All Whites' Dead End Road To Russia 2018

I thought Payne looked really good in the 3 games I saw. Maybe he will be the answer to the AWs DM dilemma after all.

bit picky but he wasn't playing DM for ACFC was he - wasn't Ivan playing there?

thought payne was playing a bit further forward

Yeah he was, more in Roly or WeeMac's areas.

Been a bit quiet on the fixture front.  Only one confirmed match this year and we're already into February... 

When is that?

So when do the fixtures for the next international window get announced? and the squad?

Actually, I don't think the All Whites have any confirmed matches yet.

This is the only press release from NZ Football before Xmas:

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/international-matches-...

Dec. 2nd 2014

“With activity we’ve got played for the early part of 2015, the All Whites, the Football Ferns and the Men’s U-20 side will compete against top-level nations with all matches and opponents designed with our bigger picture focus in mind.”

In the March international FIFA window, the All Whites are looking to lock in a top 70-ranked Asian nation while de Jong is also investigating other potential opponents to ensure a two-match window similar to November’s trip to China and Thailand.

All Whites coach Anthony Hudson says the activity in March will continue to see the side tested as he builds towards the beginning of the qualification process for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

“As we’ve outlined earlier, to create a team capable of reaching the 2018 World Cup in Russia and achieving there, we need to be playing and building experience against quality teams which could form part of our pathway to the tournament,” Hudson said.

“Meeting strong opponents in the March window will be ideal as we head towards the first stage of qualifying for Russia at the end of next year.”

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It's only rumours they're playing South Korea with nothing confirmed by either party:

Korea are scheduled to play Uzbekistan on 27 March

They haven't confirmed their opponent for 31 March at home in Korea:

http://www.fifa.com/associations/association=kor/f...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korea_national_...

Decision on OFC's playoff path made on 30 March.

And the decision is....

Just waiting for the cheques to clear.

To be made on May 30 NZT at the FIFA Congress in Zurich...

Will it be vs. an Asian or CONCACAF or CONMEBOL side? 

New FIFA rankings, NZ down to 144.

Let's give 'em a game and find out.

But because it would only be against the Maldives, even more players would think it wouldnt be worth while so wouldnt show up, then we'd lose to them and fall even lower...

Free holiday in the Maldives would sound pretty appealing to most I'd say

Aruba beating New Zealand would amuse me. 

I find the whole situation crazy, In order to move up we need to win, but up until now it hasn't been Hudsons goal to win but build the future team. I really hope winning comes in soon even if that means playing Aruba etc. to get some upwards movement

Belgium are currently 3rd in the FIFA rankings and Colombia are 4th, and I don't think many football fans would say that there's only 2 nations better than those 2.

Let's play Belgium!!

Bulgium is pretty decent right now though.  Maybe not three but it shows what not losing can do.  

Belgium has been playing top nations too, not just your Gibs, Monacos, NZs etc

Heat goes on NZ after switch

The way the FIFA rankings work too it means that European teams get some advantages in rankings - they play other UEFA countries often, which gives them more points because UEFA is a strong region, and they play more competitive games which give more points than friendlies too. The AWs haven't played a competitive game in over a year. And when we eventually do they'll all be against low ranked OFC opposition and therefore not worth as many points (until WC playoffs or Confeds Cup if we get there).

The rankings also favour the UEFA countries because they're better at playing football than we are.

Surely not.  That would be a complete farce.

You'd hope NZF would cough up the money and kiss some serious ass to insure its played here other wise our world cup chances get even smaller then they already are.

The ELO ranking system, which is how tennis rankings etc work too, always seemed to be fairer, but the website that used to show it for football has gone. 

Oh well, if our Euro based players don't want to come back for a tournament like that at least Hudson will have already given a bunch of possible replacements a run in the team.

How the hell does the Confederations biggest and strongest association not be on the Exec Committee. Farce.....

Had Winnie and Nelsen bothered to turn up we would probably have won that tourney and would not have endured the embarrassment that was 2013.

That's the key. Hudson needs everyone to turn up and then also play. Rickis arrogance at trying Killen as a DM in that tournament only highlighted his scant regard for the other teams and their ability.

I'd say it highlights more the dearth of talent we have in central midfield, and desperation to find someone (anyone!) to do the job.

NZ should pull out all stops to get this tournament in NZ. Play it mid winter in Invercargill. Time to get hard nosed with the rest of Oceania.....we are the biggest fish in this pond. Can't believe we don't have anyone on the executive.

I know its flogging a dead horse but FFS Oceania is such a shiite Confederation. I don't think there are many people who believe that its in our best interest to belong to this shambles. How to move out is a completely different story.

When you look at the recently announced Asian WC qualifying pools you can see how much better things could be for the AW;s. We would be competitive in any of the pools announced.....and it would give us some interesting games to follow. We could be playing home and away against teams like Japan and beatable teams like Vietnam, Malaysia etc. At least we would see these games on TV and there would be decent crouds at these games. Plus the fans would get to follow the ebb and flow of a proper table of results

Instead we could be facing a mickey mouse playoff tournament in some Pacific shiite hole with a crap surface and a third world ref. TV is not interested, nor are sponsors, media or casual sports fans.  Every other country on the planet , no matter what their standard, in all the other Confederations, get to have proper playoffs.....not us. End of rant!!!!!

It shouldn't be allowed by FIFA to have tournaments like this.  A game every two days in 40 degrees on dodgy pitches is ridiculous.  If players can't get time off work, well tough luck, this is for the World Cup, not the Sunday League.  If you can't afford it, then don't enter.  I see teams like Bangladesh, Guam and Bhutan are playing in groups in Asia, but they won't be able to say "Oh let's just play all the games at our place, because we can't afford to travel".  FIFA should step in or they might get another Confederations Cup embarrassment of a team losing 10-0 every game.  I agree with others on this forum in saying that NZFA have to pull out all the stops to host it in NZ if it's gonna be like this.

If you're not good enough to beat these teams in what ever conditions are chucked at you, Then you're not good enough to go to the world cup let alone the play-offs.