Soccer: All Whites to play Mexico

New Zealand will play Mexico in Los Angeles on March 3, in the first of up to six warm up matches for the soccer World Cup in South Africa.

The match against the fellow World Cup finalists and the CONCACAF champions will be played at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, site of the 1994 World Cup final, in a midweek window set aside for international friendlies.

Mexico will play the opening game of the World Cup against South Africa on June 11. They are in Group A with Uruguay and France.

The All Whites, who qualified for the World Cup by beating Bahrain 1-0 in an Oceania-Asia playoff match, are in Group F with Slovakia, Paraguay and world champions Italy.

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert had been chasing South or Central American opposition to help prepare for their final group F match against Paraguay in Polokwane on June 25.

He saw the opposition and location for the friendly as an ideal mix.

"I think with Paraguay in the group, a game against Mexico is ideal for us.

"A big name, a very strong team, but a good opportunity to get our team back together in the only window leading up to the World Cup.

"It's important to stretch ourselves leading into the World Cup but those elements: quality opposition, big crowds, playing away from home are all things we need to consider."

Herbert was confident of getting his top players in from Australasia, Britain, and the United States together for the Mexico match.

"We like to think we'd be able to get the full squad but the logistics, travel times and geographic considerations are always going to be a factor.

"So to have the game at a midway point puts it more in our favour than if some players had to travel further."

Mexico have now qualified for the World Cup 14 times - only Brazil, Germany, Italy and Argentina have made more appearances.

The only previous meeting between the two countries was won 4-0 by New Zealand at Bill McKinley Park in August 1980, with a 21-year-old Herbert making his international debut.

All Whites assistant coach Brian Tuner will also remember the game fondly having netted a brace of goals.

Meanwhile New Zealand Football are close to securing a World Cup base camp for the All Whites at a resort outside Johannesburg.

The governing body and team management were also finalising plans for the rest of the All Whites build up program with more games to be announced in the New Year.

- NZPA