2 6 ▁goals , ▁conced ing ▁ 5 ", ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁including ▁the ▁New ▁Zealand ▁U 2 3 ' s ▁record , ▁games ▁he ▁has ▁co ached ▁in ▁his ▁campaign ▁for ▁New ▁Zealand , ▁and ▁taking ▁the ▁All ▁Wh ites ' ▁two - year ▁run ▁from ▁after ▁their ▁ 3 1 ▁March ▁ 2 0 1 5 ▁match ▁against ▁South ▁Korea . ▁ ▁In ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 6 , ▁Hudson ▁led ▁the ▁All ▁Wh ites ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 7 ▁FIFA ▁Confeder ations ▁Cup ▁as ▁the ▁lowest ▁ranked ▁team , ▁ 9 5 th ▁at ▁the ▁time , ▁in ▁the ▁tournament . ▁Their ▁first ▁match ▁was ▁against ▁the ▁hosts ▁Russia , ▁where ▁they ▁were ▁be aten ▁ 0 – 2 . ▁Their ▁second ▁match ▁against ▁Mexico ▁was ▁a ▁close ▁one ▁as ▁they ▁took ▁the ▁lead , ▁but ▁their ▁efforts ▁ended ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 – 2 ▁loss , ▁thus ▁ear ning ▁their ▁early ▁exit ▁along ▁with ▁Russia . ▁Despite ▁the ▁exit , ▁Portugal ' s ▁manager , ▁Fernando ▁Santos , ▁pra ised ▁New ▁Zealand ▁as ▁a ▁" team ▁that ▁can ▁surprise ▁anyone " ▁after ▁their ▁performances ▁against ▁Mexico . ▁In ▁the ▁end , ▁New ▁Zealand ▁finished ▁Group ▁A ▁with ▁a ▁third ▁defeat ▁to ▁European ▁champions ▁Portugal . ▁In ▁spite ▁of ▁this , ▁Hudson ▁was ▁pra ised ▁from ▁over se as ▁press , ▁including ▁Portugal ▁and ▁South ▁Korea ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁from ▁New ▁Zealand ▁captain ▁W inst on ▁Re id , ▁and ▁player ▁Ryan ▁Thomas ▁for ▁constant ▁" im prov