Is Solomon Doing Commentary for the Football Games Again
Solomon Islands football coach Felipe Vera-Arango says his side will have to play a "perfect game" if they want to upset New Zealand in tomorrow's FIFA World Cup Oceania Qualifying Final.
Alwin Hou celebrates a goal. Photo: OFC Media
Both teams accept a perfect record in Doha, with the Solomons beating the Melt Islands ii-0, Tahiti 3-i and Papua New Guinea 3-2 in the semi-finals.
Meanwhile, the All Whites have scored thirteen goals and conceded but one in their iv victories against PNG, Fiji, New Caledonia and Tahiti.
Vera-Arango is proud of the Bonitos run to the final but said it won't be easy against a New Zealand team with and then many top professionals.
"It's going to extremely tough. They demand to have a bad day and we demand to have a perfect 24-hour interval," he said.
"They are obviously the favourites but I want the players in the Solomons to feel that they can do it and I want them to feel that this is people, this is 11 against 11 and you need to play as difficult as possible considering yous can surprise them."
Solomon Islands are through to the concluding of the 2022 FIFA Globe Cup Oceania Qualifiers. Photo: OFC Media
The Bonitos came in for criticism when they lost a handful of warm-upwards games in Australia and Qatar but Vera-Arango said their contempo class has caused expectations to rise dorsum in Honiara.
"When you win everybody is happy and when you lose a lot of people are unhappy and they are not enlightened of the reality. Sometimes the expectation for the team and pressure for the immature boys is not accordingly with what is actually happening," he said.
"I don't want to put force per unit area on the boys. Of course I want them to play difficult, of course I want them to be competitive and to try every bit hard as possible and to follow the gameplan and to bask the game but competition is tough for the coaches and for the players.
"This is a young squad and regardless of what happens tomorrow everybody should be extremely proud and happy of how far they have gone because I believe not many people was expecting usa to exist in the final."
The Spanish motorbus was in temporary accuse 5 years ago when New Zealand trounce the Solomons 8-iii on aggregate in the concluding phase of qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.
Post-obit a stint away, the former Solomon Islands Football Federation Technical Director was appointed head coach on a permanent basis in June. Since so he revamped an ageing national squad and selected 14 new caps for this month's tournament in Doha.
"We knew that we had to change players, that we had to change the team, that nosotros had to change the philosophy of football," he said.
"It has not been easy just I remember the boys are doing a wonderful task. Information technology'southward a really young squad but I call back the time to come looks bright for them and for the team."
Solomon Islands football bus Felipe Vera-Arango bug instructions. Photo: Solomon Islands Football Federation
The Solomons' brightest star - and best promise of unlocking the New Zealand defence - is 19-year-sometime Raphael Lea'i, who is the articulation elevation-scorer in Doha with four goals in three matches, including a hat-trick against Tahiti.
The teenage prodigy flare-up onto the international scene at the OFC Under-16 Title in 2018, in which he was the height-scorer, and has likewise represented his country in futsal.
Felipe Vera-Arango said the young forward needs to leave Solomon Islands to fulfill his potential.
"If I was a coach of a Spanish team right now I (would) take him right away," he said.
"His potential is fantastic: he'due south extremely fast, he'south extremely focused (and) I hope he has a take a chance merely what he needs, to exist honest with you, is to sign a contract somewhere outside of Solomons and to play professional football - that is what he needs."
Raphael Lea'i unleashes a shot for his society side Henderson Eels. Photo: OFC Media
Lea'i spent time training with the Wellington Phoenix and Melbourne Victory academies prior to the covid-nineteen pandemic but has spent the past two years playing for Henderson Eels in the Solomon Islands domestic league.
Vera-Arango said Lea'i is expert plenty to play in a peak European league one day.
"He could be in the 'B' team of a big club. He could be in the 'B' squad of Atletico Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla and go the experience for a year," he said.
"I think he would accommodate wonderfully and he could play in the first division in 2 or three years, no question."
Raphael Lea'i bares down on the Papua New Republic of guinea goal. Photo: OFC Media
Alwin Hou has also excelled for Solomon Islands in Qatar, with three goals in as many matches, just Vera-Arango admitted his side will have their work cut out trying to contain all of New Zealand's threats across the park.
"They are professional players, they know how to manage a game...if you watched the last game, Tahiti didn't take any chances," he said.
"I dearest how Kosta Barbarouses plays. The other day I watched him and in the first half he lost one ball. He's fantastic how he controls the ball, and how he passes the ball.
"Winston Reid in the back, he is a pure leader and he is a mean defender. He always looks for the contact, he always throws a little striking - you can tell the guy wins many many battles. Then Chris Woods, what can we say? A guy who has scored more than 50 goals in the English language Premier League."
Despite beingness the firm underdog, Vera-Arango said his team still had a chance of causing a major upset.
"I call back the players are going to give everything they have. It'due south a wonderful opportunity for them to show their skills and specially for the young lads to endeavour and go a professional contract," he said.
"The squad has to have order. Nosotros take to play hard with a strong defence and go along doing what we are doing. We go forward with fast transitions, fast football - nosotros have fast players with skillful technique...I want them to enjoy the moment."
The winner of the OFC Qualifying Final will playoff confronting the fourth ranked team in the CONCACAF confederation for a place in the World Loving cup finals. That is probable to be Costa Rica.
Source: https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/464292/solomon-islands-target-perfect-game-against-all-whites
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