How do those 2023 stats look if you remove the ARG game?
Playing the 5 time U20 WC tourney winners at home, something that 2015, 2017 or 2019 never had to do.
Bazeley could have done better, and looked like some of the players froze on such a big occasion (easily biggest game most of them would ever have played - and some will ever play) - but fudge some of those Argy goals were pure class. As someone else said their players really are different gravy.
I still give ourselves a shot against Colombia. We have played plenty of Latino teams recently, and we will start a stronger lineup. Bigger underdog I'd say against the Yankees.
Playing the 5 time U20 WC tourney winners at home, something that 2015, 2017 or 2019 never had to do.
Bazeley could have done better, and looked like some of the players froze on such a big occasion (easily biggest game most of them would ever have played - and some will ever play) - but fudge some of those Argy goals were pure class. As someone else said their players really are different gravy.
I still give ourselves a shot against Colombia. We have played plenty of Latino teams recently, and we will start a stronger lineup. Bigger underdog I'd say against the Yankees.
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These are how the stats look without the Argentina game. For fair comparison it only includes the two matches against the teams from Pots 3 and 4 in each group stage. In 2015 NZ were Pot 1 as hosts and have been Pot 2 in the ‘17, ‘19 and ‘23 tournaments. 2019 had two wins, the other three a win and a draw.
The possession in the Uzbekistan game (31%) is the lowest for NZ across all eight fixtures, but the Guatemala game was marginally the highest (58%). The net shots is still considerably lower even after taking away the Argentina mauling.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think the change in centre backs affected the result. Raj got a taster closing out against Guatemala, though it was Linder’s first run. If anything, Hughes and Kelly-Heald are probably quietly happy they were rested to avoid a similar fate. At the end of the day, those two are Central League players just as Raj is a Northern League player.