All Whites coach Darren Bazeley. Photo / Photosport
Twenty-six seats.
That’s all there are on the plane to June’s Fifa World Cup for the All Whites’ playing squad. The decision on who collects a boarding pass is now in the hands of head coach Darren Bazeley and his assistants.
Dreams will be made and broken, hopes lifted and dashed, aspirations enhanced or dented when the list is revealed in mid-May.
“It’s a big decision,” admits Bazeley.
“We make decisions all year about squads and selections, but this is different. It’s the biggest event in the world and what everyone has been working towards for four years.
“We’re conscious of that, so we make sure the process is thorough, honest, and clear. Some players won’t be happy and that’s difficult, but all we can do is be honest.”
In reality, the vast majority of the 26-man squad is locked in. Bazeley has been loyal to a solid core of players since taking the reins in 2023 and will largely keep faith with that group for the World Cup.
At best, there are perhaps two or three spots up for grabs.
One discussion point will be whether veteran defender Tommy Smith is included. Along with captain Chris Wood, he’s the only current player who went to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Unlike Wood though, who’s with Premier League side Nottingham Forest, 36-year-old Smith is playing in England’s fifth tier with Braintree Town and on form would likely not be selected.
Bazeley is adamant he is still in contention.
“With a World Cup squad, not everyone plays. Some players contribute in other ways,” Bazeley said. “With Tommy, we look at what he adds even if he doesn’t play. He’s very good in the environment and helps others perform.
“That doesn’t mean he’ll definitely be selected. Every player still needs to be able to perform if needed. But he does bring leadership and experience, which can be valuable.
“Ultimately, selection is about whether you can help win games for New Zealand, but when building a squad there are different needs.”
Then there’s the question of the best starting eleven. In particular, there’s a decision to be made in goal, with Max Crocombe and Alex Paulsen in a head-to-head battle for the gloves. Bazeley is yet to make up his mind.
“It’s difficult. They’re both very good but slightly different. Max has had an amazing season in the Championship with Millwall but recently lost his place. That’s tough because he had a great run. Alex is back playing in Poland and performing well,” Bazeley said.
“Right now we don’t have to make a decision. They’ve both had good moments for the All Whites and good club form, so we’ll put that aside for now. We feel they are competing for the number one position.”
New Zealand’s recent home matches against Finland (0-2) and Chile (4-1) were played with several key players absent through injury.
As well as Wood, Libby Cacace, Michael Boxall, Sarpreet Singh and Matt Garbett were missing, and will all be in the World Cup squad, fitness permitting.
Bazeley is looking on the right side of their recent unavailability.
“What we’ve got now is really good depth. For example, we saw Ben Old play at left back and he performed very well. That gives us another option there. Does he put pressure on others? We’ll see. But when everyone is fit we know how strong some of those players are,” Bazeley said.
“We’ve managed to play without some key players and still perform at a high level at times. What we have now is good flexibility. Players can play multiple positions. That allows us to pick based on form and confidence without the team dipping, which is a great place to be.”
As the All Whites dispersed to the four corners of the globe and returned to their clubs in Europe, Africa, the United States and Australasia after the recent international window, those on the fringes of selection received clear messaging from Bazeley about their World Cup aspirations.
“We all know the players who weren’t here because they were unavailable,” Bazeley said. “I’ll stay in touch with everybody and we’re still about four or five weeks away from making those decisions.
“All you can do is put yourself in a position where you make us have a tough conversation in a couple of months, and some of them have done that.
“Go back to your clubs, stay fit, and perform. We’ll be watching.”
Possible 26-man All Whites World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Kees Sims.
Defenders: Tyler Bindon, Michael Boxall, Libby Cacace, Francis De Vries, Callan Elliot, Tim Payne, Nando Pijnaker, Tommy Smith, Finn Surman.
Midfielders: Lachlan Bayliss, Joe Bell, Matt Garbett, Ben Old, Alex Rufer, Sarpreet Singh, Marko Stamenic, Ryan Thomas.
Forwards: Kosta Barbarouses, Eli Just, Callum McCowatt, Jesse Randall, Ben Waine, Chris Wood.