Soccer: Kiwis holding their own on world stage

There was never any hope that the All Whites of 2011 would match their heroics of 2010 but there were other encouraging signs as New Zealand teams continued to justify their presence on the world stage.

The All Whites were largely in mothballs, playing only three times for 3-0 losses to the Socceroos in Adelaide and Mexico in Denver after an earlier 1-1 draw with China in Wuhan.

But coach Ricki Herbert and his players can expect more action in 2012 with the OFC Nations Cup which will find Oceania's representative at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil.

The Football Ferns were busier in 2011 as they farewelled long-serving coach John Herdman.

After a 2-1 win over Switzerland at the Cyprus Cup in February, the national women's team lost heavily to the Netherlands, France and Mexico.

There were mixed results in the build-up to the World Cup in Germany with wins over Wales and Colombia bookended by losses to Australia, China and Denmark with all but one of four losses by just the odd goal.

That fighting spirit was exemplified at the World Cup. After holding Japan 1-1 at halftime, the Ferns went down 2-1. They lost second-up to England by the same score. Down 0-2 at halftime against Mexico, they fought back to claim a deserved 2-2 draw.

The under-17 men were the best-performing New Zealand team on the international stage. After winning the Oceania Championship under coach Steve Cain at North Harbour Stadium, the team headed to Qatar for a World Cup warm-up tour under new coach Aaron McFarland.

At the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Mexico, the youngsters hit their straps with a first-up 4-1 rout of Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan bounced back to beat the Czech Republic and the US and top the group. The Young All Whites then went down 1-0 to the Czechs before drawing 0-0 with the US - a result which guaranteed both would progress to the round of 16. In that first play-off round, New Zealand lost to Japan 6-0, the US lost 4-0 to Germany while Uzbekistan beat Australia 4-0.

There was added interest in the Fifa Under-20 World Cup, given New Zealand are to host this tournament in 2015. After beating Solomon Islands to win the Oceania qualifiers, the Chris Milicich-coached Youth All Whites performed well at their World Cup in Colombia. Opening their campaign with 1-1 draws against Cameroon and Uruguay, they missed out on a place in the post-group phase when beaten 1-0 by Portugal, who went on to lose 3-2 to Brazil in the final.

New Zealand's last appearance at a Fifa tournament for 2011 came last month with Auckland City at the Club World Cup, where they lost 2-0 to recently crowned J-League champions Kashiwa Reysol, who went on to beat Mexican club Monterrey 4-3 on penalties before bowing out 3-1 to Brazilian club Santos in the semifinals.

Auckland City and Waitakere United are already firmly on course to meet in this season's O-League final with the winner to represent Oceania in next December's Club World Cup.

The Wellington Phoenix continue to fly the Kiwi flag in the Hyundai A-League, where they came sixth. Look for a similar top-six finish this season, but only if they can score a win or three across the Tasman.

On the domestic scene, Waitakere United got away to a flying start in the 2010-2011 ASB Premiership, claiming the minor premiership by six points from Auckland City. In the grand final Waitakere beat City 3-2, courtesy of a Mike Gwyther goal a minute into stoppage time.

The ASB Chatham Cup final was also decided by a late goal.

In their first venture beyond the last 16, unsung Wairarapa United beat fancied Napier City Rovers 2-1 in Palmerston North. As the final appeared headed for extra time, Fijian midfielder Pita Rabo headed home the 86th-minute winner.

Waitakere hopes of a repeat ASB Youth League triumph foundered last month when beaten 2-1 by Canterbury United at Bill McKinlay Park.

Northern women continued their domination of the major titles.

Coached by Craig Alexander, Glenfield Rovers headed Coastal Spirit 3-0 to win the ASB Women's Knockout Cup while Northern beat Waikato/Bay of Plenty 3-0 to claim the ASB Women's Youth League.

While interest continues to build in the domestic competitions, it is success on the international stage that remains paramount to the game as a whole. NZ Football must do all in its power to ensure the national teams - at all levels - receive the funding and encouragement needed to do that - starting with the under-23s who, under coach Neil Emblen, will try to qualify for the London Olympics.