All Whites at the Canadian Shield Tournament: Defeat vs Ukraine
Beating reigning African champions Côte d'Ivoire was a major statement from the All Whites, easily the best result under Darren Bazeley’s management and probably the significant that most of these players have been involved in. But nobody was really celebrating afterwards. First of all, the players expect this of themselves. They’re confident and ambitious and undaunted. Secondly, they had another game three days later so the job was only half done.
Getting over that initial barrier and proving you can get results against top sides is one thing, but a World Cup group stage involves three matches in a short space of time and one good result usually doesn’t cut the mustard (although in this new 48-team era with third-placed qualifiers tbh it might). Now that they’ve raised the bar for what they’re capable of, the All Whites need to show they can produce performances like that every time they face such teams. It won’t always lead to wins but it’ll put them in with a chance.
A 2-1 defeat against Ukraine ticks that box. They were placed under a lot more defensive pressure than they had been against the Ivory Coast and they dealt with much of it, got away with some of it, and were punished on two occasions. There were excellent displays once again from Joe Bell and Marko Stamenic in the midfield, constantly breaking things up and showing calmness on the ball. The build-up play was nice, with some lovely phases of passing, but same as the other day they struggled to turn that into clear attacking chances. However, even against this sharp-edged Ukrainian side there was still a clear threat from set pieces, ultimately leading to NZ’s only goal. And while they didn’t come particularly close to a second, the kiwis definitely had Ukraine feeling nervous in the last ten minutes after Chris Wood came on.
The result didn’t match the previous match but the performance level was similar. Of course there are things to improve, and attacking potency is always going to be part of that. But don’t stress about the shortcomings. The All Whites scored in both of these games despite Chris Wood only playing around ten minutes of each – in fact both goals were scored while he was on the bench. To do that in games that were designed as a big step up from what they’d been used should only give encouragement. It wasn’t so long ago that this team went six games in a row without scoring at all (with the intercontinental playoff against Costa Rica smack-bang in the middle). Their recent scoring record outside of Aotearoa against non-Oceania sides reads like binary code: 1, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0, 1, 1, 0, 0, 0, 0. Yet they’ve scored in the last three in a row. This is progress. Bellinho summed it up pretty smoothly in his very short post-game interview...
Joe Bell: “Yeah it’s obviously really important for us to take steps forward against really good opposition and we had that in these two games. Little bit disappointed with the second result here but I think we’ve taken some really good steps forward so we’re happy with that.”
Let us not overlook that this team is also in preparation mode for a World Cup so it’s not about where they are now, it’s about where they are in twelve months. The Canadian Shield Tournament offered a symbolic turning of the page from a chapter full of home games against lower-ranked nations to a chapter where the All Whites become the lower-ranked nation trying to spring a few upsets. Thanks to how competitive the kiwis were able to keep these two games, they were even able to get some massively helpful scenario rehearsals done.
Against Ivory Coast, it was protecting a one-goal lead. We saw Alex Rufer brought into the midfield with Marko Stamenic moving into the ten position, then later we saw Michael Boxall chucked on as a third centre-back in the old Tommy Smith Closer role. Not to mention a dose of Max Crocombe’s time-wasting crampage. They were able to get live real-game experience in that situation, helping establish a cohesive plan for if/when they happen to be protecting a late lead at the World Cup... as well as trust that they can get the job done.
Against Ukraine, it was chasing the game from a one-goal deficit. This time Bazeley bowled a doosra by bringing on Francis de Vries for his crossing ability... except rather than moving Cacace onto the wing with FDV at fullback, it was FDV who went directly onto the wing himself. Probably so that it was that little bit easier to get him into crossing positions with a higher starting point. Another little twist was Michael Boxall hovering alongside Chris Wood as an aerial presence, with Alex Rufer covering him at the back. This time the lads weren’t able to find success but the same truth applies about the value of being able to play through a situation like this. Maybe next time Baze approaches it slightly differently, who knows. But they’ve got something to work from now.
The Line-Ups
Three changes from Darren Bazeley and none of them were Chris Wood. The captain settled for another tenner off the bench to conclude a very long and gruelling season from him. He’s earned a rest. Without Woodsy, it was Ben Waine who was rotated into the nine position after Kosta Barbarouses had his chance in the first match. Sharing it around between the back-up strikers... which is one of the few positions in the squad which still feels unsettled.
Kosta would appear to be slightly ahead of Waine, though either could have missed out if Max Mata had been fit, dunno. Barbarouses is expected to sign with Western Sydney Wanderers, Ben Waine has been released by Plymouth Argyle, and Max Mata has been recalled by Shrewsbury Town so they’re all in fluctuating situations. Right now it feels like: 1. Barbarouses, 2. Waine, 3. Mata (and 4. Moses Dyer) but there’s plenty of water to go under that bridge. Hence this shaped as a major opportunity for Waine-o.
Callum McCowatt was unable to play after the hamstring injury he suffered in the first half vs CIV. It was Ben Old who replaced him on that occasion but Old’s very short on match fitness (that game was the first time he’s played 30+ mins since October when he had his knee surgery) so backing up straight away was going to be too much to ask. Instead, it was Matt Garbett who started wide on the left... he’s also severely short on match fitness but at least he hasn’t been injured plus his workload in G1 wasn’t as extensive.
The third and final switch came, predictably, at right-back where Bill Tuiloma’s own lack of match fitness had seen him exposed against CIV as he deputised out of position in the absence of Tim Payne and Storm Roux. No Callan Elliot from the start, he’d have to make do with another bench cameo. Instead it was Tyler Bindon on the right. That’s absolutely not where Bindon should be playing... though in this case it was simply a patchwork solution with the top two blokes unavailable. And this way, Bazeley was able to bring Michael Boxall into the starting team without losing Finn Surman who’d been so excellent in G1.
Meanwhile, Ukraine made nine changes from a very rough 4-2 defeat against Canada in the previous game. Oleksandr Tymchyk and Illya Zabarnyi were the only fellas who held their spots. Ukraine coach Sergiy Rebrov had suggested that he wanted to get everybody in his 24-man squad some minutes across this window so this was him staying true to his word.
The Game
New Zealand were the other team in this tournament. We didn’t get to face the hosts, we just filled out the matchdays so that the everyone got to play twice. Côte d'Ivoire rested a few of their best dudes when they played us – Franck Kessie and Ibrahim Sangare were awesome in the 0-0 draw against Canada, albeit neither of them had been able to change the course of the match when they came off the bench against NZ. Ukraine did something similar. It was the Canada games that both of them prioritised.
Part of this ‘learning how to beat good teams’ journey is about teaching them to take you seriously. To that point, there was a clear difference between Ivory Coast and Ukraine’s attitudes in these games – no doubt influenced by what happened on matchday one. It was only towards the end, facing defeat, when Ivory Coast finally upped the intensity and showed some desperation. Ukraine, on the other hand, were intense from the opening kickoff. Lots of early outlets to their wingers in space. A willingness to whip the ball into the area. It took Bell and Stamenic to keep dropping in and cleaning things up... and the defensive line did a good job stepping out and playing Oleksii Hutsuliak offside when UKR sought those long balls over the top. Hutsuliak also drew an excellent save out of Max Crocombe with a back-post header. Tough stuff but they withstood it. The closest NZ game to creating anything meaningful in the first half was a Ben Waine header way off target from an early Bindon cross. However, there were some good spells of possession and lads at the back never flinched against the pressure to take it into the break at 0-0.
Ukraine finally got their reward on 54’ when Hutsuliak collected a square ball on the edge of the area with time to set up his shot. That shot snuck under Surman’s attempted block and then beat an unsighted Max Crocombe at his near post. Plenty of power on it. Very much deserved based on how the game was unfolding. But frustrating nonetheless. Already Ukraine were beginning to wear down the Aotearoa side, many of whom were short on recent match fitness (or over-loaded with recent match fitness).
At which point a (metaphorical) light shone forth and (hypothetically) showed the way when Joe Bell caused a little trouble with a deep free kick chipped in from a flat angle. In that instance it became clear that set pieces were the bet. A few minutes later, Libby Cacace lined up a free kick out on the right. His delivery sucked, smashing it into the first defender, but he did win a corner. Cacace took that corner himself and this time the delivery was pristine, looping over to Michael Boxall at the back stick who rose high and headed the ball back across goal to Marko Stamenic who then nodded it home from six yards. Just like that.
The substitutions came next. Ukraine made a triple change on 66’ while Bazeley threw on Barbarouses and Old. Then followed another a couple more for UKR on 73’ with Alex Rufer simultaneously readied. One of those Ukrainian changes was Oleksandr Zinchenko of Arsenal and alas that bro went and scored with his first touch. Great strike into the bottom corner from a low cross that was slightly behind him. Whereas other Ukrainian efforts had left plenty to be desired, Zinchenko brought a decisive touch of class which made all the difference. Bugger.
It was only after falling 2-1 down that Chris Wood was finally chucked on. Clearly there was a 10-minute limit on his activities. Callan Elliot and Francis de Vries also entered at this time - already mentioned how FDV went on as a winger. Elliot’s introduction should have come sooner though Bazeley suggested he held off there in part because of Bindon’s set piece presence and that does make sense. Those last ten minutes plus stoppages were easily the most threatening spell, aside from the goal. It didn’t happen for them but they gave it a good nudge. Any lingering disappointment only goes to show the extent that expectations risen with progress.
Thoughts & Reaction
The All Whites finished second in the tournament standings behind hosts Canada, who had a win and a draw, thanks to a superior goal difference compared to Ukraine. Unless they went by head to head tiebreakers in which case Ukraine were second and we were third. It doesn’t matter. The only reason they called this a tournament was so that it sounded more legit... nobody’s taking it seriously. Even the Canadian Shield’s own instagram page didn’t seem to know what was going on, asking “who’s headed to the final?” on their matchday one “leaderboard” update.
So forget the tournament context and focus on the window that NZ just delivered. Two strong performances. Goals in both. One win and one loss with an even aggregate scoreline. You’ve gotta go back to the early days of Danny Hay for the last two-game window outside of Aotearoa with non-Oceania opposition where the All Whites didn’t have a negative aggregate. Those were windows against Curacao/Bahrain and The Gambia/Jordan. Now they’ve done it against Ivory Coast/Ukraine. Huge step up.
Started Both Games: Max Crocombe, Finn Surman, Tyler Bindon, Libby Cacace, Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic, Eli Just, Sarpreet Singh
Played In Both Games: Michael Boxall, Chris Wood, Matt Garbett, Ben Old, Kosta Barbarouses, Callan Elliot, Alex Rufer
Played In One Game: Bill Tuiloma, Ben Waine, Francis de Vries, Callum McCowatt
Didn’t Play: Alex Paulsen, Nik Tzanev, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith
Of the eight players who started both, one was the goalkeeper and the other seven are all aged 26 years of younger. That’s not only the core for this World Cup cycle, it might be the core for the next two as well.
Finn Surman was a standout against CIV but Joe Bell was the main man across the whole tour. He’s been in fantastic touch for Viking FK, who are leading the Norwegian league right now, and here were two more examples of the Bellinho that we love. He was everywhere, constantly getting a foot in. Not as much attacking output as he’s shown in those club games but that’s more about his role in this side. Marko Stamenic, who was also superb in these matches, takes care of that.
Tyler Bindon at right-back is a frustrating one. You can see the idea, it’s about trying to get he, Surman, and Boxall all in the same eleven. But TB’s just not a fullback, it doesn’t suit his game – and you could see him beginning to tire as Ukraine scored both of their goals from crosses down his side (not that he was directly responsible for either). Reading FC briefly tried him in that position the season before last when they were in the middle of an injury crisis and Darren Bazeley borrowed the idea for the Nations Cup and Olympics. Apparently he hasn’t quite rid himself of the notion. But, in fairness, this was a tour without Tim Payne (or Storm Roux who most recently had the edge as T-Payne’s back-up). More than anything, this selection said that Bill Tuiloma failed his audition... and Callan Elliot isn’t quite at the required standard to be starting yet.
Don’t mess with Boxy, he’ll take down the whole squad if he has to...
Ben Waine produced a typical recent Ben Waine performance where he ran around heaps, showing plenty of enthusiasm, but couldn’t muscle up against bigger defenders and his touch wasn’t reliable enough to make up for that (in the way that it usually is for Kosta Barbarouses). The direct comparison between these two starting strikers puts Kosta Barbarouses in the box seat if anything changes and one of them needs to be culled from the squad. Waine’s next club move is going to be crucial.
Likewise, it was mentioned in the CIV recap and Ben Old again looked rusty. He was a little bit better here but still clunky. The thing with Oldy is that he’s never been an entirely rounded player and we saw that at the Wellington Phoenix where his industrious work often didn’t have an end product. He started to fix that in his last season in yellow and black and his preseason efforts with Saint-Etienne were very promising. But then the knee injury disrupted everything. Relegation might not be the worst thing for him. He’ll get to play for an ASSE side that should be winning most games, allowing him room to get settled. But on current form there’s nothing to say he should be starting ahead of guys like McCowatt, Just, Singh, and Garbett. Let’s be patient with him though.
Chris Wood is now only four games shy of matching Ivan Vicelich’s All Whites record of 88 caps. He’s also a whopping 15 goals ahead of Vaughan Coveny’s scoring record despite it seeming like only recently that he broke that mark. Kosta Barbarouses has drawn level with Simon Elliott on 69 caps, good for third-equal on the all time ranks. Michael Boxall is up to 57 caps, overtaking Tommy Smith (56) during this tour, and only a couple away from cracking into the top ten. Tim Payne and Bill Tuiloma are both on 43 caps but at this rate the smart money might be on Libby Cacace (35 caps at 24yo) to be the next to bring up his half-century.
Illya Zabarnyi is a defender for AFC Bournemouth so he’s someone that Alex Paulsen might come to know pretty soon. Maksym Talovyerov came off the bench here, he plays for Plymouth Argyle though he only joined in January so he didn’t cross paths with Ben Waine. However, Roman Yaremchuk has been a key player for Olympiacos so he and Marko Stamenic know each other well. At this stage, there’s almost always going to be some club crossover when the All Whites face teams like this. It was the same with the Ivory Coast, most notably Nottm Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare.
This result snapped a seven-game winning streak and an eight-game undefeated streak for the All Whites. Neither of those are national records but both were still impressive feats... and they weren’t too far off keeping the unbeaten one going. They did at least score a goal, meaning that the AWs have found the net in nine straight fixtures. Not too shabby considering that six games scoreless streak during 2022 (Peru, Oman, Costa Rica, Australia, Australia, China).
The club grows ever larger...
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