Soccer: Rival fans slug it out (verbally)

Bahrain supporter Mohammed Ali Saqr bin Mohammed and All Whites fan Andre Zlotkowski.

The All Whites are set to face Bahrain for a World Cup 2010 place. The game, which will be played in front of a sellout crowd of close to 36,000, kicks off at the Cake Tin in Wellington at 8pm tomorrow night.

Much has been said in pre-match analysis. But what are the two teams' respective fans saying, a day out from kickoff?

Bahrain fan Mohammed Ali Saqr bin Mohammed lives in Manama, while Andre Zlotkowski is an All Whites fan in Christchurch.

Soccer website Goal.com asked both fans the same set of questions.

Q. Which team is in the better position?

Bahrain (B) - Bahrain for sure, they have experience and New Zealand is under pressure at home and in front of their own fans. The first leg proved that we are the better side.

New Zealand (NZ) - It's very even but Bahrain probably still have a slight edge. While the draw at the National Stadium in Riffa was a fantastic result for the All Whites, as many rightly point out, Bahrain have been there before. We all know what happened in the matches they played against Saudi Arabia. It is also worth pointing out that during the 2006 World Cup qualifiers they also used the goal away rule to their advantage in the matches against Uzbekistan and also obtained a 1-1 draw away from home in the first leg of the deceive series against Trinidad and Tobago. In other words, recent play-off history shows they have been better on the road than at home. New Zealand does not have the same big-match experience. However, the players have shown in the first leg that they have the ability to compete. If they don't allow the occasion to get to them then New Zealand will have a great chance of qualifying for South Africa.

Q. What were your thoughts on the first leg? Are you satisfied?

B - I am satisfied with the performance but not with the result. We created many chances but we failed to score. I am happy that we created chances but failing to achieve results is not good thing.

NZ -Both the performance and the result were very pleasing. The All Whites played as a team and did what they had to do. Many of our players would have found the atmospheric conditions during the first match extremely difficult to deal with. No doubt they will think that they can raise their game in the cooler temperatures of Wellington. We, as fans will certainly hope so.

Q. What did you learn about the other team?

B -We are better than them. They are a very average team and play old-fashioned football. I didn't see any strengths that New Zealand had.

NZ - Bahrain have technically good players and I think if they do take the lead in New Zealand they will o a good job defending it. They are fast and you never know where the danger is going to come from. At the same time, it seemed to me that some of their players were prone to being easily frustrated. I suspect that was partially due to the fact that they expected an easier match than what they actually got.

Q. Do you think that New Zealand may think the job is almost done?

B-There is no way that they think that. New Zealand understand that Bahrain are better and they are probably preparing to play defensively.

NZ - I don't think there is any danger of that. The tie is delicately balanced and the players would have been made aware of the importance psychology plays in such situations. The players also know Bahrain have been there before and that they were desperately close to qualifying for the last World Cup. The All Whites know that their opponents will never want to suffer that sort of agony again and will, as a result, fight to the bitter end.

Q. How do you want your team to approach the second leg?

B- The important thing for us is to score early. If we can score inside the first half-hour then we will be on our way to victory. They will have to come out and attack us and that will give us space to score more.

NZ - Above all with confidence. It's clear from the first leg that our boys can get the job done. They just cannot allow the occasion to get to them. They will also need to be a little bit more adventurous going forward. 0-0 was a great result in Riffa but we must score at home. No one wants to see the match go to the lottery of penalty kicks. That said, there is no need for an all-out attack in the early stages of the match.

Q. Who will be your key player?

B -Milan Macala, Yes our coach is our key to victory. In Bahrain, we are used to change at the national team level but Macala was the first coach to create a team with a strong character and now he is the one who will take us to the World Cup.

NZ -Ryan Nelsen. He has lots of Premier League experience and is a true leader. While it's clear that we need to score, conceding an early goal would make life extremely difficult for the All Whites who would need to reply with two goals. The defence needs to look solid in early stages of the match to give the team confidence when going forward. In Rory Fallon, Chris Killen and Shane Smeltz we definitely have players who can score when provided with the service.

Q. Who is the dangerman from the opposition?

B -I can't say that I know any. I doubt that there are any dangerous players in the New Zealand team.

NZ - With Bahrain the danger can come from anywhere. However, if I were to single out one player it would have to be Jaycee John. He has experience in Belgium's First Division with Mouscron and New Zealand's quite physical style will probably be familiar to him. He will also be confident going into this match, having already scored one vital goal in the play-offs against Saudi Arabia.

Q. The match is a sell-out. How will that affect your team and the opposition?

B - It will be no problem for us. Remember, we have beaten Saudi Arabia in a much bigger stadium, I am sure the pressure is more on New Zealand as they are playing on home ground and in front of their fans.

NZ - It can only be a good thing for the All Whites. Footballers dream of playing in big matches in front of their own fans. This does not happen often in New Zealand. The players will cherish this moment and will give all they have not to disappoint the home crowd. Bahrain have experience playing in front of big crowds away from home, at venues such Saitama and King Fahd Stadium. They will not be overwhelmed but most players do not enjoy playing in a hostile environment. New Zealand fans are not aggressive but they will certainly get behind their team.

Q. What will the result be?

B - 2-0 for Bahrain

NZ -I think one goal will settle it. I think New Zealand will score that goal towards the end of the first half, probably through Shane Smeltz.

Q. What will qualification mean to you and your country?

B - It is great step for us. Lots of people around the world will know about Bahrain. Not only that, they will see that we play attractive and quick football.

NZ - I cannot even imagine what qualifying for the World Cup will feel like. It will be very emotional. Truth be told, I never thought a day like that would come. The New Zealand supporters have suffered a lot of frustration over the years. A win against Bahrain would be a great reward to all those that have remained dedicated to the sport. It would be a huge boost for football in rugby-mad New Zealand.

SOURCE: Goal.com