Soccer: Draw not on radar for U-20 coach

Coach Chris Milicich. Photo / Janna Dixon

A draw from their final pool game with New Caledonia at Mangere's Centre Park today will be enough for New Zealand to book their place in Wednesday's Oceania Under-20 Championship semifinals but Junior All Whites coach Chris Milicich is not thinking about a point.

Before the tournament Milicich stated simply: "If we win four matches we go to the World Cup."

He and his players ticked off the first of those with a no-nonsense Marco Rojas-inspired 3-0 win over the Solomon Islands on Saturday and now face a New Caledonian side who went down 3-1 to the Solomons on opening day.

Milicich says he was confident of securing all three points in his team's opening assignment despite the Solomon Islands holding them scoreless in the first half.

"There weren't any nerves at halftime because I felt we were in full control," said Milicich. "We looked more comfortable as the game went on and I'm happy with how we finished."

The Junior All Whites picked up the tempo after the break with Melbourne Victory's Rojas having a hand in all three goals which ensured them the group B lead on goal difference from the Solomons.

Coach Noel Wagapu and his Solomon Island players will be keen spectators today when New Zealand play New Caledonia in the last group B match. A win for the Nick Branch-led Junior All Whites will guarantee the Solomons a place in the semifinal and a likely clash with Vanuatu.

"We've given 100 per cent effort in our two matches and I can't ask for much more from my players," said Wagapu. "Now we hope the result goes our way and we get through to the semifinal stage."

In group A, Vanuatu have been impressive winning two-from-two scoring nine goals in the process. They have yet to concede a goal and face Papua New Guinea in one of the two final group A matches today.

With a win and a draw, Papua New Guinea are in second place but if they lose to Vanuatu and Fiji beat bottom-of-the-table American Samoa it will come down to goal difference to find the team likely to play New Zealand on Wednesday.