NEW ZEALAND V PERU All Whites stars Chris Wood and Winston Reid lead the way please log in to view this image PHILLIP ROLLO Last updated 14:23, November 10 2017 'It's been a really good week' – All Whites coach confident ahead of Peru match All Whites coach Anthony Hudson is confident his team is ready to take on Peru. Follow the leaders and the All Whites might just have a chance. As Anthony Hudson sat down to chat to the media for one final time before the All Whites take the field against Peru, repeating the sentiment that New Zealand is indeed capable of qualifying for the World Cup, the national team coach was flanked by the two players who fuel that belief. They might not be a Sergio Aguero, Alexis Sanchez, N'Golo Kante or Harry Kane. But Chris Wood and Winston Reid are still Premier League stars in their own right, plying their trade for Burnley and West Ham United. please log in to view this image GETTY IMAGES Chris Wood, coach Anthony Hudson and Winston Reid speak to media ahead of New Zealand's World Cup qualifier against Peru. They go toe-to-toe with the world's best on a weekly basis and earn millions of pounds for it. Without them, it would be game over before it began. With them, the All Whites could pull off a miracle. READ MORE * Head-to-head: Kiwis or All Whites? * Burning questions: All Whites * Reid target of mystery team prank * Playstation All Whites lose tie Unlike Reid, Wood was involved in the past two intercontinental playoffs, against Bahrain in 2009 and Mexico in 2013. But this occasion is different. Not only are Peru a better team, ranked 10th in the world, but he is a much better player himself. Against Bahrain he was just 17 and against Mexico he was just 21. This time out he is a 25-year-old, hitting his prime and bagging in goals in the Premier League. He is already tied with Shane Smeltz as New Zealand's second highest scorer of all-time, having found the back of the net 24 times in 54 international appearances. The team will look to him to deliver again at Westpac Stadium on Saturday. please log in to view this image GETTY IMAGES Winston Reid walks past an All Whites banner, saying "never say die", as he makes his way out on to Westpac Stadium for training. "It was eight years ago now since I was into the Bahrain game, and a lot has changed. I've got a lot older, which is not good. But it is nice to call on my experiences of those eight years and keep progressing to make it right here," said Wood, who is embracing the weight of expectation. Ad Feedback "At the end of the day this is our home so we love coming back and playing in front of our home crowd. It's what we cherish and relish, and this is a great occasion to be able to play in front of this weekend." Reid had not yet committed his allegiance to New Zealand when the All Whites beat Bahrain and he was injured when they met Mexico. But he is here now. All Whites captain Winston Reid says the team is fully prepared for the Peru clash in Wellington. "It's a long time since I've been back playing in New Zealand so I really wanted to stay fit and make the trip down. Obviously I'm here now, the team is fit and, as Anthony said, I think we've prepared the best way possible. We haven't left a stone unturned and we're ready for the game," Reid said. For many potential starters, the likes of Clayton Lewis, Ryan Thomas, Storm Roux, Deklan Wynne, Kip Colvey, Dane Ingham and Stefan Marinovic, this will be one of the biggest games of their lives. But Reid said he and rest of the senior playing group would lead by example and provide guidance where necessary. "I think it's just about giving guidance to the younger players in the group and helping them through situations. There's going to be tricky moments out there," he said. "I'd be more nervous if we didn't prepare right. We've been working hard. We've done all our homework. That gives me good confidence in the group. It's a game and we have to go out and execute the gameplan and go out and play to our strengths." Steve Sumner and Ryan Nelsen famously led the All Whites to World Cups in 1982 and 2010. Will Reid join that illustrious company and get them to Russia in 2018? "It would be an amazing accomplishment. I just want to be there for the team, whatever way possible, to qualify. I just want to make that happen. "Like I said before, it's not just down to me. It's down to the senior group. They have to lead this. We have to be the driving force behind this. But, for me personally, it would mean everything to led us back to another World Cup."
Recommended by All Whites to play Peru for place at the 2018 World Cup please log in to view this image LIAM HYSLOP Last updated 19:22, October 11 2017 Anthony Hudson will remember this Wednesday for quite some time. The All Whites coach rode the emotional rollercoaster of watching South American World Cup qualifying like a lot of people, with a television screen and a series of laptops beaming in all the games that mattered as Peru confirmed their spot in November's intercontinental playoff against New Zealand. Peru finished fifth in South America qualifying after a dramatic final day of matches. Their match finished 1-1 against Colombia, which combined while Chile's 3-0 loss to Brazil booked Peru's trip to Wellington for the first leg on either November 10 or 11. Peru progressed by virtue of a +1 goal difference, as opposed to Chile's -1. But taking in those games was just the middle part of an exhausting day of travel and meetings for Hudson after he stayed on for an extra few days in Japan following his side's 2-1 loss against Japan in Nagoya on Friday night. "I got back this morning from Japan, went straight into a board meeting then flew off to my house," Hudson said. "We had the big screen on, we had about three or four laptops on the table with all the games, but you're sort of just following the scores. You can't properly watch one game. "The biggest thing now is we're pleased we know who it is and we can start preparing." You could sense in Hudson's voice and the way he talked that getting Peru, as apposed to the star-studded Argentina or Chile, was a big boost. Hudson and his staff have been monitoring the South American qualifiers for the better part of a year, but even he admitted they had mainly been following the "bigger teams" in contention to finish fifth, rather than Peru. Ad Feedback There was a collective sigh of relief from around New Zealand when Argentina earned automatic qualification via a Lionel Messi hat-trick against Ecuador. Those fans were even happier when Chile were knocked out, given they boast players such as Arsenal star Alexis Sanchez and Bayern Munich midfielder Arturo Vidal. But Hudson did also urge caution against over-confidence, pointing out Peru's world ranking of 12 and the expected hostile home crowd in Lima for the second leg. "They're an effective team, they're a strong team, they've got a big result against Argentina last week [0-0 draw]. It's going to be tough, but certainly it's a game that we all believe we can do something in." Peru have not played at the World Cup since 1982 - the first year New Zealand played at football's pinnacle event. New Zealand progressed to this intercontinental playoff stage having cruised past Solomon Islands 8-3 on aggregate in the Oceania final last month. Hudson said he felt his side were building nicely off the back of the game against Japan, when they only lost in the 88th minute, and their first half against Mexico at the Confederations Cup (which also ended in a 2-1 loss). "I know for an Oceania team, for New Zealand to go to a World Cup via South America is an incredibly tough task, but the fact now it's Peru I think we've done enough to have belief within the team. "Against teams like Mexico and even Japan away from home, we've done enough to know we can compete. I feel we're getting stronger and stronger and have been able to consistently select our strongest squad. "I think I can speak on behalf of the players, we all believe we can do something special here."
please log in to view this image Wellington's waterfront stadium will host the All Whites v Peru match this weekend.
biggest game of football in new zealand in four years biggest crowd at a game in four years nearly all sold out in an hour
The worst thing would be for NZ to win and qualify then get drawn against England. That will be the end of our world cup.
There was Peru hoop or something similar.....no idea what happened to him but has disappeared...... Good luck Kiwi enjoy the game...
