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2000 Pacific Cup Review
“WE NEED MORE INTERNATIONALS!!”
by Jeremy Ruane
A familiar catch-cry of New Zealand’s soccer fraternity over the years has been “We need more internationals!!”
It’s a cry which still rings true, particularly so for one of our national teams, for whom the recent Pacific Cup tournament in Australia represented their first opportunity to kick a ball in anger for almost twenty months.
Prior to this event, the last time the SWANZ were seen in action was against Australia in Auckland on October 17, 1998, in the final of the Oceania Qualifying Tournament for the 1999 Women’s World Cup Finals.
Since, nothing - an indictment of those responsible for running the women’s side of the game at national level, one of the primary tasks of which should surely be ensuring that our premier players are given regular exposure on the international stage, in order to improve both the playing standards of the game here, and our standing in the world’s fastest-growing women’s sport.
It’s all well and good the powers that be appointing a new national coach in the meantime, but how can Doug Moore be expected to do justice to the position if there’s no programme in place for him to work with upon his appointment, aside from the prime objective of his job description - get us to the 2003 Women’s World Cup Finals?
It’s akin to employing a bricklayer, telling him to get on with the job, but neglecting to provide him with the necessary tools of the trade, i.e. bricks and mortar!
It should not surprise, therefore, to learn that New Zealand’s involvement in the inaugural Pacific Cup tournament came about initially by chance.
The idea of having such a tournament in the Pacific region was germinated in March 1999 in Portugal, where Australia, China and the USA were competing in the Algarve Cup, the biggest women’s soccer tournament outside both the Women’s World Cup and the Olympic Games.
Their delegates determined that our region required such a tournament, and duly went about establishing one, inviting fellow 1999 Women’s World Cup finalists Canada and Japan to become fellow core countries in the new event, which will be contested bi-annually.
New Zealand got wind of the fledgling competition, and Mr Moore and the Women’s Soccer Association of New Zealand’s Executive Officer, Lesley Boomer, presented New Zealand’s case for inclusion at a planning meeting of the core countries in the USA, as a result of which we were invited to participate in the inaugural event.
Ultimately, their inexperience on the international stage saw the SWANZ returning home having lost all five games played in the tournament. But that’s not to say they weren’t competitive - anything but!
If their displays are analysed on a half by half basis, the SWANZ did themselves proud in eight of the ten forty-five minute periods - not bad going for the only non-USA ’99 contender at this tournament.
Only in the first half against the reigning World and Olympic champions, the USA - when they were somewhat awestruck, and in a ten-minute spell in the first half against Australia - when defensive deficiencies were ruthlessly exposed, did the SWANZ fail to do justice to the white jersey.
Otherwise, they won themselves many friends, and, against Canada and Japan, came desperately close to winning a couple of matches.
Heartbreakingly so, in fact.
Canada were first up, at the AIS Athletics Arena in Canberra, and after absorbing plenty of first half pressure, the SWANZ turned round and piled it on with interest, this coming in the shape of an Amanda Crawford goal early in the second spell.
The SWANZ held their own until an injury to Rachel Oliver eight minutes from time forced a substitution. As the Kiwis adjusted to the change, the Canadians took full advantage of their confusion to equalise, then
score the winner through highly promising sixteen-year-old striker Christine Sinclair with virtually the last kick of the game, four minutes into stoppage time.
Canada, under the guidance of former Norwegian Women’s World Cup-winning coach Even Pellerud, ultimately finished third in the tournament, scoring the upset of the competition when beating China 5-3 on penalties, after holding the world’s number two-ranked nation to a 2-2 draw.
Next up for the SWANZ was Japan at the Sydney Football Stadium, and if you thought our girls came close against Canada ...
To say the points-scoring rules of this round-robin tournament were a little obscure is something of an understatement. If the scores were level at full-time, the golden goal rule applied, followed by penalties, the idea being to get a result, with no points for either side if the match was drawn at full-time.
That’s the reason why the SWANZ returned home without a point to their name, despite registering a 1-1 draw with Japan at the end of normal time. Crawford gave the SWANZ a first half lead, which the Japanese countered half-way through the second spell, before potting a speculative golden goal winner in the 106th minute to break the SWANZ hearts - they were gutted!
And who should be next on the agenda but
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the USA at Campbelltown Stadium, complete with the world’s most prolific goalscorer of either gender in international football in their starting line-up.
The order for t-shirts stating “I saw Mia Hamm score against New Zealand” remains shelved for the meantime, however, this being the third time she has played in matches between the two countries and failed to find the target - the other occasions were the USA’s 3-0 win over the SWANZ in 1993, and New Zealand’s 1-0 triumph in December 1987, back in the days when NZ was among the world’s top four women’s soccer-playing nations.
How times have changed, and had Hamm had her shooting boots on in this match, she would have emphasised the fact on her own - if you ever get the chance to see her in action, take it, as she is quite some player!
As it was, the USA amassed five goals, a couple of which were created by their influential number nine. Three of their tally came from a twenty-two-year-old striker who stands 5’11”, and is absolutely lethal in the penalty area, so much so that she bagged hat-tricks in successive games for her country, a feat managed by just one other player - Hamm herself.
Cindy Parlow already has forty goals to her name in 83 appearances for Team USA, and believe me, she is going to be something special throughout the coming decade, because she is nowhere near her peak as yet.
The SWANZ produced a better second half showing against the USA, restricting them to just two goals in that time. Indeed, they kept them scoreless for the last 34 minutes, which augured well for the next match, at the Hunter Athletics Centre in Newcastle against “Ye Olde Foe”!!
Our girls started well, and certainly had the better of the first twenty minutes, only to trail to an Australian goal by that time. The next ten minutes, however, are ten minutes the SWANZ, and their numerous supporters who crossed the Tasman to cheer them on at some stage during the tournament - Thanks! Your support was much appreciated - will not want to be reminded about in too much of a hurry.
The Matildas scored three goals in this time, Sharon Black completing her hat-trick as the host nation took full advantage of some inept SWANZ defensive efforts to record a 4-0 win.
Keeping their arch-rivals scoreless for the remaining sixty minutes was no consolation for our girls against a side Doug Moore labelled “clowns” at the after-match press conference - one of the best I’ve ever attended, simply for the reaction to this particular comment.
I’ve never seen so many Australians simultaneously struck dumb - you could have heard a pin drop! Doug‘s standing there straight-faced, I’ve broken into a massive grin, while all around us, some of the host nation’s finest footballing scribes are absolutely gob-smacked! Priceless!!
I digress for a moment. In an era dominated by political correctness and the perceived “need” to tow the party line, it’s tremendously refreshing to come across a coach who’s more than happy to call a spade a spade, and who doesn’t give a monkeys about what others think of his comments.
Such has been the impact of the “PC World” in our lives - and I don’t mean the computing publication! - that individuals of the ilk of Doug Moore and Kevin Fallon are far too often frowned upon for being frank and forthright. This seemingly ongoing desire to “decharacterise” society is, to me, a great shame.
On the subject of frankness, unlike the Australians, I don’t rate the Matildas, as a team, very highly. Make no mistake, they have some talented individuals - Alison Forman, Cheryl Salisbury, injured striker Julie Murray and promising young midfielder Kate McShea immediately spring to mind.
But while their infamous calendar does nothing for the credibility of women’s sport, it’s their direct style of play which does nothing for me, this despite its effectiveness against the superbly talented Chinese, who only overcame the Matildas on penalties.
The host nation’s foibles were ruthlessly exposed by Canada, however, and with a combination of a diet of regular match-play, the availability of our strongest possible line-up, and the application of Doug’s tactical nous, I firmly believe the SWANZ could achieve a similar result - the potential is certainly there to do so, at any rate.
Two US-based players, Duke University defender Rebecca Smith, and Fairfield University striker Abby Allan, were unavailable for this series due to injury, as was midfield general Michele Cox.
This trio should all be in contention for the SWANZ next assignment, whenever that may be, while the likes of goalkeeper Stephanie Puckrin, midfielder Rebecca Sowden and no-nonsense ball-winner Jennifer Carlisle are just three of the locally-based contenders looking to force their way into the frame.
So to the SWANZ final opponents, the technically superb Chinese. Whereas the USA employ the passing game to excellent effect, the Asian champions bamboozle opponents with their speed of both thought
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and movement - and they are blindingly good at each!!
In set-piece specialist Shui Qingxia, they have the nearest thing you’ll see on a football field to a human catapult! Her corners are more like guided missiles, hit with deadly accuracy and ferocious power - the SWANZ could hardly be blamed for conceding a hat-trick of own goals as a consequence.
China, despite the absence of injured striker Sun Wen - winner of the Golden Ball as Player of the Tournament at USA ‘99, scored three goals of their own to win 6-0 against the tiring SWANZ combination.
Yvonne Vale produced a string of fine saves to keep the score down, and more than likely earned herself a personal fan club in China in the process - every match in which China was involved at this tournament was shown live back in the People’s Republic.
The tournament, as a whole, was excellent value, the USA edging China and the vastly improved Canadians on goal difference to collect yet another piece of silverware, having claimed the Algarve Cup, the US Women’s Cup and the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup as well so far this year, to go with their Olympic and Women’s World Cup triumphs in 1996 and 1999 respectively.
China were on course to win the tournament, having defeated the USA 1-0 through a Sun Wen penalty five minutes from the end of a quite enthralling opening round match played in sub-zero temperatures at Bruce Stadium in Canberra.
Despite the elements, the quality and sheer pace of the football in this tactical tête-à-tête was breathtaking - an absolute delight for purists, if not for those less well versed in the finer attributes of the game, who came hoping to see an encounter of exhibition-like proportions.
But Ma Yuanan’s team came a cropper against Canada, in a remarkable match which saw the Canadians take a 2-0 lead before wilting under a tremendous Chinese onslaught which forced extra-time, then a penalty shoot-out which Canada won 5-3 ... all this despite two players, including Sun Wen, being stretchered off, and a fifteen minute pause in extra-time due to floodlight failure - it certainly wasn’t your common-or-garden international, that’s for sure!
This result opened the door for the USA, whose display in destroying Canada 9-1 earlier in the tournament was simply scintillating, and ultimately gave them the winning edge in the goal difference stakes.
Japan were disappointing, which didn’t help ease the pain for the SWANZ, whose efforts in the first two games of the tournament weren’t those of a side deserving of last place in a six-team competition - they merited better.
Individually, a number of players performed consistently well. Such was Yvonne Vale’s form in goal that Michelle Hodge only played one match - Lynn-Avon’s goalkeeper had an outstanding tournament, as did Melissa Ruscoe, as rock-like as ever in defence.
Rachel Oliver and Jill Corner impressed alongside “Fraggle“, as did debutant midfielder Tarah Cox, when called upon, while three starting line-up regulars all toiled tirelessly for the cause, namely goalscoring heroine Amanda Crawford, Maia Jackman, who performed as capably in defence as in attack, and US-educated Auckland debutant Simone Ferrara - perpetual motion personified, particularly against China.
Zarnia Cogle, newly appointed skipper Wendi Henderson, Terry McCahill, Marlies Oostdam, Jane Simpson and Nicky Smith each had their moments, the reigning Player and Players’ Player of the Year coming into her own later in the tournament, as she adjusted to her new role of captaincy.
And youngsters Vicki Ormond, Meisha Pyke and Alisse Robertson all enjoyed some game time, which will stand them in good stead for future internationals, in which they will hope to play a greater role. Of this trio, Ormond is already showing much potential at international level, much to the delight of her All White father, Duncan, no doubt.
All in all, however, what this tournament highlighted most for New Zealand was the need for more international match play at this level. Be they on home turf or overseas, it’s absolutely essential that the SWANZ take the field on a far more regular basis than has been the case in recent years.
Both cost-wise and geographically, it’s probably better for the SWANZ to play more games abroad than at home. But make no mistake, they must be given the opportunity to play on a regular basis - and if giving them match-play means trimming the budgets set aside for our other international teams, so be it.
That’s a remark which is bound to get me offside with a few people, some of whom probably still bristle at the thought of women embracing a sport which has traditionally been a male’s domain. Welcome to the era of political correctness, boys! Haven’t you heard that “the future of football is feminine”? (Oops! I‘m sorry, I mustn't be so forthright!!)
Keeping one national side in mothballs for twenty months is no good to any country with clearly stated ambitions of ensuring that said combination is among the sixteen nations contesting the finals of the 2003 Women’s World Cup.
These players deserve FAR better! They want - and need - more internationals. Isn’t it high time we put aside the penny-pinching practices of the past and put the players’ interests first?
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