All Whites will benefit from Honiara wakeup call There has been a hardening of the resolve in the All Whites, no doubt brought about by the slap in the face that was their horror show in Honiara earlier this year. The attitude change was noticeable as New Zealand's formerly over-achieving national football team put the finishing touches to preparations for tonight's second World Cup qualifying game in Auckland. There was more than a touch of pragmatism about the Kiwis as a Solomon Islands team previously considered nuisance material, at best, was being treated with the respect of Brazil. Suddenly the All Whites are not only on high alert, but the blinkers are very much affixed. This was, after all, the only unbeaten team from the last World Cup finals. Champions Spain included. But having experienced the giddy high of rubbing shoulders with the very best in the sport, June's unthinkable Oceania Nations Cup defeat to New Caledonia in the Solomon Islands has brought the high-flyers back to earth with a thud. Not only did the below-strength All Whites suffer an embarrassing defeat to the Pacific minnows, but they missed out on a lucrative spot at the Confederation Cup finals in the process. In a funny sort of way, reckoned skipper and QPR defender Ryan Nelsen, who missed that match, the Honiara hiccup may turn out to be just the wakeup call the side needed as it resets its goals for another World Cup run. "Like in any sport or business, you have to learn from your mistakes, and that was a mistake, there's no hiding from that," said Nelsen yesterday after a late-morning kickabout at Albany's Kristin School. "As long as you learn from it, you come out better for it." Nelsen also spoke about having to be prepared to win ugly if that was what it took against a Solomons side he called unpredictable, athletic, well organised and dangerous. It's about looking to score goals and play âbeautiful football' if the game opened up that way, he said. "But if we have to grind out a 1-nil win, so be it." There was a similar pragmatism from coach Ricki Herbert, who will bring up his 50th international in charge of the national team tonight. As much as he respects a player like Solomons star Benjamin Totori, he has a firm fix on what his side needs to do. "Benji is a good player. I signed him at the (Phoenix) club. Collectively they're a side that will come here pretty confident. They had a good win (2-0) at home against Tahiti (the Oceania Nations champions), but it's really up to us. If we close them down and get as much ball as we anticipate, he won't get as much either."
solomons are onto their second keeper so it could turn into one if you get a chance have a look at how piss poor the 1st choice keeper was for the second goal
Group Matches Team MP W D L GF GA Pts New Zealand 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 Solomon Islands 1 1 0 0 2 0 3 Tahiti 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 New Caledonia 1 0 0 1 0 2 0 DetailsNewsMatches
nelsen off after 73 just found out he owns a vineyard in nz might have to give this wine drinking lark a crack
final score 6-1 nelsen had a good run nearly scored(again) a nice 1st class flight and he should be raring to go saturday he reckons he cant wait to come back for the next game(oct)
