Soccer: Outstanding Stevens may earn Kingz contract

Tim Stevens is set for a last-minute call-up to the Football Kingz just days before the Auckland-based franchise start their second Australian National Soccer League season.

Waitakere City striker Stevens virtually forced the Kingz' coaches, Wynton and Shane Rufer, to offer him the chance of professional football after outstanding games in the team's last pre-season friendlies before they head to Australia on Sunday for their clash with Sydney Olympic.

Against fellow NSL side Marconi in Wanganui on Friday night, Stevens scored two goals and set up German midfielder Andy Bluhm for a third as the Kingz won 3-0. In Palmerston North yesterday, Stevens, again given time only the second half, was again impressive.

The Kingz beat a combined Manawatu/Federation 4 side 4-1, with Paul Urlovic needing only 20 minutes of the first spell to net a hat-trick. Chilean Aaron Silva scored the fourth.

Shane Rufer, while satisfied with the team's efforts, said he would like "another 10 games before the season kicks off."

"You can always do better," Rufer said after yesterday's match. "Games are always the best practice."

The twin victories were well timed. In earlier warm-up outings, the Kingz lost to a couple of federation sides, the Chilean Olympic team and fellow NSL clubs Northern Spirit and Wollongong Wolves.

While not ready to confirm a starting line-up for Sunday's game, it seems Chris Marsh, who played against Marconi, will start in goal.

Australians Levent Osman and Michael Cartwright are likely to be joined at the back by Lee Jones.

Jonathan Perry, Ivan Vicelich, Chris Jackson, Aaran Lines and Bluhm should play in the midfield, while captain Harry Ngata could partner Urlovic, Stevens or Silva up front.

"There are a lot of players putting their hands up," Rufer said. "They are professionals and know the only way they can get paid is by playing."

While there was some encouragement from the results, the Kingz are still without three key players, with the injured Che Bunce, Dennis Ibrahim and Wynton Rufer all at least three weeks from being involved.

Determined to give as many players as possible some game time, there were nine changes to the starting line-up yesterday from the team who started against Marconi.

"All the players did well," Rufer said. "There is a real let-the-games-begin feeling within the squad now."

The Kingz' fans will not see the team in action at Ericsson Stadium until October 20.