New Zealand World Cup Squad Preview

Written by Tony Concannon Wednesday, 12 May 2010 09:56

World Cup Squad Previews

New Zealand's squad are appearing in their first World Cup since 1982, their qualification from the Oceania region significantly helped by Australia moving to the Asian qualifying zone.

The All Whites sealed a berth at only their second World Cup finals with a 1-0 aggregate play-off victory over Bahrain, winning the second game in Wellington in front of a New Zealand record football crowd of 35,100. They will line up in South Africa in Group F alongside Italy, Slovakia and Paraguay. Perhaps a player from one of those teams, even from perennial low-scorers Italy, could be worth a punt as tournament top scorer, as the Kiwis look set to be thrashed to the point of extinction in this group.

Blackburn Rovers' Ryan Nelsen skippers the squad, and he is one of seven European-based players named. Nelsen is joined by strikers Rory Fallon from Plymouth Argyle and Chris Killen of Middlesbrough, and midfielders Tommy Smith of Ipswich, West Brom's Chris Wood and Motherwell's Michael McGlinchey complete the English-based sextet. One new name in the squad is Winston Reid, who plays for FC Midtjylland in Denmark. Reid played for Denmark's under-20 side but has switching allegiances for the chance of some World Cup action. Manager Ricki Herbert, who played in the 1982 team, has largely kept faith with the same group of players from qualifying.

Goalkeepers: James Bannatyne (TeamWellington), Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory), Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix)

Defenders: Andy Boyens (New York Red Bulls), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers), Winston Reid (FC Midtjylland), Ben Sigmund (Wellington Phoenix), Tommy Smith (Ipswich Town), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City)

Midfielders: Andy Barron (Team Wellington), Leo Bertos (Wellington Phoenix), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Jeremy Christie (FC Tampa Bay Rowdies), Aaron Clapham (Canterbury United), Simon Elliott (unattached), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell), David Mulligan (unattached)

Strikers: Jeremy Brockie (Newcastle Jets), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion)

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