One goal, one save, one memorable night
‘‘Bahrain. Rory Fallon. Yeah,’’ was how one of the new All Whites put it this week, summing up the events of November 14, 2009, in four simple words.
Mark Paston might feel aggrieved that it wasn’t six, given he made a crucial penalty save in the 1-0 win that sent New Zealand to a second Fifa World Cup, but football history is filled with instances of goalkeepers being overlooked for strikers.
And let’s face it, Fallon’s headed goal is the defining image from that match at Westpac Stadium, the only time a place at a World Cup has (realistically) been up for grabs on New Zealand soil.
The striker hung up his playing boots two years ago, after taking part in two more playoffs, but has returned to the All Whites this week as an assistant coach, ensuring the memory of that night lives on as they prepare to mark it with a friendly against the Republic of Ireland.
Only two of the current squad were involved that night – forward Chris Wood, who came off the bench as a 17-year-old, and Michael McGlinchey, who started in central midfield – with Winston Reid and Tommy Smith joining them the following year at the World Cup in South Africa.
Reflecting on the Bahrain game this week, Wood said it was ‘‘probably one of the highlights, if not the highlight, of my whole career,’’ while McGlinchey said ‘‘it’s still probably the biggest game I’ve ever played’’.
‘‘I still remember the whole week leading up to it, when I was on the cusp of starting because Simon Elliott had a little injury, and I got the nod the day before,’’ McGlinchey added.
‘‘It was massive for us to do it and get ourselves to the World Cup.
‘‘The boys that went to the World Cup still talk about it now and we’re trying to pass it on to the young boys, how big it was, and that we have the opportunity
‘‘The boys that went to the World Cup still talk about it now and we’re trying to pass it on to the young boys, how big it was.’’
Michael McGlinchey
to do it again, and hopefully we can.’’
Wood had a whirlwind year in 2009, making his Premier League debut with West Bromwich Albion, then signing his first professional contract, before playing for the All Whites at the Confederations Cup, then helping them beat Bahrain across two legs to top it off.
‘‘[To make it to the World Cup] so early on in my career was a bit daunting, because I
didn’t know how to take it in, I just thought this is all normal and fun,’’ Wood said this week.
‘‘It was a fantastic night and we’ve got big Rorz here to remember it on the night, but we’ve got a new bunch now and we’re out to create our own memories and that’s what we’re looking to do.’’
The All Whites have had two more World Cup playoffs in the decade since they beat Bahrain, losing heavily to Mexico in 2013 (9-3 on aggregate) and narrowly to Peru in 2017 (2-0 on aggregate), and are hoping to make it to a fourth in March 2022, ahead of that year’s World Cup in Qatar.
‘‘It’s what every kid dreams of . . . playing in the World Cup,’’ Wood said.
‘‘You have to be very fortunate to play in a World Cup and luckily I have – and a few of the boys here have – but I didn’t get a full crack at the World Cup (only playing 66 minutes), so there’s a bit of me that wants more and to get back there and hopefully we can do that.’’
Qualification for the next World Cup is set to start late next year in Oceania, with a representative from the region to be crowned in 2021, ahead of the playoff in 2022.
From 2026, when the World Cup expands to 48 teams, the best team from Oceania is set to gain automatic entry, bringing the curtain down on the playoff era.