Striker Rory Fallon is convinced the All Whites are good enough to beat world champions Italy and qualify for the second round of the World Cup - and says his confidence is born out of faith.
abercrombie fitchThe 28-year-old made his claim immediately after saying New Zealand had "pulled off one of the shocks in World Cup history" by holding Slovakia to a 1-1 draw in Rustenburg yesterday for the All Whites' first point at a World Cup finals tournament.
The All Whites, who meet Italy in Nelspruit on Monday morning (NZ time), are now part of a four-way tie at the top - and the bottom - of Pool F with Italy, Paraguay and Slovakia. The quartet all have identical goal differential ratios with one goal for and one against.
Fallon - still on a high after Winston Reid's game-saving stoppage time goal - said he was "never so cocky to [predict] we will beat up the world champions. But we'll put up a great fight. They won't have an easy game. I really believe we will get through to the next round."
He said Italy's 1-1 draw with Paraguay had revealed the Italians "struggle on crosses and long diagonal balls".
The result against Slovakia would "make waves in New Zealand" although the enormity "hasn't really sunk in yet", he said. "Getting a first World Cup point for New Zealand is a landmark for us and we know we can kick on Fake Louis Vuitton Monogram Multicolore Handbags and do even better.
"That's the beautiful thing about our team, we believe we can do it.
"I personally believe we can go through to the next round. People think I'm mad, but people didn't think we'd go out and take a point against Slovakia and it's happened. We're going to prove everyone wrong."
When asked where his confidence came from, the born- again Christian said:
"I believe in Jesus Christ. My faith comes through him. I just know that something great is going to happen, all the boys, know something special is going to happen."
Before leaving for Rustenburg, some of the New Zealand party had had a prayer session with Graham Power, the owner of the Serengeti Estate where the All Whites are staying on the outskirts of Johannesburg.
"Even Winston said he prayed before he went to bed," Fallon said. "He said he never believed in it, but then he prayed and he scores a goal.
"That's the power of prayer."
When a journalist pointed out that Italians were fairly devout too, Fallon, said: "I know, we'll see who believes the most, eh?
He said the seeds of self-belief were sown when the All Whites beat Bahrain last November to make the World Cup finals.
Fallon - whose father Kevin was the All Whites' assistant- coach at the 1982 World Cup finals 28 years to the day of the Slovakia match - was proud to complete a family World Cup double.
Other All Whites were equally proud after the Slovakia stalemate, but were amore circumspect about their chances against four-time World Cup champions Italy.
Skipper Ryan Nelsen said a second-stage place is not beyond his team's reach.
"What it's done now is give us something to play for. All we've got to do is win against Italy or against Paraguay or vice versa and you never know, we could go through [to the round of 16 knockout phase].
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