Hague Kevin: Motions — All Whites—Draw with Italy at Football World Cup 
Hague Kevin: Motions — All Whites—Draw with Italy at Football World Cup 
[Volume:664;Page:11864] 
KEVIN HAGUE (Green) 
: 
 It is a pleasure to once again stand in this House to speak about the ongoing revelation that is the All Whites’ 2010 World Cup campaign. This is one of those “dare to dream” moments which is coming true before our eyes. New Zealand lest we need to pinch ourselves to believe it is on the verge of qualifying for the second round of the World Cup finals. FIFA’s 2-minute online highlights package of yesterday’s match against Italy makes us look like footballing giants. There we are on the world’s biggest sporting stage scoring effortlessly and early against the world champions and then defending our goal like heroes from an old war movie. I might add that in this international Olympic week there was also on display some talent in another Olympic sport that of diving. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: On the field? 
KEVIN HAGUE 
: I am speaking of course of Mark Paston’s outstanding exhibition in goal! 
Sport is often used as a metaphor for life itself and our sports teams often exemplify the values and character that we aspire to as a nation: success through teamwork the innovation and resourcefulness of a goal-scoring attack or the gritty determination of the dogged defence that we saw yesterday. To be honest the last 20 minutes of our game against Italy gave me glimpses of the kind of spirit that our soldiers must have experienced in places as far-flung as the beaches of Gallipoli or the foothills of Crete. Italy could come up with nothing to break the impermeable defence ably led by “Captain Courageous” Ryan Nelsen. Our goalie Mark Paston played the game of his life frustrating some of the highest-paid strikers in the world and with Killen Wood Smeltz and Fallon up front making the most of any chances they had on goal Italy started to look like they were lucky to come away from the match with a point. 
The All Whites’ holding the current world champions of football to a one-all draw over 94 minutes left me both breathless and sleepless. It is the kind of thing that does not happen in the real world. While our children are rushing out into the streets and fields with soccer balls and dreams I thought of that other sporting metaphor of the rank outsider who written off by everyone else none the less dares to dream. The Mighty Ducks Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards the Jamaican bobsled team and now the All Whites all speak of the triumph of hope and belief over size and history. 
Even here at the far ends of the Earth it is possible to stand up for what may be rather than be defeated by what always has been. We have a history of that in New Zealand whether it is votes for women our belief in the equality of all our passionate commitment to saving our natural environment our opposition to apartheid or our implacable commitment to keeping our country nuclear-free we have been prepared to stand up for what we believe as a small nation even when faced with apparently overwhelming odds or opposition from the world’s superpowers. The All Whites’ story is the feel-good hit of the year. In the words of the  
Guardian 
: “today is all about New Zealand who have infused this World Cup with the sort of innocent everyman charm that was seemingly lost to top-level football.” Congratulations to the All Whites on playing their finest hour of football yet. Can we beat Paraguay? 
Hon Members 
: Yes we can! 
KEVIN HAGUE 
: Yes we can. My head says no but my heart says of course we can.