According to FIFA, New Zealand head coach Danny Bazley discussed the 5-1 loss to Belgium in the post-match press conference.
Bazley stated that the team had a tough night. "It probably hasn't fully sunk in yet—we're out and we're going home. Tonight was a bitter night. We knew we had to stay in the game. When Belgium submitted their starting lineup, we knew they were a very strong team, and the first 20 minutes were particularly difficult. Our job was to try and stay in the game, to hold on with tough defending, and I think the players did very well with blocks and emergency defending in the final moments. The plan was to stay in the game for as long as possible, then open it up in the second half and try to get the win we wanted."
He said that New Zealand conceded a "very poor goal" in the second half and then had to chase the game. "This isn't the kind of team that would think, 'Okay, we'll just lose 2-0.' We opened up the game and made numerous attacking adjustments. Against such opponents, you risk conceding goals like today. But looking back, I'm very proud of the players; they fought extremely hard. However, our exit from this FIFA World Cup wasn't really decided tonight, but when we drew with Iran twice and when we drew with Egypt. Those were the points we needed to advance from the group, and we didn't get them, which made beating Belgium tonight an impossible task."
When asked about other tactical options during the match, Bazley said the team could have defended the corner better. "Football is decided by moments. We did concede goals tonight, but for most of the match, we defended very well, even heroically at times, blocking crosses and shots to protect the goal. Belgium is a very good team with top players from top leagues throughout their squad. They have too much possession and constantly push forward to find each other. We needed to hold 0-0 until halftime, but we didn't. After that, we had to take risks, make adjustments, and give width more pace, but we still conceded goals. That opened up the game further, and we brought on Callum, switching to two attacking midfielders to try to get back into it. We weren't going to leave the FIFA World Cup with a 0-2 scoreline; we wanted to score and get back in the game, but unfortunately, we were punished multiple times. Conceding late goals is painful, but what really cost us getting out of the group wasn't tonight—it was the first two matches. In those two matches, we had a better chance of picking up points than we did tonight."
When asked about Eli Just scoring again tonight, bringing his total to three goals in this FIFA World Cup, Bazley said the player is fully capable of stepping up to the next level. "Of course he should be. I think he performed brilliantly tonight. He's one of the few players in our team who can operate at this level. He rarely loses the ball, can escape tight marking in small spaces, and turn to face forward. He was excellent throughout the game and finished with a beautiful goal, giving the fans a moment to cheer. The fans have been fantastic; they traveled far to support the team, and the players truly felt that support and backing. We're all disappointed because this journey has ended for us and the fans, but they were truly excellent, and we gave them a small moment—it just wasn't our night."
When asked about the significance of this FIFA World Cup for the team's future development, Bazley said such match experience is invaluable. "It means a lot. We don't usually play in these kinds of matches—not FIFA World Cups, but not highly competitive official matches either. We play Oceania qualifiers and international friendlies mostly, which we can count as FIFA-sanctioned matches, but you can't replicate this harsh, unforgiving environment. Many of our players aren't in the Premier League or top leagues like Italy or Spain like many Belgian players are. We don't get enough exposure to these moments for our players to truly feel it and experience it against teams like Egypt, Iran, or tonight. Most players will continue to develop, and many will return in four years better because of this—they must be better. If we want to reach the heights everyone hopes for—entering the knockout stage—we must do better in critical moments. We've said throughout the tournament that football is decided by moments. Defensive moments must improve; there can be no lapses in concentration. I also said yesterday that to win today, we had to be perfect, but when the corner came, we weren't, and we quickly went 0-1 down, and the game changed. But they will certainly learn from it. This is a very good group of players with a very bright future individually and collectively. Although it will hurt, this pain is warranted because we are in the FIFA World Cup, and now we have to go home and watch the rest of the tournament on television, which will certainly be difficult."
When asked whether an expanded FIFA World Cup could help teams like New Zealand close the gap, Bazley said the team is already narrowing it. "If you look at our matches this time, you'll find that the gap has indeed narrowed. We played evenly with Iran—that was a great match and we should have actually won—and we also pressed Egypt hard; they have world-class players and are a very strong team. So I think the gap is indeed closer. But we're still facing entire teams filled with players from the Premier League, Serie A, and La Liga. For us, perhaps some players need to follow similar paths. We have Chris Wood in the Premier League, and besides that, we have players in MLS, Norway, Denmark, and the Championship. We need more players to move to higher platforms and play at these levels alongside Wood. That way, when we face top players again, it will be more beneficial."
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