Liberato Cacace celebrates scoring during the New Zealand All Whites v Tahiti OFC semi final. Photo / Getty Images.
Liberato Cacace celebrates scoring during the New Zealand All Whites v Tahiti OFC semi final. Photo / Getty Images.
In his weekly column, Michael Burgess looks ahead to the All Whites' preparation for their intercontinental playoff with Costa Rica.
Date set for Costa Rica showdown
Mark it in your calendar. The date for the All Whites' biggest match since 2017 has been confirmed, with New Zealand to face CostaRica on June 14 in Doha (June 15 NZT). It will be the second of two intercontinental playoffs, with Peru and Australia or the United Arab Emirates meeting the night before.
The kickoff time is likely to be late evening local time, around 9pm, which would mean breakfast viewing in New Zealand. Being allocated the latter date is good news for NZF, allowing one more day of preparation and acclimatation for the team as well as an opportunity for the operations staff to assess logistics and timings from the first game.
Get set for Peru vs New Zealand, 2.0. As first reported by the Herald two weeks ago, a rematch with the Andean team is the most likely scenario for the All Whites in their preparation phase. It's understood that a deal is close to being finalised for the game, which will be played in Europe in the first week of June.
It would be the ideal buildup for both countries, as the All Whites chase a high quality opponent (Peru are ranked No25 by Fifa) while the South American team get to experience a similar style to the Socceroos.
Liberato Cacace celebrates scoring during the New Zealand All Whites v Tahiti. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
Chris Wood – penalty king
Chris Wood's crucial penalty for Newcastle last week continued his remarkable run from the spot. He hasn't missed a penalty for club or country since April 2016, with 18 successful attempts since then.
Burnley don't get many spot kicks – and Wood was off the field for some of them – but he still managed 6/6 during his time at Turf Moor, including a 90th minute strike to gain a crucial 1-1 draw against Wolves.
Wood also slotted nine penalties from 10 attempts at Leeds and has converted all four of his opportunities for New Zealand.
His last unsuccessful attempt came for Leeds against Hull City in April 2016, near the end of his first season at Elland Road.
Last Saturday's goal was another exhibition of his composure, as the 30-year-old calmly slotted past Jose Sa in the Wolves goal in the 72nd minute, with thousands looking down from the famous Gallowgate stand, with the 1-0 victory all but ensuring Newcastle's Premier League survival.
St Mirren fans grieving for Alex
St Mirren are struggling in the Scottish Premiership and some fans are questioning the lack of match play for All Whites striker Alex Greive. The Buddies have lost six of eight league games since the arrival of new manager Stephen Robinson and are just six points clear of the relegation zone.
Greive has been a topic on fan forums and podcasts, as the 22-year-old has had only had 72 minutes across the last four games.
Pre-match warm up - New Zealand All Whites v Tahiti OFC semi final game. Photo / Photosport.co.nz
OFC splashes out for Cup qualifying tournament
It was always going to be a big investment, but the Herald understands that the World Cup qualifying event in Qatar cost the Oceania Football Confederation more than $2 million.
That reflects the huge logistics around the eight nation event, with teams in camp in Doha for the best part of a month.
However OFC would have had plenty of reserves in their budget, after two years of not being able to stage any regional tournaments due to Covid-19.
From the history files
After their heroics in 1990, when Costa Rica advanced to the knockout stages ahead of Sweden and Scotland, their next World Cup appearance came in 2002, grouped with Brazil, Turkey and China. Los Ticos accounted for China 2-0, before a 1-1 draw with Turkey. They pushed Brazil – who featured Ronaldo and Rivaldo – trailing 3-2 in the second half, before eventually succumbing 5-2. Costa Rica missed qualification on goal difference, while Brazil went on to win the tournament and Turkey reached the last four.
Costa Rica have played 18 World Cup matches, with five wins and five draws. They have scored 19 goals in that time, conceding 28. New Zealand have experienced six games at Fifa's global showpiece, highlighted by the famous series of three draws in 2010. The All Whites have managed four goals, while conceding 14.
