All Whites v China Nov 15th 12:25am SS1

 An important assist for Leo though!

Gee - a Reid-Nelsen centre back pairing would make us a low mid table EPL team which has to be relatively respectable worldwide right? Surely these guys would push to make some much more highly ranked international teams?

Does Rogic have a kiwi grandmother? He and McG seemed to run amok against Sydney. edit: duh he's been called up for Oz.

NZF's High Performance Director Fred de Jong talks to D'Arcy on Drive about the All Whites squad picked to play China next week

http://www.radiosport.co.nz/player/ondemand/255192759-stars-named-for-all-whites-friendly

De Jong a bit awkward when explaining Chris Killens absense.

 Am I the only one who feels it may be time for Ivan to be fazed out? Games like this are a perfect chance to blood a younger player - yet I can see him being given a starting spot.

Don't get me wrong, he's been a good servant for us, but he's getting on a bit and won't be here for ever.

On the other hand China are a very weak team at the moment - in more transition than this season's Nix and with a coach who is out of his depth and some veteran players who can't give two sh!ts (or at least give that impression).

Ricki wouldn't lose much by trying out one or two new players.

In China's favour: 1. Home game, 2. They should have a good time to train together - most if not all of the squad are domestic and their season has finished (except for a silly exhibition game).  I think there is one playing in the K-League.

 I would like to see keat and payne given more time in the center of the park.

CM is our biggest problem area for the forseeable future. Weemac can do a job there but I think a little further forward.
Handerson could also potentially do a job there - as could Howieson or Fenton one day

China Squad (wiki links)

Pos.  Player  Caps  Goals  Club

GK  Zeng Cheng  16  0  Henan Jianye

GK  Geng Xiaofeng  2  0  Shandong Luneng Taishan

GK  Wang Dalei  1  0  Shanghai Shenhua

DF  Sun Xiang  60  5  Guangzhou Evergrande

DF  Zhao Peng  29  3  Henan Jianye

DF  Liu Jianye  28  0  Jiangsu Sainty

DF  Zhu Ting  18  3  Dalian Shide

DF  Zheng Zheng  4  2  Shandong Luneng Taishan

DF  Yu Yang  4  0  Beijing Guoan

DF  Zhang Linpeng  23  4  Guangzhou Evergrande

DF  Xu Bo  0  0  Guangzhou R&F

MF  Zheng Zhi(Cpt)  61  13  Guangzhou Evergrande

MF  Zhao Xuri  51  1  Guangzhou Evergrande

MF  Hao Junmin  44  12  Shandong Luneng Taishan

MF  Yu Hanchao  20  4  Liaoning Whowin

MF  Feng Renliang  15  1  Shanghai Shenhua

MF  Lü Peng  5  0  Dalian Shide

MF  Liu Jian  28  4  Qingdao Jonoon

MF  Yu Hai  36  9  Guizhou Renhe

MF  Qin Sheng  5  0  Guangzhou Evergrande

FW  Gao Lin  56  16  Guangzhou Evergrande

FW  Yang Xu  21  9  Liaoning Whowin

FW  Yu Dabao  9  2  Dalian Aerbin

Seven of the squad are from Guangzhou Hengda who are playing Guizhou Renhe (one player in squad) in the CFA Cup final (two legs) on 10 and 18 Nov either side of the friendly.

They reported yesterday in the paper that Killen is at a wedding - that surely can't be right?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10846270

"Herbert will assemble his strongest side, although striker Chris Killen, who plays club football in China, has been excused so he can attend a wedding in the US. Others need to get through this weekend's club games unscathed."

A bit bizarre

Didnt he also 'injure' his groin on his honey moon or something?

understandable, especially seeing as this game was only recently added.

Time to speculate on starting line ups...

I'm picking we play 4 - 4 - 2 at the back with

Bertos Reid Nelsen Smith

Rojas  Vicelich McG Kosta

           Wood Smeltz

Siggy to come in for Reid if injured.

Another potential shuffle is to put Kosta up top if Smeltz isn't fit, push McG out left and out either Payne ir Keat into the middle. Would like to see one of them start regrdless ahead of Vicelich, but don't see it happening at this moment in time.

With Smeltz injured, and Reid unlikely, Id go for:

                     Moss
Bertos Nelsen Smith Lochhead
           Vicelich     Payne
              McGlinchey
Rojas       Wood          Kosta

Paston

Rojos-Wood-Kosta. 

Nelsen out. I'm not surprised.

I think his knee is afraid of flying. 

 According to the 'Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players', Nelsen can't play for QPR games in the 5 days after the international  fixture

Nelsen withdraws from China international

November 12, 2012

AUCKLAND – All Whites captain Ryan Nelsen has withdrawn from the international match with China with niggling ankle and knee injuries.

17-year-old Cameron Howieson has been called up to the squad and will travel from his Burnley home overnight to link up the rest of the All Whites squad in Shanghai on Tuesday morning (China time).

Nelsen and medical staff have been managing the injuries for the past month and he has not trained with his QPR club between matches in the English Premier League.

“Ryan is committed to our programme and is a key asset to our campaign to qualify for the FIFA World Cup in Brazil,” said New Zealand Football High Performance Director Fred de Jong.

“It’s not unique for a team to manage their athletes as best as they can, Ryan is 35 years old and we want to do all we can to make sure he is fit to play in our FIFA World Cup qualifiers in March and again in November next year if necessary.”

De Jong was aware the stance could leave New Zealand Football open to criticism in the wake of Winston Reid’s situation during the FIFA World Cup™ qualifiers with Tahiti last month, but was quick to stress the difference in scenarios.

“The window in October was for Official Matches whereas this window is for Friendly Matches, which is a tighter timeframe,” said de Jong.

The FIFA rules around release of players for Official Matches is five days prior to the window, whereas Friendly Matches is 48 hours.

“We were able to treat Winston on arrival in New Zealand for at least four days before the match with Tahiti in Christchurch.  With the China game we’re talking hours rather than days,” said de Jong.

Is it after the fixture or the window? If its the fixture,that is stupid. Because during the last window,Nelsen and Reid missed the first games. But there would be no game within 5 days of the first fixture. So what's to stop that from happening every time?

What a load of crap. They should be resting him with the international window and the fact he'll be playing during it in mind. That is such a cop out. 

He is obviously fit to play,despite the alleged niggling injuries as he has been playing every week for QPR. That's all that matters. 

Nelsen is injured but not ok he misses the game.  Killen wants to go to his mates wedding and it's ok?

So we theoretically could have invoked it after Reid and Nelsen decided not to get a flight to arrive in time for the first game? 

Injured but playing every week for QPR? He is obviously fit to play,despite niggling injuries. 

That is open to a lot of exploitation then. Players would rarely have to be released for the first game in a window. 

Surely the way to go would be to treat the window as a single call up. 

It's bloody frustrating - and I was as pissed as anyone with the withdraws from the Nations Cup - but now I've calmed down, we've got to face realities of the situation...this was always on the cards...really, the only matches that matter from now on [for the PL stars] are the March qualifiers, and then [very preferably] a couple of friendlies in the September/October windows prior to the big ones in November 2013. 

Here's hoping for a spirited showing on Wednesday.

Winston Reid?@WinstonReid2

                    Going to china wish i was not Right now cause Everything is out of order !                 

So Wiremu is going, no idea what the tweet means but he's on the way!

Nelsen has missed 12 of the last 16 All Whites games since the world cup.  Winston has missed 11 assuming he plays tomorrow.