The other World Cup
New coach Danny Hay has a wealth of talent to choose from as the All Whites come out of international hibernation next month, writes Andrew Voerman.
‘‘It’s about looking towards the 2022 World Cup and beyond, so it’s about our performance.’’
Danny Hay wants the All Whites to capture New Zealand’s imagination as they try to qualify for the 2022 World Cup.
The approach of the senior men’s national team has long been a bugbear for their fans, especially during the latter stages of coach Anthony Hudson’s tenure in 2017, the last time the team were properly in the spotlight, but their new coach is determined to give the Kiwi public something they will enjoy.
‘‘The key thing is having a style of play that reflects us as a nation, and that also works well with the type of players we are producing,’’ he said, sitting in his office at New Zealand Football headquarters in Auckland.
‘‘It’s clear we’re producing a type of player that is far more technically capable than previously and more tactically savvy as well.
‘‘We’ve got a beautifully written style-of-play statement in the NZ Football curriculum about being possessionbased, but incisive at the right time, and then creative, and I 100 per cent believe in it, because I think it suits the New Zealand player, and now it’s my responsibility to bring it to life.’’
One wall of Hay’s office is taken up by a year planner, but the only squares filled in so far are those in the middle of next month, where the All Whites will play the Republic of Ireland (November 15) and Lithuania (November 18) – their first matches since June, 2018, and their first with a full-strength squad (or near enough to it) in almost two years.
The Republic of Ireland are currently first in their Euro 2020 qualifying group, while Lithuania are last in theirs, without a win in 2019, but even as Hay and his staff are doing their research on what awaits them, they know their focus has to be on playing the way they want to, not reacting to the opposition.
‘‘These first couple of games, it’s going to be the first time the All Whites have been together in a long time,’’ Hay said.
‘‘So when we play, is it going to about Ireland or Lithuania? No. In the next international window in March, is it going to be about who we’re playing then? No.
It’s about looking towards the 2022 World Cup and beyond, so it’s about our performance.’’
What’s most important for Hay is that the players he puts out on the field feel the freedom to express themselves, something which is often easier said than done.
‘‘It’s about removing any anxiety or fear, and any worries players have about making mistakes – I’ll tell them that doesn’t matter.
‘‘We’ve got to try to do things a little bit different and we’ve got to try to be brave and courageous, and play a style of football that is different to what we’ve done in the past.’’
Players will be informed of their selection for the upcoming friendlies this week – if they haven’t been already – and there will be plenty of interest in who makes the cut, with a formal squad announcement expected closer to the start of the international window on November 11.
Hay will be able to call on an experienced core – the likes of goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic, centrebacks Michael Boxall, Winston Reid, Tommy Smith and Bill Tuiloma, midfielders Michael McGlinchey, Marco Rojas and Ryan Thomas, and forwards Kosta Barbarouses and Chris Wood.
But what’s exciting – both for him, and for All Whites’ fans – is having the chance to combine those experienced players with promising youngsters such as fullback Liberato Cacace and midfielder Sarpreet Singh, who both earned their first caps under Schmid, when many of the senior figures weren’t involved, but already look like likely starters.
Hay said there would definitely be some new faces in the squad for November – Wellington Phoenix forward Callum McCowatt is one who will almost certainly get the the nod – but more than anything, he was pleased to have more players catching his eye than places to be filled.
‘‘I’ve actually got to make some tough decisions, and I don’t know if many other All Whites’ coaches have had to do that in the past.
‘‘We’ve got players operating at a professional level all around the world – most of them are at a decent level – and there are players in that group who are going to miss out.
‘‘There’s been a few tough conversations already, but these next two windows are a chance for me to find out about the players, and to see who is the perfect fit for us moving forward, so they’re going to be quite vital.’’
With a strong opponent in the Republic of Ireland (ranked 36th in the world) followed by a lesser opponent in Lithuania (ranked 132nd, 11 places below the All Whites), Hay should be able to get a good look at most – if not all – of the players he selects.
‘‘I want every player involved to be able to to walk away from this window, and from the March window as well, knowing that they were given a good opportunity to show that they were a good fit – character-wise and mentality-wise; on the field and off the field – and that they were 100 per cent invested in the direction that we’re going, and they 100 per cent fit the style of football that we want to play moving forward.’’
Hay played for a number of different coaches during his time as an All White, where he earned 31 caps and scored two goals, but there’s one in particular he’s hoping to emulate as he sets his sights on Qatar 2022.
‘‘If I look back, Ricki Herbert [in 2005] was in a similar situation to where I find myself now. The All Whites had had a long period where they’d been inactive, and then he came in and put some pride back in the shirt.
‘‘Having played himself he was hugely, hugely passionate about the team and I look at myself and I think I’m in a similar boat – it’s something I care about deeply.
‘‘That’s something that resonates with me, the way Ricki got the team back together, got some pride back, built some real camaraderie, and also grew some belief in them that they could qualify for the 2010 World Cup.