Off-field antics a sign of respect
Ask Jeremy Brockie about late night fireworks, military flyovers and shining lasers, and the response is not one of annoyance.
Brockie, who made his 50th appearance in New Zealand’s 2-0 defeat to Peru, a result that cost the All Whites a place at the 2018 World Cup, treated the off-field antics as a mark of respect.
The All Whites saw it coming too, Brockie revealing that the players were supplied earplugs to help them sleep, should there be any disturbances outside the team’s hotel in the early hours.
‘‘At the end of the day it makes the story better when you get to tell your family and friends what the experience was like,’’ the 30-year-old striker said.
‘‘Yes, they did set off fireworks at 2am and 3am. But they only lasted about 30 seconds each time and I didn’t even wake up the second time round.
‘‘If we start talking about those things it sounds like you are making excuses, and we took it as positively as we could in the sense that they obviously respected us and were trying to do what they could to intimidate us or put us off our game.’’
With 50 international caps to his name, a World Cup campaign under his belt and a resume that includes clubs from four different confederations, Brockie is not new to kicking about in front of raucous crowds.
But he said nothing compared to what he experienced at Estadio Nacional in Lima, where he described the Peruvian supporters as true ‘‘fanatics’’.
‘‘I can’t fault that country’s passion for their football. Wherever we went there was a Peru jersey, they crowded the streets, the stadium was full two hours before kickoff.
‘‘The passion with they sung for the national anthem, it was honestly the best crowd I’ve ever played in front of and that’s what football is all about. I guess that’s the big difference between passionate football loving countries compared to some others.
‘‘It may be intimidating for some players but I just embraced the experience. I’ve said this before, you play football to play in front of fanatics like that and it’s something that I’ll never forget.’’
With the All Whites failing to beat Peru, attention now turns to the future of coach Anthony Hudson. But Brockie was unable to shed any light on Hudson’s plans, saying the players were in the dark as to whether he will stay on for another shot at the World Cup in 2022.
‘‘I’m not sure what happens now in terms of if Hudson is staying on or a new coach comes in. It’s all just a waiting game now to see what the future plans are. He’s the taken team a long way in the three and a half years since he took over. The style he plays now is a lot different to previous campaigns.’’
When asked if he wanted Hudson to stay on, Brockie said: ‘‘If he does stay, brilliant, but if he does move on then hopefully the new coach can build on what’s been left there in terms of the talent pool. The squad that has been built and the style, it needs to carry on in the right direction to suit the players we’ve got in the team.’’
Regardless of who is coaching the team, the SuperSport United marksman has urged New Zealand Football to ensure the All Whites have competitive games lined up for next year, despite losing out on an estimated $11million just by missing out on the World Cup.
‘‘It’s important that the country doesn’t stand still and the board doesn’t stand still so we don’t play another game for two years when the Nations Cup starts,’’ he said.
‘‘They need to work harder than ever now to get us regular games and keep building the younger players that experience which is vitally important if we want to look long-term in terms of qualifying for World Cups.’’