KEY POINTS:
On paper 0-0, 1-1 and 2-2 draws might, in a sporting sense, appear to be about as exciting as kissing your sister. But for New Zealand soccer such results have a much more romantic touch.
In a little over 24 hours late this week, New Zealand teams enjoyed
their most glorious period since those heady World Cup days in 1982.
The draws in opening matches for our men and women in their Olympic debuts were above expectations and quickly dispelled suggestions they were given a soft ride into the tournament and had no right to be in China.
A few thousand kilometres away, the Wellington Phoenix started the ball rolling by finishing 0-0 with the highly fancied Melbourne Victory after 90 minutes in the Hyundai A-League Pre-Season Cup final before losing in a penalty shootout.
That the New Zealand women could match Japan _ a team ranked 14 places higher on the Fifa list and who needed a late goal to salvage their 2-2 draw _ justifies the bold decisions taken by coach John Herdman in giving youth a chance.
Against the ninth-ranked Canadians in Singapore in their last pre-Olympic hit-out, the Football Ferns hinted that they would be no easybeats in China.
Sure enough, in front of 10,000 fans in Qinhuangdao on Wednesday, captain Hayley Moorwood and her brave team showed their mettle, stunning the Japanese by taking a 2-0 lead before the conditions took their toll and allowed the second-best team in Asia to sneak back.
While four teams _ including world No 1 USA, Brazil (No 4) and Germany (No 2) _ ended the first round without a goal to their credit, New Zealand joined Canada, China, Norway and Japan as the leading scorers.
Unlike the men who put out teams of largely under-23 players, the women's gold medal is at stake for the fully fledged senior teams with the 12 countries all ranked inthe world's top 27 includingthe six highest-rated teams. If New Zealand can snatch a point (or three) against Norway tonight, they would be on course for a spot in the quarter-finals. That, surely, would silence any remaining critics.
The men, too, overcame the odds in finishing 1-1 with the hosts in front of 60,000 in Shenyang. Like the women, the men beat a team ranked 14 places higher.
It was a plucky performance by an Oly-Whites team cruelly reduced to 10 players for the last 50 minutes by a baffling call from inconsistent Uruguayan referee Martin Vazquez.
The Phoenix and the Olympic teams _ two of the three coached by New Zealand-born and bred coaches, Ricki Herbert and Stu Jacobs _ have given new New Zealand Football chief executive Michael Glading a dream start to his new job.
The challenge now is to continue that momentum. By what we have been shown, and with the All Whites due to rekindle their World Cup campaign next month, there is no reason why that ball should not keep rolling.
