Lochhead on Drawing with Italy

By Mike Takeuchi

New Zealand's Tie with Paraguay, didn't allow UCSB's Tony Lochhead and the All Whites to Advance. But it did give them three points in the World Cup Final, which is unprecedented for the country of merely four-million people. They also tied defending champion Italy. Tony talks about that big upset.

When the final whistle sounded Sunday confirming New Zealand's shocking 1-1 tie with defending champion Italy on Sunday, along with several local fans, most of the four million people in defender Tony Lochhead's country celebrated like there was no tomorrow.
The win, prompted the normally understated New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert to say that the result “stopped the nation.” Lochhead concurred with Herbert, who not only coaches the former UCSB standout on the national team, but also on the Wellington Phoenix of the Australian League, the only professional soccer team based in New Zealand. Shortly after the match, the 28-year-old took the time to express his thoughts to the News-Press.
“People are buzzing right now about football,” Lochhead said. “That is all everyone is talking about (at home) right now.”
He then went on to describe key moments in the match.
The All Whites stunned the Azzuri seven minutes into the game when a long free kick from Simon Elliot glanced off a falling Fabio Cannavaro to Shane Smelts, who pushed the ball into the net for the match's first score. It would be New Zealand's only shot on goal all day, but it gave his countrymen hope for an upset. But Lochhead said his teammates didn't share that thought.
“It was still so early into the game and Italy is such a good side that I don’t think you could ever get too far ahead (of ourselves into thinking about winning),” he said. “It was an amazing feeling when that ball went into the back of the net, though.”
Italy, took advantage of a slight tug from Tommy Smith on Daniele De Rossi inside the penalty area to gain a disputed penalty shot. Vincenzo Iaquinta converted to tie the score in the 27th minute and left the two teams knotted at halftime.
“Obviously we were disappointed to let them get a goal even thought it was a little suspect,” Lochhead said. “But if you had said to us we would be 1-1 at half time with the World Champs in the World Cup, we would have taken it. So it was more about focusing on the next 45 minutes.”
While the All Whites could not organize a run at Italy's goal, the Azzuri threw everything they had in a desperate attempt to get the three points for the win. The All Whites proved game as the defense turned away several chances, while New Zealand goalkeeper, who is Lochhead's teammate on Wellington, stopped three shots-including a diving right handed deflection in the 70th minute off the foot of Riccardo Montolivo that seemed destined for a goal.
“It was a busy day in the office for us tonight but I felt like we did well to contain them,” Lochhead said.” They have some pretty talented players who play in the top leagues in the world. I thought Pasty had a great game and he came up with some great saves especially in the second half.”
With time winding down and a tie a possibility, New Zealand closed ranks tighter.
“At this point of the game we were just trying to come away with the draw,” Lochhead said. “(They) were pushing to get that winning goal. We were just making sure our shape was solid and trying to make it as difficult as possible for them to play through us.”
The plan worked and as the whistle blew, the 78th ranked team in the world stunned the defending champions.
(This is) Such an amazing feeling- a huge result for our country!” Lochhead said. “People were going crazy after the first result that we got. They are now going absolutely nuts now. Hopefully we can capitalize on all of this and lift football onto another level.”

UCSB's Tony Lochhead before he makes his WC Debut

As he walks through the darkened tunnel into the bright lights, the question will soon become known and the wonderment will cease-only to be replaced by a level of play he and many others have never seen before.

Just as Landon Donovan, Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi, and a few dozen others did in the days before him, former UCSB men's soccer player Tony Lochhead will find out the answer if he and his team are as good as the worlds best soccer teams in the World Cup.

The 28-year-old and his teammates will represent New Zealand in the Cup for the first time since 1982 when they play Slovakia early this morning in their opening match at Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg. A few days before the first day of the tournament, he said he was very excited.

"I want to do well on the field, but I also want to enjoy the moment of being apart of the worlds biggest sporting event because it's not everyday you get to go to the World Cup," Lochhead said.

"Overall the team is feeling pretty good fitness wise because we have had a good training camp (in Austria). We have worked hard to make sure we are all on the same page."

The former Gaucho, who played from 2001 through 2004's College Cup finals reaching season, is back at full strength, after having surgery to repair an injured groin muscle following his Wellington Phoenix (Australian League) season. He said that he was good to go.

"My fitness is pretty good since I have played the last two (exhibition) games which has been a good test," Lochhead said. I feel like I (got) better with every game in terms of fitness. Right now, I'm just trying to focus on the job at hand we have three tough games against three quality teams"

In a group that includes defending champion Italy, as well as tough teams Paraguay and Slovakia, the 83rd ranked team (only host South Africa and North Korea are lower) is not considered a contender to make it to the knock-out round.

"It is always going to be tough for us but we have the belief," Lochhead said. "Playing against quality teams means you have to be switched on that much more or you can get punished. Which also means you have to work that much harder. But the team is quietly confident. We have three guys up front that are dangerous and can score for us."

The team will be particularly be relying on defender Lochhead and his defensive mates to hold the line to help give strikers Chris Killen, Tim Brown, and Shane Smeltz a chance to score. His team had mixed reviews of the four exhibition matches against Cup qualified teams, the All Whites won one, a 1-0 victory over Serbia near their training grounds in Austria. The three games were losses- a 2-0 decision against Mexico on March 3, a 2-1 game to rival Australia on May 24 in Melbourne, and a 3-1 loss to Slovenia, a team that is in Group C along with the United States.

The team's first opponent resembles the last of these and it is all on him and his defensive teammates, he said.

"They are a very similar team," Lochhead said." They play with a 4-4-2(formation) and are good on the ball, and the outside fullbacks like to bomb, so they can be dangerous if they are given too much time and space. So we will make sure we are solid defensively and we feel like we are creating enough chances in the games to score."

Lochhead said that his country has shifted their attention away from their popular rugby counterparts, the All Blacks, and onto them.

"The interest in football has definitely increased and we are the top story at the moment-which is great," he said. "With a good showing, hopefully we can build on this even after the World Cup."

The team's foundation begins to build today.