The All Whites will take on Belgium in Vancouver on Saturday requiring victory to maintain their chances of reaching the knockout rounds for the first time.
New Zealand sits at the bottom of Group G after letting leads slip against both Iran and Egypt, collecting a draw and a loss from their opening two fixtures. Belgium, ranked 10th in the world, has drawn twice and also needs a win to avoid early elimination.
Midfielder Eli Just, who scored twice against Iran in New Zealand's opening match in Los Angeles, said Belgium's tournament results made them a tougher proposition. "They've maybe underperformed so far with the two draws, but if anything, that makes them even more dangerous," Just said.
The 26-year-old became the first All White to score twice in a single World Cup match with his brace against Iran. New Zealand has netted 3 goals at the tournament.
Just said the All Whites would adopt an aggressive approach. "The fact that we've got nothing to lose, we're going to go and give it everything we've got," he said. Belgium, captained by Kevin de Bruyne, faces the same elimination risk.
Just currently plays for Motherwell in the Scottish Premiership and is the only Motherwell player at the World Cup. All Whites coach Darren Bazeley has said Just's tournament performances would attract attention from other clubs. The midfielder has represented New Zealand at under-17, under-20 and Olympic levels.