New Zealand Men's U-17s

We down to a 12 year old as head coach yet?

It's brilliantly bad. Honestly, you can only lol. 

I can't wait for the movie.  " Clusterfudge.. Revenge of the Alignmentati"

In a Knock Out Cup game??

"Alright Zoro, what we have to do is leave out our best players in the knock out stages so we can use them in the league"

"Cheers Ant's, you do know there is no international league right?"

"Shut up you out of alignment"

Has Hudson got any kids?

Brill

“Three of the four goals Croatia scored were through poor defending on our behalf rather than any good play on Croatia’s behalf,” Zoricich said.

My 7 year old would do a job. He knows his stuff. 

I'm waiting for Declan to get called up.

I know your trolling/joking but he could well be an improvement on the two currently in charge.

Was joking... but he does suit the style the current system is trying to establish.

As daft as it sounds, and as much ask am not a fan of his personality, he would be ideal. I bet you he is not #aligned though

News this morning is that current U-17 goalkeeper coach has had to step down from his position. He was informed before they traveled to Doha that he would be replaced. He was informed 24hours before U-17 training today that the new goalkeeper coach would be starting...great process!?

Since the new coaching staff took over the U-17 team that amended their training schedule which clashes with club training...however not school trainings which is a coincidence! 

I believe the outgoing GK coach actually helps Chris Zoro at St Kents with the 1st XI and teaches at the school. Even still a compromise was not reached.

No idea who the new goalkeeper coach is but that now a change in the whole technical coaching team for the U-17 5 months out from a FIFA World Cup.

#Alignment

The name Grant Schofield is doing the rounds to replace the Keeper coach, who was an original appointment prior to current coaching change

Yes hearing the same name...the outgoing GK coach was in place since middle of 2014 (cycle commended April 2014) & has worked with the group ever since.

Wait til you hear the starting eleven for tonight.

 ??

I must be a bit cynical but when I look at the U17 Squad I see a large number of players from certain Auckland & Waikato Clubs/Schools plus those hand-picked players from the South Island or elsewhere bought into the Phoenix Academy, but for example, no local players from the Central or Lower North Island Regions. 

I suppose the quote "out of sight, out of mind" springs to mind. Thinking back to the U17 Club Youth Tournament earlier this year, I note that in the Men's Division, that Napier City Rovers came 3rd overall, Cashmere Technical won the Bowl (beating 3 Kings) and Lower Hutt City won the Plate (beating Hamilton Wanderers). You can't tell me that their weren't players from Napier City Rovers, Lower Hutt City or Cashmere Technical that deserved at least a trial for U17's. Incidentally, I note that Hamilton Wanderers had 3 players named in the NZ U17 Squad yet they were beaten in the Plate Final by Lower Hutt City, a team with of course no players in NZ U17's.

I'm pretty sure Jose did a massive amount of talent scouting so they were probably looked at.

Players are always going to be missed... its the great ones that make sure they are not.

2ndBest will (probably) be in Chile at the time and he coaches keepers here.  It won't even cost them flights.

What?

whenever somebody with not many posts rambles on here about youth team selections, my first thought is always "parent of a kid who missed out" 

You are probably right. There is obviously far more depth in Youth Football in the Auckland Region and as the U17 Coaches as based in Auckland they get to view the players from that Region on a more regular basis. I had thought though, that as the Napier City Rovers team did so well in the U17 Tournament in Auckland that some of that team's players would have been considered for the national squad. (I am not from Napier so have no personal interest, just making an observation).

didn't the golden boot and player of tournamet come from ncr? So Scorpio you have a good point...

i meant scouting for his first squad for the quals campaign - from memory Jose was at the ACFC U17's and would have seen Napier but was sacked a couple of days later and Danny and Chris probably didn't see them - maybe a case of poor timing more than anything else.

A number of lads that Jose identified at the tournament were invited into training by the new coaches, who looked at them  as the weeks went on . From what I hear there are still some in the wider group training

I watched Napier and didn't see anyone that rocked my boat.

Five Ole players named in the NZ U17 training squad.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/69909103...

Interesting that new players have been added to the squad given that I heard the U17 extended squad had just been cut a couple of weeks ago.  Does anyone know the training squad size now ?

How to get the best quality U17 and U20 squads in/ and out of NZ?

After the National Secondary Schools Tournament - select the best player in each position (11) players, plus the best player from each satelite tournament 4/5 more players for a Secondary Schools Squad of 16,

Each Football Academy in NZ sends their best 2/3 U20 players to NZ Football for a NZ Academies team.

The best U20 players from each club are picked after a Napier style U20 Club tournament. NZ Club U20 team.

After the Ethnic/Community tournaments in Auckland and Wellington, the best U20 players new to NZ are selected in a UN NZ team.

The four teams then play each other in a tournamnet in Auckland in front of the U17 and U20 coaches and they pick from school, academy, club and new players to NZ the best domestic players they can find.

Add the overseas players to the mix and you have covered all of NZ, school, club and academies, all of the known players (RTC), and the players not in NTCs will have had a chance as well as off shore pros, semi pros and apprentices.(some of these do not make U20 - Taye, Baker, de Moro)

At the very least - each tournament should offer the Most Valuable Player an apprenticeship to further their pathway.

The NZ U17 team should tour England and play Academies like the Nike Chance Academy - plus all the established clubs, with trials in mind.

They should also tour Australia and try and get into A-League Youth teams.

Pathways for every player - from either club, school, academy and a good mix of talent and background in the U17 &U20 squads.

sounds expensive. 

Yes - expensive - bit of a best case scenario if all the times, dates and players aligned - no pun intended 

- the amount of organisation to get this done and getting all the stake holders in the NZ football community to buy into the concept - it would be huge. 

Would almost need to be a Stalinist State system - ie - do what the government tells you to do.

It is nice to dream. Joga bonito.

Are tin foil hats on special down south these days?

NZF is lazy for sure, but how many superstars do we think they are overlooking exactly? Even if what you say is true.

They are more likely to claim that any kid who gets picked is a product of their system (Marco for example) when not.

But they are unlikely to overlook a genuine talent and cut off their own noses to spite their faces.

Maybe this great conspiracy affects a few kids at the fringe of each team. Maybe.

This is definitely true. Both lack of will (lazy) and lack of cash.