All Whites' Dead End Road To Russia 2018

Suspiciously quiet on that front. You'd think there's an opportunity to line up something against one of the CONCACAF hex teams in October.

Looks like a game against Mexico in November - played in Nashville, USA

It will be the 6th time NZ has played Mexico, winning 1 (1980 4-0) and losing the other 4

October. We both have World Cup qualifiers in November.

great. Good to have a decent fixture to look forward to. Tommy Smith to come back now that his contract is sorted and Fitzgerald to answer our CM prayers... I'll completely forget the crap that was dished up in PNG if we out play Mexico with a return to Hudsons trademark style of play.. (Sorry couldn't resist... Having a game is good though).  

But some (most) people are never happy.

There is as much green grass there as there is on that pitch in Happy Valley. And it is probably warmer at the Ross Dependency.

He non-selection wasn't because his contract was in doubt. It's because he's a disloyal and unthankful cod.

Yeah mate. Sarcasm filter wasn't turned up high enough. 

He's still a cod.

Game confirmed against Mexico. 8 October. So Phoenix will be missing a couple of players for round one v Melbourne City

So confirming for someone like me that doesn't want to think or look players up, who would we maybe be looking at losing for the game?

Probably take 18 players so
Likely: Moss, Kosta, McGlinchey,
Maybe: Ridenton, Doyle, Fenton, Rogerson, McGarry

And we get to do it all again in November and March

Damn forgot having Kosta back means another All White lost to qualifiers.

Good job Gulley isn't in the AWs frame. Watson could be a possibility?

interesting that Hudson mentioned Alex Rufer. Is he even in the Nix frame? 

I wouldn't be surprised if Moss didn't make the cut. 

Watson must be the backup to Wood now, surely? (stop calling me Shirley!)

Smeltz probably still ahead. Experienced and clinical. Watson will grow a lot this season though and this could be different this time next year. Watson needs to keep the intensity and keep doing what he is doing. The rough edges will come right if he gets a decent run this year. 

it's going to be match nº367 for the All Whites

vs Mexico

5 matches (record W1 L4)

top scorer: Brian Turner 2 / Chris James 2

last: 11-20-13 in Wellington (World Cup Quals) 2-4

squad: Moss, Roux, Durante, Smith, Tuiloma, Rojas, James, McGlinchey, Barbarouses, Brockie, Smeltz, Fenton, Henderson, Fallon

vs CONCACAF nations

20 matches (record W3 D4 L13)

top scorer: Chris James 2

last: 11-20-13 in Wellington (World Cup Quals) 2-4

playing in the USA

5 matches (record W1 D1 L3)

last: 5-26-12 in Dallas vs Honduras (Friendly) 1-0

squad: Paston, Smith, Sigmund, Vicelich, Rojas, Clapham, McGlinchey, Hogg, Barbarouses, Brockie, Smeltz, Boxall, Bertos, McGeorge, Howieson, Payne, Wood

playing in neutral ground

87 matches (record W32 D14 L41)

last: 6/8/16 in Port Moresby vs New Caledonia (Oceania Nations Cup) 1-0

squad: Marinovic, Boxall, Tzimopoulos, Adams, Brotherton, Colvey, Prelevic, Tuiloma, McGlinchey, Fallon, Wood, Barbarouses, Patterson, Hudson-Wihongi

November games confirmed.

OFC Round Three Qualifiers for the 2018 FIFA World Cup GROUP A
November 12 New Zealand v New Caledonia at QBE Stadium in Albany
November 15 New Caledonia v New Zealand venue TBC

Kickoff time yet to be confirmed. Wonder if it will be earlier given a 7:30 game would clash with the Mariners/Nix game.

Why won't the A-league just stop for international windows!!

the FFA will probably reschedule City games from international windows though so Cahill can play for the Socceroos without missing A League appearances 

Also, any rumours on where the NZ vs Fiji game will go on 28 March 2017? Probably Wellington?

Huh? Double headers are very common. In fact, probably more common than playing just one qualifier in a window.

But normally it would be New Zealand vs New Caledonia and then New Caledonia vs Fiji in one window; Fiji vs New Zealand and New Caledonia vs New Zealand the next window, etc. I'm not sure of any confederations that have group matches twice in a row between two teams? CONCACAF doesn't do it, neither does UEFA, CAF, AFC or CONMEBOL. It's just OFC that does it.

It's gonna be agonising if we're 5 points ahead of one of them in the last window in June 2017 and we can only watch them because we've played all our matches and they've still got a double-header.

NZ definitely doesn't want an OFC qualifier on their schedule in June 2017 window - when they're building up for confeds.

It's true they could have a schedule with no 'double headers' for NZ and still keep June 2017 free for NZ, but that leaves a double header for Fiji and NC in june 2017.

If anything it should be the way everyone else goes, for marketing, attention, intensity reasons. (Other confeds have more going generally for them in this regard, but still)

Edit: I guess there are potential collusion implications.

My suggestion for the Fiji match would be Mt Smart - close proximity to the sizeable Indo-Fijian population in south Auckland and the Roskill area, near to motorways and on a train line... would generate a decent crowd, even if the Fijian support would probably outnumber Kiwis... and it would mean the media could dig out the 13-0 footage from 1981 and make actual stories about the upcoming fixture...

I expect only North Harbour and maybe the Cake Tin will pick up games.  Don't forget NZF has a deal with the "Home of Football", QBE Stadium.