New blood introduced to All Whites

BY FRED WOODCOCK

All Whites coach Ricki Herbert is taking a fearless selection policy into the World Cup campaign, insisting young players will be picked with an eye to future tilts.

Herbert had talked the talk and yesterday walked the walk, selecting two uncapped players – Tommy Smith and Craig Henderson – in a 17-man national squad to play the first World Cup warmup match against Mexico in Los Angeles on March 4 (NZ time).

As expected, Plymouth Argyle striker Rory Fallon was also included, despite expressing a desire to stay with his club to try and avoid relegation from the English Championship.

Herbert had spoken to Plymouth and was sticking to his guns. New Zealand have all rights to Fallon in a Fifa window and Herbert assumed Plymouth "understood and respected" the decision.

The inclusion of Ipswich Town defender Smith, 19, currently on loan to Brentford, had been signalled since he switched allegiances from England to New Zealand, but the selection of 22-year-old midfielder Henderson was less predictable.

Henderson, who played for Porirua club Western Suburbs before embarking on a successful United States college career, has been a standout in New Zealand age group teams and also performed well at the Beijing Olympics.

The technically gifted right-sided midfielder recently signed a three-year deal for top-flight Swedish club Mjallby AIF and Herbert, as he did with Smith, talked enthusiastically about him as a long-term international prospect. "My rationale around the World Cup is that, if we feel the potential around those players is good enough, then we'll include them," Herbert said.

"The World Cup has to have a reflection on post-World Cup. We've been in these positions before when nothing's been done after some high-profile events. It's in the best interests that we get the best players there who have some longevity as well."

The other inclusion from the squad that beat Bahrain last year is Melbourne goalkeeper Glen Moss, who replaces injured Mark Paston.

Moss is unavailable for the first two World Cup matches because he carries over a suspension, but Herbert has nevertheless guaranteed him a spot in South Africa.

Ivan Vicelich will also miss the Mexico match as he serves a one-game friendly suspension, which he picked up after being sent off against Jordan last year.

Fullback Aaron Scott, who has been carrying an injury, and Phoenix squad man David Mulligan, who has not featured in the club's matchday 15 all season, have been omitted, but Herbert said they were not out of his World Cup thinking.

"With Tommy and Craig coming in, we needed to make some positions available. Both players have been spoken to. They both understand their roles moving toward the World Cup."

Smith will most probably be a straight swap for Vicelich, with Herbert to again adopt the 3-4-3 formation that worked against Bahrain. He needs to test it against 17th-ranked Mexico well before the World Cup to see if it works against top-quality opposition.

Four Phoenix players were included, and should the Phoenix make it to the second round of the A-League finals, the players – and Herbert – would return from Los Angeles just one day before the playoff match.

"Unfortunately that's life," said Herbert. "The club fully understands. We've even locked in the process for travelling from LA to Australia, should that be the case."

How They Line Up

All Whites squad to play Mexico in a World Cup warmup match in Los Angeles on March 4 (current club, international caps in brackets)

Glen Moss (Melbourne Victory, 15), James Bannatyne, (Team Wellington, 5), Tony Lochhead (Phoenix, 29), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers, 41), Andrew Boyens (New York Red Bulls, 15), Ben Sigmund (Phoenix, 12), Tommy Smith (Brentford, 0), Andy Barron (Team Wellington, 13), Leo Bertos (Phoenix, 30), Tim Brown (Phoenix, 27), Simon Elliott (San Jose Earthquakes, 69), Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell, 3), Craig Henderson (Mjallby AIF, 0), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United, 32), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle, 3), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough, 35), Chris Wood (West Bromwich Albion, 5)

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