All Whites determined to press on

Press to impress.

It remains a key motto for the All Whites as they get set to continue their Confederations Cup campaign against familiar foes Mexico in Sochi tomorrow.

After a 2-0 loss to hosts Russia first up, 95th-ranked New Zealand are left needing an upset result against the world’s 17th best team to keep hopes of achieving their major goal alive.

The Kiwi side want to be the country’s first senior team to reach the knockout stages of a major Fifa tournament. That now requires at least a draw with El Tri, but more likely a shock victory given European champions Portugal are the other team in the group.

Pushing high up the field to apply pressure when their opposition have the ball is a key pillar of All Whites coach Anthony Hudson’s game plan.

While effective if done well, successfully implementing the tactic proved difficult against Russia last weekend and that could be just as tricky , if not more so, against a skilful and pacy Mexican side littered with world-class talent.

Experienced defender Tommy Smith happily acknowledged pulling off a good press was a crucial part of their focus for the match at the Fisht Olympic Stadium.

‘‘That is part of our game plan,’’ said the 27-year-old centreback who captained New Zealand in 5-1 and 4-2 defeats to Mexico in the World Cup intercontinental playoff in 2013.

‘‘Anyone that’s watched us over our last few games will see that we like to press and that will be no different against Mexico. We like to think if we can win the ball higher up the pitch it will create better opportunities for us to score.

‘‘We [also] know they can be dangerous if you give them time and space on the ball, so we’re going to look to stop them from [having] that.’’