2015 Friendly Discussion

This is my point precisely.

I am not mocking the fact that they have a game lined up - in fact they need more games, but as Hudson said in his opinion about teams of this calibre, what is he hoping to achieve from it? OK so they get the chance with his 1st choice 25 (which he said he would stop experimenting in the next window) to implement his game plan but under what kind of pressure are they likely to be under from the opposition? If I have a boxing match against a 12 yo and win 10 times out of 10, that does not prepare me for a world title fight.

I just ask what is he hoping to achieve from this. I guess the flip side is what is he likely to achieve from playing a top side and getting thrashed? We are not going to be facing teams ranked as lowly as Myanmar in the WC qualifiers (if we get through) so I think I would rather we expose our players to better standards of sides and take our lumps and learn than run through a side that may give up after 35mins.

I'll add to my point further.

One thing Ricki got a lot of stick about was a lack of a build up program before the Mexico games. We were reduced to playing MLS reserve sides FFS. This time it seems NZF have learned that we need a build up so thats great that they have learned. I ask what playing a side like Myanmar has in the scheme of this build up.

Not sure I get all the angst given our lack of game time recently. I'm guessing that it came down to Myanmar or nobody, so we chose Myanmar. I'm fine with that.

Also, I'm not sure what people expect given our ranking. I'd love to be playing higher quality opposition but this is perhaps the harsh reality for a side ranked 138 at the moment. 138, just think about that. I for one am happy that we've got a game at all, and pleased to hear they've got games lined up for windows later in the year.

A week long camp prior.

If they are anything like their U20s they will give us a good test for 45 mins.

I am no Hudson apologist but perhaps he wants to actually get some confidence in the team with a win. His record currently is dismal. 

First chance for him tomorrow.

http://www.radiosport.co.nz/sport-news/football/li...

As mentioned earlier who would want to play us?

Selling TV rights to a game against us is hardly appealing given our lack of International superstars and lowly ranking.

Myanmar will be relatively cheap and provides a competative game.

I'm crossing my fingers for China on the 14th of November. Purely so that I can attend.

Given that Fiji did better then Myanmar at the U20 WC and that they managed a draw against the Nix and that we might well play them in the OFC Nations Cup in the near future, would they not have been a better choice?

Have to agree - could have played the game at Bill McKinlay and got a decent croud as the Fijian community always comes out in big numbers AND it would be nice to see NZ play at home once in a while

Also annoyed by Fred De Jong trying to spin it as the "strong" Asian confederation - Asia is on a par with CONCACAF and the only reason these aren't the bottom federations is because Oceania exists

If we are going to play Asian teams (which is a good idea) we need to be aiming for the top 10 

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My point exactly. We wont be facing the teams of the calibre of Myanmar in the playoffs.

It would be great to play higher -ranked teams, but as the 138th ranked team in the world, we're not an easy sell are we? As much as we don't think playing Myanmar is much use, anyone we want to play has the same opinion of us

I respect that point of view HD but why are we in that position? Cause Hudson fudgeed about on his last X amount of games playing any one that had a Kiwi passport.

I've been a staunch defender of Hudson until recently where I realised that 'the style of play we use will be distinctive' is no different than larry longball and we could be doing that with any coach. Also the squad did not need as much of a refresh as he suggests and some of the players chosen (Moses Dyer???) defy logic.

Too many baffling decisions for me now and this is just one more.

So are we going to play any other friendly this year?

Lebanon? on 17th November.

FIFA Ranking 133rd

Hudson said last week he's hoping to play 2 matches in the November window.

Being in that area - with wishful thinking, I hope we can get a game against Grease or Turkey.  

Scotland play England in World Cup qualifying so they might be keen for a friendly against an average team who wear white.

The Philippines are a team on the rise and have had their friendly against Vietnam cancelled. They are a team similar to us, I myself am a half filipino and I watch them closely. They have a few european based players, one of which used to be play with Rojas at Gruether Furth and Iain Ramsay also plays for them( the one who used to play for Melbourne City). 

They played against Bahrain and Yemen which they won both in their world cup qualifiers, but lost to Uzbekistan as the Former Fulham Goalkeeper Neil Etheridge had a terrible game. 

I reckon they would be considered a challenge if we played them in a friendly. I only say that cause we couldn't even beat Myanmar.

It could be an option?

Would be great. We also have a large Philipino population in Auckalnd which would bump up the croud big time.

If we're playing Lebanon away a trip back to the Philippines or NZ wouldn't really be practical in the same window. Another Middle Eastern, North African, or even European team away would make sense. Or a friendly on neutral ground in London. Didn't we play Australia at Craven Cottage about 10 years ago? A rematch of that would attract some interest with both countries' expats in London you'd think

We did it was Ricki Herberts first game in charge, think it was actually an Aussie "home" game, we lost 1-0 to a late goal. There were lots of ex pat Kiwi & Aussies there as well as quite a few AFC Wimbledon fans as Shane Smeltz had just signed for them

could be good but I'd prefer to see NZ actually play in NZ for a change!

As a side note I was at Wimbledon the other day watching them lose to Plymouth and the programme had a write up on the clubs first international player (as AFC).

v Syria: home (Pahiatua) & away (Aleppo).

Syrians refused to travel as they deemed Pahiatua too dangerous to visit.

I missed a penalty playing away in Pahiatua when I was 14 or 15. To this day I blame the dodgy sheep-shark covered pitch.

October window fast approaching- no announcement re a game??!!! 

Via fax - didn't you get it?

I'm surprised people aren't questioning why we aren't playing in the October window when the team so clearly need it.

Hudson said he was targeting this back in April - it seems even more imperative now.. http://www.3news.co.nz/sport/nzf-seeking-all-white...

We haven't seen the first eleven play together yet- with the World Cup qualies starting early next year when are the combinations going to be built?  I hope the effort to build depth doesn't conpromise the performance of the first XI. 

A bit hard to say that when we have never ever seen the "Starting XI" , Let alone heard it from the coaches mouth about his preferred starting choice.

I think most pundits on here know who the core of the first XI are at least - The fact that Wood, Reid, Smith, Moss, Thomas and Rojas are yet to play together as a unit is a concern. It's all very well having these players and having them play for the side on various occasions under Hudsons systems. But that is no substitute for time on the park together....

Jerzy Merino:  " Aleppo".  Now, there's a place with an amazing neighbour watch group. 

No messing with them.

Swift justice too....

I read the Socceroo's will be playing two games against Greece in Australia on May 30th and June 7th, 2016. Wonder if NZF can get them over here for a game?.

Here's the link.

By that time the AW will be playing the OFC Nations Cup

Times of Oman reporting the AW will play Oman on November 12

Oman national football team will play a friendly match against New Zealand as part of the preparations for their next 2008 World Cup/2009 Asian Cup Group D qualifier against Turkmenistan

2008/2009!?!

Sweet, if they've got time travel sussed maybe we can get them to nip back and put in an exemption request for Wynne?