Bay Harbour: May 04, 2022

<strong>Bay</strong> <strong>Harbour</strong> News Wednesday <strong>May</strong> 4 <strong>2022</strong><br />

8<br />

SPORT<br />

Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz<br />

‘The midfield is quite a mental game’<br />

• From page 7<br />

I still watch every game he<br />

plays. And when you play against<br />

someone like that, you get the<br />

full understanding of how<br />

incredible they are.<br />

You also play with a lot of<br />

poise . . .<br />

I’m glad it comes off like that.<br />

It’s about tapping into the mental<br />

side of the game, something I’m<br />

very interested in.<br />

I studied psychology at college,<br />

mainly for the sports side.<br />

Professional football at this level<br />

is difficult, the pressures, so it is<br />

important to make sure you are<br />

staying in the mindset.<br />

The All Whites have a fantastic<br />

psychologist Dom Vettise who<br />

teaches the ‘green state’ – it’s<br />

about staying in the flow state,<br />

focussed on what goes on in the<br />

moment and not the outside<br />

implications.<br />

I’m still learning but it’s<br />

about recognising the moments<br />

when you are falling out of that<br />

mindset, recognising the triggers.<br />

They could be something like<br />

making a mistake, or like the<br />

qualifying game against Tahiti<br />

where they played a style which<br />

could be frustrating. Tahiti were<br />

very physical, using a lot of time on<br />

the fouls, and that can easily take<br />

you out of focusing on your job.<br />

And one of your middle<br />

names is Zen . . .<br />

That was one of dad’s many<br />

crazy ideas. I like the name. It’s<br />

unique. Zen was nearly my first<br />

name.<br />

There is a growing technical<br />

ability in the All Whites isn’t<br />

there?<br />

The entire squad for the<br />

qualifiers was made up of<br />

professional players with some in<br />

really high-level environments.<br />

We are starting to prove - it’s an<br />

ongoing process - we can play<br />

with the ball.<br />

It’s not just technical ability,<br />

but the mental approach. We’re<br />

not just sending long balls to the<br />

strikers, but try to build up our<br />

attacks, and play out from the<br />

goalkeeper. But that takes time<br />

and courage on the pitch.<br />

The Costa Rica game will be<br />

an example of that. Can we still<br />

play the way we want to with<br />

such immense pressure, so much<br />

money and experiences relying<br />

on a single game?<br />

Speaking of money - getting<br />

to South Africa in 2010 was<br />

worth millions to New Zealand<br />

Football …<br />

I’m not sure I want to know<br />

the numbers but that would be<br />

great for New Zealand football in<br />

general. But I don’t think that sits<br />

on people’s minds.<br />

When did you decide that a<br />

defensive midfield role was your<br />

best position?<br />

While playing for my collegiate<br />

team in America. It’s a bit to do<br />

EXPORT QUALITY: All<br />

Whites defensive midfielder<br />

Joe Bell joined Danish<br />

Superliga champions<br />

Brondby IF in January.<br />

PHOTO: GETTY<br />

with the physical components<br />

– defensive midfielders don’t<br />

require too many physical<br />

attributes, don’t need too much<br />

speed, and the American game is<br />

incredibly fast. That highlighted<br />

it was a good fit for me.<br />

The midfield is quite a mental<br />

game, and I find that tactical<br />

component enjoyable.<br />

How did you end up playing<br />

in Scandinavia?<br />

Norway first called after the<br />

youth World Cup. I would have<br />

entered the (American) MLS<br />

draft on a Generation adidas<br />

contract, which means you are<br />

guaranteed a three-year contract<br />

but don’t know where. That really<br />

bothered me. I needed more<br />

control over the environment I<br />

would be in. The Norway club<br />

was less of a risk and I had a good<br />

relationship with the coaches<br />

after doing a trial there.<br />

Where does playing for<br />

Brondby sit in your career<br />

goals?<br />

The support for us here is<br />

incredible, which brings the<br />

side effects of pressure and<br />

expectation, but that’s good.<br />

There is a lot of pride in the<br />

club.<br />

I’m the same as most young<br />

players – you aspire to go as high<br />

as you can. I want to go all the<br />

way to the top. It takes time and a<br />

lot of hard work, and I must still<br />

prove myself at this level.<br />

Chris Wood has been thriving<br />

in the English Premier League<br />

with Burnley and Newcastle<br />

hasn’t he?<br />

He’s a role model for all New<br />

Zealand players, in working<br />

hard and staying committed to a<br />

goal. And to then score goals in<br />

the EPL, to break history as the<br />

highest goalscorer for Burnley -<br />

that’s a crazy achievement. He’s<br />

also just a fantastic guy, the most<br />

down to earth superstar I’ve met<br />

in my life.<br />

He’s an invaluable resource for<br />

us young boys in the national<br />

team setup, because of what<br />

he’s been through, the level’s<br />

he playing at, the fact he was<br />

such strong connections with<br />

everyone in the team. The more<br />

Chris Woods we can have the<br />

better.<br />

What do you do to unwind,<br />

when footballing commitments<br />

allow?<br />

I really enjoy the physical<br />

things – growing up down<br />

south I love a lot of surfing,<br />

snowboarding, a bit of kite<br />

surfing, mountain biking. It’s not<br />

the easiest to do when so much is<br />

demanded of us physically.<br />

I’ve got All Whites teammates<br />

nearby in Denmark – Eli Just,<br />

Callum McCowatt and Marko<br />

Stamenic. Spending time with<br />

them is always nice when you<br />

can’t do those other things.<br />

You are not far from<br />

Ukraine – is the war a daily<br />

conversation?<br />

I wouldn’t say that – we don’t<br />

feel too many repercussions, no<br />

sense of being unsafe. Denmark<br />

and the club are doing all they<br />

can to support Ukraine. We<br />

played specific games in kits to<br />

try and raise money to support<br />

the people there. You see it all<br />

through the city, many flags,<br />

support and movements of<br />

people.<br />

Big Bargain<br />

Book Sale<br />

Friday 13 <strong>May</strong>, 9am–7pm<br />

Saturday 14 <strong>May</strong>, 9am–4pm<br />

Pioneer Recreation and Sport Centre<br />

75 Lyttelton Street | Spreydon<br />

For more info visit<br />

christchurchcitylibraries.com