AUCKLAND – Departing New Zealand U-17 coach Colin Tuaa thinks the Thai Airways Young All Whites are in good shape for their World Cup qualifiers despite a second loss to the visiting Chilean U-18s in Henderson on Sunday.
The older South Americans won 3-0 with goals to Yashin Pinto in the 23rd minute and second half strikes from Bernard Campos and Benjamin Vidal, after edging New Zealand 1-0 in the first encounter on Friday.
The Young All Whites threatened mainly through attacking set pieces with Jack Hobson-McVeigh going closest to scoring for the home team with an eighth minute free-kick that curled over the crossbar.
Tuaa – who is expected to take the role of Samoa Football CEO with Steve Cain already named as his U-17 coaching successor – says another strong performance is an encouraging sign as the team eyes a place in October’s FIFA U-17 World Cup in Nigeria.
“I think we played pretty well throughout the match, but particularly in the first half, said Tuaa.
“These were our first couple of games together after being in camp environments with players coming in and out a different times, and it highlighted what we thought about needing to play top quality opposition to see where we’re at.
“We’ve done that, and now have a good stake in the ground as Steve Cain takes the group into Fiji for the Oceania U-17 Championship in April.
Tuaa guided New Zealand to the 2007 U-17 World Cup and described the decision to leave the current crop “as bloody tough.”
“It’s been extremely hard to leave this group after working with them for the past year.”
Incoming coach Steve Cain will next week name a 20-man squad for April’s qualifiers with UK-based academy players Cameron Lindsay (Blackburn Rovers) and Andrew Milne (Glasgow Rangers) strong contenders to return to the squad.
Age Group International
New Zealand U-17 0 Chile U-18 3 (Yashin PINTO 23, Bernardo CAMPOS 63, Benjamin VIDAL 77)
Douglas Field
Henderson, Waitakere
January 11, 2009
New Zealand: 1-Coey TURIPA (GK / 20-Alex CARR 63), 2-Adam THOMAS (16-Adam SMITH 64), 6-Nicholas PATERSON, 8-Stephen KIBBY, 9-Nicolai MOLIJN (12-Andrew BEVIN 57), 10-Thomas SPRAGG, 11-Dylan WINDUST, 13-Ross HAVILAND (18-Ashton PETT 63), 14-Jack HOBSON-MCVEIGH (19-Michael BUILT 73), 15-Luis ESTEVES (3-Fergus NEIL 46), 17-Jamie DORIS (5-Gordon MURIE 46).
Coach: Colin Tuaa
Cautions: Jack HOBSON-MCVEIGH 26, Stephen KIBBY 69
Chile: 12-Diego FUENTES (GK / 1-Carlos ALFARO 46), 2-Benjamin VIDAL, 3-Mathies BLASQUEZ (4-Daniel ULLOA 46), 5-Hugo CACERES (8-Juan Carlos ESPINOZA 46), 11-Yashin PINTO (9-Ramses BUSTOS 46), 14-Fernando ESPINOZA (10-Jose Luis SILVA 57), 15-Leonardo VALENCIA, 16-Mirko OPAZO, 17-Diego OPAZO, 18-Bernardo CAMPOS, 20-Misoel DAVILA (7-Jollans DULCIEN 57).
Substitutes not used: 6-Felipe GALLEGOS,
Coach: Hugo Vilches
Cautions: Benjamin VIDAL 83
Story and image courtesy of New Zealand Football media
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