2014 Friendly Discussion - China & Thailand in Nov

Given the May timing, I guess it is most likely an away fixture.

No news on a Costa Rica friendly against us on their football federation's website. They do say that apart from the confirmed games in March and June there are ongoing talks with other nations, which gives us somewhere from whence to jump to conclusions. See:

http://fedefutbolcr.com/costa-rica-se-fogueara-ante-paraguay-japon-y-ghana/

So were playing Japan on March 5th? Awesome. I made this last night. http://www.reddit.com/r/nzfootball/

I would think a number of teams will be in the States for games in the lead up, hopefully we can tiki tour around and pick up plenty of warm up games.

I'm sure the commentators said "In New Zealand".

But what do they know - they say a lot of things that are crap.

Isn't Sigmund banned?

Btw, congrats to Tyler Boyd & Ryan Thomas. The 'tron has a strong representation on that squad.

I get reid but smith thing is frustrating. Also james shouldnt be picked without a club. Keat and henderson anyone?

Wouldve included hicks and fuuuck re: fitzgerald thing!

what a good looking list of attackers... but it seems a bit light on defence, neither the less, looks like a AW team for the future. I cant wait to see R. Thomas in the white shirt.

Tuiloma named as a defender but has been regular DM for Marseille. Looking light in defence?

Thomas > James and probably Tuiloma > Payne.

What's the story with Fitzgerald?

Is james playing at the mo?

As he's listed as 'unattached', if he's playing it can only be for a pub team.

Very light in d and i think we should be playing Tuiloma where OM are playing him. Nothing wrong with picking Lochhead now that he is attached. Same age as Sigmund and Durante so its not all about regeneration across the board.

Keat, Tuiloma great DM options in a 4-2-3-1 for mine. Hicks for James - no club - no country. Oh and Brockie shouldnt be near the team nor Boyd yet. Henderson unlucky

My team...

Moss

Roux Durante Sigmund Lochhead

Tuiloma Keat

Barbarouses McGlinchey Rojas

Wood

Subs: Spoonley Boxall Hicks Howieson Payne Henderson Thomas Smeltz 

Why does it matter if a player is unattached? He would be for ever, and these games should be used to begin building towards 2018.

Chris James was one of the only standouts against Mexico. Based purely on that there is no way we could drop him.

And LOL at your suggestion of Tony Lochhead. This is about moving forward not backwards.

Lochhead is still the best left back available for the All Whites, it's a young squad and some experience wouldn't go astray. 

If people want to see Tuiloma in midfield then Lochhead should play.

That is pretty short sighted.

Henderson's club Mjallby has Swedish Cup games on the Saturdays (Sunday March 2 NZT,  Sunday March 9 NZT) before and after the All Whites game. The "Svenska Cupen", their national knock-out cup, is rather unique and runs a full year from May one year to May the next, so the current edition runs May 2013 to May 2014. Premier League sides enter part-way through. Mjallby are currently in the Group Stage where the remaining sides are divided into eight groups of four and play eachother once.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80%9314_Svenska_Cupen

http://ca.soccerway.com/teams/sweden/mjallby-aif/2466/

Mjallby play a lot of Swedish Cup games around the time of the All Whites fixture as well as friendlies before their league season kicks off in late March - understandably that would rule Henderson out.

Keats club Falkenberg FF were knocked out of the Cup last year before the Group Stage so that's not a problem - but they are playing lots of pre-season friendlies.

Both Keat and Henderson will want to cement their places at their clubs in the weeks before the season commences. Dan I see from his Twitter has only just returned today to Sweden after being granted time off to attend his twin sister's wedding in NZ  - so he's missed a few pre-season games.

Ok tell me this. What is the purpose of the All Whites? Is it to qualify for the world cup? Unquestionably it is yes for me.

Well how do you get there? Surely it is by developing a squad that peaks for the 2017 playoff. If that is the case, don’t you want to involve players now who are likely to be around for 2017/18.

Is Chris James young enough to be involved then? Yes. Is he one of our better midfielders? Yes. Is he going to be clubless for most of the next 3 years? No.

So why does it matter his current circumstances matter if they are very little to improve in the near future?

As far as we know...

Keat over James or Boyd? LOL!. Agree with Brockie but why is Woods picked? He has not scored a club goal for months on end and has looked shit-house. 

There is no use reverting back to Lochhead as we need to see who can take this role to 2018. Its a friendly so there should (hope) be more friendlies to come and test out others who didnt get picked this time. 

Royz - I hope your comment regarding Wood is in jest, otherwise WTF?

If you look at our attacking options most have either been injured or out of form lately (Fallon, Killen, Smeltz, Brockie, Rojas) which leaves Boyd, who has one professional goal to his name. Wood plays in the highest comp out of everyone, has a good scoring record and also offers a genuine target man for our players to run off.

You can also question picking youth players Howieson and Payne as they are playing at the same level as Wood at the moment if not less. 

Roux to play LB for me with Boxall at RB.

I'd like to see Tuiloma at DM especially since he has come out and said that is my preferred position. 

Let Lochead re-establish his pro career and put in good performances first then look at him again.

Happy with the squad but would have liked to see Henderson and Hicks included.

Chris James is way overrated on here....

I think this is a very good argument 2B, and ultimately a pretty pragmatic response to our overall playing stocks.  But at the same time isn't there also an argument that if you cannot convince someone to pay you to play football you ultimately don't deserve to be picked for our national team?  If you don't have a club in the middle of the football season are you even a footballer at that point?  Maybe a friendly is a different story and a bit more leeway can be allowed, but I don't think if this was a competitive game that we should pick unattached players.

Why doesn't he have a club?  I do find it a bit odd that he got let go by his last club when he was pretty good for them it seemed and then did well in the qualifiers

Well there are a number of reasons why he may be clubless. I'm sure he could have come back here to play for an ASBP team. But perhaps he sees his future overseas, and that basing himself here would put him off the radar (I'm assuming he isn't living back here atm), and potentially make a transfer more difficult than if he remained a free agent. Finish league doesn't start again until April so there is still a good chance he'll get picked up soon considering he has played 40 odd games in the last two years.