21 Aug 2012

Herbert calls up all his stars

5:48 am on 21 August 2012

The All Whites coach Ricki Herbert has called on all his overseas professionals as he named a 20-man squad for the first two matches in the third stage of FIFA World Cup qualifying next month.

The All Whites open their campaign in Noumea on September 7th with the chance of exacting a modicum of revenge against a New Caledonia side that upset New Zealand in the semi finals of June's OFC nations Cup then head to Auckland on four days later to meet the Solomon Islands in the first home qualifier of the 2014 campaign.

Returning to the squad are new Queen's Park Rangers signing Ryan Nelsen, West Ham's Winston Reid and Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Dan Keat who all missed the Oceania Nations Cup through injury.

Nelsen, who will captain the side, is on course to play his 50th 'A' international in front of a home crowd in the fourth qualifier in Christchurch on October 16th.

Otherwise the core of the squad is retained from the Nations Cup with teenager Tim Payne holding on to a spot in the travelling party after an impressive Olympic Games campaign in the holding midfield role.

Herbert says missing out on the Confederations Cup has only steeled the team's resolve to qualify for Brazil 2014.

Following September's matches, the All Whites play Tahiti twice in October, then play New Caledonia and Solomon Islands again in March with the winner of the four team round robin progressing to a two-legged intercontinental playoff against a North and Central American nation for a place at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

New Zealand Squad for September FIFA World Cup qualifiers (Club - caps/ goals)

Includes 'A' Internationals only

Goalkeepers

Glen MOSS (Wellington Phoenix - 19/0)

Mark PASTON (Wellington Phoenix - 32/0)

Defenders

Michael BOXALL (Wellington Phoenix - 7/0)

Tony LOCHHEAD (Wellington Phoenix - 38/0)

Ryan NELSEN (Captain / Queen's Park Rangers, ENG - 46/6)

Winston REID (West Ham United, ENG - 10/1)

Ben SIGMUND (Wellington Phoenix - 24/1)

Tommy SMITH (Ipswich Town, ENG - 16/1)

Ivan VICELICH (Auckland City - 80/6)

Midfielders

Kosta BARBAROUSES (Panathinaikos, GRE - 12/1)

Leo BERTOS (Wellington Phoenix - 45/0)

Jeremy BROCKIE (Wellington Phoenix - 31/0)

Dan KEAT (Los Angeles Galaxy, USA - 1/0)

Michael McGLINCHEY (Central Coast Mariners, AUS - 16/1)

Tim PAYNE (Blackburn Rovers, ENG - 4/0

Marco ROJAS (Melbourne Victory, AUS - 9/0)

Forwards

Rory FALLON (Aberdeen, SCO - 14/3)

Chris KILLEN (Chongqing, CHN - 43/12)

Shane SMELTZ (Perth Glory, AUS - 43/20)

Chris WOOD (West Bromwich Albion, ENG - 25/7)

Standby

Aaron CLAPHAM (Canterbury United - 9/0)

Jake GLEESON (Portland Timbers, USA - 6/0)

Ian HOGG (Portland Timbers, USA - 4/1)

Cameron HOWIESON (Burnley, ENG - 3/0)

Michael O'KEEFFE (Fairfield University, USA - 0/0)