All Whites' Dead End Road To Russia 2018

OFC did the draw and its a home game first Vs Sol Islands then the away trip to Honiara.

Overall Im very pleased with how the squad performed at the confederations cup. While there were some obviously strange player selections, I do feel that the current group has real depth. If a player drops out, one is ready to step in. We were extremely lucky in South Africa that no one was injured. Tim Brown is the only player that comes to mind and we were well covered in that spot. It would've been much more of a glaring hole having to replace Tony Lochead or Ryan Nelsen. 

These games were invaluable for the team to get meaningful games and to create a real cohesive environment for the playoff games. This is an immensely talented team. Many on here are saying they will be ready in a few years but the fact is many are indeed at the top of their game now - there are no excuses. Wood, Reid, Smith, Rojas, Thomas. It would be a lost generation if Hudson cant work out the best solution to operate. Looking forward to seeing what friendlys we have coming up and to see what All white team actually appears on the day.

I see the FIFA website has the home match with the Solomon Islands as being on Friday 1st September.

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/matches/round=276475/match=300400032/index.html

Anyone have any inside knowledge if this is right or is it more likely to be the Saturday?

More than likely a Friday night.

Take our current front row and Boxall and the mids and defenders from 2010.  what a team that would be.

Paston

Boxall Nelsen Reid Smith

Vicelich

Elliott Brown

Thomas Wood Rojas

That's basically where he played in 2010 when Lochead got caught pressing forward too much.

For anyone thinking of going to the World Cup next year whether we are there or not, I can't recommend it enough.  

Everyone I spoke with in Russia from Chile, Australia, UK and Canada (bar the Mexicans who were proper snobs/rude f**kers) had a great time and really enjoyed the Russian hospitality and the beauty of its people, cities and countryside. 

 Hearing all the Russians cheer Noo Zeeland for us against Mexico and Portugal was simply awesome.  I'm definitely going back there even if we don't qualify whereupon I'll follow the Aussies and Iran. 

 Also it was great to see so many Aussie and Kiwis over here uniting as one and supporting each other.

Doesn't necessarily mean it won't be. In fact, given the Sunday's are relatively rare this season, I'd say it supports that.

Russia is awesome. I think it's great that Eastern Europe gets such negative media.. It means there are less tourists and more of the area for open minded travellers to enjoy. The people in Eastern Europe are some of the most friendly I have ever met and the women probably some of the most beautiful I've seen. I was in a small city in Serbia and was the only New Zealander that the Serbians had ever met. They all welcomed me into their group. You wouldn't really get this in the major tourist spots like France, Italy, Spain etc. Sorry if off topic but if you get the chance... GO TO RUSSIA!

This from Tony Veitch...

"This will get you fired up. Just found out this morning, that Auckland was offered a full strength Brazil or Argentinian football team to come here and play a friendly. Guess what, we had to say no from the start, because the light restrictions at Eden Park would not have suited broadcast revenue in South America. So dumb."

Couldn't expect any better especially from Eden Park. I'm guessing it would have been timed when they played in Australia. Its these opportunities that Football needs to take advantage of but we won't because its not Rugby enough to care about.

Don't worry, we'll be playing Argentina in NZ in November anyway ;)

Tempted to call bullshark.

and play against who? More like no one can afford Eden Park and wanted to take the financial risk?

Apparently now you can get All Blacks brith certificates.

Full strength? No Neymar or Messi though right?

Wait- hang on...claiming that it was the national teams? weird...sounds like a scam for sure...

Not a fan of Tony Veitch, just speculation based on his face book post. no real facts. 

I heard him on the radio saying that kick off had to be 9pm to suit the South American broadcasters, and the Eden Park residents association put an end to that. 
It seems that the time zone will always make a South American friendly here difficult.

Was it being arranged by the agent of Sery de Campos?

Doesn't Fiji have a home friendly against Estonia? I wonder how they can get a home game against European opposition but not us.

What is interesting re friendlies is that 'Mexico' played Paraguay overnight in Seattle, USA (2-1 win to the Mexicans). 

Yet Mexico are also at the Confeds Cup, and have 3rd v 4th playoff tonight verus Portugal!!   Obviously the Mexican FA, ain't adverse to 'cheapening the jersey' by picking lots of different players to represent the national team.  With an attitude like that it's no wonder that their national team for example, would play so many more games a year than AWs.

Obviously with their very large playing numbers (compared to NZ), they would have incredibly strong depth (ie could probably put out 2-3 international class playing elevens) - puts Hudson's blooding of so many young players (often in friendlies but also Ingham at Confeds Cup) in a bit of perspective. With so few games a year, he's damned if he does, damned if he doesn't - in an attempt to give his young players experience.

9pm here is about 5/6am in South America. It's clearly a bullshark story.

OFC Final Details

7:30pm on a Friday at QBE.

Lol.

Solomons only 1 hour behind :-(

2pm kickoff is niggly. Probably looking at 30+C and 80% humidity. Playing the first game at home is a big advantage, need to put them away so that less than ideal conditions over there don't have any impact.

17 July

Other way around, plying the second leg at home is better IMO.

Need to win in a first leg at home by more than 4 clear goals to take out the conditions and no Winston Reid.

I reckon playing the first game away would've been fraught with danger. Difficult weather conditions, sharkty pitch - all you need is a couple of things to go wrong and you're going back with a 1/2-0 loss back to NZ, then have messy travel back via Australia with a very short turnaround before the NZ game - all of that would equal massive pressure on, and huge potential for things to go wrong again.

With the first game at home, I reckon a 2-0 win should make the away leg relatively comfortable.

we've played them twice at home in World Cup qualifiers, both at what is now QBE.  5-1 and 6-1 wins, so another cool evening and we'll have the job done before the return match.  (1 win and 1 draw in away qualifiers against the Solomons)

11 June 2001, North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

New Zealand 5 (Vaughan Coveny 27, 50, Chris Jackson 35, 55, Paul Urlovic 67)

Solomon Islands 1 (Batram Suri 82)

HT 2-0. Ref: Intaz Shah (Fiji).

NZL: Ross Nicholson - Chris Zoricich, Ryan Nelsen, Ivan Vicelich, Jonathan Perry, Simon Elliott, Chris Jackson, Mark Burton (Noah Hickey 56), Mark Atkinson, Vaughan Coveny (Scott Smith 76), Aaran Lines (Paul Urlovic 64).

11 September 2012, North Harbour Stadium, Auckland

New Zealand 6 (Shane Smeltz 12, Kosta Barbarouses 25, Chris Killen 53, Tony Lochhead 69, Chris Wood 80, Marco Rojas 83)

Solomon Islands 1 (Henry Fa'arodo 51)

HT 2-0. Ref: Bertrand Billon (New Caledonia).

NZL: Mark Paston - Winston Reid, Ryan Nelsen (Ben Sigmund 73), Tommy Smith, Leo Bertos, Michael McGlinchey, Ivan Vicelich (Marco Rojas 81), Tony Lochhead, Kosta Barbarouses, Shane Smeltz (Chris Wood 73), Chris Killen.

Wow that 2012 team is a very very strong team. 10 players at Championship level or better, with plus two A-league stars in Smeltz and Rojas.  Still missing a mid perhaps. No Andy Barron or Simon Elliot!

Not sure about 10 players at Championship level or better, but yipe agree a very strong team (by AWs standards), basically 2010 WC side. Just Weemac in for Elliott & Kosta for Rory.  

Current side have potential but few notches below that 2012 version - esp if looking for calm, cool experienced heads. Don't see AWs 2017 having it so easy against SI.

yeh. 

Actually Elliott and Rory make it stronger don't they. 

No one without a club. Everyone with a decent club, with potential to kick on. Dead set legend in Nelsen.