Soccer: All Whites make steady start to China tour

All Whites soccer coach Mick Waitt came away from his first game in charge a satisfied man as his team forced a 2-2 draw against a strong Chinese Olympic selection team in Beijing last night.

New Zealand came back into the match well after trailing 2-0 early in the second half of a match played in warm, humid conditions.

A plan to give the entire squad a run in this first match of a China tour in preparation for July's Oceania Nations Cup was left aside for plan B, with the All Whites recovering well to deservedly share the spoils.

Despite the All Whites dominating the opening 20 minutes, it was the Chinese who went ahead. Senior China player Qu Bo, just back from the World Cup, delivered a quality cross from the right wing in the 19th minute and Qu Tao evaded his marker to head home.

With the heat and pace of the game taking effect, the All Whites struggled to impose themselves for the middle period of the match and went 2-0 down 12 minutes into the second half.

Yu Tao capitalised to score after the All Whites were caught pressing forward at the back.

The All Whites fought back for their first goal on tour, scored by Belgian-based striker Chris Bouckenooghe who nodded home a far post cross by Mark Burton from the right.

Chris Zorocich, who was involved in the build-up to the first goal, scored the equaliser from a freekick which found the net off a deflection 13 minutes later.

Waitt said there was a bit of luck to the equaliser but he was satisfied with the team's performance as a start.

"I am very pleased with the result and with the team's spirit.

"The players showed a lot of character to come back from two goals down.

"The opposition were very athletic, very quick and moved the ball very well to stretch us at times.

"We struggled to cope with them physically a little bit. But they dug deep into their reserves and came back well."

Zoricich and Killen picked up bookings, the captain for dissent and Killen for kicking the ball away.

The match was notable for the debut appearances, both from the bench, for Barnsley fullback David Mulligan and American-based midfielder Glenn Collins. The next match on tour is Sunday night against ShanDongLeung Province, one of the leading C League sides in China.

Chinese Olympic Squad 2

(Qu Tao 19th, Yu Tao 57th)

All Whites 2

(Chris Bouckenooghe 62nd, Chris Zoricich 75th).

All Whites: J Batty, C Zoricich (D Mulligan 80th), S Smith, G Davis, J Perry, C Jackson (R de Gregorio 72nd), I Vicelich, M Burton (G Collins 72nd), C Killen, C Bouckenooghe (P Urlovic 84th), A Lines.

- NZPA