Soccer: Focus back on A-League for World Cup heroes

The All Whites on parade in Wellington. Photo / Getty Images

Ben sigmund didn't have to pay for his barbecue supplies at his local dairy. All Whites could eat for free at a Wellington cafe.

Even Santa got the brush-off at his own parade in Wellington last Sunday, as the New Zealand players entered a float at the last minute.

To say it has been an extraordinary week in the lives of the Wellington Phoenix's All Whites is an understatement.

It has been momentous, especially for goalkeeper Mark Paston, who became one of New Zealand's most recognisable people last week.

Normally Paston and his Phoenix team-mates are identified only by football fans. Some might glance at them and think they are vaguely familiar for some reason. Most, though, seem to know who they are now and some have said they have instantly become Phoenix fans.

It is against this backdrop that the players have to try to put that all behind them in Newcastle today.

"This game is a challenge, no doubt about it," says All Whites and Phoenix midfielder Tim Brown. "It was a special weekend and we need to enjoy it but we also need to move on.

"The New Zealand boys have spoken about it at length about how we approach this game. The worst thing we could do is go out this weekend and make fools of ourselves.

"We won a special game last weekend, no question of that, but it doesn't all of a sudden make us great players. We still have to go in and do the little things that have made us successful."

Wellington are one of the form teams of the competition. They come into this match having lost only one of their last 10 and are on an unbeaten run of 13 games at home that stretches more than a year.

But they will be on the other side of the Tasman today and Brown thinks that's good.

"It's quite good to get away. I can imagine going back to the Cake Tin and it won't have the same atmosphere and crowd and it would have been all that much harder. And there would have been much more pressure on us.

"We can get away for a couple of weeks and move on with things in a good way and make sure we keep rolling with the Phoenix. That result and World Cup qualification is not going anywhere.

"I think we have the opportunity to do something amazing with the club. Imagine if we got in the playoffs and won the thing. I think that's a possibility with this group, and what a year that would be."

Wellington went into this weekend's round in sixth but only 10 points separate first (Sydney) from last (North Queensland).

With half the season gone, they also haven't been able to string consecutive wins together so need to go on a winning run to improve their position. They play in Brisbane next weekend before returning to Westpac Stadium in a fortnight.

Defender Ben Sigmund admitted their Wellington team-mates haven't allowed the All Whites to get carried away.

"It was all the Aussies," he says. "They quickly bring you back down to Earth. But the camp is happy and we are buzzing.

"I am determined to make sure we go out in the weekend and not have the World Cup hangover.

"It's more about respect to the other boys. We have to make sure we get back on the horse and do well."