Great result for the team and what a confidence boost. Surman is a beast. Easily man of the match. But to be honest a lot of the team put in good shifts.
A big issue I have had with the All Whites in the past is we have some quality players but often play much worse than the sum of our parts. That hasn’t been the case today.
Great result for the team - they’ll grow from that. Always good to get a win, but especially over a higher ranked opponent going into a major tournament.
Great result for the team - they’ll grow from that. Always good to get a win, but especially over a higher ranked opponent going into a major tournament.
It might’ve taken 15 years but we’ve finally beaten a good footballing nation. Surman and Bindon are unbelievable, Crocombe came up huge and Eli Just never fails to deliver something.
I’ve been one of Bazeley’s biggest critics but he really got it right today, hats off to him.
Good win. We still need to get control of the midfield though. Think once rufer came on we had more control through there with the 3 of Bell, rufer and stam
Good win. We still need to get control of the midfield though. Think once rufer came on we had more control through there with the 3 of Bell, rufer and stam
Ivory Coast are very strong in there, just getting a bit outmuscled which is a common story with this team
Surman absolutely fantastic. What a win by the boys.
This team is starting to connect more. Elijah Just is becoming a nailed on starter for me in that front line. Continues to produce the goods for us. Add a Ryan Thomas into that No10 role over Singh and we are cooking. Stamenic and Bell after the first 20 horrid minutes were good.
Rufer and Garbett were great off the bench too. Missing Tim Payne heavily however.
Ben Old is still too raw for International Football. Looks a decent step off this level and is way to weak against opposition like this.
Surman absolutely fantastic. What a win by the boys.
This team is starting to connect more. Elijah Just is becoming a nailed on starter for me in that front line. Continues to produce the goods for us. Add a Ryan Thomas into that No10 role over Singh and we are cooking. Stamenic and Bell after the first 20 horrid minutes were good.
Rufer and Garbett were great off the bench too. Missing Tim Payne heavily however.
Ben Old is still too raw for International Football. Looks a decent step off this level and is way to weak against opposition like this.
Really disagree re: Old, he's just clearly not up to fitness yet. Long term, he is the best attacking prospect we have outside of Wood imo.
We didn't play that well but were pretty solid defensively.
I think our 4-2-3-1 formation may be a bit ambitious. Would like to see a proper 3 man midfield tried. The three attacking midfielders did come back and defend (as did Kosta) but going forward they weren't up to all that much. Singh probably the player that should not be starting for us.
Crocombe should have ended the #1 GK debate tonight. Sorry Alex you may have to wait til 2030 for your chance to play at a World Cup. And while Elliot was better than Tuiloma, he is no threat to Payne on the basis of that appearance.
Surman absolutely fantastic. What a win by the boys.
This team is starting to connect more. Elijah Just is becoming a nailed on starter for me in that front line. Continues to produce the goods for us. Add a Ryan Thomas into that No10 role over Singh and we are cooking. Stamenic and Bell after the first 20 horrid minutes were good.
Rufer and Garbett were great off the bench too. Missing Tim Payne heavily however.
Ben Old is still too raw for International Football. Looks a decent step off this level and is way to weak against opposition like this.
I think OLd is the sort of player who is good in a team that's dominating. Eg he's getting passes in space and has one guy to beat at pace. This was the wrong game for him to show that.
Ivory Coast were a physically very big team. Seemed almost everyone was over 6 feet. They started with a 2nd XI, but did bring on the likes of Sangare, Adingra,Kessie and Haller.
For some reason I think the AWs could be the type of side to frustrate a top African team and pitch a result at the World Cup.
Surman you sense will be a one and done season in the MLS.
Edit - I saw post match Wood gave Finn a double fist punch into his chest. He might be having a chat to his Forest coaches.
Who's been your Player of the Match today? 🇳🇿🇨🇮
— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) June 8, 2025
Ivory Coast were a physically very big team. Seemed almost everyone was over 6 feet. They started with a 2nd XI, but did bring on the likes of Sangare, Adingra,Kessie and Haller.
For some reason I think the AWs could be the type of side to frustrate a top African team and pitch a result at the World Cup.
Surman you sense will be a one and done season in the MLS.
Yeah can see a Championship team grabbing him easy
I remember a similar moment in the USA game, Marko creating a (tougher) chance for Eli with a lovely through ball.
You feel add Thomas into the mix (as someone said for Singh), and will be a better prospect of having more possession and creating more chances. Plus a fully fit Wood in for Barba, gives a much better opportunaity to go long and holdup play.
Yep, a midfield 3 of Bell, Stamenic and Thomas is the dream. Bell as the #6, the others as #8s, with both Thomas and Stamenic being able to step forward at times to deliver defense splitting passes. Would only leave the two players flanking Wood as question marks in our best XI, Bindon & Surman currently shading Boxall.
Think some of you are being a bit hard on Old. Its pretty clear he still isnt back to his pre injury levels. He is working his way back from a pretty significant injury and i have no doubt at all he has plenty to offer as he gets back to those levels. A wins a win dosnt matter if the higher ranked team chose to play a weaker team,some of you seem to never be satisfied.
Yep, a midfield 3 of Bell, Stamenic and Thomas is the dream. Bell as the #6, the others as #8s, with both Thomas and Stamenic being able to step forward at times to deliver defense splitting passes. Would only leave the two players flanking Wood as question marks in our best XI, Bindon & Surman currently shading Boxall.
Completely right, I’d probably go:
Wood Old - Just Stamenic - Bell - Thomas Cacace - Bindon - Surman - Payne Crocombe
But those two attacking midfield positions are completely up to form and tactics I think. Every chance for Singh, McCowatt, Rogerson, Barbarouses or Garbett to snag a spot.
Could even play Cacace in the left one and De Vries at LB.
I remember a similar moment in the USA game, Marko creating a (tougher) chance for Eli with a lovely through ball.
You feel add Thomas into the mix (as someone said for Singh), and will be a better prospect of having more possession and creating more chances. Plus a fully fit Wood in for Barba, gives a much better opportunaity to go long and holdup play.
Piney was at his day job at Newstalk ZB today I am guessing. Glen generally did an OK job except for obviously being way, way too kind to Tuiloma. Ingham or Sheridan should have been in this squad instead of him (I understand Kirwan was injured).
Think some of you are being a bit hard on Old. Its pretty clear he still isnt back to his pre injury levels. He is working his way back from a pretty significant injury and i have no doubt at all he has plenty to offer as he gets back to those levels. A wins a win dosnt matter if the higher ranked team chose to play a weaker team,some of you seem to never be satisfied.
He's only played 145 mins since he's been back so less than 2 full 90's so definitely out of match fitness, rhythm and momentum coming into this game. He was one of St Etiennes bright spots at the start of the season so I'm sure when he's had a full pre-season, and a run of games we'll see a very different player.
Some credit to the coach today. He got his subs and timings preety bang on to bring home the victory.
I wonder if he will make a number of changes next game to appease clubs. Bindon has played a truck load of games this season and Surman, while playing well in his league and great today, is still in his infancy with his club.
He made very obvious subs that anyone with a brain would make, hardly inspired. Any good will he gets from that is more that outweighed by selecting and then starting Tuiloma. I saw a clip of him scoring for Charlotte the other week and you could see how out of shape he was then. You cannot look like that and play RB. There were other options to select in Ingham and Sheridan.
He made very obvious subs that anyone with a brain would make, hardly inspired. Any good will he gets from that is more that outweighed by selecting and then starting Tuiloma. I saw a clip of him scoring for Charlotte the other week and you could see how out of shape he was then. You cannot look like that and play RB. There were other options to select in Ingham and Sheridan.
I think Tuiloma was average, and got caught out by the speed of the game at times... but he was also part of a backline that did not conceed a goal, so he clearly played his part.
What a fantastic CB pairing we have for the next 10 years!!
I thought Elliott did well for us when he replaced Tuiloma. Beaten a couple times on d as the grew more attacking, but he also provided us some good attacking moments on the right.
Very happy with the result - Outside 5 mins in the first have I one chance towards the end, they didn't really create much.
If we are so frustrating to African styles, that might bode well in getting future friendlies v African Nations..coochiee
Ivory Coast were a physically very big team. Seemed almost everyone was over 6 feet. They started with a 2nd XI, but did bring on the likes of Sangare, Adingra,Kessie and Haller.
For some reason I think the AWs could be the type of side to frustrate a top African team and pitch a result at the World Cup.
Surman you sense will be a one and done season in the MLS.
Edit - I saw post match Wood gave Finn a double fist punch into his chest. He might be having a chat to his Forest coaches.
Who's been your Player of the Match today? 🇳🇿🇨🇮
— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) June 8, 2025
Obviously massive underdogs in the matches ahead, but looking forward to this, including against Poland and Norway.
Regardless of the results, always a great occasion for our men and women when we play opposition of this calibre. Good for the game and builds up national team experience and exposure for the youngsters, which couldn't come at a more crucial time.
Two absolute smashings by Ivory Coast and Ukraine though, the pressure continues to pile on Bazeley and there should start to be some serious considerations around him.
Yeah I'm sure Bazeley is really feeling the heat now mate
