KEY POINTS:
A difficult assignment has just turned a daunting one for the New Zealand soccer team.
Without eight frontrunners for a start, the All Whites lost Ivan Vicelich, their most experienced player by far in the remaining squad, making Sunday's (NZ time) one-off international against Wales at Wrexham even
more difficult.
The players named by coach Ricki Herbert today total 108 caps.
Vicelich has 60 caps and in his absence the two central defenders on Sunday, Andrew Boyens (Toronto FC) and Auckland City's Ben Sigmund, have one cap each.
"If you look at it purely from the experience of the side or the inexperience of international football in the side, then it's difficult, and that probably puts us behind the eight ball a little bit," Herbert said.
But the former All White said given the adverse situation of his team, they weren't under pressure to win which could work in their favour.
Herbert said his team would not go out only to avoid a pasting either.
"I think given the complex of the team that we've put out -- two attacking players in Chris Jones and Shane Smeltz -- and Leo Bertos on the left-hand side -- we don't want to just defend for 90 minutes, and that certainly won't be our approach."
Herbert said with World Cup campaign selection only a few weeks away, he was confident the current crop of players would be keen to make a mark.
"These players (the current squad) have a foot in the door. The most important thing for them now is individual performance."
Mark Paston, as expected, will be in goal ahead of his Wellington Phoenix teammate Glen Moss.
James Prichett, Andrew Boyens, Ben Sigmund and Tony Lochhead will form the back four with Jeremy Christie, Tim Brown, Duncan Oughton and Leo Bertos at midfield.
Chris Jones and Shane Smeltz will be the strikers.
Defender Vicelich withdrew today after his Dutch first division side RKC Waalwijk sent their promotion-relegation final to a deciding third leg after beating visiting VVV Venlo 1-0.
Waalwijk will now return to Venlo on Monday, the day after 132-ranked New Zealand meet world No 75 Wales.
Regular All Whites captain Danny Hay, Cardiff City target Chris Killen, Blackburn Rovers skipper Ryan Nelsen, Fulham midfielder Simon Elliott, Scunthorpe United utility David Mulligan, Kris Bouckenooghe (Red Star Waasland/Belgium) and Jarrod Smith were already scratched from the team which led to the cancellation of their fixture against Ukraine on this trip.
Sigmund is back in the All Whites after almost seven years.
Herbert said the match was creating much interest as Welsh fans were hoping to see their two English premiership stars -- decorated Manchester United playmaker Ryan Giggs and feisty Liverpool marksman Craig Bellamy -- in action.
"There's going to be potentially between 10,000 to 15,000; Giggs and Bellamy are creating huge interest here," Herbert said.
All Whites: Mark Paston, James Prichett, Andrew Boyens, Ben Sigmund, Tony Lochhead, Jeremy Christie, Tim Brown (captain), Duncan Oughton, Leo Bertos, Chris Jones, Shane Smeltz. Substitues: Glen Moss, Steven Old, Andy Barron, Jeff Campbell, Jeremy Brockie.
- NZPA