Soccer: All Whites victory reverberates around the globe

The All Whites celebrate Rory Fallon's winning goal. Photo / Getty Images

News of the All Whites' shock qualification for next year's World Cup Finals reverberated around the globe today while Bahrain fans let rip after their side fell at the final hurdle yet again.

New Zealand defeated Bahrain 1-0 in Wellington last night to secure just their second trip to the finals and first in 27 years.

Striker Rory Fallon put the All Whites in front with a first-half header and goalkeeper Mark Paston preserved the lead in the second, pulling off a remarkable save from a Bahrain penalty.

"Fallon, a journeyman Plymouth striker who has never even kicked a ball in the Premier League, became the hero of New Zealand yesterday when he headed them into the World Cup finals," said Britain's Times Online.

"Now the 27-year-old son of Kevin Fallon, assistant coach in New Zealand's only other World Cup finals campaign in Spain 1982, can look forward to showing what he can do on the game's biggest stage."

Images of Fallon celebrating his goal were draped across websites around the world, including CNN where it ran as the leading picture on their sports page, while a BBC forum had generated more than 180 comments on the All Whites' historic victory.

Most of the comments were congratulatory, with one punter outlining his dream draw.

""Lets hope we get a group now of Australia, England, South Africa and New Zealand. Wouldn't that make things interesting," said Eothain.

But others weren't so welcoming.

"NZ are a terrible team, boring to watch, a team full of unskilful players, each of the three world cup games they play in will be devaluing the competition slightly," said yetimagic.

"I'd rather have an extra European or South American team then an Australasian team who will add nothing to the competition."

One place where they weren't celebrating was Bahrain, with the tiny Arab nation ruing yet another qualifying disaster.

"It was supposed to be the dawn of a new era but it turned out to be darkness at noon yesterday for Bahrain," said Vijay Mruthyunjaya in
the Gulf Daily News.

"The team on view was hardly recognisable, the defenders repeatedly fumbled, the midfielders made basic errors and the forwards seemed to have left their shooting boots back home at the National Stadium in Riffa which is about 15,000km from [Wellington] and around 10 hours behind.

"And that attempt from the penalty spot was a national shame."

Bahrain, aiming to become the smallest nation to qualify for a World Cup, fell at the same stage by the same scoreline four years ago at home against Trinidad and Tobago.

But despite the similar scorelines, Mruthyunjaya said last night's match was never close.

"Bahrain did not come agonisingly close this time around. They missed the plane by 'no show'."

The mood of the country was perhaps best summed up by Bahrain fan Abdul Aziz Bu Gais, who slammed the performance in an article in the Gulf News.

"That was pathetic. Really pathetic. We missed an appointment with history," he said.

"Not only did they miss a penalty and plenty of scoring opportunities, but also lacked the fighting spirit that would have made the difference."

- NZ HERALD STAFF