All Whites head coach Darren Bazeley says he’s pleased with his team’s performance in their 1-1 draw with the Republic of Ireland.
“I keep saying we’re going to be a really good team, and I think today, again, we took a little step forward,” he said in his post-game briefing.
“It’s not perfect We started the game really well and then there was a moment about 14 or 15 minutes into the game where they got on top of us a little bit, and we’ve been a little bit cautious and started making a few negative decisions.”
Bazeley said conceding the goal was disappointing but he needed his team to change its mindset.
“We just need to be more positive, in and out of possession.”
The coaching staff talked to the players at half-time and showed them video clips, demonstrating when they got their press right.
“When we were aggressive and got our position in line, we were pretty effective,” he said.
“When we have the ball, we’ve got good players that can pass it around and we started to create some good chances, and maybe we were a bit unlucky not to win the game.
“We want to play at a high tempo. You know, we want to be super aggressive and brave in possession and play with courage, and we’re good enough to do that.”
Bazeley said he thought midfielder Sarpreet Singh added much to the team.
“He’s a super player, a talented player, you know, so for him to play 90 minutes today is a really good step forward for us and for him, and I thought he had some moments in the game where, you know, he’s ready to unlock teams.”
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VIDEO: Highlights from All Whites 1-1 draw with Republic of Ireland >>>>
Result
Game played on Wednesday November 22, 2023 (NZT)
Aviva Stadium, Dublin, 8.45am (NZT)
Republic of Ireland 1 (Adam Idah 28′)
New Zealand 1 (Matt Garbett 59′)
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