Soccer: All Whites have a mountain to climb

The Austrian mountains are where New Zealand's World Cup ambitions will likely be brought back to earth.

The All Whites' friendly against Serbia - technically a new World Cup nation with a team that has already undergone a re-birth under Radomir Antic - is daunting. And New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert will field a new-look line-up tomorrow morning, through accident and design.

With a strange euphoria in the air, after squandering a victory chance against Australia, the rigours of travel and tough Serbian opposition should prove less forgiving for the All Whites.

This is a tremendous opportunity for the All Whites in some ways, and a perfect warm-up match against tough, structured opposition in the European tradition. Serbia is a furnace the All Whites had to go through, but they could be burnt by the gulf in class.

They will move down the mountain from their initial pre-World Cup camp in St Lambrecht to take on the Serbs in Klagenfurt, about 400 metres above sea level.

The All Whites may be spared facing the Serb captain Dejan Stankovic, the midfielder from mighty Inter Milan, who was a late arrival in camp. Stankovic is usually Serbia's heartbeat, operating in front of his defenders in a 4-2-2-2 system.

The Serbs can field a fabulous defence, built around Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic and right back Branislav Ivanovic from Chelsea. On their day, Serbia will be tough World Cup dark horses capable of bringing down a thoroughbred or two. Ranked at 15, they are ranked five places ahead of Australia but on the MCG evidence should be far better than that.

Herbert will use new combinations, some forced. Tim Brown is out with a shoulder fracture, fellow midfielder Michael McGlinchey was ruled out last night with a hamstring strain, defender Ivan Vicelich has an ankle strain, and striker Chris Killen is off to get married.

Jeremy Christie, a surprise inclusion in the World Cup squad, gets his big chance in the midfield, winning the defensive spot ahead of David Mulligan and Andy Barron. He figured in the 2009 Confederations Cup, but had to resurrect his All Whites career via the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who play in the American second division.

Brown will surely miss the tournament in South Africa.

How he remains in the World Cup calculations is mysterious, although Herbert may have privately realised his midfield workhorse won't make it.

By the time the All Whites lace up against Slovakia, Brown's last fully competitive match for the Phoenix will have been three months prior, with a low-level trial at Albany and short appearance against Australia in between.

There is an element here of a bitterly disappointing truth not being faced.

On the face of it, teenage striker Chris Wood has a royal chance to break into the World Cup starters replacing Killen up front. But Vidic and co. represent a tough international proving ground.

Teenager Wood is not the only youngster on the rise. Tommy Smith and Winston Reid will play alongside captain Ryan Nelsen. They are major players for the long-term future, and also very probably in this World Cup.

MATCH FACTS
New Zealand v Serbia

Klagenfurt, Austria 3am tomorrow live SS3.

NZ TEAM
Mark Paston, Winston Reid, Ryan Nelsen (c), Tommy Smith, Leo Bertos, Simon Elliott, Jeremy Christie, Tony Lochhead, Shane Smeltz, Chris Wood, Rory Fallon.