All Whites vs Colombia | Sun 16th Nov | 1:00pm (NZT) | Chase Stadium (Fort Lauderdale, Florida, USA)

OPP, McGarry, Randall, Tzanev and Tommy Smith all added to the squad.

McCowatt apparently out with concussion like symptoms

Upside is none of the injuries really appear long term ones, and if it was a WC squad selection with say 3 weeks between club seasons finishing and the first WC pool match, all could be available.

Let’s hope FIFA agree to 26 man WC squads though.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/11/11/auckland-fcs-jesse-randall-among-five-late-additions-to-all-whites-squad/ 

Really hope that Thomas’s one is minor.

So updated XI

Crocombe
Tuiloma Boxall Surman FdV
Stamenic Bell
Just Singh Garbett
Kosta

Really hope Stamenic is up to playing, would be starting to look like quite a weak XI without him in there

At least the ALM guys are now 4 weeks into their season. More match fit/sharp.
Handy as they will be needed this window. 

Sounds like McGarry and Roux had useful games for their clubs on the weekend, though this is a a massive step up.

imanixsupporter

So updated XI

Crocombe
Tuiloma Boxall Surman FdV
Stamenic Bell
Just Singh Garbett
Kosta

Really hope Stamenic is up to playing, would be starting to look like quite a weak XI without him in there

I'd be putting Rufer into the midfield and pushing marko higher up. Prob leave Garbett out of the starting team. Bring him on early 2nd half. 

I wish Bindon could play LB. Surely he can...

Huge Latino community in Florida.
Proud Colombian Shakira lives there.
This game is gonna feel like it's in Bogota.

✈️ Arrived in Florida 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/DTj08eutsq

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 11, 2025

Yea basically a home game for Colombia

Luis Diaz with a high class goal for Bayern on the weekend.
Hopefully the Colombian coach rests him against us, targeting the Socceroos as the tougher 2nd match.

Diaz 6 goals & 4 assists in 10 Bundesliga games this season.

https://www.reddit.com/r/LiverpoolFC/comments/1orsgxr/incredible_goal_by_luis_diaz/

Their squad

Porteros: Álvaro Montero (Vélez Sarsfield, ARG), Camilo Vargas (Atlas F.C., MEX), David Ospina (Atlético Nacional, COL).

Defensas: Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace F.C., ENG), Dávinson Sánchez (Galatasaray S.K., TUR), Carlos Cuesta (Vasco da Gama, BRA), Jhon Lucumí (Bologna F.C., ITA), Yerry Mina (Cagliari Calcio, ITA), Johan Mojica (R.C.D. Mallorca, ESP), Álvaro Angulo (Pumas, MEX), Santiago Arias (E.C. Bahía, BRA).

Mediocampistas: Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace F.C., ENG), Richard Ríos (S.L. Benfica, POR), Gustavo Puerta (Racing de Santander, ESP), Kevin Castaño (River Plate, ARG), Juan Camilo Portilla (C.A. Talleres, ARG), James Rodríguez (Club León, MEX), Jorge Carrascal (Flamengo, BRA).

Delanteros: Luis Díaz (F.C. Bayern Múnich, GER), Jhon Arias (Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., ENG), Rafael Santos Borré (Internacional S.C., BRA), Luis Suárez (Sporting C.P., POR), Carlos Andrés Gómez (Vasco da Gama, BRA), Jhon Córdoba (F.C. Krasnodar, RUS), Yáser Asprilla (Girona F.C., ESP), Johan Carbonero (Internacional S.C., BRA).

Colombia like scoring goals.

https://theniche-cache.com/football/2025/11/12/all-whites-vs-colombiaecuador-squad-yarns-amp-preview

.........both Colombia and Ecuador actually finished above the Brazilians in World Cup qualifying.

Colombia did so via goal difference, finishing third with 28 points from 18 games. They were the second highest scoring team in the CONMEBOL tournament (28 goals, three fewer than Argentina) and were almost impeccable at home where their only loss came against... Ecuador, funnily enough. They beat both Argentina and Brazil in Barranquilla.

They weren’t nearly as good outside of Colombia so that might be something to hang a hat on. In the last window, Colombia won 4-0 against Mexico and drew 0-0 with Canada. They’re playing Australia three days after they play us. Their squad features names such as James Rodriguez (León), David Ospina (Atlético Nacional), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Yerry Mina (Cagliari), Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace), Davinson Sánchez (Galatasaray), and Luis Dias (Bayern Munich).   

Colombia are seven unbeaten also going back to a loss against Brazil in Brazil (2-1 in March 2025).  

Yes, Diaz up against Billy T will be a true test of his right back credentials 

Rampaging FPL asset Munoz at right wing back will also test out De Vries speed on the turn at left back.

High possibility they may play their stronger team in the first game to give their players more of a break before returning to their clubs in europe.

They may roll out their Americans based players in the second game.

If so this could be a blood bath on the flanks.

Hopefully in the early Florida press conferences Baze talks about how weakened we are this window, and the Colombian coaching staff are listening.

The central core of Crocs, Boxy, Surman, Bell and touch wood Stamenic with heavy responsibility.

Fingers crossed I'm wrong but this game has an early whiff of the 3-0 loss to Mexico last year in California, about it. We often perform better in the 2nd game with these windows. Two September Socceroos matches excepted.

Even back in June, Bazeley said we played better against Ukraine (2nd game & a loss) than Ivory Coast (1st game & the win)

South Americans take even a local pick up game in the street corner like a world cup final, you can only imagine how seriously they take a international game!

coochiee

Hopefully in the early Florida press conferences Baze talks about how weakened we are this window, and the Colombian coaching staff are listening.

The central core of Crocs, Boxy, Surman, Bell and touch wood Stamenic with heavy responsibility.

Because of their huge talent pool, I'm sure they have a number of 50/50 marginal player selections to make before the WC. So amongst the above squad will be some hungry players very eager to perform, with only the March window now left before WC squads are picked.

Let's play Randell and Barbs up top... some nice quick counter attack footy.

Nice to see Marko there, with his old mate Garbs.

pic.twitter.com/ybc3eyq3jz

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 13, 2025

Day 2 training at @InterMiamiCF 🦩 pic.twitter.com/xkbHmoj59S

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 13, 2025

FYI - this was the starting AWs XI back in June against Ukraine (2-1 loss), when the team were last in Nth America.

To be fair the only player missing from that run on side, this window is Libby (captain that day).
Bindon was at RB

Old, Barbarouses, Rufer, Elliot, De Vries and Wood all came off the pine.

So not that different at all to now.

MetalLegNZ

Let's play Randell and Barbs up top... some nice quick counter attack footy.

Someone earlier mentioning Piper - surely can't be far off that squad with the amount of outs, likely more effective than Waine at the moment. Flick ons to Kosta/Randall/Just

coochiee

FYI - this was the starting AWs XI back in June against Ukraine (2-1 loss), when the team were last in Nth America.

To be fair the only player missing from that run on side, this window is Libby (captain that day).
Bindon was at RB

Old, Barbarouses, Rufer, Elliot, De Vries and Wood all came off the pine.

So not that different at all to now.

We’ve built a lot of playing minutes into our first teamers against some quality opponents. Though Colombia in Florida is probably the toughest we’ve had, outside maybe that well drilled Greece side? 

Thank god we are now getting regular games in the international breaks.

Devoid of premiership and A league games, it would have been painful without.

Hoping Colombia roll out their top team. While results are great against B teams, we will be playing A teams in the World Cup.

Keen to see Randall get a run.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360887075/depleted-all-whites-undaunted-colombia-challenge

Florida of course has 2 MLS teams. Orlando City as well

All Whites Pop Quiz - Florida Edition ❓🤣 pic.twitter.com/VOogs1ANdT

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) November 14, 2025

Not sure if already asked, are these games on NZ TV at all?

Napier Phoenix

Not sure if already asked, are these games on NZ TV at all?

streaming on FIFA+ which is accessable via TVNZ online

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2025/11/15/new-zealands-opponents-colombia-10-things-you-might-want-to-know/

4. A leaning towards 4-3-3 formations

In recent matches, Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo has favoured the use of a 4-3-3 formation, especially in tournaments such as Copa América.

However, the side has utilised a 4-2-3-1 formation, with two holding midfielders, in some matches, including international friendlies, or when seeking to make the best use of a #10 position behind their striker.

Against Venuzuela, Colombia started with the following 4-4-2 starting line-up:

Kevin Mier (Cruz Azul, México); Daniel Muñoz (Crystal Palace), Álvaro Angulo (UNAM, México), Yerry Mina (Cagliari, Italy), Davinson Sánchez (Galatasary, Turkey), Kevin Castaño (River Plate, Argentina), Richard Ríos (Benfica, Portugal), James Rodríguez (Leon, México), Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace), Luiz Diaz (Bayern Munich), Luis Suárez (Sporting, Portugal).

The Colombian squad:

Colombia's press conference an hour ago.
"Nestor Lorenzo, technical director and Daniel Muñoz, player of our Colombia Senior Team delivered their balance of the training days and what the game against New Zealand will be."
Any Spanish speakers know what they're talking about?
Video here:
https://www.facebook.com/FCFSeleccionColPage/videos/1713743465989346
and here:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/864116406094619
Plus a 25 min. video of latest Colombia training session three hours ago:
"We are LIVE with the training of the Colombia Senior Team that is fine-tuning details to face New Zealand in a friendly game in Miami, United States"
https://www.facebook.com/FCFSeleccionColPage/videos/1784241238897419

Munoz “we want to play these two games in the best possible manner, with victories” in his first sentence, he then talks about how they want to continue working on what the coach Lorenzo has been trying to implement and later on mentioned they studied both NZ and Australia and mentioned they’re “well structured”, talked about the support they’re expecting from Colombia locals in Miami 

Big Pete 65

Colombia's press conference an hour ago.
"Nestor Lorenzo, technical director and Daniel Muñoz, player of our Colombia Senior Team delivered their balance of the training days and what the game against New Zealand will be."
Any Spanish speakers know what they're talking about?
Video here:
https://www.facebook.com/FCFSeleccionColPage/videos/1713743465989346
and here:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/864116406094619
Plus a 25 min. video of latest Colombia training session three hours ago:
"We are LIVE with the training of the Colombia Senior Team that is fine-tuning details to face New Zealand in a friendly game in Miami, United States"
https://www.facebook.com/FCFSeleccionColPage/videos/1784241238897419

It’s only a 25,000 seat stadium in Fort Lauderdale and Colombia have played there 3-4 times in the last few years. 

You’d think it would be close to a full house.

I remember stopping over at Fort Lauderdale airport once. It honestly felt like I was in Latin America, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference if you told me i was in an airport in South America.

So yea it’s basically a home venue for Colombia. Atmosphere will be cool I imagine. 

Is this on tvnz?

AWs first then the Wahinix later, that’s my Sunday sorted.

Southern Florida is completely different to the rest of the US, very Latino in culture, language and food. My son went to college in Miami, I loved visiting him there.

Ninja

I remember stopping over at Fort Lauderdale airport once. It honestly felt like I was in Latin America, I wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference if you told me i was in an airport in South America.

So yea it’s basically a home venue for Colombia. Atmosphere will be cool I imagine. 

TVNZ+ and FIFA+ only.

Elemenop

Is this on tvnz?

This will be tough. Picking a respectable 3-1 loss.

Elemenop

This will be tough. Picking a respectable 3-1 loss.

Own goal, surely?

Who starts at RB and up front will be telling about the pecking in those positions. Anticipating Kosta and Tuiloma starting today. 

Hopefully if Kosta is playing, they play a high line against us.

Otherwise I don’t think it is possible we score.