KEY POINTS:
Waitakere United coach Steve Cain refuses to look any further ahead than this afternoon's Oceania Nations Cup clash with New Caledonian champions AS Mont Dore in Noumea.
Cain does not want any distractions as he puts his team out for the first time in three weeks in a
key game before contemplating Wednesday's O-League group A finale against Auckland City.
Cain said: "We have enjoyed a successful season but just how we look back on it will depend on how we perform over the next few weeks.
"We are under no illusions that Mont Dore will be a different proposition at home and at full strength."
In their first meeting, at Fred Taylor Park more than a month ago, Waitakere won 6-1 in their second O-League outing after a first-up 2-2 draw with City.
Waitakere go into the game without captain Danny Hay (returning from the All Whites tour) and four players ruled ineligible under Oceania rules - Daniel Ellensohn, Michael White, Marcel Isakowitz and Mikael Munday.
George Suri and Rupesh Puna will lead the defensive effort. If he comes back from the enforced break in the same form he showed in the latter weeks of the New Zealand Football Championship, Suri will be a key.
United's let-down has been in taking the early lead but then switching off and running out of ideas, allowing their opponents back into games.
"Much of what we have achieved this year has been down to the depth in the squad and the experience we have been able to call on," said Cain.
Three points - and obviously the goal or goals they score in achieving that - would take Waitakere to the top of the table, equal on points with Auckland City but ahead of them on goal difference.
That would leave Waitakere needing only a draw on Wednesday to claim the group and book the home and away play-off with group B winner Ba, Fiji.
Again, Cain insists he is not looking that far ahead.
Or to Fifa's Club World Cup. It has now been confirmed the Oceania champion will travel to Japan to play a one-off game with the J-League winner. The winner will go into the tournament.
It is understood the prize-money for that pre-tournament game will be US$500,000 ($700,000) to the loser, with the winner having the opportunity to chase a minimum US$1 million ($1.4 million) payday.
Auckland City, OFC representative at last year's club championship, received US$1 million after playing two matches.
* Waitakere have called up striker Michael Gwyther after Daniel Koprivcic aggravated an injury after arriving in Noumea.
Play-off
AS Mont Dore v Waitakere United
Noumea, 5pm today (NZ time)
Waitakere squad: Michael Utting, George Suri, Jason Rowley, Hone Fowler, Commins Menapi, Pedro Santos, Allan Pearce, Craig Wylie, Jakub Sinkora, Daniel Kopricvic, Hoani Edwards, Prince Quansah, Rupesh Puna, Graham Pearce, Jeff Campbell, Simon Eaddy, Michael Gwyther.
