Soccer: Rare chance to catch All Whites in action

All Whites striker Shane Smeltz in action against Chile. File photo / Brett Phibbs

Aucklanders will get a rare opportunity to see the All Whites in action when they play a Waitakere United invitation XI at Trusts Stadium this month.

As part of preparing for matches against Mexico and Australia, All Whites coach Ricki Herbert will bring together his Australia and New Zealand-based players for a training camp at North Harbour Stadium.

The team will play the local side in a warm-up game under lights - a first for soccer at the ground - on May 26.

The full All Whites squad for the five-day camp will be announced early next week but will include Ivan Vicelich, David Mulligan and Aaron Clapham from the ASB Premiership.

They will be joined by Australian-based Glen Moss, Jeremy Brockie, Michael McGlinchey, Marco Rojas, Kosta Barbarouses and Shane Smeltz, along with Wellington Phoenix players Mark Paston, Ben Sigmund, Tony Lochhead, Leo Bertos (injury permitting) and Tim Brown.

"It is a chance for the public to see the All Whites in action," said Waitakere United chairman Rex Dawkins. "We hope to have all our eight New Zealand Under-20 and New Zealand Under-17 players who are preparing for their World Cups playing.

"Most of our players are now playing for winter clubs so will be match fit but we will bring in some guest players as cover. We hope Roy Krishna will play after being sidelined through injury in the latter part of the season. We will not be charging for under-15s so we hope to attract a good crowd for what should be a good game."

After the training camp the All Whites head to Denver in the United States to play Mexico on June 2 before heading back to Adelaide to play the Socceroos on June 5.