New Zealand Men's U-17s

Is Ollie still playing football? Last i heard he was at Miramar.

He is two-footed because he trained both of them and it is the same with his passing and play-making. NZ football needs to get over this idea that we're "missing out" on athletes. Football skills are learned and work ethic is also a skill that can be learned, our football community is just terrible at teaching them.

Agreed to some extent.

The reality is though, some kids are more natural athletes than others and have an advantage from day 1. Doesn't mean they take advantage of it, but it is there.

Counterpoint - Messi is a pretty poor athlete, especially compared to Ronaldo. 

NZ also has a lot of athletic footballers that are just not very good, so they are there, they were probably just not coached well.

The relationship between a player's 'athleticism' and being a 'good footballer' is distant, at best.

These days you need smart players, smartness always beats physical. In case of Ronaldo, I just read why he scores so many goals. The reason is that he shots more on target because he is smart enough to get into the right positions with the highest chances to score and he has the players to assist him.

Yes you need smarts / game awareness, but name me 10 professional footballers who are not also athletes and I'll name you 100 that are.

Would Michael Owen been half the player he was if he wasn't quick, would Cannavaro made it as CB at 5:10 if he didn't have a great leap... probably not, or at the very minimum, he would not have been as successful.

It's why you see so many players struggle to make it back after bad injuries, its not that their game smart and awareness has suddenly deserted them, its that their bodies can no longer compete / withstand the pressures of a professional game.

But is their athleticism natural and unusual, or is it the result of years of playing a lot of football and then doing a lot of work in the gym? Do you see them as athletic simply because they are an athlete?

I think there is always some genetics at play, but work has a lot to do with it. If I work hard on my core, quad, calf, and hamstring strength then I should be able to jump higher and run faster. So am I more athletic now? If I put on 20kg of fat am I less athletic?

By that logic if a 17 yr youngster who has barely stepped into a gym is excelling against mature guys in their twenties, pure freakish athletic ability must have a lot to do with it. 

Some guys also develop game awareness/smarts at a very young age.

I've no doubt Beaudy Barrett, would have been a very very handy footballer, and in many countries that would have been his game of choice growing up.

How likely is it that boys will withdraw from squad if West's win their semi?

A few on the standby list will be hoping for a favourable result no doubt.

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New Zealand Football✔@NZ_Football

NEWS | The New Zealand squad aiming to qualify for the #FIFAU17WC at the #OFCU16M has been confirmed, congrats to all selected and good luck in the Solomon Islands! Full story https://bit.ly/2PX6zCy

10:08 AM - Sep 3, 2018

                                                   ________________________________________________________________

The three Wests players named will be allowed to play in the Chatham Cup Final on Sunday before flying out to Honiara to join the NZ side:

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/10...

Does anyone know why this squad has 20 when the recent 20's had 18 for the qualifiers? 

Because 3 x Western Suburbs players in the original 18 selection are wanting to play in Chatham Cup final which is same day as 1st pool game.

All are midfielders so can't just go without replacing them as not enough cover. NZFootball typically budget for 18 players for these, but allowed 20 under tournament rules.

Western Suburbs came to an agreement with NZ football to pay for 2 flights if the boys could join the team on the 10th.

There was an article about it a few days after the semi.

It looks like if you haven't played for Jose, Temple, Hay or Zorro you don't get in.

Or, perhaps they didn't impress at the camps?

The reality is the best players are getting recruited - same thing happens with Rugby, how many school boys outside the top 8 make the NZ squad??

Looking forward to seeing the style of play they try to implement.

Did the young fella who played for the NIX in the pre season game not make the squad?

Do young for the u20's, but too old for the u17's?

Ben Waine is too old for this squad- need to be born after Jan 1 2002. Was not selected for last edition, presumably because others were considered better.

Has not be selected for U20s to date, but is still eligible for both 2019 and 2012 editions I believe.

OFC 2018 u-16 matches are being streamed.

Full list: https://mycujoo.tv/video/ofc-football?id=24500

NZ vs Vanuatu, Sun, Sep 9, 2018 11:00 AM

NZ vs Solomon Is, Wed, Sep 12, 2018 4:00 PM

NZ vs PNG, Sat, Sep 15, 2018 11:00 AM

Kickoff at 11

I see they won 8-0

Live stream failed on day 1 - nothing for the first game and 2 hours of black screen for the second. I guess that's progress.

Technical problems yesterday

Highlights are at

http://bit.ly/2NXwZ5H

Verney 2, Hamilton 2, Van Hattum 2, Wilson 1 (I think), Lee 1

Van Hattum also hit woodwork.

Assists van Hattum 4, Hamilton 1, Verney 1, Drake fouled for a pen and other goal came from 25 m free kick.

Lads played very well, 

Paulsen only had to make 2 serious saves; a long range effort tipped over and a 1v1 good save with feet/body

Live stream link for Wednesday's game v Solomon Islands. Kick off 4:00pm NZ time

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/ofcu16m-live-strea...

Hopefully technical issues sorted this time.

Nice.

The 2010 world cup gave NZ football a boost, and this bunch of kids would have been about 8 at the time. Hoping this group, and the next 4-5 years will bring some decent talent to light.

Can't say much from the highlights package - OFC presumably have the whole game recorded - they could put it online.

Dismal dispirited defence by Vanuatu.

All the same, #9 Hamilton looked like he might have a clue or two. Van Hattum featured, and nice to see Joseph Lee make the most of his time on the pitch.

Solomon Islands should be much stronger; Le'ai one to watch. Presumably the Wests' boys will be with the squad now too.

Down 1-0 25 minutes in, could have been 2-0 but Solomon Islands had a goal disallowed

2-0 down at half time

HT 2-0 down and to be honest it could have been 3 or 4 to Solomon Islands.

NZ are getting caught out constantly with only having their two centre-halves and DCM in their own half of the pitch. Everyone else appears to be on half-way waiting for the long ball which they have failed to win or retain when it has come.

The space is there to play it through the midfield but the players aren't moving in to it at all.

Looks like poor preparation or coaching

But apparently these guys are full-time footballers, the islanders are just more clinical and very disruptive in the middle they even look more talented. They're playing with the confidence and style of a latino team. We look very one dimensional, at this rate we'll be lucky to salvage a draw.

87th minute, it's five fudgeing nil

Wish I was making this up

and thats 5 nil

Great crowd. 

A few shorties in that Solomons team, one of them looks about the height of a short 10 year old!

Solomon Islands look bloomin' awesome. Way more skillful than us, beautiful quick passing at times, back heels, dribbling through us, but clearly well organised as well. A few of them could work on their finishing though. Just gone 4-0, and should be way more.

Embarrassing.  

it's a trumping.

Never been a fan of Jose.

Wish better for the boys

If we lost to Brazil by this amount I'd still be bitterly disappointed

But the fudgeing Solomons?

How did your stream get ahead of mine ! I read that before seeing it! No spoilers haha.

DVDA.

This is a huge reality check, we might not even make it to the semis which means bye bye FIFA U17 World Cup. I always knew these island teams will pull one on us like this with the stagnant way our teams play. They were at a different level, it was like we were playing a latin american team. Credit to Solomon Islands, we need these teams to step up in quality to keep our development honest.

Total mauling. It was literally like watching Brazil! Apart from our keeper and captain, the rest couldn't keep the ball under control and they just played around us doing all the party tricks. I was thinking maybe it was the heat but even the commentaor said it was cool this afternoon (well for them) :)