All Whites, Ferns, and other international teams

New Zealand Football's greatest ever achievement?

63 replies · 5,519 views
almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
New Zealand Football's greatest ever achievement?

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Some are questioning the validity of labelling the 1-0 result against Serbia as the greatest ever feat in NZ Football history.

I'm a football n00b as well as relatively young so how does this compare to other results in terms of significance?

Is this the highest ever ranked (at the time) opponent we have ever beaten?

What are our other great results?

5-0 vs. Saudi Arabia?
4-0 vs. Mexico in 1980?
1-0 vs. Bahrain in 2009?

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.

Three for me, and two for them.

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
4-0 over Vanuatu in 2008 because Mulligan got a double.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
simon_hampton wrote:
4-0 over Vanuatu in 2008 because Mulligan got a double.


And what a glorious day it was...though the final score was 4-1.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.

What does this mean? Are there non "friendly" football international fixtures outside of tournaments? Or are all non-tournament games called "friendlies"?

How would this game compare to if the All Blacks tour and play a lowly ranked INTERNATIONAL side?

Because if the ABs lost that game, even with a 2nd string team in a mid-week situation, it would still spell disaster?

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Rugby internationals are completely different to Football international friendlies.

Three for me, and two for them.

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Hard News wrote:
Somewhere in the middle, but not the time for those discussions.

Because our greatest ever achievement is about to be achieved on either the 15th, 20th, or 24th of June 2010?

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
ahmad wrote:

Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
What does this mean? Are there non "friendly" football international fixtures outside of tournaments?


Qualifiers for World Cup and Continental Championships for most confederations.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
so where does it rank?

Founder

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
el grapadura wrote:
ahmad wrote:

Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
What does this mean? Are there non "friendly" football international fixtures outside of tournaments?
Qualifiers for World Cup and Continental Championships for most confederations.

But even WC Qualifiers are associated with a tournament (ie. the FIFA World Cup).

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
so where does it rank?


Alongside the Mexico result from the 82 campaign. A very good and respectable result in a match that counted for nothing.

Three for me, and two for them.

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Its a great scalp but in terms of meaning not that much.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
hey, those friendlies do collect ranking points!
 
btw - when was the last time we played a team in the top 20 in NZ? England in 1990? And before that?  Those home fixtures are where most international underdogs pick up their big scalps.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
so where does it rank?


Alongside the Mexico result from the 82 campaign. A very good and respectable result in a match that counted for nothing.
great input

Founder

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
so where does it rank?


Alongside the Mexico result from the 82 campaign. A very good and respectable result in a match that counted for nothing.
great input


Well you did ask me what i thought

Three for me, and two for them.

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
ahmad wrote:
Some are questioning the validity of labelling the 1-0 result against Serbia as the greatest ever feat in NZ Football history.I'm a football n00b as well as relatively young so how does this compare to other results in terms of significance?Is this the highest ever ranked (at the time) opponent we have ever beaten?What are our other great results?5-0 vs. Saudi Arabia?4-0 vs. Mexico in 1980?1-0 vs. Bahrain in 2009?


Can't believe that nobody has answered the question.
The greatest result was 5-0 v Saudi because we needed to win by that margin to have a chance of a play off with China.It was also an away game.

If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
so where does it rank?


Alongside the Mexico result from the 82 campaign. A very good and respectable result in a match that counted for nothing.
great input


Well you did ask me what i thought
so first equal?

Founder

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
so where does it rank?


Alongside the Mexico result from the 82 campaign. A very good and respectable result in a match that counted for nothing.
great input


Well you did ask me what i thought
so first equal?


No.

Three for me, and two for them.

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
so where does it rank?


Alongside the Mexico result from the 82 campaign. A very good and respectable result in a match that counted for nothing.
great input


Well you did ask me what i thought
so first equal?


No.
are you a politician?

Founder

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Leggy wrote:
Can't believe that nobody has answered the question.
The greatest result was 5-0 v Saudi because we needed to win by that margin to have a chance of a play off with China.It was also an away game.

The results I listed in the opening post were only those that I could remember in my limited knowledge of the game.

Are there any others deserving of being mentioned or do you regard the Saudi result as the greatest ever?

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
Feverish wrote:
Buffon II wrote:
It was only a friendly. People are getting far too carried away.
so where does it rank?


Alongside the Mexico result from the 82 campaign. A very good and respectable result in a match that counted for nothing.
great input


Well you did ask me what i thought
so first equal?


No.
are you a politician?


What exactly are you trying to prove here?

Three for me, and two for them.

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
i vote for the 5 nil away against Saudi - unbelievable score and utterly crucial
follow that with the win against China to qualify - bc that was as critical as Bahrain in welly but played in front of a hostile 100k crowd in Singapore
 
im loving the serbian result but just cant bring myself to place a friendly in same class as qualifiers
 
and randomly (not suggesting a contender) ... another result not often remembered was a 2-2 draw away to Uruguay in latish 90s, although i think they played a bunch of kids after beating us 7-1 a few days earlier
Marius Lacatus2010-05-31 21:48:08
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Didn't NZ draw with Uruguay in Montevideo in about '95 or '96?I think it was 2-2 and came either before or after a 7-0 thrashing from them.
That must rank pretty high.
"Always remember lads,one Evertonian is worth 20 Liverpudlians"...Brian Labone
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Wasn't alive back then but the Saudi + China games would obviously be the greatest achievements thus far

We can change that if we win a game at the WC, though

a.haak

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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
I don't see how a football friendly is much different to a rugby test? Sure nothing is riding on a friendly, but nothing of note is riding on the All Blacks versus Wales except for a 50-odd year unbeaten record and probably a cup no one knows the name of. Quite often teams send 'B' sides away for tests and experiment for tournaments. In both cases teams play with pride and of course don't want to lose. I don't see the difference.

The Serbia result is the same as Russia beating the All Blacks, in my opinion.

And mark me down for the Saudi result as the greatest ever. You couldn't write a better script!
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Footpaul wrote:
I don't see how a football friendly is much different to a rugby test? Sure nothing is riding on a friendly, but nothing of note is riding on the All Blacks versus Wales except for a 50-odd year unbeaten record and probably a cup no one knows the name of. Quite often teams send 'B' sides away for tests and experiment for tournaments. In both cases teams play with pride and of course don't want to lose. I don't see the difference.

The Serbia result is the same as Russia beating the All Blacks, in my opinion.

And mark me down for the Saudi result as the greatest ever. You couldn't write a better script!

I'd more compare it to Kenya beating France in Rugby, if I was comparing.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
linds wrote:
Footpaul wrote:
I don't see how a football friendly is much different to a rugby test? Sure nothing is riding on a friendly, but nothing of note is riding on the All Blacks versus Wales except for a 50-odd year unbeaten record and probably a cup no one knows the name of. Quite often teams send 'B' sides away for tests and experiment for tournaments. In both cases teams play with pride and of course don't want to lose. I don't see the difference.

The Serbia result is the same as Russia beating the All Blacks, in my opinion.

And mark me down for the Saudi result as the greatest ever. You couldn't write a better script!

I'd more compare it to Kenya beating France in Rugby, if I was comparing.


Very true!
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Losses to Rotor Volgograd, Yukong Elephants, Pyongyang FC inside a week! 
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Those were against Dutch Amateurs XI not the actual first team, I think.

However, nothing can beat NZ beating Australia in 1922 in the first international between the two countries 3-1 in Dunedin. Historically, that is a good omen. You can't top winning first encounters as they always have their place.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
A 7-0 loss to Tranmere Rovers in 1992 maybe NZ football's worst ever achievement.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
Especially when we crushed "Young Brazil" in a 4 match series only four years prior.
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almost 16 years ago · edited over 13 years ago
The 13-0 dubbing of Fiji was a WCQ record to be proud of for a good long time.
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