All Whites' Dead End Road To Russia 2018

Who is this "Simon Eliot"?

We've had a "Simon Eliott" play for NZ before.

That's hilarious coming straight after the correct spelling of players' names debate immediately prior on this thread:

[quote=TV]

 Could everyone make an effort to spell marinovic correctly?

It's not marinkovich or marinovich.

[quote]

Now, some (conspiricists) say that the head of terrorist group ISIS is one Simon Elliot (with one "t") who uses the name al-Baghdadi. It would be "a bloddy solid team with him in the middle" - certainly would strike fear into the heart of any opposition.

https://www.veteranstoday.com/2014/08/04/french-re...

So the FIFA window is 6 - 14 November Northern Hemisphere time which is 7 - 15 November in  NZ time to complete both legs.

There will be about a week between games.

So could be Wednesday 8 November home leg at Westpac and Wednesday 15 November away.

Complicating factor is the Rugby League World Cup with games scheduled in NZ at the time:

Saturday 11 November NZ vs. Tonga 5 pm Hamilton

So you can probably rule out any game on Saturday 11 November.

Other than that, the Rugby League World Cup games fortunately don't conflict (the quarter-finals are 17, 18, 19 November)

The NZ team play Scotland Sat. 4 November in Christchurch in a group game.

I'm not sure anyone will be giving two sharks about some piss-weak rugby league games.

I feel Wed-Wed is less likely this time as it's the NZ leg first.

It definitely won't be Saturday as that's technically only 2 days between games (and yes, I know that timezones don't quite meant that, but that's offset by the travel), and that's the minimum mandated for games within the same confederation - no way will it be accepted for an intercontinental play-off.

The other thing to bear in mind is that the AFC play-off is being played Thursday/Tuesday night - and that's for two games that will be played within the same confederation, with venues that are closer to each other (seeing as Syria's game will be in Malaysia), and with fewer time zones involved. In that context, it's reasonably unrealistic to expect that our intercontinental playoff will be played in a shorter timeframe than that.

The Rugby League thing is important regarding TV scheduling.

NZ Football and Sky TV aren't going to schedule an All Whites game at the same time as a Kiwis rugby league game.

There actually is quite a lot of interest in NZ team games in the Rugby League World Cup.

Also, both legs of the All Whites play-off will almost certainly be mid-week games because there has to be a week between matches.

A Friday night or Saturday home leg in Wellington wouldn't allow long enough before the second leg in South America which would have to be on Tuesday or Wednesday NZ time. A whole day would be spent flying (Sunday), a day resting from the flight (Monday) etc. 

Most of our players should be able to get here by Monday lunchtime. Themi and Ryan Thomas are the only ones who'd probably be late arrivals.

Pretty sure Chris wood had to miss his league game to make it to the Mexico leg

Next round of South American qualifiers Friday 6 October and Wednesday 11 October NZT

All on beIN Sports 2

Standings:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_...

Matches Friday 6 October:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_...

Relevant to 5th place scenario:

Venezuela vs. Uruguay

Chile vs. Ecuador

Colombia vs. Paraguay

Argentina vs. Peru

Wednesday 11 October: Final Round

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_...

Brazil vs. Chile

Ecuador vs. Argentina

Paraguay vs. Venezuela

Peru vs. Colombia

Uruguay vs. Bolivia

Any team currently lying 2nd to 8th on the table could finish 5th and face NZ.

Only Brazil (qualified) and Bolivia and Venezuela (eliminated) can't finish 5th.

8th placed Ecuador seem the most unlikely to finish 5th (two tough games, away to Chile and home to Argentina), having lost their last four qualifiers with even the altitude of La Paz giving them no advantage.

2nd placed Uruguay look safe with a three point buffer on 5th placed Argentina and on paper two winnable games vs. Venezuela and Bolivia.

But after Bolivia beat Chile and Argentina could only draw at home with Venezuela in the last round, absolutely anything is possible...

Also, in the round prior to that, Paraguay thrashed Chile 3-0 away and Colombia only managed a 0-0 draw with Venezuela away.

Regarding 3rd and 4th placed Colombia and Peru, they play eachother on the last matchday, while Colombia has the easier game on the Friday at home to Paraguay, while Peru will be tested away to Argentina.

Argentina on paper have two winnable games at home to Peru and away to Ecuador who have lost their last four qualifiers

6th placed Chile have a two point advantage on 7th placed Paraguay but have a tough final game vs. Brazil even if they most likely will beat Ecuador at home prior to that. Whereas Paraguay have a chance of a point away to Colombia and should bank all three at home to Venezuela.

Ecuador play in Quito. Bolivia play in La Paz :-)

After all that, I'm confused........I'll just wait until November :)

In the media release regarding the moved Phoenix Sunday kick offs, Dome has said the all whites intercontinental playoff is the same weekend as the round 6 game... ?

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero was reportedly injured in a car accident and could be sidelined for two months https://t.co/c4j5UVS8LE

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 29, 2017

The stadium is booked for the Fri/Sat, so it's clear NZF wants it one of those two days. Will depend on the negotiations.

Having just watched some of the Argentina Vs Peru WCQ game...I'm scared that a much worse playoff result is in store for the All Whites  than the Mexico H&A four years ago. The only glimmer of a hope I can see is if somehow Paraguay find a way to finish 5th and then YeahNa (so, you're saying there's a chance!)

Yup. 5 minutes of that game and it's clear both sides are ahead technically. 

We already knew that though.  Hopefully Peru sneaks in as I doubt they’d be as used to the long distance travelling as the Argies would be.

looking a bit like Chile or Paraguay to me, but I wouldn't put much money on this competition at the moment!

We'll certainly struggle against whoever ends up fifth. But after Friday's games it's Peru which would seem not such a bad option.

The problem there though is playing the away leg in Lima where only Brazil and Chile have won in qualifying.

Current Table:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_...

Tiebreak rules for CONMEBOL qualifying:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_...

Peru and Argentina are equal on points but Peru are ahead on tiebreak rules.

Some small consolation is that it's currently not a very good crop of South American teams.

Brazil are comfortably the best of an average lot (by the standards of previous eras in South America).

But it's certainly not a great Brazilian team.

I've seen all of Friday's CONMEBOL qualifiers (except not Uruguay vs. Venezuela yet).

Chile, Colombia and Argentina were all poor: Chile were very lucky to scrape a win at home vs. Ecuador with an 85th min. winner; Colombia collapsed late vs. Paraguay to lose at home 2-1; Argentina are sound defensively but three draws and a loss in their last four games points to their offensive ineptitude (one goal scored in four games with two 0-0 draws and failing to score in the loss).

Uruguay could only manage a 0-0 draw with bottom team Venezuela on Friday.

Peru are now in 5th place and actually look very likely to be grabbiing the spot to face NZ: three wins, two draws in their last five games plus they are at home at altitude in Lima to Colombia in their last game (one win, two draws and a loss in Colombia's last four games).

Peru have only lost two of their eight home qualifiers so far - and that was two years ago to Chile in Round 2 on 13/10/15 (3-4 loss) and on 15/11/16  a 0-2 home loss to Brazil (their last loss in qualifying).

Peru - nearly a year undefeated.

If it's Peru we end up facing (seems quite likely - they sit 5th and have a home game next at altitude in Lima), then Hudson should consult Tamati Williams who is a team mate of Peru's joint top scorer in qualifying Edison Flores at AaB Aalborg in Denmark.

Great summary above big Pete. But Lima is at sea level. Quito and La Paz are the cities at a high altitude in South America.

Arriba Peru

Unless they play it in Cuzco

Just get Williams to nob him in training by “accident”

Ah, yes, I stand corrected - as far as the stadium location goes.

Apparently it's sited in the lower part of the city.

But parts of the capital are as high as 1550 metres (higher than Kathmandu).

Looking up Lima on Wikipedia, it's an interesting city geographically.

Sited on the coast, Lima covers a huge area of 800 km2, with parts at sea level but other parts of it rising steeply on the slopes of the adjacent  mountains to 1550 m (5090 ft). The urban area extends around 60 km from north to south:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima

But the national stadium is sited in the "Lima District" which is only 2.87 m - 154 m above sea level:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lima_District

I also didn't realise that Lima is the third largest city in the Americas behind Sao Paulo and Mexico City with 10 million people.

The temperature in November ranges from 20 - 22 degrees C and it rarely rains.

Ideal conditions for a NZ side ! 

The Estadio Nacional, Lima details:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estadio_Nacional_de_...

Any word on when tickets for the playoff go on sale? When does FiFa announce the date?

Final CONMEBOL round tomorrow will determine WHO we play.

Until we know who, they can't tell us when. Expect something will be announced by the weekend.

Man I am so torn between wanting to face a team we might just beat and a chance to see La Pulga

I'm also torn. I'd prefer to get to the World Cup. Would love to see Messi or Sanchez in Wellington though. It looks like Argentina is unlikely to be 5th now though. If they win, they will probably qaulify. Where is the best place to follow the results tomorrow? Somewhere with a live table would be useful.

I'm not really torn.  Im a realistic, no way does the side who's coach say's  "Playing the solomon islands is tough" is getting

to the world cup.  I want it to see Argentina.  Because no matter who we play, the south american side is going to the world

cup and not us.  Imagine seeing Messi on our shores.

Scroll down, to the table.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(CONMEBOL)

Westpac Stadium will know what day NZF wants the qualifier surely

Who is the inside man ?

they do, and we've known this for months - friday night or saturday afternoon. it's not nzf's call alone though.

Australia's looking like their road to the WC might be a dead end too - currently in extra time with Syria, score locked at 1-1 (2-2 aggregate - if Syria score, Aussie need 2). Penalties should be soon, Syria has a phenomenal keeper so I'm extremely excited

Nevermind, Cahill saves the day. 109th minute

Syria hit the post in the last minute...

Flashscores

apparently Ecuador have scored in the first minute...

Argentina vs Ecuador's on right now. Here's a stream for you all: http://www.navixsport.com/sport.php?id=3085&page=s...

Currently 1-0 to Ecuador after 4 minutes. Ecuador score in the 38th second so they're well on the way to knock the last World Cup's finalists out...

Argentina playing like us so far. Meaningless dribbles that result in a turnover, shocking touches and a lot of long ball from Mascherano.

Edit: 1-1! Messi takes one back in the 13th minute.

Edit 2: Messi again! 2-1, 20th minute. Amazing match, Argentina improving their game plan.

Who are we likely to play now?

Colombia now 5th.