Cup misery
Losing his All Whites’ starting spot in South Africa left Ben Sigmund seething and depressed,
Ben Sigmund endured sleepless nights and “a form of depression” at the 2010 World Cup, as he tried to deal with his omission from the starting line-up.
The ultimate heart-on-the-sleeve player, Sigmund struggled to comprehend that he was to play no part on the field in South Africa.
There may never be another All White like Sigmund, who announced his international retirement last week.
His career has been more colourful than most. From walking out on the Football Kingz a week after a successful debut, to quitting the sport for senior club rugby, Sigmund chose a path rarely followed by a prospective international footballer.
But the revelations about his psychological battles in South Africa epitomise the spirit of the man. Sigmund had featured in all eight World Cup qualifiers, including the two epic battles against Bahrain. But when Winston Reid and Tommy Smith came on the scene, he found himself in a back stage role.
“I played against Australia but then didn’t play any more warm-up games,” says Sigmund. “That was when reality began to sink in.”
Ricki Herbert’s decision was the right one — Smith and Reid had to be included — but it didn’t make it any easier as the starting XI was read out for the first match against Slovakia. Apart from the injured Tim Brown, Sigmund was the only player who had started both Bahrain matches to be sidelined.
“I went into a form of depression,” says Sigmund. “I couldn’t really sleep most of the time and I was raging inside. I was so focussed and dedicated to that World Cup so it was hard to take. I had put everything into it. And all of my family and friends had travelled over but weren’t going to see me.”
Selection decisions at the 1982 World Cup had caused considerable tension among the All Whites but Sigmund ensured history didn’t repeat. “I had to keep it all to myself,” said Sigmund, who is not bitter. “The team was all-important and I wanted to keep the team spirit high.”
He took great pride in bouncing back to win the Phoenix Player of the Year for the next two seasons. It’s been the story of his career, bouncing back from setbacks.
Sigmund was a standout as a teenager, making the New Zealand team that qualified for the 1997 Under-17 World Cup. But the tournament was a disaster, as they lost all three games and conceded 22 goals, including a 13-0 hiding against Spain. That left serious scars and only one other member of that squad (Michael Wilson) went on to have a professional career. Sigmund persevered and made his All Whites debut as a 19-year-old at the 2000 Merdeka Cup against Oman.
“I came on as a striker and ran around for about 15 minutes,” remembers Sigmund. “It was a good team — we won the tournament and Ryan Nelsen was a standout.”
He returned to playing national league football before being signed by the Football Kingz in 2002. It was an unpaid contract and Sigmund worked at either end of the day around training sessions. His big break came when he was selected for a match against Marconi, after injuries and illness had sidelined several regulars. Sigmund “had a debut to savour” according to the Sydney
Morning Herald but didn’t even make the bench the following week. When he demanded answers from the club’s management, a storming row followed and he walked out.
“I told them to shove it. I was frustrated but also quite immature.”
Around that time, he lost his love for the game and made his switch to rugby, turning out on the wing for Sumner’s division two team in Christchurch. “I had a ball,” says Sigmund. “It was demanding on the body but great to get back to the grassroots and take my mind off the pressures of football.”
Sigmund even completed the Sumner debutant’s ritual of downing the contents of a beer jug filled with the amber liquid and a steak pie in front of the entire clubhouse.
His time in rugby made him “appreciate and miss” football and he returned. He cut back on the “partying and boozing”, improved his attitude and the rest is history; via Auckland City (he lists then coach Paul Marshall as a huge influence) and Melbourne’s Fawkner Blues, Sigmund ended up at the Phoenix — but only after some heavy negotiations. He constantly badgered Herbert and senior management over several months for a shot.
“Eventually I called their bluff,” says Sigmund. “I told them an American club had offered me a contract — an extension of the truth — and I needed to know. They called back in 10 minutes with a one-year deal.”
Sigmund blossomed. He made his “second debut” for the All Whites in a memorable 2-2 draw with Wales in 2007, holding his own against then Liverpool striker Craig Bellamy and was an important member of the national team in the late 2000s.
Of all his achievements, it’s perhaps appropriate that Sigmund was present for three of the best defensive efforts in New Zealand football history. One was the 0-0 draw with Iraq at the 2009 Confederations Cup — which gave the All Whites their first points at a Fifa competition. Then there was Bahrain and the unforgettable heroics in Manama and Wellington.