Soccer: Injured Brown in race to make Cup

Striker Rory Fallon yesterday lets the disappointment of defeat wash away after the All Whites' pre-World Cup friendly against the Socceroos in Melbourne. Photo / Brett Phibbs

All Whites lionheart Ben Sigmund is backing Tim Brown to make it to the World Cup, but understandable emotion aside, the outlook is not good for the injured midfielder.

Brown arrived back in Auckland last night for surgery on an upper-shoulder fracture suffered after his right arm became entangled and he fell awkwardly twice in the 2-1 defeat to the Socceroos at the MCG. The damage to Brown's shoulder was done in his first fall.

Brown, who deputises for Ryan Nelsen when the captain is unavailable, is a firm favourite of coach Ricki Herbert's, an integral part of the national team and Phoenix lineups.

Brown has a greater tuberosity fracture, diagnosed by scans in Melbourne, but his immediate playing future will not be known for a day or so.

Team doctor Celeste Geertsema said it was very hard at this stage to know exactly how long he would be sidelined.

It was potentially devastating news for Brown, with the All Whites' first World Cup match against Slovakia under three weeks away.

Herbert was naturally circumspect about Brown's World Cup hopes, although he admitted he was not holding his breath.

"These are trying times for him and it is hard to put his feelings into words - it is quite devastating," said Herbert.

Sigmund and Brown have been best mates for many years, since their days in junior national sides.

They stayed in contact when their soccer paths went different ways, with Brown going to the United States,but they have been reunited at the Phoenix and are roommates in the All Whites.

They are big players in the All Whites' cohesive spirit - they even organised a private training camp in Melbourne for World Cup prospects after the A-League had finished.

"Knowing him for so long, if any player can come back in time from this then it is Tim Brown," said Sigmund. "There is competition for places within the team but we are in this together, not against each other.

"This feels like we have lost a family member. But at the moment I'm not even considering the possibility that he won't be in South Africa."

There were mixed feelings in the All Whites camp yesterday: disappointment that they had not at least drawn with lucky Australia, but also an air of confidence that they had caused Australia so many problems.

There was also a general satisfaction that they had silenced the Aussie press, who they believed had cast doubt on their validity as pre-World Cup opponents for the Socceroos.

Players believe they can cause enormous problems for their higher-rated opposition at the World Cup through their ability in the air, where they wreaked havoc at times against Australia.

Michael McGlinchey is Brown's obvious replacement in the starting lineup - McGlinchey has been the next cab off the rank behind Brown and Simon Elliott, who delivered a lot of the quality aerial balls to the frontmen at the MCG.

Sigmund was among the standout performers at the MCG and said he was particularly pleased with the combination between himself, Nelsen and Ivan Vicelich in the now familiar back-three setup. And there was also a lot of satisfaction in the camp in the way that Rory Fallon, Chris Killen and Shane Smeltz performed their various roles in the frontline.

"We are frustrated at losing but there are far more positives than negatives," said Sigmund.

But he had no harsh words for the Australians, who should have had Vince Grella and Tim Cahill sent off for vicious tackles on Leo Bertos.

"I think it was frustration and we've all been in that situation.

"They were frustrated they couldn't get their foot on the ball," said Sigmund.

Vicelich left the field early with a rolled ankle, but is fit to travel.

Bertos, the victim of two acts of Australian thuggery, had his injured shin covered, but the wound should not threaten his place in the team for the games in Europe.

The All Whites now face long flights to Europe for training camps in Austria and matches against Serbia and Slovenia. The squad will be split for the travel with some needing three stopovers.