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New Zealand's Ivan Vicelich (R) battles with Chile's Ismael Fuentes - Source: Reuters -
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The All Whites have conceded two late goals to lose 2-0 to Chile in their final World Cup warm-up match in Nelspruit today.
New Zealand worked hard to contain the fast Chileans and did so for over an hour of the match.
But two goals came within three minutes of each other in the final half hour when James Bannatyne had a shot rifled past him in the 68th minute while a low right hand cross was tucked away in the 71st.
Ryan Nelsen's ear infection meant he did not travel to the game while Glen Moss, Cole Peverley and Aaron Clapham didn't see game time.
After midfielder Gonzalo Fierro had put Chile ahead on 68 minutes, striker Esteban Paredes finally got his name on the scoresheet in the 72nd minute to seal a comfortable victory.
With both side sides employing an army of substitutes and with the match split into three segments of 30 minutes rather than two halves, neither team found much in the way of momentum.
The Chileans had the better of it but despite the trickery of Alexis Sanchez and Fabian Orellana in their forward line, they constantly fell victim to New Zealand's disciplined offside trap.
The All Whites, who arrive in South Africa after a tour of Europe that included an impressive 1-0 defeat of Serbia, created little in the way of goal-scoring chances and relied heavily on long balls punted into the box.
The match was played in front of around 7,000 fans in a modest stadium ringed by spectacular hills in the Kanyamazane, close to the city of Nelspruit in eastern South Africa.
Chile will take on Honduras in Nelspruit next week while New
Zealand will return to the city later in the tournament for the
toughest of their three group matches, against defending champions
Italy.
2010 FIFA World Cup Opening ceremony Highlights - Saturday
12 June at 1am, followed by South Africa v Mexico LIVE on ONE kick
off at 2am
All Whites v Slovakia Tuesday 11 June at 11pm LIVE on ONE
