Soccer: Moss is on a roll in goal

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Glen Moss has lived more of his 21 years in Australia than New Zealand but remains firmly committed to his homeland.

The goalkeeper says he and his team-mates will be up against it at North Harbour Stadium tonight when New Zealand's under-23 team meets Australia in the second leg of their Oceania Olympic play-offs. But that won't stop him trying.

"I've never been as busy as I was in the first leg in Sydney but it was enjoyable," said Moss.

"I suppose I would rather not do anything and see the team win but that wasn't the case the other night."

Moss rated his performance in New Zealand's 2-0 loss at Parramatta Stadium on Monday night "six or seven out of 10".

"Overall, I suppose I was reasonably happy."

He should have been.

New Zealand conceded 17 corners to none and had 20-plus shots fired at their goal.

Unfortunately Moss was undone initially by a shot which could have gone anywhere.

Playing in such a white hot atmosphere and with so much at stake is a far cry from his days in Hastings where he played midget football.

"It wasn't until I went to Australia with my parents I really started kicking a ball around.

"There was no soccer in our family. At school I played some cricket and rugby."

Initially he joined his mates on the Gold Coast just chasing the ball around.

"I was not too crash hot in the field but I had a bit of a growth spurt and started playing in goal."

He enrolled at Palm Beach High School - where the emphasis was more, it appears, on sport and eating your lunch than anything too academic - and progressed from there.

"We did a bit of school work but not a lot."

It was at school he came into contact with Shane Smeltz, without either realising they had roots on this side of the Tasman.

"It really came out of nowhere," said Moss. "His father was German but his family had lived in New Zealand."

Now they have both played for their homeland at the highest level.

While at school, Moss was selected in a schoolboys team to play in a national competition in Darwin.

He did well enough to be picked in the tournament team which prompted his coach to send his resume to Australian National Soccer League clubs Parramatta Power and Sydney Olympic.

He was contacted by former Socceroos coach Frank Arok who, in his role as director of football at Olympic, invited Moss to the club.

Within a week he was playing in their youth team and quickly became understudy to well-respected goalkeeper Clint Bolton.

Even as a contracted player, Moss has been given few opportunities but has had two NSL outings in Bolton's absence.

Sydney journalist Mike Cockerill first fathomed Moss might be available to play for New Zealand and set those wheels in motion.

Contacted by then All Whites coach Ken Dugdale, Moss was given his chance to advance his career.

He has worked under goalkeeping coaches Sandy Davie, Clint Gosling and Mick Leonard and with fellow custodians Michael Utting, Jason Batty and James Bannatyne.

Under Gosling, he played in the one-off game against Japan under-22 in Kobe.

"That was a massive game," Moss said.

"The biggest I've played."

He was also understudy to English-based Mark Paston in last year's Asia/Oceania play-off against Iran, which New Zealand lost 3-0.

Determined to make it to the highest possible level for New Zealand, the 1.88m Moss accepts there is no hurry.

"Goalkeepers get better with age. I know that I might not reach my peak until I'm 29 but that won't stop me trying.

"The set-up we have here [with the current under-23 side] is amazing. I'm enjoying every minute of it. At 21, I've had so many opportunities."

Glen Moss

Born: Hastings, New Zealand

Lives: Sydney, Australia

Date of birth: January 19, 1983

Moved to Australia: 1990

NSL debut: For Sydney Olympic v Perth 2003

All Whites debut: v Iran 2003

All Whites appearances: 1