Soccer: Islands break hits All Whites hard

All Whites player Simon Elliott and New Caledonia player Roy Kayara. Photo / Greg Bowker

New Zealand's World Cup campaign has been delayed eight months because it was deemed unfair on players from the Pacific Islands to have to take time off work for two extended periods this year.

The All Whites were due to play the first of three World Cup qualifiers in 2011 on October 7 but that has been put back to June 8, 2012.

The three Pacific nations who will join New Zealand in the final round of Oceania qualifying will be found at the Pacific Games in New Caledonia in August and September. Oceania agreed to delay the World Cup qualifiers because the schedule would require most island players to take six weeks off work in a short space of time.

While it's an understandable position, and illustrates the vast difference between football in Oceania and the rest of the world, it's far from ideal for New Zealand. It leaves the All Whites short of games and in real danger of not playing in this country in 2011.

"I wouldn't say we are delirious about it," NZF chief executive Michael Glading said. "It certainly upsets our long-term planning. It's far from ideal. We were asked our opinion but, for the greater good, it was decided it would be played next year."

New Zealand Football said last year they wanted to arrange at least one match a year in New Zealand to keep the team visible and continue momentum from last year's World Cup.

They want to bring out sides of good quality but banked on at least a couple of World Cup qualifiers if friendly games couldn't be arranged this year.

The All Whites have two matches - China in Nanning on March 25 and Japan in Tokyo four days later - but the calendar is otherwise bare. Glading has admitted finding suitable opposition has been difficult. He still wants to bring out a team later in the year.

"I would hate to see 2011 come and go without any All Whites presence," he said.

NZF and Oceania are hopeful of arranging a match for the All Whites against a World All Stars XI to help raise money for the Christchurch earthquake and this could help fill the void.

It's still at the concept stage and, while NZF would love to host the event, it's becoming increasingly likely this would be played in Europe if it got off the ground.

Convincing a number of high-profile players to fly 36 hours for a game of football would be difficult. It would also be expensive and, while Fifa would meet most of these costs, it's probable more money could be raised from a game overseas. US$760,000 was raised when the All Stars played Benfica in Lisbon for last year's Haiti earthquake, while US$1 million was raised for Fifa's annual Football for Poverty match in Athens.

London figures as a possible venue because of the number of Kiwis living there - the All Whites played the Socceroos in London in 2005 - and there is a gap in the calendar in June.

NZF have petitioned Fifa, through Oceania, and will submit a more formal proposal for them to consider.

Captain Ryan Nelsen has also lent his weight to the idea.

"Fifa have been outstanding in their support," NZF chairman Frank van Hattum said. "When one of their family get hurt, they get right behind them."

The delay to the World Cup qualifiers is not a problem logistically. New Zealand have only six matches to play and all of these are now scheduled for 2012.

The Oceania winner will then play off against a country from either Asia, North America or South America for a place at the World Cup. A draw will be made in July to decide the pairings and there is now a one-in-three chance the Oceania winners could play South American opposition, which would make the task of qualifying for Brazil extremely difficult.

The delay could also have an influence on some players. Senior figures such as Ryan Nelsen, Simon Elliott, Ivan Vicelich and Mark Paston are all undecided about committing to the next World Cup campaign and bringing them in later this year for the first three games might have helped convince them to carry on.

Although NZF would have preferred to start the campaign in October, All Whites coach Ricki Herbert wasn't overly concerned.

"I don't think the timing affects us too much," he said.

"A couple of games are scheduled for next June, which is a time when we can get better access to our players [because it's the off-season]. I don't have a preference."

It does, however, leave a big gap in the calendar. Herbert had already planned to hold a domestic camp in June for fringe All Whites and hoped a game could be organised overseas in the September window.

Playing a match in New Zealand in October would be fraught with difficulties because of a certain rugby union tournament being played here.