OPINION: New Zealand Football announced in September last year that Wellington's Westpac Stadium would host the All Whites in the home leg of their intercontinental playoff for a place at the 2018 FIFA World Cup. Fast-forward 13 months, and it's a decision which should be questioned.
Memories of the All Whites' win over Bahrain gives Westpac Stadium a gravitational pull when it comes to these calls. 2009 was a heady time for football in the capital. The city was gripped by 'Yellow Fever' and enjoying the rise of the Phoenix, which provided five members of the starting line-up - as well as the coach - on that magical night. The familiar surrounds of the Ring of Fire gave the All Whites a distinct advantage.
But does that advantage still exist?
Only two members of Anthony Hudson's likely squad next month - Shane Smeltz and Michael McGlinchey - started the game against Bahrain in 2009, and McGlinchey could well be the only Phoenix player in Hudson's team that runs on to Westpac Stadium next month.
For New Zealand Football, the purpose of this fixture is to make money and help the All Whites qualify for the World Cup. There's an argument that playing the game in Auckland could have given them a greater chance of success on both fronts.
The rate at which tickets were snapped up for next month's game when they went on sale this week proved what a massive event this match is for New Zealand Football. The intercontinental playoff will rival the Lions tour for the biggest sporting event in the country this year, but the stakes will be exponentially higher.
Even at heavily inflated prices, fear of missing out on the match that matters every four years kicked in hard for the fans. Imagine how much money New Zealand Football could have made if the game was played in a bigger stadium? For the last three years we've heard Anthony Hudson bemoan the lack of international activity for his All Whites. Money matters for this cash-strapped organisation.
But perhaps the greatest irony of New Zealand Football's decision has hit home in the last week as they battle with the biggest problem of all: how to get the players out of Wellington to Lima for the second leg.
Flying commercially is an arduous task from the capital. Now we're talking about stumping up with an absurd sum to hire a private charter flight with money New Zealand Football simply doesn't have.
And neither do Peru. Their team manager was here this week and admitted it would be easier if the game was in Auckland. "Tough" was the theme of the reaction from the kiwi fans on social media. But there's another side to this: Peru's Football Association could have hosted the second leg at altitude, which would have been a nightmare for the New Zealand players in the second half of the second leg. But they didn't. They chose to play the game in Lima, at sea level. By playing the first leg in Wellington we've made life difficult for Peru, but we've also made it difficult for ourselves.
Playing the match at Eden Park would have given New Zealand Football a bigger gate, substantially lowered logistical costs, and enabled them to have the players arrive in Lima fresher and faster for the second leg. It just makes more sense.
I don't particularly like the idea of playing big football matches there, and I'm sure plenty of fans feel the same way. But with no distinct 'home advantage' at Westpac Stadium for many of our own players, Eden Park is an option that should be strongly considered if the All Whites make the playoff again in four years' time.
Andrew Gourdie is a Newshub sports reporter/presenter and host of RadioLIVE's Sunday Sport from 2pm.
