Can Woodsy, or even someone else, break or at least tie Sumner's six goals in a match record?
I think in terms of Wood's chances, it will come down to how many minutes he gets off the bench if Waine starts ahead of him, which is looking likely. He could come on as a half-time sub to replace Waine or join him up front. Wood will also need to be a lot more clinical than he was against Vanuatu to have a chance, he easily could've had four, maybe even five goals on Friday.
It will be nice to see the AWs bang in a few goals but these really one sided games serve little purpose. Imagine the reaction in England if Wood got a serious injury playing Samoa in a friendly. A good hit out for the B team
Pretty sure I saw that Wood is starting... good chance for him to get more goals, continue to build on his confidence and set an even higher mountain for others to climb in terms of records.
Pretty sure I saw that Wood is starting... good chance for him to get more goals, continue to build on his confidence and set an even higher mountain for others to climb in terms of records.
I won't get to watch though... PTA meeting : (
All Whites coach Darren Bazeley confirmed after Sunday’s training that Chris Wood will start in Monday’s match against Samoa.
Good news for all those Auck football fans that want to see him play.
As far as I'm aware, last time we played Samoa in NZ was this (maybe only time??), back when Olympics qualifiers were still full AWs matches:Geek fact - four different players scored penalties for NZ! Wonder if that's an international record?
As far as I'm aware, last time we played Samoa in NZ was this (maybe only time??), back when Olympics qualifiers were still full AWs matches:Geek fact - four different players scored penalties for NZ! Wonder if that's an international record?
November 7th 1987 New Zealand 7 - 0 Western Samoa November 13th 1987 New Zealand 12 - 0 Western Samoa
Only two previous meetings between them that I can see.
I see the RNZ article on the match has predicted a rather respectable 5-0 win for us this evening. 😂
Don’t wanna bring betting in but the TAB has the over under at 8.5 goals tonight. Seem realistic? Are we gonna put 9 past them?
I know football math never works out, but given Vanuatu tonked them last month we really should be putting up double digits, especially with Wood starting. Wouldn't be surprised if we beat our all time record
From what I saw of their game verus Tahiti, the horrible weather proved a great leveller, and the Tahitians still won 3-0. Fiji beat Samoa 9-1 in Fiji in June.
You have a 37 yr old playing domestic football in Samoa, and another guy playing reserves for Miramar marking up on Wood.
I would not be shocked if the AWs nudge close to 20 goals. Could all really depend on whether Bazeley tells his players to ease up in the 2nd half, and show some mercy. Does he (NZF) want FIFA having a relook at NZ's easy WC qualification path or not?
A badly mistimed tackle, with red card to any of the Samoans, and 100% the scoreline becomes very very ugly for them.
Edit - its sounds like Stamenic will start again, so a proud moment for him, with his mum being Samoan. Same I guess for Boxall who is more likely to be on the bench.
Don’t wanna bring betting in but the TAB has the over under at 8.5 goals tonight. Seem realistic? Are we gonna put 9 past them?
I know football math never works out, but given Vanuatu tonked them last month we really should be putting up double digits, especially with Wood starting. Wouldn't be surprised if we beat our all time record
I can't see it getting close to 20. You can't score super fast if you have 11 behind the ball.
I'd say we will get 10 - 14 odd.. I've dropped some coin on the over 8.5 goals.. (Kids don't bet).
I wouldn't rule out 20 goals if the AWs were completey ruthless for the whole 100 mins, and the Samoans had someone sent off. Yeah it's unlikely, but it's possible.
Near the end of the Vanuatu game, the Vanuatuans started to tire and completely lose their defensive shape. Expect that will happen even earlier with Samoa, and could be a heap of goals late on.
In 2001 the Socceroos beat American Samoa 31-0 and Tonga 22-0. Though reading Wiki there was some context to the American Samoa result.
Australia fielded a team with several rarely used players as many regulars were either rested or omitted from the team. StrikersJohn Aloisi and Damian Mori who combined for 10 goals in the 22–0 win over Tonga were also omitted for this match.
The American Samoa team were troubled by passport issues, with only one member of their original 20-man senior team, 20-year-old goalkeeperNicky Salapu, eligible to play. He was named captain for the match. American Samoa was also unable to call their under-20 players because most of them were involved in high school exams at the time. They were forced to draft in youth players, including three 15-year-old players, to put together a makeshift team with an average age of 18. According to team manager andFootball Federation American Samoa vice-president Tony Langkilde, some of the team's players had never played a full 90-minute match before the match with Australia.
I wouldn't rule out 20 goals if the AWs were completey ruthless for the whole 100 mins, and the Samoans had someone sent off. Yeah it's unlikely, but it's possible.
Near the end of the Vanuatu game, the Vanuatuans started to tire and completely lose their defensive shape. Expect that will happen even earlier with Samoa, and could be a heap of goals late on.
In 2001 the Socceroos beat American Samoa 31-0 and Tonga 22-0. Though reading Wiki there was some context to the American Samoa result.
Australia fielded a team with several rarely used players as many regulars were either rested or omitted from the team. StrikersJohn Aloisi and Damian Mori who combined for 10 goals in the 22–0 win over Tonga were also omitted for this match.
The American Samoa team were troubled by passport issues, with only one member of their original 20-man senior team, 20-year-old goalkeeperNicky Salapu, eligible to play. He was named captain for the match. American Samoa was also unable to call their under-20 players because most of them were involved in high school exams at the time. They were forced to draft in youth players, including three 15-year-old players, to put together a makeshift team with an average age of 18. According to team manager andFootball Federation American Samoa vice-president Tony Langkilde, some of the team's players had never played a full 90-minute match before the match with Australia.
That's ridiculous... I remember those results but didn't have that context.
Samoa will be able to compete in very small patches, and disrupt a lot of play. They are still men and can tackle. But I can't see them stringing more than about 4 passes together around the back really.
Two things bug me about this game. Before Kick off, hearing the usual cliche's about there being no easy games, It'll be tough etc. The second thing is if the AW's win in double digits and we then all wonder what the point of it was.
Sorry, But I just think the AW's need to be playing firmer or harder opposition to improve themselves. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds. And what the crowd size will be.
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!
Two things bug me about this game. Before Kick off, hearing the usual cliche's about there being no easy games, It'll be tough etc. The second thing is if the AW's win in double digits and we then all wonder what the point of it was.
Sorry, But I just think the AW's need to be playing firmer or harder opposition to improve themselves. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds. And what the crowd size will be.
I totally hear that and agree to a point. Qualifying comes with a massive payday and this seems like a 4 year windfall! Improving should be left to the non qualifying years. WE should be using the money we make in this qualifying process to travel to bigger opposition and/or bring them to NZ
They will play firmer opposition - once we confirm WC qualification (hopefully!) in March, that leaves another 6 international windows (June, Sept, Oct, Nov 2025, March and June 2026) before the World Cup. So potentially 12 games against good teams in the span of a year to get us ready.
Luck of the draw plays a part. If we had New Caledonia in our pool rather than Samoa, we wouldn't be having this conversation so much.
OFC is basically in 3 tiers. 1. New Zealand 2. Fiji, Vanuatu, PNG, NCL, Tahiti & the Solomons 3. Samoa, Tonga, Cooks & American Samoa
With 8 teams in 2 pools you are always going to get one of absolute bunnies from the 3rd grouping, in one of the 4 team pools. At the June Nations Cup we didn't draw a bunny (Samoa), but in WC qualifying we have.
Do think it's spin doctoring PR myth though that the OFC Nations are improving much or closing the gap on NZ. That's for the likes of the Solomons where football is the no 1 sport, let alone tiny Samoa where the rugby codes will always dominate.
Suspect the U17 Samoan girls qualifying for the U17 WC, would have been heavily dependent on their players just being physically bigger than the smaller girls from the other Island teams. Some of their opponents would have been more than a little scared going into contact, that's the brutal truth. Be interesting to see if Samoa can continue that success in the women's game up into the U20s and senior womens.
Luck of the draw plays a part. If we had New Caledonia in our pool rather than Samoa, we wouldn't be having this conversation so much.
OFC is basically in 3 tiers. 1. New Zealand 2. Fiji, Vanuatu, PNG, NCL, Tahiti & the Solomons 3. Samoa, Tonga, Cooks & American Samoa
With 8 teams in 2 pools you are always going to get one of absolute bunnies from the 3rd grouping, in one of the 4 team pools. At the June Nations Cup we didn't draw a bunny (Samoa), but in WC qualifying we have.
Do think it's spin doctoring PR myth though that the OFC Nations are improving much or closing the gap on NZ. That's for the likes of the Solomons where football is the no 1 sport, let alone tiny Samoa where the rugby codes will always dominate.
Suspect the U17 Samoan girls qualifying for the U17 WC, would have been heavily dependent on their players just being physically bigger than the smaller girls from the other Island teams. Some of their opponents would have been more than a little scared going into contact, that's the brutal truth. Be interesting to see if Samoa can continue that success in the women's game up into the U20s and senior womens.
Those tiers don't exist in the same way in the womens game - it's a totally different kettle of fish. Also I think they were helped by a few of their diaspora players in NZ/US.
Yes you are right re the womens game, there probably is more potential for the Polynesian countries Samoa and even Tonga, to sit in that 2nd tier, and qualify for age group (U20 & U17) WCs behind NZ.
I mean the female game in the US is strong so if Samoa and Tonga can undercover some talented young (Mormon?) girls playing in Utah or where ever, and getting good coaching, footballing resources etc Stateside, they could do well longer term. But their ceiling will always be limited by their tiny populations, and football being the 3rd code for them.
Oh and I note this from AV's article on the Samoan's mens team
Samoa are effectively on the next rung down. They typically have the edge over the three teams they regularly face in the preliminary stages of Oceania competitions, winning 23 of the 32 matches they have played against American Samoa, the Cook Islands and Tonga, but losing all 44 of the matches they have played against anyone else.
Ticketek is down. Trying to get myself a ticket and has not been working all morning. Really frustrating
Yeah its been down all day. I bought tickets last week but cant access them in the ticketek app. I see them in there but cant open them or share them etc to get the QR code. I have a feeling its going to be chaos at the gates tongiht (unless people already downloaded their QR codes)
Ticketek is down. Trying to get myself a ticket and has not been working all morning. Really frustrating
Yeah its been down all day. I bought tickets last week but cant access them in the ticketek app. I see them in there but cant open them or share them etc to get the QR code. I have a feeling its going to be chaos at the gates tongiht (unless people already downloaded their QR codes)
Auckland managed to break Ticketec?? Congratulations.
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!
Two things bug me about this game. Before Kick off, hearing the usual cliche's about there being no easy games, It'll be tough etc. The second thing is if the AW's win in double digits and we then all wonder what the point of it was.
Sorry, But I just think the AW's need to be playing firmer or harder opposition to improve themselves. It will be interesting to see how it unfolds. And what the crowd size will be.
I agree and have said something similar before... this type of game is pointless. Let's hope we play well and nobody gets injured.
Ticketek is down. Trying to get myself a ticket and has not been working all morning. Really frustrating
Yeah its been down all day. I bought tickets last week but cant access them in the ticketek app. I see them in there but cant open them or share them etc to get the QR code. I have a feeling its going to be chaos at the gates tongiht (unless people already downloaded their QR codes)
Has there been any comms from anyone about the Ticketek site being down? It feels like there is only going to be about 5,000 people there, but it will take us all about 30 minutes to actually get in.
All I do is make the stuff I would've liked Reference things I wanna watch, reference girls I wanna bite Now I'm firefly like a burning kite And yousa fake fuck like a fleshlight
Picked the seven changes, but thought it would be a good chance for Waine to lead the line. Ridiculously strong starting XI though. How good is the depth!
