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Video / NZ Herald
All Whites striker Chris Wood is already setting his sights on another Olympic appearance.
Despite being on the other side of the world, Wood has been taking a keen interest in the progress of Darren Bazeley’s New Zealand Under-23 team in the Oceania qualifying tournament. The climax comeson Saturday (7pm) at North Harbour Stadium, with the Oly-Whites facing Fiji for a ticket to Paris and Wood will be watching.
Coach Bazeley said Wood has been in regular contact throughout the fortnight and called him on Friday morning.
“He asked how the boys were going, he has been following the results,” coach Bazeley told the Herald. “He knows there is only one game to qualify and he hopes that the boys get the job done. In the back of his mind is the Olympics. You know Chris, he loves representing New Zealand every chance he gets and it will be a big tournament.”
Wood played in London in 2012, then was a key part of the run to the quarter-finals in Tokyo, which included a win over Korean Republic and a draw with Romania, as one of three over-age players permitted by Fifa regulations.
“It’s not just about next year – Chris is very supportive,” says Bazeley. “He was checking in. It’s good for these boys that someone like him, over in England, is watching, he’s taking note and he is waiting for the boys to get the job done.”
New Zealand's Aaryan Raj celebrates a goal for the Oly-Whites
That message is another reminder of what is at stake on Saturday, when the New Zealand men hope to secure their fourth appearance at the Games, after Beijing, London and Tokyo.
They are heavy favourites – and have enjoyed a serene run so far, scoring 11 goals and conceding just one in their two matches, with one group game abandoned due to Papua New Guinea’s no-show.
Those results include the 3-1 victory over Fiji in the opening game but captain Finn Surman insists they are confident but not complacent.
“We’re supposed to win 99 per cent of these games, but you want to treat each game one at a time,” said Surman. “Whatever has happened before, it doesn’t really matter. They could do something different, or we could do something different. It’s whoever comes out on the day; you gotta turn up.”
Bazeley agreed, adding that any perceived pressure is a privilege.
Fiji had some bright moments in the first game and had definite threats, though they were undone by some sloppy defending on that occasion. But the Oly-Whites will be wary and it will be a test if they concede early, given they haven’t come close to facing a deficit so far.
New Zealand's Finn Surman.
“It’s always tricky if something were to happen early in the game,” said Bazeley. “That’s why I keep talking about discipline and concentration because we can’t get involved in off-the-ball things [or] lose someone and go down to 10 men. We’ve just got to make sure we defend properly, we don’t take risks and we play our game.”
Fiji coach Rob Sherman, who was technical director of New Zealand Football in two separate stints, acknowledged the disparity between the two squads.
“It’d be fair to say New Zealand are probably favourites, and the expectation on them will be reasonably high,” said Sherman. “But we’re reasonably confident that we can give them a tough go. And as we know in football, that anything can happen.”
Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. A football aficionado, Burgess will never forget the noise that greeted Rory Fallon’s goal against Bahrain in Wellington in 2009.
