2010 World Cup Preview Group F: New Zealand

May 27th. 2010, 5:45pm

Country: New Zealand
Nickname: All Whites, Kiwis
Key Players: Ryan Nelsen, Shane Smeltz, Chris Killen, Rory Fallon,
Rankings: 78 (FIFA), 91 (SPI)
History: Qualified 1982
Odds to Win: 2500-1
Though my present be small, my love goes with it – Maori proverb

New Zealand are essentially the worst team in the tournament. The 23-man squad featured one player, captain Ryan Nelsen who played in one of the world’s top leagues last season. They have heart, but not much of a chance.

Form: Australia left Oceania for Asia, leaving New Zealand an easy route to the World Cup. They feasted on small islands, none ranked among the world’s top hundred. They won a playoff against Bahrain. The Kiwis do have some plucky performances outside their fishbowl. They lost 4-3 to Italy last June. They were unlucky to lose 2-1 to the Aussies on May 24. However, the Confederations Cup – where New Zealand got rolled in three group matches, not scoring a goal – is probably more telling.

Double Duty: Ricki Hebert is not just the New Zealand coach. He’s also the coach of Wellington Phoenix in the A-League. His club players would form five of his first-choice eleven, but Tim Brown fractured his shoulder against the Aussies. He has a familiarity advantage with his players, unfortunately it’s tempered by his inexperience. Hebert has not coached outside New Zealand.

Tactics: New Zealand are really outclassed at this level. It will be hard to implement any type of tactical game plan. They should play a 4-3-3 morphing into a 4-5-1 when defending. They will try to be spirited and aggressive and use their size as an edge.

Squad: Wellington Phoenix’s Mark Paston, who saved a crucial penalty against Bahrain, will start in goal. Captain Ryan Nelsen of Blackburn will anchor the back line. Auckland City’s Ivan Vicelich and Wellington Phoenix pair Tony Lochhead and Ben Sigmund will join him.

The three-man midfield should be Wellington Phoenix’s Leo Bertos, longtime MLS veteran Simon Elliot and newly nationalized Motherwell man Michael McGlinchey filling in for Tim Brown. Up front, you should see Ocenia Player of the Year Shane Smeltz, Plymouth Argyle’s Rory Fallon and Middlesbrough’s Chris Killen.

Prediction: The 2,500-1 odds say everything. New Zealand could push a team into beating them by a respectable 2-1 margin, but it would be a mild shock if they get a result, let alone advance.

Interesting Fact: New Zealand produces 100kg of butter and 65kg of cheese per person each year

If only the All Whites would do the haka…