All Whites-Socceroos, a friendly? You're joking

BY FRED WOODCOCK IN MELBOURNE

Australia and New Zealand are publicly talking down the importance of the result in tonight's so-called international friendly but privately are desperate to prevail in this long-awaited trans-Tasman showdown.

Ricki Herbert last night named a full-strength All Whites team and Australia are expcted to do the same for tonight's game at the Melbourne Cricket Ground as both teams look to start their World Cup campaigns on a positive note.

Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek and Herbert yesterday talked at length of factors more important than the result, such as the performance, the hope of no injuries, and the need for individuals to stake their claim for starting spots.

"It's a big game and we want to do well, but the performance is more important," All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen said, singing off the same sheet as his coach, who said a result would be good in isolation but "at the end of the day we want to be right for Slovakia and if we take a few hits on the way we can deal with that".

All this is true. The World Cup starts in three weeks, not tonight.

But there's no denying plenty is at stake. For 20th-ranked Australia, saying farewell to their fans before an expected crowd of 60,000, a loss almost doesn't bare contemplation. For the 78th ranked All Whites, a boilover at odds of 11-1 would not only bring confidence to themselves but to the New Zealand public, who have already shown mighty support for this bunch of underdogs.

As expected, Herbert, who named the team after a final training run, has gone with the same XI that started the first-leg qualifier against Bahrain in Manama.

New cap Winston Reid, Tommy Smith and Chris Wood have all missed out on starts but expect them to get plenty of gametime tonight. By the time the first World Cup match against Slovakia on June 15 rolls around, it would be no surprise to see all three in the starting XI.

Verbeek still has 31 players to eventually whittle down to 23, and though he was giving nothing away regarding who might start tonight, those close to the Socceroos camp expect a near full-strength lineup.

Only two frontline players, striker Harry Kewell and goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer, have been ruled out of the match through injury.

Verbeek expected rustiness from both sides and was adamant the result was way down the list of his priorities.

"You [media] only think about winning and losing, I'm not thinking about winning and losing," the Dutchman said.

"Even if we make mistakes then we have three weeks to avoid them before the game against Germany, because it's all about the game against Germany."

Socceroos captain Lucas Neill, a former team-mate of Nelsen's at Blackburn Rovers, described the All Whites as the "perfect opponent" and took umbrage at suggestions from a New Zealand TV reporter that the match – the first time the two teams have met since 2005 – meant more to the Kiwis given their underdog status.

"So you're saying that New Zealand's not as good as Australia?," he barked back. "I think you, like a lot of people, don't rate New Zealand as highly as we do as footballers. They are there [at the World Cup] on merit.

The Galatasaray defender admitted he had not seen much of the All Whites, though he watched the two matches against Bahrain last year.

"We know they are talented players. We were delighted they did [qualify]. As much as there is rivalry and banter, we're happy that they are achieving."

HOW THEY LINE UP

What: Friendly football international
Who: Socceroos v All Whites
Where: Melbourne Cricket Ground
When: 9.30pm tonight, live on Sky Sport 2
TAB odds: Australia $1.28, New Zealand $11, draw $4.75

Australia (possible): Adam Federici (Reading FC), Luke Wilkshire (FK Dinamo Moscow), Lucas Neill (Galatasaray, Turkey), Craig Moore (unattached), David Carney (FC Twente, Netherlands), Vince Grella (Blackburn Rovers), Jason Culina (Gold Coast United), Mark Bresciano (Palermo, Italy), Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar, Netherlands)/Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers), Tim Cahill (Everton), Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough).

New Zealand: Mark Paston (Phoenix), Ben Sigmund (Phoenix), Ryan Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers), Ivan Vicelich (Auckland City), Simon Elliott (unattached), Tim Brown (Phoenix), Leo Bertos (Phoenix), Tony Lochhead (Phoenix), Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United), Chris Killen (Middlesbrough), Rory Fallon (Plymouth Argyle)

- © Fairfax NZ News