by TRAVIS CLARK
One game, everything to play for. When tonight's World Cup playoff between Bahrain and New Zealand (2am, FSC) kicks off, the winner claims a spot in South Africa, while the loser faces the prospect of missing the tournament once again.
Neither side is a prominent soccer nation, yet the underlying feeling is that the winning nation's program would receive a much-needed shot in the arm. New Zealand need to look no further than across the Tasman at neighboring Australia. Since qualifying for Germany in 2005, the Australian soccer program has seen the stature of the sport grow immensely. And in a nation like New Zealand, focused mostly on rugby and cricket, to reach the World Cup for the first time in 28 years would be massive.
Kiwi supporters have already taken notice, and the expected crowd for Saturday's match is in the 35,000 range, and a record crowd for the sport. The All Whites secured a 0-0 draw last month in Bahrain, a nation that has been here before. Four years ago, Bahrain lost 1-0 in a similar two-legged playoff against Trinidad & Tobago.
The qualification process for the two nations couldn't be much different. Bahrain will be playing for the 20th time since they began play in Asia, while New Zealand only had to play six games in once group stage. Their opponents were Fiji, New Caledonia and Vanuatu, hardly nations of great mettle.
In the meantime, the Bahrainis finished third in the second round of qualifying in Asia, then needed a last-gasp equalizer to put them through against Saudi Arabia back in September. Winning against New Zealand would signal the nation's first-ever spot in the World Cup.
While Bahrain has a majority of players who play in Middle Eastern leagues -- mainly just Qatar and UAE, if not the Bahrain domestic league -- New Zealand draws players from around the globe, including some MLS ties. Andrew Boyens of New York and Simon Elliot of San Jose were both called up to face Bahrain, former D.C. United defender Ryan Nelsen, who now plays at Blackburn, is the squad's captain. Australia's A-League then provides the rest, with top-scorer Shane Smeltz (Gold Coast United) leading the way.
Whoever wins this won is seen as an easy group-stage opponent. But to both Bahrain and New Zealand, it's all about getting to South Africa. National pride is at stake, and neither side will want to face the indignity of a loss -- especially the Kiwis, in front of a packed house.
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