All Whites vs Australia: Defeat In Brisbane, But Encouraging Signs
Danny Hay’s made it clear in recent weeks that he wants this All Whites team playing as often as possible and he isn’t at all chuffed about them likely skipping out on the next few windows. Chris Wood was emphatic in saying that Australia vs Aotearoa should be a footballing fixture at least every four years. Despite the celebrations before kickoff at Stadium in Brisbane honouring what’s now a 100 year old rivalry between these two teams, this was the first time they’ve met for 11 years. The return match at Eden Park in Auckland on Sunday will be the first time the NZ men have played a home game for five years.
There’s a common theme there of regular games and the need thereof. And there are heaps of reasons why the All Whites should be playing as often as possible. The obvious one being that this is a young team that needs as much time together as they can get in order to blossom at this level. Tactically it always helps to get plenty of reps in. Fans are more engaged when a team plays more often. Rivalries can be instilled. More games equals more opportunities for wins. So many reasons. But the biggest reason is a simple one: this team is really, really fun.
Who doesn’t love seeing Libby Cacace nutmegging Australians? Or shouldering them into the dirt, for that matter. Then there’s Chris Wood dominating every single physical duel. Joe Bell calmly picking passes through pressure. Matt Garbett rolling on the ball and bursting into space. Elijah Just ghosting into dangerous positions to collect the ball then spotting a run that nobody else had even noticed. Nando Pijnaker pinging perfect 50+ yard switches. Oli Sail tipping shots past his posts. Bill Tuiloma winning headers and taking free kicks. Marko Stamenic gliding across the midfield then mashing folks in tackles. And this is without Sarpreet Singh or Ryan Thomas. Without Marco Rojas or Kosta Barbarouses. Soon to be without Winston Reid too.
This isn’t just a squad with an exciting level of talent, although it’s certainly that too. It’s also a squad with an exciting level of... excitement. Players who offer those little moments of joy within a game. Could do with a couple more stepover merchants to fully stock the shelves but it’s pretty remarkable how far we’ve come.
Sadly, we still lost in Brisbane. Went down 1-0 thanks to a quality strike from Awer Mabil in the 32nd minute of the match. The ball had been turned over cheaply and then Joe Bell slipped in trying to close Mabil down. And a dude that good, by far the most dangerous on the park for Aussie, produced a touch of brilliance in a game where neither team was otherwise all that flash with their final product.
Which was a shame because apart from that the All Whites were great. You saw it right from the outset, their pressing structures had the Socceroos in all sorts of shambles and that led to the first shot of the game. Tim Payne smelling blood in the water and pushing all the way up from centre-back to intercept a pass and then drill a shot straight at Mat Ryan. Saw quite a few instances where one of the CBs would shoot out into the midfield in situations like that – a clear tactical instruction.
The All Whites worked hard off the ball and they consistently matched the physicality of the Aussies, giving as good as they got and vice versa. The hard-but-fair thing was a feature of this game and you didn’t see much rolling around injured either, good ol’ Trans-Tasman rivalry areas. A few over-eager fouls peppered throughout but it was worth it to see how up for this contest the lads all were.
It felt like that Australian defence was there for the taking. First opportunity Chris Wood got to use his size, throw his body around, he flicked on a header from an Oli Sail long ball and Andre De Jong was through on goal. Unfortunately ADJ lost his balance under a bit of close defending and stabbed it wide. Even in the moment, nine minutes into the match, that felt like a regrettable outcome. Safe to say we did indeed regret it. Never did create a better chance than that one (which is a problem in itself tbf).
To be honest, the NZers also looked kinda shaky at the back. For the most part they were solid, held a good line, and excellent in individual duels. But there were a few too many times where the AWs weren’t able to clear their lines leading to piled-on preventable pressure. There was a great chance for Jackson Irvine punted wide from about nine yards after a corner. Also that disallowed ‘goal’ where Irvine fouled Pijnaker and the whistle went (before the ball went in, the kiwis had already stopped beforehand so you can hardly call it a goal). Bit soft on the foul but hands on the shoulder causing a dude to slip still feels like a foul. They scored soon after through Awer Mabil anyway. Another instance of not being able to progress safely out of the danger zone.
However when they did get into their possessions, the All Whites really shone. Joe Bell was doing Joe Bell things, not only in his distribution but also the sixth sense he’s got for being in the right place to intercept a loose pass (especially in counter-pressing moments – aka winning the ball back straight after we lose it). Matt Garbett’s two best games for the national team have come in the last two matches: Costa Rica and Australia. Although he was picked in a deeper midfield spot here, Bell’s coverage and the aggressive stepping of the defence meant he had plenty of freedom to push forward and the way he advanced the ball was fantastic. Eli Just as well. Getting into great areas and making great decisions.
Oli Sail said afterwards that he felt the NZers dominated the match between the two boxes... but that they didn’t have the same ruthless edge within the penalty areas. Mabil’s goal was scored from outside the area but the point still stands. The All Whites played great against Costa Rica but they lost because they couldn’t convert that into a goal. The All Whites, in large patches, played great against Australia too but they lost because they couldn’t convert that into a goal. Prior to that they drew 0-0 against Oman and lost 1-0 to Peru. Similar areas. Four games without rustling the net. It’s a trend.
In ten games under Danny Hay against non-OFC opponents, Aotearoa has only twice scored multiple goals: Curaçao and Jordan, two goals in each, both wins. The All Whites had more shots on target than Australia did but most of those were straight at the keeper. Couldn’t get Chris Wood involved on the end of any of them, even if his build up play was really solid, and aside from him there aren’t very many finishers in this team. Lots of talent leading up to that point but not the finishers. Guys were trying to blast the ball rather than place it where the keeper can’t get it. That final instance of composure wasn’t there. That’s typical of a lot of younger players and something they’ll learn with more exposure but we’ve gotta figure something out in the meantime.
A draw would have been the fairest result. De Jong scores that early one, Mabil equalises. 1-1 the final score... something along those lines. You can’t say the All Whites deserved to win when they hardly looked like scoring but at the same time it didn’t feel like a fair reflection that they lost. Ah, but keep in mind there were mitigating factors that, whilst discouraging right now, should align nicely on Sunday at Eden Park.
For one thing, we know that Graham Arnold wants to pick two completely different teams across this pair of fixtures so as to give as many players as possible the opportunity to put forward their case for World Cup selection. They had six starters here from the Peru qualifier which they won on penalties to book their trip to Qatar 2022. They’ve got several potential debutants in their squad and we can legitimately expect them to be a little weaker for the return match.
In contrast the All Whites should be able to roll out a stronger line-up. It’s probably a good indication of why Winston Reid is retiring from internationals after the next game that he wasn’t risked for the Brisbane match presumably in fear of him subsequently not being fit for Auckland. But there’s nothing to lose at Eden Park. Not like Reid’s got a club to preserve himself for. He’ll play that one and he’ll make a big difference with his leadership and composure at the back.
And that was only one of several selections that appeared suspiciously like the Haymaker was trying to maximise Sunday’s game. Alex Greive played no part despite being a starter vs Costa Rica. He was one of the last blokes to arrive, along with Bill Tuiloma (who only got five mins off the bench). Not risked. Marko Stamenic only played off the bench. One of the first blokes subbed was Joe Bell who would never ordinarily be replaced were the coach not thinking of preservation. Chris Wood followed him off five mins later, ditto. There was a distinct air of: Save ‘em for Sunday.
What that meant was Oli Sail in goal with a back three of Tim Payne, Michael Boxall, and Nando Pijnaker. Dane Ingham was right wing-back and Libby Cacace on the left (Cacace was subbed with cramps with twenty to play so plenty of salts and electrolytes for that bloke today, methinks). Joe Bell with Matt Garbett in the middle. Elijah Just ahead of them. Chris Wood and Andre De Jong up top. Of those dudes, six also started against Costa Rica. With Reid, Tuiloma, and Greive sitting there ready to go that might well be nine recurring CRC starters for the second game.
The official attendance figure for Suncorp was 25,392. Ticket sales are reportedly already closing in on 25k for Eden Park so it’s very likely bet that we’re gonna win the crowd battle. Which is nice. Pretty hard to exaggerate what an impact that could have on the lads considering how rare it is to get a home game at all, let alone one with such a hefty presence in the stands to cheer them on. The last home All Whites game was the WCQ against Peru in 2017. Of the 17 players who took the pitch in Brisbane, the only ones who’ve played a home senior international before are: Wood, Boxall, Tuiloma, Payne, Howieson, and Ingham. So... all of the attackers minus Wood will be experiencing something new. That boost could be what turns a couple good chances into goals, finally.
Shout out to Deklan Wynne, by the way. Got off the bench for his first national team appearance since that very same Peru series. Wynne started both legs vs Peru... and hasn’t been seen since due mostly to injuries which, combined with some difficult club situations, meant he went two years without playing a professional game. A fit Francis De Vries means he’s at best third choice LB. Not to mention the emerging Sam Sutton at the Welly Nix, albeit he’s not really a long term LB, likely to move into midfield at some point. James McGarry’s hopeful of a big A-League season having moved to Newcastle Jets too. But a lovely moment for Wynne to close a troublesome circle in his career. He’s been in top form in the American second tier this year.
Also since we’re talking about caps, Chris Wood just earned his 69th (noice) which ties him with Simon Elliott for second most ever for the All Whites. He’ll have second place all to his own in a few days. Meanwhile Pijnaker, De Jong, Stamenic, and McCowatt all brought up their 10th caps here. Bell, Cacace, and Garbett brought up their 10th in the Costa Rica game. Tallying up that experience, sure enough, but it’s a slow process.
One thing about international footy with a young team is that a lot can happen in the months between matches. Matt Garbett looks a distinctly better player every time he features for the All Whites. Nando Pijnaker had a really good game here too. A couple slippery moments but far outweighed by the impressive ones – finally getting a proper run of games at club level is helping heaps. Marko Stamenic has made a Champions League debut since his previous cap. Guys like De Jong and Just have transferred clubs. On the flipside Francis De Vries and Niko Kirwan have suffered serious knee injuries but they’ll be back soon enough. Maybe even by the next time the All Whites play. If they really do have to wait another six months (no games in the November window then no windows until March) then imagine what other thrilling developments may happen between now and then.
Look, they got us in game one. Can’t deny it. That one clinical moment combined with the All Whites failing to reciprocate was all it took. But treat this like a two-legged cup tie because there’s an aggregate win in the offing and every reason to think that the fellas will be able to do it.
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