One potential positive of a March OFC tourney, could be getting some A League players over to Qatar. That's if by March 2022, Australia and NZ allow fully vaccinated people who travel to and back, from a list of countries with low Covid numbers (which could incl Qatar), to avoid 2 weeks MIQ upon return.
So if was say a 3 week tourney, you could have a large 30 man squad split over Euro/MLS based players, plus some from the A League. Maybe the A League guys mostly play the pool games - where presumably the AWs need to only finish 2nd of a 5-6 team pool to make semis - then some of the Euro guys come in for the last week of the semis onwards, so not upsetting their Euro clubs too much at the business end of their club seasons.
For example Kosta plays the pool games, then returns to Oz, and Wood comes in for the semi/final. Just an idea, that would be totally dependent on MIQ requirements being relaxed for some overseas countries.
Advantage being Hay then has some actual coaching time with guys like Rojas, Kosta, Payne, Rufer, Fenton, Sail, Roux etc who he hasn't had on the grass since Nov 2019. Some of whom will definitely be in the frame for those 2 huge games June 2022. In fact he's never coached Kosta, or Sail I think.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/126407745/all-whites-2022-world-cup-quest-set-to-start-in-qatar-in-march-pending-fifa-approval
There was no information available as to why it was now looking to hold them in March, rather than in January, as previously indicated. There is a nine-day Fifa window that month, from the 21st to the 29th, where players have to be released by their clubs, but it could take another week or more to complete a qualification tournament, depending on how many teams take part.
So if was say a 3 week tourney, you could have a large 30 man squad split over Euro/MLS based players, plus some from the A League. Maybe the A League guys mostly play the pool games - where presumably the AWs need to only finish 2nd of a 5-6 team pool to make semis - then some of the Euro guys come in for the last week of the semis onwards, so not upsetting their Euro clubs too much at the business end of their club seasons.
For example Kosta plays the pool games, then returns to Oz, and Wood comes in for the semi/final. Just an idea, that would be totally dependent on MIQ requirements being relaxed for some overseas countries.
Advantage being Hay then has some actual coaching time with guys like Rojas, Kosta, Payne, Rufer, Fenton, Sail, Roux etc who he hasn't had on the grass since Nov 2019. Some of whom will definitely be in the frame for those 2 huge games June 2022. In fact he's never coached Kosta, or Sail I think.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/126407745/all-whites-2022-world-cup-quest-set-to-start-in-qatar-in-march-pending-fifa-approval
There was no information available as to why it was now looking to hold them in March, rather than in January, as previously indicated. There is a nine-day Fifa window that month, from the 21st to the 29th, where players have to be released by their clubs, but it could take another week or more to complete a qualification tournament, depending on how many teams take part.
It is possible Fifa could make the release of players mandatory for a longer period as part of the process of approving OFC’s plans, but if it didn’t, the All Whites would be disproportionately affected, given New Zealand’s outsized representation in the professional game relative to that of its regional rivals.