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2004 Australia Cup
The Australia Cup - It's Not Always About Results
by Jeremy Ruane
If results are all one measures a team by, then in the eyes of many casual observers, the New Zealand women's soccer team's latest venture, to the Australia Cup in Brisbane in February, can most kindly be described as hugely disappointing.

A 2-0 defeat by old rivals Australia was followed up with a 3-0 loss at the hands of a youthful Chinese combination. Then came the hammer blow - a record 11-0 defeat administered by North Korea, in the one hundredth women's soccer international played by New Zealand to boot.

That last result was particularly painful, coming as it did on such a historic occasion for the women's game in this country. It was a painful experience, too, for what is very much a new-look national team.

Ten of the eighteen players (average age 22) who gathered in Brisbane are brand-new to top-level international women's soccer - the remaining octet boasted just 62 caps between them, with over a quarter of that tally having been amassed by one player.

Compare that with the playing experiences of their rivals, all of whom contested last year's Women's World Cup Finals. Australia, for instance, sported players with 273 international appearances collectively.

North Korea had four players who had appeared at least one hundred times for their country in their squad, and their twenty players had a combined tally of 1022 caps between them … it just doesn't compare with 62 caps, eh?

China sent an Under-20 team - the republic's governors are very conscious of the need to perform in both 2007 and 2008, when they host both the Women's World Cup Finals and the Olympics.

But even though they boasted seven fewer full caps than New Zealand, more members of their squad have already savoured top-level international action. These youngsters also enjoy regular opportunities to impress through the intensity of the Chinese Women's Super League, one of the world's few professional women's competitions.

Hence the heading, “It's not always about results”.

This statement takes on further relevance, given the infrequency with which New Zealand has graced the international stage in recent years - just nine full internationals since the 1998 Oceania Women's World Cup qualifiers to the start of this tournament - and following a spate of recent retirements, with a number (but not all) of New Zealand women's soccer's greatest servants over the past decade and more having come to the end of their playing careers.

Consequently, gaining international experience ranks at the top of the current priorities, and a resulting period of short-term pain is only to be expected - the need to rebuild the national women's team, as they set out on a path which has proving to be a competitive proposition at China 2007 as its ultimate objective, is paramount.

Playing quality international opposition is the only true means of finding out if those selected are capable of rising to the challenge.

Early in 2000, the Auckland women's invitation team embarked on a six-match tour of South America, which included matches against the national sides of Paraguay (two wins) and 2003 Women's World Cup finalists Argentina (against whom the “A Team” earned a highly creditable 1-1 draw).

Four years on, five of that squad are among the pool of thirty players New Zealand Soccer has initially identified as having the potential to perform up to the desired standards on the world stage in three years' time.

The national body is effectively looking to repeat Auckland's exercise at national level, providing the cream of the country's women's soccer talent with opportunities to extend themselves against world-class opponents, and on a far more frequent basis than has been the case in recent years to boot.

So why the controversial decision not to enter the 2004 Oceania Women's Olympic qualifying tournament? It offered international match-play, certainly - but of what quality? Would all three games have been of sufficient standard to challenge the players?

Our girls, experience irregardless, should beat Fiji, Papua New Guinea and all the other island nations with ease, as should Australia. Our problem is overcoming our West Island neighbours, a feat last achieved in May, 1994, some ten trans-tasman clashes ago.

We know how to beat them, we know the tactics to employ to do so, and I can guarantee the players have both the desire and the right mental approach to overcome our nemesis.

What they most lack at present is the mental strength necessary to tackle Australia with the same degree of self-confidence which our fiercest rivals take onto the field whenever they play New Zealand, or anybody, for that matter.

The prime source of that strength is a regular diet of international match-play, against quality opposition. Playing the Fijis and Papua New Guineas of this world simply doesn't compare with taking on the likes of China and North Korea, ranked fifth and seventh in the world respectively. Australia take on the latter pair, and others of like ilk, with great frequency. Currently, we do not.

The eleventh hour opportunity to play in the Australia Cup, as a late replacement for Sweden, landed in NZS's lap at short notice. Its timing would suggest it was a replacement for the Olympic qualifiers, but the reality is it was an earlier than anticipated chance for the national body to kick-start their quest for China 2007.

That this is so can be confirmed by the players - the competition wasn't mentioned at their January academies, when they were told of the Olympics decision, and the eighteen-strong squad was announced just two weeks out from the opening game of the tournament, a week after the pool of thirty players had been named.

It meant a few cases of taking leave from work at short notice, and, in one instance, choosing between work and football - naturally, that which is much more important than a matter of life and death prevailed!!

I headed to Brisbane fully anticipating three defeats for our inexperienced squad. I would have been highly delighted with a draw or better, but realistically, restricting our more experienced opponents to wins by a couple of goals at most would, to me, rank as a huge achievement for a very raw team.

So in spite of the scorelines against both Australia and China, I was well pleased with what I saw from the new-look New Zealand women's combination, particularly as they were playing in conditions decidedly foreign to them. The temperatures for both matches were scorching hot - such was the ferocity of the heat in Brisbane that water breaks were necessary throughout the China encounter.

In both matches, they kept the opposition scoreless in the second spell, and, particularly against China, had chances to score themselves - weeks on, I still feel the girls' efforts in that match fully merited a goal, and that they were the more constructive side on the park.

That game was followed by the Australia v. North Korea encounter, which was abandoned at half-time thanks to a spectacular electrical storm which, while briefly knocking out the stadium lighting, came at the end of a day which had seen the highest temperature in Brisbane's history recorded - 41.7 Celsius.

It meant that when New Zealand played their final game against North Korea forty-eight hours later, the tournament's most experienced team - and easily the best side on show - was as fresh as a daisy compared to their youthful injury-hit rivals, and did they make that freshness count!!

It would not at all surprise me to see North Korea among the medals at Athens in August - they are an extremely impressive team, whose mobility, vibrancy and swiftness of passing left the Kiwi youngsters chasing shadows for much of the game.

In all honesty, the girls did well to contain their Korean counterparts to eleven goals - to a woman, they gave everything they had and then some, but that was never going to be suffice to contain the 2004 Australia Cup winners.

That said, things might have been different if we'd been able to put all eighteen squad members on the park at the same time!! Some would suggest the employment of a sweeper on a one-off basis for games against such mobile opposition would have been of assistance, too, rather than adhere to the 4-4-2 system which has been the standard formation of the national women's team for many a year.

In normal circumstances, I would fully endorse the sweeper theory, but will refrain from doing so on this occasion. Why? There should be numerous opportunities to introduce nuances such as sweeper systems between now and Women's World Cup qualifying time, when the recording of favourable results will be paramount.

But, as stated earlier, gaining experience at this level is what matters at present, and among the squad, there were a few players employed in defensive positions which are considered to be the roles best suited to them long-term, but with which they are not yet familiar.

So in the absence of someone like the experienced Terry McCahill - a surprise omission without question, but with New Zealand's long-term (China 2007) strategy in mind, not so - the onus was on those present to take up the challenge, and despite what the scoreline suggests, numerous players did.

It was the girls' misfortune to come up against a side as ruthless as North Korea proved to be in exposing their defensive naivety and all-round inexperience.

I'm confident they'll emerge all the stronger for this defeat, both individually and collectively - their deeds over the course of the tournament merited a far less emphatic result than that on which they concluded their time in Brisbane, one which understandably led to a few tears being shed by a tight-knit group of players who did their best, but found that to be some way below the level of the Asian champions.

As for the final score … you don't need me to tell you how the entire nation, never mind the soccer fraternity, would react to such a result being inflicted on a New Zealand sports team at the Olympic Games.

Such fonts of women's soccer knowledge and expertise as Murray Deaker, Martin “Mr ManUre” Devlin, Brendan Telfer and Paul Holmes would be holding court as imperiously as ever … yes, a frightening prospect, I'm sure you'll agree!!

In hindsight, perhaps it's just as well NZS came to the decision they did re the Athens non-entry, controversial though it will always be regarded by a nation which, due to past glories, will forever look to uphold its Olympic traditions, code irregardless.

Tackling what was an incredibly steep learning curve was the prime objective of this venture for the squad, and the manner in which they did so was
most impressive. Having witnessed a typical training session at first hand, I know full well how hard the girls worked - they certainly weren't in Brisbane for a holiday, although a couple of sightseeing trips were thrown in to ensure that Jill would not be a dull girl courtesy a diet of all work and no play!!

In particular, the players relished the opportunity to fully employ the sports science practices which were initially introduced as part of the 1998 Women's World Cup qualifying campaign, but which, until now, have generally played a largely peripheral role in the history of the New Zealand women's team. Given the climatic extremes in Brisbane, these proved extremely beneficial.

On the park, there were a number of impressive performers, none more so than Maia Jackman. One of a handful of players gracing the pitch in a position new to her, she took to it like a duck to water - you would never have known her last game in a defensive role took place nearly four years ago, when she kept Mia Hamm scoreless as the USA downed the SWANZ 5-0 at the Pacific Cup.

Against Australia, she produced a massive individual display, one which NZS Director of Football, Paul Smalley, unhesitatingly described as “the best performance I've seen by an international in that position”.

And despite injuries forcing her premature departure from both the China and North Korea encounters, “Maia-mi Vice” - the vice-captain of the squad, hence … - still performed courageously, her determination and willingness to play through the pain barrier for the cause in both these matches setting a fine example from which her less experienced colleagues all took heart.

The most-capped player in the squad wasn't alone in turning in eye-catching performances, however. Amber Hearn had a solid tournament, and produced a vintage display against China, very reminiscent of the legendary Amanda Crawford.

Hayley Moorwood competently fulfilled the duties of all four midfield roles throughout the tournament in typically clinical yet classical style, while goalkeepers Jenny Bindon and Rachel Howard both produced far more fine saves than faux pas, although both will learn from a couple of the goals they conceded.

Zarnia Cogle proved herself a fine stop-gap defender when called upon - her versatility is a tremendous asset, because after starting as a striker against North Korea, she dropped back to midfield, and ended the game in the penultimate line of defence.

Another player new to defending, Brooke Rangi, made a strong fist of the job - she had a tournament to remember, as did Rebecca Simpson. Both players excelled against China, with “Simo”'s sterling efforts epitomising those of the entire team against North Korea - they were just too sharp, too fast, too experienced and too good for the Kiwis!

These matches marked Simone Ferrara's return to action following shoulder surgery, although you wouldn't have known it from her typically all-action performances.

Priscilla Duncan matched her stride for stride, but found, in Australian referee Jacqui Melksham, someone who doesn't take kindly to uncompromising tackles, thus had to sit out the North Korea match. (As an aside, pray tell why the same referee was in charge of consecutive New Zealand fixtures, when two others were available?)

She was one of two players who deserved better fortune from this tournament. The other was the captain, Rebecca Smith, who was forced off at half-time in the Australia match after straining her hamstring when pulling off a fabulous come-from-nowhere goal-line clearance.

It put her out of contention for the China clash, and she managed just over an hour against North Korea, succumbing to her injury soon after a cross cannoned off her straight into the net - it was that sort of tournament for someone who generally oozes character and positivity in the face of adversity. She'll bounce back all the stronger from this.

I put her misfortune down to the curse of the Kiwi captain's armband, to be honest!! As well as Smith's setbacks, Jackman went off injured against China while captaining the team in that match, and then there was the case of OlyWhites skipper Steven Old picking up an injury in the Olympic qualifying tournament in January … spooky, eh?

New caps Sarah Gibbs, Pip Meo and Naomi Clarke, along with Meisha Pyke, all battled hard for little reward, while fellow debutants Rebecca Sowden, Zoe Thompson and Sara Clapham each showed their class when the chances presented themselves - the more game time Sowden and Thompson, in particular, enjoyed, the more they clearly relished the challenge.

The same can be said of the coaching staff, with Fred Simpson, Ali Grant and goalkeeping coach Mick Leonard putting the players through their paces with the assistance of John Lythe's sports science data.

Simpson was well pleased with his charges' efforts, and the head coach's opinion of them is a fitting note on which to conclude this review of a tournament which was an overall rewarding starting point with regards the need to develop a group of New Zealand women's soccer players capable of competing long-term on the world stage.

“In the thirty-plus years I've been involved in football in New Zealand, I've never been involved with a group of players as diligent as this squad. They've been superb”.