World Cup 2010: New Zealand Coach Herbert Stands Firm On Fallon Mexican Stand-Off

The All Whites boss has named Fallon in a provisional squad for a March 3 friendly with Mexico in Los Angeles.

Last month Fallon declared that he would prefer to help Plymouth fight against relegation that travel to California for the 2010 World Cup warm-up as he explained at the time.

"I see both points and I'm a professional who gets on with my job. If New Zealand desperately wants me in Los Angeles, I'll be there. But there will be two or three international games during the pre-World Cup camp in Europe so Mexico is not the last game - I don't see what the big deal is."

New Zealand do want Fallon and as the match is on a FIFA-sanctioned date, Herbert has the right to call him.

"We'll call all the players we feel we need for a game of that stature ... Rory will be part of that," said Herbert according to the New Zealand Herald.

"They're just in the midst of a difficult season. They're trying to avoid relegation. But at the end of it, we've got a national team that's going to be proudly representing itself in a world cup. And this is the only time that we get to get the full strength side together before that event."

"We have access to the players and I think that's just a process that we'll be calling on."

New Zealand will face Italy, Slovakia and Paraguay at the 2010 World Cup.

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