Transcript
DECLAN EDGE: We were the most dominant team from start to finish. We were the one that was looking to score and play the attacking football so it was only a matter of time, I think, and whether it was going to take the 90th minute or the 94th minute - or into extra time - I think we were always going to be on the right side of the result.
VINNIE WYLIE: I guess penalties can be a nasty thing sometimes in football so you felt that if it went to extra time you guys would find a way in that extra period to get that goal you needed?
DE: Yeah, they had a player sent off and I think we were dominant in open play. Yeah, there was a bit of a worry of going into penalties and I've been talking to the boys all week that we didn't want it to go into extra time so we were very very aggressive in that last ten minutes, five minutes to get the goal. We were pushing players from the back into striking positions - we went after the jugular in the last five, ten minutes and we managed to do it.
VW: The shot was parried away by the keeper with Frederick coming up quickly behind to obviously tap it home and you want your players alert and in those positions, ready to pounce when those opportunities do arise?
DE: Yeah, if you have a look at that incident we have I think there's five or six players in attacking forward positions. It's the centre back, Jason (Thomas), that we pushed up front in the last five minutes that's headed the ball down to Bong (Kalo, who's shot led to the winning goal) so we were putting ourselves in positions to the win the game from the start and if you keep on doing that more often than the opposition you're more likely to win the game than the other team.
VW: So that puts you through to the final and, under the new scenario, you're already qualified for Korea and what a special moment that is for Vanuatu football?
DE: Yeah. I can relate it back to a little bit in 82'. I hadn't even arrived in New Zealand yet in 82' but I knew how big that was when New Zealand got to their first World Cup - and I know it was a senior final- and the legacy that left behind is very strong in New Zealand still - and the last World Cup - so for this little island nation to go to an Under 20 World Cup it's a pretty big deal.
VW: Has it sort of sunk in - I saw your post-match interview immediately after the game and you said you were kind of starting to grasp now what it actually meant to a lot of these players and the public?
DE: Yeah but it's next day now, it's another day - we're just getting ready to train again so we've moved on. The boys had a good time last night, I think. There was a parade around Vila last night. I think every man and his dog was out - there was cars and there was horns and it was like something out of South America so that was invigorating but today we're back to work, we're training and we're preparing for the next game...We can go through this whole tournament unbeaten and on maximum points, we're the only team that can do that...We're going to take it as the first game in preparation for Korea. To play a New Zealand Under 20 team here in Port Vila it's a great opportunity.
