2013 Friendly Discussion

wyners have just posted this on their facebook page...

former Wynrs academy player has been in Japanese football environment since he was 16. He signed a professional contract with one of the the J-league top division clubs, Albirex Niigata when he was 19.

Michael has been loaned out to lower division clubs to secure his game time to develop his football ability as such a young professional footballer but now finally he has been called to be back to his original club a couple of weeks ago and straight away had a J-League debut and now he is winning a starting lineup spot as a central defender.

Michael will play against the biggest club in the J-league, Urawa Reds at Saitama World Cup stadium in front of 45,000 spectators on Sunday.

Good luck for your game Michael!!

Albirex lost to Urawa. Goal came in the 62nd minute. Fitzgerald played a full game. (Can't make any sense of the google translation and hahaha his name is "my line dragon James" number 29.) What's with that?

http://www.albirex.co.jp/games/50378/live

Looks like Tim Payne might be out of Saudi tournament after picking up an ankle injury this morning playing for Blackburn u-21's:

"The start of the second half saw Rovers dealt an double blow.

Firstly Tim Payne picked up an ankle injury and had to be helped from the field...."

also last night Reid went down on his shoulder. was down for several minutes. he did get up and play on but looked like he kept holding the shoulder. might not make it this week if his club wants him to rest

Saudi Arabia are not as good as they used to be. NZ should win 2-1.

Yep that's what we thought about the Pacific Islands and the Confederations Cup. Have to admit, we probably do have a better chance with Reid in the team.

Had we gone to the Confeds, we still would have gotten pumped. Get real

Winston Reid confirmed as arriving in Saudi today.

Saudi squad - entirely locally-based players

UAE squad - all local players. The team is popularly known as Al-Abyad ("The Whites")

News on Trinidad and UAE squads: http://www.ttffonline.com/home/latest-news/mens-senior-team/710-uae-head-coach-names-squad-to-face-tat-at-osn-cup.html

Trinidad and Tobago squad: http://ttproleague.com/index.php/national-team-news/1690-hart-names-21-man-t-t-squad-for-osn-cup

Nine locally-based players, plus 12 overseas: 

"The rest of the T&T squad includes Kenwyne Jones (Stoke City), Justin Hoyte (Middlesbrough), Kevan George (Columbus Crew), Andre Boucaud (Notts County), Khaleem Hyland (Racing Genk), Kevin Molino (Orlando City) and Radanfah Abu Bakr (FC Vosto) who were all part of Concacaf Gold Cup squad in July along with goalkeepers Williams and Phillip, Cyrus, David and Theobald.

Meantime Sheldon Bateau (KV Mechelen), Robert Primus (FC Aktobe), Lester Peltier (Slovan Bratislava), Willis Plaza (Song Lam Nghe) and Ataullah Guerra (Rovaniemen Palloseura) are all making returns to the national team."

NZ vs. UAE final. Should be a 2-1 win but the October window is ?

Who will the All Whites play in the October window?

I can see the head line now 'OFC speaks and FIFA listen'

You write some crazy crazy things.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/all-whites/news/article.cfm?c_id=117&objectid=11124853

This is a good read, Trinidad and Tobago, Haiti, El Salvador and Guatemala possible opponents. I would include Canada or Guyana.

Theyve had months to figure it out. Such a joke

Any news???

Was in yesterday's news, so very surprised it still hasn't made it to the Yellow Fever News homepage:

Take your pick, two versions - Stuff have games against club sides in LA as confirmed/ while the Herald says it is possible but NZF is still negotiating for games v CONCACAF or CONMEBOL sides: Herald: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11131181

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9217643/All-Whites-confirm-Los-Angeles-warm-up-games

ALL WHITES CONFIRM LOS ANGELES WARM-UP GAMES

The All Whites will play two club teams in Los Angeles next month in their final build-up to November's World Cup qualifiers.

New Zealand Football had long been trying to arrange games against international opposition for the October 11-15 Fifa window but instead will take on Mexican club Queretaro FC and Los Angeles MLS side Chivas USA.

Queretaro are currently fourth in the top Mexican league, while Chivas are last in the MLS Western Conference.

While the opposition will be good quality and the games are obviously better than nothing, the failure to secure international opposition is not a great look for NZF.

Ricki Herbert's All Whites will view the camp as a preview to November's opening World Cup qualifier against the fourth-ranked Concacaf team on November 15.

Struggling giants Mexico are looming as a likely opponent, and, if confirmed, the All Whites will use Los Angeles as their preparation base before flying into Mexico City.

If the All Whites draw Panama or Honduras then Miami could also be used as a warm-up base.

The All Whites will discover their opposition during the final round of Concacaf qualifying in October 11-15.

Turns out that Sam Worthington was correct on Stuff with his scoop and the Herald were fudging things.

US sources confirm the All Whites' participation in a tournament called the LA Cup: 

http://www.lasoccernews.com/teams/chivas2.php?article_id=11073

Who is charged with organising international games for the AW? this is a yet another cluster F*^K by NZF if they don't secure international friendlies. 

They didnt wanna have to pay for it

Absolute joke - matches against sub standard club teams before World Cup play offs - ffs

These friendlies are a master stroke by nzf to get around siggy's suspension. He will be banned for international friendlies only. These games won't count so he will be able to play.

I hope you are taking the piss Wibblebutt! 

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=11133696

Look at the link

09/10 vs Querétaro @ LA
12/10 vs Chivas USA @ LA
15/10 vs Trinidad and Tobago @ Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain (The match Herbert could win to equal John Adshead's record 23 wins)

Seems the games v Queretaro and Chivas USA will be televised - hope Sky here picks them up. Strange that all US sources say the Chivas USA game is at the LA Coliseum (one of California's biggest stadia), whereas NZ reports say "East LA College":

http://www.hbnews.us/communit4.html

LA Cup games will be held on October 9, 2013 at Citrus College in a doubleheader: the New Zealand National Team will face Querétaro FC at 7:00 pm and Veracruz FC vs. Chivas USA at 9:00 pm..

The second date will be Saturday, October 12, 2013 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with a quadruple header. LA United vs Chi vas USA U-23 's play League regular season on the coast, Veracruz vs Alianza FC of El Salvador ; Queretaro vs another MLS team to named later and Chivas USA vs New Zealand. The games will be televised.

Tickets pricing for the games will be popular. For the Citrus College, will be priced at $ 12. For the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum games, prices will range from 12 to 25 dollars. Tickets will be available at the usual places and through Ticketmaster.

For news on Trinidad & Tobago v All Whites see this thread on Trinidad equivalent of Yellow Fever:

http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=60582.0

They have several English and Euro based players such as Kenwyn Jones, Stoke City striker; Andre Boucaud, Notts County; Khaleem Hyland, Racing Genk (Belgium); Justin Hoyte, Middlesbrough defender; Sheldon Bateau, FC Mechelen, Belgium defender; a few from Major League Soccer. They were all called up for the recent OSN Cup in Saudi.

There's some nice local patois on the above site: "nice...play de kiwi fitball"           "D time will be nice"

Will Siggy be able to play Vs Trinidad or will that game see out his suspension. 

The friendlies against club sides have been resolved - at least they have a few games lined up now. With places for November at stake, I expect the players will take even these club friendlies quite intensely.  News just through tonight:

http://nz.sports.yahoo.com/football/news/article/-/19302553/all-whites-schedule-still-uncertain/

..". their fixture against Mexican Liga MX club side Queretaro on Wednesday fell through.

Matches against Major League Soccer's Chivas USA on Saturday, and Trinidad and Tobago in Port of Spain on October 15 are confirmed.

There is now the possibility of a training run against Premier League Development club side Ventura County Fusion on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Fusion are no strangers to taking on international teams, having recently drawn 1-1 with Canada."

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Video highlights (lowlights?) and review  of Chivas USA's 5-0 thumping by LA Galaxy (Robbie Keane et al) on the weekend:

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/10/06/carlos-bocanegra-chivas-usa-humiliation-%E2%80%9C-lose-we-did-embarrassing

110 cap US legend Carlos Bocanegra (ex-Fulham, Rennes, Saint Etienne, Rangers) returned from injury in the game.

Four experienced players on loan from parent club., top Mexican side Chivas Guadalajara, started.

21 of the 27 players on their roster are of Latin descent (mostly of Mexican descent, including Mexican Americans, Central Americans etc.) 

Erick Torres, aged 20, on loan from Chivas Guadalajara, is their top goal-scorer (7 from 13 games) - only signed mid-season.

Manager Jose Luis Real was a successful coach of Chivas Guadalajara (second in Copa Libertadores 2010) and has only been in charge for just over four months, taking over 15 weeks into the season, as part of an overhaul of the struggling club by the new ownership group (Chivas Guadalajara took full control of the club last year). .

TRINIDAD & TOBAGO SQUAD NAMED: have named their strongest selection including several overseas-based pros, incl Kenwyne Jones, Stoke City striker.

The game is a fundraiser for 22-year-old Trinidad & Tobago international Akeem Adams, who joined Hungarian top flight club Ferencvarosi in August, and is in ICU at a Heart Clinic in Budapest, Hungary after suffering a massive heart attack last week. He needs a heart transplant but doctors are waiting for him to stabilise before the operation.

http://www.socawarriors.net/forum/index.php?topic=4430.0;prev_next=prev#new

http://www.ttffonline.com/home/latest-news/mens-senior-team/742-hart-names-22-for-new-zealand-encounter.html

Goalkeepers

Jan-Michael Williams (Central FC)
, Marvin Phillips (Point Fortin Civic FC).

Defenders

Carlyle Mitchell (Vancouver Whitecaps, USA)
, Justin Hoyte (Middlesbrough, ENG), Aubrey David (Caledonia AIA), Curtis Gonzales (Defence Force), Sheldon Bateau (KV Mechelen, BELG), Mekeil Williams (W Connection), Radanfah Abu Bakr (FC Voztok, Kazakhstan).

Midfielders

Kevan George (Columbus Crew, USA), Densill Theobald (Caledonia AIA), Hughtun Hector (Song Lam Nghe, VIETNAM), Khaleem Hyland (Racing Genk, BELG), Kevin Molino (Orlando City, USA)
, Andre Boucaud (Notts County, ENG), Marcus Joseph (Point Fortin Civic FC),
 Lester Peltier (Slovan Bratislava, SLOVAK)
, Ataullah Guerra (RoPS, FINLAND).

Forwards

Willis Plaza (Unattached), 
Cordell Cato (San Jose Earthquakes, USA), Rundell Winchester (Central FC), Kenwyne Jones (Stoke City, ENG).

Trinidad & Tobago You Tube Channel (incl preview material v NZ) :  http://www.youtube.com/user/TnTSocaWarriors/videos?view=0&shelf_index=3&sort=dd

v UAE, OSN Cup, Saudi: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrlUtP4yjAo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v8TchHZy14

v Saudis, OSN Cup: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLxgpom6Wk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOXFCc2KcM0

v Peru, Feb.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Edf3_Dirg