Bill Tuiloma celebrates scoring New Zealand's first goal in the Oceania qualifying final against Solomon Islands. Photosport
Bill Tuiloma celebrates scoring New Zealand's first goal in the Oceania qualifying final against Solomon Islands. Photosport
OPINION:
For the celebrated 1982 All Whites, the Fifa World Cup draw on Saturday would have brought back some wonderful memories.
Forty years on from their legendary journey, if New Zealand qualify for the World Cup they will be placed in an impossibly difficult but beautiful group.
If the AllWhites beat Costa Rica in a one-off playoff in June to gain the ticket to Doha, an adventure awaits, with Spain, Germany and Japan drawn out of the hat in Group E.
It is one of the hardest pools in tournament history for a team outside the traditional elite.
2010 champions Spain (world No 7) have been rejuvenated by a cohort of Barcelona talents and will be one of the favourites in Qatar, given their form at the 2021 European championships and Nations League finals.
Pablo Sarabia of Spain celebrates after scoring his team's fifth goal during an international friendly against Iceland. Photo / Getty
Japan (world No 23) are also a formidable prospect – just ask Australia. The Socceroos haven't beaten Japan in their last nine encounters, dating back to 2011.
The Samurai Blue have decent pedigree, reaching the knockout phase in 2002, 2010 and 2018 and they were minutes away from eliminating Belgium in Russia.
So Danny Hay's team (world No 101), if they reach Qatar, they won't just be underdogs, they will be huge outsiders.
The scenario will bring back memories for John Adshead and his group.
In 1982 they faced an outstanding Scotland team – with Kenny Daglish, Graeme Souness, Gordon Strachan and John Wark at their peak – and the Soviet Union, with legends like Rinat Dasayev, Sergei Baltacha and Oleg Blokhin.
To top it off, they lined up against Brazil, with Zico, Socrates, Falcao and Junior, a team still regarded as the greatest team never to win a World Cup.
Hay's fully professional squad are better equipped to take on the challenge, should it come to pass, and they can also take some inspiration from Costa Rica's effort in 2014.
The Central American team were drawn with three heavyweights in Brazil, facing Uruguay (then world No 6), Italy (9) and England (13). But Los Ticos, then ranked 31st, stunned Uruguay (3-1) and Italy (1-0), then drew with England (0-0) to emerge as group winners.
The All Whites would have nothing to lose, with expectations bound to be lower than in 2010, given the group.
The scenario would also be a rare opportunity for New Zealand.
While Japan have been semi-regular opposition over the decades (six games since 1981), the All Whites have only faced Spain and Germany once.
A brilliant Spanish team, featuring Fernando Torres, Xavi and Cesc Fabregas destroyed New Zealand at the 2009 Confederations Cup (5-0), while Michael Ballack was among the scorers in Germany's 2-0 win at the 1999 Fifa Confederations Cup in Mexico.
It would be a chance for the All Whites players to be in the shop window and this crop will relish the challenge.
