Australia v New Zealand: international football friendly – live | Australia
Key events
30 mins: Finally a good cross finds Wood in the box, he flicks it towards the far post, it is heading wide but Ryan gets down to stop the ball just in case.
I am not saying it is quiet inside the stadium but you can hear the coaches shouting instructions at the players. Can the fans not start chanting the Neighbours theme tune or Waltzing Matilda?
28 mins: Australia are certainly on top now. Everything is going in the direction of the New Zealand goal. Their latest corner al most lands perfectly for Souttar but he can’t make good contact. The ball is cleared but comes straight back into the box towards Duke and flashes wide off his crown.
26 mins: Bos collects the ball around 20 yards or so from goal. He takes a touch to get it out of his reach and looks to whip it into the top corner, forcing Woud into making a good diving save.
Bos takes the corner but the All Whites clear.
24 mins: The last time these two nations played for the Soccer Ashes was 1954 and the commentator is desperate to use every fact he has learned about that match. Fair play to him on the research.
22 mins: Duke should have a second. The cross is straight at him from the left and his control is almost too good, stopping it dead, making it too hard for him to muster a shot and New Zealand intervene.
20 mins: The tempo of this match is not exactly lightning. No one will be testing their hamstrings.
18 mins: Ryan comes out of his box to clear the ball before the situation can become dangerous. I am not sure trying to use Wood’s pace is the best idea for New Zealand.
16 mins: The All Whites have decided to to calm their nerves by knocking the ball around at the back.
14 mins: New Zealand had started brightly but fell asleep for the opener. Hopefully they will be able to bounce back.
GOAL! Australia 1-0 New Zealand (Duke, 13)
A deep cross is punted to the back post where Circati is waiting to knock the ball back into a dangerous area and Duke pounces by rifling in from the edge of the six-yard box.
12 mins: Socceroos have found their feet in the match. Metcalfe shows some nifty footwork to avoid a couple of challenges before aiming to slip a through ball between defenders but it is intercepted.
10 mins: Woud pings a clearance straight at Bos just outside the box. Thankfully for Woud, it was hit with such ferocity that no would have been able to control it.
8 mins: Australia enjoy a good spell of possession but it is in their own defensive third and a touch pedestrian. I guess you could say they are biding their time …
6 mins: Woud, in goal for New Zealand, does have an Ederson-esque left boot. He could compete with the Brazilian for distance reached by his clearances.
Bacchus takes down Garbutt near the halfway line. Socceroos need to pick this up.
Friendly, you say? Stamenic dives in on Luongo from behind. In other circumstances, he would be booked.
4 mins: Souttar whacks a cross out for a corner to New Zealand. The All Whites have started better.
The resulting set-piece is sent into the box and Boxall tries to score with an overhead kick but he does not make great contact. There is a bit of panic from the Socceroos but they manage to clear.
2 mins: It has started at the speed that all international friendlies should: slow.
Tom Ivers emails: “In Barcelona on holidays and pondering the merits of explaining to the Mrs I’m heading out into the night to perhaps find an Irish bar that might on the off chance be showing a Socceroos friendly.
“Chances are I’ll just keep an eye on your coverage as I plow through this copy of shadow of the wind and polish off the Jamon Iberica. In the interest of marital harmony and whatnot.
“Carn the roos.”
Watch it on YouTube on your phone with a caña in hand.
Kick off
Peep! Peep! Peep! Here we go!
DARREN ENGLAND IS THE FOURTH OFFICIAL! #Narrative
The players are on the pitch. There’s a decent amount of people inside the Gtech Community Stadium but with plenty of space behind both goals.
The good news, for those of us outside of Australia, is that the game is live on YouTube. At least it is supposed to be. Currently I am just looking at a slate claiming the coverage will start soon. If it does not, I will just guess what is happening.
But what company you will have Harry McDonald: “As someone who has been to every NZ game I possibly could over the past 50 years, I find myself in London for 4 weeks.
“However a week before this game was announced I booked, and paid for a 3 day trip to Belfast where I am now! Annoying.
“I am in Kelly’s Cellars with a Guinness so it’s not a total loss.”
Tyler Bindon is another fun one. His mother was a New Zealand goalkeeper and father an international volleyball player.
Harry McDonald emails the sort of information I should know but as I was called up last minute to do this, I do not: “The Kirwan in the NZ subs is the son of All Blacks legend John Kirwan.|
Peter Oh emails: “I detect a pugilistic thread in the lineups. Australia have put up their Duke, and New Zealand are all in with Boxall.
“Let’s hope it’s clean fight!”
Putting the match into context.
Starting lineups
Australia: Ryan, Miller, Souttar, Circati, Behich, Baccus, Luongo, Metcalfe, Boyle, Duke, Bos
Subs: Degenek, Burgess, Rowles, Silvera, Borrello, Goodwin, Mabil, Redmayne, Strain, O’Neill, Glover, Irvine, Yazbek, Toure
New Zealand: Woud, Boxall, Cacace, Pijnaker, Tuiloma, Garbett, McCowatt, Stamenic, Grieve, Just, Wood
Subs: Crocombe, Tzanev, Bindon, Champness, Kirwan, Mata, Smith, Waine, Wilkins
Preamble
The Soccer Ashes is upon us but hopefully they will not burn down the goalposts because that would need a very big urn.
The Socceroos could not have found many venues further from Oceania to host the match but maybe the players will come together afterwards for a few pints in a local nightclub. Graham Arnold’s side performed well against England on Friday night and will be aiming to get a confidence-boosting result tonight.
It is a relatively inexperienced All Whites squad in England – their four goalkeepers possess a meagre eight caps between them. English manager Darren Bazeley does, at least, have the reliable Chris Wood up top, who knows how to cause anyone problems.
Kick-off: 7:45pm BST/5:45am AEDT
0 Comments