KEY POINTS:
Wellington or Townsville is, according to those who will make the decision - too close to call but don't expect an answer today.
With the Hyundai A-League licence saga dragging on, there were no firm indications one way or the other last night apart from Football Federation Australia operations manager Matt Carroll saying that it has now become a clear case of playing one prospective franchisee (the John Dow-led Wellington bid) against another (Townsville-based Tropical Football).
In a brief media statement yesterday after New Zealand Soccer chairman John Morris and chief executive Graham Seatter had had meetings with Dow in Wellington, it was confirmed "after a lot of hard work we believe we have made a strong submission and now it is up to the FFA to make a call".
The New Zealand bidders remain confident they have satisfied all the FFA's financial requirements and are now in a position "to sign a participation agreement with the FFA".
They would then sub-let that licence to Dow and his backers.
Money remains the sticking point with sums of between $1.1 million and $2 million seen as the absolute minimum needed to kick-start the bid.
Carroll accepts that people in New Zealand are moving heaven and earth to win the right to have a team in the third A-League season.
"John Morris has shown he passionately wants the bid to succeed," said Carroll from Adelaide last night.
Asked when he thought the decision would be made, Carroll said: "I doubt there will be an answer on Thursday. At best, likely Friday. The final call will be made by [FFA chief executive] Ben Buckley, [FFA chairman] Frank Lowy and members of the FFA executive.
"We have to evaluate the strategic imperatives forwarded by both bidders," said Carroll.
"New Zealand Soccer have put a submission in front of us. I will have a look at that when I get back to Sydney tonight and then look at both submissions."
Carroll said he was encouraged that Seatter and Morris had gone to Wellington and admitted while he initially saw the potential four million television viewing market in New Zealand as a huge positive, that might not necessarily be the case now that it had become a "two-horse race".
Asked about his preference, Carroll said he did not express one but added New Zealand Soccer were "very confident" their last-ditch efforts to meet financial demands would succeed.
Pressed further, and asked about his gut feeling, Carroll said: "I don't know."
The call in the next 24-48 hours remains vital to the game in New Zealand.
A New Zealand franchise is already being left behind with, as an example, Central Coast Mariners yesterday confirming two games next month as part of their pre-season build-up to the 2007-08 season.
New Zealand franchisee coach-in-waiting Ricki Herbert admitted he would be behind the eight-ball but was confident he could quickly sign the players he wants to kick-start a campaign he sees as imperative for the success of the game here.
Herbert was not too concerned that a player such as former Knights midfielder Jonas Salley was yesterday confirmed as one of Adelaide United's new visa players saying that his intention had always been to go to the New Zealand market first.
Hopefully by the weekend he will have that opportunity.
