Football: What the All Whites learned from Peru defeat ahead of World Cup qualifier against Costa Rica

All Whites' Winston Reid and Peru's Andre Carrillo tussle for the ball. Photo / Getty

By Michael Burgess in Barcelona

If you needed a measure of how far the All Whites have come in the last few years, it was shown in their reaction to Monday's 1-0 loss to Peru in Barcelona.

In a tight match of few chances, the All Whites made the Andean side work hard for the result, in front of a huge Peruvian crowd.

While Peru were the better side – creating more chances and hitting the woodwork twice – the decisive goal was a gift, as goalkeeper Oli Sail miscontrolled a back pass, before striker Gianluca Lapadula swooped to finish into an empty net in the 69th minute.

But the All Whites generally defended with aplomb and enjoyed some strong moments in possession, as they came close to a rare result, with only four draws in 16 previous encounters against South American teams.

So there was pride but also obvious disappointment, a reflection of the standards now expected among this group.

"The boys are a bit down," admitted midfielder Joe Bell as he watched teammates file past in the tunnel. "But we are focussed on the big goal which is Costa Rica. We will recognise there are a lot of learnings to be done and you would rather things happen now than against them."

Like many of his teammates, Bell came into the game more after halftime, as the All Whites upped their passing tempo and became more assertive on the ball.

"In the first half we were still figuring things out," said Bell. "We were much better in the second."

That led to some neat passages of play, albeit without a final killer ball.

Matthew Garbett in action. Photo / Photosport

The match was a new experience for many of the younger squad members, with more than 32,000 Peruvian fans roaring their team on and Bell relished the opportunity.

"We spoke about that before we started, these are the games you play for," said Bell, who added that the team were struggling to hear each other at times, with the noise raining down from the grandstands.

Defender Libby Cacace was one of the last to leave the field after the match, sitting in the dugout with some staff members, as he digested the experience.

"It was a crazy atmosphere, they are very passionate fans and they made it difficult for us," said Cacace. "Every time we touched the ball we couldn't think. It's a good eye opener for the boys leading into Costa Rican game."

The Empoli fullback admitted to mixed emotions and a sense of what might have been.

"It's a hard one to deal with, especially how we conceded but it is very fixable," said Cacace. "We trust Oli [Sail] so much – he is very good with the ball – and mistakes like that happen to everyone. We need to get around Oli and support him."

Both Cacace and Bell were full of praise for Matt Garbett, with the 20-year-old midfielder the standout in black, superb on both sides of the ball.

"He is a ball of energy that is extremely talented in possession," said Bell. "He embodies the direction New Zealand Football is moving in; a young player that plays without fear."

For his part, Cacace feels the team is on an upward curve, a good sign with one more game against Oman on Friday before the Costa Rica challenge on June 15.

"We have come a long way, especially since the last game against Peru [in 2017]," said Cacace. "The boys showed great heart and determination and we can build on that. When it comes to Costa Rica, we are going to be ready and fight for the country."