Soccer: Striker mulling over allegiance

By TERRY MADDAFORD and NZPA

A transtasman soccer tug of war over striker Archie Thompson should be resolved quickly.

New Zealand-born Thompson, who played for Carlton in last Friday's scoreless draw with the Football Kingz, is eligible to represent either Australia or New Zealand because he has never played a full international.

Thompson, the top scorer after seven rounds of the National Soccer League, is still undecided about his future, but yesterday hinted that he was leaning towards Australia.

"I haven't made my mind up yet," he said. "Playing for New Zealand would be great short-term, but Australia would be different because they have real prospects of going to the World Cup," he said.

Thompson is also desperate to move overseas because he believes it can improve his game.

"I feel I've learned all I can at the moment and it would do my international prospects good, especially if I was playing in Europe."

The 22-year-old moved to Australia as a child.

New Zealand coach Ken Dugdale said: "Kiwis in the main seem to have a great patriotism for their home country. I hope it's like that with him"

Meanwhile, Football Kingz general manager Chris Turner is taking a wait-and-see attitude over talk of Ivan Vicelich's rumoured offer from Perth Glory.

"After the game over there, their coach said to Shane Rufer that the Kingz were better than a 1-5 loss suggested and that if Ivan Vicelich ever became available [on the transfer market] they would be prepared to pay $A300,000 for him," Turner said. "But there has been no formal approach and no offer. End of story."

Turner added that while one of the Kingz' objects was to prepare players for the highest possible level, the club would not want to lose a player to another NSL club.

Vicelich said: "I really haven't heard more than what has been on the radio or in the papers. But it certainly is flattering to think they consider me to be worth that much." The Kingz are continuing to look at players following the decision to play their NSL matches as scheduled during the Fifa-sanctioned tournament in India in January.

Dugdale is expected to release the names of the Kingz players he is likely to take to the subcontinent today.

"We don't want to reschedule any matches," Turner said. "For that reason we have been looking at players such as Ryan Dawkins, Kara Waetford, Paul Bunbury, Cameron Knowles and Nik Viljoen with the intention of offering them performance contracts if we need them for cover.

"We are covering our options."