It is a fallacy to say the World Cup's feelgood story, New Zealand's All Whites, are a team full of A-League players.

The yarn is far, far better than that - and Australia doesn't deserve that much credit.

Yes, there are eight A-League players in the New Zealand's 23-man squad - four of whom started in the remarkable 1-1 draw with defending World Cup champions Italy in Nelspruit which has set this tournament alight.

But there are also four who play a level below that, in the New Zealand league.

Two are part-time footballers who work for a living.

One of those - late substitute Andy Barron - would be able to help Italy's cashed-up Serie A stars count their millions.

He works for the Westpac Bank, shoehorning football with Team Wellington in the local league around his day job.

New Zealand coach Ricki Herbert, who also has a second job as Wellington Phoenix A-League coach, has built a team which plays within a disciplined structure.

They mix entertaining three-attacker football with stoic defence and a high workrate.

That they could hold one of world football's powerhouses to a deserved draw proves that belief, ticker, great organisation and sticking to a game plan can lead to wonderful things.

Not only did New Zealand take a lead against Italy - through A-League star Shane Smeltz - they rebounded from a dubious equalising penalty to repel attack after attack from an Italian team who pride themselves on defence.

Another A-League player, Mark Paston, was heroic between the sticks.

His superb second half diving save to deny Italy a certain goal was the best we've seen at the tournament so far.

And the Kiwis - whose other squad members mainly come from England's lower leagues and clubs in the US - nearly pinched a winner.

If England-based 18-year-old Chris Wood's shot hadn't Jabulani-ed a paint scrape to the right of the post, New Zealand could have emulated the most famous upset in World Cup history.

That was when North Korea beat Italy 1-0 in 1966.

"We're doing okay for a team that supposedly has some amateurs in it and wasn't good enough and shouldn't be playing in the World Cup," Herbert said.

"We've just played the four-time world champions yet a lot of people thought we shouldn't be part of the World Cup ... that the way we qualified was easy.

"This has stopped the nation. This is the most incredible result we've had right across the board.

"In football, it is way above anything else we have achieved in the history of the game."

It has also - certainly in South Africa anyway - done the near impossible and got Australian fans cheering on their neighbours.

While the Socceroos' World Cup is balanced on a mathematical knife-edge, New Zealand are in a much better position to qualify for the round of 16.

Beat Paraguay on Thursday (FRI AEST) and they'll make the round of 16. Even a draw may still be enough.

But one thing Australia shouldn't be doing is taking any credit as the All Whites become the toast of the World Cup.

Our A-League has been just a stepping stone.

The long climb to the summit has been as Kiwi as Sir Edmund Hillary.

Enjoy the view, All Whites. You deserve it.

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