Football: Mature Moss stepping up for NZ

After enduring one of the worst episodes of his career during the last World Cup qualifying campaign, All Whites goalkeeper Glen Moss has hit the headlines for all the right reasons this time.

In the midst of facing a "firing range" at the Azteca Stadium last Thursday, Moss came up with one of the best performances of his career. It was significant.

In the past he might have let the fans (who screamed obscenities, perfectly chorused, every time he took a goal kick) or the hostile atmosphere get to him. Or he might have lost focus as his team-mates struggled to keep the Mexicans at bay.

But that was then.

"You learn to deal with pressure over time and that is why goalkeepers play their best in later years," says Moss. "At times in the past I was possibly [a bit immature] but everybody matures with the games they play and the life experiences they have."

During the last campaign he was red carded against Fiji, ultimately copping a four-game ban.

Moss had come on to the international scene in 2006, as a brash, confident keeper with a penchant for flashy saves. He was sometimes guilty of taking risks - one touch too many of a back pass or attempting a spectacular catch when a punch would suffice - but there was no doubt about his ability. Any possible questions were over his temperament

"I probably used to play with too much emotion for a keeper," admits Moss. "I needed to rely on concentration and ability and take the emotion out of it. You see footballers all around the world, some of the big mistakes they make are because they are emotional at the time".

Moss knows all about big mistakes. Five years ago in that dead rubber in Fiji he was sent off for abusing the referee, then suspended for both games against Bahrain and the first two matches in South Africa.

"That was an emotional thing," says Moss. "I said something that I shouldn't have - I have learnt from that and now I don't say too much to referees."

The situation was exacerbated when New Zealand Football 'forgot' to appeal the sentence within the required window, leaving Moss with the harsh ban.

"I didn't get an appeal" says Moss. "[NZF] have apologised and moved on and hopefully it never happen to another player."

Last Thursday Moss demonstrated how much he had moved on. For so long in a duel with Mark Paston, Moss turned in a display at the Azteca that showed he has accepted the mantle of numero uno.

"He was excellent," said coach Ricki Herbert. "There might be people looking at that wondering [what] he is doing in the A-League."

"As a team we were too cautious," reflects Moss of the Azteca experience. "We weren't going out to challenge them. One of their early long range shots took me by surprise and hit the crossbar. After that I told [the team] we have to close them down, otherwise this is going to be a firing range."

Moss will be busy tomorrow night, though hopefully not the headline act again. Another solid performance from him - together with a better defensive screen out in front and more verve on attack - should ensure a closer scoreline.

"It's our turn now," says Moss. "We are [at home] and hopefully can throw at them what they threw at us. It is a nothing to lose situation as nobody expects us to turn that deficit around. We have some good firepower - we just need to get in the right positions and put some pressure on them."

- Michael Burgess