2012 OFC Nations Cup Solomon Islands

F@@K

3mins of extra time

bugger. have to keep them out for the next 3 mins

scrappy win.

Lol 3 minutes

...30secs of extra time?

PNG a bit unlucky to not get a draw. A very lucky 3 points for us.

not impressed, just relieved

a wins a win right? but this does not fill me with confidence. well done gleeson, smeltz, brockie and wood

Refs kinda lost the plot then haha. Why wasn't lochhead sent off for a 2nd yellow?

Also the game finished on 90min after a few injuries

Never really expected us to win all that comfortably. Though really hoping we improve for the finals. 

Am I being too negative but I cant see us progressing to the north/central american stage, if we can just scrap out wins in the group stage, I think we will lose in the semis. 

that is a bit negative. once we can get out of this heat it'l be a different story. I mean, arent we playing the other top 3 sides on a home and away basis later this year/next year?

I think the ref didn't stop time for the drinks break which buggered up the whole extra time thing.

Presume Lochy will get a red post game. Is the suspension still one game in the OFC? Another chance to see Hogg perhaps?

Bit scrappy after a good start. Need to keep scoring early to beat the conditions. We just don't seem up for a whole game of full intensity football. 

Yeah but the winner of this tournament goes to the Confeds Cup

Not sure people are really understanding the magnitude of this task - we're playing every two days in very difficult, difficult atmospheric conditions. 39 degrees in high humidity is absolutely hellish, and it really takes the toll on the body, we just need to make sure we don't slip up, expecting us to rampage through the tournament is just not realistic.

Dunno about that - Ivan is pretty good on the ball and played at a higher level for longer than Killen.

Too right! We can't be too hard on our lads when you consider the conditions- that'd be horrible to play in. I was in India and Malaysia last year and it's true, you can feel knackered just walking around or doing light trekking in such conditions.

Insightful comments from Smeltz and the AW's doctor on the scene explains a lot here:

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=11&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=1681&tx_ttnews[backPid]=10&cHash=d892e6ee4a

“There’s no denying it was extremely tough,” says Smeltz.

“We’ve played in heat before and some tough conditions in the Islands but I’d have to say that’s right up there as the toughest I’ve played in.”

“You might have to be here to realise what the conditions are like. I’m sure if you watching on TV you might think ‘why is everyone playing bad’ but it feels like it takes an extra three seconds just to make a decision.

Smeltz’s view is backed by All Whites team doctor and New Zealand Football’s medical director Mark Fulcher.

“The heat stress here is probably unlike anywhere else or at least up right there with anywhere else in the world,” said Fulcher. “It’s an incredibly oppressive environment.”

Honiara forecast for rest of tournie: more of same !!!

Tues. 5  
Hi: 32 °C
Lo: 24 °C

Wednes. 6 

Hi: 32 °C

Lo: 24 °C

Thurs. 7 
Hi: 32 °C
Lo: 24 °C

Fri. 8  
Hi: 31 °C
Lo: 24 °C

Sat. 9 
Hi: 26 °C
Lo: 24 °C

Sun.10 
Hi: 30 °C
Lo: 24 °C

Mon. 11 
Hi: 30 °C
Lo: 23 °C

Oh I thought, the semis and the final of this, was to find the team to play the North/Central American team for a place in the 

2014 world cup.

A win is a win. The conditions are not helping us at all, and the Island Nations are playing fairly decent football.

Can anyone confirm that Lochhead recieved a yellow in the first half?

It's awesome to see that you can replay all of the games so far on the OFC site, including todays game. Top work OFCTV.

+1

Sol vs Fiji.  Already looking tasty.  If Fuckatowelysau could finish...

Some of these Fijians must eat babies for dinner.  Some of them - man monsters! 

Huge.

This is a great game, end to end stuff. Both teams have come very close to scoring.

is it 0-0? How long left?

ok im lost after reading this thread...

I thought the winner of this tournament went to the confederations cup and also qualified to play a concacaf side for a spot in brazil '14. 

It sounds like I'm wrong. Can someone enlighten me?

You are wrong. The semifinalists go through to the next round of qualifying, which is a home and away round robin, and the winner of that plays the CONCACAF team in the playoff. Winner of this goes to the Confeds.

Also, every single halftime/fulltime whistle is being blown several minutes before it should be. I'm thinking the refs are not pausing their stopwatches when the drinks breaks occur, is this legal?

The 4 semifinalists from this tournament advance to te next stage . The next stage is a home and away roun robin,the winner of which advances to the Concacaf home and away playoff. The winner of this tournament goes through to the confed cup

It's a bit strange having a third stage in my opinion. But at the same time,it does help us a lot. 

Makes total sense to me, it's hardly fair to have world cup qualification entirely on the basis of games played away from home. That would make for a totally stacked deck, especially if the tournament was held in New Zealand. Then the other island teams would go from having a slim chance of qualifying, to having a snowflake's chance in hell of qualifying. This way is fairer for everyone, not just us.

Terrible camerawork there, Fiji are one on one with the keeper but the cameraman didn't bother to move the camera to show us. If that was a goal I would be very angry.

And we have qualified for the last part of the ocean wc qualification process

We're through to Oceania WC stage 3 qualification.  Winning this tournie is desirable.  But WC qualification is all that matters. 

Solo (very average fans btw) and Fiji (especially - would be a half-decent team if they could) couldn't score in a brothel.

Very entertaining match!

I think when you compare the number of chances we squandered in our 2 games and the heat, etc, I don't think the Fijians and the Solomon Islanders were that much worse than us in many ways. Great for the future of the game in NZ to see football looking live and well in Oceania.

Love the name of this Fijian player who started on the bench today- try fitting that on a shirt !!!

PENI LESUBULAMAILEPONONI

(19 LETTER SURNAME- MUST BE ONE OF THE LONGEST IN INTERNATIONAL FOOTBALL?)

A thoroughly entertaining 0-0 draw. Henry Faarodo looks in good form - apart from not scoring like everybody else...

Solo fans are the Mel V fans of the Pacific...

Thankfully, Peni goes by the popular name of "Peni Finau"..! 

What a compelling day's action! New Zealand do just enough to defeat Papua New Guinea in stifling 39 degree heat. The All Whites rode their luck but they've got six points and their 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil dream continues. For Papua New Guinea, their World Cup is over, but what a stirring performance from a brave side pulled together by Frank Farina. I think they deserve plenty of praise for contributing much to the action. Kema Jack and Raymond Gunemba showed some quality throughout the 90 minutes. 

Solomon Islands and Fiji fought out an entertaining 0-0 draw that had its fair share of drama, controversy and talking points. Benjamin Totori and Joses Nawo were left out of the side and the locals left the the stadium singing: "Useless coach, useless coach". I can hardly wait to read the newspapers tomorrow morning about that - sure to be front/back page stuff here.

Fiji's hopes of reaching the semi-finals (and Stage 3 of the FIFA World Cup Brazil Qualifiers) hangs by a thread. They now have to stuff Papua New Guinea (won't be easy) by a hatful of goals and hope New Zealand can knock over the Solomon Islands in the late kick-off. It is conceivable that New Zealand beat Solomon Islands 1-0 and Fiji beat Papua New Guinea 1-0, a set of results that would leave the host nation and Fiji tied on goals, points and head to head. I'll need to check but that could mean a drawing of lots to determine second place in Group B. Imagine the drama attached to that!

It will be interesting to see how Ricki Herbert approaches the final group match with passage to the last four already secured...tomorrow sees New Caledonia take on beleaguered Samoa. Les Cagous need to score as many goals as possible and hope Tahiti can do them a favour in their final match with Vanuatu.

It's possible Vanuatu could beat Tahiti in which case three teams will finish the group stage with six points from three games leaving goal difference as the crucial factor in determining the semi finalists from Group A. I fancy Tahiti to beat Vanuatu comfortably but you can't be sure in this tournament with seven of the eight sides remaining competitive throughout. That has to be good for the future of Oceania football broadly speaking.

Gordon Glen Watson