KEY POINTS:
The memories of some of the worst All Whites' efforts came flooding back as the underdone national side were outclassed by Venezuela in Maracaibo yesterday.
That loss followed a similarly limp showing against Costa Rica. In 180 minutes of football on this two-match tour, the All Whites gave up nine unanswered goals. Rarely did they create even a half chance.
Coach Ricki Herbert later questioned some players' commitment to play at this level.
"Have we got concerns? You don't lose 4-0 and 5-0 and not have concerns," said a dejected Herbert. "We let ourselves down."
The yawning gap between the Central and South American sides and New Zealand - and not just on world rankings - was again obvious and left Herbert with plenty to ponder in preparing to name his World Cup squad from which will come the touring party to play Wales and Ukraine in late May-early June.
Beyond that, Herbert staked his international future on steering this team to the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 World Cup play-offs with victory in the Oceania qualifiers, saying failure would be the end of the road for him as All Whites coach.
They will need to show a lot more than they have on this tour to give Herbert any confidence of taking the team to South Africa.
"Absolutely, I am disappointed," Herbert admitted after the embarrassing showing at the Estadio Jose Pachencho Romero.
Herbert again pointed to the lack of recent match play for too many of his players as the underlying reason for their weak efforts.
Herbert will be back in New Zealand next week and will turn his attentions to the Wellington Phoenix FC, the club he will coach in next season's Hyundai A-League.
Although not yet ready to name names, he is confident many of the players he has had on this tour will be part of that. He promises they will quickly be handed the diet of hard work they need to become acceptable internationals - something they failed to be in these drubbings.
