All Whites eliminated

International Sports

New Zealand is eliminated from the ONC.DOUBLE WHAMMY, as the All Whites are out of the Oceania Nations Cup and won't be at next year's Confederations Cup in Brazil after they were upset 1-0 by New Caledonia today.

It means they will now play the Solomon Islands in Sunday's playoff for third after the home side were beaten by Tahiti 1-0 but it was not the match the All Whites expected or wanted to play in.

They have progressed to the next stage of World Cup qualification, by virtue of finishing in the top four, but they wanted the place at the Confederations Cup.

They have only themselves to blame.

Island teams have been guilty of some wasteful finishing at the Oceania Nations Cup tournament but today it was the All Whites who will look back on the chances they missed.

They had plenty, mostly from crosses into the box, but they didn't test young New Caledonia goalkeeper Rocky Nyikeine enough and their profligacy meant they put themselves under pressure.

They fell behind on the hour, when Bertrand Kai snuck in between Ivan Vicelich and Tommy Smith and cleverly lifted the ball over goalkeeper Jake Gleeson, and conceded a second in injury time to Georges Gope-Fenepej as they chased the game.

Unlike their first three games, the All Whites failed to score an early goal. They had a couple of chances - the best fell to Shane Smeltz who had a free header from 10 yards but it sailed wide - but for the most part New Caledonia bossed the first half.

They broke with pace and won a lot of possession from second-phase ball and Gleeson had some nervous moments, especially when his upright was rattled by Jacques Haeko in the ninth minute.

It was difficult for the All Whites to find any rhythm, with the pitch at Lawson Tama Stadium showing the effects of 14 games in eight days. It has held up remarkably well throughout the tournament but heavy rain overnight softened it up and it was also steamy in the 34-degree heat and high humidity.

It meant the All Whites largely played a long-ball game or tried to get the ball to the flanks as quickly as possible to take advantage of their big bodies in the box.

It felt like a set-piece would provide their best opportunity and the opener nearly came in the 47th minute when Chris Wood headed over from close range from a Leo Bertos corner and Wood also saw his header 10 minutes later well saved.

Those misses looked more costly when Kai scored his goal. It meant the All Whites had to chase the game for the first time in this tournament.

Herbert immediately responded by throwing on Jeremy Brockie and Marco Rojas, two ball players, which highlighted the need to create more.

Michael McGlinchey hit the crossbar from 10 yards out and Chris Killen ballooned the follow-up header over and Kosta Barbarouses drew a fine reflex save from the goalkeeper when a defender played the ball onto him.

They continued to push but it meant they were exposed at the back and Gope-Fenepej coolly finished when left alone in the box in injury time.

The All Whites still have high hopes of playing at the next World Cup but memories of the last one will fade a little faster now.

New Zealand 0 New Caledonia 2 (Bertrand Kai 60, Georges Gope-Fenepej 90).