Tuesday June 15, 2010 Group Stage: Group F Finished Royal Bafokeng Stadium

  1. Reid grabs point for New Zealand

    Reid grabs point for New Zealand

    Winston Reid scored a dramatic injury-time equaliser as New Zealand earned a 1-1 draw with Slovakia at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • New Zealand
    • Slovakia
    • 90+4' FULL-TIME! Late drama and the Kiwis fans will be celebrating tonight.
    • 90+3' Reid is booked for removing his shirt in celebration.
    • 90+3' GOAL!! NEW ZEALAND EQUALISE DEEP INTO INJURY TIME. Smeltz curls over an inviting cross and an unmarked Winston Reid, up from the back, ghosts in to direct a header into the back of the net.
    • 90' Weiss is replaced by Juraj Kucka - his Dad, the coach, will be happy with his showing today and gives him a hug.
    • 89' Three minutes of added time.
    • 88' New Zealand probably won't get a better chance of recording their first ever World Cup finals point.
    • 87' New Zealand's best chance! Delicious cross from the left by Lochhead and Smeltz gets between the two central defenders but heads wide from little more than eight yards.
    • 86' Miroslav Stoch replaces the goalscorer Vittek.
    • 85' Slovakia win their 10th corner. But too long for Skrtel.
    • 84' Match Image Robert Vittek heads in the goal
    • 83' Slovakia make a change as Filip Holosko replaces Sestak.
    • 82' Elliot's free-kick caries on the wind and runs out of play.
    • 81' Slovakia ended first in their qualification group, winning seven of their 10 matches, so should not be under-estimated by either Italy or Paraguay.
    • 80' Fallon chests Reid's long ball down neatly but his shot can't match the control. Way over the top. The Kiwis have created little, just two shots on target.
    • 79' Vicelich is replaced by Jeremy Christie.
    • 78' The ball just won't come down quick enough for Sestak and Lochhead nips in to prevent the shot.
    • 77' Jendrisek surges down the left but his cross-cum-shot has too much pace on it.
    • 76' Sestak gets behind Lochhead and gets to the by-line but can't quite pick out Weiss with his cut back.
    • 75' Wood is facing West Bromwich Albion team-mate Cech.
    • 74' A long ball bounces rather awkwardly for Smeltz in the penalty area and he can’t chest the ball down.
    • 73' Smeltz's shot is charged down, NZ pick up the pieces but Lochhead can't find a colleague with his cross.
    • 72' First change as Killen is replaced by Chris Wood.
    • 71' Lovely skill from Weiss to hook the ball back onto his right foot but he can't get the shot away.
    • 70' Killen has a little flick out at Weiss off the ball. An over-reaction however from the impressive Manchester City youngster who was on-loan at Bolton last season.
    • 69' Two corners in quick succession but nothing created by Slovakia.
    • 68' Slovakia break and only a super challenge from Reid denies them a second. Sestak finds Vittek but the right-sided defender makes a super block just as the striker was about to pull the trigger from close range.
    • 67' Match Image Zdenko Strba battles New Zealand's Rory Fallon
    • 66' Elliot is hobbling and New Zealand might need to make a change. He has been the All Whites' best player.
    • 65' Sestak was top scorer for Slovakia during the qualifying campaign. He scored six goals in six matches. Only five players scored more goals than the Slovakian during the UEFA qualification for the 2010 world Cup.
    • 64' Sestak brings a long ball out of the sky superbly, holds up play and lays back to Hamsik whose shot from 20 yards is woeful and way over the top.
    • 63' Promising scenario for Slovakia but Vittek's cross drifts harmlessly out of play.
    • 62' Lochhead's cross is too close to Mucha.
    • 61' Weiss goes down under a challenge from Fallon on the edge of the penalty area but no free-kick.
    • 60' New Zealand seem to have lost their momentum.
    • 59' Vuvuzelas Are Pure Evil: "The World Cup format of 32 teams is watered down. Too many teams. I think FIFA would be better off if they went back to the old 16-team WC. The teams that finish from 17 to 32 should compete in another tournament. Not unlike the Champions League and the Europa Cup."
    • 58' Lovely feet again from Weiss but he just overruns the ball in the penalty area.
    • 57' Fallon’s father, Kevin, was assistant coach for NZ at the 1982 World Cup, then later head coach of New Zealand from 1985-88 in charge for 50 matches.
    • 56' A high ball towards Fallon in the penalty area but Skrtel holds him up and Slovakia clear.
    • 55' Slovakia are the only debutants at the 2010 World Cup. Only once before, a World Cup had just one debutant. In 1950, England were the only team to qualify for the tournament as debutants. In 2006, Ukraine reached the quarter-finals as debutants.
    • 54' Zdeno Strba is booked for a tackle from behind on Elliot.
    • 53' Promising break from Slovakia and Sestak runs through on goal but the New Zealand defenders get back.
    • 52' There was a hint of offside about the goal, Vittek perhaps a fraction ahead of the last defender.
    • 51' Instant chance for a response but Eliot's free-kick is headed away in the penalty area.
    • 50' GOAL!! Slovakia take the lead with a super header from Vittek. A great cross from the right by Sestak goes over the head of Reid and the front man directs his header past Paston.
    • 49' Dontpanicblink: "I have this down for 2-0 Slovakia on the prediction game but I would love it to be something like 4-2 but that won't happen. Nice to see the stadium less than half full."
    • 48' Skrtel is penalised for holding Reid.
    • 47' Weiss forces an early corner.
    • 46' No changes to either side as the second-half gets underway.
    • 45+1' Half-time! The debutants and the second lowest ranked team at the finals have produced an entertaining 45 minutes but no goals.
    • 45' Paston comes flying off his line and is lucky that he only concedes a corner with his attempted punch.
    • 44' Glen Moss, who has been duelling with Paston for the starting position, is suspended for this match.
    • 43' The free-kick is squared to Hamsik whose curler is tipped over the crossbar. Decent effort from distance but too close to the keeper.
    • 42' Lochhead booked for a tackle that makes contact with Jendrisek's ankle.
    • 41' The All Whites win two corners in quick succession but nothing created.
    • 40' Hesitant goalkeeping from Paston who is motionless and leaves Durica's header across goal. Luckily Killen is on hand to clear off the line. Time stood still for the Wellington Phoenix number one!
    • 39' Vittek with a strong run down the right but Elliot, the oldest player in the NZ line-up, covers some ground to prevent the cross and it's a corner.
    • 38' Great combination play between Fallon and Smeltz and the Gold Coast United striker unleashes a fierce strike from the left side of the penalty area that Mucha tips behind….but a goal kick is awarded.
    • 37' Eight attempts on goal so far, five to Slovakia.
    • 36' Vittek unleashes a decent shot from 30 yards but it whistles wide. The Lille striker is always keen to shoot.
    • 35' A second Slovakia corner but Durica slips near the touchline.
    • 33' Terrible mistake from Paston as he completely miscues his attempted clearance but Vittek is unable to take advantage as Smith slides in.
    • 32' Space for Killen but a speculative effort from distance is well wide of Mucha's far post.
    • 31' New Zealand won five of their six group stage matches in qualifying. Their only loss was at home against Fiji (0-2), when the All Whites were already certain of winning the OFC Qualification.
    • 30' Paston flaps badly at the corner, just as the Paraguay keeper did last night, and the ball flicks off the back of Skrtel's head and is not too far away from nestling in the empty net.
    • 29' Liverpool's Martin Skrtel is up but the ball flicks off Fallon's head and goes for a corner.
    • 28' Elliot brings down Sestak and now Slovakia can put the ball into the danger area from a set-piece.
    • 27' Weiss with a lovely ball around the corner and a decent opening but Sestak can't hit the target with his effort from 14 yards.
    • 26' Winston Reid, a former Danish U21 international, swings over a cross but Plymouth striker Fallon is penalised for a push.
    • 25' In the 1982 World Cup, New Zealand lost all their three group matches. They were beaten by Scotland (5-2), Soviet Union (3-0) and Brazil (4-0).
    • 24' A good tempo to this match unlike some we have seen.
    • 23' Hamsik is Slovakia's most influential player who had a good qualifying campaign and three excellent seasons with Napoli. Twice the winner of Slovakia's Young Player of the Year award.
    • 22' Nice trick from Weiss and he cuts back to Hamsik but his curler is just past the far post.
    • 21' Raking ball from Elliot out to Bertos who was playing for Worksop only five years ago.
    • 20' In 31 meetings with current UEFA federation countries, New Zealand have won three matches. One came against Israel (3-1 in a World Cup qualification in 1986), another against Georgia (3-1 in a friendly on May 2006) and another against Serbia (1-0 in a Friendly two weeks ago).
    • 19' Another promising run by Weiss but his cut back is intercepted and Ipswich youngster Tommy Smith clear his lines.
    • 18' Elliot's free-kick drifts out of play, his service has been ok up to then.
    • 17' Vittek looks to curl one in the top corner but can only muster a wild shot with distance.
    • 16' Marek Cech's cross is too close to Paston.
    • 15' Slovakia have a throw-in near the corner flag as Tony Lochhead hacks wildly behind.
    • 14' Hamsik's cross from the left is comfortable for Paston. You would expect better delivery from the skipper.
    • 13' Shane Smeltz, Rory Fallon and Killen are up front for the All Whites.
    • 12' Elliot's free-kick fails to beat the first man.
    • 11' Bertos' cross is cleared but Slovakia fail to clear their lines and the former Barnsley midfielder is brought down which will allow the Kiwis to put it in the mixer once more.
    • 10' A lively opening 10 minutes and Jan Durica is forced to head a cross from the left behind for a corner.
    • 9' New Zealand's combative midfielder Tim Brown did not make the starting line-up after failing to recover in time out from a broken shoulder. New Zealand's most capped player Ivan Vicelich, normally a defender, is playing the anchor role.
    • 8' Kiwi John McVey: "Biggest game of their lives - win, lose or draw - we should leave nothing on the pitch!"
    • 7' Marek Hamsik's ball intended for Sestak just has a little too much pace on it. Nice passing from the Slovaks.
    • 6' Leo Bertos' cross is punched clear from the right by Mucha.
    • 5' Vladimir Weiss takes on the All Whites defence and his diagonal drive is saved by Mark Paston.
    • 4' NZ will look to threaten from set-pieces and Killen wins the header but it is straight at Jan Mucha who claims at the second attempt. Great delivery from former Fulham man Simon Elliot.
    • 3' Encouraging signs for NZ as a big whole in the middle of the park is exposed by Middlesbrough's Chris Killen who runs through on goal but his final effort is tame and over the top.
    • 2' Slovakia have picked an attacking side with the injured Miroslav Stoch replaced by forward Erik Jendrisek. Stoch misses out after picking up an injury in training earlier this week. Jendrisek joins Robert Vittek and his regular strike partner Stanislav Sestak in a three-pronged attack.
    • 1' And we are underway, Slovakia playing 4-3-3 so let's hope for an attacking affair.
    • 12:25 South African referee Jerome Damon takes the ball off the plinth as is customary in these finals and the teams line up for the anthems.
    • 12:20 In a stadium that is very much an open bowl with shallow-sided seating areas, the wind was blowing the corner flags strongly at times and this, together with the movement of the Jabulani ball, suggested an error- and incident-filled game was in prospect.
    • 12:15 Strong winds and cold temperatures are set to create difficult conditions. The tournament began in glorious sunshine last week but after a rain swept encounter between Italy and Paraguay in Cape Town, fans were wrapping up in heavy winter clothes today. Strong gusts blew branches off trees and lightweight signage on the approach to the stadium was also flattened.
    • 12:10 Slovakia coach Vladimir Weiss fondly recalled his own World Cup adventure of 20 years ago. Czechoslovakia played their first match in 1990 in Florence, beating the United States 5-1, and reached the quarter-finals where they went out to West Germany. "When I came to this stadium today it reminded me of Florence, it's a similar kind of stadium," Weiss said ahead of Slovakia's debut.
    • 12:05 Ricki Herbert fondly remembers the last time his country reached the World Cup finals despite the drubbings New Zealand received in 1982. Herbert returns as coach of the All Whites but almost three decades ago he was a wide-eyed 21-year old defender and part of his country's first ever appearance at the sport's biggest tournament. "It's been a long time hasn't it? 28 years for a chance to try and change something. Look, it's good to be back. It's quite a distant memory but a very fond memory."
    • 12:00 This is the first ever meeting between these countries.
    • 11:55 The players have been enjoying the unusual attention, with some Slovaks saying they hoped football could replace ice hockey as the country's top sport. "During the qualification the stadium was almost always full so I think it's different," Slovakia midfielder Miroslav Stoch said. "It changed because ice hockey didn't do very well recently, didn't finish in the world championship in the highest positions. There used to be not a big interest in football, I think we've changed it."
    • 11:50 In the blustery car park a few kilometres from the Royal Bafokeng stadium, some New Zealand fans were wearing All Blacks' rugby shirts and desperately trying to protect their barbecues from the winds with giant umbrellas. "We're usually rugby fans," said Dean Anderson, one of those dressed as a fluffy kiwi. "But we just love New Zealand. We're a sporting nation, we just love the flag," he added, his yellow felt beak bobbing up and down.
    • 11:45 "Hockey is more popular than football but now since Slovakia have qualified for the World Cup, it has picked up and there is a lot more support for our boys in South Africa," Richard Vesely -- as cheerful as his surname means in Slovak -- told Reuters.
    • 11:40 Slovakia and New Zealand fans have abandoned their hockey pucks and oval rugby balls as they pushed their more traditional sporting loves aside to support their teams. Hours before their Group F opener, fans from both teams donned face paint, giant football hats and even some furry kiwi bird outfits.
    • 11:35 Teams - New Zealand: 1-Mark Paston; 4-Winston Reid, 5-Ivan Vicelich, 6-Ryan Nelsen, 3-Tony Lochhead, 19-Tommy Smith, 11-Leo Bertos, 7-Simon Elliot, 14-Rory Fallon, 10-Chris Killen, 9-Shane Smeltz. /// Slovakia: 1-Jan Mucha; 5-Radoslav Zabavnik, 3-Martin Skrtel, 16-Jan Durica, 4-Marek Cech, 6-Zdeno Strba, 7-Vladimir Weiss, 17-Marek Hamsik, 18-Erik Jendrisek, 11-Robert Vittek, 9-Stanislav Sestak.
    • 11:30 New Zealand and Slovakia go head-to-head at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in a World Cup Group F match and following yesterday's draw between Italy and Paraguay, one of these sides has a chance to top the group.

  • Summary

    • 90+3' GOAL!! NEW ZEALAND EQUALISE DEEP INTO INJURY TIME. Smeltz curls over an inviting cross and an unmarked Winston Reid, up from the back, ghosts in to direct a header into the back of the net.
    • 87' New Zealand's best chance! Delicious cross from the left by Lochhead and Smeltz gets between the two central defenders but heads wide from little more than eight yards.
    • 76' Sestak gets behind Lochhead and gets to the by-line but can't quite pick out Weiss with his cut back.
    • 68' Slovakia break and only a super challenge from Reid denies them a second. Sestak finds Vittek but the right-sided defender makes a super block just as the striker was about to pull the trigger from close range.
    • 50' GOAL!! Slovakia take the lead with a super header from Vittek. A great cross from the right by Sestak goes over the head of Reid and the front man directs his header past Paston.
    • 43' The free-kick is squared to Hamsik whose curler is tipped over the crossbar. Decent effort from distance but too close to the keeper.
    • 40' Hesitant goalkeeping from Paston who is motionless and leaves Durica's header across goal. Luckily Killen is on hand to clear off the line. Time stood still for the Wellington Phoenix number one!
    • 38' Great combination play between Fallon and Smeltz and the Gold Coast United striker unleashes a fierce strike from the left side of the penalty area that Mucha tips behind….but a goal kick is awarded.
    • 33' Terrible mistake from Paston as he completely miscues his attempted clearance but Vittek is unable to take advantage as Smith slides in.
    • 30' Paston flaps badly at the corner, just as the Paraguay keeper did last night, and the ball flicks off the back of Skrtel's head and is not too far away from nestling in the empty net.
    • 27' Weiss with a lovely ball around the corner and a decent opening but Sestak can't hit the target with his effort from 14 yards.
    • 22' Nice trick from Weiss and he cuts back to Hamsik but his curler is just past the far post.
    • 4' NZ will look to threaten from set-pieces and Killen wins the header but it is straight at Jan Mucha who claims at the second attempt. Great delivery from former Fulham man Simon Elliot.

Team Line-up & Ratings

  • Line-up

    Live Team Line-Up

    • Starting line-up

      • M. Paston
      • W. Reid Goal Yellow Card
      • R. Nelsen
      • I. Vicelich Substitution Out (78′)
      • T. Smith
      • S. Elliott
      • L. Bertos
      • T. Lochhead Yellow Card
      • R. Fallon
      • C. Killen Substitution Out (72′)
      • S. Smeltz

      Subs

      • D. Mulligan
      • J. Christie Substitution In78′
      • J. Brockie
      • M. McGlinchey
      • B. Sigmund
      • C. Wood Substitution In72′
      • T. Brown
      • A. Boyens
      • A. Barron
      • J. Bannatyne
      • A. Clapham

    • Starting line-up

      • J. Mucha
      • R. Zabavník
      • M. Škrtel
      • J. Durica
      • M. Cech
      • Z. Štrba Yellow Card
      • V. Weiss Substitution Out (90′)
      • E. Jendrišek
      • M. Hamšík
      • R. Vittek Goal Substitution Out (84′)
      • S. Šesták Substitution Out (81′)

      Subs

      • M. Petráš
      • D. Kuciak
      • M. Jakubko
      • F. Hološko Substitution In81′
      • K. Kopúnek
      • M. Stoch Substitution In84′
      • P. Pekarík
      • J. Kucka Substitution In90′
      • J. Kozák
      • M. Sapara
      • D. Perniš
      • K. Saláta

  • Rate Players

    Rate Players

    Please to rate the players.

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    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      - -
      Defenders
      Goal Yellow Card - -
      - -
      Substitution Out78′ - -
      - -
      Midfielders
      - -
      - -
      Yellow Card - -
      Strikers
      - -
      Substitution Out72′ - -
      - -
      Subs
      Substitution In78′ - -
      Substitution In72′ - -
    • Player Y! Users Expert My Rating
      Goalkeeper
      - -
      Defenders
      - -
      - -
      - -
      - -
      Midfielders
      Yellow Card - -
      Substitution Out90′ - -
      - -
      - -
      Strikers
      Goal Substitution Out84′ - -
      Substitution Out81′ - -
      Subs
      Substitution In81′ - -
      Substitution In84′ - -
      Substitution In90′ - -

Comment 59 - 78 of 78

Sort comments by: Most recent | Most rated

  1. nz was very lucky to get a piont that will be there­ only one i think good effot

    From Michael, on Wed 16 Jun 3:52

  2. lhewiofho

    From Michael, on Wed 16 Jun 3:51

  3. @#$% it, i am disappointed not only with the final­ score of the game, but in general, with play of the­ Slovak team. Pace of the game was slow, not many­ chances, but still we should win, i think.

    From Jan, on Wed 16 Jun 2:14

  4. Well done NZ. A well earned point. It goes to show that­ the kiwi's aren't there just to make up the­ numbers.

    From Charlie, on Wed 16 Jun 0:43

  5. I think the commentator seemed it up pretty­ quickly...
    "And New Zealand WITHOUT a professional­ football comp. have scored a point at the World­ Cup!"

    Well done NZ, doing us proud fighting till­ the death! 1-1
    Way to waggle the tail of the underdogs!

    From Joe, on Wed 16 Jun 0:30

  6. WELL DONE SLOVAKIA

    From Nicole Clarridge, on Wed 16 Jun 0:26

  7. COME ON SLOVAKIA YOU CAN DO BETTER

    COME ON COME ON

    From Nicole Clarridge, on Wed 16 Jun 0:25

  8. yes well done kiwis ... from another aussie supporter­ ...

    From Keeto, on Tue 15 Jun 22:05

  9. Well done to the All Whites. May you get more points!­ (Aussie supporter)

    From JustMe, on Tue 15 Jun 21:52

  10. much better game than france vs uruguay

    From serijawi, on Tue 15 Jun 21:39

  11. the game was hard did u c dat goal on da 93 min dun no

    From raheem L-man, on Tue 15 Jun 21:37

  12. Stop Kiwi bashing they might not be great but at least­ they never gave up
    shame England dont show some­ passion.

    From j.berry, on Tue 15 Jun 21:37

  13. WTG Kiwis - well deserved after a rubbish Slovak­ display featuring cynical cheating by Škrtel.

    From David, on Tue 15 Jun 21:36

  14. Well done New Zealand I was proud of you and im English­ you showed the aussies
    how to never give up well done.

    From j.berry, on Tue 15 Jun 21:34

  15. god @#$% it i've lost 3 points at fantasy:world­ football :( but anyway i liked the match

    From iani, on Tue 15 Jun 21:30

  16. Good result for the Kiwis

    From The Worker, on Tue 15 Jun 21:29

  17. hilarious scene after the late goal... one of New­ Zealand's staff jumped on the fourth referee and­ hugged him, he looked like he would kiss him lol

    From Aziz.Ben.Soltana, on Tue 15 Jun 21:28

  18. well done new zealand , slovakia ( they were poor )­ topped their group in the qualifiers, showed the­ quality of their group.

    From MARK, on Tue 15 Jun 21:27

  19. well done New Zealand

    From Jock, on Tue 15 Jun 21:26

  20. good job, kiwi!

    From kenyong, on Tue 15 Jun 21:25
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