New Zealand's Gianni Stensness, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Group F U20 World Cup match. Photo / AP
New Zealand's Gianni Stensness, right, celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Group F U20 World Cup match. Photo / AP
COMMENT:
Two thoughts came to mind as we watched New Zealand beat Norway 2-0 on Tuesday morning at the Under-20 World Cup.
First – can you imagine the scenes in Oslo right now?
Despair? Disbelief? Perhaps a bit of football related depression.
The Scandinavians don't often get to participate atage group World Cups, because it is almost impossible to navigate the minefield of European qualifying. The young Norwegians beat Germany, yes Germany, on the way this time, then came back from a 4-2 deficit to beat Scotland 5-4, scoring the decisive goal with a 92nd minute penalty. And that was just to make the final round of qualifying, where they eventually disposed of defending World Under-20 champions England to claim the sixth and final European berth at this World Cup, with traditional power houses such as Germany, Spain, Holland, Belgium and Croatia missing out.
New Zealand's Gianni Stensness celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Group F U20 World Cup soccer match. Photo / AP
So hopes would have been high ahead of this World Cup, especially about taking on a team from the land of the long white cloud, mostly famous among Norwegians as a country that also has fiords and renowned trekking. Remember Norway has two divisions of professional football (32 teams in total), a smattering of players around Europe and the top man at Manchester United.
All of the players in their under-20 team are based at professional clubs, with two in the youth systems of English Premier clubs, one in Austria and the rest in Norway.
In contrast, six of New Zealand's squad are drawn from amateur clubs in this country, with another two based at Universities in the United States.
So those in Norway would have been sipping their Ringnes and Aass in disbelief in Oslo, Bergen, Trondheim and all around, as they watched their U20-landslaget dismantled by the men in black. It was an edgy affair throughout, but New Zealand always looked more likely and the final scoreline was a fair reflection of their superiority in the attacking third.
The second thought from Tuesday's game? This team is easily the best male age group outfit this country has produced, given the panache, precision and poise they have displayed on the big stage.
The under-17 teams in 2011 and 2015 impressed in reaching the second round of their respective tournaments, and both had noteworthy victories, but nothing like this. And the last two editions of the Junior All Whites had their moments, but neither managed a victory over an European side, nor had the mix of defensive solidity and attacking prowess.
New Zealand's Gianni Stensness, right, celebrate with his teammates after scoring the opening goal during the Group F U20 World Cup match. Photo / AP
Coach Des Buckingham and assistant Hiroshi Miyazawa have developed the ideal blend. A game plan that makes the most of the attacking talents of Sarpreet Singh, Elijah Just and Callum McCowatt, while also maintaining a strong defensive framework, which has seen New Zealand not only not have a goal scored against them across 180 minutes of football, but not even look like conceding one. These are rare, but beautiful days for New Zealand football, and this team will only improve with every match, as combinations, cohesion and confidence increase.
There are much, much tougher tests to come, starting with Uruguay on Friday, who will bring their trademark mix of skill, physicality and street smarts to the contest before a round of 16 match against as yet unknown, but no doubt high level, opponents. But two more positive results will mean New Zealand into the quarter finals of a Fifa men's tournament for the first time, which would be a mighty achievement.
