All Whites v China | Thurs 23rd March | 7.00pm | Mt Smart

Monto

This system is so hellbent on maintaining its shape that it plainly refuses to conced it in order to create attacking opportunities.

The odd time we move the ball quickly we look dangerous but it's so so rare.

 very well said

Honestly should be a good 3 - 0 down

LG

reg22

Jazzy Jeff

Monto

Jazzy Jeff

martinb

valeo

Doing our normal pass around nice but can't score stuff

Really miss Singh

 
Just, Rojas and Lewis is a fairly creative lot on the bench. Kosta with the best goal scoring record in the team?

 Christ, Kosta only has about 4 goals. Hopefully we can get the younger lot to bang in some this year, outside of wood it's pretty grim

Tbh I think the problem is more creating chances, we don't even give the strikers we've got enough opportunities to shoot. We should've had at least double the shots we have had so far, we lack creativity.

But yeah, Kosta shouldn't be anywhere near the NT.

Agree mate, just passing around the back before letting Payne hoof it in

 some of the hoofs hve been pretty good. but it's been our main plan

 That is the only plan. They same plan was used under hay and Bazley has picked to continue it.

passy passy passy, right centre back to far post.
win ball
passy passy passy, right centre back to far post
win ball
etc etc etc

We have zero strategy for a finishing product to unlock their defense, its groundhog day.

While the game has been gash, it's great to watch footie from NZ and not see a single empty seat.  Well done Auckland/Chinese expats.

I mean this game has gone perfectly into China hands. Sit deep for 60 mins with the occasional counter attack, red card so now they can squeeze us and actually start committing men forward.

look how highpjinaker was when boxall made that (stray) pass. like he has no appreciation of holding the central space. happened in the first half when neither payne or pijnaker covered smith when he pressed forward.

12k in attendance or there abouts. 10k from the North Shore alone.

I wonder what the TAB are going to be offering for NZ to score a goal in the next game??  Might be worth putting a $20 on it.

At least we know that the Auckland aleague team will get decent crowds if they sign a Chinese import

LG

I wonder what the TAB are going to be offering for NZ to score a goal in the next game??  Might be worth putting a $20 on it.

 
 I’m pretty sure we were heavy favorites for this game which was surprising. I was tempted to chuck 5 on a 0-0 draw and now wishing I did lol

This game not gonna help sell tickets in welly

Friar Tuck

At least we know that the Auckland aleague team will get decent crowds if they sign a Chinese import

Wu Lei would actually be a pretty good import signing for an A-League team but I’m sure he’d be on a lot of money in the CSL

Just like the All Whites, the commentary has completely fallen to peices - all Chinese players are now called "China"

I can already see the NZF headline 'bezeley contract made permanent after a  gritty draw against a dominant Chinese side'

Have not understood how Pijnaker has started the last 12 months ahead of Boxall Snr.  Had Boxy been out there last June we might have qualified.

When Wood was ruled out it was always likely to be 0-0. The lack of goals we score is dire.  That's like 600+ mins now? I'm pretty sure even before that our last goal against a non oceania team was from a pen. As I said before the match, I'd rather lose 4-2. That was boring, not going to help with future crowds.

Well that was fudgeing dire. Gotta do better than that on Sunday, no excuses.

siac

When Wood was ruled out it was always likely to be 0-0. The lack of goals we score is dire.  That's like 600+ mins now? I'm pretty sure even before that our last goal against a non oceania team was from a pen. As I said before the match, I'd rather lose 4-2. That was boring as fudge.

 yip, that was boring and frikkin awful

If I had the players that we have my strategy 150% would not have been long high balls from the back and sides in the box. It is outrageous. 

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Well one from one.

But for the second match I will go even deeper.

Chris Wood Converts a penalty in the 29th minute and China equalize through a 65th minute goalkeeping or defensive blunder.

Post series comments: "It was a good series considering the travel, against a competitive Chinese team and it was good to see NZ back on the scoresheet again. Plenty of encouraging signs for the future."

Tonight, we only had 4 players who are up to international level: Cacace, Bell, Stamenic and Garbett. 

Other than that, we have some players who can probably be good enough in the future, provided they have a proper platform to play, in a team that is well set up.

The players are essential, and by in large doing their bit by bringing themselves up to the standard required, even if they are not all there yet. It is crucial that the technical support staff do the same.

Even if it's a 70/30 ratio, players/staff, the technical side is crucial.

I think we were poor tonight. We have to improve in the next game. Against Australia we went backwards from the first game to the next. Sunday will be interesting.

Nommag

I can already see the NZF headline 'bezeley contract made permanent after a  gritty draw against a dominant Chinese side'

 You can almost guarantee that! All jokes aside, it will probably happen. He might introduce a new formation though, Oli, 6 defenders, 4 midfielders in a new "Attacking" formation.  1-6-4-0 

Putting the football to one side, given Sail the arm band, in Smiths absence I would only assume was pre planned by the coach, in the event Smith came off - which was always likely as a sub (unless he was rewarding him for his part in the fudge up and Smiths sending off)

Giving it to him ahead of others on the pitch shows what type of coach we have as hopefully only an interim. 

siac

When Wood was ruled out it was always likely to be 0-0. The lack of goals we score is dire.  That's like 600+ mins now? I'm pretty sure even before that our last goal against a non oceania team was from a pen. As I said before the match, I'd rather lose 4-2. That was boring, not going to help with future crowds.

Personally I would not even play Wood as he has been so completely out of form but would play Rojas as a striker. 

Ted Striker

siac

When Wood was ruled out it was always likely to be 0-0. The lack of goals we score is dire.  That's like 600+ mins now? I'm pretty sure even before that our last goal against a non oceania team was from a pen. As I said before the match, I'd rather lose 4-2. That was boring, not going to help with future crowds.

Personally I would not even play Wood as he has been so completely out of form but would play Rojas as a striker. 

 You're an absolute mad man...

Was Rojas available today or injured/ill? I thought he was in the squad; for a team that hasn't scored a goal in 600+ mins (and counting) it's outrageous not to give our most attacking/creative player (especially when Singh is out) any minutes.

Begging we dump Bazeley and get key players back to fitness. This team has the potential to do some damage, but I worry that we’ll never get to see it come to fruition.

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Elliot, Just and GK the weak spots, plus that defence isn’t nearly as formidable as the Reid/Nelsen days, but still a team capable of playing well and scoring goals (something we haven’t seen in a long time).

YoungHeartHM

Ted Striker

siac

When Wood was ruled out it was always likely to be 0-0. The lack of goals we score is dire.  That's like 600+ mins now? I'm pretty sure even before that our last goal against a non oceania team was from a pen. As I said before the match, I'd rather lose 4-2. That was boring, not going to help with future crowds.

Personally I would not even play Wood as he has been so completely out of form but would play Rojas as a striker. 

 You're an absolute mad man...

 There is a fine line between madness and genius.

China were the better side.

Friar Tuck

Begging we dump Bazeley and get key players back to fitness. This team has the potential to do some damage, but I worry that we’ll never get to see it come to fruition.

BC71F6D3-FF4A-444A-A7D3-DA97D475C4AD.jpeg 388.14 KB

Elliot, Just and GK the weak spots, plus that defence isn’t nearly as formidable as the Reid/Nelsen days, but still a team capable of playing well and scoring goals (something we haven’t seen in a long time).

Considering DB brought in his buddies:
 
Rory Fallon to resolve the goal scoring issues.
Glenn Moss to sort out the goalkeeping. 
Simon Elliot to talk about how to be even more defensive in midfield.

Who does the Baze turn to now?

Buffon II

China were the better side.

Only for the last 30. Before that we definitely had the upper hand. 

Ted Striker

YoungHeartHM

Ted Striker

siac

When Wood was ruled out it was always likely to be 0-0. The lack of goals we score is dire.  That's like 600+ mins now? I'm pretty sure even before that our last goal against a non oceania team was from a pen. As I said before the match, I'd rather lose 4-2. That was boring, not going to help with future crowds.

Personally I would not even play Wood as he has been so completely out of form but would play Rojas as a striker. 

 You're an absolute mad man...

 There is a fine line between madness and genius.

this-aint-it-zack-fox.gif 186.71 KB

I don’t mind Just, but a fit Thomas in the midfield further forward with Garrett, with Bell and StameNic, holding, I think isn’t bad at all for a starting eleven. Getting them all the pitch may be tricky injury wise however 

Friar Tuck

Begging we dump Bazeley and get key players back to fitness. This team has the potential to do some damage, but I worry that we’ll never get to see it come to fruition.

BC71F6D3-FF4A-444A-A7D3-DA97D475C4AD.jpeg 388.14 KB

Elliot, Just and GK the weak spots, plus that defence isn’t nearly as formidable as the Reid/Nelsen days, but still a team capable of playing well and scoring goals (something we haven’t seen in a long time).

For GK, Paulsen did ok in the u22 match no?

YoungHeartHM

Ted Striker

YoungHeartHM

Ted Striker

siac

When Wood was ruled out it was always likely to be 0-0. The lack of goals we score is dire.  That's like 600+ mins now? I'm pretty sure even before that our last goal against a non oceania team was from a pen. As I said before the match, I'd rather lose 4-2. That was boring, not going to help with future crowds.

Personally I would not even play Wood as he has been so completely out of form but would play Rojas as a striker. 

 You're an absolute mad man...

 There is a fine line between madness and genius.

this-aint-it-zack-fox.gif 186.71 KB

ok lets see what happens when Wood plays the second match and if he scores a goal from open play.

Ted Striker

For GK, Paulsen did ok in the u22 match no?

Yeah, really well. But the ball moves a lot slower. He needs A-League games, which is somewhere in between that U22 game and the senior game.

We must be very easy to defend against. There is no real variety in our play. When ever we win possession we knock it round the back for a minute, let the opposition set up there shape, then decide to try and play through 11 players. Invariably passing it around in a U shape, then deciding to hit a long ball.
We have talent in this team that deserve better than this.

Ranix

We must be very easy to defend against. There is no real variety in our play. When ever we win possession we knock it round the back for a minute, let the opposition set up there shape, then decide to try and play through 11 players. Invariably passing it around in a U shape, then deciding to hit a long ball.
We have talent in this team that deserve better than this.

Man this is a perfect summary.

Marto

Have not understood how Pijnaker has started the last 12 months ahead of Boxall Snr.  Had Boxy been out there last June we might have qualified.

The Irish league is……..the MLS…….Portugal…..Pijnaker is a great passer….age……LF/RF…