Chris Rattue: Herbert's men step up to the next level

The dream has turned into genuine hope. Fighting talk from captain Ryan Nelsen and controversial striker Rory Fallon before the All Whites departed on their World Cup venture was more than hot air, on the evidence from Austria.

Nelsen and Fallon led the battle cries in Auckland, demanding their team believe they could win in South Africa.

Some of us politely nodded and wondered. Others may have laughed. But no more. The World Cup is suddenly a lot more interesting.

The extraordinary 1-0 victory over Serbia, who are ranked 15th in the world, means those who dare suggest the All Whites might at least get a World Cup point in Group F can no longer be ridiculed.

Even if yesterday's game in Austria was a friendly, the Serbians had plenty to play for, including World Cup spots and national pride against a minnow.

The All Whites' dreams may still end up being dashed on the big stage, but Ricki Herbert's side has shown they are in with a bolter's chance against Slovakia, in particular.

Their other group opponents are mighty Italy and Paraguay and all three will have had their alert levels raised, making New Zealand's task harder.

Herbert claimed yesterday's win was "the best we've ever had in the history of the game, to beat a team at that level".

Fifa's world rankings are open to interpretation. Like many sports, they mean more near the top while scrambled further down.

However, the 78th-ranked All Whites' win is a special moment for New Zealand soccer.

Serbia, with players from the world's best clubs, were missing key midfielder Dejan Stankovic from European champions Inter Milan, but the All Whites also had the handbrake on.

They were shaking off the long journey from Melbourne, with only three clear days between arriving and playing. Goal-scoring hero Shane Smeltz said the travel and tough training sessions meant many players were not feeling their best before the match.

The big winners were young defenders Winston Reid and Tommy Smith, who won high praise from Herbert.