Michael Brown: All Whites did not deserve team Halberg

Ryan Nelsen and Simon Elliott can take the All Whites to even greater heights. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Football is a romantic sport. Some 'traditional' rugby fans think there is probably too much romance in the round ball game given the hugging that can go on after a goal.

But it is romance which clouded people's views about the All Whites missing out on being named Team of the Year at the recent Halberg Awards.

I wanted them to win - I'm a self-confessed fan - but they didn't deserve it.

The All Whites achieved something they hadn't for 28 years by qualifying for the World Cup. It was something to celebrate and get excited about, given what awaits in June.

Their route to South Africa, though, was one of the easiest in World Cup history. Once Australia threw their lot in with Asia, the All Whites had only to negotiate Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, hardly footballing superpowers, before beating Bahrain over two legs.

It's not the All Whites' fault. It's the pathway Fifa set for them. But if beating Bahrain is the pinnacle of football in this country, then something is wrong. The Halbergs recognise excellence, not popular opinion.

Most people who backed the All Whites in the teams category were caught up in the fact it was a wonderful night at the Cake Tin last November.

It was a rarely-seen-before spectacle, with a brilliant crowd and incredible drama. It was something that resonated with people here, especially kids who suddenly wanted to be Mark Paston rather than Ma'a Nonu, and has set up football for an exciting future, if they can take advantage of it.

Of course, that win over Bahrain was not the only result the Ricki Herbert's team achieved in 2009. They also picked up the first point by any men's team from this country at a Fifa world tournament when they drew 0-0 with Iraq at the Confederations Cup.

It was a meritorious result, although one achieved against an Iraq that was a shadow of the team that cast aside the turmoil in that country to dramatically win the 2007 Asian Cup.

The All Whites really should have won in Johannesburg, given the chances they had, but were delighted with the draw (they were unjustifiably criticised for celebrating too hard on the pitch after that match).

They also beat Jordan 3-1 in Amman, despite playing the second half with only 10 men, and gave world champions Italy a scare before going down 4-3 in a Confederations Cup warm-up.

But it also needs to be remembered New Zealand were hammered 5-0 by a rampant Spain and were disappointing in a 2-0 defeat to hosts South Africa. Without Ryan Nelsen, New Zealand's only player of genuine class, they couldn't cope.

As much as it riles me that the Halberg judges value Olympic sports over any other, they might have got that one right. Rowers Hamish Bond and Eric Murray were worthy winners, becoming world champions in their first year as a pair.

Now if the All Whites can pick up a couple of results in South Africa in June, when they take on Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia, another team would surely have to do something truly incredible to deny them at next year's Halbergs. No one could question their achievement if they picked up results then.

Perhaps more deserving of a gong last week was Herbert.

Dick Tonks is quite clearly one of the best rowing coaches ever to bark orders down a loud speaker. He has guided countless world champions, including two crews in 2009, and has been rewarded with four Halberg awards. In fact, he's been nominated every year except one in 1998.

Isn't Tonks, then, just doing what he always does?

Herbert put together a clever campaign to defeat Bahrain, one that included a change in formation to ensure his best players were on the park.

And he did this while also guiding the Wellington Phoenix into the playoffs of the A-League for the first time (it was the first time any team from New Zealand had qualified for the playoffs since entering the Australian league in 1999).

Herbert's stocks are high at the moment and he is secure in both his jobs. That's rare for football coaches worldwide.