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June 21 - Although the New Zealand national football squad playing in the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa has been the butt of many jokes given its 2000/1 odds of winning the competition, its level of play has surprised many.
Including Matt 'Bumble' Hockin, the player liaison manager at English Premier League team Blackburn Rovers. Bumble (so named on account of him 'buzzing' around) was hired by the New Zealand national team as an assistant kit manager.
As such, he's had the opportunity to watch New Zealand's top footballers up close, and no doubt surprised many in English football with the comments that he could envisage 'several of the younger players playing at a high level' in England.
Said Hockin, 'It might take them a month or two to adapt, but I think there's a lot of potential in this All Whites squad, especially among the younger players. I think some of them could make a good career in the English Premier League.'
While New Zealand is famous for its national rugby union team, the All Blacks, and even its national cricket side, football has remained the one sport that New Zealand is not famous for. Of course, that could all change during this World Cup.
This is only the second time in the history of the World Cup that the New Zealand national football team has qualified for the finals, the first time being in the 1982 FIFA World Cup which was hosted by Spain and won that year by Italy.
And so far the All Whites have played far better than most football pundits ever expected. In the side's first Group F match against Slovakia, it drew 1:1, and then shocked the world when it tied 1:1 with defending World Cup champs, Italy.
So it will be very interesting to see how the side fares in its final Group match against Paraguay on Thursday, and whether it will be able to survive the Group stage against all odds (literally) and proceed to Round 1 of the epic tournament.
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