Bill Tuiloma led the Junior All Whites to a history result against Brazil. Photo / Getty
The New Zealand under-20 football team made history in China last night, becoming the first men's side to secure a point against Brazil.
The Junior All Whites grabbed a 0-0 draw against the five-time U20 world champions, earning a huge boost in confidence ahead of next year's World Cup in
New Zealand.
After beginning the Panda Cup tournament with a tight 1-0 defeat against the hosts on Wednesday, New Zealand stepped on their performance against a Brazilian side which began their tournament with a 4-1 win over Croatia.
They defended stoutly at Shuangliu Stadium, led by captain Bill Tuiloma, and managed to create a golden chance to snatch a win in the second half before Brazil finished the game with 10 men.
"New Zealand people should be very proud of the team today," coach Darren Bazeley said. "They left it out there, gave 100 per cent and it was a strong and proud performance from our boys.
"We were playing a good Brazil team with good players but the boys showed so much heart and determination and, to be fair, we created the best chance of the game. We could have been even better but we're not going to dwell on that because Brazil also had chances."
