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World Cup 2010 Teams – New Zealand

New Zealand is regarded as one of the World Cup’s rank outsiders. Playing in only their second World Cup finals, the New Zealanders may dream of getting through Group F but, realistically, they will do well to pick up a point. Italy is expected to dominate the group, leaving New Zealand, Paraguay and Slovakia to battle it out for second-place.

Qualifying Campaign

New Zealand finished top of its Oceania qualification group above New Caledonia, Fiji and Vanuatu. The New Zealanders went undefeated until their final group game against Fiji, by which time they had already qualified. Having won the group, they then had to secure a place in South Africa by winning a two-leg playoff against Bahrain, the fifth-place team from the Asian qualifying sector.

New Zealand first went to Manama where the game ended in a goalless draw. The ‘All Whites’ then beat Bahrain in Wellington by a 1-0 margin (Rory Fallon scoring the game’s only goal) to claim a place in the 2010 World Cup.

Apart from the South Africans, who qualified automatically as hosts, New Zealand had arguably the easiest route to South Africa. With Australia having decided to qualify through the Asian group, New Zealand has been left as the dominant force in Oceania. While this makes World Cup qualification easier for the New Zealanders, it also raises doubts about the nation’s readiness for World Cup football.

World Cup History

New Zealand has only ever qualified for one World Cup before South Africa 2010. Having made it to Spain in 1982, the New Zealanders soon received a harsh introduction to top-flight international football. They failed to pick up a point in Group 6, first losing 5-2 to Scotland and then 3-0 to the Soviet Union before a final 4-0 loss to Brazil sent them home early.

The Coach

As a player, Ricki Herbert featured in all of New Zealand’s 1982 World Cup matches. He won 61 caps in total with the national side, while at club level he played for teams in both New Zealand and Australia. He also played for English club Wolverhampton Wanderers from 1984 to 1986.

Herbert began his coaching career in 1990, taking charge of New Zealand club Papakura City AFC before moving to Papatoetoe and then Central United. Having caught the eye of the New Zealand football association, he was put in charge of the New Zealand Olympic football team before being appointed as the ‘All Whites’ head coach in February 2005.

Herbert is currently manager of Wellington Phoenix as well as the New Zealand national team. This gives him day-to-day contact with a number of players in the national team. He may be inexperienced but Herbert is close to his players and certainly has the respect of the team. He faces a huge challenge in South Africa, and will have to decide whether to sit back and defend or push forward and risk some heavy defeats. More than likely, Herbert will tell his team to go for it.

The Players

New Zealand has very few players who play in the top leagues of Europe. The step up to world-class international competition, therefore, could come as quite a shock. New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen will be the key player for the ‘All Whites’. The central defender, who plays for English Premier League side Blackburn Rovers, will need to use all his experience to help lead his team through Group F.

Tim Brown and Leo Bertos (both of Wellington Phoenix) will be two of the main men in midfield. In attack, New Zealand has two strikers who play their football in England. Plymouth Argyle striker Rory Fallon is likely to partner Middlesbrough forward Chris Killen. Shane Smeltz, New Zealand’s top scorer in qualifying, will also feature heavily.

Group F

New Zealand has been drawn in Group F alongside Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia. The Italians will be going into the 2010 World Cup as reigning champions and they should get through Group F with little trouble. Paraguay looked impressive during qualification, finishing in third-place and only one point behind group winners Brazil. Slovakia surprised a few people by finishing on top of its qualifying group ahead of Slovenia, the Czech Republic and Poland. While lacking enough creativity and flair to go far in South Africa, Slovakia is nonetheless a solid and well organised team.

Group Matches and Analysis

New Zealand will begin its Group F campaign with a game against Slovakia. This is potentially the best chance the New Zealanders have to pick up a point, but it won’t be easy. If they can sneak the first goal then they might be able to hold out for a draw.

If New Zealand was to win its next game against Italy it would go down as one of the greatest football upsets of all time. Realistically, the New Zealanders will do well to stop the Italians from winning by more than a 3 goal margin. The final match against Paraguay could well be more of the same.

As World Cup underdogs, the ‘All Whites’ will certainly receive a lot of support from neutral fans. This, however, will not be enough to see New Zealand through to the next round.

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