A freakish equaliser in the dying minutes of their clash with the USA at the TQL Stadium in Cincinnati earned the All Whites a 1-1 draw against the 2026 FIFA World Cup Finals co-hosts on September 10, as they rounded off their preparations for their qualification campaign with a hard-earned result against the top-ranked nation in the CONCACAF region. Darren Bazeley's charges came close to opening the scoring just 76 seconds into the contest, with Matt Garbett catching Yunus Musah in possession just outside the penalty area. He instantly unleashed a volley which narrowly cleared the crossbar, much to the relief of the vast majority of the 15,711 fans present. The host nation retorted two minutes later, Aidan Morris and Brenden Aaronson combining to send Haji Wright through on goal, but Max Crocombe was off his line quickly to save at the striker's feet. Clever Chris Wood footwork unhinged the USA defence in the tenth minute, with Joe Bell and Elijah Just benefiting from their captain's skills. Alas for Just, his shot was blocked by Mark McKenzie. The USA enjoyed the majority of possession throughout the first half in particular, but New Zealand's defence was little troubled by their industry. Indeed, the home team was guilty of conceding plenty of free-kicks, and Honduras referee Selvin Brown should really have got the yellow card out and brandished it for their persistent infringements - one suspects he would have done had this been a competitive fixture, rather than a friendly. Ricardo Pepi had a goal ruled out in the nineteenth minute after he and well-performed debutant fullback Marlon Fossey sandwiched Cacace in the build-up. When Fossey was next involved, eight minutes later, he picked out Wright, whose twenty-five yard drive sizzled over Crocombe's crossbar. Great tracking by Just, coupled with a timely tackle, prevented Aaronson from getting in on goal in the 32nd minute, while a miscued shot from Pepi soon afterwards deceived Crocombe but bounced past the far post, unlike a thirty-five yard screamer from Musah in first half stoppage time, the All Whites' 'keeper pulling off a solid parried save low to his right to deny him. In between these efforts, USA goalkeeper Matt Turner was called into action for the first time, denying Cacace in the 39th minute. Eleven minutes into the second spell, and after Folarin Balogun had directed a header into the side-netting on receipt of Kristoffer Lund's angled ball into the box, Turner was called into action again, this time blocking a shot from Just after Garbett and Marko Stamenic had combined to carve open the USA's defence. To their talisman they duly turned, US legend Christian Pulisic entering the fray soon after this attack. His influence was soon felt, Balogun's angled drive being turned round the near post by

Crocombe in the 61st minute, the 'keeper then producing a super save to deny Aaronson in a one-on-one situation, Pulisic sparking this move with the assistance of Pepi and Balogun. The pressure which Pulisic's introduction to the fray prompted paid dividends for the USA in the 69th minute, with the man himself breaking the deadlock. Fossey and Luca de la Torre teamed up with Pepi and Balogun to play in Pulisic through the inside left channel, from where he rifled the ball across Crocombe and into the far corner of the net - 1-0 USA, and you couldn't deny their pressure and efforts weren't deserving of it. Straight from the kick-off, a twenty-yarder on the turn from Balogun was turned away by Crocombe after another Pulisic-inspired raid. But after a lively USA raid had seen Caleb Wiley's cross arc behind all-comers as his team-mates queued up for the ball in the penalty area, New Zealand reminded their hosts that a one-goal lead is a precarious one. Seven minutes from time, Old just failed to connect with a Bill Tuiloma cross after Garbett had orchestrated the opening. The All Whites attacked again six minutes later, Nando Pijnaker looking to pick out Logan Rogerson with his ball downfield. Wiley got their first, allowing McKenzie to clear his lines. At least, that was the plan - the reality was something straight out of Keystone Cops! The defender's clearance cannoned off Ben Waine and arced over the head of Turner before dropping into the net some twenty yards away from where a surprised but delighted goalscorer began celebrating his good fortune. Turner couldn't believe it, but the scoreboard read 1-1. Cue pressure aplenty from the USA in the time remaining, but they came up against stubborn resistance from the All Whites, who were determined to hold onto what they had come hell or high water. A rising drive from Fossey which narrowly cleared the crossbar in stoppage time was the closest the USA came to snatching a late winner, although they were more than a little miffed that they weren't awarded a last-gasp penalty as Rogerson's clumsy challenge saw Balogun go to ground. Referee Brown thought otherwise, however, and soon after, sounded the final whistle to confirm the All Whites' best result since holding Eire to a 1-1 draw in Dublin eleven months ago, just in time for their World Cup qualifying campaign. USA:          Turner; Fossey, Richards, McKenzie, Lund (Wiley, 66); Musah (de la Torre, 46 (booked, 59)), Balogun, Morris (Cardoso, 86); Pepi (Cowell, 86), Wright (Pulisic, 57), Aaronson (Tillman, 66) All Whites:     Crocombe; Payne (Tuiloma, 66), Surman (Boxall, 73), Pijnaker, Cacace; Just (Old, 66), Rufer (booked, 37 (Rogerson, 83)), Garbett (booked, 54 (Barbarouses, 83)), Bell, Stamenic (booked, 51); Wood (Waine, 74) Referee:     Selvin Brown (Honduras)