New Zealand soccer comes of age

SPORTS TALK - BY JOSEPH ROMANOS - THE WELLINGTONIAN

OPINION: Was November 14 2009 the day when the nature of New Zealand sport changed forever?

Is rugby, which for more than 120 years has been New Zealand's national game, under genuine threat from soccer?

The All Whites' effort on Saturday night in beating Bahrain 1-0 in Wellington, and so qualifying for next year's World Cup finals in South Africa, has set New Zealand buzzing.

Wellington's stadium was a sellout, and if the capacity had been double, the seats would still all have been sold.

Most of the fans wore white to support their national team.

Throughout the tensest of matches, chants of "white, white, white" rang out repeatedly.

Normally this stadium reverberates to "black, black, black".

The knife-edge match was too tight to allow the fans to be jubilant before the final whistle.

Even when Rory Fallon provided New Zealand's goal a minute before halftime, there was only time for a quick rendition of:

Rory Fallon, Rory Fallon

He's big, he's bad

He's better than his dad

Rory Fallon, Rory Fallon.

Then it was back to the serious business of urging New Zealand home, knowing one goal conceded would probably be the death knell for the All Whites' chances.

The ever-vociferous Yellow Fever (the Phoenix supporters) formed an impressive solid mass of white in their home section, but even they were never able to confidently express that joy of knowing a great result was certain to happen.

They bravely – considering it was nearly 10pm on a bitterly cold and windy evening – whipped off their shirts for the last 10 minutes, signalling an impending triumph.

But this was more in hope and bravado than in certain expectation.

When it was all over, and New Zealand had booked their place in South Africa (and a cool US$10 million for New Zealand soccer), there were all sorts of heroes.

Coach Ricki Herbert, normally the most composed and understated of individuals, rushed around calling everyone "mate" and even, most unHerbert-like, swore twice during the after-match television interview.

Many of his team-mates from the 1982 World Cup-qualifying game were at the stadium, and some, such as Brian Turner and the tungsten-tough Kevin Fallon, had tears in their eyes.

Goalie Mark Paston wouldn't even have been playing if regular No1 Glen Moss had not been suspended for four World Cup games following the All Whites' Oceania group qualifier against Fiji last November.

Paston saved a penalty soon after the break, which seemed to knock the stuffing out of the visitors.

The 32-year-old Phoenix player, under an injury cloud until a few da ago, dived to his right to stop Sayed Mohamed's shot and brighten the lives of millions of New Zealanders following the game intently.

Rory Fallon, son of a famous New Zealand soccer identity, produced the winner, a firmly-struck header off Leo Bertos' pinpoint corner kick.

Later Fallon spoke about his gratitude at being able to represent New Zealand, after a change in FIFA rules last year made him eligible.

He had played for England at age level and, until the rule change, that would have prohibited him from representing New Zealand permanently.

The other special champion was the All Whites skipper Ryan Nelsen, a commanding, dominating, reassuring figure at the back, marshalling his troops, urging greater efforts, spotting dangers.

Wellington was in party mood after the game. Thousands had gathered to watch the huge video screen on Queens Wharf.

Bars everywhere showed the game to packed houses.

I have not seen Wellington so caught up in the fever of a sports occasion (as opposed to the zaniness of the annual international sevens rugby event) for a decade or more.

It made me wonder if the message on the shirt Fallon wore after the game was right. It boldly proclaimed, "White is the new black".

New Zealand soccer has had these false dawns before, most notably in 1982, when rugby was on a low after the contentious 1981 Springbok tour and the All Whites had qualified for the World Cup in Spain.

Soccer administrators at the time let a glorious chance slip by. Herbert said the other night: "I hope they [the administrators] don't squander it again."

There was talk after the game of Halberg Awards. Herbert as coach, the All Whites as a team, and maybe Nelsen as an individual.

In 1982 John Adshead's All Whites were overlooked for the Sportsman of the Year title (as it was then called), dipping out to a world champion rowing eight.

Adshead is still irked about that. It's doubtful there'll be such a snub again.

But longer-term, it's possible soccer's rise will be inexorable.

While rugby struggles to retain viewing and spectator numbers, and wrestles with its rules and competition formats, football's numbers are increasing dramatically.

Many major boys' secondary schools, such as Wellington College, are dropping a rugby team a year and gaining a soccer team. All New Zealand soccer has lacked is a shop window, heroes for the youngsters.

That situation was fixed in Wellington on Saturday evening.