New Zealand Men's U-20s

Might just be a NZ-based squad

NZ #MensU20s starting XI: Speedy (GK), Messenger, Wynne, Dyer, Mitchell, Brotherton, Blake, Ridenton, Rufer, Lewis, Patterson

— New Zealand Football (@NZ_Football) May 3, 2015

NZ #MensU20s substitutes: Hirst (GK), Baker, de Jong, Bowkett, Taye, Perlevic, Edge, Hudson-Wihongi, Dimairo, Holthusen

— New Zealand Football (@NZ_Football) May 3, 2015

Goal to Lewis.

1-0.

Final score 3-2 to Australia after NZ led 2-1 at half time.

Reasonable performance although not sure whether a full strength aust team who failed to qualify

Aussies definitely a superior footballing side. NZ very physical and i wonder whether some of the tackles they put in last night will be allowed in the world cup

Lewis limped off with what looked to be a serious injury towards the end.

Good croud in for a friendly and stadium looks good..

Luka Prelevic: Port Melbourne Sharks. Played all second half (on for Monty Patterson).

But how can that be?  Surely we are aligned and playing the same passing beautiful game as the top All Whites squad or the U17s did when they won... oh, hang on.

We're four weeks out.  Alignment must be due.

What other ex-AWs with little to no coaching experience are available to take over from Bazely this week?  #aligned.

One Step Too Far..

I thought we were going all technically superior? WOF and all that. Or do these players pre-date that, and are old school big, physical players. That will take us far. Or not.

Looking at the names, technically this should be one of our better age groups.

Qatar 2-1 Ghana ht at North Harbour Stadium 

All goals in last 5 mins of half 

Qatar 2-4 Ghana ft

NZ's Multi year campaign build up to U20WC beaten by a scratch AUS team put together for this warm up doesn't bode well for our team.  How after playing a full ASB Premiership campaign and going on tours can we not beat a team pulled together in a couple of weeks? With to quote Hudson "Great Coaches" #Alignment?

Better players maybe?

Their qualifiers start in September for the AFC u-19 Finals next year. Less than five months away.

The AFC u-19 Finals are held every two years, so Asia's u-19 national sides play every single year - one year qualifiers, the next the finals.

The last qualifiers in 2013 consisted of nine groups of four or five teams with the games in each group played in a tournament in one country over up to nine days, with the nine group winners and the seven best runners-up going to the Finals the next year. 

Just going on the info in the Herald article (silly me)NZ Herald

"Ghana and Panama are part of the World Cup but are now arriving earlier than they otherwise would, while Australia is putting together a scratch team to send across the Tasman — Australia failed to qualify for the World Cup."

My point is with all the hype etc we are still playing long ball get stuck in Physical football and losing.  Unfortunately it seams to be that we think that the way to beat more technical teams is Brutality and this doesn't work when you have quality officials.  IMHO there will be a point where one of these boys does what they have been trained to do and will get sent.

I completely agree and it seems to be the way NZ teams play. In the past, we rely on physicality over technical play and we get punished. I think your last line is likely to happen and that will be the fault of the coaching staff. You only have to see the life threatening tackle that one of the Wanderers boys put on David Browne in one game to know what rogues and thugs they all are.

I should probably clarify my comment regarding the Under 20's tackling in the Aussie game. I don't think their tackles were brutal or dirty - they used a lot of slide tackles that were actually effective at winning the ball , but I doubt whether a number of the world cup officials would take kindly to players leaving their feet so often, and one mistimed tackle would see a yellow at best , red at worst.

All I'm saying is that they seam (from the outside looking in) to be encouraged to be physical over finding a footballing solution to their problem, if you look at the likes of WSW in the FIFA Club World cup they played their usual A league physical game and ended up with 9 men.

They also won the ACL, to be fair.

A lot of comments have been made about their style of play... but bar for Chubba was anyone else there?

I'm heading down to watch them play on the 10th at Waikato Stadium. I'll be keen to see if their style is as bad as suggested.

There seems to be an elevated expectations on the quality of the NZ team for this tournament.

The reality is that these boys will not be anywhere good enough to make an impact. Sure they might guts it out and snatch a point but in terms of skill, experiance etc they are light years away from most other sides. This team is a bunch of kids who are very raw. Tuiloma, is the exception but for the rest...its ASB or youth level overseas. Probably none of them would make the Nix starting eleven. It would be nice to think they could try and play some attractive football......but the gulf between them and most of their opposition will be huge. The traditional NZ methods of keeping it tight, getting numbers behind the ball and set pieces might be their best bet. Hometown advantage might inspire an upset result but when we meet quality teams we will really really struggle.

i think everyone should lower their expectations and just try and enjoy the football spectacle.....if the kiwi lads surprise us then great. But we should not burden them with any hope that they can play above the level that they are at.

But, but, but ... what about alignment?

Even Tuiloma is still very "raw".

Last heard of "playing regularly for reserves" - in Serie C, not B. 

see Jesse Edge thread in Kiwi players overseas.

I would be surprised if they can make it out of their group. They have a chance but it would still surprise me.

Just a word of warning. Was going to go to the NZ v Panama game at NHS tomorrow night 7 pm kick off.

Just noticed on NZF site that kick off is now at 1 pm.

Don't think they were going to tell anyone. 

It's real hard sometimes being a football follower in NZ - wouldn't have been the first time that I have turned up the wrong time /day for a match so I'm very careful to check any NZF scheduled fixtures these days !

press release went out this morning.

1 pm NZ time is 8pm Panama time. So nearly right. Just wrong country. And wrong day.

7pm probably a bit chilly for the Panama boys :)