If our last Confederations Cup appearance in 2009 is anything to go by, poor performances and the absence of our captain and best player due to injury (then Ryan Nelsen) didn't hamper our progress to the World Cup Finals later that year.
We were mediocre in being thrashed 5-0 by Spain and very average in games against weak South African and Iraqi sides.
But look what happened a few months later in November that year vs. Bahrain.
Here's the 2009 NZ Confederations Cup squad - no Ryan Nelsen and no Rory Fallon, Tommy Smith or Winston Reid who hadn't been capped yet. Seven players from that squad didn't make the 2010 World Cup squad:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_FIFA_Confederat...
If any of our pre-Confederations Cup friendlies this time are as entertaining as the 4-3 loss to Italy pre Confederations Cup in 2009, then that will be a bonus.
Like your optimism Big Pete and certainly similarities now between Nelsen and Reid being best players, spiritual leaders etc. Both of course were/are injury prone from hard slog that is EPL. And other times both just made themselves unavailable even when fit
However sadly world of difference between quality of Bahrain and what will be 5th team from Suid America!!
But yes at least this World Cup cycle we are at the Confeds unlike the last. Hopefully AWs do well though I'm obviously less confident of that without Reid, and I think AH will tweak his plans now