Terry Maddaford: All Whites need to dig deeper for greater return

Another rare shot at soccer's biggest stage dangles tantalisingly in front of New Zealand Football.

The multi-million dollar return for winning through to next year's World Cup would bring much-needed revenue.

On paper the task is simple enough - win the away and home series with the fifth-best Asian team, either Saudi Arabia or Bahrain - and head to the ticket office.

Reality is somewhat different.

There is little between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. They are fifth and sixth among the Asian nations on Fifa's latest ranking list at 56 and 70 respectively. The Saudis boast a high of 21 (July 2004), Bahrain 49 (also in 2004).

Whoever wins through will have the advantage of playing the first leg at home then head to Wellington well aware that should the tie go to extra time any goal scored counts double as an away goal.

All Whites coach Ricki Herbert has already alluded to the difficulties he faced in assembling his team for the Confederations Cup and the similar problems he might face both for key warm-up fixtures in September and the World Cup qualifiers in October and November. While there is some sympathy for his plight in firstly getting the players he wants and then having to put them into the hotbed of international football with little or no recent match play, the New Zealand public takes scant notice of such pleas for understanding.

Joe Public, rightly or wrongly, is interested only in the final score.

Any reasons for a loss or sub-standard performance glossed over as irrelevant. Understandable, yes, in a country where the All Blacks win far more than they lose in a sport where upsets are the exception rather than the rule.

But soccer is, like it or not, a different world as results at the Confederations Cup so clearly showed.

Heading into their last pool game with Egypt, the United States were staring at finishing last of the eight teams. They needed at least a point to push New Zealand back to eighth.

In beating the African champions 3-0 they not only did that but leap-frogged World Champions Italy to finish second in pool B on goals scored (four), to Italy's three, after both had finished on three points (just one win) and with a minus two goal difference.

That the US, fourth-ranked (at 14) of the countries at the Confederations Cup are into the final while world No 1 Spain and No 4 Italy are not, further underlines the competitiveness of football at the level.

There has been much criticism of what many saw as an over-reaction on the New Zealand bench following the scoreless draw with Iraq. Again, the public saw it was an unwarranted celebration at the end of a match they had not won let alone scored in.

Fifa president Sepp Blatter perhaps put the result into context when, in a text to NZF chairman Frank van Hattum after the game - at which he was present - he congratulated NZF and Oceania for the result which also ensured the hosts would win through to the semifinals. Fair enough.

But, there remains a feeling within the game that for soccer at the higher level here to progress, it is time to move on and follow Australia into Asia. There are pluses and minuses with the obvious benefit access to the lucrative Asian market and a generally much higher standard of football.

But can New Zealand, at this time, afford to turn their back on Oceania and the almost guaranteed entry into Fifa competitions at all levels for our men and women?

That question will continue to bring much debate. Let's hope it is informed.