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Home / Sport / Football / All Whites

Soccer: Timing of World Cup friendlies a worry for Herbert

Terry Maddaford
NZ Herald·
14 Jun, 2009 04:00 PM3 mins to read

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All Whites coach Ricki Herbert has some concerns - not so much about the Confederations Cup clash played against hot favourites Spain this morning, but for crucial friendlies later in the year.

The Confederations Cup matches will take care of themselves, but for Herbert the big goal has been the
World Cup home-and-away fixtures.

To have his team primed for those games in October and November - away and then home - with the fifth-best Asian side, Herbert knows his team need game time in a couple of meaningful matches.

The Asian opposition will not be known until final-round matches on Wednesday.

With a reasonable chance it will be a Middle East country, Herbert has planned two matches in that part of the world in September, with Jordan pencilled in as a likely opponent.

That may well still be the case, but Herbert's concern is that while those games will be played in a Fifa window, there is no plan for the A-League to take a week off then.

With seven of his Wellington Phoenix players in this All Whites squad - the most from one club to be with any team at the Confederations Cup - Herbert, as coach of both teams, could find himself between the proverbial rock and a hard place given the needs of the two different sides.

"It is not an easy one," said Herbert. "Hopefully something can be worked out. It affects not only the Phoenix players but the others like Shane Smeltz and Jeremy Brockie who are playing for Australian A-League clubs."

In the meantime, Herbert will keep a close watch on this week's last Asian qualifying matches.

Australia, Japan and South Korea have already booked their tickets to South Africa.

They will be joined by either North Korea, Saudi Arabia or Iran from group two.

Iran have the hardest task - playing unbeaten South Korea away. Even if they win, Iran will need Saudi Arabia and North Korea to draw their match in Riyadh.

If Iran lose their match in Seoul, North Korea can get through on goal difference over Saudi Arabia.

Herbert's interest, obviously, is in who finishes third. He will be hoping either Saudi Arabia or Iran take that spot, thus avoiding a potential All Whites trek to play North Korea in the first leg play-off.

Bahrain look set to finish third in group one. They can only miss out, on goal difference, if they lose at home to bottom-of-the-table Uzbekistan.

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How do you think the All Whites will do in the Confederations Cup?

11 Jun 01:49 AM
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