KEY POINTS:
In being named in Ricki Herbert's 23-man World Cup squad, Ryan Nelsen and 12 of his All Whites teammates have been handed the chance to wipe out bitter memories of a failed World Cup campaign.
More than half the players named by Herbert yesterday for the 2010 Cup campaign were in Adelaide four years ago when Confederation and World Cup dreams turned to a nightmare when New Zealand were beaten 4-2 by Vanuatu, handing the second qualifying spot (behind Australia) to the Solomon Islands.
"We have to try and get rid of something that has haunted our game since then," said Herbert, who was Mick Waitt's assistant coach at that fateful OFC Nations Cup tournament.
"That 2006 World Cup campaign was a disaster."
In naming this squad - and there is the opportunity to add another couple of names before the first games in October (away and then home to the third-placed team at the forthcoming South Pacific Games) - Herbert has included eight of the players at his Wellington Phoenix A-League club.
That should help the national team in their preparation, because players like Nelsen, Simon Elliott, Duncan Oughton, Chris James and Chris Killen (in England or Scotland), Ivan Vicelich and Kris Bouckenooghe (in Europe) and other overseas-based players are unlikely to have much preparation time with the All Whites.
For Nelsen, who has played almost no international football since the Adelaide tournament, it will be a welcome return to this level of football. He will be given the chance to lead the team just as he did, when fit to play, four years ago.
Tim Brown, Ross Aloisi's vice-captain at the Phoenix, will take that role with the national side.
"There are no guarantees for the Phoenix or any other players for that matter," said Herbert.
"It is a big squad but we will only travel 18, so competition will be intense.
"I have spoken to Ryan and while nothing was said about the captaincy, he did make a commitment to be available for all World Cup games.
"All the players have been selected on an all-or-nothing basis. There is too much at stake for anything less."
Herbert is keeping an open mind on foreign-based youngsters Michael McGlinchey and Winston Reid.
"They have made no commitment to New Zealand football at this stage. They are both young and if they do show some interest, it is likely we would look at them for the Olympic [under-23] squad, which I will need to name in the next few weeks."
James, who walked out on the national under-20 team at their recent Fifa World Cup tournament in Canada and has now been released from Fulham, faces a battle against time to find a new club and get some meaningful football if he is to be considered for the four matches scheduled for October and November.
For the 13 players who are backing up from Adelaide, this is the chance to put the record straight.
There can be no embarrassing slip-ups again, especially as the road to the World Cup 2010 appears to be easier this time: the Oceania champion will play the fifth-best Asian team home and away for the last of the 32 spots in South Africa.
Before that, the OFC winner will get direct entry to the 2009 Confederations Cup.
