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141112
All Whites Spurn Chance To Score Rare China Win
by Jeremy Ruane
The All Whites capped off their activities for 2012 by holding China to a 1-1 draw at the Shanghai Hongkou Football Stadium on 14 November, but were left to rue a number of spurned opportunities which prevented them from scoring a sixth successive victory on the international stage.
The match afforded All Whites coach Ricki Herbert the chance to experiment with his starting line-up, and he opted for a youthful outfield selection and a revamped playing formation also, one which came close to scoring a maiden win in the world's most populous nation.
It was China who enjoyed the first opportunity to break the deadlock, Zhi Zheng's acrobatic volley being stopped by Mark Paston at his near post after Tommy Smith's skied clearance of Hanchao Yu's cross had dropped perfectly for China's captain.
The All Whites didn't take long to flex their attacking muscles, Chris Wood beating Chinese goalkeeper Dalei Wang to Tony Lochhead's fifth minute cross. But the striker was unable to direct his header beneath the bar.
Wood stung the gloves of Wang with a long-range effort in the sixteenth minute, matching Xiang Sun's effort for China five minutes earlier when the fullback unleashed a twenty yard free-kick awarded after Lin Gao had gone down under the sturdy challenge of Winston Reid.
Paston emerged with the ball in his gloves from that effort, and was quickly out of his area to deal with the threat posed by Gao in the seventeenth minute, after Reid had woefully under-hit a back-pass.
Further Chinese pressure followed soon after, Sun's ball forward being headed on by Gao into the stride of Yu, who was a constant threat down the left flank. On this occasion, he steered the ball back to Yu, whose eighteen yarder required a solid Paston save in the 23rd minute.
After weathering this spell of pressure, the All Whites set about the task of imposing their will on proceedings, and in the 31st minute, they squandered a glorious chance to break the deadlock.
Michael McGlinchey's free-kick to the far post found Ben Sigmund ghosting in behind all-comers, but the defender made an absolute meal of the opportunity, allowing China to scramble the ball clear.
The home team instantly launched a counter-attack, with Xuri Zhao's cross-field ball picking out the rampaging figure of Yu, who got into the penalty area before letting fly. Dan Keat, in his first start for his country, had tracked the winger's run, however, and produced a superb block to divert the shot to safety.
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But from the resulting corner, China took the lead. Yu's delivery found Peng Zhao lurking ten yards out from goal, where he stole a yard on Tim Payne to arrow an header through a crowded goalmouth and between Paston and McGlinchey, who was covering the near post when the ball crossed the line in the 32nd minute.
It was a blow which, briefly, New Zealand struggled to overcome. Reid's temper got the better of him soon afterwards, and he came close to following up that booking with another one later in the match. Thankfully, Korean referee Kim Sang Woo applied common sense rather than the letter of the law - the official had a good game.
China looked to build on their advantage, with a quickly taken free-kick allowing Gao to cross for Hai Yu in the 37th minute. Lochhead's splendid covering tackle denied the winger, and allowed Smith to mop up.
But the red tide kept coming, Sun whipping in a gorgeous free-kick four minutes before the break which Zheng met with a glancing header. China's captain could only direct his effort straight at Paston, however.
The All Whites didn't mind that at all. And they certainly had no objection to getting back on level terms on the stroke of half-time! McGlinchey floated in another free-kick from the left flank which Wang missed, a mistake which afforded Wood a free header - 1-1.
New Zealand could have taken the lead on two occasions before the half-time whistle sounded. Wood headed the ball down for Costa Barbarouses, steaming up in support on the right, from where he picked out Marco Rojas beyond the far post with a deep cross. The talented youngster's goal-bound volley was brilliantly kept out by Wang.
Rojas turned provider seconds later, teasing and tormenting his Chinese opponents while, at the same time, affording Lochhead an avenue down which to overlap. A measured pass duly arrived in the fullback's stride, and his resulting first-time cross saw Wood just a stride away from turning the ball home - he was desperately close!
Buoyed by the goal, the All Whites began the second half in like manner - they were easily the better side during the period either side of the half-time whistle. And in the 53rd minute, they came close to taking the lead.
Barbarouses led the charge, beating three opponents before playing the ball across for Wood, whose driven cross beat Wang all ends up. Unfortunately, those wearing white arriving in support were too far away to capitalise upon the opportunity, while within sixty seconds, one of those players, Rojas,
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had seen the offside flag rule out his 54th minute goal.
The intrepid youngster set off on a dazzling run from half-way five minutes later which had Chinese opponents beating a hasty retreat. Three of them were beaten by Rojas before his defence-splitting pass invited Payne to put his country in front, only for the young striker to find Wang blocking his effort at close quarters.
China retorted with a swift counter-attack, Gao presenting Hanchao Yu with the chance to take on Reid before surging into the penalty area. The winger's rising near post drive was tipped away by Paston, who was relieved to see Gao send the ball soaring over the bar three minutes later, Yu having capitalised on a badly under-hit pass by Smith.
In between times, Keat and McGlinchey had combined to release Lochhead down the left once more. His cross arced just too high for Wood to get over and head downwards, while Rojas was denied the opportunity to make something of the chance thanks to some sound Chinese defending.
A host of substitutions by both teams over the course of the next twenty minutes rather disrupted the game's momentum, with one of the newcomers meriting particular mention.
Leo Bertos attempted to mark his fiftieth game in all white by twice supplying tempting deliveries in the last seven minutes. His first, an 83rd minute corner, was headed narrowly over the bar by Smith, while in the first minute of stoppage time, fellow substitute Shane Smeltz headed Bertos' cross narrowly past the post.
Jeremy Brockie then thrashed a stoppage time volley from distance past them post, before Paston produced a stunning reflex save to prevent China from pinching victory in stoppage time.
The 'keeper bravely punched out Hanchao Yu's corner as far as Peng PV, whose cross found fellow substitute Jian Lu lurking six yards out from goal. His header was only kept out by Paston's fine denial, which ensured the teams would match the result of their last encounter, in Wuhan twenty months ago. It finished 1-1 there as well.
China: Dalei Wang; Xiaoting Feng (Zheng Zheng, 46), Peng Zhao, Linpeng Zhang, Xiang Sun (booked, 36) (Ting Zhu, 46); Xuri Zhao (Peng PV, 65 (booked, 68)), Zhi Zheng (Dabao Yu, 46), Sheng Qin; Hai Yu (Jian Lu, 65), Lin Gao, Hanchao Yu
All Whites: Paston; Sigmund (Bertos, 65), Reid (booked, 35) (Howieson, 76), Smith, Lochhead; McGlinchey, Keat (Vicelich, 74), Payne; Barbarouses, Wood (Smeltz, 70), Rojas (Brockie, 65)
Referee: Kim Sang Woo (Korea Republic)
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