Can we do this? Yes, we can
‘‘We’re good enough, I’m telling you that now, we’re good enough.’’
Anthony Hudson, All Whites coach
Calm. Comfortable. Confident. Those three Cs were the way All Whites coach Anthony Hudson described his mood ahead of the first leg of their World Cup playoff against Peru at Westpac Stadium in Wellington today.
That’s important because the 36-year-old’s three-year tenure in New Zealand hasn’t always been that way, with tension and abrasiveness often coming to the fore.
But with a fully fit squad – he was flanked by English Premier League stars Winston Reid and Chris Wood at yesterday’s prematch press conference – he said he held the genuine belief that with the right mentality his side was good enough to qualify for the 2018 Fifa World Cup.
‘‘What we need to do tomorrow [Saturday] is just completely believe in ourselves and not be afraid of the task.
‘‘Play the game, rather than get carried away with the occasion. Stick to the gameplan. Trust each other.
‘‘That’s the only thing that’s probably standing in our way of getting to Russia. We’re good enough, I’m telling you that now, we’re good enough. Everyone in our team is good enough. That’s the big thing, that’s what we need.’’
Hudson acknowledged that Peru were the favourites for the two-legged tie, even without their inspirational captain and striker Paolo Guerrero, who will miss at least the first leg after a failed drugs test last month.
Peru coach Ricardo Gareca indicated in his press conference Jefferson Farfan had the inside running to start up front, but did not rule out playing Raul Ruidiaz instead.
As for Hudson, he has settled on a final XI, with the most contentious
selections set to come via both wing backs and in central midfield.
Deklan Wynne should start out left, while Storm Roux would appear to be likely to get the nod out right.
Ryan Thomas and Michael McGlinchey will start in the middle of the park, but the third player will be a toss-up between Marco Rojas and Clayton Lewis. Rojas will start no matter what, but Hudson may choose to deploy him alongside Wood, which would push Kosta Barbarouses out of the side and allow Lewis to start.
Hudson said it would come down to a number of factors.
‘‘It’s been a mixture of lots of different things. How many games players have played coming into this window . . . fitness levels, games under their belt and experience, I think that’s the biggest thing for me.
‘‘Going into this game I’m very comfortable with the squad we have and the players we’ll select.’’
Hudson brought up his three Cs when speaking about how he was feeling ahead of the biggest game of his fledgling managerial career.
‘‘I’m quite calm. It’s been a really good week of preparation. We’ve been quite fortunate in that we’ve been able to just focus on ourselves and the plan.
‘‘I really am comfortable and confident going into this game because I believe in this group of players.
‘‘I think I’d be in a different place psychologically if I didn’t believe in the players.
‘‘We’ve got a good plan, a good team. Everyone understands what we need to do – that gives me good confidence going into the game,’’ he said.
Tactically, neither Hudson, Wood nor Reid were giving too much away, with the latter saying people would have to wait until the game to see what approach they would take.