KEY POINTS:
The All Whites can all but slam the door on the other Oceania World Cup hopefuls with a second win over Vanuatu in Wellington tonight but coach Ricki Herbert is not counting on anything just yet.
"They [Vanuatu] are not a bad side and we know we have
a game on our hands," said Herbert before putting his charges through a light run at Westpac Stadium yesterday. "Ideally, we would like to start better there than we did in Port Vila and take it from there but that is not always easy.
"We have a responsibility to get at them early and assert some dominance but as they showed at home, they are technically a good, quick side and on the fantastic surface we have here, they will have a better chance to show that than on the bumpy pitch last Saturday."
Vanuatu will go into the game with a stronger line-up than they fielded first-up with several key players returning from suspension.
Herbert has made two changes to his starting lineup.
Wellington Phoenix right back Jeremy Christie replaces Auckland City's James Pritchett and English-based midfielders David Mulligan and Chris James have swapped places with Mulligan earning a start and James heading to the bench.
"There was really not a lot in those decisions," said Herbert. "We just wanted to change things a little and play differently."
It seems likely three of the bench players will see some game time, although the heat which forced Herbert's hand in Port Vila will not be a factor here.
Herbert said the first home game in over five years had a buzz about it. At least 5000-6000 were expected to turn up. The only slight injury concern was with Team Wellington striker Daniel Ellensohn who was called into the game in Vanuatu as a replacement for Chris Killen. "He took a knock but seems to be over that," said Herbert.
"Shane Smeltz came off with a corked thigh in that game but he is running freely and will start."
Smeltz, named player of the year at the New Zealand Football awards on Monday night, is again a key factor. He will have Leo Bertos as his running mate up front with Ivan Vicelich again playing in midfield alongside captain Tim Brown, Mulligan and Duncan Oughton.
Victory for the All Whites would give than a three-from-three start to their campaign and nine points.
Depending on the result of today's other game - the return between New Caledonia and Fiji in Noumea - the All Whites could be in sight of qualification by the game end tonight and on course for their first objective, automatic qualification for the 2009 Confederations Cup (as Oceania champions) in South Africa.
* NEW ZEALAND v VANUATU
Westpac Stadium, 6pm today
Referee: Jacques Averii (Tahiti)
All Whites: Mark Paston, Jeremy Christie, Ben Sigmund, Andy Boyens, Tony Lochhead, Ivan Vicelich, Tim Brown (c), David Mulligan, Duncan Oughton, Shane Smeltz, Leo Bertos. Substitutes: Jacob Spoonley, James Pritchett, Jeff Campbell, Chris James, Jarrod Smith, Daniel Ellensohn.