Ian Ransom

MELBOURNE, June 1 (Reuters) - Australia coach ⁠Tony Popovic said his young World Cup squad is better than the Socceroos' 2022 line-up ⁠and should have high expectations heading into the tournament in North America.

Short on star power but always up for a fight, Australia head to the World Cup eyeing another trip to the knockout rounds but dogged by the usual questions about whether they ​have the attacking quality to trouble the top teams.

New Zealand midfielders Ryan Thomas and Joe Bell ⁠will head into the World Cup short of match practice while nursing ‌leg injuries.

Scrumhalf Jake Gordon will ⁠miss Australia's Nations Championship tests against Ireland, ‌France and Italy after undergoing surgery ‌on a torn ‌Achilles sustained at the weekend.

Australia coach Tony Popovic said his young World Cup squad is better than the ⁠Socceroos' 2022 line-up and should have high expectations heading into the tournament in North America.

New Zealand defender Tim Payne is taking his sudden social media fame in his stride as he prepares for the World Cup, bringing unexpected attention to the tournament's lowest-ranked ​nation.

June 2 (Reuters) - New Zealand ⁠defender Tim Payne is taking his sudden social media fame in his stride as he ⁠prepares for the World Cup, bringing unexpected attention to the tournament's lowest-ranked nation.

New Zealand defender Tim Payne has see his Instagram following has skyrocketed from 4,715 to an astonishing 4.2m

Haiti crushed a shambolic New Zealand 4-0 in a steamy World Cup warmup in Fort Lauderdale, ⁠Florida on Tuesday, delighting a buzzing crowd of Haitian fans and spoiling a milestone match for All Whites captain Chris Wood.

Haiti crushed a shambolic New Zealand 4-0 in a steamy World Cup warmup in Fort Lauderdale, ⁠Florida on Tuesday, delighting a buzzing crowd of Haitian fans and spoiling a milestone match for All Whites captain Chris Wood.