Published: 2:47PM Saturday December 05, 2009
By tvnz.co.nz's football reporter Michael Burgess
Source: ONE Sport
Source: PhotosportRyan Nelsen takes a moment to reflect
How will the All Whites fare?
There are reasons for some faint optimism now that the opponents for the All Whites have been revealed.
Defending champions Italy add real glamour to Group F but they are notoriously slow starters to finals campaigns and tend to do enough to progress rather than annihilate their opponents.
Slovakia topped their qualifying group and deserve the utmost respect but are one of the more favourable options of the second tier of European nations for Ricki Herbert's squad. The fellow finals debutants loom as an ideal opening match and a chance to get some confidence instead of being thrown to the lions first up against a true test.
Paraguay are a side that will command the utmost respect but seem to struggle a little when they leave their continent. They compete fiercely with the likes of Argentina, Brazil and Chile in qualifying but then usually exit the big show with barely a whimper.
Click here to listen to All Whites' captain Ryan Nelsen talk about his team's World Cup draw.
vs Slovakia: June 16 in Rustenberg
While there is no way that the All Whites will underestimate Slovakia, Herbert will be satisfied with this option as the second European team. France, Portugal, Denmark and Serbia were the ones to avoid and New Zealand has done that.
Slovakia topped a European qualifying group that included Poland, Czech Republic and Slovenia so they are tough customers.
They have a couple of handy players including Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik, and Stanislav Sestak who scored six goals in qualifying and plys his trade in the Bundesliga.
However it is a great first-up option and would be fantastic to sneak away with a point. And the dream scenario - and we are going into the realms of fantasia - would be a first up win against Slovakia while Italy and Paraguay cancel each other out in the opening match of Group F.
That would see New Zealand on top of Group F, albeit probably just for a few days.
It is also a bonus just to be in Group F and starting a few days after most of the teams, as that will give the All Whites some more precious time to organise another pre-tournament friendly - vital considering their lack of top-class match play.
vs Italy - June 21 in Nelspruit
Alongside New Zealand in Group F we have Italy which brings star quality and pedigree to the group. They have stuttered a little bit throughout qualifying (though did progress unbeaten) but are the defending champions and four time World Cup winners.
The Azzurri are famously slow starters at World Cups and generally don't hit their straps until the knockout rounds. This means they don't tend to murder teams in the group stages - unlike say Brazil, Argentina, Spain or the Netherlands who could hammer the weaker teams.
There have been calls in Italy for the return of retired stars such as Francesco Totti. This could have an unsettling effect on the squad if two or three of the players who helped them qualify miss out on the big show.
Finally, there is the small matter of the friendly played before the Confederations Cup where the All Whites narrowly went down 4-3 to a second string Italian side.
Hopefully not much will be made of the result on that night in Rustenberg, as it was merely a training run for the Italian side. But at least Ricki Herbert and his men have faced the famous blue crest before, which should lessen the intimidation factor a little.
It is a bonus, too, to play the Italians in the new 40,000 seat Mbombela stadium rather than one of the huge new amphitheatres in Capetown or Johannesburg.
It is hard to see beyond three points for Italy but there is every reason to believe that Ryan Nelsen and his team can put in a performance that will build confidence ahead of their final match against Paraguay, rather than a game which will destroy spirits.
vs Paraguay: June 25 at Polokwane
Paraguay are tough cookies but never quite the same when you take them off their own continent.
They have been to the World Cup eight times - in itself quite an achievement for a country of six million people to come through the intensely competitive South America qualifying group.
But they have only reached the second round on three occasions (1986, 1998 and 2002) and never gone further than the last 16. They tend to under-perform on the big stage.
Traditionally they have a formidable defence and like to play on the counterattack although against the All Whites Gerardo Martino's squad will have far more possession than usual.
They will be untroubled at altitude in Polokwane (1,200m above sea level) something that will be quite familiar as Ecuador, Bolivia and Columbia all host matches above sea level.
It would be huge for the All Whites to even come close to getting a point - but you never know.
The New Zealand side will be match hardened after games against Slovakia and Italy, used to the faster pace of this level of football and will have absolutely nothing to lose.
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