Soccer: Star of Galaxy in All Whites

By TERRY MADDAFORD

Simon Elliott will be hoping the All Whites go all the way to the Oceania Nations Cup final.

New Zealand coach Mick Waitt last night included Elliott, an LA Galaxy midfielder, in his 20-man squad for this month's tournament, knowing Elliott will not be available until post-section play.

"Simon will not be able to leave the US until July 8 because he has applied for a green card," Waitt said. "We are prepared to wait until then to have a player of his quality for the semifinals and final."

Waitt last night included Elliott and fellow United States-based players Ryan Nelson and Duncan Oughton, and Lee Jones, who plays his football in Finland, in his squad.

Of the players used in the two matches in China and the two here against Scottish premier league club Dunfermline Athletic, James Bannatyne, Jonathan Taylor and Shane Smeltz have been let go, and David Mulligan is unavailable.

Waitt will take real confidence into the Nations Cup after yesterday's spirited 4-2 win over Dunfermline at North Harbour Stadium.

After chances at both ends, the All Whites went ahead in the 19th minute with a penalty. Dunfermline's David Nicholls had given referee Derke Rugg no option after he brought down Raf de Gregorio and Scott Smith hit the net for NZ.

But rather than use that lead as a springboard to press on, the All Whites sat back and became tentative as the visitors pressed them.

Dunfermline equalised in the 36th minute when captain Scott Thomson headed home a corner from Barry Nicholson.

Eight minutes into the second spell, the visitors went ahead when halftime substitute Colin Nish had time for a second touch before pounding the ball into the roof of the goal.

That ignited the All Whites. A couple of half chances, to Kris Bouckenooghe and captain Chris Zoricich, went begging, but the last 15 minutes were all New Zealand, with three well-taken goals earning a deserved victory.

Chris Jackson and Aaran Lines got things started and when Michael Cartwright failed to cover, the ball was played to Chris Killen, whose powerful header was going only one place: into the back of the goal.

As both teams rang the changes, the All Whites did better.

Ivan Vicelich, released from left back to the midfield, broke quickly and in the one move, pushed a pinpoint pass into substitute Jeff Campbell's path.

On the run, Campbell hit a classic beyond goalkeeper Derek Stillie for 3-2 with three minutes to play.

Two minutes later the home side completed an emphatic victory when Shane Smeltz (another substitute) capitalised on confusion in the Dunfermline defence to pounce and score.

The post-match statistics underlined the advantage the All Whites had enjoyed: they forced eight corners to one, had a 20-9 shots-on-goal advantage - 11-5 on target - and had 54 per cent of possession.

But this game was not so much about goals and statistics. For Waitt it was the last chance to assess.

"I'm very pleased," he said. "We started well but then struggled as they had a greater share of possession. But we came back well to show we can create and score goals, which was encouraging after Friday's disappointment [the All Whites' 1-0 loss to Dunfermline in Wellington]."

Dunfermline coach Jimmy Calderwood said that after the first game he felt both teams could play better. "And they did. While I'm disappointed to lose, I saw some good things out there."

Calderwood admitted that the standard of the All Whites was better than he had expected.

All Whites for Nations Cup: Jason Batty, Michael Utting, Chris Zoricich (captain), Raf de Gregorio, Aaran Lines, Chris Jackson, Chris Killen, Kris Bouckenooghe, Ivan Vicelich, Glenn Collins, Scott Smith, Gerard Davis, Jonathan Perry, Ryan Nelsen, Duncan Oughton, Mark Burton, Jeff Campbell, Lee Jones, Paul Urlovic, Simon Elliott.