Chris Wood celebrates breaking New Zealand's international scoring record. Photo / Photosport
Chris Wood celebrates breaking New Zealand's international scoring record. Photo / Photosport
Chris Wood has already set his sights on another notable mark for the All Whites, in the wake of breaking the all time national scoring record on Tuesday.
After only arriving in camp a few days earlier, Wood scored two goals – and could have had a couple more –in the 4-0 win over Fiji, which sealed New Zealand's passage to the semifinals at the Oceania 2022 World Cup qualifying tournament in Doha.
That brace took him to 30 international goals, past Vaughan Coveny's tally of 29, which was achieved in 64 appearances between 1992 and 2006.
It's deserved reward for Wood's outstanding commitment to the silver fern over the years and especially since 2017, when he has had to deal with the demands of the English Premier League.
"Just to get as many [goals] as I can and then hopefully aim for Ivan [Vicelich] now, he is next on my target list," joked Wood after the match.
Vicelich holds the record of 88 appearances in A internationals for New Zealand, in an elongated career that spanned almost two decades (1995-2013).
Wood has clocked up 62 matches since his 2009 debut, though Tuesday's game was only his sixth since the Peru playoffs in 2017, mainly due to the impact of the Covid pandemic.
The 30-year-old admitted it was a "dream" to surpass Coveny. The record had been something he had sought for a "very long time", but only really came into his sights when the All Whites came out of hibernation last October.
"It's more hopeful that it can be done - sooner rather than later," reflected Wood. "You just want to get there. So it's nice to have that ticked off. It will be something that I can look back on when I finish [but] there's still a lot more to achieve."
But Wood emphasised that the team's progress was more important than any personal milestones, as they moved another one step closer to their World Cup qualification goal.
"It's all about the team and winning the game at this point," said Wood.
Chris Wood scores against Fiji. Photo / Photosport
With six points, New Zealand's place in the last four is assured, ahead of Friday's game against winless New Caledonia, with Papua New Guinea and Fiji both on three points.
Hay indicated he will rest some players for the final group match, including captain Winston Reid, while continuing to rotate his squad.
With seven changes to the starting XI, including several frontliners, Tuesday's performance was slicker and more cohesive.
Midfielder Marko Stamenic made a difference in a 3-4-3 formation, with wing backs Niko Kirwan and Francis de Vries given licence to get forward and support Ben Waine, Wood and Kosta Barbarouses.
Though Fiji defended deep and offered stubborn resistance, New Zealand had numerous first half chances – including three that fell to Wood – before the Newcastle striker broke the deadlock just before halftime, a far post header from a pinpoint Clayton Lewis free kick.
Replacement Elijah Just extended the lead in the 71st minute, with a sharp turn and half volley from six yards for his first All Whites goal, after Fiji couldn't clear a corner.
A precise Just pass then set up Wood to slide home two minutes later, before he ran to celebrate with the New Zealand substitutes, his joy obvious as he thumped the pitch side billboards.
Lewis rounded off an impressive display with an assured penalty (also opening his New Zealand account), after Logan Rogerson was fouled in the area.
Reid, Tommy Smith and Nando Pijnaker were safe at the back, with Oli Sail acrobatically turning away Fiji's only attempt on target late in the second half.
Hay was pleased with the performance, though, like Wood, admitted the team would need to be more clinical.
"We dominated position a lot better, showed more courage on the ball," said Hay. "It's a step in the right direction. It's still not perfect. We set ourselves really high standards and we're just working towards that. Hopefully we are going to peak for the semifinal and final."
All Whites 4 (Chris Wood 45', 73' Elijah Just 71' Clayton Lewis 90+3' pen) Fiji 0 Halftime: 1-0
