World Cup preview: New Zealand
Coach: Ricki Herbert
Key player: Ryan Nelsen
Previous best: First round 1982
Five-two, 3-0 and 4-0.
As World Cup finals records go, it is hardly an inspiring one.
In their only other tournament, New Zealand were resoundingly beaten by Scotland, the Soviet Union and Brazil, crashing out of Spain 1982 tournament at the first hurdle.
They gave the Scots a scare, briefly pulling the score back to 3-2 on that June day in Málaga, but the fact that that remains their proudest-ever World Cup moment suggests just why they are considered the lowliest of the underdogs this time around.
They fared little better in last summer’s Confederations Cup in South Africa.
Coach Ricki Herbert, a 21-year-old defender in that 1982 squad, oversaw a campaign that began with Fernando Torres scoring an 11-minute hat-trick against them in a 5-0 win for Spain in Rustenburg, and ended with them failing to score a goal in their three group matches, their only point coming from a goalless draw with Iraq.
Recent friendlies have been more encouraging though, and peaked with a 1-0 win over Serbia in Austria, but the belief remains that their players are simply too inexperienced to cope with the challenges that this tournament brings.
Leo Bertos was a Worksop United player at the time of the last World Cup.
The former Barnsley, Rochdale, Chester City, York City and Scarborough midfielder slowly made his way down the English leagues before returning home with Wellington Phoenix in 2008.
A creative force, his set-pieces are considered vital if the All Whites are to find their way to goal in the tournament, with Plymouth Argyle striker Rory Fallon – the man whose goal against Bahrain last November brought New Zealand to the finals – his likely target.
The Blackburn central defender Ryan Nelsen captains the side. A mainstay at Rovers and a sometime skipper, his organisational skills and leadership qualities will be vital in what are likely to be trying times for the Kiwi defence, behind which will stand Mark Paston, formerly of Bradford City, Walsall and St Johnstone.
Ex-Mansfield, AFC Wimbledon and Halifax Town striker Shane Smeltz scored the winner in that friendly against Serbia and will be looked to for goals, especially after a season which saw him hit 19 in 26 matches for the Queensland-based Gold Coast United in Australia’s A-League, while Chris Killen has had a varied career that has seen him bounce up and down the leagues in both England and Scotland, these days to be found at Middlesbrough.
Liverpool-born midfielder David Mulligan and veteran former Fulham man Simon Elliott go into the tournament without clubs and so will be looking to impress, with their tales seemingly typical of a squad that appears to be made up of footballing waifs and strays.
But they’re there.
Just reaching the tournament has to be considered a success for Herbert’s men, with their first match against Slovakia representing the end of what has been an incredible journey to reach the finals.
They face Italy and Paraguay as well, and while they’ll be extremely unlikely to take anything from those matches, they should at least enjoy the experience.
They’ve been written off, with odds as high as 5000-1 available for them to win the tournament, and in all likelihood that record of three World Cup matches and no wins will be extended to six.
But they’re there.
New Zealand squad
1 Mark PASTON (Wellington Phoenix)
2 Ben SIGMUND (Wellington Phoenix)
3 Tony LOCHHEAD (Wellington Phoenix)
4 Winston REID (FC Midtjylland)
5 Ivan VICELICH (Auckland City)
6 Ryan NELSEN (Blackburn Rovers)
7 Simon ELLIOTT (unattached)
8 Tim BROWN (Wellington Phoenix)
9 Shane SMELTZ (Gold Coast United)
10 Chris KILLEN (Middlesbrough)
11 Leo BERTOS (Wellington Phoenix)
12 Glen MOSS (Melbourne Victory)
13 Michael McGLINCHEY (Motherwell)
14 Rory FALLON (Plymouth Argyle)
15 Jeremy BROCKIE (Newcastle Jets)
16 Andy BARRON (Team Wellington)
17 David MULLIGAN (unattached)
18 Andy BOYENS (New York Red Bulls)
19 Tommy SMITH (Ipswich Town)
20 Chris WOOD (West Bromwich Albion)
21 Jeremy CHRISTIE (FC Tampa Bay Rowdies)
22 Aaron CLAPHAM (Canterbury United)
23 James BANNATYNE (Team Wellington)
For previews of New Zealand's Group F opponents click here:
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Italy-a12465
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Paraguay-a12467
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Slovakia-a12468
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