went out for a goal kick. 1-0 to New Zealand at the break.
Graham Arnold made one change at half-time, taking off Robbie Kruse, who had struggled to get involved, and replacing him with Awer Mabil. It was an inspired move. Straight from the kickoff Mabil put Roux under pressure with a quick dash in behind towards a Mooy long ball, though the pass drifted just out of his reach and out for a throw. Stefan Marinovic, who had been surprisingly comfortable in the first half, was drawn into a sharp save down low from a MacLaren drive at goal before a string of corner kicks had the kiwis sweating. Eventually, after consecutive clearing headers behind from Wood and then Nikko Boxall, Marinovic was able to rush out and claim one, hoofing the ball long towards the run of Barbarouses, but he was quickly swamped by Aziz Behich. Barbarouses came up limping from that challenge. Hard but fair. However it was Ridenton who’d be the first player replaced by Schmid, bringing on Themi Tzimopoulos in his place for a bit of extra steel in the middle, 55 minutes played.
For a friendly match, it was quite a physical spectacle. Neither coach was much keen to go too hard and disrupt things with their subs, though Jeremy Brockie and James McGarry (on for his senior debut) were introduced with twenty to play in exchange for Barbarouses and Rojas - both beginning to tire as the All Whites repeatedly looked to add a second goal on the counter attack and began repeatedly turning the ball over instead. The early fluency was gone as the Aussies controlled possession and territory. Eventually that tolled as Mabil swung one in for MacLaren, whose downward header was initially well saved by Marinovic but it spilled at the feet of Rogic for the equaliser with fifteen minutes to play. The goal really sparked a feisty crowd into action and there was a brief delay before kickoff when a streaker ran onto the field, only to be clobbered by Michael Boxall.
Tom Juric came on for Leckie pretty much straight away, Arnold looking to go for the kill. Martin Boyle also got a run in place of MacLaren with five minutes remaining. By then it was a question of whether the kiwis could withstand the assault and hold on. There were shouts for a penalty waved away by the ref when Nikko Boxall appeared to block a cross with his arm, though the arm was tucked into his side and play continued. Tom Doyle also made an excellent sliding block to deny Juric an attempt at goal. Tzimopoulos drew a yellow card for a late challenge on Mooy, with Rogic hitting the crossbar from the resulting free kick. Then finally, in the second minute of injury time, Massimo Luongo popped up with the winner. Sharp work from Mabil and Rogic in the lead-up and Mabil’s cut-back to Luongo caught the All Whites’ midfield out for pace as nobody could track his run.
There was time for one last threat at the other end when Myer Bevan was thrown on in place of Tom Doyle and he was there in support as Chris Wood nodded down a long ball into the box from McGlinchey. For a brief fraction of a second, it looked like Bevan had a clear shot of goal… but then Sainsbury stepped across and deflected the attempt out for a corner. Singh whipped the ball back in from the set piece but Wood was whistled for wrestling with Milligan. Free kick to Australia and the final whistle blew as Matt Ryan cleared it downfield. 2-1 to the Socceroos.
There was some drama following the final whistle. A handful of the players seemed to come to a disagreement over something or other, Doyle and the two Boxalls exchanging some heavy words with Milligan and Luongo, replays suggesting that the kiwis didn’t take to kindly to some of the celebrations from the Australians. Both benches also got a little heated with insults sent back and forth, though the two head coaches stayed out of it.
Ultimately that all fizzled out and fans were left to reflect on a very entertaining game. The All Whites played particularly well in the first half, but the lack of preparation and the short-notice travel really got to them in the second. Perhaps Schmid needed to go to his bench sooner, although he didn’t have a huge squad available to him. Chris Wood and Storm Roux were standout performers for the visitors, while Ryan Thomas’ absence was probably most felt, particularly watching the Socceroos run over the midfield in the second forty-five.
Some of the Australian broadcasters were less accommodating with any praise for the New Zealand side, suggesting they didn’t offer anything to the game and that the Socceroos would have been better off playing against another Australian team instead. But, while the performance was far from complete and it’s fair to say they did get too defensive in the second half, the reception on this side of the Tasman Sea was much more positive, embracing an All Whites team that were able to get together and play with some real attacking conviction early on despite the less than ideal preparation.
Australia play again on Tuesday night against Lebanon in Sydney. New Zealand probably won’t take the field again for another six months or something.
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