Chris Wood. Photo / Photosport
The All Whites have received a major boost, with key striker Chris Wood coming through unscathed from an intense training session in Marbella.
On the eve of the blockbuster match with Peru on Monday morning, it was timely news as Wood is the most irreplaceable member of the squad, with his unrivalled goal scoring record and ability to lead the line.
Wood has been managing an Achilles niggle, which restricted his game time with Newcastle over the last month of the Premier League season.
It also meant Wood eased into All Whites duties this week, only completing a partial session on Wednesday in his first training of this camp.
But there was no holding back later in the week. Wood took a full part in the session, which included tactical and unit work, pressing, short sided games and an 11-a-side contest.
Barring no further setbacks, it should mean that the 30-year-old will feature against Peru, although coach Danny Hay has stressed that no risks would be taken.
There was a noticeable lift in intensity, as if the reality of the task over the next 11 days has hit home.
It was a sharp, physical session, bristling with competitiveness, as the squad aim to impress Hay and the coaching staff. It was also a reminder of the ever-increasing standards within this team, as the younger players are becoming increasingly assertive in their play.
The work was done in ideal surroundings, at the Dama de Noche facilities, one of several football performance hubs run by the Marbella Football Centre. Though only minutes from the team's city hotel the complex is secluded and pristine, with dramatic views of the nearby mountain range topping off the vista. There are four full-sized pitches along with four seven-a-side fields and two football-specific gyms.
It's easy to understand why it attracts top professional clubs for their off-season work and national age-group teams from the United States and England worked on adjacent pitches as the All Whites completed their assignment.
It was a brutally hot afternoon on the Costa Del Sol, with locals and tourists sunning themselves on nearby beaches as the New Zealand side worked.
The clash with the Andean nation will be a special occasion, their first match with fans in attendance since the games against Ireland and Lithuania in November 2019.
And not just any crowd, but around 30,000 Peruvians, demanding a top effort from the La Blanquirroja ahead of their own intercontinental playoff against either Australia or the United Arab Emirates, to be held one day before the All Whites' game with Costa Rica on June 15.
It shapes as perfect preparation, with tension and hostility from such vocal opposition support, which will be a new experience for many of the New Zealand players.
In terms of simulating the pressure of what's to come, it's a much better scenario than 2013, when the All Whites were limited to games against Ventura County Fusion and Chivas USA before taking on Mexico in the Azteca stadium.
The arrangement in 2017 was better – with the Fifa Confederations Cup adding spice to the build-up – but Antony Hudson's team still went in cold against Peru, with a single game against Japan more than a month earlier.
Hay will put out a strong XI against Peru, though not necessarily the shadow team that will play Costa Rica.
With another preparation game against Oman in Doha to come on Friday, Hay continues to emphasise that nothing is carved in stone, especially given the fine margins between players in this group, and performances over the next week or so could shift hierarchies.