N.Zealand ready for start of World Cup campaign

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert is confident that his players will not be struck by first night nerves as they seek to make World Cup history against Slovakia on Tuesday.

The All Whites are appearing in the finals for only the second time and, having lost all three matches in 1982, are still looking for a first point on football’s biggest stage.

“There are a few nerves, a sense of anticipation,” admitted Herbert, who was part of the squad which played in Spain 28 years ago.

“But that is not a bad thing. The players are very focused on what they have to do.”

Herbert added: “It’s been a long time, 28 years and it’s good to be back. Spain is a distant memory but a fond one. The current generation of players has worked really hard to bring the nation back to a World Cup and we are looking forward to it as much as everyone back home.”

Regarded as one of the weakest squads in the tournament, New Zealand will have their work cut out containing a talented Slovakia side that is making its first appearance in the finals as an independent nation.

A surprise friendly win over Serbia in the build-up to the tournament was proof that Herbert’s squad can get the better of more technically gifted opponents however.

Captain Ryan Nelsen, who also skippers Blackburn in the English Premier League, was itching to get going.

“There is only so much training and preparation work you can do. The country’s buzzing and we just want to get started and be part of it,” he said.

“I think we’ve proved over the last three or four games we are competitive. We know the brutal reality of the World Cup is that we can play really well and lose all the games but we are a good team and we are a competitive team, we have to win the game. It is as simple as that.”

Herbert’s options have been restricted by the loss of bustling midfielder Tim Brown, who will not be risked against the Slovakians as he completes his recovery from shoulder surgery at the end of May but should be available for the second group game against Italy.

In Brown’s absence, defender Ivan Vicelich, 33, will bolster central midfield and will share responsibility for keeping tabs on Slovakia’s captain and playmaker, Marek Hamsik, with fellow veteran Simon Elliott, 36.

Slovakia, who qualified by topping a group that included highly-rated neighbours the Czech Republic and fellow qualifiers Slovenia, go into the match confident of starting their campaign with a win, according to midfielder Vladimir Weiss.

“We saw the New Zealanders play against Serbia,” the Manchester City player said. “We know what we can expect from them but I believe the match will turn out as we all want.”

Weiss is the son of the Slovakia coach, also called Vladimir.

If, as is expected, he starts, he will become the fifth player to play under his coach father at a World Cup.

He follows Italian defender Paolo Maldini (2002), Niko Kranjcar of Croatia (2002), Serbia and Montenegro’s Dusan Petkovic (2006) and Michael Bradley, who featured in the United States opener here against England with father Bob in the dugout.

As well as Hamsik, the dangermen for Slovakia are striker Stanislav Sestak, who plays in the Bundesliga for VfL Bochum, and Miroslav Stoch, a winger who has just been sold by Chelsea to Turkish giants Fenerbahce after a successful season on loan at Dutch champions FC Twente.

KEY TO MATCH

Stopping Hamsik

Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik pulls the strings for Slovakia in midfield and is also their most likely source of goals. At 22, he is being tipped as a major star and is being monitored by top clubs including Manchester United.

The job of stopping him will be shared by Simon Elliott and Ivan Vicelich, a defender who will stiffen the All Whites midfield.

Elliott, 36, and Vicelich, 33, will hope to make their experience count but 90 minutes chasing Hamsik at an altitude of 1500m could make both men feel the years in their legs.