All Whites vs Socceroos | Tues 9th Sept | 7:00pm | Go Media Stadium (Auckland)
401 replies·13,060 views
6 months ago
can't be bothered going back to see who said it... but if your playing in the Championship or captaining a team in the MLS - saying they are still raw is a little bit of a disservice.
If you ignore the games against the Oceania teams, it becomes painfully obvious that we score very few goals, as Coochie says, but also that there is a great gulf between Chris Wood stats and everyone else's stats. We literally just have a single goal here and there from Stamenic, Just, or Ben Waine. maybe Garbett. That scoring gulf means that Wood is a class above, but also that he will always be heavily marked by the opposition. Despite that heavy marking he nearly scored twice last Friday, and eventually did score last night. But any decent team will have learned by now that if they put two players on Wood we may not have any other ideas. There were signs of an impotent AW attack last night. Yes we were missing Stamenic, Garbett and Cacace against Australia. But I was puzzled that Kosta was not used last night. Was there no room for him on the paddock when the other potential AW scorers did not play? Yes, of course both Toure and Irankunda were matchwinners for AUS in their own right, but we could have and should have taken more chances for a more respectable score.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Should have been more specific about what I was disagreeing about Antz. I disagree that they were "just better", it was a decent contest between teams of very similar quality, and we let in 3 soft goals which our centre backs should absolutely have been able to deal with, I am sure that they would tell you the same thing (about the goals specifically)
Should have been more specific about what I was disagreeing about Antz. I disagree that they were "just better", it was a decent contest between teams of very similar quality, and we let in 3 soft goals which our centre backs should absolutely have been able to deal with, I am sure that they would tell you the same thing (about the goals specifically)
The mobility (both in terms of turning and ball control, but also in raw pace) of Toure and especially Irankunda mean that it is hard to deal with them. On occasions their own teammates could not keep up with them - if they did, the result may have been more skewed. When the Nix played against Adelaide Irankunda was already a monster, but he was also prone to bad decision making. It is impressive to see how he has improved since that time.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
Should have been more specific about what I was disagreeing about Antz. I disagree that they were "just better", it was a decent contest between teams of very similar quality, and we let in 3 soft goals which our centre backs should absolutely have been able to deal with, I am sure that they would tell you the same thing (about the goals specifically)
Yeah but is a bit of a myth it is 2 teams of similar quality. We had about 11 ALM guys in our squad they had zero. We have no young attackers near the quality of Irankunda, Toure, Milanovic, Segigic (spp), Botic and Goodwin. Just to name a few
i guess i meant that if you watching the game without knowing anything about the players at all, you would say they were sides of comparable quality and that the All Whites weren't really outplayed coochiee
imanixsupporter
Should have been more specific about what I was disagreeing about Antz. I disagree that they were "just better", it was a decent contest between teams of very similar quality, and we let in 3 soft goals which our centre backs should absolutely have been able to deal with, I am sure that they would tell you the same thing (about the goals specifically)
Yeah but is a bit of a myth it is 2 teams of similar quality. We had about 11 ALM guys in our squad they had zero. We have no young attackers near the quality of Irankunda, Toure, Milanovic, Segigic (spp), Botic and Goodwin. Just to name a few
I feel like at least a couple of their goals were two attackers and two backtracking CBs almost otherwise alone in our half. Doing that for 30 minutes, which is what it felt like is not a normal workload for a CB imo.
I didn’t think the CBs were terrible, though they weren’t great. But we didn’t have answers for the Aussie attack as a team. Especially when you consider the offside goal and the free kick that was mm off perfect.
If Irankunda keeps up this level of performance he’s going to be one of Aussie’s best of the modern era.
I think our attack would look better with Popovic coaching also. I think we have got attacking talent, but we’re not sure how to go about creating goals against good defenders - and I think Payne is important there, like he was at the Nix- and we are smaller and have fewer natural goal scorers like Smeltzy was.
I'd just add: - Aus pressed us better in game 2. We were generally put under more pressure. They saw what we could do in game 1 and worked a bit harder to stop it in game 2. Adding a couple of pacey forwards helped with that. - We consequently had to work harder and ran out of legs earlier. And looked less in control. Still some good stuff, but they made sure they didn't give us so much space and time. - As a result, our best players were given less opportunity to shine. Woods wasn't the only guy suffocated more in game 2. - FDV was absolutely shown up for pace at least a couple of times and took cards to cope. Other sides might attack him more. He's a conundrum because he adds a strength and a weakness. - Aus were having too much fun being more direct and terrorising our two younger CBs. I agree with reg's and others comments about how our midfield wasn't able to help them. (But hey, Toure and Irakunda can skin anybody.) Thinking for the coaching team and senior players there on shape and what is possible. Including earlier subs. - Obvious opportunity (already commented on by many others) to play off Wood better or to make use of the space he creates drawing two CBs. I'd hope Baze will move into that. The thread in general seems to not hold too much hope of Baze doing so, but how realistic is it that he would not? A couple of our mids need to get menacing. And none seem naturals at it? That's not necessarily a Baze thing. Ideas are easy. Execution a bit less easy. Player fit to tactical thinking does not always align. Not sure. Hope we can improve noticeably there.
Some nice stuff but ultimately 24 put the lid back on 82 (or whatever our exact rankings are). I think we can be better though. Players to come in and we have more to work on and improve given we've had less decent game time against good opposition.
Australia are ranked where in the world compared to us... we are not a like for like nation in football.
People are passionate, I get that. I remember Winston Reids WC goal and my euphoria better than my wedding... as I assume many on here do.
But... I also know where we are in the world of football. Oustide Chris Wood we don't have 1 player in a top 5 league. Not 1.
Any belief that we should be doing so much better than what we are now is misguided and unrealistic.
Yes we could be doing a bit better - we could for example recruit a foreign coach of good quality that might do better with the team we have. That would likely be a single WC cycle though, many other countries do just that. Football is not the No.1 sport here and there is no particular expectation among the general public of us winning at sokkah that could provoke national soulsearching, extra resources, etc. to lift us in our rankings and win more games against non-OFC teams. So we are a middling footballing nation at best. I still remember the shock and resignation in Uruguay when they were eliminated from the WC 2006 playoffs by the Oceania representative (Australia). The comments in El Diario were that this was just a matter of Australia having better resources as a rich country (private charter flight, etc), because they could not believe it was just a matter of them not being able to beat Australia on the field. They lifted afterwards and claimed the fourth place at the 2010 finals, such was their resolve to improve.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
I know Australia are better than us but to me they didn't really prove it, all their goals came from weak defending. We were not overwhelmed by a great number of big chances
Edit: really need to pick a first choice back 4 and stick with it and really try to cement the system and patterns. No more unnecessary chopping and changing
I know Australia are better than us but to me they didn't really prove it, all their goals came from weak defending. We were not overwhelmed by a great number of big chances
Edit: really need to pick a first choice back 4 and stick with it and really try to cement the system and patterns. No more unnecessary chopping and changing
Not sure I agree that "they didn't really prove it". They pretty much stopped us either from scoring or from creating clear scoring chances. In that sense both games were identical (we had two clear chances to Wood in the first game, while in the second game one clear chance to Wood, and one half-chance to Payne created by Australian defence). Poppa learned from the first game and adjusted the team accordingly in terms of who starts and subs on. In that sense, he practised "winning at football". I though this was useful, and cements both the winning mentality in the AUS team as much as cementing their faith in their coach. And the senior older players Harry Souttar, Jackson Irvine and Mitch Duke were not called up for these games. Each of them is a proven goalscorer.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
1: In the World Cup we can only affford to leak maximum one goal a game as our attack is unlikely to be able to put two in the net at that level. 1-0 games, 0-0 and 1-1 games is where we will get results.
2: We will likely be playing just as speedy and dynamic forwards in the World Cup and players at a much higher level so we need a game plan and structure to combat that. There was a hugh gap beteeen midfield and defense in the centre of the park, which needs to be filled quickly as you can’t afford for players to run at pace and have space in that area of the park.
3: injuries permitting we need to get our best defenders and midfielders starting on the park. That is Libby, Bindon, Surman, Boxall, Marko, Bell, Thomas and Singh.
That is a total of 8 players.
2 up front (Wood and likely Just) and the keeper.
4: How that happens is based upon the structure. It may be three at the back, with Libby and Thomas playing wing back. I think Thomas has both the pace and engine for that role. If he can only maintain it for 60 that’s fine, we just sub. I would also like to see Garbett as back up in that role as once again I think he has the skill set for it.
It may be a back four with Bindon at right back, but all these players need to get on the park and the structure developed very quickly. There is still plenty of time and games to bed it in.
The issues I see with trying to get three CBs (Surman, Boxall and Bindon) and three CMs (Thomas, Bell and Stamenic) on the park at once is it potentially doesn't allow enough supply lines to Wood, and means shoehorning people into unnatural positions particularly beyond the first XI.
It will rely heavily on wingbacks in the absence of playing natural wingers. I'm not sure about pulling Thomas out of his best position into that role but agree with Garbett seeming to have the attributes. Dalton Wilkins has also played wingback roles at a decent level. Baze could look at something like this but it would be a big change from how we've been playing:
I know Australia are better than us but to me they didn't really prove it, all their goals came from weak defending. We were not overwhelmed by a great number of big chances
Edit: really need to pick a first choice back 4 and stick with it and really try to cement the system and patterns. No more unnecessary chopping and changing
The MLS regular season finishes one week after the Oct window (Poland & Norway). The AWs RCB rotation between Boxy & Surman will highly likely happen again then.
Possibly could also happen with the Colombia & Ecuador games in November, depending on how Portland and Minny are each going in the MLS playoffs.
I don't think it's a big factor anyway. Surman was a bit off in Game 2, but then he was dealing with a far more threatening Socceroos attack, than Boxy had to deal with in Game 1. Finn S was a beast as MOTM against Ivory Coast back in June.
Australia are ranked where in the world compared to us... we are not a like for like nation in football.
People are passionate, I get that. I remember Winston Reids WC goal and my euphoria better than my wedding... as I assume many on here do.
But... I also know where we are in the world of football. Oustide Chris Wood we don't have 1 player in a top 5 league. Not 1.
Any belief that we should be doing so much better than what we are now is misguided and unrealistic.
Yes we could be doing a bit better - we could for example recruit a foreign coach of good quality that might do better with the team we have. That would likely be a single WC cycle though, many other countries do just that. Football is not the No.1 sport here and there is no particular expectation among the general public of us winning at sokkah that could provoke national soulsearching, extra resources, etc. to lift us in our rankings and win more games against non-OFC teams. So we are a middling footballing nation at best. I still remember the shock and resignation in Uruguay when they were eliminated from the WC 2006 playoffs by the Oceania representative (Australia). The comments in El Diario were that this was just a matter of Australia having better resources as a rich country (private charter flight, etc), because they could not believe it was just a matter of them not being able to beat Australia on the field. They lifted afterwards and claimed the fourth place at the 2010 finals, such was their resolve to improve.
There is good reason for the fact that foreign coaches have rarely been successful in international football. We all want the team to perform better, but it is nye-on impossible to get a head coach who is acclaimed internationally and a top tactician and that knows the NZ football landscape well.
This is a conundrum many countries including Australia have faced too; foreign coaches quite often come in, make a lot of judgements and make a whole lot of promises, then can't improve results or leave very soon or unexpectedly. Mercenary coaches are common in tournament football in Africa and Asia and they are often unsuccessful.
Our past record with foreign coaches is also not great - Hudson played dire football and made questionable selections at times, Fritz Schmid left after a couple windows and for the Ferns, Klimkova was very average and froze players out randomly in a way an NZ coach wouldn't have. I know with WC money and prestidge we can look at a slightly higher shelf but the downsides don't go away.
How is Pochettino getting on with the USA by the way?
Kiwis in Europe younger and in more varied environments than ever before. To 2030 and 2034 we'll develop alot more, but the core of this group of players have the potential to go much further individually and collectively than 2010.
Players that could kick on from worth £3-4m to £20-30m which would be minimum squad member in a world class club: Alex Paulsen - Starting in very competitive Polish league, with Bournemouth. Cacace - four years in Serie A Surman - captain in MLS, ranked 14th in the world above the European leagues others are playing in, at 21. Bindon - 100 senior games for club and country now starting in Championship. Stamenic - three doubles in three different mid tier European Leagues and Champions League experience. Ben Old - Ligue 1 experience at 22
2030 Phase: Marley Leuluai - 18 in U21s Burnley and one or two tastes on the bench for first team. Matt Dibley-Dias - depends on nationality choice be he also grew up in Premier League academies and captained Fuham U21s.
Henry Gray - Ipswich U121s GK Joe Wallis - West Brom U21s GK Luke Brooke-Smith - our youngest ever All White according to TransferMarket, scored a banger vs Chile U20 at 16yo, kids a gun. Other local talent at Auckland FC and Phoenix.
Ryan Thomas will only be 35 in 2030, ie 3 years younger than Wood
Been a few super fit midfielders play high level to that age. And given he’s missed so many club games the last six odd years, his body may allow him to play on well into his 30s
The other thing was how good it was having neutral referees! Allow a contest, no matey chatter, none of the rubbish we saw in the Australia Cup. Foul’s called, no chat, decided, zero chance of being changed so no discussion. Couple of seconds between foul and ball in play again.
Australia are definitely the better side out there don't know why people think otherwise.
They do this against everyone, sit deep and do fudge all then score on the counters usually in late game. Poppa is a football terrorist.
It works too, ten games unbeaten.
They are far better than us.
i think a lot of the blame for the poor performance and result on Tuesday night is down to the inadequacies of Bazeley as a coach. To my mind there's a big gap in effectiveness between Baze and Pops as national team coaches. The difference between Bazeley and Popovich is that Bazeley has never been manager of a pro football side while Popovich has been tested and gained experience across several years as manager of pro club football sides and shown competency by winning the A-League premiership twice and the Asian Champions League (three time A-League Coaxch of the Year). His coaching career actually startd at a very good level, as assistant coach at Crystal Palace for a season and a half. Baze's coaching background by comparison is extremely modest. In pro football, the best he's reached is two seasons as assistant to the charlaton Hudson at Colorado and a very brief spell as assitant at the Jets. Otherwise youth national team manager or assistant and national team assistant. He's one of those guys you see all over the world whose level is national youth coaching but can't effectivley step up to senior national team managemnt. I found the NZ u-20's under Bazeley at the last u-20 World Cup were a hard watch. Same problems as with the current All Whites - shakey defensively and not much cutting edge in front of goal. Ultimately, for the AW's to progreess, they need a more capable manager. Would be good if NZF were able to find someone - but candidates would be few and far between. They'd have to be willing to work for comparative peanuts in international terms - and in a football backwater on the OFC which wouldn't progrees their career much in emplyability internationally. Except that the chance to coach in a World Cup next year would burnish an ambitious coach's CV. NZF should keep Bazeley working for them - but only as an assistant or youth coach..
BigPete. Your post made lots of sense. NZ football has hit the jackpot with one direct Oceania WC qualification slot. Guaranteed big bucks payout every WC cycle. They can probably afford a higher quality coach. There would be loads of coaches globally who would absolutely love to coach at a WC. I remember when Australia hired Gus Hidink. He transformed that WC team
BigPete. Your post made lots of sense. NZ football has hit the jackpot with one direct Oceania WC qualification slot. Guaranteed big bucks payout every WC cycle. They can probably afford a higher quality coach. There would be loads of coaches globally who would absolutely love to coach at a WC. I remember when Australia hired Gus Hidink. He transformed that WC team
Arteta is doing OK at Arsenal, isn't that his first pro gig?
Ten Haag did brilliantly in Holland but sucked at Man Utd.
And then you have that guy who had to coach from the sideline, because he had no qualifications in France outside FM and he killed it.
Your view is too simplistic. More experience doesn't always make you better.
Our footy under Baz whose hire i did not support has been very good considering the talent at his disposal and the quality of opposition we are facing.
Arteta is doing OK at Arsenal, isn't that his first pro gig?
Ten Haag did brilliantly in Holland but sucked at Man Utd.
And then you have that guy who had to coach from the sideline, because he had no qualifications in France outside FM and he killed it.
Your view is too simplistic. More experience doesn't always make you better.
Our footy under Baz whose hire i did not support has been very good considering the talent at his disposal and the quality of opposition we are facing.
you pluck two coaches, from the entire world of coaching, to support your view
I wrote it off as just a bad day at the Office. The woodsman again chose the place, rather than chip a shot in the first half which would have given them the lead.
Just one of the those days when everything that could go wrong pretty much did.
Proud to have attended the first 175 Consecutive "Home" Wellington Phoenix "A League" Games !!
I don’t blame Bazeley for the loss. We ultimately don’t have the depth Australia do. You add Stamenic, Cacace and Garbett into the mix and that changes a whole lot.
First game was very promising and phases of the second game were too. Yes a lot of negatives from the second game as our defence got ripped apart way too easily which is concerning.
Add Boxall into the back and the 3 mentioned earlier and we are probably in that second game if not on top.
This trend of our centre-backs getting waxed by pacey forwards is not one that sits nicely, especially since Bindon and Surman are probably the quickest of our options. Boxall used to be lightning quick but at 37yo he’s obviously dropped a step or two, however the Auckland game reflected why Boxall’s veteran presence is so valuable alongside 21yo Surman and 20yo Bindon. Nando Pijnaker’s injured but he’s dropped way back in the mix ever since Bindon emerged anyway, same with Tommy Smith – between them they’ve got one international cap in the past twelve months. It’s between Bindon, Surman, and Boxall for the two starting spots and whoever is picked, we can’t be letting them get isolated by transitional attacks like this.
Bindon had his first bad game for the All Whites in G2 (and even in a clunky one, he still produced two or three superb defensive interventions). His precocious youth is so much a part of his success story that it’s easy to overlook his inexperience. Gotta remember that he’s also in a tricky situation at Sheffield United where he’s only on loan at a club that’s lost every game this season and that means he’s suddenly under pressure in a way that he’s never known before. It was always a supportive environment at Reading, first because there were no expectations and then because he’d won the fans over with his excellence. The first two years of his pro career were all ups. Now he’s going through a down spell for the first time and it felt like there was a hint of hesitation, a hint of doubt in his mahi against Australia. But he’ll get through it.
We definitely missed the unique combo of strength and mobility that Marko Stamenic offers. These two games and the 2024 Nations Cup are the only times that Stam has been absent during the Bazeley Era (and he’s started every game he’s been available for – Bazeley’s never used him as a substitute... although that could change with Ryan Thomas bringing extra competition in the midfield). In fact, of the four players who’ve appeared in at least 20/26 games under Baze, three of them weren’t here. The others were Cacace and Garbett, alongside Eli Just who has only missed one game under Baze and that was against Qatar where he probably would have been subbed on except the game got abandoned before that could happen. And since speed seems to be a theme from this series, Cacace and Garbett are also among our quickest players.
What’s our best midfield? Kinda think it’s Stamenic and Thomas with Singh further forward but the debate is misleading because the 2025 Soccer Ashes showed yet again that it’s not merely about the best eleven. You’ve got to have impactful players coming off the bench. You’ve got to have depth that can rotate in from game to game without dragging things down. With Stamenic, Thomas, Bell, and Rufer competing for two places and then guys like Singh, Just, McCowatt, and Garbett all in the mix for the attacking mid role (and the wide spots too for that matter) the All Whites are in a good place... when they’re all available.
Ceri Evans was 17 years and 45 days old when he debuted for the All Whites back in 1980. He remains the youngest known debutant for the All Whites but Luke Brooke-Smith is now in second place after being subbed on for the last dozen minutes at Mt Smart Stadium aged 17 years and 95 days. LBS was 16y 199d when he became the youngest ever Wellington Phoenix player. He was 16y 261d when he scored (also at Mt Smart Stadium) to become that club’s youngest goal-scorer. This lad is breaking a lot of records.
LBS has the opportunity to be selected for World Cups of all three age-grades within the space of one year. He’s going to be in the U20 World Cup squad for later this month. He’s still eligible for the U17 WC in November too, though his presence will depend on whether they can sort something out with the Wellington Phoenix since their season will have begun by then. And now having made a senior debut, encompassing the idea that he offers something a little different to other NZ forwards despite his youth, he’s firmly in the picture to challenge for a spot at the FIFA World Cup next year. Milly Clegg did the same thing a couple years ago, scoring at both the U17s and U20s before being selected for the 2023 Women’s World Cup (albeit not getting on the pitch).
Players who are locks for the World Cup squad (barring injury):
Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Boxall, Finn Surman, Tyler Bindon, Libby Cacace, Francis De Vries, Tim Payne, Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic, Ryan Thomas, Matt Garbett, Sarpreet Singh, Elijah Just, Callum McCowatt, Ben Old, Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses
Kosta’s place could come under threat if Ben Waine and Max Mata both get cracking but that’s not looking very likely at the moment. That’s 18/23 players (hopefully 26 if they decide to keep the expanded squads from last time), which doesn’t leave much room for newcomers. There’ll be another goalie and probably three more defenders – right now that’d be Nik Tzanev, Nando Pijnaker and Tommy Smith... possibly with Callan Elliot too.
That’d leave 1-4 spots up for grabs between recent candidates like Waine, Mata, Alex Rufer, Bill Tuiloma, Logan Rogerson, and yes Luke Brooke-Smith; emerging/re-emerging overseas pros like Kees Sims, George Stanger, Matt Dibley-Dias, and Dalton Wilkins; and whichever of the array of Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC locals breaks through in a hurry. Others like Owen Parker-Price and Andre De Jong have the ability but don’t really have unique enough profiles to stand out against the incumbents.
The longest active starting streak in the All Whites now belongs to... Sarpreet Singh. He’s been picked in each of the previous seven fixtures. Max Crocombe and Joe Bell are both at six games. It was previously Marko Stamenic at eight games before he missed this tour with a minor niggle. Bazeley was able to rotate a little during the Oceania WCQs so this stat doesn’t have any serious meaning to it but it’s a nice wee development for Sarpreet Singh who’s been able to maintain a great level of fitness and availability for both club and country of late. Very notable. One awful free kick aside, he was pretty quiet in the second game but was a massive part of what worked so well in the first one.
Chris Wood has scored 12 goals in 16 games for Darren Bazeley. He’s scored 45 goals in 86 internationals overall. He is two caps shy of equalling Ivan Vicelich’s appearance record. It feels like not that long ago that he surpassed Vaughan Coveny’s scoring record and already he’s left him in the dust with a 16-goal lead. No other active player has reached 10 international goals yet (closest are: Kosta Barbarouses with 9, then Ben Waine & Eli Just with 8 each).
The last time Ryan Thomas played for the All Whites was the debut game of Joe Bell, Callum McCowatt, Eli Just... and Elliot Collier. It was a 3-1 loss against Ireland. Players who’ve debuted in between that game and Thomas’ return to the national team:
Nando Pijnaker, Max Mata, James McGarry, Niko Kirwan, Kelvin Kalua, Marko Stamenic, Matt Garbett, Joe Champness, Francis De Vries, Dalton Wilkins, Alex Greive, Oli Sail, Ben Old, Ben Waine, Jamie Searle, Callan Elliot, Kyle Adams, Tyler Bindon, Finn Surman, Fin Conchie, Lukas Kelly-Heald, Oskar van Hattum, Alex Paulsen, Sam Sutton, Jesse Randall, and Liam Gillion.
Also, James McGarry’s debut came the game after Ryan Thomas’ previous match and until this tour he hadn’t played since. His absence was only three days less than Thommo’s. McGarry made two short sub cameos here and you know what? He looked decent. There isn’t much room for him in a full strength All Whites squad at the moment but it’ll be exciting to see what he brings to Brisbane Roar after a tough couple years in Scotland (with a bit of Greece at the tailend).
This trend of our centre-backs getting waxed by pacey forwards is not one that sits nicely, especially since Bindon and Surman are probably the quickest of our options. Boxall used to be lightning quick but at 37yo he’s obviously dropped a step or two, however the Auckland game reflected why Boxall’s veteran presence is so valuable alongside 21yo Surman and 20yo Bindon. Nando Pijnaker’s injured but he’s dropped way back in the mix ever since Bindon emerged anyway, same with Tommy Smith – between them they’ve got one international cap in the past twelve months. It’s between Bindon, Surman, and Boxall for the two starting spots and whoever is picked, we can’t be letting them get isolated by transitional attacks like this.
Bindon had his first bad game for the All Whites in G2 (and even in a clunky one, he still produced two or three superb defensive interventions). His precocious youth is so much a part of his success story that it’s easy to overlook his inexperience. Gotta remember that he’s also in a tricky situation at Sheffield United where he’s only on loan at a club that’s lost every game this season and that means he’s suddenly under pressure in a way that he’s never known before. It was always a supportive environment at Reading, first because there were no expectations and then because he’d won the fans over with his excellence. The first two years of his pro career were all ups. Now he’s going through a down spell for the first time and it felt like there was a hint of hesitation, a hint of doubt in his mahi against Australia. But he’ll get through it.
We definitely missed the unique combo of strength and mobility that Marko Stamenic offers. These two games and the 2024 Nations Cup are the only times that Stam has been absent during the Bazeley Era (and he’s started every game he’s been available for – Bazeley’s never used him as a substitute... although that could change with Ryan Thomas bringing extra competition in the midfield). In fact, of the four players who’ve appeared in at least 20/26 games under Baze, three of them weren’t here. The others were Cacace and Garbett, alongside Eli Just who has only missed one game under Baze and that was against Qatar where he probably would have been subbed on except the game got abandoned before that could happen. And since speed seems to be a theme from this series, Cacace and Garbett are also among our quickest players.
What’s our best midfield? Kinda think it’s Stamenic and Thomas with Singh further forward but the debate is misleading because the 2025 Soccer Ashes showed yet again that it’s not merely about the best eleven. You’ve got to have impactful players coming off the bench. You’ve got to have depth that can rotate in from game to game without dragging things down. With Stamenic, Thomas, Bell, and Rufer competing for two places and then guys like Singh, Just, McCowatt, and Garbett all in the mix for the attacking mid role (and the wide spots too for that matter) the All Whites are in a good place... when they’re all available.
Ceri Evans was 17 years and 45 days old when he debuted for the All Whites back in 1980. He remains the youngest known debutant for the All Whites but Luke Brooke-Smith is now in second place after being subbed on for the last dozen minutes at Mt Smart Stadium aged 17 years and 95 days. LBS was 16y 199d when he became the youngest ever Wellington Phoenix player. He was 16y 261d when he scored (also at Mt Smart Stadium) to become that club’s youngest goal-scorer. This lad is breaking a lot of records.
LBS has the opportunity to be selected for World Cups of all three age-grades within the space of one year. He’s going to be in the U20 World Cup squad for later this month. He’s still eligible for the U17 WC in November too, though his presence will depend on whether they can sort something out with the Wellington Phoenix since their season will have begun by then. And now having made a senior debut, encompassing the idea that he offers something a little different to other NZ forwards despite his youth, he’s firmly in the picture to challenge for a spot at the FIFA World Cup next year. Milly Clegg did the same thing a couple years ago, scoring at both the U17s and U20s before being selected for the 2023 Women’s World Cup (albeit not getting on the pitch).
Players who are locks for the World Cup squad (barring injury):
Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Boxall, Finn Surman, Tyler Bindon, Libby Cacace, Francis De Vries, Tim Payne, Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic, Ryan Thomas, Matt Garbett, Sarpreet Singh, Elijah Just, Callum McCowatt, Ben Old, Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses
Kosta’s place could come under threat if Ben Waine and Max Mata both get cracking but that’s not looking very likely at the moment. That’s 18/23 players (hopefully 26 if they decide to keep the expanded squads from last time), which doesn’t leave much room for newcomers. There’ll be another goalie and probably three more defenders – right now that’d be Nik Tzanev, Nando Pijnaker and Tommy Smith... possibly with Callan Elliot too.
That’d leave 1-4 spots up for grabs between recent candidates like Waine, Mata, Alex Rufer, Bill Tuiloma, Logan Rogerson, and yes Luke Brooke-Smith; emerging/re-emerging overseas pros like Kees Sims, George Stanger, Matt Dibley-Dias, and Dalton Wilkins; and whichever of the array of Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC locals breaks through in a hurry. Others like Owen Parker-Price and Andre De Jong have the ability but don’t really have unique enough profiles to stand out against the incumbents.
The longest active starting streak in the All Whites now belongs to... Sarpreet Singh. He’s been picked in each of the previous seven fixtures. Max Crocombe and Joe Bell are both at six games. It was previously Marko Stamenic at eight games before he missed this tour with a minor niggle. Bazeley was able to rotate a little during the Oceania WCQs so this stat doesn’t have any serious meaning to it but it’s a nice wee development for Sarpreet Singh who’s been able to maintain a great level of fitness and availability for both club and country of late. Very notable. One awful free kick aside, he was pretty quiet in the second game but was a massive part of what worked so well in the first one.
Chris Wood has scored 12 goals in 16 games for Darren Bazeley. He’s scored 45 goals in 86 internationals overall. He is two caps shy of equalling Ivan Vicelich’s appearance record. It feels like not that long ago that he surpassed Vaughan Coveny’s scoring record and already he’s left him in the dust with a 16-goal lead. No other active player has reached 10 international goals yet (closest are: Kosta Barbarouses with 9, then Ben Waine & Eli Just with 8 each).
The last time Ryan Thomas played for the All Whites was the debut game of Joe Bell, Callum McCowatt, Eli Just... and Elliot Collier. It was a 3-1 loss against Ireland. Players who’ve debuted in between that game and Thomas’ return to the national team:
Nando Pijnaker, Max Mata, James McGarry, Niko Kirwan, Kelvin Kalua, Marko Stamenic, Matt Garbett, Joe Champness, Francis De Vries, Dalton Wilkins, Alex Greive, Oli Sail, Ben Old, Ben Waine, Jamie Searle, Callan Elliot, Kyle Adams, Tyler Bindon, Finn Surman, Fin Conchie, Lukas Kelly-Heald, Oskar van Hattum, Alex Paulsen, Sam Sutton, Jesse Randall, and Liam Gillion.
Also, James McGarry’s debut came the game after Ryan Thomas’ previous match and until this tour he hadn’t played since. His absence was only three days less than Thommo’s. McGarry made two short sub cameos here and you know what? He looked decent. There isn’t much room for him in a full strength All Whites squad at the moment but it’ll be exciting to see what he brings to Brisbane Roar after a tough couple years in Scotland (with a bit of Greece at the tailend).
Love this detail and research
Supporting the supporters and love an away day anywhere in the world. Kiwis Can Fly!
This trend of our centre-backs getting waxed by pacey forwards is not one that sits nicely, especially since Bindon and Surman are probably the quickest of our options. Boxall used to be lightning quick but at 37yo he’s obviously dropped a step or two, however the Auckland game reflected why Boxall’s veteran presence is so valuable alongside 21yo Surman and 20yo Bindon. Nando Pijnaker’s injured but he’s dropped way back in the mix ever since Bindon emerged anyway, same with Tommy Smith – between them they’ve got one international cap in the past twelve months. It’s between Bindon, Surman, and Boxall for the two starting spots and whoever is picked, we can’t be letting them get isolated by transitional attacks like this.
Bindon had his first bad game for the All Whites in G2 (and even in a clunky one, he still produced two or three superb defensive interventions). His precocious youth is so much a part of his success story that it’s easy to overlook his inexperience. Gotta remember that he’s also in a tricky situation at Sheffield United where he’s only on loan at a club that’s lost every game this season and that means he’s suddenly under pressure in a way that he’s never known before. It was always a supportive environment at Reading, first because there were no expectations and then because he’d won the fans over with his excellence. The first two years of his pro career were all ups. Now he’s going through a down spell for the first time and it felt like there was a hint of hesitation, a hint of doubt in his mahi against Australia. But he’ll get through it.
We definitely missed the unique combo of strength and mobility that Marko Stamenic offers. These two games and the 2024 Nations Cup are the only times that Stam has been absent during the Bazeley Era (and he’s started every game he’s been available for – Bazeley’s never used him as a substitute... although that could change with Ryan Thomas bringing extra competition in the midfield). In fact, of the four players who’ve appeared in at least 20/26 games under Baze, three of them weren’t here. The others were Cacace and Garbett, alongside Eli Just who has only missed one game under Baze and that was against Qatar where he probably would have been subbed on except the game got abandoned before that could happen. And since speed seems to be a theme from this series, Cacace and Garbett are also among our quickest players.
What’s our best midfield? Kinda think it’s Stamenic and Thomas with Singh further forward but the debate is misleading because the 2025 Soccer Ashes showed yet again that it’s not merely about the best eleven. You’ve got to have impactful players coming off the bench. You’ve got to have depth that can rotate in from game to game without dragging things down. With Stamenic, Thomas, Bell, and Rufer competing for two places and then guys like Singh, Just, McCowatt, and Garbett all in the mix for the attacking mid role (and the wide spots too for that matter) the All Whites are in a good place... when they’re all available.
Ceri Evans was 17 years and 45 days old when he debuted for the All Whites back in 1980. He remains the youngest known debutant for the All Whites but Luke Brooke-Smith is now in second place after being subbed on for the last dozen minutes at Mt Smart Stadium aged 17 years and 95 days. LBS was 16y 199d when he became the youngest ever Wellington Phoenix player. He was 16y 261d when he scored (also at Mt Smart Stadium) to become that club’s youngest goal-scorer. This lad is breaking a lot of records.
LBS has the opportunity to be selected for World Cups of all three age-grades within the space of one year. He’s going to be in the U20 World Cup squad for later this month. He’s still eligible for the U17 WC in November too, though his presence will depend on whether they can sort something out with the Wellington Phoenix since their season will have begun by then. And now having made a senior debut, encompassing the idea that he offers something a little different to other NZ forwards despite his youth, he’s firmly in the picture to challenge for a spot at the FIFA World Cup next year. Milly Clegg did the same thing a couple years ago, scoring at both the U17s and U20s before being selected for the 2023 Women’s World Cup (albeit not getting on the pitch).
Players who are locks for the World Cup squad (barring injury):
Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen, Michael Boxall, Finn Surman, Tyler Bindon, Libby Cacace, Francis De Vries, Tim Payne, Joe Bell, Marko Stamenic, Ryan Thomas, Matt Garbett, Sarpreet Singh, Elijah Just, Callum McCowatt, Ben Old, Chris Wood, Kosta Barbarouses
Kosta’s place could come under threat if Ben Waine and Max Mata both get cracking but that’s not looking very likely at the moment. That’s 18/23 players (hopefully 26 if they decide to keep the expanded squads from last time), which doesn’t leave much room for newcomers. There’ll be another goalie and probably three more defenders – right now that’d be Nik Tzanev, Nando Pijnaker and Tommy Smith... possibly with Callan Elliot too.
That’d leave 1-4 spots up for grabs between recent candidates like Waine, Mata, Alex Rufer, Bill Tuiloma, Logan Rogerson, and yes Luke Brooke-Smith; emerging/re-emerging overseas pros like Kees Sims, George Stanger, Matt Dibley-Dias, and Dalton Wilkins; and whichever of the array of Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC locals breaks through in a hurry. Others like Owen Parker-Price and Andre De Jong have the ability but don’t really have unique enough profiles to stand out against the incumbents.
The longest active starting streak in the All Whites now belongs to... Sarpreet Singh. He’s been picked in each of the previous seven fixtures. Max Crocombe and Joe Bell are both at six games. It was previously Marko Stamenic at eight games before he missed this tour with a minor niggle. Bazeley was able to rotate a little during the Oceania WCQs so this stat doesn’t have any serious meaning to it but it’s a nice wee development for Sarpreet Singh who’s been able to maintain a great level of fitness and availability for both club and country of late. Very notable. One awful free kick aside, he was pretty quiet in the second game but was a massive part of what worked so well in the first one.
Chris Wood has scored 12 goals in 16 games for Darren Bazeley. He’s scored 45 goals in 86 internationals overall. He is two caps shy of equalling Ivan Vicelich’s appearance record. It feels like not that long ago that he surpassed Vaughan Coveny’s scoring record and already he’s left him in the dust with a 16-goal lead. No other active player has reached 10 international goals yet (closest are: Kosta Barbarouses with 9, then Ben Waine & Eli Just with 8 each).
The last time Ryan Thomas played for the All Whites was the debut game of Joe Bell, Callum McCowatt, Eli Just... and Elliot Collier. It was a 3-1 loss against Ireland. Players who’ve debuted in between that game and Thomas’ return to the national team:
Nando Pijnaker, Max Mata, James McGarry, Niko Kirwan, Kelvin Kalua, Marko Stamenic, Matt Garbett, Joe Champness, Francis De Vries, Dalton Wilkins, Alex Greive, Oli Sail, Ben Old, Ben Waine, Jamie Searle, Callan Elliot, Kyle Adams, Tyler Bindon, Finn Surman, Fin Conchie, Lukas Kelly-Heald, Oskar van Hattum, Alex Paulsen, Sam Sutton, Jesse Randall, and Liam Gillion.
Also, James McGarry’s debut came the game after Ryan Thomas’ previous match and until this tour he hadn’t played since. His absence was only three days less than Thommo’s. McGarry made two short sub cameos here and you know what? He looked decent. There isn’t much room for him in a full strength All Whites squad at the moment but it’ll be exciting to see what he brings to Brisbane Roar after a tough couple years in Scotland (with a bit of Greece at the tailend).
Love this detail and research
Supporting the supporters and love an away day anywhere in the world. Kiwis Can Fly!
