Soccer: White strip gets nod for World Cup

All Whites (from left) Leo Bertos, Tim Brown, Shane Smeltz, Ben Sigmund and Glenn Moss with their new strips. Photo / Greg Bowker

The nervous wait is over. All Whites traditionalists can rest easy, but not too easy.

Wild rumours that the national soccer side would play in black at the World Cup in June were put to rest yesterday, although not completely.

Ricki Herbert's side may have to play in black to avoid a clash with one of their three Group F opponents in South Africa. A Fifa technical meeting next week will decide the issue of playing colours.

Auckland's Sky Tower's top observation deck was the venue as the All Whites' World Cup strips were revealed - white with a black silver fern for the outfield players, with black the alternate "away" strip. The goalkeepers have a choice of blue, green or silver.

The Australasian-based All Whites side which goes into camp in Auckland today will play in black against a New Zealand selection at Albany on Sunday next week.

The suggestion is that the All Whites will also be asked to don black in their second group F match against the lightish blue of Italy at Nelspruit near Johannesburg. Italy are deemed the home team.

The new white strip will debut against Australia in Melbourne on May 24.

Number one 'keeper Glen Moss revealed he had played a part in introducing the bright blue strip for the goalkeepers.

"We've had green and they gave us yellow one time but I really like blue and black so I suggested that. They must have taken notice," he said.

Moss doesn't like heights and looked jittery in his new top atop the Sky Tower.

"They didn't tell me this was going to be held way up here," he said, while refusing to take in the view.

Meanwhile Moss - who can play the friendly against Australia but is suspended from the opening World Cup games against Slovakia and Italy - has put the disappointment of his four-match ban for swearing at a referee behind him, along with frustration at New Zealand Football for failing to lodge an appeal.

"It's about the team now and not one person's situation," he said.

Moss, who will come into contention for the match against Paraguay at Polokwane, emphasised the All Whites had every intention of defying predictions by finishing in the top two of their group and making the next stage.

The All Whites' Confederation Cup experience in South Africa last year would give them a handy edge over Slovakia and Paraguay, Moss believed.

He was confident that new defenders Tommy Smith, from Ipswich, and the Denmark-based Winston Reid would fit easily into the plans.

"I'd never seen or heard of Tommy before but he looked very comfortable against Mexico," said Moss.

"I don't know anything about Winston. But that's the difference between professional and amateur players - the pros fit in quickly."


Cup build-up:

May 24: v Australia, Melbourne

May 29: v Serbia, Austria

June 4: v Slovenia, Slovenia

June 9: v Chile, South Africa


Interesting fact one:

The new All Whites strip is made entirely of recycled bottles. In other words they, and eight other teams dressed by Nike, will run around in the World Cup clad in Japanese and Taiwanese landfill.

Interesting fact two:

Eight regular-sized plastic drinking bottles are needed to make each shirt. Replica shirts will be partly made of recycled material.