oceaniafootball.com sat down with coach Chris Milicich to get his views on the side’s preparations and goals ahead of the FIFA U-20 World Cup which kicks off in Turkey on 21 June.
How are the team’s preparations going?
We just started the preparations today with the team, obviously we’ve done a tremendous amount of prep coming into this in regards to the opposition we will play and the types of players we will require to get a result. We still have a good two weeks of preparation before the tournament.
You are playing three warm-up games against Australia, Iraq and Egypt before the start of the competition. What are you expecting from these games?
We don’t get a lot of international games at this level. We qualified through the Oceania obviously and we have done well in that environment. At the last World Cup we got two good draws, we just narrowly lost to Portugal. This time it’s vital we give them more experience at that level prior to walking into the World Cup. The results aren’t as important as being able to compete, being able to create opportunities and being able to defend against some very good players. Once we hit the World Cup it will be about results so we will identify any areas we need to work on leading into the World Cup.
Did you look to make tactical changes since the OFC U-20 Championship held in Fiji last March?
I think the biggest change we have done is we’ve had the ability to call on two central midfielders that are professional in Europe. That will allow us to retain the ball easier and allow us to play a more of a possession game than a New Zealand side normally would. It is vital for us to retain the ball as it will be hot over there and we need to limit our running and maintain possession as long as we can.
What are your expectations for this tournament?
Our goal is to qualify for the quarter-finals like the other three teams, our expectation is to perform well and our aim is to get out of the group stage. If we can pass the group stage we can hope to go further into the tournament.
Do professional players have more pressure towards the others in terms of responsibility?
No, I don’t think so. Most of these players have known each other since they were quite young. They all played for New Zealand teams and most of our players are from strong academy environment and professional environment. We, as a coaching staff have never said to them ‘it is all on your shoulders’, the group succeeds or the group fails – that’s the nature, the group plays together. They are still young players and it is from the staff to take off the pressure.
Apparently the weather is hot and humid at this time of the year in Turkey. Do you think that would be easier for you and the players to manage after the OFC qualifiers in Fiji?
Well we coped in Fiji. The heat and the humidity in Fiji were intense. But our games kick-off at 5pm or 6pm so it is a bit later than in Fiji. We will play whatever the conditions are as it is the same for everyone.
You share Group F with Uzbekistan, Uruguay and Croatia. What are your thoughts on these opponents?
I think all three of these teams are coming to the World Cup to prove a point. Uruguay finished behind us in the last U-20 World Cup. Uzbekistan weren’t at the last World Cup and Croatia they had a poor World Cup. So I would imagine that all three teams are coming to this World Cup with a point to prove and they will all want to get out of the group, we want to get out of the group. All the teams will be taking it seriously, you only need one win to get out of a group and it strikes me as a good group, but also a tough group.
Some of the players were on the pitch against Jordan at the beginning of the week (Tuesday, 4 June). Do you think it is good for their confidence to play with the senior team?
It could be a source of motivation for the players. I think it is good for them to learn more about the high level and this kind of experiences are always a benefit for a young player. Those experiences never go amiss if you’re willing to give them a go.
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