New Zealand Men's U-20s

Now 4-1 Fiji approaching HT!

Worringly the pitch now looks awful. Big ripped up patches, and just as I started to view, a Vanuatu player seems to have caught his sprigs in the turf and injured himself badly.

Given up watching as my FIFA+ link ain't working well, but why schedule these tourneys in a football backwater like Samoa, all the games on one pitch. You are putting players safety at risk.

5-1, pitch looks awful!

Bad news is I just heard, they also have extra basically meaningless games for 7th-8th & 5th-6th spots before the semis.

So if they are on the same pitch, and it rains more the ground gets even worse.

Fiji now on 6 pts (GD +3). 
Solomons (6 pts, GD +4) verus Tahiti (3 pts, GD -1) this afternoon final game in Pool A. Solomons need a draw to finish top of the pool and avoid NZ in the semis.
Tahiti the tough job of needing to win by a 5 goal margin to make the semis

Remembering both winning semi finalists qualify for U20 WC, so eveyone wants to avoid NZ in the semis.

coochiee

Bad news is I just heard, they also have extra basically meaningless games for 7th-8th & 5th-6th spots before the semis.

So if they are on the same pitch, and it rains more the ground gets even worse.

Fiji now on 6 pts (GD +3). 
Solomons (6 pts, GD +4) verus Tahiti (3 pts, GD -1) this afternoon final game in Pool A. Solomons need a draw to finish top of the pool and avoid NZ in the semis.
Tahiti the tough job of needing to win by a 5 goal margin to make the semis

Remembering both winning semi finalists qualify for U20 WC, so eveyone wants to avoid NZ in the semis.

Tahiti only need to win by 3 goals as they'll cut down the GD of Solomons.

Solomons win or draw - we play Fiji
Tahiti win by 1 or 2 goals - we play Solomons
Tahiti win by 3-5 goals - we play Tahiti
Tahiti win by 6+ goals - we play Fiji

Still very much up for contest - 0-0 at half time between Solos and Tahiti. Looks to be quite an even game but Tahiti have missed some very good opportunities. Game could become very open if Tahiti open the scoring

Solomons win 1-0.
https://www.oceaniafootball.com/solomon-islands-confirm-spot-in-semi-finals-with-narrow-victory/

So NZ will play Fiji in their semi

NZ v PNG final pool game. Quite a few changes. But looking like a slaughter 5-0 up after 30 mins.

https://www.plus.fifa.com/en/player/3814f730-c5ff-4438-8009-9b7184f1793a?catalogId=9d8c2aad-49ed-4659-91c5-fa777f431b0d&entryPoint=CTA

TEAM NEWS | Here are the confirmed line-ups for today's opening match in Group B as Papua New Guinea take on New Zealand.

Watch all the action LIVE and FREE on FIFA+https://t.co/YKynESN1im#U19M pic.twitter.com/EVdy7fhOVC

— Oceania Football Confederation (@OFCfootball) July 11, 2024

Anyone else a little worried how lackadaisical we look? Obviously we're smashing em, but in front of goal it looks like our guys are just messing about and having fun. Hope it doesn't carry through to the knockouts where an upset is still a possibility

mrsmiis

Anyone else a little worried how lackadaisical we look? Obviously we're smashing em, but in front of goal it looks like our guys are just messing about and having fun. Hope it doesn't carry through to the knockouts where an upset is still a possibility

5-0 up after 30 mins, the game is a bit meaningless, with NZ already through to play Fiji in the semis. 

It's hot, you want to conserve energy, and avoid injury. The semi is high stakes (though yes NZ will likely win easy), as the winner goes to the World Cup, the loser not.

It's all about the semi, with this game rather pointless apart from giving the wider squad all a run around.

Edit - now 9-0 at at 77 mins.

mrsmiis

Anyone else a little worried how lackadaisical we look? Obviously we're smashing em, but in front of goal it looks like our guys are just messing about and having fun. Hope it doesn't carry through to the knockouts where an upset is still a possibility

Not really. It's hot, there's been a few changes and it was pretty much job done at 3-0. For the most part we've been good at what we do, a few bits of sloppy play here and there, but nothing I would be too alarmed about.

More disappointed by how terrible PNG are to be honest, they've easily been the worst side in the Championship this year. They've basically given up - No structure, no outlet and no real game plan. They haven't even really got into the contest on a physical level either which is odd to say about an OFC side. 😅

Totally fair - these conditions look a significant step up in difficulty from even the OFC NC in Vanuatu. Two water breaks within five minutes about 20 minutes ago lol

Just hope Greenacre’s got the squad prepared for a significant step up in talent in the knockouts

Finished as a 10-0 walkover.
Semi verus us Fiji is 2pm NZT on Monday

https://twitter.com/OFCfootball/status/1811567158540882047

Proud moment for Tze Xuan Loke's family, and Green Island FC. He wore the captain's armband.

Might be in line for the Nix senior this season, if Sutton leaves (which I wouldn't rule out). I understand Loke can play left & right. Was on the right today.

Tough luck for hosts Samoa who lose 1-2 to New Caledonia, and so miss out on the semis.

NC will play Group A winners Solomons
NZ verus Fiji in the other semi.

https://www.oceaniafootball.com/new-caledonia-advance-to-semi-finals-after-tight-win-over-samoa/

Semi verus Fiji 12pm NZT tomorrow.
https://www.plus.fifa.com/en/content/b1-v-a2-semi-finals-ofc-u-19-men-s-championship-2024/946b78c4-926f-4b10-99d8-9d0b5d519f59

50 mins in, and Solomons lead New Caledonia 2-1 in the first semi final. 
High stakes with the winner going to the U20 WC.

Edit - Solomons keeper had started to look very shaky for 10 mins or so, and late on at 87 mins he cost them the equaliser, failing to deal with a hopeful free kick hoofed forward by NC's GK.

Both sides love to nudge the ball past their marker, and try regather, ie passing to oneself. A Futsal/beach soccer thing?

NC win it in extra time. Winner at 117 mins, this time from a long throw into the box.
Joy for them and a country in a bit of a mess at the moment. Into the final, but most importantly off to next year's U20 WC in Chile.

Devastion for the Solomons boys, who looked to be cruising most of the 2nd half in NT, and had good chances to get a 3rd when up 2-1, and kill off the game. 

Pitch is very bumpy now.

Nix with 4 starters - Kelly-Heald, Karunaratne, Watson & Gillion.

Here’s how we start in the semi-final of the OFC Men's U-19 Championship against Fiji 🇳🇿 🇫🇯

▶️ Stream live and free from 2pm NZT at https://t.co/MXzuS4Yzvl#U19MC pic.twitter.com/Ng1brCtQIx

— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) July 15, 2024

L and A Kelly-heald standing head and shoulders above the rest!!!

0-0 after 24 mins, Fiji proving tough to break down and even giving our defence a little bit of work to do. 

Yipe Fiji much better organised than any team NZ have played so far.

Only team we haven't scored against by this point throughout the tournament.

Game really needs a goal to open it up.

Fiji looking really good, easily the best we've played so far. Getting kicked to shark and not getting any favours from the referee at all, which isn't helping, but we're certainly sloppy

ball retention again the issue with the very good chance missed by Fiji, good save by Kelly-heald.

theprof

ball retention again the issue with the very good chance missed by Fiji, good save by Kelly-heald.

You feel that was Fiji's moment. Big missed opportunity for them.

The pitch is really a cow paddock down both flanks. Divots everywhere, ball bouncing around. Typical OFC shark show.

Still credit to Fiji, and Greenacre ain't happy.

Doesn't sound like any of the coaches are happy - both sides giving the lads and the ref a bollocking almost constantly.

Some interesting calls by the ref in the last few mintues of the half.

Field is terrible, but I also think we are being a little gun shy with some of our passing. Not looking to play in the runs behind etc, just a lot of recycling around the backline.

Banggg! That's a relief

Ryan Watson scores to give NZ lead

That's a poor penalty call - his arm was tucked into his body - not out at all.

Terrible call!

Justice delivered! Important save by Kelly-Heald.

Glad he missed - but not a huge fan of the NZ players running up to him and giving him a serve.

Kelly-Heald saves a poor penalty

Oi Oi Edgecumbe

Kelly-Heald saves a poor penalty

Lucky for NZ. Penalty taker Singh plays for Onehunga. Relation?

Been a bit of ugly verbal baiting of the Fijian players by some of the NZ team. Incl Singh after his missed pen. Hate to see that shark, even if it is a high stakes match. Greenacre influence? He seems to love a foul mouthed spray

Lucky offside call for us.

Keeper didn't try to save the shot - whistle had gone, but it would have taken some stopping. 

Really need a second to put this game to rest.

MetalLegNZ

Glad he missed - but not a huge fan of the NZ players running up to him and giving him a serve.

Some of the Samoan players deserved more than a serve from us tbf, but not sure the Fijian guys have done anything wrong. If we're the instigators here, I'm really disappointed

Now Fiji have a goal disallowed for a close offside.

How is that not a red card?

Pint sized ref struggling now to keep things under control

Fiji are really up for this! The lack of control from the ref is likely to see some sort of explosion. I feel the noise/pressure from both sets of coaches isnt helping the players on the field to keep their heads.

Fiji banging on the door