WELLINGTON – David Mulligan has been rewarded for his late World Cup qualifying heroics in Port Vila with promotion to the All Whites’ starting XI
for Wednesday night’s return leg against Vanuatu in Wellington.
The Scunthorpe United playmaker, whose 94th minute winner on Saturday enabled the unbeaten All Whites to open up a commanding five point buffer atop
the Oceania Nations Cup standings after just two matches, has been added to a bolstered five-man midfield along with Wellington Phoenix utility Jeremy Christie.
They replace Chris James and James Pritchett in a reconfigured formation for New Zealand’s first World Cup qualifier at home since the 2-0 loss to
the Socceroos – also at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium – on June 20, 2001.
Thai Airways All Whites coach Ricki Herbert is looking for his midfield to take Wednesday night’s game by the scruff of the neck after the bumpy
Port Vila Stadium pitch proved an equaliser during Saturday’s 2-1 win.
“Their two front-runners are very pacy so hopefully if we can flood the central areas we can get a bit more ball and dictate play a little more,”
Herbert said.
“It was difficult to get it down and move it from one side to other in the middle of the Park in Port Vila.”
New Zealand will play with a back three of Ivan Vicelich, Ben Sigmund and Andy Boyens. Herbert has also pushed Perth Glory winger Leo Bertos into a
more attacking role alongside Shane Smeltz who was named New Zealand Football’s international player of 2007 on Monday night to cap a memorable run which has included four goals in his last three
internationals and one each in the All Whites two qualifiers to date.
“I think with Leo in there it will give us better shape and keep Shane forward. With the form Shane is in at the moment we want to get him into
better goal scoring positions,” Herbert said.
Smeltz suffered a corked thigh on Saturday but is expected to play. However, there is a question mark over the fitness of Port Vila debutant Daniel
Ellensohn who suffered a knee injury not long after coming on.
Herbert knows New Zealand can take a major step towards the Oceania title – which earns automatic qualification for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
and a home and away World Cup playoff against Asia’s fifth-ranked team – with a third successive win on Wednesday.
He admits it will be nice to be at home on the carpet-like surface at Westpac Stadium after two tough away ties in Lautoka and Port Vila.
“I was saying to the guys today it seems to have been forever since we’ve played a qualifier at home. With that comes some decent responsibility…it
would be nice to have a decent performance but at the end of the day World Cup football is about winning.”
Kickoff is 1800hrs (NZT).
New Zealand: Mark Paston (Wellington Phoenix), Ivan Vicelich (RKC Waalwijk), Ben Sigmund (Auckland City), Andy Boyens (Toronto FC), Jeremy Christie
(Wellington Phoenix), David Mulligan (Scunthorpe United), Tim Brown (Wellington Phoenix), Duncan Oughton (Columbus Crew), Tony Lochhead (Wellington Phoenix), Leo Bertos (Perth Glory), Shane Smeltz
(Wellington Phoenix).
Substitutes: Jacob Spoonley (Wellington Phoenix), James Pritchett (Auckland City), Chris James (No Club), Jeff Campbell (Auckland City), Jarrod
Smith (Hawkes Bay United), Daniel Ellensohn (Team Wellington).
STORY COURTESY www.nzfootball.co.nz
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