Soccer: Herbert makes the most of his opportunity

Ricki Herbert, his fellow coaches and players, can take heart from the 1-0 loss to Australia in a sometimes not-too-friendly at Craven Cottage.

Handed the remnants of a team shattered by the events of a year ago - including the galling 4-2 loss to Vanuatu and after former coach Mick Waitt's contract was not renewed - Herbert made sweeping changes.

Now, in the limited time he has had with this new, younger, breed, he has made the most of his opportunity.

With assistants Brian Turner and Stu Jacobs, Herbert rid the squad of disruptive factions, making it clear he is not averse to change.

Already contracted as coach until the end of the year - with an extension now certain - Herbert is, rightly, being promoted to lead the All Whites back. His assistants too, should be given the same approval.

For the half dozen players who, for whatever reason, made themselves unavailable for yesterday's game, the road back might not now be as easy as they had thought.

To a player, those given their chance in London took it.

It was not always pretty, and only occasionally threatening to an Australian team with their array of overseas-based stars, but it was a bold effort by the All Whites.

Encouraged by the performance of players short on international experience, Herbert now wants to build on the success of a match played far from home.

He has made it clear he does not want anything like another year on the sideline. He and the players deserve the chance to build on what they achieved in 90 minutes.

Honest efforts from players more concerned about doing a job than how much they would be paid quickly won them deserved support.

Suggestions of a thumping in this transtasman square-off proved ill-founded, but unless the team do get to play again sometime soon, their world ranking will continue to fall.

These players and their coaches need the chance to confirm what many already know.

They are a team built perhaps a little on hope but have quickly shown they can deliver.

Again, soon.

* Attempts to get more matches for the All Whites in Europe this year have come up empty but they will put out a largely New Zealand-based team for two matches against the Solomon Islands in August.

Speaking from London after the encouraging effort against Australia, New Zealand Soccer chief executive Graham Seatter said he saw those matches in Honiara as important.

"The Solomons are keen for matches before they play Australia home and away in their World Cup qualifiers and this is the least we could do to help them and Oceania," Seatter said. "It will also give Ricki Herbert another 10 days to work with his players.

"Anything we can get is a bonus.

"The chance to play Poland has come to nothing. They were looking for one country and have opted for Iceland.

"Scotland and Wales, who were also on our radar, are not prepared to commit to anything until after their World Cup matches are over."

His trip to London revealed the need to set up the fixture list for next year.

"I have had more conversations about games in 2006 than anything else this year," he said.

"Wales next May is a possibility and Scotland too are keen to play us. The return with Australia, which we will host, is definitely on.

"At the same time we are hoping for a match against England B."