"Australian soccer recieved a bitter lesson in humility when our "big guns" floundered in the opening World Cup match in Auckland last Sunday.
To add insult to injury, its New Zealand, not Australia, Who would be justified to complain about the result.
The Kiwis led up to the 85th minute and Australia were "gone" to all intents and purposes when Ernie Campbell, a 67th minute substitute, bobbed up to head home the miraculous equaliser.
The most glaring scoring chances were New Zealand's. Despite our almost continuous territorial domination it was the home side that came closest to adding to the score.
Brian Turner, who scored the New Zealand goal, missed an incredible "sitter" in the 13th minute and in the second half Doug Utjesenovic came to Australia's rescue when he saved a hot sgot off the line.
Weak-kneed Australia's scoring opportunities were never that clear-cut, our players at all times being forced to try their luck from a fair distance.
So there can be no recriminations about how "unlucky" Australia was this time.
Nor can the referee Mr Luk Tat Sun, be blamed for the mediocre result, despite what some members of the Australian team had to say after the game.
Frankly, I am becoming bored to hear how the referee "robbed" Australia. Enough is enough fellas.
Australia only came back with one point because the team turned in its worst ever performance since the bad old days. That's the reason why we did not win.
All the weaknesses one thought are gone for ever surfaced at Newmarket Park, which, incidentally, must be the quaintest venue where a World Cup match has ever been staged.
"KICK AND RUSH"
The Australians played without plan or purpose, it was "kick-and-rush-soccer" of the first order, with our team quickly reduced to New Zealand's own level.
Instead of playing football, the Australians allowed their opponents to dictate the style and manner in which the game will be played.
Australia's soccer chickens came to roost last Sunday.
The disturbing pattern which has been emerging for many matches now, namely that inane prediliction for high balls came to the fore in Auckland and was a major factor in Australia's disappointing performance.
Every ball from the defence and the midfield was booted high up in the air for the forwards.
Needless to say that the tall and equally "physical" Kiwis, found those tactics to their liking. They won an equal share, if not more, of the aerial duels.
Instead of using our superior skill against less polished opponents, our players employed the same tactics which usually come off against small Asian opponents, thus playing right into the New Zealander's hands.
If the Aussies are afraid to engage the largely unskilled Kiwis in man-to-man "combat" for possession with the ball, one shudders at their fate against a ball-playing side like Iraq this weekend.
Even the traditional, admirable, qualities of Australian soccer were missing in some players _ and key men at that.
Some of them played as though they were in the NSW team. They were loathe to tackle, did not back up, wandered about aimlessly and did not shoulder any responsibility.
And while the Australian midfield was virtually non existant, New Zealand's best midfielder, big Brian Turner, was given tons of room to move without any Socceroo ever in close attendance.
It's hard to understand why no one saw the damage Turner was inflicting and did not take preventative action at least at halftime.
If there is one consoling feature about what can only be described as the Auckland disaster, as far as Australia is concerned, it is that the team cannot play so poorly or chicken hearted again in the tournament.
The Australians know that a defeat against Iraq on Sunday will just about kill their chances of winning the series now that they have dropped a point against New Zealand.
Not many Australian players can hold their heads up after the Auckland match.
Ron Corry and his defence were adequate, despite several gross fouls and that annoying penchant for punting the ball upfield without any variance or imagination.
Our best player in Auckland, I thought, was Doug Utjesenovic, who at least, showed some creativity when he ovrlapped and brought the ball up.
Peter Wilson, apart from a couple of minor indiscretions, has nothing to reproach himself for.
The same goes for Bobby Hogg and Manfred Schaefer, despite some crunching tackles.
World Cup matches, however, are not for little boys, and anything goes when you are defending your country's colours.
Australia badly missed the midfield promptings and grafting of Jimmy Mackay who, luckily, will be fit to play this week.
Ray Baartz and Adrian Alston played reasonably well in the first half, but were reduced to the general level after the interval.
As for the others, it simply wasn't their day. Australia paid dearly for their lapses and it appears certain several will be dropped on Sunday.
The team to their credit, fought back well after the New Zealand goal. Had they played in the same vein right through, the result would have been different and Australia would be sitting pretty with two points.
POETIC JUSTICE
Rale Rasic waited too long, in my opinion, to bring on his substitutes. When Abonyi and Campbell did come on, their ball control and greater imagination improved the team pout of sight and it was poetic justice that Australia equalised when they were brought in.
The New Zealanders, who are limited in pure football ability, did all that was asked of them and were admirable, giving dome of our players a lesson in how to fight for every ball and play their guts out.
There are no primadonnas in their team and coach Barrie Truman employed the right tactics to counter the Aussies.
Hats off to the Kiwis who were best served by Colin Latimour, Brain Turner, David Taylor, skipper John Staines and goalie Kevin Curtin."