KEY POINTS:
First it was the hosts and their wall of sound; next up the more exotic rhythms of the Brazilians.
Life just gets better for the Oly-Whites after they earned a point with a stout-hearted, resourceful display on a steamy night at the Shenyang Olympic Stadium on Thursday night.
And it could have been so much better for the team who played more than half the game with only 10 men, the Chinese equalising just three minutes from the end in the 1-1 draw.
Brazil, world soccer's most glamorous and successful country, will possess far greater skills and the task is likely to be beyond the New Zealanders when they clash at the same venue tomorrow night.
But irrespective of the outcome against Ronaldinho and co, New Zealand will still be in the hunt for a playoff place when they face Belgium in Shanghai next Wednesday.
China had been expected to follow the lead of their women's team, who beat Sweden 24 hours earlier, against the group underdogs. But the Oly-Whites showed they are not at the Games for the first time to be anyone's doormat.
The Chinese were quick and had their chances early on, but two elements helped. China were an ordinary side, lacking a top-class organiser. And with an expectant nation looking on, the longer the game went the more desperate the hosts became.
Sensing a case of the panic attacks seemed to give New Zealand strength and, having gone ahead through Jeremy Brockie's strong shot 35 minutes from the end, they seemed poised for one of the country's greatest international results.
It was a defensive operation for a large chunk of the game, but their resolve, non-stop running, harassing of the Chinese and refusal to sag in the sweltering humidity and heat made for a rousing night and they were poised to reap a magnificent reward until Dong Fang Zhuo headed a goal.
"It was going to take something pretty special for China to score," coach Stu Jacobs said. "I think we defended pretty well as a nine [after defender Steven Old had been sent off shortly before halftime]. It was just a war of attrition that took its toll.
"We were a few minutes away from making a wee bit of history but to come away with a 1-1 result is unbelievable for us."
The New Zealanders had a swirl of emotions as they boarded their bus late in the night _ pride, frustration, disappointment were all intermingled, as well as being completely knackered.
But they should have given themselves a huge dose of self-belief that they belong here. And on this showing much more should be heard of players such as midfielders Cole Peverley and Craig Henderson.
For Ryan Nelsen, the Blackburn Rovers professional and New Zealand's class act, it was a special night.
He was a calming presence for the younger men around him and got through a pile of work. He dealt more in the smaller detail than the big statements on the pitch. On several occasions he made timely but unfussy interventions to ward off a threat.
"It was going to be the best result in New Zealand history, and the scary thing was we did it with 10 men for 50 minutes," he said _ and in the emotion of the occasion he could be forgiven for forgetting the win over China in Singapore to secure a spot in the 1982 World Cup finals.
"We knew the longer we stayed in the game they'd be under a bit of pressure. They panicked and got exposed at the back and we got the chance.
"We really wanted to do it for our country," he said. "The Olympics means a lot to New Zealand and it means a lot to the team," he said.
