All Whites at the Confeds: The Fighting, The Cursing & The Football vs Mexico
It is not entirely clear what happened in between the All Whites’ game against Mexico and the rest of their Confederations Cup tour. Lucidity does not exist as to how a team that didn’t score a goal in three straight internationals suddenly became a threat to the best team they’ve played in all that time. One cannot hope to explain what happened there in Sochi… but wasn’t it great to watch?
There’s a saying in boxing that styles make fights. The same is true in most sports and that’s another theory as to what we witnessed here. Mexico at their best are slick and pacey, they’ll move swiftly off the ball and play the ball out from the back. Take a team like that and have them play at half capacity and suddenly those strengths become weaknesses – you have to work at a certain level to get away with that stuff. First half against New Zealand that’s what happened.
This was a real game of two halves, as the cliché goes. New Zealand made two changes to the team that lost to Russia but again they weren’t the changes you might have guessed, if only because Bill Tuiloma remained on the bench. It’s strange because Tui had only ever once come off the bench for Huddo before this tour (away to New Caledonia). While he seems such an obvious improvement in that midfield, between missing the tour to USA last year and starting in defence against New Caledonia the following month, he’s only kicked off in midfield once in the last ten full internationals. First man off the bench in all four lately, the fact is that Hudson has different plans for this lad.
The two changes saw Dane Ingham rotated in at right back for Kip Colvey while Clayton Lewis came in for Kosta Barbarouses. The first is just a normal move. Hudson’s rotated his wingbacks on the regular and while Deklan Wynne retained his gig, that’s probably because he’s a little more secure in that role. Colvey’s the lead candidate at RWB but Huddo’s a big fan of Ingham. Storm Roux has only recently worked his way back into the squad and hasn’t been sighted in any of the four proper games so far. As for Lewis, he’s the harder-pressing, more attacking version of Tuiloma in midfield and his inclusion allowed Marco Rojas to play alongside Woody and for Ryan Thomas to push up into an attacking midfield role too.
THE FIRST 45
The All Whites were way more physical. That was the obvious difference in approach from the Russia game, here they were throwing themselves around in a way that only Ryan Thomas bothered with last time. Marco Rojas wasn’t afraid to give away a foul. Clayton Lewis is always a competitor. Both Lewis and Thomas were ready to push forward in attack, plus we were seeing this thing where the defensive three weren’t afraid to track a marker all the way into the Mexican half. They were stepping right up, not in possession but on defence. That extra mobility, particularly from Smith and Durante, really helped Mike McGlinchey with his job and probably had a lot to do with why Thommo and Lewis looked to have a tad more freedom. Thommo & Lewis were picking the right passes and Marco Rojas was playing close enough to Woody to be a real factor in the game.
So they were more aggressive off the ball, they showed more ambition on attack and they generally worked harder? Tick, tick and tick – all things we’d been asking them for and here against a really strong opposition, the toughest game of the Hudson Era, they weaved it together with an impressive performance.
And yet we also have to be honest and say that none of this would’ve had much effect if Mexico hadn’t served up trash on a platter. Juan Carlos Osorio has a magnificent record as Mexico manager. He also has a tendency towards excessive tinkering with his squads, we’re talking Rafa Benitez levels of rotation here. Following a 2-2 draw against Portugal in their opener, a game they easily could’ve won, Osorio made eight changes for the New Zealand game. Eight of them. Ocho alteraciones. Go on and watch the first half of this game again and say they didn’t underestimate the kiwis because they absolutely did.
Still had to play the way they did in order to coax that performance but it goes both ways. For this first half to happen, New Zealand had to play above themselves and Mexico below themselves. A little pressure on that Mexican defence and they were giving the ball away far too easily. Talavera had a lot more to do than Marinovic did that half. Chris Wood looked a lot more dangerous than Oribe Peralta.
First decent goal scoring opportunity: A big swing into the box from a deep free kick (Wee Mac) and Boxall nodded it back across. Carlos Salcedo slid in front of Tommy Smith to put the ball out for a corner – which Durante headed over the crossbar – and strange things were happening… were the All Whites finally gonna score a goal?
The first time New Zealand threatened it felt like it also might be the last, we’re kinda conditioned that way these days. Yet these little chances kept on coming. Wood drew a fantastic save out of Talavera when he ended up with the ball in huge space after tangling with Carlos Salcedo. A few arms in the hustle and Salcedo went down, hurting himself as he landed. He stayed down and Wood was left free as play continued. It was one of those opportunities that seemed too good to be true and given the injured player it maybe made for some moral justice that the keeper was able to get a hand on it.
(Salcedo actually dislocated his shoulder in the fall and he’s out for the tourney now, guts bro).
But the reprieve for Mexico didn’t do a lot to appease their manager. Osorio was absolutely bloody livid at the fact that the game had carried on with an injured player in a key position and while it’s hard to tell from the telly if he was lighting up the fourth official or if he was lighting up Anthony Hudson, it made for a brilliant moment of NSFW television.
Man… that dude could make Samuel L. Jackson blush with a mouth like that. What a thing to witness on TV so early in the morning. (On closer inspection it appears to be directed at All Whites assistant coach Alex Armstrong - hence the bald head thing - who happens to be shushing him).
Anyway, the half resumed after Salcedo (one of the three remaining players from the Portugal XI) had been subbed off for Hector Moreno. Mexico kept doing dumb things and New Zealand did what they could to take advantage of that. On one occasion they even scored a goal.
Woah, Woody. Tucking that one away nicely and giving the All Whites their first goal of the tour. Finally. A 20th international goal on his 51st cap. Gotta say the attempted clearance there from Nestor Araujo was a flippin’ calamity. He kicks it right to Clayton Lewis and with a staggered defence Wood was able to steal into some room to shoot. Attacking the ball at an angle… bingo. Unsurprisingly, Araujo was hooked at the break.
The other thing about Clayton Lewis was that he continually tried to play the ball through the middle. He actually looked to break the Mexican defensive line, rather than instinctively lobbing it up over them. The goal was a great example of that, getting the ball with some luck and slipping it first time between two defenders and into Woody’s path. That wasn’t the only one though, he attempted a bunch of those and they were the catalyst for most of NZ’s best moves (that and quick turnovers in the midfield).
And with that New Zealand went into the sheds with a 1-0 lead.
THE SECOND 45
Mexico’s 3-4-3 formation, matching the All Whites’ back three (as literally everyone has lately), was leaving them all sorts of exposed at the back and their own sloppiness wasn’t helping. But then, what, they were just gonna keep on banging their head against the wall until New Zealand claimed a famous victory?
No, of course they were going to change things up. On came Hector Herrera, the midfield maestro for Porto, who immediately brought an increase in class to that midfield. Not only that but the rest of them had been subjected to whatever further foul words Mr Osorio might have been in the mood to unleash at half-time. It was suddenly a very different match.
Glimpses of what would happen to Dane Ingham had been there in the first 45 but nothing that quite compared to what followed once the intensity was ramped up. Mexico brought the heat, they had a humiliating defeat to avoid and if the All Whites needed Mexico off their game to do what they did in the first half then they were pretty powerless against a hugely improved Mexican team in the second.
Ingham was the unlucky weak link. Javier Aquino would be voted man of the match for what he did to the young lad. It wasn’t easy to watch. He was simply too fast, too skilful, too much better than what Ingham’s been used to so far in his career. Ingham brings a lot to the team getting forward but the All Whites were clinging to a 1-0 lead and his inexperience at the back was a gigantic problem.
A great reaction save from Mari denied Aquino soon after the resumption before Giovani dos Santos smashed one over the bar which left him struggling for excuses. Gotta get that on target. It didn’t matter, the game was now firmly in Mexico’s control and previously assured dudes like McGlinchey and Boxall were struggling to even clear the ball convincingly.
While we’re on the topic of defence, Tommy Smith deserves huge credit for this performance. After looking more than scratchy so far this was easily the best he’s played for New Zealand since Hudson took over. Definitely since his return into the squad. There was no hesitation in his game, he saw the ball and he won the ball. Strong in the challenge both on the ground and in the air and his distribution was so much better. Andy Durante also had a much better game, Mike Boxall was mostly good but had a couple moments. Really it was only on the wings that they got destroyed and both goals came from the left side of defence.
Yeah, poor lil Dane. 'Megged 40 yards out and then burned for pace. Once Aquino squares the ball the scramble defence is pretty good from the All Whites but Peralta’s shot on the turn was a rocket. A slight touch on it but no chance for Marinovic, how he’s able to get the power and accuracy that he did when he picked the ball up with his back to goal is crazy.
Hudson made a move to help Ingham, he brought on Bill Tuiloma for Clayton Lewis. Harsh to take Lewis off who’d been so good but he was the left sided midfielder, pretty much. McGlinchey arguably shoulda been the one to sit, whatever. Presumably the idea was that Tui’s defensive presence would help protect Ingham… except he kept playing too far forward and before Aquino cut inside, outside, upside and downside of Ingham for the second goal, this was how that move started:
That’s Billy right there, just poking his face into the shot. Should Hudson have subbed Ingham off for Colvey or Roux? Probably. But we also don’t know that they would’ve done any better.
Instead Huddo threw on Kosta Barbarouses and Monty Patterson while Mexico made their final sub and it was the legend that is Rafa Marquez who entered – a man more than 20 years older than Dane Ingham. Marquez became the second oldest ever player at a Confederations Cup and Ingham the second youngest ever (a small bit older than Chris Wood was in 2009). Marquez replaced Moreno, who had been subbed on, always a funny one that.
New Zealand pushed for an equaliser and Mexico were unlucky/wasteful not to score a third on the counter. Ryan Thomas ripped one off the crossbar which might have even qualified for the Raf de Gregorio level of legendary moments. But it rocked out and away and we weren’t gonna be that lucky. Still a shocker that Thommo can hit a football so hard when he’s built like a baby deer, love it!
Should Chris Wood have scored another? Eh, maybe. He reckons he should’ve had a hatty. Thing is, Woody’s never been the most clinical striker – he’ll score the goals if you give him enough chances - people saying this is why he’s only a Championship striker and not a Premier League one are missing that point. Like, sure the Premier League is a better standard but Wood’s the striker that we have, if you can find a dude at a higher level scoring more goals then by all means chuck him in. Also, there’s a long list of players lately who’ve scored buckets of goals at Champo level and have been able to translate that into Prem scoring too. Jamie Vardy, Charlie Austin, Andre Gray, Callum Wilson, Troy Deeney… all of the top of the noggin’.
There were about three or four very tasty chances that Wood had and he only buried the one. At least he buried that one though. Mexico had 22 shots for two goals, we had 10 for one. Pretty much even ratios. If Wood’d had a day and put two or three away… well that’s what it would’ve taken to get the result here. But you can’t expect that of him just because he’s a striker, people always hold strikers accountable for everyone else. Also, Woody scored 30 goals from 44 shots on target last season. He’s pretty clinical.
Nah, the reason the All Whites ended up losing was they couldn’t withstand what Mexico did once they finally got it going. Had Mexico played like that all game, had they picked a stronger team, that coudla been the whole torturous ninety. Don’t get greedy, y’all. This is still a national team on the rise.
Osorio: “After the half-time team talk, we came out in the second half and played a faster game with our wide men. We also switched to a lone striker, with the other forward – Oribe Peralta – at the tip of the diamond. Hector Herrera had a big impact on the game when he came on. He created passing angles and he helped us a lot, just as he did against Portugal. That was one of the key factors and I think we totally outclassed our opponents in the second half.”
Can’t argue with any of that.
I can, however, argue with the dumb situation that the game delved into in stoppage time where the clock almost reached triple figures (raise yo’ bat) because we had to spend multiple minutes watching video replays of The Big Scrap to determine that a yellow card or three were to be handed out. Like, come on. Leave it all be and get on with the game – it wasn’t exactly a match-winning penalty call, was it?
Mike Boxall got ripped down on the break, he then dove into an ugly tackle (very lucky not to have really connected or he'd be looong gone) and Ryan Thomas and Hector Herrera looked like they were about to get all Mayweather-McGregor on it… which got the other twenty players (or something close) all rushing in. Fists were cocked, violent words were spilled… but nothing happened. Not really. The yellows were understandable but I’m not of the opinion that reds were graciously spared or anything. Won’t argue with those that are, just sayin’ is all.
A deserved defeat but a valiant one too. Mexico’s dominant half was a lot better than our dominant half but Hudson is right to be proud of his players for this. The fighting spirit was there, they worked hard and even pressed a little. Chris Wood scored a goal and we were winning at half-time. Clayton Lewis and Tommy Smith played really well. Some debate over the subs but it’s never gonna be perfect now is it?
Best of all there was almost a massive fight and their manager called one of our assistants a naughty word. What a wondrous game of football.
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