All Whites captain Chris Wood wants New Zealand to 'turn up' against USA. Photo: Photosport
All Whites captain Chris Wood is determined to prove the side's latest loss was an "anomaly" when they face another top-20 side in USA on Wednesday.
Wood does not believe the 3-0 defeat to Mexico showed what this team - one of the strongest squads New Zealand had put together in recent seasons - was capable of.
The striker, who plied his trade in the English Premier League with Nottingham Forest, was familiar with high-stakes football and admitted he was not at his best for New Zealand on Sunday.
"I didn't turn up to the full capability of what I can show. Lucky out there I was not a Premier League striker that day, so I need to improve myself first and foremost, and the other lads will just follow the way that I try and put myself forward and do what I do ... but we all need to raise our game.
"I think everybody could see we weren't at the level we hold ourselves to and it's rightfully so that we take the brunt of it and try and go again and become better.
"There's no shying away from it - we were probably five to 10 percent off it, and Mexico punished us because of that ... unfortunately we didn't show up the way we should of."
If the All Whites did not "show up" in Cincinnati, Wood said they would be "steamrolled again" by a USA side that was in a state of transition and on a three-game losing streak of its own.
Matches against sides ranked as high as Mexico (17) and USA (16) were rare for the world number 94 All Whites, and Wood wanted the side to show the world what they could do.
"I'd like to say that the past year we've turned up on more occasions than not, and I just think the other night was an anomaly.
"But we need to show it tomorrow and compete tomorrow and do the business to make sure it is an anomaly, and as long as we do that tomorrow and come out with a better showing, better attitude I think we will be all right."
Wood got limited service from his team mates against Mexico, but was confident they could create goal scoring opportunities.
"In other games, we've created more chances and we've had better showings. We need to put that on the bigger occasion with better teams that we are coming up against.
"I do believe we have a squad capable of creating chances and creating opportunities - it's just getting the belief and confidence [instilled] in the lads to do it."
Liberato Cacace of New Zealand challenged by Luis Chavez of Mexico. Photo: Photosport
Coach Darren Bazeley said there would be some changes to the side that played Mexico and he encouraged all those selected to start or come off the bench to prove a point.
"If you're starting, then that is your opportunity to stake a claim to consistently be selected in that starting line-up, so that's the challenge we've put to the boys: now here's an opportunity - go and grab it."
Bazeley said "international football should be hard", but Mexico and USA were "a step-up for us at the moment".
"We know that when it all comes together, we're able to compete with these teams - but we have got to get to that level ...
"Probably the consistency is key: we're able to do things within a game - whether that is in possession or out of possession - but it is about being able to be consistent throughout 90 minutes, which is where Mexico were better than us," Bazeley said.
After watching the USA lose to Canada on Sunday, Bazeley said New Zealand could take some pointers from the game.
"America struggled to deal with Canada and the pace that Canada played at.
"So I think it is our job tomorrow to start with a high tempo and to almost take that away from the American team - to take away the opportunity for them to showcase themselves in front of a new coach."
Argentine head coach Mauricio Pochettino was tipped to be the next USA coach, although the United States Soccer Federation was yet to officially announce his appointment.