Kiwis want to start with a bang against Slovakia

RUSTENBURG - New Zealand striker Chris Killen had to postpone his honeymoon to be at the World Cup football, but he hopes the romance continues as his side face Slovakia in Group E Tuesday.

Competing in just their second World Cup, New Zealand are the third-lowest ranked side in the tournament (after North Korea and South Africa), but a friendly victory over Serbia last month gave a peek of their quality.

Tuesday’s game will be their first in a World Cup for 28 years, and Killen is well aware of its significance.

“It’s got to be one of the biggest games in the history of New Zealand football,” he said. “The first game in any tournament is always hugely important and that’s particularly true here.

“We know Slovakia are a good side but so are Italy and Paraguay. We need to get something out of this is we want to get through the group.”

Killen missed that win over Serbia to get married to Hannah near Loch Lomond in Scotland.

“It was a great day and it would have been nice to go on honeymoon straight afterwards,” the Middlesbrough striker said.

“The missus would have been happier with that but she knows how important the World Cup is to my career.”

That game has also alerted Slovakia to the threat New Zealand pose, with midfielder Vladimir Weiss insisting Slovakia will not underestimate them.

“We have seen the New Zealanders play against Serbia,” said Weiss, who is the fourth player to be selected for a World Cup squad by his father, also called Vladimir.

“We know what we can expect from them. We will obviously try to get all three points.”

Slovakia themselves, a neat, progressive side, impressed in their build-up, having the better of a 1-1 draw against Cameroon before beating Costa Rica 3-0.

“When we play we will build on the work against Costa Rica,” Weiss said. “I believe that the New Zealand match will turn out as we all want.”

Coach Weiss, who played in the 1990 World Cup for Czechoslovakia, and is himself the son of a Czechoslovakia international, also called Vladimir, reported no injuries, with Liverpool centre-back Martin Skrtel returning to fill training Friday.