New Zealand U-23s - Quali Whites

With Wood already out, and Lewis effectively in home detention:

Crocombe, Payne, Boxall, Cacace, Bell, Rufer, Singh, Kosta is 8 players. Which other over 23s need to be there? 

The u23s guys plus a group of 8 like that is more than enough to take the Nations Cup home. Des went to the Pacific Games with a very understrength u23 team and comfortably beat senior sides from all the other OFC nations. 

Though we probably won't get the luxury of taking Boxall as the MLS is still ongoing. And I'm sure others of that 8 won't be making the trip as it is not in an official FIFA window and/or it will be better for them to be focusing on their club careers at the moment. 

Going to be very interesting to see the squad Baze goes for and why. 

The whole it is hard to win over there is true historically, we are also in a position of strength that we have not had before.

You could pick a full u23 side of professional NZ players - not sure we've ever had that luxury before.

MetalLegNZ

The whole it is hard to win over there is true historically, we are also in a position of strength that we have not had before.

You could pick a full u23 side of professional NZ players - not sure we've ever had that luxury before.

So good to think even our youth teams are kicking on in the pro game. Even if results don't show it, both the men's and women's sides have come on in leaps and bounds at all levels over the last 15-20 years. 

I'm sure that the Kingz, Knights and Nix are a big big part of it.

MetalLegNZ

The whole it is hard to win over there is true historically, we are also in a position of strength that we have not had before.

You could pick a full u23 side of professional NZ players - not sure we've ever had that luxury before.

The 2021 Tokyo 18 man squad were all in pro environments. Helped by yes it effectively being an U24 team, with those Olympics postponed a year.

Jamie Searle (2nd GK) was on a Swansea youth deal. Dane Ingham (Unattached FC).

Reserve players Paulsen, Sutton & Old were all likely in the Weenix Academy. Initial reserve Garbett got promoted to the main squad, when Michael Boxall pulled out. By then it was then too late to replace Boxall, outside the overall 22 players.

https://www.ftbl.com.au/news/four-a-league-stars-make-new-zealands-olywhites-olympic-squad-566490

So Empoli don't get relegated. You'd think Libby would be keen to play in Paris.
The next Serie A starts August 17-18th, so Empoli should be okay to let him play. More so if he bypasses June's OFC Nations Cup.

But does Bazeley want Cacace for the Olympics, with LK-H and Sutton as other options?

I have a hunch Baze will want Libby, Wood (seems very keen) and Singh.
I can see Bazeley moving Bindon to RB, and obviously Libby would be at LB.

That gives him two quality players as his fullbacks, in a tourney where NZ will be doing alot of defending. Then it's either a back 4 with Surman & Hughes as his CBs, or a back 5 and LK-H slips in between Hughes & Libby.

Bazely has played Bindon at RB for the AWs, and I now think it was with one eye firmly towards the Olympics. The other options are Payne (meh for use of a valuable over age spot) and the very raw Sheridan. I'm excited by Sheridan and hope he's picked in the squad, but he's there too mostly watch on. He starts and guys like Mbappé, Odobert (Burnley), Barcola (PSG), Koné (Borussia Mönchengladbach) etc could just tear him apart. Same young US hotshots like Kevin Paredes (VfL Wolfsburg), Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven) & Diego Luna (3 goals this season for RSL in the MLS). Plus whoever their overage players are. Pulisic? Even Guinea will likely have a host of promising French Ligue One talent.

Sheridan has come from almost nowhere to look promising, playing a handful of ALM games. But he has very little experience of really big high stakes matches. He wasn't at last year's U20 WC in Argentina (NZ had 3 different RBs in 4 games). In hindsight a selection mistake - but picking age group teams is never a perfect science. OVH who will likely be in the 18/22 mix, is a makeshift option to play RB if say Bindon got injured.

Surman, Hughes, LK-H all got a little taste of what is coming in France, last year in Sth America. They all played Argentina in front of their passionate home fans in a white hot atmosphere (U20s lost 5-0). That's a taster to facing France at the Marseille Velodrome on 30th July.

Helps also that we played the USA at last years U20s WC (lost 4-0). No doubt a few of that US team will be in France. They won't be much weaker than the French. But yeah those 2 results from last year show the magnitude of the task. But very useful experience for likes of Herdman, Conchie, Surman, Hughes, LK-H re the Olympics

Bindon now has plenty of big match experience with Reading and the AWs (started against both Greece & Tunisia at RB). He already massively impressives at only 19, as having some proper big game cool head temperament.

So yeah I can see Bazeley going with Wood, Singh & Cacace if all available. And putting Bindon across to RB, to stiffen the defence. Trusting Surman & Hughes/LK-H to do a job. Will help Hughes/LK-H greatly to have Libby alongside them. At Tokyo, Hay used 2 of his overage spots on CBs (Reid & M Boxall), but thankfully in this window we actually have some real talented U23 CBs.

If Singh is unavailable (club future uncertain) it might be Bell or Rufer that Bazeley brings in (rather than meh Payne) to help shield his young CBs. But Sarpreet missed Tokyo as Bayern wanted him at the time, so he's likely dead keen on Paris if he can make it work. 3rd tier Hana Rostock might want him to play in France as a shop window, if they plan to sell him (1 year into a 3 year deal) and maximise a transfer fee.

Edit - A Wood and Singh combo seems crucial for NZ to get anything out of this tourney. The Woodsman is good enough to make even the world's best young CBs nervous. Can see all the teams in NZ's pool double teaming him. I remember in the QF at the last Olympics, Wood had a great tussle all game with Japan's ex EPL veteran Maya Yoshida (over age player).
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2021/07/31/world/olympics/japan-u23/new-zealand-under-23/3497456/

With Singh's vision, big Christopher will get some good chances. Sans Singh far less confident of that.

News flash, they will have on average better players than us.
They have only picked one o/a player so far.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/usa-roster-12-mls-players-in-pre-2024-olympics-training-camp

ClubOranje

I don’t disagree overall with that, but the argument is with the 5+3 plus the U23 players with a few caps behind them you are already starting your strongest lineup. Take a couple of others, and round the squad with your key U23 Olympic players.

If you are 4-0 up at half time v New Caledonia you can give them a run.
You don’t need to take fringe AW players who are likely to sit on the bench the whole tournament.

And somewhere along the line you want to have warmup games. 
Not much opportunity to fit them in with seasons just finished, half the team involved in OFC, and needing to ensure players get rest as well before their next season starts.

 If Crocombe is available her has to go as first choice keeper. If he is not available Paulsen arguably takes the role ahead of other recent squad picks Sail and Woud. Can't see much point calling in the likes of other recent years squad keepers Tsanev, Searle or Gould. If no Crocombe a left field idea, Paulsen with Sims and Gray. Paulsen starts every game but if we are up say 4-0 or more in any of the games give Sims or Gray half an hour at the end. This will mean Paulsen starting (had better be) 5 games and if he gets injured it leaves us exposed, that could be a gamble not worth taking. If Crocombe goes then he can start the majority, Paulsen 1 or 2 and Sims/Gray could still get a substitute run out any game we are dominating

I'd rather give Paulsen the minutes in the leadup to the Olympics. Crocombe is a decent keeper but Paulsen looks to be the long term starter at this point, plus as mentioned above a cap tie wouldn't go amiss.

If we do go the 3 young keeper route, Scott Morris is probably as good an option as Sims and Gray.

Getting ahead of yourself a bit. We all thought Sail was going to be our undisputed #1 for a long time prior to his clanger against Peru in Spain, after which he has not been the same player. Paulsen's PL move means nothing, he still needs to establish himself somewhere. Crocombe has been faultless so far in a white shirt, other than not looking likely to save a penalty. He is also much taller than Paulsen and commands his box much better, and is still relatively young for a keeper at 30. Paulsen's ability to play out from the back is also much less useful in the international scene where there is far less time for the GK & defense to be prepared as a unit to do this effectively.

Nelfoos

I'd rather give Paulsen the minutes in the leadup to the Olympics. Crocombe is a decent keeper but Paulsen looks to be the long term starter at this point, plus as mentioned above a cap tie wouldn't go amiss.

If we do go the 3 young keeper route, Scott Morris is probably as good an option as Sims and Gray.

According to the man himself he needs to work on dominating his box, but in fairness to him, he has a better punch than Paston did and seems to time it pretty well.

I think the comment isn't so mcuh a reflection of a weakness, but just an area he sees greater potential to develop.

Good strikers still work on their finishing etc.

imanixsupporter

Getting ahead of yourself a bit. We all thought Sail was going to be our undisputed #1 for a long time prior to his clanger against Peru in Spain, after which he has not been the same player. Paulsen's PL move means nothing, he still needs to establish himself somewhere. Crocombe has been faultless so far in a white shirt, other than not looking likely to save a penalty. He is also much taller than Paulsen and commands his box much better, and is still relatively young for a keeper at 30. Paulsen's ability to play out from the back is also much less useful in the international scene where there is far less time for the GK & defense to be prepared as a unit to do this effectively.

Nelfoos

I'd rather give Paulsen the minutes in the leadup to the Olympics. Crocombe is a decent keeper but Paulsen looks to be the long term starter at this point, plus as mentioned above a cap tie wouldn't go amiss.

If we do go the 3 young keeper route, Scott Morris is probably as good an option as Sims and Gray.

That is the thing to remember international windows are generally very short. Chiefy had months and many many training sessions to perfect the Nix’s game plan that Paulsen was a crucial cog in 

Bazeley has a very rare opportunity with Nations Cup to have a squad together for 2-3 weeks. Another 2 weeks with Olywhites in France. Next time that happens could be in the lead up to 2026 WC

Another thing to remember is that with the 2021 Olympics team (Tokyo) many of them had played together alot prior, especially those in Des's 2019 U20 WC team.

This Olympics squad won't quite have that same level of prior combinations. Many of them missed the opportunity of a U20 WC together, due to it being cancelled during Covid.

I don't think any of Paulsen (21), Bindon (19), Sutton (22), Stamenic (22), Garbett (22),  Randall (21), Bidois (22), Old (21) & OVH (22) for example would have been to a U20 WC. And some of these guys may have barely played with each other (Nix guys obviously excepted). Yes Stamenic & Garbett also alot of time together

But another good reason with reflection, to have this month's OFC Nations Cup team a shadow Olympics squad.