Soccer: Fallon eager for All Whites to rewrite history

Rory Fallon is likely be pivotal against Bahrain. Photo / Kenny Rodger

A few days short of 28 years ago, Kevin Fallon sat sideline at the National Stadium in Riyadh. Little did he know at the time but he was just 180 minutes away from fulfilling the dream of going to a World Cup.

Not that he dared even think that way. The All Whites side he assisted John Adshead in coaching needed to beat Saudi Arabia 5-0 to force a play-off with China to keep the dream alive. Fallon would have none of that.

In recalling his feelings later, Fallon said: "I thought we could win the game but when John was talking about five goals I thought he was dreaming. I've never wanted to be a dreamer because I left Roy of the Rovers and that sort of stuff behind years ago."

Ninety minutes later the dream lived on as the All Whites, led by two goals each from Brian Turner and Wynton Rufer, had won 5-0.

Now, with Turner in the same assistant coaching role Fallon had filled in 1981 and with Fallon's interest centred on younger son Rory, who takes a Rufer-like role in the current national side, the All Whites are again 180 minutes from World Cup glory.

Ironically, the first leg of this winner-takes-all showdown with Bahrain next Saturday takes place a little over 400km from the Saudi Arabian capital at the national stadium in Manama.

Turner and Fallon would like nothing more than to see coach Ricki Herbert and captain Ryan Nelsen steer this side back to soccer's biggest stage. It would, they agree, be the chance to finally move on from what has remained the game's biggest talking point for almost three decades.

"You can feel the expectation and pressure," said Turner yesterday. "The first 25 or 30 minutes will be like World War III. We are going to have to be smart. It won't be easy but we never expected it would be."

Fallon is right behind Herbert and the team. "I would love them to win. If they can come back to a packed stadium in Wellington after a draw or even a one-goal loss up there it would be brilliant," said Fallon. "Sometimes history can provide the spark you need and when we were in a similar situation all those years ago, things worked out.

"It is the World Cup and of course I would love them to win and qualify. Absolutely."

If his son plays a part all the better.

Fallon, not required by his Plymouth Argyle side since his return from his debut international against Jordan last month, returned to the side for the midweek away-game against Peterborough. He set up the first goal and scored the second in a 2-1 win - their first of the season.

While Kevin Fallon would not be drawn on how he thought Herbert will use his son against Bahrain, there is plenty to suggest he should again start and provide the target for goal-scoring dynamo Shane Smeltz.

A genuine target-man with his aerial ability - in much the same mould as Fred de Jong - Fallon would probably be more effective in being involved from the start leaving Chris Killen, who has been playing, and scoring, in recent games for Scottish giants Celtic, to play off the bench.

This, and plenty of other conundrums face Herbert and Turner before they settle on their strategy aimed at finding a much-needed talking point for a sport desperate for recognition on the international stage.