All Whites v Ukraine: New Zealand concede late goal to fall to classy Uefa team

Matt Garbett and Yevhen Cheberko battle for the ball during the Canadian Shield clash between the All Whites and Ukraine in Toronto. Photo / Photosport

Ukraine 2 All Whites 1

For the All Whites, this was in many ways the perfect preparation for what is to come at the Fifa World Cup in a year from now.

The performance in the 2-1 loss to Ukraine showed how far New Zealand have progressed but also how much work is still to be done, ahead of the North American extravaganza in 2026.

Against a strong European nation ranked 25th in the world, the All Whites (No 86) were competitive for long periods, with some tidy work in possession and resolute defence. But they paid a big price for two lapses in concentration, which opened the door for both Ukrainian goals.

The Europeans were the better side throughout – and good value for their victory – but the All Whites will wonder what might have been, as they weren’t that far away from a rare draw against a top Uefa team.

Ukraine went ahead through Oleksiy Hutsulyak in the 54th minute, a powerful shot from the edge of the area. But New Zealand bounced back quickly, with Marko Stamenic’s equaliser – from a smart corner routine – coming just five minutes later. Given that context, the decisive 75th-minute goal – to Arsenal and former Manchester City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko – was a gut punch, as he was left unmarked before sweeping home a cross from just inside the penalty area. New Zealand pushed hard for a second equaliser, with substitute Francis de Vries swinging in some dangerous crosses, without a clear-cut opportunity.

The defeat will be tough to take, given the higher expectations in this group, but there was still a lot to like from this Fifa window, one of the most impressive in recent memory. The defensive organisation continues to improve, while the work with the ball was sharper on Wednesday, with more incursions in the final third and the midfield trio of Sarpreet Singh, Joe Bell and Marko Stamenic prominent. And they again had to do without Chris Wood for most of the match, with the Nottingham Forest striker only introduced for the last 10 minutes.

There were three changes to the starting XI from the 1-0 win over Ivory Coast on Sunday, with Michael Boxall, Matt Garbett and Ben Waine coming in, while Tyler Bindon shifted to right fullback.

From the outset, Ukraine pressed high, making for tighter spaces in possession. But the All Whites looked sharp – with cleaner touches than in the Ivory Coast match – epitomised by a driving run by Libby Cacace, as he bustled past three players. Ukraine could have gone ahead after 15 minutes, only denied by a brilliant Max Crocombe stop. After a deep cross from the left – as the winger got around Bindon – a Hutsulyak header looked goal-bound before Crocombe sprung to his left with a fingertip save. A few minutes later, Finn Surman had to be alert to clear, stooping to head away.

Midfielder Vladyslav Kabaiev had two chances in quick succession and should have done better with the second, slashing a volley high and wide from a handy position. Ukraine were dominant for long periods, with New Zealand forced to defend deep. But it wasn’t all one-way traffic. A Singh cross narrowly eluded Waine and Garbett, while another impressive sequence of play – with neat one-touch passing – ended with Waine heading over from a Bindon cross.

After all their toil, the opening goal to Hutsulyak was a disappointment, as the All Whites switched off with some micro-lapses. It was an excellent strike but coach Darren Bazeley will be disappointed with the defending. The winger was given too much time to cross, before Hutsulyak was left free on the edge of the area, with Boxall and Surman a few metres adrift, then Crocombe was surprised at his near post.

To their credit, the All Whites responded quickly. A Singh attempt was blocked after a set piece, before Stamenic’s timely flick from a well-worked Cacace corner. It was only New Zealand’s third goal against European opposition in a decade and a move straight from the training ground, as Boxall rose well to head back across goal, before Stamenic nodded home from about three metres.

That was the catalyst for some neat periods of possession, as Ukraine sat deeper. But the good work was undone by a poor concession for Ukraine’s second goal to the substitute, Zinchenko. The cross from near the left touchline somehow eluded three or four defenders, while no one had tracked Zinchenko before his sharp finish.

Bazeley emptied his bench as New Zealand pushed in the last 15 minutes, with some half-chances, though Ukraine held firm.

All Whites 1 (Marko Stamenic 59’)

Ukraine 2 (Oleksiy Hutsulyak 54’, Oleksandr Zinchenko 75’)

Halftime 0-0