Aussie get games against Greece and England and Andy "my head is up my own arse" Martin gets us a training camp despite Russia showing an interest in a game. Is that about it?
Ask the players, training camp or game against Russia lads? I think i know what 99% of the players would have chosen.
I see that Russia now has friendlies against Lithuania in Moscow on March 26 and against France in Paris on March 29.
Was it the March 26 game in Moscow that they approached NZ to play?
Unavailability of players, cost, winter weather in Moscow, travel distance etc. must have been factors:
16,000 km is along way to go for a match for the NZ and Aussie based players and staff.
Moscow is the most expensive city in the world for accommodation etc.
The forecast for that matchday is temperatures from minus 8 degrees to zero degrees in Moscow.
Not ideal preparation for the tropical humidity of PNG in June (average temp 29 - 30 degrees, av. humidity 94 - 100 % early June)
And very tough for a mostly Southern Hemisphere squad coming from hot summer weather.
It would have been a very weak NZ side that would have been available.
No A-League players would likely have been released since it was scheduled for an A-League match day.
The Phoenix are struggling enough without taking away several players. Barbarouses and Smeltz wouldn't be available. Roux is injured.
Of our UK-based players, Reid and Wood have been injured and not featuring for their clubs, so would be unlikely to be called up.
Smith would find an excuse.
Marinovic has a game that weekend with Unterhaching.
Bill Tuiloma hasn't played for his club since February 12
Rojas and Tzimopoulos are pretty much the only UK or Europe-based players that would have been available.
Any US-based players would be tied up with their seasons starting this month.
Boxall and Brockie would have been available with no club game that weekend.
So would we really want a team of mostly ASB Premiership players to play Russia in Moscow in sub-zero conditions?