It hasn't been a case of all change for Ricki Herbert since the All Whites' unbeaten run at the 2010 World Cup but he has mixed and matched in 18 games played since.
Of the 23 players in South Africa, 11 started all three games while four played off the bench in one or more games. Eight took no part including Michael McGlinchey who has since been one of the busiest All Whites.
In the 18 games since the World Cup McGlinchey, who made his debut against Jordan in 2009 and played in the crucial play-offs against Bahrain, has started 14 times and come off the bench twice. The only games he did not appear in were the two matches against the Solomon Islands at the Nations Cup in Honiara.
Kosta Barbarouses, like McGlinchey, made his international debut before the World Cup playing against Fiji in November 2008. He was not included in the World Cup squad, missed the remaining 2010 fixtures against Honduras and Paraguay but has played every game since starting in all but four.
The "Godfather," Ivan Vicelich, continues to tot up his All Whites appearances.
Cajoled out of retirement to go to the World Cup, Vicelich has now reached 85 full international appearances - 16 more than Simon Elliott who played the three World Cup matches and three of the next four but none since the 3-0 loss to Mexico in Denver in June last year.
Including the World Cup games, Vicelich has started in 16 matches and played three, counting this week's 1-1 draw with China in Shanghai, off the bench.
Ryan Nelsen, who played all at the World Cup and against Honduras post-South Africa, has played only four since. Tommy Smith, captain in Nelsen's absence, missed four of the five games after the World Cup but has started in the 13 since.
Since the beginning of 2011, Herbert handed debuts to 10 players. Michael Boxall, Michael Fitzgerald and Marco Rojas all started from the bench in the 1-1 draw with China in Wuhan last October.
Fitzgerald then started the next match against Mexico in Denver and was a substitute four days later in the 3-0 loss to the Socceroos in Adelaide. He hasn't turned out for the All Whites since.
Rojas missed the games against Mexico and Australia but has played 12 since then including eight starts.
Jake Gleeson played in goal off the bench on debut against Australia and then replaced Mark Paston when he was injured in the first game of the Nations Cup in Honiara and started the remaining four matches.
Dan Keat debuted against Jamaica in Auckland earlier this year but did not play again until he came on as a substitute against Tahiti, away and home, in the World Cup qualifiers last month before his first start against China this week.
Ian Hogg started, and scored, on debut against El Salvador in the 2-2 draw in Houston in May and three days later against Honduras in Dallas. He played twice in Honiara, starting against Solomon Islands and New Caledonia but nothing since.
Cameron Howieson joined Hogg as a debutante against El Salvador (off the bench) and has had three substitute outings since including this week's game in China.
Tim Payne started from the bench on debut against Honduras and against Papua New Guinea in Honiara. He has since been in the starting XI four times and as a substitute once in the World Cup qualifier in New Caledonia.
Adam McGeorge also debuted as a substitute against Honduras and was again used that way against the Solomon Islands in Honiara in his only two appearances.
Tim Myers made his debut off the bench against PNG in Honiara and started the games against the Solomons and New Caledonia but hasn't been used since.
Since the World Cup, 32 players have pulled on an All Whites shirt; only retirees Andy Barron and James Bannatyne of the World Cup squad have not been figured.
Of the 29 post-World Cup goals, Chris Wood scored 10, Shane Smeltz six, McGlinchey and Chris Killen three each, Barbarouses two and Smith, Tony Lochhead, Hogg, Rojas and Ben Sigmund one each.
Score card
All Whites since the World Cup 2010:
*Played 18, won 8, drawn 5, lost 5
*Goals scored 29, goals against 24
*Fifa ranking: 54 after World Cup
*Fifa ranking: 93
- Terry Maddaford
