Soccer: Match fitness priority for World Cup squad

All White striker Rory Fallon has played just 122 minutes of football since the friendly against Mexico. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The All Whites will go to South Africa as arguably the freshest of the 32 sides at June's World Cup.

As most nations contemplate priming their players after long and demanding seasons, All Whites coach Ricki Herbert will instead hope to get his players match fit.

It is New Zealand's position in the game that virtually anyone playing in Europe or MLS is among this country's best players.

Most will make the 23-man squad for South Africa. Few, however, are playing regularly just 46 days from the start of the World Cup.

Some have been injured, like Ryan Nelsen and Winston Reid, while others have been restricted to light duties largely off the bench.

Since the friendly with Mexico in Los Angeles on March 3, Chris Wood has seen 62 minutes of first-team football for newly-promoted West Bromwich Albion, Tommy Smith (Brentford and Ipswich Town) has played 140 minutes, Rory Fallon (Plymouth) 122 minutes, Michael McGlinchey (Motherwell) 26 minutes and Nelsen (Blackburn Rovers) 147 minutes.

Simon Elliott has been cut from American MLS side San Jose Earthquakes - he's training with former club Los Angeles - and Andy Boyens hasn't appeared in New York's first four games.

Striker Chris Killen and defender Reid have been the most employed.

Killen, who has rejoined his former Celtic boss Gordon Strachan at Middlesbrough, has played 604 minutes in nine games since March 3.

Reid was a regular for FC Midtjylland in Denmark's Superliga before he injured his shoulder last week. He was expected to be sidelined for three weeks.

Nelsen's knee injury, picked up against Bolton on February 21, was probably a good thing.

He had played 29 games this season when he was sidelined, which allowed him to freshen up mentally and physically.

The All Whites skipper also knows what is required to be match-fit.

It isn't just the overseas-based players who have been inactive.

The A-League ended six weeks ago, which prompted Herbert to schedule a camp for Australasian-based players starting on Wednesday.

The World Cup squad is expected to be announced on May 12 before a series of warm-up games against Australia (May 24), Serbia (May 29) Slovenia (June 4) and Chile (June 9).

New Zealand's predicament can be viewed as both a positive and negative.

On the plus side, players are less likely to pick up injuries which will force them out of the World Cup and the All Whites can ill afford any of their best players to be missing.

Conversely, there's nothing like match fitness to build sharpness and confidence.

"I don't have too many concerns," Herbert said, "and it's not something I can control. Ideally it would be fantastic if everyone was playing every week and not getting injured. I'm nervous about the ones still playing in Europe because we can't do without them.

"The A-League guys have come off a busy two years. At the end of last season they went straight into the Confederations Cup, pre-season and then the A-League again. That's a lot of football and a short break will be good for them.

"I know we have some really good lead-in games so the players will be fine by the time they get to the World Cup. It's not like they haven't had any activity, they are training every day, so they will be ready. They will be fresh and hungry.

"Some of the big players at the big countries have really struggled when they get to a World Cup."

Herbert said he had "18 or 19 players" locked in for his 23-man squad, so as many as five places were up for grabs at this week's camp in Auckland.

They will play an NZFC All Stars XI selected and coached by Auckland City's Paul Posa and Waitakere United's Neil Emblen at North Harbour Stadium on May 9.