Soccer: Kingz face to face with harsh reality

By Terry Maddaford

Welcome to the world of professional soccer. The Football Kingz were beaten 3-0 by ambitious Melbourne club Carlton in the opening game of the 1999-2000 Australian soccer league in front of 8200 spectators at North Harbour Stadium last night. New Zealand's latest professional footballing club paid the painful price of a limited build-up and lack of genuine attacking firepower.

The three goals - two of them in the first spell - were nothing spectacular and showed that with the benefit of a little more time together the Kingz could be competitive.

From the time the first ball was kicked there was plenty to talk about.

Why was Oceania player-of-the-century and Kingz player/coach Wynton Rufer - he of all those great goals - played as the defensive marshal? And why a pitch, at the home team's behest, reduced to postage stamp proportions when, in Robbie Middleby they had a player of genuine pace and ability to cause problems out wide?

Referee Simon Micallef was quickly in the thick things, dishing out six freekicks before the crowd had settled as Carlton, one of the early Ericsson Cup picks, showed the way to the new boys on the professional block.

There was no lack of enthusiasm by the Kingz but that was not enough against the fluid Carlton side - nothing flashy but with the ability to react in any situation and give the home side little more than the scraps.

The visitors were a yard faster than the Kingz, an obvious benefit of a concentrated pre-season build-up, which in turn led to a greater share of possession. Given that, they should have done better.

Carlton went ahead after 26m 11s when All White Sean Douglas ran into space on the left before firing a pinpoint cross to Alex Moriera, who was unchallenged in adding the finishing touch.

They added a second five minutes later when Mark Atkinson, Carlton's other All White, played the ball through to Moriera who, from what appeared an offside position, charged on, drew Michael Utting from his goal and was untroubled to tap in.

The home side should have got one back in the 33rd minute when the Kingz, somewhat fortuitously, were awarded a penalty only to see a weak attempt by captain Chris Jackson easily saved by Dean Anastasiadis.

Four minutes into the second spell it was as good as over when Moriera played a soft ball in, the defence were caught napping and captain Andrew Marth slipped an equally soft shot home.

Well-organised by towering defender David McPherson, Carlton, who could also look to solid games from Douglas and Atkinson, gave the Kingz an early wake-up call, but one to which they can respond. Ivan Vicelich, Middleby, Aaron Silva and, in his brief appearance, Che Bunce all made worthy contributions.