Stalemate leaves Cup tie in balance
NEW Zealand have ground out a scoreless draw against Peru to leave their World Cup playoff in the balance.
It was a nerve-jangling 90 minutes for the 37,034 fans at Westpac Stadium in Wellington yesterday afternoon as neither side was able to fashion many clear-cut chances.
Ryan Thomas was excellent in New Zealand’s midfield, while captain Winston Reid was a colossus at the back.
The All Whites’ chances took a hit pre-game with striker Chris Wood only fit enough for the bench due to a niggling hamstring injury. Kosta Barbarouses and Marco Rojas started up front instead, while Wood would eventually enter the game with 19 minutes to go.
Peru had the better of the early exchanges as a defensive mix-up almost cost New Zealand dearly in the seventh minute.
Reid and goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic got their wires crossed when a long ball came. Marinovic came out as either Reid or Peru striker Jefferson Farfan poked the ball past him, but the keeper was able to scramble back to slap the ball away just before it reached his goal-line.
The 16th minute featured a dangerous cross from the lively Andre Carillo, but it somehow evaded three of his Peru teammates as it went out for a goal kick.
The All Whites finally found their feet thereafter as they started to string passes together inside the Peru half. They had a couple of crosses blocked after good buildup play in the 20th minute before another promising play saw Barbarouses flash a shot across goal.
But the absence of Wood was keenly felt as they lacked an outlet for the plethora of long balls they were playing.
The same could be said for Peru, who were missing their big No 9 in Paolo Guerrero. They had some good buildup play, but their remaining attacks for the half broke down as they reached the New Zealand penalty area.
The second half was as nervy as the first, with Peru again starting the better.
Marinovic was forced into two saves in two minutes about 20 minutes in. The first was an acrobatic effort to tip an Aldo Corzo header from a corner over the bar, while the second was a more regulation effort after a shot from long range from Edison Flores.
New Zealand lost defender Tommy Smith to injury in the PHOTOSPORT 67th minute, replaced by Andrew Durante. The injury news was considerably better when Wood grabbed his playing shirt in the 71st minute to come on for Clayton Lewis.
His first action was to take a freekick. His first effort tested Pedro Gallese in the Peru goal, but was called back for an off-theball infringement. The second struck the wall.
It was a midfield battle for a lot of the remainder of the half before Barbarouses fired a shot just wide in the 83rd minute.
That sparked New Zealand and Thomas went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock five minutes from time, but his half volley from just inside the box sliced inches wide. Pedro Aquino also fired over the bar for Peru in a frenetic finish.
But the score stayed at 0-0, meaning it is all still to play for in the second leg at the Estadio Nacional in Lima on Thursday.