New Zealand amazingly pulls a draw against heavy favorite Italy. The All whites, are ranked number 78 in the World cup standings, while Italy is way up at rank number 5. That's almost like Barako Energy coffee winning over Talk n Text in the current Philippine Basketball Association's Fiesta conference. New Zealand's hero was Shane Smeltz who scored the opening goal. Too bad Italy was able to get the draw by a questionable penalty call on Daniele De Rossi, shirt pull and fall. But still, team number 78 (New Zealand) getting a draw against team 5 (Italy) is still like winning a championship all together.
Just a few background checks for New Zealand's hero Shane Smeltz:
Shane Smeltz is one of those players who people look up to and want to be some day. His story comes from humble beginnings and was struggling earlier on in his storied career. Smeltz kicked off his career at 23, and is now 28 and still going.
Shane Smeltz, from tough times to star name
As media sit patiently waiting for the All Whites to finish a recovery session at the lavish Virgin Active gym in Edendale, Johannesburg, which is to be followed by a New Zealand High Commission reception at the exclusive Serengeti resort, it's worth remembering how far some of these new national sporting heroes have come.
They are cashing in now but it hasn't always been this way for a bunch of players who have vastly different stories to tell of careers that have seen ups and plenty of downs, where earning enough to survive was deemed a success.
Take Shane Smeltz, for example.
He is now a household name, a player children throughout New Zealand recognise and aspire to be like, a goal-scorer with a burgeoning reputation, and someone who could well earn a lucrative contract in Europe if things go his way at the World Cup.
But, like so many of his team-mates, he's been through the tough times.
In 2005 - after the old Australian National Soccer League folded and with a year-long gap till the start of the A-League - he bought a one-way ticket to England. At 23, he thought it was a good time to try his luck.
He struggled in the conference league, however, the equivalent to the fifth division as he fought for a weekly wage. The style of game didn't suit him and he ended up failing, to put it bluntly
"Looking back on it now, I probably didn't go down the right path," Smeltz, 28, considers. "You can't just turn up somewhere and that's sort of what I did, but you live and learn from those things. It was very tough at times but they say tough things make people stronger, and that's what happened with me.
"I probably wouldn't change anything; it's all worked out fairly well now."
The turning point is well documented. In 2007, just after being released by Halifax Town, All Whites coach Ricki Herbert took a gamble and started Smeltz in an international against Wales. He scored both goals in the 2-2 draw and Herbert gave him a contract at the Wellington Phoenix.
He has been the A-League's golden boot for the last two seasons, and MVP in 2009, while at international level he has become a prodigious goal-scorer.
"For me, the Wales game definitely turned things around," Smeltz says, "but you don't become a good player or a bad player overnight. Two weeks before that I was the same player. It's just that certain things happen, the stars align, and things open up for you. That was my time to shine and thankfully I managed to take that opportunity.
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"That's football, it's so unpredictable. If you keep persisting and believing in yourself, things can turn."
Smeltz's background is intriguing.
His father is a Kiwi born in the United States, his mother a Kiwi born in England, and he is a Kiwi born in Germany and raised mainly in Australia.
He lived in New Zealand from age one to six but only returned for one season - in 2002 for Napier City Rovers - before signing a two-year deal with the Phoenix in 2007.
He has spent a total of nine of his 28 years in New Zealand.
"It's a difficult one to explain," he muses. "I get a bit of stick from the boys for that."
Married to Nikki from Adelaide and with two young girls - Bonnie and Scarlett - Smeltz realises he has an opportunity to set his family up for life with a good showing at the World Cup.
He is already a wanted man around Asia and the Middle East, where clubs pay big money for goal-grabbers like Smeltz. A goal or two in South Africa could see bigger clubs come knocking on his door, but he is the ultimate professional in his approach.
"That's always something that's floating around but, honestly, the biggest thing is to not get distracted by all that," he says.
"Those things will come if the team does well. There are already eyes on us with what we've achieved [by beating world No 15 Serbia in a friendly] but the main focus is for us to make our country proud during the next couple of weeks."
Like his team-mates, Smeltz can't afford to be wasteful at the World Cup, so he's determined to take his chance.
"Things don't come easy to New Zealand footballers. We're a million miles away from what people consider the football community and it's difficult at times for players.
"If you look around here, the majority have had some tough times. But I think the strength of this team is that we tend to come through things. We're ready for this."
Source
Shane Edward Smeltz (born 29 September 1981 in Göppingen, Baden-Württemberg)[1] is a New Zealand professional association football player. He plays as a striker for the A-League team Gold Coast United.
Wikipedia
On Twitter...
GCBulletin: Congrats to New Zealand and their 1-all draw against Italy. Unite'd Shane Smeltz adds to Coast's celebrations http://bit.ly/a9PbSd #worldcup
totalvegas: WORLD CUP: New Zealand 1, Italy 1 (tie): NELSPRUIT, South Africa, June 20 (UPI) -- Shane Smeltz gave New Zealand http://url4.eu/4mtGz
johansetyadi: Italy 1,Vincenzo IAQUINTA (29' PEN) : New Zealand 1 , Shane SMELTZ (7'),... http://fb.me/xqA2ralT
kollainzo: Shane Smeltz's score was New Zealand's only shot on goal in its tie vs. Italy.
nicknufc: great to hear #halifaxtown mentioned nationally + internationally thanks to ex-player shane smeltz's goal for #newzealand in the #worldcup
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