2015 Friendly Discussion

They'd still fudge it up

Oman friendly officially confirmed by NZF:

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/all-whites-to-play-oma...

"The All Whites have faced Oman five times, winning three of those matches including a 1-0 victory via a Brad Scott goal in Kuala Lumpur in the most recent meeting in August 2000.

The match will be broadcast LIVE on SKY Sport."

Match details

Oman v New ZealandThursday 12 November 6pm (Friday 13 November, 3am – NZ time)
Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex
Muscat, Oman

Oman have been going well in World Cup qualifying, winning all five matches so far.

Drew with Iran 1-1 and beat India 3-0 in qualifiers in recent weeks:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oman_national_footba...

Capable manager in Paul le Guen - three Ligue 1 titles with Lyon, former PSG and Rangers manager.

Took Cameroon to the 2010 World Cup.

So the All Whites play Oman in a few weeks. 

Anyone have any news on who they think might get picked for the squad?

I assume none of our big players from Europe will get picked (Reid, Smith, Wood etc.)

Maybe Henry Cameron could get selected

Smith will pick up a niggle which keeps him out of this game but will heal in time for the next Ipswich game

possibly racist

It's only a relatively short flight away from the UK, France, Netherlands etc so I think there should be a good turnout from the Euro based players.  I would not be surprised if Glen misses out again given that both Marinovic and Crocombe have been playing regularly.

I'm planning on making the game, have a feeling it will be quite decent as Oman's not a bad side at all.

Yeah something tells me that Wood, Reid and Smith will all put out. I know Monty Patterson was going to get selected for the Myanmar game as a one of my mates was talking to him and he said that he was in talks with Hudson about it, then he broke his leg. 

Hudson has a thing for kids, so I do expect another young line up. I believe that Themi will get selected, and Henry Cameron. Any news on Ryan Thomas as he was injured in the September window, I have no clue. All A-League NZ players (Apart from those at the phoenix) I expect to get selected as well. But yeah. I do have a good feeling about this game anyway :P

Has been starting all games for PEC Zwolle since then.

Ryan missed the Dutch Cup defeat away to Feyenoord in mid-September but played the full 90 in the away league defeat to Feyenoord four days later in front of 47,500 at De Kuip.

He played the full 90 on the weekend in Zwolle's 2-1 home defeat to Utrecht and provided the assist for the goal.

Thanks Big Pete! :)

Seems that Marco Rojas is injured again.

Not even on the bench for FC Thun's 2-1 home win vs. Lugano on the weekend.

Marco stayed on the bench for the 5-1 home thrashing of last-placed FC Zurich on 18 October

Being on the bench means he is fit? Hope he is up for the Oman friendly.

Last game against Oman 

08/17/00 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

NZ 1 (Brad Scott) Oman 0

Line up: Ross Nicholson, Gerard Davis, Chris Zoricich, Ryan Nelsen, Sean Douglas, Scott Smith, Jeff Campbell, Graham Pearce, Noah Hickey, Brad Scott, Paul Urlovic

(subs in): Gareth Rowe, Blair Scoullar, Ben Sigmund

Ben Sigmund!!! 15 years ago!!!

That would have been his debut I think from memory.

yes it was!

When is the squad being announced?

Oman squad announced to play New Zealand and Turkemistan

One English based player - Ali Al-Habsi - Reading FC

Rest seem to be from middle-east teams.

All the players play in the quite new Oman Professional League except for the Reading goalie, one player in Saudi and one in Qatar.

Omani football has been progressing rapidly since they started their first fully professional league in September 2013.

It has substantial financial backing from the Sultan ($US 6.7 million per annum) plus sponsorship and TV money.

The parents of one of my friends from Christchurch teach at the university in Muscat so I've learned a bit about the country.

Oman is one of the youngest Middle Eastern countries - it only became the unified country it is today in the 1960's after feuding sheikdoms and leftist forces were put down with British military help.

The current Sultan has ruled since 1970 and has modernised the country and developed the economy from what was the poorest in the Gulf along with Yemen to one where most people enjoy a high standard of living and a peaceful life (if not much freedom).

That's reflected in its football with employment of foreign coaches from the 1990's on including our own John Adshead who was technical director 15 years ago and coached the Oman u-17's to the 2000 Asian title and at the 2001 FIFA u-17 World Cup.

Of the last six competitions, Oman has made the final of the Gulf Cup at senior level three times, winning it in 2009. 

In qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, Oman came close to the play-off spot eventually claimed by Jordan:

Oman beat Mynamar 5-0 on aggregate (3-0, 2-0) in Round 2

In Round 3, they were second in their group behind the Socceroos (beat Australia at home) 

In Round 4: pipped by one point by Jordan in their group (and had much superior goal difference) who claimed the Round 5 play-off spot vs. Uzbekistan and then the intercontinental play-off spot.

Drew 0-0 at home and 2-2 away with Australia in their group.

Marco back for Thun again after missing two league games.

Started and lasted 57 minutes in the Swiss Cup win away to Wettswil-Bonstetten on October 27

But was an unused sub in the 2-1 away league win vs. Grasshoppers on the weekend.

You should listen to the pod.  He is covered off in the Kiwis Overseas section every week

Neither will be Brockie, Boyd and Tuiloma, so again a team made up of kids

So if Smith said he is available and signed the forms, and Gourdie cornered Hudson at the airport and he said we will be picking our strongest team from here on out, can someone please explain the missing Tuiloma, Smith, Reid, Brockie....?

Hudson needs a massive "what the fudge?!!" thrown at him.

Obviously playing far too nicey nicey with the clubs.

Bill I can understand - he needs to establish himself again. Reid perhaps too; was recently injured.

Tommy Smith, Brockie..why arent they playing?

That is so interesting. 

Maybe when the squad is announced there will reasoning to why they aren't picked.

Here we are, glad there isn't as many Nix as their used to be, but still hurts that two are defenders with Lia also out injured.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/73760735/bla...

All Whites squad to play Oman:

Goalkeepers: Max Crocombe (Southport FC, ENG), Stefan Marinovic (SpVgg Unterhaching, GER), Nik Tzanev (Brentford FC, ENG).

Defenders: Michael Boxall (SuperSport Utd, RSA), Sam Brotherton (Wisconsin University, USA), Thomas Doyle (Wellington Phoenix, NZL), Louis Fenton (Wellington Phoenix, NZL), Themi Tzimopoulos (PAS Giannina, GRE).

Midfielders: Kosta Barbarouses (Melbourne Victory, AUS), Henry Cameron (Blackpool FC, ENG), Clayton Lewis (Auckland City FC, NZL), Michael McGlinchey (Wellington Phoenix, NZL), Marco Rojas (FC Thun, SWT), Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix, NZL), Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle, HOL), Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi (Auckland City FC, NZL). Forwards: Logan Rogerson (Wellington Phoenix, NZL), Shane Smeltz (Sydney FC, AUS), Chris Wood (Leeds Utd, ENG) also is the captain.

Yeah with Lia out losing Doyle and Fenton is pretty rough

No Ryan De Vries? Pah.

No exemptions for Roux and Wynne

thats one inexperienced back line and midfield. I'm going to be at the gam but if we play poorly I expect Hudson to walk.

Gee that's a weak squad - Themi will need to hold the backline together single handedly

Yeah I think that is telling.

Love how Smith is not called up for 'personal reasons'

Im am over Hudson's selections... can we please pick the best players available and win a game.

Clayton Lewis, Whihongi, Rufer, Brotherton, Tzanev and Rogerson... how are they earning a spot realistically.

Especially when half the U17 squad needed, and got, exemptions.

Lewis is sharke...

Where's Musa and Old for example, both playing professionally, older and more experienced and our midfield trio WTF. Bar for Rufer not a single professional game behind them.

I am risking sounding like I have issues and don't know what is going on.

All these young players that were selected were designed to create "Depth" as Hudson says.

I think there is also the fact that he wants them to get exposure so they can get contracts overseas at professional level. 

I also remember when Hudson was first appointed, he did some sort of 30 minute presentation on his plans or "Blue print" on how to get to the world cup. Obviously with the U23s, things changed, but he did say something a long the lines of young players getting more contact with the senior squad, having international caps and being experienced blah blah, and by the time they reach the world cup, most of the young players would have a lot more senior caps and a lot more experience etc etc. 

But some of the kids he picks are merely average. Not all of them, but from what I have seen when they get on the park, its just average.

But also since he has taken over, I have also noticed we have a lot more overseas based players than we did before, might not be at the best of levels, but that means more players can come through the domestic leagues, which provides more depth. 

I think thats why he keeps picking kids, but we are also in this huge whole of not winning. So it may look really weak now, but I do see Hudson's plan and its good he is sticking with it, bit unfortunate he can't get his strongest squad together, but yeah. 

But yes, all thats left is executing his plan, so he does need to win. Then we can see if his plan is gonna work. 

So is Ben van den Broek considered not up to this level?