Kerre Woodham: All Whites instantly win a new fan base

Winston Reid is a new national hero. Photo / Brett Phibbs

I loved the Sydney Morning Herald's headline the morning after the All Whites historic draw: Australasia 1- Slovakia 1.

That tongue-in-cheek stirrer's humour is why our big cousins are great to have around.

Isn't it extraordinary how we all become instant experts on the game when we have an emotional involvement.

An intensive hour or two of John Adshead on Murray Deaker's show and I know that we lack a bit of height and it will be difficult to play a physical bustling game.

And that Italy's injury woes mean that we have a sniff of a chance against the legends of football.

I've loved the games I've seen so far from the World Cup but the game I enjoyed the most was the snippet of a game I saw the day after the All Whites played.

I was going for a lazy jog and skirted round Seddon Fields heading towards Western Springs Park. Two teams of what looked to be 8-year-old boys were in the middle of a match, with all the gung ho enthusiasm 8-year-old boys bring to everything they do.

The ball skidded wildly off the pitch and the yellow bibs had the throw-in. One of the wee guys standing around the net called to his mate with the ball, "You be Shane Smeltz and I'll do a Winston Reid."

Well, that was the plan but the throw was a little wobbly and although little Winston leapt valiantly, he was nowhere near the mark.

The All Whites have given this generation of kids a brand new set of superheroes. Even if they proceed no further through the tournament, the All Whites have given young Kiwi football players a magical experience and a benchmark for them to meet, and exceed.

Just as the team of 2010 has gone one further than the boys of '82.