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All Whites Held To Historic Draw By Iraq
by Jeremy Ruane
The All Whites concluded their FIFA Confederations Cup campaign at Ellis Park in Johannesburg on June 20 by producing their best performance of the tournament en route to recording some New Zealand footballing history.
They were held to a scoreless draw by Asian champions Iraq, a result which saw the Oceania champions record their first-ever point at a senior FIFA men's tournament, following in the footsteps of the Football Ferns' feat in drawing with Japan at the 2008 Olympic Games.
And as with the Ferns, who led the Japanese 2-0 until the final twelve minutes of that match, the All Whites could, and perhaps should, have won this encounter against an Iraqi team which needed to win to clinch a semi-final clash with Brazil.
They certainly began the match with that intention, creating three chances in the first thirteen minutes. Emad Mohammed met a Madhi Kareem corner with a downward header in the fifth minute, the ball bouncing off the sand-coated pitch and up onto the roof of the net defended by the black-clad All Whites.
Six minutes later, a raking Mohammed Kassid clearance saw Younis Mahmoud and Kareem combine with Emad. His pass inside invited Mahmoud, Iraq's captain, to power into New Zealand's penalty area, but Glen Moss was on hand to thwart him at close quarters.
All Whites' coach, Ricki Herbert, made three changes for this match, with by far the most significant being the return to the fray of Ben Sigmund, back after a four-month absence with a hip injury.
A defender very much in the Jamie Carragher mould, his passionate, no-nonsense, take-no-prisoners style and willingness to roll his sleeves up and get stuck in are traits which make him a firm favourite among New Zealand's fans, who readily identify with such attributes, and expect to see them any time a team sporting the silver fern takes to the field.
Sadly, said characteristics had been sorely lacking from the All Whites' displays at this tournament, prompting criticism aplenty of Herbert and his charges, from whom better will always be expected, such are the public's demands of those chosen to represent them on the world stage.
Come the thirteenth minute of this match, Sigmund put a line in the sand where such criticism was concerned, stepping in to break up a Nashat Akram-inspired raid in his inimitable style, and effectively saying to his team-mates, “Enough of this nonsense - let's play our way!”
New Zealand proceeded to do just that, dominating the rest of the half to leave one wondering why they can't play with this level of intensity, passion, commitment and focus every time they take to the field.
Indeed, the only thing they didn't do in this match was take their chances, for make no mistake, this was a game for the taking, one which could have seen them celebrating three points come the final whistle, never mind one.
Just two minutes after Sigmund had left his calling card, the All Whites created their first opening of note. Tim Brown played the ball wide to the recalled Jeremy Brockie, whose cross picked out Chris Killen eight yards out. The Celtic striker's finish was awful - high, wide and not very handsome!
Sigmund got on the end of a Leo Bertos corner soon afterwards, the ball bulleting past the post from his header. Then Bertos, whose willingness to take on and beat Iraqi opponents at any given moment was one of the individual highlights of this display, let loose a twenty-five yarder in the 26th minute which Kassid needed two attempts to save.
Two minutes later, Bertos dribbled through three challenges as he wove his way down the left flank into the penalty area, at which point he laid the ball back for Shane Smeltz, who deftly turned his marker and prodded a shot through a crowded goalmouth but past the far post.
This was thrilling fare for All Whites' fans, who rarely see their national team playing with such elan - normally a defensive approach is the way of things, but not on this occasion.
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  Chris Killen goes in boots 'n' all against Karrar Jassim, while Shane Smeltz leaps in to frustrate Mohammed Ali Kareem
 Ben Sigmund thwarts Younis Mahmoud
  Glen Moss punches a free-kick to safety, then flies high to claim a cross
 We have lift-off! Simon Elliott, Andy Boyens, Shane Smeltz, Tim Brown and David Mulligan leap to thwart a free-kick, watched by Leo Bertos (11)
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On the half-hour, they came desperately close to breaking the deadlock. Ivan Vicelich linked with fullback Aaron Scott, who pinged the ball forward to Smeltz. He controlled the ball neatly before linking with Brown, who fed Bertos wide on the left, from where he crossed invitingly to the near post for Smeltz, whose glancing header flashed inches past the far upright.
Four minutes later, a weak headed clearance by Basem Abbas was pounced on by Brown, who picked out Killen with his cross. The striker directed his header low to Kassid's left, forcing the `keeper to produce a smothering save.
After Brockie - a long-range effort straight at Kassid - and Akram had exchanged shots on goal, Killen and Smeltz combined to set up Simon Elliott, New Zealand's best-performed outfielder at this tournament, despite being nearer forty than thirty age-wise. Kassid needed two bites to keep this twenty-five yarder out, thus ensuring the first half would remain scoreless.
The second spell was far less stimulating, with the half really only coming to life inside the last ten minutes, when both teams went all out to snatch the three points at stake.
Prior to the grandstand finish, Iraq had the better of a scrappy half, without even remotely approaching the All Whites' degree of first half dominance. Prior to the offside flag denying Mahmoud a 58th minute goal, a thirty-yard curler from Karrar Jasim was splendidly punched clear by Moss as Ali Hussein Rehema looked to get on the end of the delivery.
The All Whites' custodian was less troubled by Akram's tame free-kick on the hour, and looked on fifteen minutes later as substitute Salih Sadir sent a shot sailing past the far post.
Life was to get far busier for Moss before the final whistle, seven minutes prior to which New Zealand again came close to scoring with their first noteworthy effort of the half. Scott and substitute Jeremy Christie combined on the right for Killen, whose shot on the turn from the edge of the area skidded narrowly past the post.
Back came Iraq in the 86th minute, Abbas' ball into the danger zone picking out Mahmoud, who set up Jasim. After skipping past substitute David Mulligan, he let fly, only look on in amazement as the ball ricocheted to safety off Moss' face!
The All Whites' response was instant, and was fittingly inspired by Elliott. He linked with Killen, who fed the ball wide to the overlapping Mulligan, who returned the favour to the striker with an angled pass.
Killen picked out Smeltz inside the penalty area, ten yards out from goal, but the striker made a dog's breakfast out of the opening - had he connected cleanly, a famous win would have been within touching distance.
Instead, New Zealand ended up hanging on for the point, as Iraq threw everything at Moss' goal in the hope that a late winner would see them through to the semi-finals. Sadir fired a twenty-yard free-kick narrowly over the bar, before Jasim and Mahmoud combined to invite him to let fly in stoppage time.
Sadir's sizzling twenty-five yarder was destined for the far corner of the net, but Moss produced a stunning full-length dive to fingertip the shot to safety, one final piece of evidence in the case for the prosecution where the “Goalkeeper of the Tournament” award is concerned.
From Jasim's resulting corner, Moss was beaten, Salam Shaker poking the ball past him. But Tony Lochhead was on hand to clear off the line and ensure that the All Whites' pre-tournament ambition of scoring a historic first point at a FIFA Finals tournament would be realised. Yet it could, perhaps should, have been three …
All Whites: Moss; Scott (Mulligan, 85), Sigmund (Boyens, 71), Vicelich, Lochhead; Brockie (booked, 61) (Christie, 68), Brown (booked, 35), Elliott, Bertos; Smeltz, Killen
Iraq: Kassid; Ali Kareem, Shaker, Rehema, Abbas; Kareem (Sadir, 67), Akram, Mulla Mohammed (Majeed, 46), Jasim; Mahmoud, Emad (Abdul Zhara, 56)
Referee: Howard Webb (England)
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