D'Arcy Waldegrave: The FIFA World Cup qualification celebration goalposts have moved

Looks like the FIFA World Cup is on for the All Whites.  

Last night in Wellington the national men’s team pulled Fiji apart, winning 7-zip. No surprise there. They’ll take on New Caledonia on Monday for a ticket to FIFA’s quadrennial powerflex, where they’ll join a quarter of the globes football playing countries. 

With the competition expanding to 48 teams, NZ ensures direct entry through Oceania success, with no intercontinental playoff malarkey to endure.  

This alters the landscape somewhat.  

Previously, All White qualification to the World Cup was hailed as a highlight of NZ’s sporting history. 1982 and 2010 are locked into our sporting pantheon, achievements that almost beggar belief for their remarkable and unlikely path through the maze of qualification. We all have stories around the impossible 1982 journey, the 2010 road which culminated in one of the biggest and loudest nights in Wellington’s history.  

Entry to the biggest stage in world sport, which should occur on Monday night in Auckland, will not be met with such enthusiasm, celebration or astonishment. The once rocky and treacherous path has been realigned and tar sealed, complete with an open road speed limit.  

This shouldn’t sully the destination, but it won’t be met with the joy and patriotic fervour of days gone by. The All Whites are doing what has been asked.  

The qualification celebration goal posts have been moved. They are now group stage celebrations. The gauge of success, the real challenge, the true reflection of triumph at the World Cup is the group stage.  

Getting through to the round of 32 becomes the new Holy Grail, only then will this team be spoken of in the same breath as the heroic 1982 and 2010 teams.   

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the All Sport Breakfast podcast with Darcy
Waldgrave from News Talk ZEDB.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
Seven thirty in the am. And it looks like the
FIFA World Cup is all on for the All Whites.
Last night and Wally the national men's team pulled Fiji apart.
They won seven zip, No surprise there. They will take
on your Codoni on Manday for a ticket to FIFA's
quadrennial Power Flex where hopefully they'll join a quarter of

(00:34):
the globe's football playing countries. So, with the competition expanding
to forty eight teams, New Zealand ensure direct entry through
Oceania and success they have there with no intercontinental playoff
Blaki to endure, this alters the landscape somewhat. Previously, All

(00:55):
White qualifications of the World Cup was hailed as a
highlight of New Zealand's sporting history. Nineteen eighty two and
twenty ten are locked into our sporting pantheon on achievements
that almost beg a belief for their remarkable and unlikely
path through the maze of qualification. We all have stories

(01:16):
around the impossible nineteen eighty two journey and the twenty
ten road which culminated in one of the biggest and
loudest nights in Wilmington's history. Entry into the biggest stage
in world sport, which should occur on Monday night in Auckland,
will not be met with such enthusiasm, celebration or astonishment,

(01:38):
even that the once rocky and treacherous path has been
realigned and tar sealed, complete with an open road speed limit. This, however,
shouldn't sully the destination, but it won't be met with
the joy and patriotic fervor of days gone by. The
All Whites are simply doing what has been asked, has
been put in front of them, slightly easier than it

(02:00):
has been though the qualification celebration goalposts essentially have been moved.
They are now group stage celebrations. The gauge of success.
The real challenge, the true reflection of triumph at the
World Cup is the group stage. Getting through to the
Round of thirty two becomes the new holy grail. Only

(02:22):
then will this team be spoken of in the same
breath as the heroic nineteen eighty two. In twenty ten,
teams Lit'll

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Do for more from the All Sport Breakfast with Darcy
Watergrave listen live to News Talk set be on Saturday mornings,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio