Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
ZEDB Countdown asign and then there were four. Tomorrow the
fifth World Cup semi finals begin and this is crazy.
For the first time since the fief of World Cup
rankings began ninety ninety two, only the top four ranked
teams in the world remain. It's worked. The first match
(00:34):
will be contested between France and Spain seven o'clock tomorrow morning.
Then the defending world champs Argentina take on England and
the Transatlantic grudge match that's Thursday morning again from at
seven a m. Best four teams in the world make
up the top four in the fief of World Cup.
It's a thing of beauty. Oli Sale, goalkeeper for Auckland
(00:57):
FC and the All Whites, joins us now to discuss
those fix Jazz. Good evening, Oli, how are you.
Speaker 3 (01:05):
I'm very well, thank you, mane one, very well.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Good to hear. Hey, look, before we get onto the
purpose of this interview, which is all about World Cup
semi finals coming up tomorrow morning and Thursday morning, you
went back to training today. Kind of tell us about that.
Speaker 4 (01:20):
I did, mate, It's been bloody nice I'm no longer
staring at the inside four walls of the Dungeon gym.
I'm out in the beautiful Hawkland sunshine with the rest
of the boys.
Speaker 3 (01:30):
So yeah, big, big tick, big milestone.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
For me back on pitch, just learning how to run
again and doing the mechanics of running, so it's not
much as baby steps, but yeah, a nice one to
tick off.
Speaker 2 (01:41):
Met the party, Well it started. It seemed like months ago,
and it's nearly finished to be. The World Cup's nearly
actually wound up. There's only a handful of games to go,
and come Monday afternoon it will all be lonely.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
I know, it's crazy.
Speaker 4 (01:55):
In the last couple of weeks not having games every day,
it's just felt so strange. I think we've all felt
a little bit lost, haven't we. But it's been a
fantastic tournament made and I've absolutely loved it, and I
think the public of New Yealer have absolutely loved it too.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
And it's it's great that.
Speaker 4 (02:09):
Every four years it seems to reignite the passion for
footage just amongst your average kiwis and your average sport watches,
and at this tournament's been no different. It's been outstanding,
and I think all the questions around the expansion of
the tournament, bringing some lesser teams as they've been called
into the tournament has been great and those the critics
(02:30):
of doing so have have certainly been answered because some
of those smaller nations have given us some of the
best watches.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
True, And I'm the people you're talking about right there.
I'm a casual observer, love my sport plainly, but football
is really not my bag. But you buy into it.
And it has been extraordinary because of the minnotes and
a lot of people thought, wow, there's too many teams,
is it really going to have the same effect? But
I don't think people expected this.
Speaker 4 (02:55):
No, exactly right, and that's what's made it so cool.
And there were plenty of doubters around America being hosts
as well, I think, and Canada probably alike as well.
I think Mexico everybody knew that was going to be good,
that they live in breathe football and they've hosted in
the past. But yeah, how brilliant of the stadiums look
in the States and in Canada, Mate, they just look unreal.
Speaker 3 (03:16):
And it's been a real highlight of the tournament for
me seeing those those.
Speaker 4 (03:20):
Amazing stadiums and they packed out bloody every game You've
got Cape Verde and Curacao and playing in front of
sold out crowds made it's been fantastic.
Speaker 2 (03:29):
Just a week word before we go into these games,
I'm slowing things up. I know, I can't help myself.
How sorry do you feel for Earling Harland after he
got denied that shot? Talk about frustration?
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Yeah, look, I thought they were pretty good for that game,
to be honest, Norway they really seemed to take over
in the second half and for a period that it
looked like England were on the ropes. They had the crossbar,
they had goals. This allowed Norway and I thought, yeah,
they were probably good for it, and it was a
shame because he's a genuine superstar, Harland, and he's been
(04:01):
fantastic and he deserved an opportunity go all the way.
But to be fair, you have to pay credit where
credits due to him when they've have done things the
hard way. They had to dig in the previous game
against Mexico as well and once again against Norway, and
I think to rule them out now given all the
hardship they've gone through it, it'll be at your own peril.
They seem to have found a way to win and mate,
(04:22):
they've got Jude Bellingham on fire, Caine, Harry Kane, their
skippers on fire. And when you know, when you watch
watch teams like that and playing teams like that, everyone
just wants to work their nuts off knowing that those
boys are going to get you across the line. So
I wouldn't rule them out just yet. To be fair,
I think the English looked pretty good too.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
I'd say battle hardened, and that takes you into a
final should they get there. A semi final on Thursday's
case in an irrigate position. But let's not put their
cart before the horse tomorrow. What are we seeing here?
Tell us about what your expectations are between these European
powerhouses Spain taking on France.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
Yeah, look, it's pretty cool that we've found ourselves with
the top four teams in the world in the in
the semi finals. I think it's the first time in
World Cup hist so it's pretty special that we get
to see the best four teams go at it.
Speaker 3 (05:10):
As we all know, tournament.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
Sport can be pretty ficker when it doesn't always end
up that way, so we get to see all the
four best teams go at it, and tomorrow is probably
going to be the game of the tournament. I mean,
you know, who knows what it's going to deliver. But
in terms of quality, for me, they're the two best
sides in the tournament and they've just looked fantastic.
Speaker 3 (05:30):
France look unstoppable.
Speaker 4 (05:33):
Spain have really showed up and they look amazing in possession,
and they've found some goals from unlikely sources, so they
look dangerous.
Speaker 3 (05:41):
It's going to be a real blockbuster.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
But I would if I was a betting man, I
would I would think that the winner of that game
goes on to win the whole thing. But like I said,
England and Argentina both both look sharp too, so it's
really good to excite us these last couple of games.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
I think, how much does that energy change when you're
in such a huge match, not saying that you've played
a semi final of a football World Cup, but you've
been at the point at ends of two moments. Is
it best tactic to go in and change nothing and
just do what you do best, or does the whole
process turn itself on its head because the nature of
(06:18):
the game.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (06:19):
Look, often I think what we've seen in World Cups
is the group stages really exciting, and then often the
knockout stages aren't as exciting because you know, there's so
much at stake and there's so much to lose. But
this group, this knockout face, has been the complete opposite. Really,
We've seen late winners going extra time, we've seen a
couple of shootouts, but it's been really entertaining footy.
Speaker 3 (06:40):
And it's hard to say.
Speaker 4 (06:42):
I think these teams are going to be so full
of confidence that I don't think they're going to be
pulling any punches, and I don't think a whole lot's
going to change. But having said that, it's not about
how you win. It's just about winning at the stage
of the tournament, isn't it. So yeah, just anyway any
means necessarily to get through the game. But knowing these
two sides and the way they play footy and the
qualities that they have, I can't see them changing too much.
(07:03):
They've come this far playing playing their style, playing their brand,
and I expect it to be really entertaining.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
The ugly is fine if you're winning We have no
problem with that at all. Like Olie Sales our guests
on the show, right, Argentina up against England, I won't
even mentioned the history off the part. But there's a
lot about this, isn't there? There really isn't There been
accusations that the referees have been are very kind to Messy,
(07:29):
one of the greats. And as you mentioned before, we've
got a battle hardened team that are turning up going surely,
surely it's coming home. This is another hurdle. Where does
this lie? This one?
Speaker 3 (07:41):
Oh, this is going to be amazing too.
Speaker 4 (07:42):
And to be fair, two teams that I don't necessarily
have looked at their best, necessarily think they've looked at
their best. I think Argentina, like you've touched on, they
had a pretty favorable draw. They haven't come across too
many challenges. Even the other day against the Swiss in
their quarter final, they got dominated for posision and I
thought Swiss looked pretty good. The Swiss equalized after the
(08:05):
Argentinian scored from a set piece, and then obviously the
dramatic red card.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
Change the game.
Speaker 4 (08:11):
But I thought they're really struggled to get across the
line against the Swiss, So I think England will take
this one. But having said that, Argentina will be full
of confidence and Lionel Messi's just doing incredible things, especially
at his age mate it's like he's getting better almost,
so it's pretty scary. And you know, if he's not
going to have a say on the game, I'd be surprised.
So it's going to be pretty special then, Like you said,
(08:33):
plenty of history in this contest too, so yeah, licking
my lips for that one.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Do you expect though, run the ninety all these matches
will actually go further and maybe the worst thing for
goalies anyway, end up being a penalty shootout. What do
you think these games are going to arrive at? When
is the end going to be?
Speaker 4 (08:50):
Yeah, well, obviously it's imminent, and the longer the game
goes on without it looking like there's going to be
a winner, obviously teams start thinking about that and they
stop throwing caution to the wind and pull up a
little bit more conservatively. But it's going to play a
big factor. If one of the semifinals goes the extra
time plus penalty shootouts, that's going to be a huge
(09:12):
factor going into the final. You know that extra fatigue
you're getting late into the tournament. Now, this will be
these teams seventh game, so you know, whoever has the
freshest legs after this one is going to be a
good shout for the finals.
Speaker 3 (09:23):
So they'll be trying to avoid extra time at all costs.
Speaker 4 (09:25):
I would have thought given that, but you know, these
games have a funny way of playing out, so we
have to wait and see. But I think if it
goes the extra time like a touched on France's depth,
I think that'll suit them more in that first semi final.
And then the second thing, I think that suits England
a little bit more. I think as we as we
touched on, they've been battle hardened, so they're ready for that.
And yeah, I would say that probably suits those two
(09:48):
sides if it does go the extra distance.
Speaker 2 (09:49):
And one last thing winding up. I always ask this
question and people look at me like I'm insane or
done under then I don't understand the sport. And it
goes like this, when people are taking a penalty, right,
why don't they just kick it straight down the middle,
because yeah, keepers always dive one way or the other.
Wouldn't it be simple just to run up and just
to smash it straight up the guts.
Speaker 4 (10:10):
It's certainly a favorable place, I think from a goalkeeper's perspective. Obviously,
it's very difficult to place to deal with. You know,
when you're in the moment you want to make a
big save for your country, you're full of adrenaline. More
than likely you're going to commit to a save and
you're going to be looking for that big power step
into a big dive. So yeah, you're looking to cover
as much ground as possible. So the middle is a
pretty good option. Having said that, in a shootout, if
(10:31):
I'm the goalkeeper, I'm probably expecting someone to go down
the middle. An open play probably less so, but in
a shootout I'm probably prepared for one or two to
try and go down the middle. So it's certainly in
the back of my mind as a goalkeeper. So it
certainly takes some stones, mate, So we'll see if anyone's
got the minerals to do it in a World Cup
semi final.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
And next time Oli Sale you're in goal and it
is a penalty, please don't think of this conversation.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
I'll try my vest.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Hey, good on your Ali. Real pleasure mate, thanks so
much for joining us on the program. Great to hear
that you're back, you're fit, and you're looking ready to goal,
ready to go come the start of next season. Thanks
for your time, Bro.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
Pleasure is always mate all.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
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