China/Japan Squad Discussion

China/Japan Squad Discussion

Well my squad of 20 with an eye to the future, for what it's worth:

Goalkeepers:
Glen Moss
Jacob Gleeson

Defenders:
Ryan Nelsen
Ben Sigmund
Ivan Vicelich
Winston Reid
Tommy Smith
Tony Lochhead

Midfielders:
Tim Brown
Marco Rojas
Leo Bertos
Jeremy Christie
Michael McGlinchey
Jeremy Brockie
Aaron Clapham

Strikers:
Kosta Barbarouses
Shane Smeltz
Chris Killen
Rory Fallon
Chris Wood

Don't know if Paston will be fit but if we're looking to the future I can't see him making the next World Cup so someone else should take the spot.  You see goalkeepers at 37 years of age all the time but given his injury luck I can't see him managing.

Assuming I worked it out correctly, by the day the first game is played the squad will have an average age of just under 26 years old.  I worked it out using only years, not going into detail with months and days.
loyalgunner2010-12-24 19:46:28

Outsider: Luke Rowe

How's Craig Henderson's injury?

Do we need five strikers? - Kosta is a must.

how old will vicelich be in 2014?

38

woah! and Nelsen 36? I'm thinking maybe vicelich won't be around to play, he'd be a great mentor to the guys coming through.

I do worry about our defensive stocks.

Hmm, fair point about Vicelich.  Considering he came out of retirement for the Confederations Cup is there any point in keeping him on if he won't be at the next WC and considering his current age.  Luke Rowe could be worth a shot but I really don't know a lot about him.

Yes, forgot about Craig Henderson entirely.  Maybe bring him in for whichever striker is the most expendable/one whose place is secured already/one who inevitably won't be released by their manager citing a phony injury.

how many games does reid have to sit out due to his red card against paraguay? 1 or 2?

I don't. Nelsen should be there for another two years, by then hopefully James Musa is alright. Stephen Old could improve. Luke Rowe could actually be okay. Tommy Smith and Winston Reid will be our two best players!

Forgot about that!

Sigmund Reid Smith against China?

we play China first so Reid's out for that one. Not sure about the Japan game, he well could be out for that one too.

Will Nelsen make the trip? Big Sam can't influence him. How long's the flight from the UK?

Flight time from London to Hong Kong is about 12/13 hours.

Reid will be out for our first WC Qualifier won't he, not our first friendly?

My understanding and I could well be wrong, but if you get a red card in a friendly you are suspended for future friendly. Same with WCQ matches red card is a suspension in those games. Which is why Glen Moss could keep when we played Mexico this year but wasn't eligible to play until our last group match against Paraguay. Reids red card wasn't during a WCQ match, it was a friendly so he will have to sit out the China game.

someone with more knowledge will be able to confirm.

Michael Boxall, Dan Keat perhaps if they're part of the MLS Draft and it looks like they will be. Boxall could be the guy to solve our right back problem

I've only ever seen Boxall as a Centre Back. 

I would have thought he'd be a bit 'Siggy' at Right back?

u mean brilliant?
(hopes he talking bout Canterbury siggy)

You are correct GC. Winston is not eligible to play against China.

I heard he was handed two games? Maybe I heard wrong. And wasnt Vicelich banned for two friendly games for being sent off in the friendly against Jordan?

Woops, my bad, for some reason was thinking Reid got sent against Paraguay in SA

thought boxall played both...my bad

Herbert has said he will be calling up Reid, so presumably it's just the one game. NZF will have been notified of the details of the suspension (as with Glen Moss''s Fiji ban)...

I'm expecting the China game to include a few younger guys. Maybe Kosta starting with Rojas on the bench. Gleeson or Spoonley should get the call up behind Moss. But I'm hoping someone like Luke Rowe or Paul Cunningham get a call up. Need to blood some young defenders. But the important area is the centre of the park. No Elliott or Vicelich please. But that just leaves us with McGlinchey then Christie or Clapham.

China

                     Moss
Sigmund Nelsen Smith Lochhead
Brockie Brown Clapham Kosta
              Smeltz Wood

Japan

                  Moss
        Reid Nelsen Smith
Brockie Brown McGlinchey Bertos
                  Smeltz
              Killen FallonLuis Garcia2010-12-27 14:27:31

Need to blood some young defenders?

wtf are Reid and Smith?

But who else is there once Nelsen goes? Sigmund, Lochhead, Boyens and Old? Hardly international standard defenders. We need to blood defenders in general.Luis Garcia2010-12-27 15:08:52

Gleeson doesn't have a team so I doubt that Herbert call him. I think we have to play Rowe to cap him at senior level and Henderson would probably be playig in Sweden.With Old playing playing some games recently I would try him again in place of vicelich. Finally If Keat is selected in the MLS, it would be good to see him play against China. I see Rojas more in the U20 and the olympic team for now.

Hardly relevant.  Si didn't have a club at the WC.  What makes you think this Stefan guy is better than Jake?

V much doubt marinovic or gleeson will be selected. Spoonley will get the nod. Someone like Tim Myers could get a call up. Henderson wont he isnt even back playing. Rowe is another that wont. Rojas maybe but Herbert isnt going to rush him. It'll be much the same with Barbarouses getting another cap

Moss, Spoonley, Sigmund, Reid, Nelsen, Lochhead, Smith, Vicelich, Bertos, Elliott, Brockie, Brown, McGlinchey, Clapham, Christie, Barbarouses, Smeltz, Killen, Fallon and Wood.

Has it been reported somewhere that Jake Gleeson is no longer with Portland? I talked to Jake two weeks ago and he said he was only here on a five week break before he goes back to Portland. ??

I would not pick that 'keeper playing in Germany. I quite confidently doubt he is any better than Coey Turipa, let alone Jake Gleeson and Jacob Spoonley. So what he plays in Europe? That doesn't mean he's better than what we have here, especially because he's fourth choice in a third division league.

musa

[QUOTE=Luis Garcia]I would not pick that 'keeper playing in Germany. I quite confidently doubt he is any better than Coey Turipa, let alone Jake Gleeson and Jacob Spoonley.

1. The German 3rd diviasion is officially Semi-Pro.
2. Last time I checked he is listed as the 3rd choice keeper at the club.  Has he even played for them in this 'semi-Pro' environment ?

Don't be blinded like some on here that just because a player is overseas that they are playing or any good. 

I agree, but perhaps across the board they have access to better coaching.

Thinking about it Leo Bertos doesn't deserve to be in the squad.  He's been abysmal all season and has no footballing brain.  If Henderson is playing in Sweden and doing alright or if anyone's doing well in the midfield I'd be happy to see them given a go.  Bertos is incredibly wasteful.  Though as I type I remember that while he is generally poor for club he has a number of times turned it on for the AW's.

Big assumption to select a player based on a 'perhaps' and who's to say Gleeson isn't getting better coaching?

Personally I think we should be escorting Phil Imray to immigration to get him a shiney NZ whatever he needs.

Had a search for Marinovic. He turned 19 years old in October.
He is with the German club SV Wehen Wiesbaden  in a squad of 33, with 4 keepers. He is one of 4 foreigners in the squad.

They play in the Liga 3 (3rd division), but partway through last year and for this year he has been playing for their 2nd team,  playing for SV Wehen Wiesbaden II, in a Southern competition, below the Liga. They are 2nd last in that division.
Looks like he has played 8 games for them this year, for 2 wins, 6 losses, and shipped 18 goals in the 6 losses, kept clean twice in the wins.

Interestingly he is listed on one site as also being of Croatian nationality.

Cant see him being picked yet, based on all of that, which while it is only statistics, doesnt give the impression of him making a case

I was never talking about individuals, I was making the point that they have access to better coaching, and that is why they go overseas.
If you take Reid as an example. He is not a great player, but with the coaching he is getting at West Ham, there will be no question that he will be miles ahead of Sigmund.