All Whites capable of more

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OPINION: It's been a funny old All Whites tour.

Two very good performances, two very poor performances, and the upshot of it all is that we're no closer to knowing just how the defining World Cup qualifiers in October and November might pan out.

What we do know, however, is that New Zealand are capable of competing with either Saudi Arabia or Bahrain if they play to their potential.

They showed that in the creditable 4-3 loss to world champions Italy, and in a dominant 0-0 draw with 2007 Asian Cup champions Iraq their first point at a Confederations Cup or any senior men's Fifa tournament, for that matter.

In those matches, they played with intensity, physical aggression, confidence, and created genuine goalscoring opportunities a rarity for New Zealand teams at that level.

But we also know they are capable of mediocrity at any stage against anyone. They showed that against world No1 Spain, and against world No72 South Africa. Nobody expected miracles from those matches, but all the basics mentioned above were lacking.

Coach Ricki Herbert and captain Tim Brown put those disappointing performances down to mental fatigue and the fact the players had not been playing regularly in the leadup to the tournament (many were in off-seasons or not featuring for club sides).

They had freshened up before the Iraq match, their fourth in 10 days, and produced a result.

That may be true, but the reality is that, as Brown pointed out, when you come to a tournament of this magnitude there are no excuses, and there certainly won't be come the World Cup qualifiers. Everything needs to be spot on.

There are several positives looking ahead to October. The return of regular captain and English Premiership League star Ryan Nelsen his presence, leadership and skill is vital. Ben Sigmund proved against Iraq he is clearly the second best defender and the pair should form a solid centreback pairing.

Simon Elliott, 35, is playing as if he's 10 years younger. His ability to control the middle of the park and the tempo of the game is still abundant, while Leo Bertos and Jeremy Brockie showed glimpses of their old form against Iraq.

The Chris Killen-Shane Smeltz partnership had four valuable games together and, when given ball, against Italy and Iraq, proved they can create enough chances, against the type of opposition they will face, to win games, particularly from set-pieces. But they need good service, and there are concerns over New Zealand's ability to consistently achieve that.

Another area of concern, based on the form at the tournament, is the fullback roles. But Tony Lochhead and the inexperienced Aaron Scott both put their hands up with solid performances against Iraq and should be persevered with.

CUP LINEUP?

Possible All Whites starting team in the World Cup qualifiers: Mark Paston, Aaron Scott, Ryan Nelsen, Ben Sigmund, Tony Lochhead, Jeremy Brockie, Simon Elliott, Tim Brown, Leo Bertos, Shane Smeltz, Chris Killen.