Anthony Hudson under pressure
For perhaps the first time in his reign, All Whites coach Anthony Hudson will be feeling the heat. He had continually talked up the chances of a result in the opening match, but the New Zealand side never really came close. His decision to start both Kosta Barbarouses and Marco Rojas backfired, as the two dimunitive players struggled to get any change from New Zealand's direct approach. Given the game plan, and the situation, the All Whites could only afford one of the duo and needed either Clayton Lewis or Bill Tuiloma among the midfield three. Kip Colvey also struggled and was a strange selection. He's a promising player, but nowhere near as good - or experienced - as Storm Roux, who was cooling his heels on the bench.
Thomas shines
If there was a positive to come out of the match, it was the performance of Ryan Thomas. Along with goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic, Thomas was the standout for New Zealand. The PEC Zwolle midfielder engineered the best goal scoring opportunity - showing great technique with a stinging drive from outside the area, which was brilliantly saved by the Russian goalkeeper. But what stood out most of all his composure; Thomas was one of the few All Whites who looked comfortable in possession and he generally made good decisions on the ball. He was at the centre of most of their best attacking moments but also worked hard defensively, in a true box to box display.
Quick recovery needed
