New Zealand Men's U-20s

How is Vale going in the states??

Has anyone watched him play recently, just because he's at a college on a scholarship doesn't mean he's better than what we have here locally.

All the arguements you used against selecting players in a pro environmnet work just as well for those in the states playing in the college system.

Unless we grab every player back there are all ways going to be questions. Lets jsut support the players there and hope that the have learnt from the drubbing Auzzie gave them.

The same Jordan Vale from Waitakere??

He must have improved cause last year he was not much chop

Nz is up 1 - 0 after 5 mins against Iraq. Not sure who the scorer is.

1 - 1 after 43 mins

2-2? Just before HT according to http://www.futbol24.com

2-2 half time.. 

Any result here will do the team a massive confidence boost... To qualify from Asia you generally have to be a pretty decent team.

I'm assuming Fenton took the penalty as he took them all during the qualifiers.

Iraq beat Australia 2 - 0 in qualifiers 

Interestingly Iraq has better odds than Australia to win at 80 - 1 opposed to 100 - 1.

NZ is 225 - 1, not the worst odds, with one team bigger outsiders than us plus another team is level with us.

4 - 2 Iraq after 54mins

4 - 3  after 69mins

5 - 3 Iraq pen 71mins

10 goals conceeded in two games...

Not looking good at the back

5 - 3 final score.

Atleast we scored this time : )

Onwards and upwards

anyone know who scored?

...or whether we rang the changes at the half which impacted the game?

Can't find any reports which list NZ scorers details for the match, only Iraq.

Interestingly, Iraq have been in a training camp in Uzbekistan where they played our other group rivals and Uruguay too. To me, if Iraq can run rampant against us, all these results indicate a large gulf between us and the other sides.

IRAQ U-20 RECENT GAMES:

Friendly 25 May 2013 Iraq 1 - 0 Uzbekistan   Tashkent [show

Friendly 27 May 2013 Iraq 0 - 2 Uzbekistan  Tashkent [show] 

Friendly 29 May 2013 Iraq 3 - 1 Bunyodkor (U-20)  Tashkent  

Friendly 31 May 2013 Iraq 4 - 0 Istiqlol Tashkent   Tashkent 

Friendly 2 June 2013 Iraq 4 - 1 Bunyodkor (U-20)  Tashkent 

Friendly 10 June 2013 Iraq 0 - 0 Uruguay            Antalya [show] 
Friendly 13 June 2013 Iraq 5 - 3 New Zealand    Antalya 

 Mahdi Kamil  33'
Ammar Al-Asadi  41',  51'
Mustafa Nadhim  49'
Farhan Shukor  70' (p.k.)

OTHER FRIENDLIES RELATING TO OUR GROUP:

http://www.worldfootball.net/wettbewerb/u-20-h-freundschaft/

(Best place for recent u-20 friendly results)

13/06/2013 16:00 Uruguay - El Salvador 1:0 

12/06/2013 19:00 Spain - Uzbekistan 3:2

10/06/2013 16:00 Uruguay - Iraq 0:0 

10/06/2013 19:00 Chile - Uzbekistan 2:2

I used to watch him playing for MAGS. Lots of tricks but not exactly a team player, rather seemed to think himself better than he was.

So from Big Pete's post about Iraq build-up games, and likewise Aussie having games v top Euro sides before thumping us last week, does anyone at NZF think we need more build up for a World Cup? Based on what I've seen we are in danger of being smashed (which would not be good for our reputation). With 2015 U20 WC here, I hope we have a far different build up planned.

We didn't get smashed last time with a similar warm up.

Granted, but do you think this has been an optimum warm-up?

Open to debate !!!

So, does anyone think this has been an adequate lead in to a World Cup?

Hamish Watson and Luke adams and Louis Fenton (Pen)

Y there no money? I thought that once they qualify FIFA gives them a whole heap of money?

Fifa pay for 8 staff and team accommodation for the World Cup.

Build up is covered by NZ football hence why NZ have six staff ( couldnt afford to carry extra staff in build up) Aussie have 10 staff going

Vs Australia - FFA picked up the bill

Vs Iraq & Egypt - NZ football

World Cup - fifa

2011 they went to Suwon cup played Uruguay, South Korea and Nigeria then travelled to USA and played a few PDL clubs.. Then hit Colombia ready to go.

Yeah, a very limp build-up for our boys even by NZ Football's usual standards - as Boganville says, a little more extensive last time before Colombia.

Report on this morning's game now up on the NZ Football website: http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=11&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2379&tx_ttnews[backPid]=10&cHash=163b19a242

Disappointingly no line-up details and pretty sketchy. Uruguay got kicked out after trying to spy:

"The Junior All Whites started strongly and Team Wellington striker Hamish Watson gave New Zealand an early lead after 3 minutes before Iraq hit back half an hour later to level the scores. The Asian side took the lead in first half injury time before skipper Luke Adams replied for New Zealand to send the teams level at half time.

The second half started with some unwanted off field distractions for Junior All Whites in the form of their Group F rivals Uruguay who dropped into the Mardan Sports Complex for their scheduled training session and took in some of the match from the stands before being asked to leave the stadium.

On the pitch Iraq scored two goals in three minutes to take a 4-2 lead before the Junior All Whites hit back on the 68th minute through a penalty from Louis Fenton. Two minutes later Iraq restored their two goal advantage and the game finished 5-3 to Iraq.

Goalkeeper Max Crocombe, combative midfielder Rhys Jordan and All Whites utility Tim Payne joined the squad from England on the day of the match and all featured in the loss, but the bigger picture is that Milicich can now prepare for the FIFA U-20 World Cup with his full squad."

Our next friendly opponents Egypt have played about five games in the last four weeks, including a few in Spain.

In the Valais Youth Cup in Switzerland, they lost narrowly to Brazil u-20 in the semi on Wednesday and squeeze in another match against Kosovo tomorrow in the third/ fourth play-off before playing the Junior All Whites Monday in Turkey

Some match reviews and videos:

http://www.kingfut.com/2013/06/03/video-egypt-held-by-romania-in-u20-world-cup-warm-up/

http://www.kingfut.com/2013/06/05/video-koka-nets-wonder-goal-as-montenegro-down-young-pharaohs/

http://www.kingfut.com/2013/06/12/video-egypt-lose-to-brazil-in-u-20-world-cup-warm-up/

Star players include Rio Ave (Portugal) first team striker Ahmed ‘Koka’ Hassan (eight goals in his first season in Portugal's top flight):

 http://www.kingfut.com/2013/06/12/player-profile-ahmed-hassan-koka/

and PSV Eindhoven’s Egyptian-Danish attacking midfielder Alexander Jakobsen (also known as Amir Adel) who grew up in Denmark and played youth football at FC Copenhagen.

URUGUAY'S RECENT FRIENDLIES:

You'll find the best coverage of the 20s build up on In The Zone - we sent a reporter to the game in Aus, and he gave us great insight!

Click the PODCAST link at the top of this page.

*disclaimer: massive exaggeration, but the pod is still well worth a listen, and we actually did have a "man" at the game in Aus.

10/06/13 : Uruguay 0 Iraq 0 

 Doesn't sound too threatening considering 3 days later we were 2 - 2 with Iraq at halftime. How come Betancourt, Lopez, Rolan & Co. couldn't put one in the Iraq net when we were able to put 3? Even if we conceded 5.

Don't stop believin'.

Yeah who gives a fuck about their stars.We can beat anyone on our day & I back the team to give it 100% regardless of the opposition.

Kiwi football   FTW

Awesome.Not much the team can do about the build up to the tournament so they will just have to play their best match by match.Sure it looks like they are on a hiding to nothing but fuckin hell mate, all we can do is support them... now.I hope they do show improvement in the Egypt game but don't give me shit because I want them to do well anyway