All Whites vs Curaçao | Sun 10th October | 5:00am | SS7
Understandable we got tired in the heat.
Good win.
Will be interesting if Wood starts on Wednesday. Can't imagine Dyche at Burnley will be too happy if he gets 180 mins in the heat plus travel 4 days before playing away vs Man City. Unfortunately no like for like replacement, not even Waine in the squad. Seems the position we have our best player in but also the least depth. DeJong and Collier have hardly scored any goals at pro level, would almost take Kosta as a striker at this point as Wood back up (If NZ/AU players were available).
Bring back Rory
Will be interesting if Wood starts on Wednesday. Can't imagine Dyche at Burnley will be too happy if he gets 180 mins in the heat plus travel 4 days before playing away vs Man City. Unfortunately no like for like replacement, not even Waine in the squad. Seems the position we have our best player in but also the least depth. DeJong and Collier have hardly scored any goals at pro level, would almost take Kosta as a striker at this point as Wood back up (If NZ/AU players were available).
Bring back Rory
But anyway I thought that was a decent effort. Singh looked very good and Libby was decent in the first half too. Also thought Stefan had an excellent game and justified his starting place ahead of two other decent keepers.
But anyway I thought that was a decent effort. Singh looked very good and Libby was decent in the first half too. Also thought Stefan had an excellent game and justified his starting place ahead of two other decent keepers.
Will be interesting if Wood starts on Wednesday. Can't imagine Dyche at Burnley will be too happy if he gets 180 mins in the heat plus travel 4 days before playing away vs Man City. Unfortunately no like for like replacement, not even Waine in the squad. Seems the position we have our best player in but also the least depth. DeJong and Collier have hardly scored any goals at pro level, would almost take Kosta as a striker at this point as Wood back up (If NZ/AU players were available).
Bring back Rory
Always good for a goal against Bahrain.
Good win this for the AWs. Pity Singh leaving after game 1.
Gordon Glen Watson is excellent too
Based on that game I'd say that there are only two strikers ahead of him, Wood and Waine.
The flight from Bahrain to blighty is only 5 hours and Wood will be up front. Only a two hour difference with the time zone too. Not sure Dyche will be too worried.
Bigger trips between Wellington and half of the other A League teams.
Waine has had one good season and looked average at Olympics. Kosta is our number two striker still. Champness has the potential to get there as well.
we are gonna need some decent warm up games in between.
we are gonna need some decent warm up games in between.
Also chance of 4th best CONCACAF, but trouble is the OFC thing is set for March and the very next window are the playoffs in June, so might be able to squeeze a friendly or two before them but nothing much more than that.
It sucks we’re in October and still haven’t finalised qualifying format, I wouldn’t be surprised if half the OFC teams don’t bother going half way around the world to get beaten then quarantine once heading back to Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia etc
we are gonna need some decent warm up games in between.
Also chance of 4th best CONCACAF, but trouble is the OFC thing is set for March and the very next window are the playoffs in June, so might be able to squeeze a friendly or two before them but nothing much more than that.
It sucks we’re in October and still haven’t finalised qualifying format, I wouldn’t be surprised if half the OFC teams don’t bother going half way around the world to get beaten then quarantine once heading back to Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia etc
Yipe a real bugger that OFC tourney is not going to be in January 2022 as first mooted. Thereby freeing up the March window for some tough friendlies, before the 2 huge games in June 2022.
Hopefully the 2 Intercontinental Playoff games are mid-late June. So early June can be a 2 week camp plus maybe 1 good warmup game. Most Euro leagues finish by end of May. Will be tricky getting MLS guys M Boxall & Tuiloma outside the FIFA window dates.
But Socceroos (who are looking good for automatic qualification from AFC) at Eden Park, then first playoff game a week later at the ROF, would be a nice scenario and potential double big gate cash cow for NZF. Bearing in the mind these are now likely to be the first game(s) the AWs will have played in NZ since Nov 2017, so heading towards 5 years by that point!! Insane really
we are gonna need some decent warm up games in between.
Also chance of 4th best CONCACAF, but trouble is the OFC thing is set for March and the very next window are the playoffs in June, so might be able to squeeze a friendly or two before them but nothing much more than that.
It sucks we’re in October and still haven’t finalised qualifying format, I wouldn’t be surprised if half the OFC teams don’t bother going half way around the world to get beaten then quarantine once heading back to Samoa, Tonga, New Caledonia etc
Yipe a real bugger that OFC tourney is not going to be in January 2022 as first mooted. Thereby freeing up the March window for some tough friendlies, before the 2 huge games in June 2022.
Hopefully the 2 Intercontinental Playoff games are mid-late June. So early June can be a 2 week camp plus maybe 1 good warmup game. Most Euro leagues finish by end of May. Will be tricky getting MLS guys M Boxall & Tuiloma outside the FIFA window dates.
But Socceroos (who are looking good for automatic qualification from AFC) at Eden Park, then first playoff game a week later at the ROF, would be a nice scenario and potential double big gate cash cow for NZF. Bearing in the mind these are now likely to be the first game(s) the AWs will have played in NZ since Nov 2017, so heading towards 5 years by that point!! Insane really
Presumably he means the OFC WC qualifying tourney next March?? Double error.
Still Niche Cache is always a good detailed football read. Worth everyone's support through Patreon.
You'd really hope that pitch(es) in Doha for that OFC tourney next March are top quality. Given Qatar will be hosting the WC late 2022.
Billiard table surfaces will definitely help the more technical AWs against the Island teams.