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OPINION: No surprises there then. The All Whites gave everything they had, kept it tight, had much less possession, struggled to create goalscoring chances and went down fighting. As per the script.

Comparisons with past All Whites teams are pointless, but let’s try anyway.

Neither the 1982 team or the 2010 edition had to get past a team, in qualifying, anywhere near as strong as Peru. The unforgettable ‘82 campaign was notable for the sheer number of teams overcome on the journey and the incredible drama along the way rather than any notable giant killing. A fantastic feat of David slaying several other Davids.

And in 2010, the All Whites enjoyed possibly the easiest qualifying route to the finals any team has ever encountered, other than those who’ve qualified automatically as hosts or holders.

There’s no arguing, though, with the three great results Ricki Herbert’s men achieved at the finals in South Africa, and on that basis the 2010 team tops the current side, which in its 10 games against ‘‘decent’’ opposition under Anthony Hudson has recorded two draws and eight defeats.

Hudson certainly talked the talk, as you’d expect, but after all the positive claims that New Zealand are no longer underdogs, that we were going to play like Chile, we’re still at the stage where our game plan centres around being tight and organised at the back, keeping opponents out, running our socks off (all of which are in every other countries’ play book, by the way) and hoping to score from a set piece or one of the rare chances that inevitably come any team’s way. In other words, beating the law of averages.

Despite the advances we’re supposed to have made technically, despite having