I've been to many memorable football matches. Premiership encounters in England. The first game of Wellington Phoenix's life against Melbourne. The All Whites win over Bahrain in November.
But the two games I've seen in the past six days put even those unforgettable matches in the shade.
The All Whites' back-to-back World Cup draws with Slovakia and Italy have rocked the footballing world. No-one expected this. We hoped. We dreamed. But we didn't really think we'd be heading into the last group match with a chance of not only progressing to the round of sixteen but, incredibly, of actually winning the group.
Ricki Herbert's players, who have been variously described as journeymen, lower-grade pros, part-timers and also-rans, have pulled out 180 minutes of football that no-one could have predicted a week ago.
Pre-tournament, Slovakia represented the best chance of a result for New Zealand. They were the lowest-ranked of the group opponents and were the first side the All Whites would face, giving them the biggest surprise factor possible in today's world where every football match is available in video form. Furthermore, New Zealand backed themselves against European opposition.
The timing of Winston Reid's equaliser magnified the euphoria around the result. Had New Zealand scored first, or if they'd grabbed the equaliser earlier in the game, there wouldn't have been the same outpouring of jubilation that accompanied Reid's late, late show. Regardless of that, it was still a superb way to start the tournament and confirmed the All Whites would be a far more difficult proposition than the vast majority of the world's footballing media had predicted them to be.
Slovakia was one thing; Italy was another matter entirely. We're talking here about the defending world champions. The fifth-ranked side in the world. A nation where the passion for football makes New Zealand's love for rugby seem like merely a passing interest.
This result was simply outrageous. New Zealand drawing with Italy? Preposterous. But it happened. And you know what? I reckon they deserved it.
There wasn't a single New Zealand player who didn't put in a very, very good shift. Led by the simply immense Ryan Nelsen, and from goalkeeper Mark Paston who pulled off a number of crucial saves at the back, to front-runners Chris Killen and Shane Smeltz who covered every blade of grass fulfilling their unglamorous defensive duties, this was a team prepared to give absolutely everything for the cause. And they were rewarded handsomely with a result they can bank for the rest of their lives.
So, what chance a third memorable match against Paraguay on Thursday? On the face of things, it seems as unlikely as getting a result against Italy. Which means Kiwi fans should feel a pang of nervous anticipation that this team is capable of yet more heroics. After all, they've got form. And absolutely nothing to lose.
