Captain Bill Tuiloma wins a header in front of a sell-out crowd. Photo / Getty
Captain Bill Tuiloma wins a header in front of a sell-out crowd. Photo / Getty
New Zealand 0 Ukraine 0
For the first time in 16 months, a football match in New Zealand was the hottest ticket in town.
Dreary, boring old North Harbour Stadium came alive for the first match of the Under 20 World Cup as 25,000 fans navigated traffic jams and parking dilemmasto create the best football atmosphere New Zealand has seen since the All Whites' 2013 World Cup qualifier against Mexico in Wellington.
In scenes reminiscent of New Zealand's first match at the Under 17 World Cup in 1999, an age-group tournament - featuring players most of the crowd had never seen - captured the imagination of the public.
Forget Fifa's brewing storm of corruption and turmoil for a minute, this was the light at the end of the tunnel. Twenty-two young men were trying to make a name for themselves and their country in front of a sold out stadium and a global audience of 200 million.
The World Cup was here, and New Zealand showed they can mix it with Europe's best.
Auckland Football's decision to postpone all Saturday Northern League matches proved a masterstroke as kids, teenagers and parents alike adopted New Zealand's 'White out' theme for the 1pm kick off.
Both the crowd and the Young All Whites made a nervy start. New Zealand struggled to get out of their half in the first 10 minutes and the fans quickly lost their loud pre-match voice. But as the Kiwis settled into the game the hesitant, quiet murmur evolved into a classic "All Whites, clap, clap, clap" chant, which sporadically reappeared throughout the match.
As New Zealand grew in confidence, the crowd grew in expectation. Delight at a point turned into expectation of a win.
New Zealand had three great chances to win the match in the last 15 minutes, and each time they narrowly missed, the gasps got louder.
But ultimately, the match ended in applause. It was job done for New Zealand, a draw was a good result. And as they warmed down the crowd stood, cheered and showed their appreciation.
Names like Adam Mitchell, Clayton Lewis and Sam Brotherton may have been unrecognisable to most before the game, but hopefully, now they are here to stay. Hopefully this is the start of something special. Hopefully this wasn't a golden chance wasted.
As the players left the field captain Bill Tuiloma was the most popular with the fans. He also looks our best player by quite some distance. He finds time and space where others can't and has the athletic ability to be comfortable in one of Europe's top leagues.
USA are up next for the Young All Whites on Tuesday night, another huge night for New Zealand Football.
