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Three key takeaways from the All Whites’ Soccer Ashes defeat
Reuben Wickstead • September 10th, 2025 2:27 pm
Chris Wood | Photo: Photosport
There was plenty to discuss on the back of the Soccer Ashes finale at Mt Smart, where the age-old rivals produced some high-quality football but ultimately, not the result the New Zealanders were after.
Finishing 4-1 down on aggregate, there was plenty to dissect for Darren Bazeley's side.
1. Overeliance on Chris Wood in the final third
Despite Chris Wood finally breaking his duck against the Aussies early in the second half, it was one of just two sights at goal in a relatively quiet night for the Kiwi talisman.
Former Millwall and Wellington Phoenix man Paul Ifill thinks the All Whites were too dependent on their main man.
“I just think there's a little bit of an over-reliance on Chris Wood.” he told Sport Nation's Scotty & Izzy the morning after the match.
“If he doesn't score, I don't know where the goals are coming from.”
The Nottingham Forest man was given plenty of attention by the Socceroos defence throughout the 90 minutes, something he will have to contend with plenty at the World Cup in 2026.
That being said, New Zealand’s quality of delivery from wide areas did not do Wood any favours, failing to provide the often double teamed striker with much in the way of meaningful service.
But with all the attention being given to New Zealand’s No. 9, opportunities will present themselves for other players who are willing to be brave in central areas up the pitch.
This showed last night, with some of New Zealand’s best attacking opportunities coming off the back of Wood’s resourcefulness.
“You need more bodies in the box to try and get the bits, " says Ifill.
“Because what Chris Wood will do, he won't let you win it clean, so it's where's the second phase, where's the ball going to drop.”
Chris Wood breaks the Socceroo scoring drought | Soccer Ashes on Sport Nation
2. Lack of the right profiles in central defence
The All Whites were impressive off the ball during large periods of the game, doing well to put pressure on the Australian backline yet again and keep the game largely in the opposition’s half early on.
But after going behind on the night, the game opened up and New Zealand’s young centreback pairing of Finn Surman and Tyler Bindon were exposed high up the pitch by the pace and quality of Toure and Irankunda.
According to Ifill, the answer might lie with the inclusion of Michael Boxall.
“I think you need an older head alongside one of the young ones.”
“They’re two really good young centre backs and I think they're going to be a class partnership in years to come, but I still think Boxall needs to start for now.” Ifill told Sport Nation.
The veteran did start alongside Bindon in Canberra last week where New Zealand’s defence fared slightly better, allowing half as many shots and just two big chances throughout.
However, the 37-year-old faced a very different looking Australian attacking outfit, one that proved much less effective at exposing Bazeley’s high line.
Should Boxall’s inclusion not prove to be the difference maker, Bazeley may have to go back to the drawing board in an effort to get more from the profiles available to him.
Touré opens the scoring at Mt. Smart | Soccer Ashes on Sport Nation
3. There's no need to panic
Sure, 4-1 on aggregate doesn’t make for great reading. But context is everything.
After going down 2-0 on aggregate late in the second game, the All Whites were forced to become more adventurous, playing a large role in the flurry of goals that followed.
“I think there was a lot of really good possession from Bazeley’s football. I think he’s got them playing pretty crisp football and I think the way they pressed was very good in both games,” said Ifill despite the struggles of the high line.
The team’s organisation and structure off the ball was really positive, managing to force a lot of errors from Paul Izzo in particular who had a poor game with the ball at his feet.
Although it would prove consolation in the end, the importance of Chris Wood’s 58th minute goal also cannot be underestimated, for him personally as well as the rest of the side.
Wood’s cultured finish marked the first time since 2010 that the All Whites have found the back of the net against their trans-Tasman rivals, breaking not only a 15-year drought for the side but a personal duck for the striker as well.
To see Bazeley’s new system deliver against a squad ranked amongst the top 30 in the world should be a huge confidence boost for a side who will need to get used to defying the odds come a year’s time.
