All Whites, Ferns, and other international teams

WCQ Semi All Whites v Fiji | Fri 21st Mar | 7:00pm | Sky Stadium | March at 6pm

390 replies · 22,690 views
about 1 year ago
Procrastinixing
Spoonley said close to 22k tickets sold for this game.  No idea what his sauce is but that's pretty good 

Metlink is putting on extra services, lets hope for good weather.... Or not 
PAX 12900 this evening
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about 1 year ago
Goran & Spoon's starting XI for Fiji:

Crocombe
Payne Boxall Nando Cacace
Stamenic Bell
McCowatt Singh Just
Wood
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about 1 year ago
Really can’t see Nando ahead of Bindon.

Auckland will rise once more

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about 1 year ago
Alot will depend who arrives in NZ when. McCowatt played Monday morning our time, so likely a very late arrival
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about 1 year ago
I watched Fiji train yesterday at Martin Luckie Park. Much time was put into attacking free kick set plays which makes sense IMO because that will probably be their main opportunity to "roll the dice" and score
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about 1 year ago
Simon B
Procrastinixing
A week to go, I'm getting excited.  Anyone else taking half day off work to watch the Tahiti New Caledonia game as well? 

Work owes me some hours so I'll be there, looking forward to enjoying the game as a neutral and cheering both teams on.

Then afterwards it'll be down to the Feathers with hopefully time for a quick bite and pint before joining the march back.
Can you leave the stadium and get in all good again? Asking because will also go to both
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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
Fiji 🇫🇯 beat the Nix reserves.  I haven’t heard a thing about this…thoughts?
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about 1 year ago
Procrastinixing
Spoonley said close to 22k tickets sold for this game.  No idea what his sauce is but that's pretty good 

Metlink is putting on extra services, lets hope for good weather.... Or not 

That's not true. Far too many sections unsold for it to be that high. Was told 11k today.
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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
whatever
I watched Fiji train yesterday at Martin Luckie Park. Much time was put into attacking free kick set plays which makes sense IMO because that will probably be their main opportunity to "roll the dice" and score

So anyone can just walk off the street and watch them train?

I remember the Peruvians based in Auckland in 2017 with their entourage going to great lengths to keep their trainings private. 36 years of hurt will do that

Massive contrast to these games
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about 1 year ago


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about 1 year ago
LT01
Simon B
Procrastinixing
A week to go, I'm getting excited.  Anyone else taking half day off work to watch the Tahiti New Caledonia game as well? 

Work owes me some hours so I'll be there, looking forward to enjoying the game as a neutral and cheering both teams on.

Then afterwards it'll be down to the Feathers with hopefully time for a quick bite and pint before joining the march back.
Can you leave the stadium and get in all good again? Asking because will also go to both

Yes you need to scan out though. 
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about 1 year ago
Guess he was talking bollocks then. 
2ndBest
Procrastinixing
Spoonley said close to 22k tickets sold for this game.  No idea what his sauce is but that's pretty good 

Metlink is putting on extra services, lets hope for good weather.... Or not 

That's not true. Far too many sections unsold for it to be that high. Was told 11k today.
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about 1 year ago
I saw on the news that Pounds and Walker took part in training.  Does anyone know where training was? NZCIS? Martin Luckie? 
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about 1 year ago
Who's Pounds?

Oi Oi Edgecumbe... lets have a clean sheet

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about 1 year ago
Oi Oi Edgecumbe
Who's Pounds?
Luke Brooke-Smith (LBS)
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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
Oi Oi Edgecumbe
Who's Pounds?

Luke Brooke Smith aka lbs.

Cool experience for him & Walker. Making up numbers awaiting late arrivals like McCowatt & Singh who played Monday our time.

I'd wager the AWs are at NZCIS. The Fijians are at Martin Luckie
Edit - okay seeing Feverish below, I had that wrong.
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about 1 year ago
Great nickname.

Three for me, and two for them.

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about 1 year ago
Procrastinixing
I saw on the news that Pounds and Walker took part in training.  Does anyone know where training was? NZCIS? Martin Luckie? 

Luckie

Founder

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about 1 year ago
I don't know but I just can't get excited about playing island teams sorry. Even if it results in direct WC qualification. Bring back team like Bahrain, Mexico and Peru. Or even better get into Asia
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about 1 year ago
Sry man…but you need to get over yourself.  If I was Fiji coach, I using this forum as prime motivational material.
InsulinMachine
I don't know but I just can't get excited about playing island teams sorry. Even if it results in direct WC qualification. Bring back team like Bahrain, Mexico and Peru. Or even better get into Asia
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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
I've sort of got used to the idea of a 48 team WC. Helped by next year's version being in favourable viewing time zones. Will be exciting hopefully to see this current team on the big stage in 2026.

Also helps now that with Auckland in the ALM is 2-3 big derby games each year, and now also double the A League games in NZ each season. More quality football 'product' to watch locally each year in NZ. Lots of Nix fans will hate the idea, but if AFC do host the ALM GF this year it will be a big NZ football moment.

But hopefully NZF can bring at least 1 bigger team to NZ (bigger than China) in the lead up to next year's WC, as a farewell match. Football Australia always try to do that every 4 years, with the Socceroos. Though all they managed to get was the AWs (at Brisbane) in 2022.

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about 1 year ago
Fiji are not getting close to beating NZ.. 
Banzai!...AIEEE!!!
Sry man…but you need to get over yourself.  If I was Fiji coach, I using this forum as prime motivational material.
InsulinMachine
I don't know but I just can't get excited about playing island teams sorry. Even if it results in direct WC qualification. Bring back team like Bahrain, Mexico and Peru. Or even better get into Asia

Banzai!...AIEEE!!!
Sry man…but you need to get over yourself.  If I was Fiji coach, I using this forum as prime motivational material.
InsulinMachine
I don't know but I just can't get excited about playing island teams sorry. Even if it results in direct WC qualification. Bring back team like Bahrain, Mexico and Peru. Or even better get into Asia
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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
Nixieboys222
Fiji are not getting close to beating NZ.. 
Banzai!...AIEEE!!!
Sry man…but you need to get over yourself.  If I was Fiji coach, I using this forum as prime motivational material.
InsulinMachine
I don't know but I just can't get excited about playing island teams sorry. Even if it results in direct WC qualification. Bring back team like Bahrain, Mexico and Peru. Or even better get into Asia

Banzai!...AIEEE!!!
Sry man…but you need to get over yourself.  If I was Fiji coach, I using this forum as prime motivational material.
InsulinMachine
I don't know but I just can't get excited about playing island teams sorry. Even if it results in direct WC qualification. Bring back team like Bahrain, Mexico and Peru. Or even better get into Asia

Exactly, so what's the point of all this? It's not fair on the island teams and doesn't do us any good either.
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about 1 year ago
It means NZF can almost certainly lock in about $NZD14M (yes split with the players) every 4 years. You can do a shark load of good for the sport with that dosh.

NZF are still using cash squirrelled away from 2010 WC qualification and 2013 Mexican TV rights sales. But that war chest is diminishing over time. A nice topup is due.
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about 1 year ago
I question us being in OFC ALOT. But the positives cleqarly outway the negatives. A 4 yearly winfall that keeps NZF well and truely afloat, being able to get our players to a World Cup every four years is huge plus we can actually afford to get decent friendly games to build for this tourney. Sure it feels mean beating up on the island nations, but it is what it is and FIFa arent gonna change it anytime sooin, so we just have to keep doing what we do and dominate OFC and take every penny we can from FIFA.

Queenslander 3x a year.

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about 1 year ago
coochiee
It means NZF can almost certainly lock in about $NZD14M (yes split with the players) every 4 years. You can do a shark load of good for the sport with that dosh.

NZF are still using cash squirrelled away from 2010 WC qualification and 2013 Mexican TV rights sales. But that war chest is diminishing over time. A nice topup is due.

I was under the impression that at some stage in the past the current President of FIFA has stated that the payout would be USD40M for each country that qualifies?
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about 1 year ago
How good is it to benefit from corruption and greed from the top bosses?! 🥰🥰 viva la corruption and corporate greed!
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about 1 year ago
Nixieboys222
How good is it to benefit from corruption and greed from the top bosses?! 🥰🥰 viva la corruption and corporate greed!
Greed and capitalism are indeed great when the coin starts flowing into your pockets
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about 1 year ago
whatever
coochiee
It means NZF can almost certainly lock in about $NZD14M (yes split with the players) every 4 years. You can do a shark load of good for the sport with that dosh.

NZF are still using cash squirrelled away from 2010 WC qualification and 2013 Mexican TV rights sales. But that war chest is diminishing over time. A nice topup is due.

I was under the impression that at some stage in the past the current President of FIFA has stated that the payout would be USD40M for each country that qualifies?

Not sure of it ever being reported as that high. But who knows. The clubs at this years 32 team CWC are going to get huge payouts 

Also there is a chance qualifying teams at the next WWC may get the same as mens. So another potential windfall for NZF, as the Ferns have it even easier than the AWs in OFC
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about 1 year ago
whatever
coochiee
It means NZF can almost certainly lock in about $NZD14M (yes split with the players) every 4 years. You can do a shark load of good for the sport with that dosh.

NZF are still using cash squirrelled away from 2010 WC qualification and 2013 Mexican TV rights sales. But that war chest is diminishing over time. A nice topup is due.

I was under the impression that at some stage in the past the current President of FIFA has stated that the payout would be USD40M for each country that qualifies?
The total prize money (and solidarity money) budget for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is US$896m, while making 48 payments of US$40m would require US$1920m before you even get to extra payments for round of 16 etc, so no. There will likely be a slight increase from 2022, but the bulk of the extra US$247m being spent in 2026 will be accounting for the fact that there are 16 extra teams.
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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
Selling out EP for the Final seems optimistic. North of 35,000 would be a good effort. I'm sure the APL & Auckland FC will be judging the crowd size and game day atmosphere.

Sounds like will be a Bindon & Pijnaker starting CB combination

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360620649/all-whites-captain-chris-wood-oceania-deserves-direct-entry-fifa-world-cup

New Zealand Football is expecting a crowd close to 20,000 for the semifinal at Sky Stadium on Friday night and will be ramping up the marketing for the final in the hope of selling out Eden Park for the decider three days later as soon as the All Whites take care of business against Fiji.


With three players, Callum McCowatt, Joe Bell and Michael Boxall, only arriving in Wellington on Wednesday, Bazeley said he was yet to settle on a starting XI for the semifinal two days out from kick off.

It’s the biggest downside of having players spread across the globe.

It seems unlikely the late arrivers will be included from the start against Fiji, which could open the door for A-League trio Logan Rogerson, Alex Rufer and Nando Pijnaker to join right back contenders Tim Payne or Storm Roux in a starting XI that will otherwise consist of European-based professionals, spearheaded by Nottingham Forest star Wood – one of the English Premier League’s form strikers.
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about 1 year ago · edited about 1 year ago · History
GSR there as well. A buzz for the young Nix trio.



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about 1 year ago
For those going to the earlier game please be aware there are no pass outs - you need to stay in the stadium the whole time from when you enter. I could be wrong but check your tickets to be extra sure

Fell victim to this at the earlier Hamilton All Whites game, ground staff said they had no choice and this was FIFA regulations
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about 1 year ago
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