Jason Pine: Weekend Sport host on the All Whites qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup

Great news for football fans – the All Whites are heading to the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 

Their 3-0 win over the New Caledonia side was enough to book their trip next year to the US, Canada, and Mexico. 

Weekend Sport host Jason Pine told Andrew Dickens that quite a few people probably expected the game to be fairly straight forward, but it didn’t take long for those illusions to be dispelled. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here we go, Here we go, Here we go. We're
off to the World Cup twenty twenty six. We won
three mil over New Caledonia. And of course the man
making the call for the Telly and also works here
on Newstaloks there be as Jason Pine. Congratulations, Jason. I
thought you played very well.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Look, I'm not sure I had any direct influence on
the game, Andrew, but it's lovely to be here with you.

Speaker 1 (00:23):
Tough first half. The New Caledonians were well organized.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
They certainly were. Yeah, they came out and made it
very difficult for New Zealand in the first half. And look,
I think a lot of people turned up there last
night and tuned in thinking this is going to be
fairly straightforward, and it didn't take long for those illusions
to be dispelled. I thought New Caledonia were well worth
it and played really well on the first half. Frustrated
New Zealand. You know, any chances they had were repelled

(00:49):
by their excellent goalkeeper Rocky McCaine. And at half time
when they wandered off or New Zealand wanted off, it
was with frustration New Caledonia almost celebrating at half time
the fact that it was still all but in New
Zealand grow into the game in the second half and
did what had to be done. Well.

Speaker 1 (01:04):
Of course, we lost Chris Woods, and we worry about it,
but that's that's the thing for Nottingham Forest to worry about.
But here's the thing what I liked about it. In
the second half. We changed stuff a bit. We brought
in Francis Devrez. We've got a whole lot more direct
and suddenly so we changed and we got around the
blanket defense. And that's a good sign for a good team.

Speaker 2 (01:21):
Oh look absolutely, yeah. You can't just have one plan,
can you. And Plan A was Chris Wood obviously, and
that you know, for the first time in a long
time didn't work and as you say, he went off injured,
so they changed it up. Francis of Reese, as you say,
came on cost of Barbarusis, I think, made an excellent
impact off the bench, and e Lie just you know,
Barbarusis and just both on the score sheet. So yeah,

(01:43):
they It is the sign of a good team that
if things aren't going the way you would hope that
they would, that you you know, that you try something
else and you get success that way. And that's what
happened last night.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
So we're off to the Big Gang, but this for
the third time ever, but this time with this opposed
golden generation of players. Should we hope that they get
to the knockout stage?

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Well, absolutely, I think that'll be the aim. There's no
way that this team will want to go just to participate.
That that has to now be the base level that
when we get to the World Cup next year, it's
not just to make up the numbers. It's not just
to play three games and then pack the bags and
head home. It's that they have realistic ambitions of getting
out of their group and into the knockout stages. It
is a very good All Whites team, you know, notwithstanding

(02:27):
the fact they couldn't break down New Caledonia for large
periods of last night. This is as good in All
Whites team as I've seen. And look, they will be
off to the Big Dance next year with the full
intention of getting out of their group.

Speaker 1 (02:42):
And something's changed about football in a shocking development. My
partner chose to watch the game instead of wait loads
this last night. It'll be interesting to see the ratings,
but obviously you know football's on the rise.

Speaker 2 (02:55):
Well of those. Yeah, free to wear last night, which
helps obviously, but no, well, when people like your partner
are choosing, are choosing football over over her regular viewing
habits and look good crowd there last night from Monday
night over twenty five thousand Auckland FC. You and I
have talked about that a lot in the past as well,
and the Phoenix have been around for some time now,

(03:15):
good players all around the world. It will only get
bigger when we go to the World Cup next year.
So yeah, pretty healthy time for the round ball code
in our country.

Speaker 1 (03:23):
Pack your bags, Jason, looks like you're going to America.

Speaker 2 (03:27):
Are we certainly pitching to the bosses Andrew to get
your support.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
That'll be helpful, No problem, No problem. I'll carry your
bags for you, Jason Paint.

Speaker 2 (03:34):
For more from early edition with Ryan Bridge. Listen live
to News Talks it'd be from five am weekdays, or
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