By TERRY MADDAFORD
The All Whites will chase a big payout when they confront hosts and defending champions Malaysia in the Merdeka soccer tournament final in Kuala Lumpur early tomorrow morning.
A hard-fought 1-0 win over Oman in their last pool match yesterday ensured the Ken Dugdale-coached New Zealand side of a place in the final, which has $US50,000 waiting for the winners.
Malaysia beat the Malaysian under-22 side 3-1 in their last game.
New Zealand and Malaysia went through unbeaten with seven points each. The All Whites had a 4-0 scoring record while the host nation managed 5-1 in their two wins and a draw (0-0 against New Zealand).
For a time, Dugdale had real doubts about his team's ability to conquer a fired-up Oman side.
"It was a tough game, especially in the first half," he said. "We could not get the ball off them and when we did, we gave it back. We did not push forward enough. It was a real backs-to-the-wall job, that's for sure.
"To be fair, Oman played better than we had seen in their first two games.
"The main thing is that we are in the final, the first time a New Zealand team have done that. It has been very hard. With a game every second day we have been very restricted in the work we have been able to do. Most of the time we have just got the players into the pool for a soak."
After a gruelling first half, during which Oman coach Carlos Alberto was sent from the bench by the referee, the All Whites scored in the 63rd minute, when Brad Scott provided the finish after the ball had been played back to him by Paul Urlovic, who had done well in keeping himself onside.
"It was quite a testy game," said Dugdale. "We had three players booked but none will miss the final. It was a good win in the end, but without any real standout efforts."
There have been crowds of about 10,000 so far, but Dugdale said with Malaysia in the final many more could turn up for the match, at 12.45 am tomorrow. Malaysia have been in the final 16 times since the tournament was first played, in 1957.
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