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06/09/99
Lambs To The Slaughter As “A Team” Annihilates Canterbury B
by Jeremy Ruane
Auckland’s “A Team” continued on their record-shattering way at the 24th National Women’s Soccer Tournament at Burnside Park in Christchurch on September 6, 1999, the young lambs of Canterbury B their unfortunate victims as the defending champions scored a dozen goals in each half in dishing out a 24-0 annihilation to their vastly inexperienced opponents.
Just twenty-four hours previously, Auckland had rewritten the record books when posting a record 15-0 results against South Canterbury - no such score had been recorded in the previous twenty-four years of National Women’s Soccer Tournaments.
The ink had barely had a chance to dry on the page when it was time to get the Twink out again - to amend four entries. As well as being the new record scoreline in National Women’s Soccer Tournaments, the “A Team”’s latest resounding triumph supercedes the largest score ever recorded in a senior soccer match, male or female, played in Canterbury, by two goals.
Their victory is a record for the province, but not the national record - Waikato, 26-0 conquerors of Northland in the 1992 Ken Armstrong Memorial Trophy tournament in Auckland, hold that honour. Meanwhile, Amanda Crawford’s personal tally of nine goals is second only to Wendy Sharpe's ten-goal haul against Marlborough in 1986, as the record haul for one player in a National Women’s Soccer Tournament game.
Auckland opened their hymnals from the first whistle and took barely sixty seconds to start singing in sweet harmony. Terry McCahill fed Crawford, who combined with Maia Jackman and Michele Cox before unleashing a stinging shot which Canterbury B goalkeeper Aimee O’Malley dealt with capably.
The ‘keeper’s next task was to fish the ball out of the net for the first time, in the fourth minute. Jennifer Carlisle picked out Crawford with a free-kick, the striker flicking the ball on for Jackman. Her first-time cross was tailor-made for Cox, who steered home the opener.
Two minutes later, the “A Team”’s assault on the record books was under way in earnest. Crawford hit a screamer from twenty-five yards which dipped over O’Malley but cannoned off the crossbar. Jackman, following in, reacted with lightning speed to the angle of the dropping ball, adjusting herself in an instant to volley home - 2-0.
Rebecca Sowden spurned a golden chance within a minute, firing lazily over the crossbar, poor reward for Crawford’s endeavour in creating the opportunity. Four minutes then elapsed before Auckland laid siege to Canterbury B’s goal with a succession of close calls.
Crawford flicked a Cox corner goalwards. O’Malley palmed it down to McCahill, who fired over in the eleventh minute. A minute later, it was Cox’s turn to be denied by the goalkeeper, after instigating this latest attack with a through ball which Crawford drilled at the target. O’Malley parried the shot, and reacted quickly to deny Cox the chance toturn home the rebound.
The ‘keeper’s clearance fell at the feet of Sacha Haskell, who unleashed a twenty-yarder which whizzed past the far post, the ‘keeper, like her team-mates, clearly bewildered by the sheer speed of Auckland’s reactions.
The resulting goal-kick eventually arrived at the feet of Carlisle, some twenty-five yards out from goal. From there, she curled home a beauty in the thirteenth minute - 3-0.
Within sixty seconds, the score changed again. Gaining possession straight from the kick-off, Auckland surged forward, and Jackman supplied the final pass which put Cox through on goal with just O’Malley to beat - four.
Make that five two minutes later. Haskell fed Cox, whose first-time pass wide brought Jill Corner into the game. Her low return pass allowed Cox time to turn and set up Sowden, whose shot was parried by O’Malley, but had sufficient power to continue across the line.
After Cox had been denied by O’Malley, following a Jackman surge down the left, the “A Team” wracked up goal number six in the 23rd minute. Carlisle’s cross from the right was flicked on by Cox to the far post, where Crawford crashed the ball home on the volley.
Jackman and Cox were responsible for the next opening, two minutes later, which invited Haskell to join in the fun. Off the post her first effort cannoned, then the crossbar intervened. It was left to Crawford to show her team-mate how it was done, but after setting herself up, the striker fired wide ... unbelievable!
Not to worry, though, as normal service soon resumed. Another searing Haskell drive crashed against the upright in the 27th minute, and McCahill, following up, was unable to steer the rebound into Crawford’s path. The ball was eventually returned to Haskell, who had another go. This time, the ball was going wide, but en route it took a fortuitous deflection off Crawford - 7-0.
The same player struck again in the 29th minute, this time even more fortuitously. Bursting to the byline on the left, she shaped to cross, but sliced her effort ... and in by the far post the ball duly dropped - 8-0.
Two minutes later, Cox careered down the right, and picked out Crawford with her cross. The striker laid the ball back to Haskell, who finally found the target. From the kick-off, the “A Team” carved open their youthful opponents at will once more, forcing a corner. Cox took it, and picked out Jackman, whose twelve-yard header fair bulleted into the net - 10-0, with just 32 minutes on the clock.
Canterbury B were afforded a brief respite as Auckland eased off the throttle just a touch, but by half-time, they had added two further goals. Sowden, in the 38th minute, fed Cox, who slipped the ball into the path of Jackman, as she surged inside off the left flank. O’Malley parried the speedster’s cross, straight to Crawford, who duly tapped home.
Barely sixty seconds had elapsed when the 12-0 half-time scoreline came to pass, Cox the architect once more, one of thirteen goals she was to have a hand in creating, ignoring the five she was personally responsible for. This time she scythed down the left, then cut inside before giving Crawford the pleasure of scoring her fifth of the half.
At this point, things looked rather ominous for Canterbury B. In their first two games of the tournament, Auckland’s half-time advantage had been trebled by the final whistle. Surely we weren’t going to witness a twenty-four goal second half?
Thankfully, no, from Canterbury B’s point of view at least. But had the “A Team” converted all the chances they created ...
They certainly started out with every intention of doing just that, scoring from three of their first four attacks of the half, within three minutes of the game’s resumption. Straight from the start, Jackman motored down the right and whipped over a cross. It was too far ahead of Crawford, but Cox regathered the ball, and clipped it over for Jennifer Kelley, who directed her header at O’Malley.
The resulting clearance was gathered by Cox, who powered through and drew the defence before squaring for Crawford, who was relieved to see the
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ball hit the roof of the net!
From the resumption, Tarah Cox, Amy Goaziou and Cox combined to carve open Canterbury B once more. Kelley couldn’t miss - 14-0.
Reeling from the “A Team”’s whirlwind start to the half, their younger opponents hadn’t regathered their senses before Auckland equalled the record they had set just twenty-four hours previously. Cox, of course, was involved yet again, this time providing Crawford with a slide-rule pass which the striker took on round the unfortunate O’Malley before tucking home in the 43rd minute.
It was to be the goalkeeper’s last act of the match, as she was replaced by Julie Armour between the sticks. You’d have thought O’Malley would have been pleased to be relieved of her duties, given she had faced what virtually amounted to a footballing firing squad for 43 minutes. But that wasn’t the case - “It was a good experience for me!”, she declared as she shed her gloves. What is it they say about goalkeepers?
On with the action, and Auckland produced a sizzling move in the 46th minute which fully deserved a goal. Kelley burst through, then laid the ball back to Haskell. She played the ball across for Goaziou, who steered it into the path of Cox. Her flick-on landed perfectly for Crawford, who mistimed the shot - one of those occasions when the build-up fully merits a goal which will not come!
A Goaziou corner in the 48th minute saw an almighty scramble ensue in front of the B Team’s goal, before Cox sent the ball thundering through the crowd and barely a foot past the upright. Within a minute, the shooter picked out Jackman with a pass, which saw the speedster’s drive blocked by the legs of Armour. Tarah Cox, following up, blazed her shot over the top - not the first time she had spurned an opening in the match in this manner.
The tournament goalscoring record was at last broken in the 53rd minute, and it was somewhat ironic that Tarah Cox should finally find the target, given the accuracy, or, rather, inaccuracy of her previous efforts. The combined efforts of McCahill, Cox and Goaziou engineered the opening on this occasion.
Neither Kelley nor Crawford was able to capitalise on an inviting low cross from Goaziou in the 55th minute, while the same source produced an inswinging corner seconds later which Tarah Cox headed narrowly wide.
From the resulting goal-kick, Michele Cox unleashed a howitzer which Armour saved superbly. Sadly for the substitute shot-stopper, Jackman was following up, and duly volleyed home goal number seventeen of the afternoon.
It was 18-0 in the 58th minute, Cox and Crawford continuing to create chaos at Canterbury B’s expense. Well-crafted interplay between the pair resulted in the former’s drive being blocked by Armour, who was unable to prevent Crawford pouncing on the rebound to steer home from a tight angle.
Armour pulled off a fine save to deny Cox on the hour, after Crawford and Goaziou had united their talents to arrange the opening. Two minutes later, an inswinging Goaziou corner hit the crossbar, as Auckland sought to score once more.
They had but moments to wait, as in the 64th minute, Cox scored the classiest goal of the day, dribbling through three challenges before rounding the advancing Armour to tuck home the “A Team”’s nineteenth strike.
It was a case of from the sublime to the ridiculous for Cox two minutes later, however, as she was found guilty as charged of the miss of the match! Crawford scampered through and drew Armour before squaring the ball to her team-mate, who somehow contrived to miss an open goal! Goaziou, following up, was unable to make the most of the chance either - unbelievable!
Crawford showed them how to do it in the 68th minute, Kelley providing a precise return pass as the pair worked a one-two to perfection. Crawford thumped the ball home, her ninth, the “A Team”’s twentieth.
Two minutes later, they added still further to their score - pun intended! Crawford surged through, then set up Kelley, who made a meal of a good chance. Cox was on hand to pick up the pieces and put them away, however, the despairing efforts of Armour to paw the ball off the line not quite successful, the ball having crossed the paintwork before she could flick it away.
A brave save by Armour at the feet of Cox five minutes from time marked the last occasion in this match in which her efforts would prevent the ball from crossing the line, as Auckland finished this fixture with a flourish, scoring a further three goals in as many minutes late in the piece to wrap up the rout.
Cox struck her fifth of the match in the 77th minute, driving home the rebound after Armour had parried her first effort. The goalkeeper was fortunate not to have her hand taken off a minute later as Goaziou absolutely hammered the ball home at the near post. Armour got her hand to it, but such was the ferocious power with which the shot was struck that there was simply no way on earth that she could possibly have stopped it.
The final goal of the fixture came a minute from time, and featured a reversal of roles by the two players who were ultimately responsible for the first goal of the game. Jackman picked out Cox, whose shot was parried by Armour. But Jackman, following up, steered home the rebound for her fourth goal of the match, and Auckland’s last, much to the relief of Canterbury B, not to mention the tournament officials, who were visibly wincing at the prospect of the scoreline changing whenever the “A Team” homed in on their unfortunate opponent’s goal.
Well before the final whistle, the jungle drums were already audible as the school of thought which questions how women’s soccer stands to benefit from such massive scorelines gained further support. There is no question that the viewpoint is a valid one.
But when a team as talented as that fielded by Auckland in this tournament - nine SWANZ internationals, two US Olympic Development Training Programme graduates - is faced with a team chock-full of players who have yet to celebrate their twentieth birthday, routs are inevitable.
For mine, it’s a pity that the quality of Auckland’s performance in this match - and make no mistake, there was some high quality football produced by the “A Team” throughout this eighty minute onslaught - is being overlooked, in favour of an argument which rears its head whenever results such as the 24-0 hiding served up by Auckland in this fixture come to pass.
It’s not the players’ fault that they are so superior to their opposition, and it would surely be a sad day for soccer indeed were those teams, which are clearly far superior to their opponents, to ever be discouraged from attempting to emphasise the fact on the scoreboard.
How to resolve this issue to avoid future recurrences is something which requires planning and forethought at an administrative level. In the interim, nothing can be done about it, so rather than rue harsh reality, let’s give full credit where it’s due - the “A Team” fully merit it on this record-shattering performance.
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Auckland: Vale; McCahill, Simpson (Robertson, 41), Carlisle; Corner (Goaziou, 41), Haskell, T. Cox (Exler, 56), Sowden (Kelley, 41), Jackman; Crawford, M. Cox
Scoring: M. Cox (4, 14, 64, 70, 77), M. Jackman (6, 32, 56, 79), J. Carlisle (13), R. Sowden (16), A. Crawford (23, 28, 29, 38, 39, 41, 43, 58, 68), S. Haskell (31), T. Cox (53), J. Kelley (42), A. Goaziou (78)
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