Bob Dylan once said that the darkest hour is right before the dawn. Actually, he said that ‘they say’ it so maybe he stole that line too (no offence Bob, still love ya). The All Whites needed a penalty shootout to get through the Nations Cup a few weeks back in what amounted to an absolute piss take of a ‘taking care of business’ theme and now here they were playing Mexico in Tennessee. Mexico who always make the World Cup. Mexico who annihilated us in qualifying for the last one. Yeah, that Mexico.

I won’t lie: I was expected at least a three goal loss. Something about the utter lack of imagination against PNG and Fiji and all them just didn’t fill me with confidence. Sorry, Anthony, but it didn’t. And yet this was maybe the best squad of players that we’d seen all in one place since… hell, maybe since before Ryan Nelsen retired. Chuck in Bill Tuiloma, Ryan Thomas and Tommy Smith and there ya go.

The starting XI reflected the usual gaping hole in midfield but was strong most other places. Woody up the top with Kosta, Rojas in the midfield trio ahead of McGlinchey and Clayton Lewis. Lewis is a little overmatched there but Tui’s injured, what are you gonna do? Unfortunately it was that same bloody 5-3-2 formation that was so cringing to watch in Papua New Guinea but this time it at least included Winston Reid, with Boxall and Themi on either side. Marinovic held off Jake Gleeson in goal, presumably because he’s now the incumbent (I wonder if they split the games – if Gleeson gets to play against USA?). Deklan Wynne returned for the first time since his little immigration scandal thingamajig (note to self: don’t use the word ‘eligibility’) and in the right wing back slot stood debutant Liam Graham.

As for Mexico, they left most of their European based players behind for this window so we were graciously spared the sights of guys like Javier Hernandez and Hector Herrera among several others. However there were still some stunning players in that XI. Like Hirving Lozano and Giovani Dos Santos. Players who would walk into the kiwi team several times over. There were also three debutants.

So imagine the flippin’ surprise when the All Whites started the better side! Formation aside, it was nothing like the slow grind we saw last time. The long balls were there but they were productive – like, if Chris Wood is your striker then you have to pump a few loopers up to him. You’d be mad not to. And when Kosta is running off him to one side and Rojas to the other then you’re gonna create a few issues for defences. Kosta deserves extra credit for his first half performance. He kept getting caught offside but his work-rate was wonderful, a constant thorn in pressuring those Mexican defenders. He even had the ball in the net, though it was disallowed on account of his standing two metres offside. Great effort though, which he paid for as he hit the wall in the second and was subbed off for Python Patterson 58 mins in.

Led by Barbarouses on the ground and Wood in the air, the press was on. Mexico didn’t have a very big team, in fact it was kinda tiny. Lots of skill on the ground but not much size and so the long ball from the back was gonna be swallowed up by Marinovic, Reid, Boxall and Tzimopoulos every time. Instead they stayed true to their usual style and looked to pass the ball out from the back. Hence the press was on. And let me tell you that as a kiwi footy fan, seeing our national side take an aggressive approach to a superior team was magnificent to view.

Granted, Mexico were terrible for the first 20 minutes. As well as this performance is being received by NZ fans, it’ll be shrugged at by El Tri faithful. Some sloppy passing at the back set the All Whites up with several chances in the first half, with Marco Rojas supplying the best of them. His silky footwork in just a little pocket of space on the edge of the box took him past one defender. It took him past a second defender. Then, as he faced up with the keeper, slipping the ball across him to the opposite corner of the goal, a big foot stuck out and saved it. So close, he’d done all the hard stuff. Hey but that’s the Marco we wanna see, giving defenders kittens.

Eventually Mexico found their footing and within a few minutes of them figuring out how to string a few passes together over halfway, they’d scored. From the penalty spot no less. Hirving Lozano won the spottie although nobody seems to know what for. He ran around the defence and then… what? Tripped over his own feet? No idea. But his chin thumped into Winston’s arse pretty hard and that must’ve hurt. Other reasons he might have been holding his face include Winston Reid throwing the ball at his head and then fake-stumbling into him, tripping over and making an exaggerated apology that he would never have offered if he hadn’t done it on purpose. Mate, I’ve seen Winston play for West Ham, he doesn’t stop for courtesies. Andy Carroll is his best friend.

Gio Dos Santos scored the penalty, the bugger. Sent Mari the wrong way, this a goalie who saved a penalty on international debut, remember. 1-0 to Mexico after all that.

The kiwis kept on plugging. They had a decent spell straight after the goal and really Mexico should have used the goal to push forward for a second with NZ on the ropes. Instead they reverted to what they were to start things. They were without several important players, of course, but this was sorta average. Anyway, it was still 1-0 at half-time but we’d shown enough to think we could fly with these lads.

We now interrupt this broadcast to have a moan about the broadcast. I swear I say this every time but Dewhurst, son. What are you even getting at trying to pretend that you’re there commentating in Tennessee? I know you’re in AK, bro, I saw (and heard) you at the Breakers on Friday night. You weren’t exactly anonymous.

About eight minutes into the game the coverage froze and then stopped with Harry Ngata in the middle of a sentence. He trailed off his point with the picture gone and Dewhurst starts saying something like: “we understand your broadcast has broken up back in NZ, we at SKY will do our best to fix this issue… blah blah blah.” Oh really? Well if you’re sitting there in Tennessee then why not keep updating us while the feed’s blank, mate? Credit for having the employers’ back but we all know they weren’t pulling to send you (and Harry) to America.

I almost wonder if he’s so invested in his commentary that he truly thinks he’s there on some delusional level. Like how Donald Trump is incapable of admitting fault in any way shape or form. Not to compare Andrew Dewhurst to Donald Trump, just saying his commitment to his craft is sorta like Trump’s commitment to his own untameable egotism.

Nah jokes, the real reason I mentioned Trump is so I can squeeze in this hilarious sign from in the crowd:

Yes, chinga tu madre, senor Trump. Chinga tu madre indeed. (The other one says takes a dig at the Mexican president, who met with Trump a while back).

Then the second half started and this happened. Woody pokes a stunning ball in the path of Wynne charging forward. Wood’s distribution like this is usually quite good but it was all over the place today. Some brilliant, some awful. I wonder how much was down to being used to playing with more talented teammates and how much was just standard clubbed feet issues. Anyway, this one was perfect. He hit it to where Wynne didn’t need to slow down or cut back. He was right onto it and then Wynnebags played in a cross every bit as good as Wood’s ball was himself. Outrageously good cross, Marco could hardly miss.

GOOLLAZZOOOOO!!!

Shout out to Deklan Wynne, this was his best game in a white jersey. He was solid at the back against the dangerous Lozano (especially in the second half) and he got forward when he could. No silly passes hoofing the ball away, always looking to be in support. Exactly what you ask from a wingback. On the other flank Liam Graham did a lot of the same things in his first game with the team though he had his sloppy moments too. Not enough to say he walks in ahead of Kip Colvey in the first choice team but then Colvey has yet to show what he can do on the international stage himself, so no complaints.

Here’s what the official Mexican football website said about our goal:

“Nueva Zelanda saltó al terreno de juego con todo y antes del minuto de juego en el arranque en el complemento consiguió el empate.  Marco Rojas remató en el área mexicana un buen centro enviado desde el costado izquierdo y mandó la de gajos al fondo de la cabaña mexicana a los 46’.”

Beautifully articulated.

It didn’t last because Mexico responded with an even more beautiful goal (ah football, we love you) roughly ten minutes later. Yes, Kosta gave the ball away downfield. Yes, Themi’s clearance could have been better. Yes, Winston didn’t track the goal-scorer Marco Fabián. But the run from Oribe Peralta, the pass from Fabian and the cut back and finish… it was marvellous. Simply gorgeous. An honour to have seen our country conceded such a goal.

Patterson came on for Kosta on 58 mins. 12 minutes later Wynne was replaced by Colvey and Lewis by Moses Dyer. Matt Ridenton came on for the cramping Marco Rojas on 78 mins and in the 84th Andrew Durante (who probably should have started over Themi, by personal preference anyway) completed his return to international footy when he came on for the big Greek. Rory Fallon replaced Liam Graham with two more on the clock as we really started throwing it forward.

And throw it forward we did. Using Chris Wood (and later Fallon too) and his physical prowess we whipped a few crosses in and caused a few hiccups. Set pieces were whirled into the box, long throws were hurled. Nothing ended up in the net. Still, the Mexican defence looked pretty frightened for a while there and dammit we gave ‘em a bloody good run at it.

Put simply, this was the finest performance of the Hudson era. The first time when he’d set up with a specific tactical approach – which he always does – and it really looked like it was honestly working. In the end an unlucky penalty call was the only difference and that can happen when you play away in a damn near full stadium away from home with a roughly 99% Mexican crowd. I’ll put it this way: if we came out of a two-legged qualifier with a 2-1 loss in the away tie, we’d be very, very excited.

How great to have Winston Reid back. He’s a class above and he makes players better around him. Chris Wood too – what Leeds fans often forget is that while he’s due 3-4 gumby moments every game, he also makes things happen. He worked hard in this game, often dropping deeper than you’d expect (but creating room for Kosta behind him) and was always competing for that loosie in the air. Marco Rojas had his moments, as did Michael Boxall who was quite impressive. He’s got a lot in common with Themi in how they play except that Boxall is roughly 10000x faster than him across the turf. Which, yeah. That helps.

America will be a tougher test on Wednesday. They’re a little more match fit with a more consistent squad than what Mexico selected and they just went to Cuba and returned with a 2-0 win. Having said that, there are several players from that game who Jurgen Klinsmann isn’t going to select, mostly European guys who have a lot of travel ahead of them. So we won’t have to deal with Christian Pulisic, the Dortmund teenager that’s gotten US soccer hipsters all giggly, nor will Winston have to go head to head with Stoke battler Geoff Cameron. That’s all nice and promising.

Look, we nearly got a draw against Mexico here. The fact that we can be disappointed that we didn’t is nothing but a positive. Jeezus, someone slap me… I’m actually excited about the All Whites!