All Whites have ‘most depth ever’
Previously, the loss of a vastly experienced player like Michael Mcglinchey for a World Cup qualifier would have caused a headache for All Whites coach Anthony Hudson.
The added absence of worldclass captain Winston Reid and English Championship defender Tommy Smith might have turned that headache into a severe migraine.
Not now, as New Zealand prepared to face New Caledonia in the first leg of their Oceania third round qualifying tie at North Harbour Stadium today.
‘‘It is the most depth we’ve ever had,’’ Hudson said after confirming Phoenix midfielder Mcglinchey was out of the match and the return fixture in Kone on Tuesday with a knee injury.
‘‘I know I’ve been talking about it for long time but it’s for a reason. We find ourselves here with Michael Mcglinchey, Winston Reid, Tommy Smith and Tom Doyle out, yet we still have a really strong squad in all positions.’’
The New Zealand coach was more confident on the prospects of stand-in skipper Chris Wood after the striker arrived in the country nursing what he called a ‘‘little niggle’’ and did not train with the team until their final hitout yesterday.
Hudson said it was ‘‘not a huge problem’’, Wood adding he felt ready to go and was hoping to play 90 minutes.
That’s something one of the team’s best players may need to do to if his side are to prevail, based on the most recent matches between the All Whites and New Caledonia.
New Zealand were outplayed but snuck a 1-0 win in the semifinal of the Oceania Nations Cup in Papua New Guinea in June, while only a 94th minute goal allowed the Kiwis to escape with a 2-1 victory in Dunedin in early 2013.
The All Whites also came out on top 2-0 in September, 2012 but the match all Kiwi football fans remember is the 2-0 loss at the Nations Cup just a few months prior, now famously known as the ‘Horror in Honiara’.
‘‘We know they’re probably the strongest team in the islands,’’ Wood said.
‘‘They’ll come here wanting to make statement and making one on our home pitch would be huge for them. But we are ready and we’re not going to let that happen.’’
Hudson is optimistic of the same, particularly given his recollection of the circumstances surrounding their below-par performance in edging out New Caledonia in June.
Yesterday, he re-called the ‘‘strange, strange, day’’ when one player had lost a family member, Doyle had to be ‘‘airlifted out’’ with injury and the squad was put into lockdown at the team hotel after police opened fire on a protest in Port Moresby.
He also spoke about the pressure players and staff had put on themselves given what had happened in Honiara. While those results were part of the team’s history, Hudson said this was a different team taking a fresh approach.
‘‘The players know how important is to play for their country, what it means to play for New Zealand.
‘‘The way they prepare and their attitude towards everything we do is absolutely first-class, because they love playing for country.
‘‘Whether we haven’t played at home in two years, four years or eight years, still have to turn up and perform and win.’’