Fifa World Cup: All Whites’ brilliance at tournament undone by inability to finish the job
By Michael Burgess in Vancouver
To lose a lead once at a Fifa World Cup is unfortunate.
To lose a lead twice is painful.
To lose a lead three times is the kind of thing that could hurt for years – and might never truly pass.
That is, at the moment, one of the most striking aspects of the All Whites’ campaign here in North America. On one level, the team have made giant strides on this stage, with sumptuous play that has excited the nation and turned heads around the football world. There was skill, endeavour, grit and creativity. Up 1-0 against Iran. 2-1 up in the same game, with less than 30 minutes to play. Ahead 1-0 versus Egypt, almost 15 minutes into the second half.
On another level, the inability to close out a match – and defend their hard-won advantage – has been a critical factor.
It’s partly a symptom of their tactical inflexibility; this team have a style and a formation they have evolved over several years and they don’t often change. They back themselves to play their own game and are less focused on the opposition that some previous All Whites squads.
That’s admirable and it has worked, to a degree. But there are times when you need to be pragmatic. Like Cape Verde, who defended for their lives against Spain and Uruguay to get two surprise draws. It wasn’t necessarily how the African team wanted to play – with long periods with everyone behind the ball – but, sometimes, the result is all that matters.
At their best, with time and space, this All Whites team is like a high-performance sports car. Slick moves, precision passing and great patterns, the likes of which we have never seen before from a New Zealand team. But when the road gets bumpy, when the storm comes, sometimes you need the Toyota Corolla; reliable, steady and unlikely to break down.
Finding that balance has been elusive. When the team regained the lead against Iran – after surely the best team goal ever scored by the All Whites at this level – that was their moment. There had to be a change of approach, an awareness of the precarious situation to hang on to their advantage, but they remained relatively open, before space was created on the right and then the fateful – and perfect – cross was delivered on to the head of Mohammad Mohebi.
The coaching staff also incur responsibility. Where was the plan to protect the lead? What about someone like Tyler Bindon – who is playing at the highest level among central defenders here – who could have been brought on to switch to five at the back and add another level of security. Or Alex Rufer to stiffen the midfield cover, with an attacker sacrificed. Or the likes of Jesse Randall brought on earlier, given his pace would provide a pressure relieving outlet.
It’s easy in hindsight but locking down a match once ahead is a key component of World Cup success. It was always going to be difficult against Egypt, given their range of attacking weapons, though introducing second-half substitutes earlier could have made a difference. But the Iran game was the moment.
It means the All Whites are left in a situation no one wanted – needing a win against world No 10 Belgium on Friday night (Saturday NZT). It’s not impossible – given the Red Devils have been far from convincing – but is an extremely tall order and would be the biggest upset in New Zealand football history if it happens.
Without a win, it means the All Whites face the prospect of being eliminated from the tournament by the weekend. Given the highs that this team have provided in North America, that would be hard to stomach for everyone involved and would feel like a significant missed opportunity, as they appealed as a group that could make their mark beyond the first stage.
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.
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