Evolution of attacking machine
Winning the 2019 Northland Premier Division (NMP) league title in its debut season was celebrated by Kaeo Inter at the club’s end-of season prizegiving at the Marlin Hotel in Whangaroa on Saturday.
A strong turnout of players showed up for the occasion, a hat-trick for head coach/ Kaeo founder Stefano Virgili and a core group which has been with him for the past three years, adding to the back-to-back Northland 2nd Division titles during the 2017 and 2018 seasons.
Kaeo won 14 of the 15 games played in its debut NMP league campaign over winter, scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game.
“Looked liked we blitzed it, but we didn’t. No game was easy,” Virgili said. Only two games during the seasonwere “comfortable” wins.
“Everyone battled hard, that’s what made it special. What I take home is the reaction from the opposition [when they lose], that really confirmed what we have achieved.”
The campaign began with two away wins, over archrivals Kerikeri in front of the biggest crowd of the season, then defending champions Onerahi.
“It was a kick start. Those results improved our confidence . . . we evolved into an attacking machine,” Virgili said.
The side’s only loss came mid-season at home against Kerikeri. rivalry, intensity and the closeness of the two clubs. Virgili said the three times the two sides clashed this year, it was always ‘game on’.
“Whenever we play them it’s like a world cup final. They got the better of us, the other two times finished as very narrow wins to us. ”
Only six entries in the NMP this year meant Kaeo faced each of the other five teams three times over three rounds. This forced the Italian-born hostel owner to constantly change things up.
“What I tried to do was bring a surprise, a little twist to each game.
“The simple things players take for granted. The attention to detail.” This included ensuring the playing surface of the side’s home ground — at Whangaroa College — was as good as it could be, along with the taking a photo of the starting 11, posing in the same way teams did in international competition (see accompanying image), and presenting the opposing team captain with the club banner before kick off.
Kaeo were also one of the best dressed teams in the province, the influence of Italian fashion sense.
“You have got to look good,” Virgili grinned.
The side plays in the same strip as Serie A giants Inter Milan (whom Kaeo club is associated with through Virgili’s strong Italian connections) and also has the support of same sponsors like Italy’s tyre and beer giants, Pirelli and Perroni.
Virgili bought plenty of flair to the provincial football stage with the make-up of the Kaeo Inter team again a virtual foreign legion albeit with several local players.
“Kaeo is all about playing for everyone. I’ve always believed in the Far North, believe we can offer something diverse in Northland football.
“[I had] All kinds of players . . . Guys coming up from Auckland not willing to play for any club in Auckland but willing to play for us.”
However, one of the biggest challenges of the season was the need to be consistent and field a full squad of 16 for every game from a wider squad.
“Keeping 20 players happy is a fine-line, a balancing act. Just giving everyone enough rotation . . . was a massive challenge,” he said.
Virgili encouraged a group culture in the team but admitted cohesiveness was an issue which wasn’t helped through the current NFF policy of sides being allowed to field five rolling subs — something he would change immediately to be in line with Fifa rules — while distance also meant the full team was never able to train together.
The catennacio Virgili said he will enjoy some down time with summer looming but was already starting to map out next year’s title defence.
“[There will be] quite a lot of tweaking of personnel,” he said. Being the third best defensive team in the league this year was “not good enough”.
”I want to bring back the catennacio [or the net, the infamous defensive style the Italian team developed during a Fifa World Cup] to be the best defensive team we can be.”
Regardless of what lies ahead, the style in which the side has won three titles in a row speaks for itself.
“It’s been an awesome season. We are looking forward to next season already.”
■ Kaeo Inter prize giving award winners for 2019 were, Paulo Montino: Balon D’Or (player of the year) as well as the Players’ and Supporters’ Player of the Year trophies, Geoffrey Zwaneveld: Most Versatile Player, Lee Rocque Golden Boot (top scorer with 13 goals), Timo Obrez: Goal of the Season (against Onerahi in July 8, a strike which clinched the league title for Kaeo), and, Karl Taylor: Team Player of the Year (for his exemplary attitude on and off the field).