OlyWhites v Honduras, 25/07/21

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OlyWhites Snatch Defeat From Jaws Of Victory

by Jeremy Ruane

New Zealand's OlyWhites made life a great deal more difficult for themselves at the Olympic Men's Football Tournament at the Ibaraki Kashima Stadium on July 25, snatching defeat from the jaws of victory after going down 3-2 to Honduras.

Had they retained the 2-1 lead they enjoyed going into the last twelve minutes of the match, Danny Hay's charges would have guaranteed themselves a place in the quarter-finals of the competition with a game to spare.

Instead, they now face a fight to the death in their final group game against Rumania, at the same time as the Hondurans are taking on Korea Republic, with all three teams starting the day locked on three points, and only two of them staying on in Japan after Wednesday evening.

The OlyWhites will almost certainly take to the field for that encounter without captain Winston Reid, who hobbled off after just six minutes of this match after coming off second-best in a rugged challenge with Honduran striker Jorge Benguche.

His team-mates made light of their skipper's premature departure, Callum McCowatt shooting tamely at Alex Guity after Elijah Just and Clayton Lewis had combined within a minute of Reid's early exit.

And while their captain was still getting his knee iced and strapped came a goal out of nowhere which cast aside all thoughts of injuries and other such distractions, as celebrating one of the goals of these or any other Olympics rightly took priority.

A McCowatt corner was cleared beyond the edge of the penalty area to Liberato Cacace, who was lurking some thirty yards from goal. The fullback strode onto the ball and unleashed a thunderous first-time volley which fair screamed into the top far corner of Guity's net to give the OlyWhites a ninth minute lead no one associated with New Zealand football will ever forget - an absolutely stunning strike!

And so nearly 2-0 five minutes later. A defensive blunder by Cristopher Melendez let in Joe Bell, who threaded the ball through for Chris Wood. Sadly for the striker, the pass slightly favoured the fast-approaching figure of Guity, who bundled the ball out of play off the OlyWhites' stand-in captain.

The Central Americans first offered a threat on goal in the 24th minute, when Michael Woud parried a twenty yard free-kick from Luis Palma into the goalmouth. Benguche was the first player to react, but headed the ball wide of the target from six yards when scoring seemed easier - 'twas a bad miss!

Back came the OlyWhites, Dane Ingham, Just and Wood combining to present McCowatt with the chance to curl one as he came inside off the right flank. Guity tipped his effort over the bar, and was relieved to see his defenders stand up to the task of denying Wood seconds later, after McCowatt and Just had worked an opening through the inside left channel.

The OlyWhites had played well throughout the first half-hour, both attack-wise and defensively, with the Hondurans frequently being denied space in which to build up attacks by well-timed interventions by their white-clad opponents.

As a result, they rarely got within range of goal, and those shots which ended up being fired were of the wayward variety from distance. But after Guity had smothered at the feet of Wood following a left flank raid featuring Just's pass and Cacace's low cross, the Hondurans turned up the heat in the shadows of the half-time whistle.

Melendez got the better of Cacace on the right in the 44th minute, the fullback cutting inside before sliding the ball across to Palma. He spun superbly around Reid's replacement, George Stanger before unleashing a drive which was blocked by Woud.

The ball rebounded off Palma out of play - the striker deserved better reward for his skill in engineering the opening, and he didn't have to wait long to get it. A short corner routine saw Jose Reyes deliver a cross beyond the far post which Palma rose to meet.

His downward header should have been saved by Woud, but the 'keeper inexplicably bundled the ball into the net to gift Honduras a priceless equaliser in first half stoppage time.

Indeed, the Hondurans could well have gone into the dressing rooms with their noses in front, had

Woud not made amends for his moment of madness by smothering Palma' twenty-five yarder at the near post.

The Central Americans began the second half on the front foot, but just four minutes after the resumption of play found themselves trailing on the scoreboard again, this time courtesy a slick OlyWhites' counter-attack.

Clayton Lewis, Cacace and Just combined to good effect, with the last-mentioned delivering a delicious cross through the corridor of uncertainty which no goalkeeper nor retreating defender ever likes dealing.

For incoming strikers, however, such crosses are irresistible, and when a striker of Wood's pedigree is ghosting in on the far post to meet the ball, the outcome is a given - 2-1, the ball duly rammed home from eight yards.

Honduras came desperately close to equalising two minutes later. Denil Maldonado, joining the attack, latched onto a delicious back-heeled pass from Douglas Martinez and curled the ball round the stranded figure of Woud, who was mightily relieved to see the sphere strike the far post and rebound to safety.

Four minutes later, the Hondurans were in again, this time via Melendez on the right. His low cross found Woud wanting, but Palma was unable to capitalise, his header looping onto the roof of the net.

Soon after, Martinez engineered space amid the gathered throngs of white-clad opponents on the edge of the penalty area to unleash a shot which Woud smothered well.

The striker only just failed to get on the end of a teasing cross from Palma in the 64th minute, as the Hondurans pressed for their second equaliser of the game, to which the OlyWhites responded via Wood, who was picked out by Bell's free-kick twenty minutes from time. Guity only just managed to keep out the striker's effort - had it gone in, game over.

That was also the situation four minutes later, after Just released Ingham down the right. His cross was pawed to safety by Guity as Wood, arriving at the near post, looked on in annoyance.

That annoyance proved to be well justified, for Honduras drew level twelve minutes from time. A dreadful mix-up between Stanger and Woud meant the 'keeper was unable to clear his lines, much to the glee of substitute Juan Obregon, who nipped in between the pair of them and tucked the ball into an empty net - 2-2, and an awfully soft goal to concede, particularly at this level of the game.

For the third time in the game, the OlyWhites looked to take the lead, but Wood was splendidly denied by Guity ten minutes from time, as he tipped the striker's twenty yard free-kick round the post.

Back came Honduras, Woud saving at the feet of substitute Rigoberto Rivas before punching Reyes' lob off the head of Obregon. Reyes regathered possession and picked out half-time substitute Carlos Pineda, whose overhead kick landed on the roof of the net, with Woud watching anxiously again.

Three minutes from time, Gianni Stensness' ball out of defence was intercepted by Pineda, who brought Rivas into play. He surged through the inside left channel before unleashing a shot which deflected off Stanger and past the diving figure of Woud - who appeared to have it covered - into the far corner of the net.

3-2 Honduras, but there was still drama to be had, as the OlyWhites engineered a stoppage time free-kick. Bell's delivery arced just over the head of Wood, allowing Honduras to clear their lines and give themselves a lifeline in this Olympic Men's Football Tournament, with this result, and the other game in the group, meaning all four teams can all qualify going into the final round of action.

Honduras: Guity; Cristopher Melendez (Oliva, 62), Garcia, Maldonado (Carlos Menendez, 62), Decas (booked, 36); Reyes, Alvarez (Rivas, 62), Rodriguez, Palma; Benguche (Pineda, 46), Martinez (Obregon, 71)

OlyWhites: Woud; Ingham, Stensness, Reid (Stanger, 6), Pijnaker, Cacace; Just (Champness, 86), Bell, Lewis (Stamenic, 64 (booked, 85)), McCowatt (Waine, 64 (booked, 75)); Wood

Referee: Orel Grinfeeld (Israel)

OlyWhites