Age to slow young All White's celebrations
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12 Nov 2009
SOCCER - If All White Chris Wood's dream of scoring the winning goal in Saturday night's World Cup soccer qualifier comes true, celebrating out on the town with the team could be a problem -- he is only 17.New Zealand face Bahrain in the second leg of the qualifier at Wellington's stadium with the prospect if they win of making the World Cup finals for the first time in 27 years.
With strikers Shane Smeltz, Rory Fallon and Chris Killen likely to be named up front, it is unlikely Wood will start, but that has not stopped him from dreaming of scoring the winning goal.
"It'd be a lie to say I haven't played that in my mind a couple of times in the last three or four weeks since the Bahrain game. It'd be an amazing feeling to score the winning goal," he said.
Getting very specific, Wood said he saw himself putting away a header off a right cross from Leo Bertos in the 87th minute to secure the All Whites a 1-0 win.
Wood made headlines this year with his rapid rise through the ranks of former English premiership side West Bromwich Albion.
After an impressive display of goal-scoring form with the club's under-18 and reserve teams, he became the fifth New Zealander to play in the Premier League when he made his debut as a substitute against Portsmouth.
The striker, who turns 18 next month, is the youngest member of the New Zealand side and has not yet reached the legal drinking age.
However, he said he did not notice the age gap between himself and his teammates, noting that he felt older out on the pitch.
"I feel more like a 25-year-old or something like that. I've achieved a lot in my short footballing career," he said.
"If you have the ability you should be out there no matter what age you are, even if you're 46."
Wood conceded his age could become a factor if the team won on Saturday and went into town to celebrate.
"We'll see what the bouncers say," he said.
NZPA
