Junior All Whites face nervous wait

• Published date: 28 May 2023
• Author: Football Michael Burgess
• Publication title: Herald on Sunday

Darren Bazeley’s team were outclassed, as the South Americans managed a staggering 30 attempts on goal, without a single shot in reply

That outcome means New Zealand finish third in Group A, after Uzbekistan disposed of Guatemala 2-0 in the other match.

Any chance of qualification will now hinge on the Junior All Whites finishing as one of the four best third-placed teams across the six groups, with eight pool matches to be played.

New Zealand have four points, which should be enough, although their goal difference of -4 will hurt.

There are numerous possible permutations, with the most likely tickets coming from Senegal failing to beat Colombia in Group C today or France avoiding defeat against Honduras in Group F tomorrow.

But this was a footballing lesson, as Argentina took control after two early goals.

It was always going to be near mission impossible and undoubtedly one of the most intimidating environments a New Zealand side has faced at any Fifa tournament, with a heaving crowd in San Juan.

The gulf in class was clear but no surprise.

Argentina’s team is drawn from clubs such as Boca Juniors, River Plate, Manchester City, Lazio, Inter Milan, Juventus, Sporting Lisbon and Barcelona, while five of New Zealand’s squad play at local amateur clubs, with another eight at the Wellington Phoenix.

And Argentina were red hot, irresistible once they got into their flow, while New Zealand looked a notch down, after physical efforts against Guatemala and Uzbekistan.

The Junior All Whites made a reasonable start, but once the hosts clicked into gear after 10 minutes, could barely get a foothold.

They also missed playmaker Jay Herdman, a surprise omission from the starting line-up.

Argentina registered a remarkable 866 passes — with 94 per cent completed — compared with New Zealand’s 278, while the corner count was 11-0.

Bazeley admitted it was a “great learning curve”, while midfielder Finn Conchie gave an honest assessment.

“They were a bit of a different class,” Conchie told Fifa TV. “Credit to them, they are amazing players.”

New Zealand never looked comfortable but the first goal was a poor concession.

The Junior All Whites switched off after a short corner routine, allowing striker Maestro Puch a free header.

Goalkeeper Kees Sims, who was otherwise outstanding, was caught out of...