Soccer: Herbert swings eye to local talent

Ricki Herbert says players who may tempt him into selecting them have to show they can make that huge step up. Photo / Dean Purcell

All Whites coach Ricki Herbert has a fistful of tickets for South Africa, but feels he is not being inundated by local players keen to snap up the chance to play at the World Cup.

After a successful offshore talent search - he unearthed World Cup near-certainties in newcomers Tommy Smith, Winston Reid and Craig Henderson and rekindled Steven Old's on-again, off-again international career - Herbert's attention is now focused closer to home.

With Henderson now ruled out of the World Cup - he faces up to eight months on the sideline nursing the anterior cruciate ligament injury which ruled him out of last month's warm-up with Mexico - Herbert is studying local form closely.

While he initially indicated the 18 players who were in Wellington for the 1-0 play-off win over Bahrain would be handed World Cup tickets, the coach has yet to confirm they will be first choices.

A couple of players who were at Westpac Stadium but had no game time must be wondering how strong their chances of going to South Africa are.

Some, including Aaron Scott and James Bannatyne, still have chances to impress. Others, such as David Mulligan, remain out in the cold.

Herbert is keen to give players in the New Zealand Football Championship every chance of making the 23-man squad.

"But, to do that, they have to show me they are ready and capable of playing at that level," said Herbert who was at Kiwitea St for Sunday's O-League group A decider between Auckland City and Waitakere United.

"They need to put their hands up and really show out. For these players in a non-professional league, it is the chance of a lifetime."

But obviously it's no "trip for the boys" even if a handful of players are likely to see little or no on-field action. Simply put, Herbert is asking these players to put their hands up and show they have the ability and, more importantly, the desire to play at the highest level.

Players in the four NZFC teams who kick off the two-leg semifinals on Sunday have another chance to press their claims.

Herbert will be at Newtown Park when Team Wellington tackle Waitakere. He will have someone at English Park for the first leg of the Canterbury United v Auckland City semifinal.

Ten players who have played for the All Whites in recent times will be involved in the semifinals.

Bannatyne and Jacob Spoonley are contenders for the third goalkeeping spot - assuming Mark Paston and Glen Moss will take the first two. Bannatyne lines up for Team Wellington, Spoonley will be with City in Christchurch.

Also in the City team are Jason Hayne and Chad Coombes who were in the squad for the Mexico game in Los Angeles where Coombes made his debut, but Hayne remained on the bench. Coombes covered for the injured James Pritchett, another used in the early stages of the World Cup campaign, in playing at right-back in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Waitakere.

Right fullback remains one of the most contentious - if Herbert opts to revert to a more conventional 4-4-2 line-up rather than the 3-5-2 formation used against Bahrain - selections with Coombes, Scott, Pritchett and perhaps Old and Smith in the loop.

Hayne would give pace to the attack, but he will need to show he has more in his game if he is to seriously press his claims out wide to provide support for Rory Fallon, Chris Wood, Chris Killen and Shane Smeltz.

Herbert will have a handful of players to look at at Newtown Park. Along with Bannatyne, his Team Wellington teammates Andy Barron (who did play off the bench in the win over Bahrain), Cole Peverley and Greg Draper have further chances to enhance their claims.

After a quiet first half to his season, Waitakere's Allan Pearce has found his better form in recent weeks.

Like Hayne, his strength is in the pace he brings on the flanks. Like the rest, he will have to take another step up to hand Herbert a "pick me" message. Scott has another chance to send a message to Herbert.

"The pressure in the NZFC is nothing like World Cup pressure," said Herbert. "For players to tempt me into selecting them, they have to show they have the ability to stand out and can make that huge step up."

They will not get a better chance than when playing in familiar surroundings and with no reason to hold anything back with the season almost over.