The Oly Whites celebrate Chris Wood's goal against South Korea. Photo / AP
The Oly Whites celebrate Chris Wood's goal against South Korea. Photo / AP
OPINION:
New Zealand has a new breed of footballing heroes.
The game in this country has been crying out for another magical moment on the world stage – with the heroics of 2010 in South Africa now a generation ago – and it arrived on Thursday night against South Korea.
There's surely more to come from the Oly Whites in Japan, but whatever happens, they have marked their card with the remarkable 1-0 win over the Asian champions.
Results like that generally don't happen for teams wearing the Silver Fern.
There's often periods of stubborn resistance, interspersed with bright moments. A brave comeback that falls short, or 60 minutes of graft wiped out by the concession of some late goals.
The Oly Whites celebrate Chris Wood's goal against South Korea. Photo / AP
The Oly-Whites were $6.50 outsiders at the TAB before the match, and there were good reasons.
Korea have impressive Olympic pedigree; they were bronze medallists in London – losing to Brazil in the semifinal and reached the last eight in Rio, after finishing top of their group, ahead of Germany.
They arrived in Japan as the Asian champions, seeing off regional heavyweights like Australia, Japan and Iran in a brutal qualifying tournament last year.
The Koreans also had the benefit of a prolonged pre-Olympics camp, with all but two of their players based in their domestic league. In contrast the Oly Whites, sourced from clubs across nine different countries, still had players arriving last week.
That showed early on, as New Zealand struggled for rhythm, while Korea weaved their precise patterns at pace.
That was partly why coach Danny Hay opted for a 5-4-1 shape, knowing his team would be vulnerable. It looked ultra defensive, but was pragmatic, before New Zealand began to get a foothold in the game over the last 60 minutes.
And it wasn't just the result, but the manner of the performance, with some neat interplay at times.
Winston Reid underlined his importance with an immense performance. The 32-year-old organised well, was always where he needed to be and battled through some physical knocks.
Winston Reid. Photo / AP
He has sometimes worn criticism for his lack of international involvement, as he prioritised time at West Ham, but this Games, along with his heroics in the Peru playoffs in 2017, should shape his legacy.
Burnley striker Chris Wood was isolated for much of the game but demonstrated his class and confidence with a well taken goal.
He also showed his leadership, warning his young teammates "that's what we expect of each other now" moments after the final whistle, telling the group that the benchmark had been set.
Around the Premier League duo there were plenty of standouts, with Nando Pijnaker, Gianni Stensness and Joe Bell particularly impressive, though everyone rose to the occasion.
This group of players have long been tipped as a possible golden generation and showed their promise at the 2019 Under-20 World Cup. Thursday was another step forward, on a bigger stage.
So what comes next?
That will be the big test, as these are uncharted waters for a New Zealand team at a pinnacle event.
Honduras (Sunday 8pm) will be another tough test, as the Central American side qualified ahead of Costa Rica and the USA, after reaching the last four in Rio.
Romania (Wednesday 8:30pm) will also be an extremely difficult proposition. They were one of only four European teams to qualify, with the likes of Italy, England, Croatia and Belgium missing out.
But the Oly Whites will feel they can improve, and continue to build their cohesion and confidence, with every day in camp.
They can't – and won't – underestimate their upcoming opponents, but will believe there is more to come, as will an expectant nation. Bring it on.
