Auckland FC vs Adelaide: Penalty hero chasing All Whites Fifa World Cup call-up
Auckland FC's Michael Woud. Photo / Photosport
Michael Woud is at peace about his Fifa World Cup prospects, feeling he has done everything he can to push his case.
Like everyone in the frame, the Auckland FC goalkeeper is dreaming about going to North America, for the pinnacle of a footballer’s life. With the All Whites squad to be named next Thursday, Alex Paulsen and Max Crocombe are locked in for the first two goalkeeping spots, having been the preferred choices under coach Darren Bazeley over the past few seasons.
Woud is one of four players – along with Kees Sims, Nik Tzanev and Henry Gray – in contention for the third goalkeeper place in the 26-player squad. It’s a tense time, given what is at stake, but Woud is philosophical about the situation.
“I think, ultimately, I’ve done everything I can,” the 27-year-old said. “I’m playing well, performing well and that’s all you can do. I’ve always said, if you can play well for club, it will give you an opportunity to potentially get picked, but ultimately it comes down to the coaches to make those decisions.”
After stepping into the void left by Paulsen’s departure, Woud, who will be key in Saturday’s semi-final first leg against Adelaide United (6pm), has had a strong season for Auckland FC. There have been some challenges, especially after getting dropped by Steve Corica following a costly mistake in the 2-2 home draw with Central Coast in late January, but overall he has looked confident and composed. He has also helped his cause with some impressive form in recent weeks, culminating in his shootout heroics in last Saturday’s dramatic elimination-final win over Melbourne City.
“At the right time of the season, probably around selection time, I’ve done well,” Woud agreed. “[But] if I wasn’t to be picked, I wouldn’t have any regrets, around what I’ve done this season. I’ve done my best and I can look in the mirror and say that.”
It’s only a hunch but Woud’s performance last Saturday could have been a turning point for his All Whites chances. While a third goalkeeper is extremely unlikely to feature at a World Cup, it helps for the wider role around the group if they are confident, happy and in form. That’s the case for Woud, especially after Saturday, which was one of the biggest moments of his career.
He was safe under immense pressure throughout the second half and extra time, then came to the fore during the penalty period, with his memorable save of Melbourne City’s seventh effort by Nathaniel Atkinson.
“Every goalkeeper dreams of it really – saving a penalty in a penalty shootout to win the game or to give the team an opportunity to win the game.”
Woud was feeling confident throughout the shootout – though frustrated that he couldn’t get a hand on one, despite going the right way at least twice from the first five Melbourne attempts, before the stakes were raised in the sudden-death period.
“You’ve just got to save one – otherwise it will be all over,” he said.
Woud had done his homework, along with the technical staff, and was also relying on prompts from goalkeeping coach Jonathan Gould ahead of each kick.
“Gouldie was giving me a signal of which way,” Woud said. “So either right, left, high or low and then that’s where I’m going to dive because I back the research.”
Woud has proved his mettle before. At the 2019 Under-20 World Cup in Poland, he saved three straight penalties in the Round of 16 shootout against Colombia – leaving the Junior All Whites on the brink of victory – before an overzealous official in the VAR booth disallowed his last stop. And then there were his deeds in the Australia Cup at the start of this season, where his saves helped his team to a 4-2 shootout win over Sydney FC in the quarter-finals.
“There’s not many times in football you can have the opportunity to be a hero as a goalkeeper,” Woud said. “I guess it’s something a lot of goalkeepers enjoy but at the same time if it doesn’t go your way, which has happened to me, it’s also a devastating feeling.”
He says there are a few key mantras he tries to remember, amid the tension.
“There are small things – concentrate on what you need to do, stick to the processes, staying on the line,” Woud said. “A big one is trying not to go too early. That’s massive at this level because they’ll just see you’re going and slot it the other way.”
Woud enjoyed the celebrations last Saturday – with teammates, his fiancée and friends – while his phone was overflowing with messages.
“That’s nice but it is all about making your family proud and the people around you proud.”
But Woud, like the rest of the team, was quick to reset, with the challenge against Adelaide United over the next two weeks, with the home leg this Saturday followed by the clash in Adelaide next Friday. It’s become – in a short space of time – one of the best rivalries in the A-League, shown by the scorelines: 2-2 4-4 2-1 to Auckland and 1-1.
“There’s just two teams that really want to win and there’s a lot of passion involved,” Woud said. “It’s an exciting two-legged series coming up. And it just gives us another opportunity to do what we wanted to do at the start of the season, and that was to win the whole thing.”
Michael Burgess has been a Sports Journalist for the New Zealand Herald since 2005, covering the Olympics, Fifa World Cups, and America’s Cup campaigns. He is a co-host of the Big League podcast.