The All Whites are kicking off their campaign for FIFA World Cup qualification.
Their Captain, and star player, Chris Wood joined Piney to discuss their upcoming matches and dig into his enthusiasm to play for the national team.
“It's the love of the country and the nation. I mean, New Zealand's my home, it’s where I grew up.”
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's meantime up and running on the road to the
twenty twenty six feet for World Cup. They've beaten Tahiti
three nilk goals to Eli just Ben Wayne and captain
Chris Wood Sutton over the time the head of this
time and that one was easy, Chris Word. That is
goal number thirty five for the captain, sim Peace corner
(00:33):
Keck and Tahiti just took their guard.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Or for their movement and a special goal from Chris Wood.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
So the side's back in Auckland now they've arrived back
in the country for a rare home match. They face Malaysia.
This is a friendly at Albany on Monday night. There
are two more World Cup qualifiers, also both in New
Zealand in November. Captain of the side and one of
the goal scorers yesterday, Premier League striker with Nottingham Forest,
Chris Wood is with us from the team Hotel. Chris,
(01:00):
Thanks for taking the time. What are your overall reflections
on yesterday's performance and the word over Tahiti.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It's job done, which is a good thing obviously. Going
to the island. It's a difficult place to go at times, weather,
pitch and all of that type of thing, but it's
a job done through nil, win in and out, so
it's a good start to the campaign.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
How challenging is it to play against a side like
that who really are going to sit back, sit deep,
try to frustrate you.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Look, yeah, I mean they say a lot deeper than
we thought they would, but that's how they designed to
play and try and get a result doing it that way.
That's their tactic, so that's fine, and we just had
to learn and work out how to break them down
and score. The goals obviously were very fortunate with Justice's
goal very quickly early on, a screamer from him, so
(01:50):
that settled everything. He made the job a bit easier.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
In circumstances like this, is it really just about the
result or do you examine the performance and look for improvements.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
You always want to play it well, but at the
end of the day, this is a tournament football. You
need to in games to qualify for a World Cup,
so as long as you win the games, it doesn't
really matter. Of course, you want to play nice football
in the in the process, but winning is the ultimate goal.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
By every metric. Chris, you are overwhelming favorites to win
Oceania and to qualify for the World Cup. How do
you avoid complacency and keep your standards high?
Speaker 3 (02:30):
It's all about mentality. You can't under estate anybody or anything.
You never know what you're going to face and you
have to be ready for all occasions and anything that
comes at you. So, yeah, we know we're favorites, but
that doesn't mean that we're going to qualify. So we
have to put in the work to make sure that
we do and that's that's what we're going to try
(02:51):
and do.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
So back home now, you've got a friendly on Monday
and the next two World Cup qualifiers are also back
on home soil. How different is that going to be
compared to the well known challenges of playing in the
Pacific Islands.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Look, I think we're going to have obviously better conditions
with the pitch and whether I guess we'll be getting
better as the months come on, So I think everything
will be in our favor in that side of it.
But of course we're still going to come up with
the challenges of probably teams sitting off and have our
seven to break them down and things like that. So
(03:24):
there's going to be challenges, but I think we've got
a good enough squad to be able to do it.
It's just about doing it rise on the day.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Home matches have been pretty rare recently. I can only
find three in the last five years, which seems incredible.
How much you're looking forward to playing for the All
Whites at home.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Look, it's going to be fantastic. It's nice to be back.
We want to be playing in front of our home
crowd as much as possible, and it's nice to see
that the next three windows with this window and two
others that we're definitely going to be back here and
it's nice to see that we can play in front
of our home crowd. So we're really looking forward to
as a team and hopefully putting on some good performances
for them.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
One thing that you have always done is make yourself
available for New Zealand. It doesn't ma to who you're playing,
where you're playing. You are very really unavailable, regardless of
the opposition or the nature of the match. What is
it that internally drives that in you.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
It's the love for the country and the nation. I
mean New Zealand's my home. It's where I grew up
and it's where it's always going to be a home
for me. So I love coming back. I love the
environment that we come into when we go away with
that national team. It's just the boys are just like
your family and your brothers, and it's just so nice
to be a part of them being around. So it's
(04:40):
just nice to come back and just play football with
the boys.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
And you're all in far flung you know, areas of
the globe, aren't you now? But when you come back together,
do you find yourself sort of fairly easily slotting back
into all white sort of mode again, everybody sort of
filling the roles they always do.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah, one hundred percent. It just comes second nature and
it's just natural to all of us, and that's a
good thing. I think that's why everybody loves coming back
and loves the environment.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Another goal for you yesterday thirty for New Zealand. Now
that extends your tally is our all time leading male goalscorer.
You're also closing an on Ivan Visil, which is our
record men's appearance maker. How driven are you by milestones
like these?
Speaker 3 (05:20):
They're definitely great things to come into the fold of
as they get older and be able to look back on.
I'd like to achieve obviously beaten Oven then and even
further if I can. But ultimately the goal has been
in another World Cup. I think that's the biggest driven
and determination for me at this moment.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
And inside the All Whites environment there are others coming
through obviously, and I see being Wayne another goal yesterday
inside the All Whites Chris, how much guidance, advice that
sort of thing are you giving to likes of Ben
Wayne and others as they look to forward their path internationally?
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Look trying to give as much as possible. That's what
I'm here for that. I'm here for them to learn
off and ask questions and help them in any way
possible to make their career better and stronger and go
into bigger and better levels and hopefully in the elite
people in the past and exceed them if possible. That'll
be the best thing to have more boys playing in
(06:16):
the biggest leagues in the world and performing at the
highest levels both internationally and club levels. So yeah, it's
given an experience and it's like when he's done in
the past and things like that. So just doing as
much as they can.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
And speaking of the highest level Premier League season underway,
you and Forrest have started well, just one loss in
seven games. You've got four goals in those seven matches,
seventy three all up. Now, what are the keys to
your goal scoring consistency in the Premier League?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Look at this moment in the team that we're in,
it's about having the support and the manager and the
backing of the manager. That's the best thing. He's coming
from day dot and played me, which helps massively. And
we've got a great squad and a great team and
a lot of very very good players that are going
to go on to bigger and better things or big
(07:05):
things i should say, and hopefully take this club that
we're out two big things and trophies and that. So
it's just fortunate to be a part of good team
and then able to do a job up front as well.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Great to have you back in New Zealand, Chris. All
the best for the friendly against Malaysia on Monday and
then the windows to come. Really appreciate you taking the
time for.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
A chat chats. Thank you very much, thank you, Chris, Chris.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Wood there captain of the All Whites, I think you
know approaching you know, certainly the podium anyway, as our
greatest ever male player, he's our leading goalscorer. He's about
ten or eleven short of five in Visilich most games
full games for New Zealand. They play Malaysia North Harbor
on Monday, seven o'clock kickoff in that one, it's a friendly,
(07:47):
but the All Whites so rarely play at home. If
you're in and around, i'd get along. All the stars
are here, it's a pretty good team and from what
I understand, New Zealand Football have made this pretty affordable
only five bucks for kids, twenty dollars adults. I think
I saw five dollars for kids. And then games in November.
This one's at Albany. In November they play a couple
(08:07):
of games in World Cup qualifying, one in Hamilton and
one at Mount Smart so those are also available for
purchase and I think the ticket prices are the same
for that as well. So yeah, good to have you
all watch back home and a good win yesterday three
nil over Tahiti.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk zed B.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
It's meantime up and running on the road to the
twenty twenty six feet for World Cup. They've beaten Tahiti
three nilk goals to Eli just Ben Wayne and captain
Chris Wood Sutton over the time the head of this
time and that one was easy, Chris Word. That is
goal number thirty five for the captain, sim Peace corner
(00:33):
Keck and Tahiti just took their guard.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
Or for their movement and a special goal from Chris Wood.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
So the side's back in Auckland now they've arrived back
in the country for a rare home match. They face Malaysia.
This is a friendly at Albany on Monday night. There
are two more World Cup qualifiers, also both in New
Zealand in November. Captain of the side and one of
the goal scorers yesterday, Premier League striker with Nottingham Forest,
Chris Wood is with us from the team Hotel. Chris,
(01:00):
Thanks for taking the time. What are your overall reflections
on yesterday's performance and the word over Tahiti.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
It's job done, which is a good thing obviously. Going
to the island. It's a difficult place to go at times, weather,
pitch and all of that type of thing, but it's
a job done through nil, win in and out, so
it's a good start to the campaign.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
How challenging is it to play against a side like
that who really are going to sit back, sit deep,
try to frustrate you.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Look, yeah, I mean they say a lot deeper than
we thought they would, but that's how they designed to
play and try and get a result doing it that way.
That's their tactic, so that's fine, and we just had
to learn and work out how to break them down
and score. The goals obviously were very fortunate with Justice's
goal very quickly early on, a screamer from him, so
(01:50):
that settled everything. He made the job a bit easier.
Speaker 2 (01:53):
In circumstances like this, is it really just about the
result or do you examine the performance and look for improvements.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
You always want to play it well, but at the
end of the day, this is a tournament football. You
need to in games to qualify for a World Cup,
so as long as you win the games, it doesn't
really matter. Of course, you want to play nice football
in the in the process, but winning is the ultimate goal.
Speaker 2 (02:18):
By every metric. Chris, you are overwhelming favorites to win
Oceania and to qualify for the World Cup. How do
you avoid complacency and keep your standards high?
Speaker 3 (02:30):
It's all about mentality. You can't under estate anybody or anything.
You never know what you're going to face and you
have to be ready for all occasions and anything that
comes at you. So, yeah, we know we're favorites, but
that doesn't mean that we're going to qualify. So we
have to put in the work to make sure that
we do and that's that's what we're going to try
(02:51):
and do.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
So back home now, you've got a friendly on Monday
and the next two World Cup qualifiers are also back
on home soil. How different is that going to be
compared to the well known challenges of playing in the
Pacific Islands.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
Look, I think we're going to have obviously better conditions
with the pitch and whether I guess we'll be getting
better as the months come on, So I think everything
will be in our favor in that side of it.
But of course we're still going to come up with
the challenges of probably teams sitting off and have our
seven to break them down and things like that. So
(03:24):
there's going to be challenges, but I think we've got
a good enough squad to be able to do it.
It's just about doing it rise on the day.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Home matches have been pretty rare recently. I can only
find three in the last five years, which seems incredible.
How much you're looking forward to playing for the All
Whites at home.
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Look, it's going to be fantastic. It's nice to be back.
We want to be playing in front of our home
crowd as much as possible, and it's nice to see
that the next three windows with this window and two
others that we're definitely going to be back here and
it's nice to see that we can play in front
of our home crowd. So we're really looking forward to
as a team and hopefully putting on some good performances
for them.
Speaker 2 (04:01):
One thing that you have always done is make yourself
available for New Zealand. It doesn't ma to who you're playing,
where you're playing. You are very really unavailable, regardless of
the opposition or the nature of the match. What is
it that internally drives that in you.
Speaker 3 (04:17):
It's the love for the country and the nation. I
mean New Zealand's my home. It's where I grew up
and it's where it's always going to be a home
for me. So I love coming back. I love the
environment that we come into when we go away with
that national team. It's just the boys are just like
your family and your brothers, and it's just so nice
to be a part of them being around. So it's
(04:40):
just nice to come back and just play football with
the boys.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
And you're all in far flung you know, areas of
the globe, aren't you now? But when you come back together,
do you find yourself sort of fairly easily slotting back
into all white sort of mode again, everybody sort of
filling the roles they always do.
Speaker 3 (04:56):
Yeah, one hundred percent. It just comes second nature and
it's just natural to all of us, and that's a
good thing. I think that's why everybody loves coming back
and loves the environment.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Another goal for you yesterday thirty for New Zealand. Now
that extends your tally is our all time leading male goalscorer.
You're also closing an on Ivan Visil, which is our
record men's appearance maker. How driven are you by milestones
like these?
Speaker 3 (05:20):
They're definitely great things to come into the fold of
as they get older and be able to look back on.
I'd like to achieve obviously beaten Oven then and even
further if I can. But ultimately the goal has been
in another World Cup. I think that's the biggest driven
and determination for me at this moment.
Speaker 2 (05:39):
And inside the All Whites environment there are others coming
through obviously, and I see being Wayne another goal yesterday
inside the All Whites Chris, how much guidance, advice that
sort of thing are you giving to likes of Ben
Wayne and others as they look to forward their path internationally?
Speaker 3 (05:54):
Look trying to give as much as possible. That's what
I'm here for that. I'm here for them to learn
off and ask questions and help them in any way
possible to make their career better and stronger and go
into bigger and better levels and hopefully in the elite
people in the past and exceed them if possible. That'll
be the best thing to have more boys playing in
(06:16):
the biggest leagues in the world and performing at the
highest levels both internationally and club levels. So yeah, it's
given an experience and it's like when he's done in
the past and things like that. So just doing as
much as they can.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
And speaking of the highest level Premier League season underway,
you and Forrest have started well, just one loss in
seven games. You've got four goals in those seven matches,
seventy three all up. Now, what are the keys to
your goal scoring consistency in the Premier League?
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Look at this moment in the team that we're in,
it's about having the support and the manager and the
backing of the manager. That's the best thing. He's coming
from day dot and played me, which helps massively. And
we've got a great squad and a great team and
a lot of very very good players that are going
to go on to bigger and better things or big
(07:05):
things i should say, and hopefully take this club that
we're out two big things and trophies and that. So
it's just fortunate to be a part of good team
and then able to do a job up front as well.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
Great to have you back in New Zealand, Chris. All
the best for the friendly against Malaysia on Monday and
then the windows to come. Really appreciate you taking the
time for.
Speaker 3 (07:22):
A chat chats. Thank you very much, thank you, Chris, Chris.
Speaker 2 (07:25):
Wood there captain of the All Whites, I think you
know approaching you know, certainly the podium anyway, as our
greatest ever male player, he's our leading goalscorer. He's about
ten or eleven short of five in Visilich most games
full games for New Zealand. They play Malaysia North Harbor
on Monday, seven o'clock kickoff in that one, it's a friendly,
(07:47):
but the All Whites so rarely play at home. If
you're in and around, i'd get along. All the stars
are here, it's a pretty good team and from what
I understand, New Zealand Football have made this pretty affordable
only five bucks for kids, twenty dollars adults. I think
I saw five dollars for kids. And then games in November.
This one's at Albany. In November they play a couple
(08:07):
of games in World Cup qualifying, one in Hamilton and
one at Mount Smart so those are also available for
purchase and I think the ticket prices are the same
for that as well. So yeah, good to have you
all watch back home and a good win yesterday three
nil over Tahiti.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live
to News Talk set B weekends from midday, or follow
the podcast on iHeartRadio
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