Hostile tie has Brockie primed for Peru
Jeremy Brockie will be ready for anything the Peruvian crowd throw at the All Whites in their World Cup playoff.
On Sunday, the 30-year-old earned his first callup to the national team since the Oceania Nations Cup in June 2016, brought back to lend his experience and leadership to Anthony Hudson’s squad as they take on Peru over two legs for a spot at the 2018 World Cup.
Part of that experience now includes what it is like to play in front of a hostile crowd of away fans after his recent experiences playing for South African side SuperSport United.
In particular, their recent CAF Confederation
Cup semifinal against Tunisian side Club Africain was a real test of mental fortitude.
With the twolegged tie locked at 1-1 after the first leg in Pretoria, SuperSport travelled to Tunisia for the second leg at the Stade Olympique de Rades on October 22.
First, they arrived at their prematch training at the stadium the day before the game to find it closed, meaning they had to train on a water-logged field nearby.
But that was just an appetiser for what was to come on gameday.
‘‘The next day we turn up at the game, go on the pitch an hour and a half before and the 50,000, 60,000 fans are already there shining lasers in your eyes and putting big banners up reading about the devil and things like that,’’ Brockie said on Monday in Wellington.
He scored a goal in the 3-1 win and went to celebrate in the corner, where he was greeted by the home fans throwing water bottles at him.
‘‘As bad as it sounds, it’s actually enjoyable. It’s much better playing in front of something like that instead of a couple of people from down the road.
‘‘It’s grown me as a player as well and there are more stories to share when I finish playing.’’
So while the Estadio Nacional in Lima, the venue for the World Cup playoff second leg, might intimidate a few Kiwis, they can lean on Brockie for advice about how to get through it.
Brockie has also been in red-hot form for SuperSport, leading to him being named on the 30-man shortlist for the best player based in Africa - the first non-African to make the list.
It was those sort of credentials which made it too hard for Hudson to ignore him when he picked his squad a few weeks ago, even if his playing time might be limited.
All Whites team-mate Kosta Barbarouses, who sat alongside him during Monday’s media session in Wellington, was certainly happy to see him back in the squad.
‘‘I’ve known Brocks for a number of years and to have another good mate in the squad after a little while out is great and a positive influence in the squad for the younger players as well.’’
Barbarouses said the experience of Brockie, and fellow recalled veteran Rory Fallon, would add to the sense of belief the squad already had that they could pull of something special in the playoff.
‘‘We’ve worked so hard over the last three years with the gaffer and I feel like it’s all coming together well and we’ve reached a point now that we’ve given ourselves the best possible chance to do an amazing thing, which would be to qualify for the World Cup against a good side.’’