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With football riding on a high here now, seems to me the timing is  right for NZ Football to apply to host the FIFA Men's Under-Twenty World Cup as soon as possible (and the Women's Under-Twenty as well).
 
We have the stadiums around the country (especially since our rugby brethren are kindly renovating their stadiums for their World Cup next year- a Men's Under-Twenty Football World Cup would roll on nicely from the Rugby World Cup).
 
We've very successfully hosted both Men's and Women's Under-Seventeen World Cups-  and it's a decade now since we had the Men's Under-Seventeen Cup here. There was talk at that time that the Under-Twenties were the next step, but it doesn't seem to have been followed up since then.
 
I believe Oceania last hosted the Men's Under-Twenty tournament way back in the 1980s in Australia, so surely it's time FIFA gave it to Oceania again (especially since Australia are no longer part of Oceania- so the "new" Oceania has never hosted the Men's or Women's Under-Twenty Tournaments).
 
The excitement levels and media and public interest generated by the Men's and Women's Under Seventeen World Cups were huge in 1999 and 2008 respectively, so imagine the interest that would be generated by hosting the Under-Twenty events here! The world's best  under-twenty players and a New Zealand team up against eachother in our country- it would be awesome!
 
Maybe as football supporters, we should start a campaign to push the relevant authorities, i.e. NZ Football, the Oceania Federation and FIFA, to give us the feast of football we desire in the form of the Under-Twenty World Cups...                                                                              Trophy:
 
                   
 
Big Pete 652011-01-19 17:51:21
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Australia hosted it in 1993, great tournament. Went to a few games. diego's son2009-12-04 04:31:35
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Spotted the below on the OFC website, from the recent OFC Executive Committee meeting...
 
The OFC Executive Committee:
� Acknowledged Tahiti�s bid to host the FIFA World Beach Soccer 2011 and Oceania�s proposed bid to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2015.
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diego's son wrote:
Australia hosted it in 1993, great tournament. Went to a few games.
 
 Good place for info on previous tournaments:
 
Actually, Australia have hosted it twice: in 1981 and in 1993. I had a copy of World Soccer mag as a youngster, which reviewed the 1981 tournie. In 1981 West Germany beat Qatar in the final; in 1993 Brazil beat Ghana.
 
Interesting facts gleaned from the Wikipedia Under-Twenty World Cup page:
-The Asian Confederation (excluding Australia) have hosted it five times.
-Australia have finished fourth twice, in 1991 and 1993. In 1991 they were beaten in the 3rd/4th play-off on penalties by the Soviet Union. In 1993, as hosts, they lost to England 2-1 in the 3rd/4th game.
-An Aussie won Golden Boot for top-scorer in the 1981 tournie they hosted: Mark Koussas
(4 goals). Obviously, he didn't go on to senior success, as he wasn't heard of after that. (I can't remember him figuring in the Australian senior team). Anyone know if he had much of a career?
 
  <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< <
Big Pete 652010-07-10 03:05:36
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Big Pete 65 wrote:
diego's son wrote:
Australia hosted it in 1993, great tournament. Went to a few games.
 
 Good place for info on previous tournaments:
 
Actually, Australia have hosted it twice: in 1981 and in 1993. I had a copy of World Soccer mag as a youngster, which reviewed the 1981 tournie. In 1981 West Germany beat Qatar in the final; in 1993 Brazil beat Ghana.
 
Interesting facts gleaned from the Wikipedia Under-Twenty World Cup page:
-The Asian Confederation (excluding Australia) have hosted it five times.
-Australia have finished fourth twice, in 1991 and 1993. In 1991 they were beaten in the 3rd/4th play-off on penalties by the Soviet Union. In 1993, as hosts, they lost to England 2-1 in the 3rd/4th game.
-An Aussie won Golden Boot for top-scorer in the 1981 tournie they hosted: Mark Koussas
(4 goals). Obviously, he didn't go on to senior success, as he wasn't heard of after that. (I can't remember him figuring in the Australian senior team). Anyone know if he had much of a career?


It was 1981, but I was only 4 years old, so it didn't come into my mind!

A few blokes from Australia's Under-20 teams have failed to kick on, or left the sport for other reasons.

One such bloke (Ian Rowden) has only recently returned to the game to head up the Western Sydney team. He had a good corporate career, but Johnny Warren and Co were trying to get him back for years.

Mark Koussas I've never heard of, check Google for info.
diego's son2009-12-07 05:20:50
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Jeez, Seems like it's even more appropiate for us to apply to host the U-20s now after the All Whites did us so proud in South Africa and the huge NZ media attention and public interest (Prime Minister John Key patron of the All Whites and all that).
Also, surely FIFA and the international football community will take us more seriously now and we'd be more likely to get the go-ahead...our young players like Winston Reid, Tommy Smith and Chris Wood  have quite a profile and are becoming increasingly highly-rated internationally.
 
We're also getting way stronger in women's football (hopefully next week's Women's U-20 World Cup in Germany will confirm that) and that should increase our chances of hosting the Women's
 U-20s. Gee, last time in 2008 our U-20 Women beat hosts Chile and drew with England!
 
On the isue of what's required to host a Men's U-20 World Cup, Colombia in South America are hosting the next in 2011 in 8 stadiums in 8 cities. We could find enough venues of suitable capacity just using all the Rugby World Cup venues or other stadiums around the country.
 
COLOMBIAN VENUES:  The cities that have been designated to host tournament matches are:
 
 
Needless to say Aotearoa's a much safer location for visiting teams and supporters than Colombia. (Watch the new feature documentary "The Two Escobars" which is screening on ESPN in its "30 Years of ESPN Films" series- screened this week but will be repeated- and at cinemas  in the International Film Festival around the country from this month. Reveals graphically how the drug cartels, especially Pablo Escobar, funded football in Colombia and how national team captain also named Escobar- no relation- was murdered after USA World Cup '94...)
Big Pete 652010-07-10 03:23:21
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Interesting report on Canada's football growth over the last decade in men's and women's football. Identifies hosting a successful Men's U-20 World Cup in 2007 as a key plank in gaining creditability with FIFA. The Toronto Sun paper is even advocating Canada host the senior Men's World Cup in the next 16 years:
 
"First things first. Canadians need to affirm their commitment to Canadian soccer. Why does our nation deserve to have the event and be granted an automatic bid when we fail to support our national program? South Africa was a similar case, with the masses not supporting Bafana Bafana. But the popularity of soccer could never be questioned on the continent....Supporting our professional sides is a step in the right direction, but it needs to grow from there. Heck, South Africans don't support their own domestic league, averaging around 7,500 fans in attendance per game. Once a true soccer culture is cultivated in Canada, more infrastructures can be afforded and more top-class stadiums can be built."
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CANADA AS WORLD CUP HOST?
 
...."And the more time the better, because a lot needs to be done. Canada's rise to any kind of notoriety in FIFA's eyes came through a young Christine Sinclair, taking Canada to a surprising second-place finish at the FIFA U-19 women's World Cup back in 2002. Sinclair was dominant, scoring 10 goals and putting Canada's mark on the international scene.

From there, Canada had decent success at the 2003 U-20 World Cup in UAE, pushing a talented Spain side to the limit in the quarterfinal. As a so-called country on the rise, Canada was awarded the 2007 U-20 World Cup. Outstanding ticket sales and profitability looked good in FIFA's eyes for a minor league tournament. So Canada is already in FIFA's good books.

Next up for Canada is a bid to play host to the 2015 FIFA women's World Cup. Canada has been the favourite for quite some time. But now, Australia's seems like an underdog to win the men's World Cup in either 2018 or 2022, meaning they may decide to allocate promised soccer monies to bringing the 2015 women's game down under.

Regardless, Canada is very much on FIFA's map. And seeing Canadian Soccer Association general secretary Peter Montopoli and CSA director of communications Richard Scott as part of the FIFA setup in South Africa gives credence to that fact. Both men are intelligent and well respected in international soccer circles, boding well for the program and bringing hopes of FIFA getting behind the Canadian cause.

First things first. Canadians need to affirm their commitment to Canadian soccer. Why does our nation deserve to have the event and be granted an automatic bid when we fail to support our national program? South Africa was a similar case, with the masses not supporting Bafana Bafana. But the popularity of soccer could never be questioned on the continent.

Same goes for Canada, but the poor showing of our team leads to the illusion that nobody cares. A new Ipsos-Reid poll dispels that bunk, with 78% of Canadians finding it important for Canada to participate in the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

Supporting our professional sides is a step in the right direction, but it needs to grow from there. Heck, South Africans don't support their own domestic league, averaging around 7,500 fans in attendance per game.

Once a true soccer culture is cultivated in Canada, more infrastructures can be afforded and more top-class stadiums can be built.

As Montopoli pointed in conversation in Sun City a couple weeks ago, to bid Canada would require: "Ten stadiums at a minimum of 50,000 seats, modern stadiums and we have to do the math to tell what is needed."

Some estimate South Africa has spent $6 billion building and refurbishing stadiums and improving infrastructure around them. That's a lot of cake. Especially when you consider South Africa spent $137 million on the stadium in Nelspruit alone, which only played host to four World Cup games.

Are Canadian taxpayers likely to take that same financial burden simply to have the World Cup? Not likely, unless it can be proven Canada can play host to more major events, specifically soccer.

Regardless, the corporate community needs to continue coming on board with soccer. Canadian companies are slowly but surely starting to acknowledge there are other sports than hockey that can be profitable. Especially when it comes to soccer -- the earning power and reach of the game knows no border.

And if that day comes where Canada commits to it's soccer, we will make great hosts. Check that, the best hosts. Canadians are a lot like South Africans. We're kind, generous, proud and like to party. There's nothing wrong with putting on a good show, having a couple pints and making for a solid bar scene at these things. It's what helps create the atmosphere.

South Africans rave how multi-cultural they are, with the country having 11 official languages. I try to tell one and all how multi-cultural our nation truly is. For the most part, that falls on deaf ears. If the rest of the world knew how our cities looked during World Cup time, draped in the colours of all participating nations, we'd put any other nation to shame.

From a tourism perspective, guests and hosts couldn't' ask for anything better than Canada. The tangible benefit of supporters from 32 countries and casual fans from non-participating nations congregating inside our borders for a month is self-explanatory. And visitors would certainly feel at home in our various ethnic communities.

Canada is a vast territory and the expense of travel would be a challenge. But poor people don't travel across the globe to see the World Cup anyway.

So let's dream big Canada -- not only for our boys in red and white to compete in a World Cup for a second time, but also to play host to the world.

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Big Pete 652010-07-10 01:24:55
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These days the security situation in Colombia is far far different from the heady days of Pablo Escobar and the rival Cali cartel. Iin fact in my opinion the country is quite safe. I have been in Colombia for 4 of the last 6 months and I have not had one problem. Whilst there is still a lot of drugs passing through the country the insurgents haev been pushed to remote areas by the hardline government of the last 10 years and has just been voted back in. In fact Mexico is far more dangerous at the moment and you problem wouldnt think twice about a tournament being held there, let alone South Africa.
 
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Good comment on Colombia. A Brazilian friend backs this up, saying Colombia is becoming increasingly popular for a holiday with South Americans (and not that kind of holiday!)
 
Anyway lets hope the tournament turns out okay, assuming our U-20s are going to qualify, which they should this time to make up for the debacle of losing out to Tahiti last time...
 
On the other hand, team management are possibly going to have to worry about players imbibing something stonger than alcohol...
 
To me, it's disappointing that NZ  Football aren't as yet show any signs of ambition in terms of something like hosting the U-20s in the near future.
The momentum from South Africa 2010 I fear will soon be dissipated...
Hosting AWs v Paraguay before year's end is good, but what after that?
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surely FIFA and the international football community will take us more seriously now and we'd be more likely to get the go-ahead...
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ACE NEWS: NZ Football have put in a bid for the 2015 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup!!!!
The successful bidder will also host the 2014 Women's U-20 World Cup.
 
Wales, Tunisia and Peru are also bidding.
 
See news report:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/4551558/New-Zealand-bid-for-2015-under-20-World-Cup
 
 
Big Pete 652011-01-19 17:49:44
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Wales will be the biggest challenge to our bid being successful. But knowing Fifa, will probably be Peru or Tunisia :P
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Big Pete 65 wrote:
ACE NEWS: NZ Football have put in a bid for the 2015 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup!!!!
The successful bidder will also host the 2014 Women's U-20 World Cup.
Actually, that goes to the winning bidder for the 2015 Women's World Cup. Which is between Canada and Zimbabwe. The Men's U-20 just comes as-is.
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Azevo wrote:
Wales will be the biggest challenge to our bid being successful. But knowing Fifa, will probably be Peru or Tunisia :P


I don't think that Tunisa is politically stable and safe enough to be considered atm. Wales might be there to appease the British Public after the voting disputes in the joint bids in England total failure. Dunno about Peru tho.
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Robb wrote:

Big Pete 65 wrote:
ACE NEWS: NZ Football have put in a bid for the 2015 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup!!!!
<b style="">The successful bidder will also host the 2014 Women's U-20 World Cup.

Actually, that goes to the winning bidder for the 2015 Women's World Cup. Which is between Canada and Zimbabwe. The Men's U-20 just comes as-is.


FIFA executive is totally nuts if they vote Zimbabwe . . .
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Surprising there are only 2 countries bidding to host.
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Robb wrote:

Big Pete 65 wrote:
ACE NEWS: NZ Football have put in a bid for the 2015 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup!!!!
<b style="">The successful bidder will also host the 2014 Women's U-20 World Cup.

Actually, that goes to the winning bidder for the 2015 Women's World Cup. Which is between Canada and Zimbabwe. The Men's U-20 just comes as-is.


FIFA executive is totally nuts if they vote Zimbabwe . . .


They already are totally nuts. And corrupt.

Zimbabwe it is then.
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FIFA executive is totally nuts if they vote Zimbabwe . . .

FIFA executive were totally nuts to vote Qatar

I've heard some concern that FIFA might want to give it to Zimbabwe a part of the whole "growing the game" trend, and perhaps work with the success of South Africa's tournament.  That being said, it's still batsh*t crazy. And I'm not saying that out of bias. I'd rather Ghana succeed in one of their bids. Especially if most Ghanaian football supporters are as brilliant as the ones I watched Ghana v. Serbia with at Four Kings, had a GREAT time!

Canada was considered VERY close to winning the 2011 WWC hosting rights, however Germany had more government support. The 2007 Under-20s was considered a massive success, so in a fair world, I'd have a lot of confidence in Canada's chances. However as the 2022 voting showed, FIFA doesn't operate that way.
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Azevo wrote:
Wales will be the biggest challenge to our bid being successful. But knowing Fifa, will probably be Peru or Tunisia :P


I don't think that Tunisa is politically stable and safe enough to be considered atm. Wales might be there to appease the British Public after the voting disputes in the joint bids in England total failure. Dunno about Peru tho.
 
As a proud Welshman, I can confidently say that most of the british public do not give a monkeys cock if Wales get to host an under 20 world cup
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FIFA may be nuts but there is no way they will give it to Zimbabwe.
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/4571364/NZ-step-ahead-in-Under-20-football-Cup-bid
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Robb wrote:
Big Pete 65 wrote:
ACE NEWS: NZ Football have put in a bid for the 2015 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup!!!!
The successful bidder will also host the 2014 Women's U-20 World Cup.
Actually, that goes to the winning bidder for the 2015 Women's World Cup. Which is between Canada and Zimbabwe. The Men's U-20 just comes as-is.
 
All the major NZ papers incorrectly stated the successful bidder will also get 2014 womens U -20
- talking about misinformation!!!
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how come there are 2 threads about the same thing?
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http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/4597700/NZ-chance-at-lucrative-Fifa-double
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Robb wrote:
Big Pete 65 wrote:
ACE NEWS: NZ Football have put in a bid for the 2015 FIFA Men's U-20 World Cup!!!!
The successful bidder will also host the 2014 Women's U-20 World Cup.
Actually, that goes to the winning bidder for the 2015 Women's World Cup. Which is between Canada and Zimbabwe. The Men's U-20 just comes as-is.
 
So Canada has it sown up then?
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So Canada has it sown up then?
About as sown up as Australia had sown up 2022. It's expected but not guaranteed.

Also bear in mind that Canada's bid plan is far from finalized, and the CSA (Canada's FA) is... less than competent. A lot of the motivation behind the bid is to access federal funding in order to build soccer-specific stadium as an infrastructure development project. No guarantee that external interests will align with that.
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Its pretty cool two big-ish tournaments are on the horizon in New Zealand for football..

Woof Woof
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Robb wrote:

So Canada has it sown up then?
About as sown up as Australia had sown up 2022.


Australia never had the 2022 'sown up' - it was widely expected that USA would get it before the Qatar bolter.
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el grapadura wrote:
Robb wrote:

So Canada has it sown up then?
About as sown up as Australia had sown up 2022.


Australia never had the 2022 'sown up' - it was widely expected that USA would get it before the Qatar bolter.

Meh. I'd heard it was pretty close between the two, but regardless the point remains the same. It was expected a sane bid would get it, and instead FIFA gave it to an insane one.
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Robb wrote:

el grapadura wrote:
Robb wrote:

So Canada has it sown up then?
About as sown up as Australia had sown up 2022.


Australia never had the 2022 'sown up' - it was widely expected that USA would get it before the Qatar bolter.
Meh. I'd heard it was pretty close between the two, but regardless the point remains the same. It was expected a sane bid would get it, and instead FIFA gave it to an insane one.


Maybe Australians thought so. No-one else did.
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Heh, well as an Australian I probably can't rebut that
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a couple of questions...
 
When would the under 20 WC be played?
 
 Sure hope it is a NZ summer tournament
Anyone know what sort of visitor numbers come to these under 20 WC's?
 
 I mean apart from local spectators do do lots of fans come from all around the globe to follow their teams at this level. It would be awesome for NZ if we large numbers of overseas followers......say 50,000 +
Would make for a great atmosphere plus provide a big economic boast for NZ
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maynardf wrote:
Its pretty cool two big-ish tournaments are on the horizon in New Zealand for football..


This would rate very highly on the 'triffic-ometer.

The U17 Womens WC was great - these would be greaterer.

a.k.a AJ13
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zinidane wrote:
a couple of questions...
 
When would the under 20 WC be played?
 
 Sure hope it is a NZ summer tournament

I just hope its not on around the same time as the Rugby World Cup
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Man, this would be awesome. I'm confident that we would get good crowd numbers considering how many we got to the rowing and the U-17 world cup a few years ago.
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When is this decision due? This week right?
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According to ZB it's down to New Zealand and Wales.
Announced 2.30am Friday morning NZ time.
Excellent news.

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