Ricki Herbert is the only A-League coach in the competition who also has responsibility for his national team - a feat in itself. As such, his destiny as one of the greats of New Zealand sport will hang on two outcomes.

The Phoenix boss is looking to guide the capital city club to its first ever A-League finals next February, starting on Sunday with a trip to Newcastle Jets.

As that challenge unfolds over the A-League season, his national team the All-Whites (or the Thai Airways All-Whites to be corporately correct) will shortly face their four-yearly dice with World Cup qualification death. They will face either Bahrain or Saudi Arabia in October and November in a two legged play-off for a spot at the 2010 World Cup.

If it all comes off Herbert - a 1982 World Cup hero who played at the heart of that famous Kiwi side of Steve Sumner, Wynton Rufer and Duncan Cole - will once again be feted as a Kiwi sporting hero. If so, the game across the ditch will surely boom just as it has in Australia in the last five years. Even completing one of these two goals would be significant - particularly if it's a World Cup place.

If Herbert fails on both counts, well, it doesn't bear thinking about say some of the region's most patient fans.

But for a man with such a huge responsibility, Herbert is as relaxed as ever. Or maybe that's just the public persona of Auckland's favourite football son?

"I'm looking forward to this year," he tells au.fourfourtwo.com at this week's launch of season five of the A-League.

"Obviously the World Cup is big but that's been on the run for five years now. The support has been really good and hopefully we bring home the tie on November 14. Everything's in place and it's just a matter of who we're going to play."

Herbert, as you'd expect, doesn't want to name a preferred nation. However, many in Australia would say after having seen them play four times against the Socceroos since 2006, Bahrain would be the easier option. Just.

"It's about what we do in the away leg," Herbert says.

"And it's exciting that it's coming to this point. When I was appointed in 2005, I wouldn't have believed this would've happened and obviously with a professional side in the A-League.

"I love it. It's what I'm in the game for. We've only done it once before and it stopped the nation."

Oceania's champions may never have a better chance of qualifying. Shane Smeltz is in the goal scoring form of his life, Chris Killen's recent two goals for Celtic in Brisbane were a timely reminder of his worth and Rory Fallon at Plymouth and EPL bulwark Ryan Nelson at Blackburn will also be key.

Thrown in a core of pros from Phoenix and a sell-out, noisy crowd at Westpac stadium and you'd have to say New Zealand has at least an even chance of returning to South Africa after their Confederations Cup in the European off-season.

As for the Phoenix, quietly and steadily is the mantra. After a first season where they finished bottom (though they impressed enough to be awarded FourFourTwo magazine's team of the season for their sheer pluck and bravado), season two almost brought finals joy. The squad, to be fair, was not quite finals material and relied too much on Smeltz.

Could it be third time lucky in season five?

"We started off two and a bit years ago and it can be a big year, we recruited well and have flown under the radar," says Herbert. "There are enough clubs out there beating their chests, we don't need to join that."

Phoenix has indeed recruited wisely. A spread of scorers rather than relying on one (the Gold Coast bound current A-League player of the year Smeltz) has been the aim. And with Paul Ifill, Chris Greenacre, Leo Bertos, Diego, Daniel and Costa Barbarouses plus new Chinese U/23 international Jiang Chen all in the mix, it's looking promising.

Add a rearguard of Andrew Durante, John McKain and screeners such as Tim Brown and Michael Ferrante and you can understand the quiet confidence. The wonderful Phoenix support may just get their first finals appearance - they certainly deserve it.

Captain Andrew Durante says Phoenix has an overall quality he didn't see last season. "The players are feeling a lot more confident this season compared to last season. You're going to see a different side, organised and definitely a top six side."

Herbert's new assistant Luciano Trani has, according to Durante, added an extra edge to the Phoenix bootroom team as Herbert the head coach seeks his Holy Grail.

Adds Herbert: "Now, it's a defining moment for our game in New Zealand." He's not wrong.