Soccer: Full muster as All Whites prepare for Bahrain

All Whites goalkeeper Mark Paston was untroubled by his hip injury at training yesterday. Photo / Getty Images

The All Whites' first training session ahead of Saturday's crucial World Cup soccer qualifier appeared to go off without a hitch yesterday afternoon.

The team face Bahrain in Wellington for the second leg of the qualifier with the prospect of making the World Cup finals for the first time in 27 years.

A win for New Zealand would seal their spot, while a score draw or loss would put Bahrain through to the finals.

The full squad came together for yesterday's training at Endeavour Park in Porirua, including goalkeeper Mark Paston, and midfielders Simon Elliott and Michael McGlinchy, who have all suffered recent injuries.

Paston, who was forced off the field with a hip injury during an A-League match for Wellington Phoenix on November 1, said he had trained for the full session without any problems.

"I was supposed to be banned from kicking, but I kicked a few which I knew were going to be alright, so no problems really. I'm pretty happy with it," he said after the training.

Paston said the session had been fairly light, with more intense training likely to get under way this morning.

The scale of Saturday's match was unavoidably in the players' minds, but Paston said the team were working through it.

"Obviously there's pressure in the game, there's a lot riding on it," he said.

"I think it's important this week that we focus on the little things and doing what we do well. It's important we don't get carried away with the emotion of the event."

Earlier yesterday, captain Ryan Nelsen underlined that pressure of the event, saying the team had the chance to be part of the biggest sporting event on earth.

"I think most people understand that it's fairly big, but in terms of playing or coaching in this, it's absolutely the pinnacle of sport, there's nothing bigger," he said.

"This is bigger than the Olympics 100m final ... If you win the World Cup in football, there's nothing, absolutely nothing else, on this earth that's bigger."

Nelsen said senior players would hopefully help their teammates to produce their best and help prevent them being overwhelmed in the lead-up to the game.

"No matter what people say, it's no ordinary game. When it comes down to it, when you're kicking the ball round with your mates when you're 10 years old, you dream about this situation.

"You need to forget all the pressures and look back and say, `This is why I put in all the hard work'."

Coach Ricki Herbert said he was not too concerned about nerves in his team going into the match.

"There needs to be that passion and adrenaline flowing through the body, otherwise we probably haven't got the right players in the squad."

- NZPA