Yeah true Fiji is the one OFC team in NZ that would draw a bit of a crowd outside a WC qualifier.
Esp at Mt Smart a bit closer to Papatoetoe and a largish Fijian Indian popn
But personally watching the AWs play an OFC team bores me to tears most often. However I’d be curious to watch AW wannabe David Ball up against M Boxall & B Tuiloma. But that’s just me
Esp at Mt Smart a bit closer to Papatoetoe and a largish Fijian Indian popn
But personally watching the AWs play an OFC team bores me to tears most often. However I’d be curious to watch AW wannabe David Ball up against M Boxall & B Tuiloma. But that’s just me
With the exception of the most recent games in Qatar, OFC teams have been reasonably competitive against the AWs, and even the PNG and Tahiti games were tight in March. Those games were also an unfair representation of how good those teams can be, with most of the teams being out of season and unable to train due to Covid. Before those, only four out of 22 games in the last decade saw the AWs win by more than two.
The crowd factor is also a tough one, because no realistic friendly (bar this Australia game probably) is getting a big crowd. The biggest draws will be far too expensive/apathetic to bring to New Zealand, and if you go the level below, the crowds drop accordingly; the average punter isn't scrambling to go watch El Salvador. No European team is coming, between Nations' League, Euros' qualifiers and WC qualifiers they have no time; no South American team is with their schedules either. So you get left with the weak CONCACAF, CAF or AFC sides that can't progress far in qualifying; in other words, countries that are probably smaller draws than our local OFC friends anyway.
We brought out two World Cup teams in Honduras and Paraguay (who were quarterfinalists) on the back of South Africa and 'only' got 18k and 16.5k, and the only friendlies since were Jamaica in 2012 ("over 15k") and South Africa in 2014 which got only 9k. We got 10k to both the Fiji and Solomon Islands games in 2017, so its possible to get reasonable crowds, even discounting for the difference between friendlies and competitive matches.
The complaint about the AWs not reaching their potential because they don't play enough is even more applicable to the other OFC nations. They probably won't ever be world class, but more games will only improve them, and a better Tahiti/PNG/Solomons etc is better for NZ. The whole desire to move to AFC isn't because we want to win, its because we want to lose, because that makes winning better. I'd love more stuff like that 4 team 'tournament' Schmid had in India in 2018, and with a local squad there would be genuine competition with nowhere near the same costs as the Middle East games (let alone bringing two 23-man squads over from Europe), plus it could help guys like Talay scout guys. I might well be in the minority, but I'd prefer home games against OFC opposition with local squads over having the AWs play behind-closed-doors, untelevised games at 5am against Oman.
I also feel that players wouldn't be that enthusiastic to come all the way over from Europe to play a game against the Phoenix. It would be a very expensive exercise in avoiding injuries, and turn into a carnival game, and the European clubs would probably view it similarly. The biggest issue is, neither are going to happen unfortunately. Also, if a 35/36-year-old David Ball is waltzing into an AWs squad ASAP, then the 'golden generation' tag should never be used again.
The South Africa friendly was played midweek at night, in winter from memory. Never easy to get people off their warm couch for that.
Whilst those 2017 Fiji & Solomons games were played in the slightly warmer months (March & September) and I think were both weekend day games??
I reckon Cacace, Bell & Singh (if by chance fit) would be keen to return to play against the club, where it all started for them. Bit of novelty value, and chance to see family for an extended 2 week break (their club seasons stop for over 3 weeks during the WC). They will only be in Auckland for 3-4 days for the Socceroos friendly. Won't get to Welly at all. I doubt a friendly against Fiji would have much allure, especially not having long played the OFC teams in March.
But yeah their clubs would likely not be keen on the idea. Wood will probaly be heading off to Saudi for a training camp with NUFC. However even if none of the Euro players in season came, you'd still have a reasonable number of guys having finished their seasons. Many would be flying home for a NZ summer anyways. Something most wouldn't have done for 2-3 years due to the borders shut/MIQ requirements. So NZF shouldn't have to pay for their flights.
Woud, Boxalls x2, Tuiloma, Kyle Adams, Pijnaker, de Vries, Musa, Deklan Wynne, Zwetsloot, Ollie Whyte, Collier, Max Mata, Rogerson, Moses Dyer, Myer Bevan
Stamenic, McCowatt & Just if all still in the Danish 2nd tier about to start a long mid winter break. Same Dalton Wilkins.
Throw in the Kiwis at other ALM clubs. McGarry, Ingham & Storm Roux. Keegan Jelacic. Rojas if he's not Chilean bound. The odd domestic based guy like Howieson. Yes some younger domestic guys with an eye to next year's U20 WC in Indonesia (provided we qualify)
You'd have a team lacking all the big names, but getting those guys above together would hopefully have some use for Hay or whoever the gaffer is. And more fun for them keeping fit playing, than slogging away in Coach Sunz's Auckland gym - where some of them trained in their off seasons pre Covid.
Anyway was always a left field idea, and ain't gonna happen. But going to kinda suck the Nix going into a 3-4 week hiatus, only 6 weeks after the A League kicks off. And god knows when the AWs (in any shape or form) will next play in NZ, after the Socceroos.