The All Whites were outclassed 2-0 by the former European Champions Greece after the hosts blitzed the opening half in Athens. Greek youngster Giannis Konstantealis capitalised on some shaky New Zealand defence in the 10th minute to open the scoring.
New Zealand goalkeeper Michael Woud was out of position as the ball crept inside the far post. A second goal to the hosts in the 29th minute off the corner was one of a handful of scoring opportunities for the former European Champions in the first half. The New Zealand keeper saved Dimitrios Kourbelis’ header, only for Giorgos Giakoumakis to get the loose ball into the net.
All Whites skipper Chris Wood made it through the first half but was taken off at halftime as he manages a hamstring injury. Greece held on to their 2-0 half-time advantage as New Zealand kept them goalless in a second-half. After the match Bazeley said they were expecting a tough challenge, but the game was competitive.
“I thought we played pretty well in a lot of moments, but we’re at a stage where we need to start believing that we can win these games.
“We came into the game feeling that way, but the goals we conceded we were disappointed with, and the players are disappointed to concede goals like that.
“But I thought throughout the game we tried to play a certain style of football, and we’re very close to being a very good team.”
The All Whites play Republic of Ireland in Dublin on Wednesday in their final match of the season. New Zealand will be looking for an improved outing with next year looming as an important one with the start of FIFA World Cup 2024 qualifying.
Source: RNZ