New Zealand will be heading to their first football World Cup since Spain 1982.
After a goalless draw in Bahrain ‘The All Whites’ needed to win the match played tonight in Wellington’s Westpac Stadium to secure their place in South Africa in 2010.
The weather may well have suited New Zealand more than it did Bahrain, but it wasn’t really doing either side any favours as the wind constantly changed directions.
The goal that sealed the victory for New Zealand was scored with almost the last kick of the first half, Bahrain having had a few shots saved by the Kiwi Keeper Paston.
The goal was a bullet like header from Rory Fallon (son of the 1982 All Whites side’s assistant coach Kevin Fallon) and completed a well worked corner.
In the second half the Bahrain side started brightly and put New Zealand under an immense amount of pressure which, for the most part, they were able to deal with – the notable exception being a needlessly conceded penalty.
The penalty was saved by Paston as he went to his right and saved what was, to be fair, a fairly tame effort by the penalty taker.
New Zealand could have taken the saved penalty as a warning and just shut up shop, but they continued with their 3-4-1-2 formation and hit Bahrain on the counterattack whenever possible.
The games started to become even more niggly than it had been with players from both sides hitting the ground with disappointing regularity.
New Zealand had enough chances to take the game away from Bahrain completely; but in the end the single goal was enough to send New Zealand to South Africa and everyone supporting them away happy.
Roll on World Cup 2010.
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