Players don't have to be released for the u17 World Cup and it would be very unlikely for the Nix to order him to go if he didn't want to. At the end of the day he has transcended that level and it would do nothing for his development.
I don't think the shop window factor (and who even knows if going would get him significantly more exposure than exciting in the A-League where many youngsters are being bought from these days) will be enough for him to go, from either his own or the Nix's perspective.
In Brooke-Smith’s absence, Melbourne City academy forward Aaron Cartwright will be the attacking player to watch. He won the golden ball as the player of the tournament in Tahiti last year, as well as the golden boot for scoring seven goals, including a hat-trick against New Caledonia, while providing four assists.
Cartwright made his first-team debut in the Australia Cup in July and Bullock said he had caught the eye of observers during a recent camp in Auckland. “He's that type of player to kind get you off your seat and think, crikey, he's got something to offer that’s very different to lots of modern footballers”.
Amongst the standouts in this squad are three centre backs – Alex Lienard, a full scholar at English Premier League club Sunderland AFC, who will captain the team; Luka Vicelich, the son of All Whites legend Ivan Vicelich, who made his first-team debut for Auckland FC in the Australia Cup in August; and Ethan Dyer, who is well-regarded at Sydney FC.
Bullock described Lienard as “a ball-playing centre back” who has “a real calming influence on the group,” and said Vicelich was “very similar”. Dyer, who captained New Zealand at this year’s OFC U16 Championship and can go to next year’s U17 World Cup, was said to be “a real sensible, mature player who's an aggressive defender” and “very highly thought of” in Sydney.
As well as Mali, New Zealand have been drawn with Saudi Arabia and Austria in Qatar. The top two teams in each group and the top eight third-placed teams advance to the round of 32.
The U16 FIFA Youth Series featured squads of predominantly 2009-born players.
This U17 World Cup features squads of predominantly 2008-born players.
Just five players in common for NZ – Ethan Dyer (centre back/right back), Sean Kane (left back), Joe McIntyre (midfielder), Matias Núñez (attacking midfielder/wide forward), Ben Perez Baldoni (attacking midfielder/wide forward).
That said, I too am excited to see how this group goes.
Much like the recent FIFA U20 World Cup, midfield probably the big question mark, but there's a strong crop of defenders and attackers.
Poor pass back from Van Fitzharis I think it was, easily intercepted in midfield and they're so bloody quick on the counter they turn it into a 3 v 2 in the blink of an eye. Was a well taken goal though.
Matias Nunez has probably been our best on show so far.
1-0 at half-time. We came out firing to start and have looked dangerous, but Mali have been fantastic, cutting us apart several times and had the better chances, goal.
Think Borginis has done well in goal so far, nothing he could've done about the goal.
For the Kiwi lads - The skill and the technical ability is there, and its nice to see us having a few tricky players of our own in Nunez and Cartwright.
But just looking at the Mali side its like they've got rockets on - So quick, so strong, and so composed and very good on the ball. The vision and awareness to look for and make runs in behind is also several steps above us in terms of quality and execution.
Probably a pretty telling story that after this world cup the Kiwi lads will mostly be returning to NZ and Australia, whereas it sounds like a fair few of the Mali lineup are heading towards deals in Spain, Germany etc.
And so it goes on... year after year, decade after decade... Why can't we produce footballing kids "with rockets on". Rugby does, so I believe. Club coaches here seem oblivious to making their kids do things fast. Do everything fast. Faster. When have you ever heard a coach insist on speed? I haven't.
This must be how island nations feel playing against us. Half their team was six foot and up and they just flew into every challenge, didn’t complain and countered absolutely clinically. We certainly have the skill and aptitude so I can’t complain, happy with that first-half performance especially, but Mali was different gravy
The african teams are usually strong in these tournaments, i love this groups technical ability. We had two chances that must've been over 0.65 xG that both strikers missed. I would love to see Baldoni start up top, and our midfielders not rushing long range passes when they have space to progress.
Other than the lively wingers, wee left back Nelson had a good game too.mrsmiis
This must be how island nations feel playing against us. Half their team was six foot and up and they just flew into every challenge, didn’t complain and countered absolutely clinically. We certainly have the skill and aptitude so I can’t complain, happy with that first-half performance especially, but Mali was different gravy
Mali had 31 shots on goal to our 8. Mali on average shot on goal every 3 minutes, our average was less than one shot for every 10mins. Maybe we were running fast just trying to get hold of the ball.
There is an emphasis on ball speed and movement in training, but there are genetic differences between the maturing rates of kids in Africa versus NZ for example. That will even out over time - but at u17 level can be quite marked. A lot of their players won't grow more physically, ours will.
No genetic differences with African kids, it's just that we play football (generally active) a lot. No ball, no problem. No shoes, no problem and the weather really helps.
Probable genetic differences with that Brazilian team though lol Wow! Are they special. Amazing.
Nth Korea beating El Salvador 5 - 0 also interesting. I seem to remember A Rufer doing his stuff v El Salvador in the U-17 WC warm ups at Warkworth School a few years ago... may have been v Honduras... Edit: was the Under-20 WC.
No genetic differences with African kids, it's just that we play football (generally active) a lot. No ball, no problem. No shoes, no problem and the weather really helps.
Probable genetic differences with that Brazilian team though lol Wow! Are they special. Amazing.
In the U17 age cohort the stats would disagree with you.
Sub-Saharan African nations (Nigeria x5 & Ghana x2) have won the U17 Boys WC, 7 times in the 19 tourneys held since it began in 1985.
Runnersup a further 6 times (Nigeria x3, Ghana x2 & Mali once). Ivory Coast, Ghana, Burkina Faso & Mali have all been 3rd.
Meanwhile an African nation has yet to win the senior men's WC, or even been in a final. North African Morocco in 2022, the first & only CAF nation to make a senior WC semi final. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_U-17_World_Cup
Well done tiny New Caledonia! Amazing result really, especially considering for the last 12 months or so their country has been torn apart by civl unrest. They also kept Portugal to 1-1 at HT in their first game.
Elsewhere Fiji got thumped 7-0 by Belgium.
But it's all about NC. Will give their senior team a nice boost for their tough Intercontinental WC qualifying tourney next March. Upsets happen.
New Caledonia have held Japan to a scoreless draw at the FIFA U-17 Men’s World Cup to keep alive their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages of the Qatar tournament.
The result is only the second time New Caledonia have registered a point at a FIFA event, repeating the feat of their 1-1 draw with Japan at the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
Japan dominated proceedings throughout but struggled to find a way through goalkeeper Nicolas Kutran and the New Caledonian defence.
Makoto Himeno came close inside just the first five minutes for Japan, driving a direct free kick inches wide of the right post on his right foot. Himeno then missed another good chance not long after, poking the ball wide of the bottom-left corner after latching onto a cross to the back post.
That set the tone for the Young Samurai Blue, who conjured more than 35 shots throughout the game, but lacked a decisive touch in front of the goal.
New Caledonia’s goalkeeper Nicolas Kutran delivered a stellar performance between the sticks, denying Minato Yoshida with his first big save of the game.
The second half continued in the same vein, Kutran making himself big to parry away a close-range effort from Jelani Ren McGhee.
New Caledonia’s Jean Samuel Xele Canehmez (right) evades the challenge of Japan’s Kawamoto Daizen. Photo credit: FIFA via Getty Images.
Scorer of the goal in their first game against Portugal, Ezekiel Wamowe came closest to scoring again for New Caledonia, rattling the left post with a curling left-footed effort from long range.
Japan made changes but still couldn’t beat Kutran, who pulled off big saves to deny both Hirato Osada and Daigo Hirashima.
The young Samurai Blue finally thought they had broken the deadlock late in stoppage time when Simon Yu Mendy powered the ball into the top of the net.
It was disallowed for a foul on a New Caledonian defender in the build-up, and the OFC representatives survived another late penalty review to hold on for a share of the points.
The New Caledonia camp celebrated wildly at the final whistle, having achieved an historic result, and remain with a chance of progressing to the knockout stages should they beat Morocco in their final group stage match on Monday (NZT).
Battled to the end, but Saudi Arabia take the win in the dying moments 🇳🇿🇸🇦
⚽️ Matias Nunez ⚽️ Jack Perinskie
It's still all to play for in group stage match three against Austria this Wednesday at 4:45am NZT - watch it live and free on FIFA+ and TVNZ+ 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/OITRUx0KKz
The poor NC lads. Roosters to feather dusters. 0-0 draw verus Japan, to losing 16-0 to Morocco. Obviously playing with only 9 players hurt NC.
Fiji lost 7-0 to Argentina. Fiji failing to score in 3 pool games and finish with a -20 GD. At least NZ got a goal (Portugal) and that draw verus Japan. OFC's 3 spots might be under review.
Ben Sigmund was in that 1997 NZ team. Michael Wilson also. Then a bunch of guys who never went far. I think some sadly even gave up on football completely post that 13-0 shellacking from Spain.
New Caledonia have exited the FIFA U-17 World Cup™ with a 16-0 defeat to Morocco in their final group stage game at the Aspire Zone in Doha.
Two red cards inside the first half hour severely dented New Caledonia’s hopes, shipping seven goals in the first half and a further nine in the second half, with just nine players on the field for much of the contest.
