Former Kickers Midfielder On Verge Of World Cup
Published on November 9, 2009 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Richmond Kickers News Release
TAMPA, FL - (Friday, November 6, 2009) - In the 2006 World Cup in Germany, the USL story centered around the surprising success of former USL players leading Trinidad & Tobago in the tournament. In just over a week, former Richmond Kickers midfielder Tim Brown will take the field in what will be the most important 90 minutes in New Zealand soccer history.
On November 14, Brown and New Zealand will take the pitch in his home town of Wellington in the second leg of their FIFA 2010 World Cup South Africa qualifying series, representing Oceania against Asia's fifth-place club, Bahrain. New Zealand will be looking for its second trip to the World Cup, having previously reached the tournament in 1982 when current coach Ricki Herbert was a member of the squad. Brown was just over a year old at the time.
Three years ago, Brown was donning a Kickers shirt in the USL Second Division after having played two seasons with the club in the USL First Division, reaching the 2005 championship game. Brown helped the club finish as runners-up, falling in penalty kicks after an exciting 1-1 draw in Seattle. He began his professional career with the Kickers midseason in 2004 after graduating from the University of Cincinnati, but injury prevented him seeing much time until the postseason. The 2005 campaign, however, was Brown's breakout season, playing in 23 league matches with a goal and two assists while leading them to their postseason run to the Final.
"The one best word to describe him is tenacious," said Richmond Kickers head coach Leigh Cowlishaw. "He was a tough kid, a no-nonsense defensive midfielder that would break up plays and sometimes intimidate the opposition."
"His personality, well, he was always that player. He had a very good mentality about the game, very willing. He was not interested in anything but when on the pitch. He had that professional mentality throughout college and throughout his career," added Cowlishaw in regards to how the Kickers role in his development was primarily in providing an atmosphere to hone his skills at the professional level before returning to New Zealand.
"On the creative side, he could move the ball nice and quick, and sometime hit long range shots. He also loved to go into box late and connect on crosses with his head or his foot. He was a very mobile central midfield player."
Having matured as a professional, Brown returned to New Zealand in 2006 and has quickly become a staple for the All Whites lineup, serving as captain prior to a run of injury and suspensions saw the role transition to vice-captain.
"It speaks volumes again," said Cowlishaw about the prospects of seeing a former player reach the World Cup. "There are so many players that have gone through USL and the Kickers system. It is a tremendous credit to the level these teams and players are playing at," he said while expressing his pride in Brown's achievements and potential trip to South Africa.
With long-time rival Australia now in the Asia confederation, the All Whites cruised to qualification for the playoff as the winner of Oceania, clinching advancement to the playoff series after four consecutive wins in group play. Brown played nearly all 270 minutes of the first three games, serving as captain in the 2-0 opener against Fiji on the road and again in the third, a 4-1 victory at home against Vanuatu, whom they also topped 2-1 in the match prior.
The third game however, the final one of the 2007 calendar, had a bitter ending for Brown as he received a second yellow four minutes into stoppage that cost him a spot in the clinching victory on the road against New Caledonia.
Injury also left Brown out of the lineup for portions of 2008. He played in the fifth match against New Caledonia at home, a 3-0 win, but missed the finale against Fiji, the team's only loss in their 5-0-1 run in group play as they used the match to introduce younger players into first team competition.
On October 10, the All Whites traveled to the Middle East and secured a scoreless draw against Bahrain, who has a formidable defense that allowed just eight goals in eight games in Asia group play. They finished third behind qualifiers Australia and Japan and advanced past Saudi Arabia in a two-game series between the two third-place finishers.
Three of the eight goals allowed were to Australia, who notched a 1-0 road win and a 2-0 victory at home against Bahrain, who in the strange world of irony saw their chance at making their World Cup debut spoiled by a Trinidad & Tobago squad featuring USL players in the qualifying series between Asia and CONCACAF for the 2006 World Cup.
Like New Zealand, Saudi Arabia also went scoreless in Bahrain, but failed to advance after a 2-2 draw at home gave Bahrain the edge on away goals. Saudi Arabia appeared to have secured advancement with a strike in the 91st only to see Bahrain strike two minutes later to send the Saudis on a shock exit after four straight World Cup appearances.
Prior to the qualifying series, Brown once again assumed the captaincy for the FIFA Confederations Cup as Ryan Nelson was out with injury. The All Whites opened the tournament with a scoreless draw, but suffered defeats at the hands of South Africa (2-0) and Spain (5-0) in their other two contests.
At the club level, Brown initially joined the Newcastle Jets in the Australian A-League upon his return home from Richmond, but joined New Zealand's lone entry in the Australian league the following year and has been with the Wellington Phoenix since.
The USL Second Division boasts nine (9) teams from mostly the East Coast and is the second highest level in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) system. For more information please visit www.RichmondKickers.com.
United Soccer League Championship Stories from November 9, 2009
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- Former Kickers Midfielder On Verge Of World Cup - Richmond Kickers
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