All Whites' Dead End Road To Russia 2018

How can Hudson seem to side swipe quality young players so early. Boyd, Roux perhaps Ridenton, but then be content with Dyer and Rufer being in the squad.

Because he is coach and can do as he pleases : )

Yeah but let's not forget that Tommy Smith elected not to play once and look where he is.

So, Bauza has gone as Argentina coach.

A shame that he won't renew his acquaintance with NZ sides after Auckland City took his San Lorenzo team to extra time in the semi-final of the 2014 FIFA Club World Cup.

That might have been a great motivational point for the All Whites - "Auckland City matched Bauza's side in normal time - let's go a little bit further..."

Some good detail on Argentina's managerial change here:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/argentina-coach-bauza...

A factor in the Argentina national team's poor form has no doubt been the fact that they haven't had an FA for a while.

Their FA was removed by FIFA due to corruption and a FIFA interim committee has been running football in Argentina the last year.

A new FA was only appointed last month.

Sacking Bauza is one of the first acts of the new FA president, Tapia.

Seems that Argentinian former Chile boss Sampaoli is in line to take charge of Argentina:

"If the AFA can successfully prize Sampaoli away from Sevilla at the end of the season, he would have until August 31 to prepare for Argentina's next qualifier, a tricky trip to play Uruguay in Montevideo.

Tapia has announced a news conference for Tuesday to give details of Bauza's departure and his possible successor."

Moses Dyer signs for Australian NPL2 club, Northcote City FC

Westpac is confirmed location. It's booked for 10th and 11th of November but there isn't any public confirmation of time or day.

Edit: Because I'm an idiot who can't read a calender.

probably to do with who the opposition will be ie if its Argentina or Chile probably tuesday as there are direct flights from Auckland, if its Colombia or Ecuador probably monday as flights will need to go via somewhere else first

Shark sorry. My mistake. Got the dates wrong. It's booked for the Friday(10th) and Saturday (11th)

SA team won't be locked in until mid October. AWs won't be locked in until early september. maybe math will work out that SA is locked in same time, but unlikey. wouldnt expect confirm of fri or sat until SA team and their travel is confirmed.

I suspect Saturday is a more likely option. Teams lose a day travelling here, but would 'gain' a day travelling across the date line back to SA.

Wouldn't be surprised if it is an earlier kick off so the match is before midnight in SA time thus increasing the TV rights. 

Second tier Irish side, Cabinteely F.C. have announced they are playing the All Whites on 6 June. 

Can see the headline now - "Hudson delighted as Dyer has best game in AW shirt"

So the two Irish games will be final trials before the last game against Belarus. 

All Whites build-up for Russia confirmed 

Lionel Messi’s four-match international ban has been lifted following a successful appeal.

With the confeds squad announced very soon, what does everyone think the squad should be/would be? and the starting 11?

I personally think the squad will be:

gk- Moss, Marinovic, Gleeson (hope he gets picked over Williams)

d- smith, reid, durante, Tzimopoulos, doyle,  boxall, roux (i hope), Wynne, D Ingham 

m- McGlinchey, rojas, Tuiloma, Thomas, Lewis, Ridenton (I hope), Barbarouses, Ingham 

f- Wood, Smeltz, Brockie,  

reserves- dyer, rufer, fenton, brotherton, williams, colvey, Patterson

                   gleeson

            Reid,  Durante, Smith

Boxall                                       Doyle

             Tzim,        McGlinchey

Rojas                                  Smith

                    Wood

Think we have to play to our strengths and be hard to beat (like West brom). Smith, Reid, wood, rojas need to be at there very best. 

Double Smith

GK: Glesson, Marinovic, Moss

DF: Reid, Smith, Durante, Themi, Botherton, Adams, Whyne, Roux, Doyle, Boxall

MF: Tuiloma, McGlinchey, Thomas, Kosta, Rojas, Lewis, Patterson, Ridenton, Hudsons BF aka Dyer

ST: Wood, Brockie, Smeltz

GK: Marinovic, Moss, Williams

DF: Reid, Smith, Durante, Themi, Brotherton, Wynne, Roux, Doyle, Boxall, Colvey

MF: Tuiloma, McGlinchey, Thomas, Kosta, Rojas, Lewis, Dyer

ST: Wood, Smeltz, Cameron

Cheap flights from Chch to Wgton today only, just not sure what to buy? It's deffo happening that wknd right? Might fly Fri 5pm, and back on Sunday....

Are we sure that (assuming we qualify) NZ plays at home on the 2nd leg of the intercontinental playoff series against 5th best SA team?

OFC have the first leg

No. International Windows doesn't opens until Monday so given players have to travel it's not feasible to have an earlier game. Games over international windows are almost always Fri/Sat then Tues/Wed.

Well our opponents for next round have changed since what we last thought....PNG are basically out now, unless they beat Solomons 5-0...if Solomons get a draw in PNG, we will play them...but if they lose (which is possibly more likely) then Tahiti will make it..all very close

3-0 to PNG is enough. But year looks like the solomons. Not a huge fan of that. No direct flight, facilities aren't great, and there is no lights at the ground so will probably be a 3pm kick off.

I can see the light growing at the Dead End now

Solomons beat PNG 2-1 to top the group...NZ vs Solomon Islands is the final play off game...Horror of Honiara II ??

The way the AW's have been playing Sol Islands could get a win here.

Fixed

last time we played them was OK-ish...

Last time we played South American Opposition - If I am honest, I actually think we were better side back then, than we are now.