All Whites vs Mexico, Confederations Cup | Thur 22 June | 6am | Sochi | SS2

Next game on at a more respectable time. Think I will be going to Four Kings to watch before work.

No, no tickets needed for this and they will be doing breakfast!

Better not be doing Bacon on a fudgeing char grill.

#CrimeAgainstBacon

Also.  Will it look like this:

If it is arranged can it please be called The Hard News Big Brekky?

Burgess reckons there will be 2-3 changes

Is one of them Hudson?

Boxall should only ever be used as a right-back as we know from his Phoenix days.

He's a poor centre-back but has pace and good tackling ability as a right-back.

It's strange that he lists his favourite position as "centre-back".

But his answers above reveal a sense of humour.

And his favourite movie is a French comedy so the guy has some class in my eyes.

French comedies are great. Check out ones directed by Francis Veber, he's the best.

I always thought he looked like he would best suit CB. You don't see many FB's his size.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c...

"There are more than 300 Mexican journalists, writers, cameramen, presenters and camera crew at the Confederations Cup, by far the biggest contingent of any country.

Three television companies have the rights to broadcast the events, and all have set up studios in each of the four host cities.

....In contrast, the New Zealand media contingent at this event consists of just one journalist.

[The Mexico team we played last] October was essentially a domestic based squad, and only four of that 17 (Marco Fabian, Oribe Peralta, Hirving Lozano and Giovanni Dos Santos) are in Russia."

Domestic media interest Mexico vs. NZ  = 300 : 1

Ability of players and coach also = 300 : 1 ?

We'll be lucky to keep it down to 5-0 I think.

The Socceroos were lucky to come away 3-2 against Germany's B team yesterday - 4-0 to Germany would have been a fairer reflection of that match.

The Aussies were okay on attack but not a whole lot better than us defensively (okay, they were a bit better but it's not hard to be better than us defensively).

Three at the back didn't work so well for the Socceroos either. They were constantly being over-run and the wing-backs looked a bit lame.

Some good detail on Mexico team here:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/9...

"Since their Colombian coach Juan Carlos Osorio took charge in October, 2015, Mexico have a formidable record of 17 wins, three draws and just two losses. Since their 2-1 victory over New Zealand nine months ago, they have played 12 times for eight wins, three draws and just one loss, a 2-1 defeat at the end of May to 18th-ranked Croatia. After starting their tournament preparations with that loss, Mexico overcame Ireland (3-1) in another friendly before beating Honduras (3-0) and battling to a draw with the USA (1-1) in a pair of World Cup qualifiers to remain top of the six-team Concacaf final qualifying group with half the matches played.

...Kiwi fans will be very familiar with Oribe Peralta, who scored five goals in the 2013 World Cup playoff tie.".

Mexico average only 1.54 goals per game over the 11 games since we played them last October (11 games : 17 goals)

http://int.soccerway.com/teams/mexico/mexico/1497/

They have only scored more than two goals in two of their last 13 games.

They have scored more than one goal in only six of their last 13 games.

But all of their opponents were probably somewhat better than us.

Mexico have already played four games in the first 18 days of this month (one friendly, one Confederations Cup, two World Cup qualifiers)and eight games in total this year.

Don't worry, have faith that Hudson has prepared a genius PowerPoint presentation to show the team before the game. He's figured them out.

AWs 3-0 Mex

There's some high class footballing nations at Confeds Cup (as there should be). Portugal, Mexico, Chile & Germany (B). Pools probably tougher than a World Cup.

Pretty sobering that only 4 (I thought it was 6) of Mexico's squad vs All Whites last year, were considered good enough to go to Russia!!

Lets hope AWs show some fight, and heads don't drop if they concede early. Thought Thomas had best visible fighting attitude in Ruski game, followed by Wynne. Wood needs to show some more, as leader.

I'd be interested to know what more people think Wood could do? We should be getting more out of our best player but other than changing tactics to suit his strengths I can't really see how.

I'm hoping all our attacking players have PBs.

At least Mexico will keep it on the deck ...he said hopefully

To Hudson's wikipedia page

Amirite lads?

lads?

Mexico will be a tough day at the office for the AW's. They were very good in their game against Portugal. They especially move the ball well through midfield...with great pace and precision. If we field the same midfield as we did against Russia we will be overun.

The other thing too about this game is that after the Mexican draw with Portugal the fight is really on for a top finish of the group. i would imagine both sides will beat Russia therefore goal difference could well be a factor. In which case Mexico will probably come out with guns blazing to bang in as many goals as possible.

I don't expect us to get a result...but it would be nice if Hudson acted like a real coach and looked to change what and who did not work against Russia. He really needs to provide some defensive cover in midfield so I would start Tuiloma. 

If we go down we should at least try and play some football. How about keeping the ball on the deck and not 100% lobbing everything up to Wood. In Thomas, Rojas, weemac and Costa we have players who are more familiar at club level with playing on the deck.....I'm not sure if Hudson can coach that style and its probably to late for him to majorly change his tactics

 This Mexico team is not the same one we faced earlier this year. They will be several levels higher than Russia

Tonight could get really ugly!!!!!

Well, the good news is that Mexico made 8 changes from their match against Portugal and aren't sending out anything close to a 1st choice side.

No Chicharito, Vela, Jonathan Dos Santos, etc.

Lewis starting. Is he anything like his old man? Is it printing money to bet on him being booked?

So the starting XI will be:

                  Marinovic 

      Boxall   Durante  Smith

Ingham                            Wynne

       McGlinchey    Thomas

                    Lewis 

               Rojas    Wood

Or could be Thomas as CAM and Lewis as CM, I don't know. Same problems as against Russia, no real DM, too lightweight on midfield, Rojas and Thomas being played out of position, starting a 18-year-old as RB instead of Roux. Pure bullshark from Hudson

huhu, who is already up? :-)

no one responded so I assumed he was and got a bet on. Paying 5.50 so thinking I may have misjudged things

Do I remember right, that the All Whites achieve a draw in Mexico, round one year ago? 1:1 IMHO 

Any links ....please, someone!!!!

http://play3.extremotv.info/02.php

Is there any pro team that still doing that besides us? It's just completely useless

A lot better start than we had against Russia

Why won't he start Tuiloma?

The fact that we start reserve team players says a lot about our quality