Nelsen will lead an unchanged line-up against the Azzurri at Mbombela Stadium, where a win for either side would see them break free of the Group F logjam – all four sides have a point each after their first match – and put one foot into the knockout stages.
Bookmakers may have the All Whites at long odds to beat the four-time FIFA World Cup winners but Nelsen doesn’t think that means his New Zealand side has nothing to lose.
“We’re as well prepared as we can be. We’ve put ourselves in a very good position from the first game and we’ll let the soccer gods decide,” he says.
“Obviously, nothing to lose is a fairly reckless approach. We’re well organised, well prepared and no matter what happens in the game the boys will be doing everything.”
Nelsen also dismissed any suggestion of nerves heading into a match where a result would shade the 1-1 draw with Slovakia that earned the Kiwis an historic first-ever point at a FIFA World Cup.
“The biggest pressure for us was in the qualifying play-off against Bahrain in Wellington. In front of our own fans, a packed house, a must-win game. That’s the biggest pressure our players will ever face,” the Blackburn Rovers defender says.
“I think that showed against Slovakia, none of our team were worried, none showed any signs of nerves. We held it together well, held the discipline and got a result.
“We could be playing Italy, Brazil or the greatest team ever in the history of sport, but these guys are just confident in who they are and what they’ve prepared for so I don’t think nerves will be a factor.”
Coach Ricki Herbert has unsurprisingly made no changes to the side that made New Zealand footballing history despite vice-captain Tim Brown coming back into contention after his rapid recovery from shoulder surgery.
“Tim is part of the squad now, which is great. He has done what he needed to do and I don’t think we would have any hesitation if we needed to use him now,” Herbert says.
“Paraguay is probably a better target for him but he has made some great strides. I wouldn’t say he is 100 per cent but he is a lot better than he was.”
Little over a year ago, New Zealand led Italy three times before losing 4-3 in a warm-up to the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Herbert believes his side will draw confidence from that but is quick to point out that a World Cup group match is a far cry from a friendly against an experimental side.
“There’s a hell of a lot on the line and, being the holders of the World Cup, I’m sure Italy see this game as a strong opportunity to win.”
Italy will be without first-choice goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who has a herniated disc in his back, while Andrea Pirlo is likely to sit out the action due to an injured left calf muscle.
The match starts at 4pm local time (2am Monday NZT) with Slovakia and Paraguay clashing at 1.30pm (11.30pm NZT) in Group F’s other fixture.
FIFA World Cup: Group F
New Zealand v Italy
Mbombela Stadium
Nelspruit
June 20, 2010
4pm local (2am June 21 NZT)
New Zealand: 1-Mark PASTON (GK), 3-Tony LOCHHEAD, 4-Winston REID, 5-Ivan VICELEICH, 6-Ryan NELSEN (captain), 7 Simon ELLIOTT, 9-Shane SMELTZ, 10-Chris KILLEN, 11-Leo BERTOS, 14-Rory FALLON, 19-Tommy SMITH.
Substitutes: 2-Ben SIGMUND, 8-Tim BROWN, 13-Andy BARRON, 15-Michael MCGLINCHEY, 16-Aaron CLAPHAM, 17-David MULLIGAN, 18-Andrew BOYENS, 20-Chris WOOD, 21-Jeremy CHRISTIE, 22-Jeremy BROCKIE, 23-James BANNATYNE (RGK).
Suspended: 12-Glen MOSS (GK).
Coach: Ricki HERBERT
Italy (from): 1-Gianluigi BUFFON(GK), 2-Christian MAGGIO, 3-Domenico CRISCITO, 4-Giorgio CHIELLINI, 5-Fabio CANNAVARO, 6-Daniele DE ROSSI, 7-Simone PEPE, 8-Gennaro GATTUSO, 9-Vincenzo IAQUINTA, 10-Antonio DI NATALE, 11-Alberto GILARDINO, 12-Federico MARCHETTI (GK), 13-Salvatore BOCCHETTI, 14-Morgan DE SANCTIS (GK), 15-Claudio MARCHISIO, 16-Mauro CAMORANESI, 17-Angelo PALOMBO, 18-Fabio QUAGLIARELLA, 19-Gianluca ZAMBROTTA, 20-Giampaolo PAZZINI, 21-Andrea PIRLO, 22-Riccardo MONTOLIVO, 23-Leonardo BONUCCI.
Coach: Marcello LIPPI
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