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OCEANIA-OFC NEWS

April 4, 2003 SWANZ triumph would be Kiwi sports story of the year by Jeremy Ruane New Zealand's National Team, the SWANZ, are back on the international stage for the first time since June 2000 on Monday, when they play their first match at the Oceania World Cup qualifying tournament in Canberra. Their campaign kicks off against Samoa, with further matches taking place against the Cook Islands (Wednesday) and Papua New Guinea (Friday). Victories in each of these games, while formalities on paper, are imperative, because the final game of the tournament sees the SWANZ take on Australia next Sunday evening, April 13. The clash with our trans-tasman rivals is already shaping up as the tournament decider, with the winner of the round-robin group advancing to September's World Cup Finals in China. So what odds on the SWANZ triumphing? Should they do so, make no mistake, it will be an "against all odds" success, and would surely qualify as the Kiwi sports story of the year. Eight of the eighteen-strong squad will be making their international debuts in this competition, while the capped players are, to some extent, starting all over again, such has been the SWANZ lack of activity on the international scene in recent years. Since the October 1998 Oceania Women's World Cup qualifying tournament in Auckland, the SWANZ have played just five internationals, at the Pacific Cup tournament in Australia in June 2000. The lack of experience from, and exposure to, international women's soccer during this period may prove detrimental to the team's hopes this time round. But countering that is a growing belief in the Sandy Davie-coached squad that they can overcome this obstacle and give The Matildas a real run for their money. The SWANZ preparations for this tournament have seen them touring Texas in the past fortnight, where they won three and drew one of their five games against Lone Star state university sides, including a tremendous 3-1 triumph over Texas A&M, who finished 2002 as the sixth-ranked college team in the entire USA. Contrast this preparation with that of the Australians, who have played twenty-four internationals since the Pacific Cup tournament, the bulk of which have been against countries who, when FIFA's inaugural world women's soccer rankings materialise in May, are likely to be found among the world's top twenty women's soccer-playing nations. Another spur for the Australians is that they should be hosting the forthcoming Women's World Cup Finals, as theirs was the only bid to host this tournament which had been received by FIFA when the deadline for such entries passed. Somehow, a post-deadline bid by China, who hosted the inaugural Women's World Cup Finals twelve years ago, was permitted. That it was then accepted by FIFA was bad news for both Australia and New Zealand, who would have been raging hot favourites to qualify for the finals as Oceania's representatives, given the 'host nation' status which would have been accorded their age-old rivals, had Australia's bid been accepted by the sport's world governing body. The key to the SWANZ prospects of progressing to the 2003 finals, aside from overcoming the other teams in the group, is to get right in the faces of their Australian rivals in the final game of the tournament, and not give them a moment's piece for the entire ninety minutes, while making the most of their own chances when they come to pass. If too much respect is shown The Matildas, make no mistake, they'll take full advantage, and put their superior experience to good effect. Thus it's in the SWANZ best interests to play like demons for the duration - there's plenty of time to show the opposition due respect after the game, not during it, and certainly not when a place at the World Cup Finals is up for grabs!! For the bulk of the SWANZ squad, the Australian clash will be the biggest game to date in their careers. They go into what is, to all intents and purposes, their own World Cup Final, with nothing to lose - just one media person (this writer) turning up to see them off at the airport three weeks ago, despite a media-wide invitation being issued by New Zealand Soccer, gives a fair indication of how their prospects are viewed by the fourth estate! But they have all to gain, not the least of which is the chance to join women's soccer's elite - the likes of the holders, Team USA, host nation China, and Olympic champions Norway - at the quadrennial FIFA footballing banquet held to celebrate the world's fastest-growing women's sport. With the likes of Maia Jackman, Simone Ferrara, Nicky Smith, Hayley Moorwood, Priscilla Duncan, Rachel Doody and newly-appointed team captain Rebecca Smith - to mention a few - willing to give their all and then some for that opportunity, the potential is certainly there for the SWANZ to realise their ambitions. The burning question is, will they realise that potential and overcome Australia in the process? One thing's for sure - you can guarantee there'll be a lot more media present to welcome the SWANZ home on Monday week, should they emerge as the champions of Oceania for the first time in twelve years.