Herbert believes his side is well in the running to take home a second victory at the tournament and the OSN Cup with it, but admits the performace of the players is what matters most.
“I thought we did very well, especially considering the conditions,” Herbert says of the 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in their opening OSN Cup 2013 match.
“We could have had two or three goals to be honest but it was a good workout. The lads that came in did very well. I was happy with the performance.”
Whilst Herbert was impressed with the side’s performance during that match he says the tournament has been an opportunity for the squad to come together and plan ahead to the World Cup Qualifier in November.
“Getting the squad together has been valuable. It’s been six months since we’ve had a competitive game so it’s important to get everyone together to work on things as we move towards November,” Herbert says.
Looking immediately ahead to the OSN Cup 2013 final against UAE, Herbert won’t make sweeping changes to the team that beat Saudi Arabia but will be prepared for what they have to offer.
“We won’t make big changes to the team and certainly the players that didn’t get on will get some game time. We had a chance to watch some of the game (UAE v Trinidad & Tobago) before it went to penalties and we’ll have an analysis session this afternoon with the team.
“It’s nice to be in the final but it’s not as important as the progress made by the players and the performances as we build towards November.”
UAE coach Mahdi Ali is using the tournament to experiment with players and formations before their Asian Cup qualifier in October.
UAE were three goals up against Trinidad & Tobago in the opening game before a host of second half substitutions disrupted the team and enabled Trinidad & Tobago to draw level. Goalkeeper Ali Kasheif was the hero, saving Trinidad & Tobago’s Carlyle Mitchell’s spot kick as UAE won 7-6 on penalties.
Currently ranked 84th in the FIFA World Rankings the key men for UAE will be star strikers Ahmad Khalil and Ali Mabkhout, both of whom scored against Trinidad & Tobago. Midfielder Amer Abdulrahman will be unavailable as he recovers from a broken jaw suffered in the opening game with Mohammed Fawzi likely to take his place in the team.
OSN Cup 2013 Final
UAE v New Zealand
Tuesday, 10 September
Kick-off: 6.15am (NZT)
Live on Sky Sport 2
For more on New Zealand Football visit www.nzfootball.co.nz

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