Tommy Smith’s New Zealand lost their final pre-World Cup training game 2-0 to Chile in Nelspruit earlier today. Gonzalo Fierro and Esteban Paredes scored the goals for the South Americans.
The match was played in three thirds with each side using most of the fit members of their squads at some stage. Smith again started for the All Whites.
Coach Ricki Herbert wasn't unhappy with the display, despite the result: "I think we got pretty much everything we wanted.
"The first two periods we went with a stronger side and didn’t make too many changes for 60 minutes and thought we were very comfortable.
"Everybody was going to get a shot so the last 30 was always going to be tough for us, so I’m very pleased.”
New Zealand play their opening World Cup group game against Slovakia in Rustenburg on Tuesday, with Italy the All Whites’ second opponents in Nelspruit five days later. They complete their opening phase matches against Paraguay in Polokwane on June 24th.
Meanwhile, New Zealand’s Monday evening training session was cut short due to thick smoke from open coal and wood fires in the nearby township of Daveyton shrouding the Sinaba Stadium.
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New Zealand: 1-Mark Paston (23-James Bannatyne 61), 2-Ben Sigmund, 3-Tony Lochhead (18-Andrew Boyens 74), 4-Winston Reid (15-Michael McGlinchey 43), 5-Ivan Viceleich, 7-Simon Elliott (Captain/21-Jeremy Christie 31), 10-Chris Killen (17-David Mulligan 61), 11-Leo Bertos (13-Andy Barron 77), 14-Rory Fallon (9-Shane Smeltz 31), 19-Tommy Smith, 22-Jeremy Brockie (20-Chris Wood 47). Unused: 12-Glen Moss, 16-Aaron Clapham, Cole Peverley.