Zoricich has looked quality since coming on, I hope the Nix can poach him. Would be a handy Elliot replacement if he goes, or a Mauragis replacement too since he can play LB and RB.
he's better off at the CCM. they're good at this and he's establishing himself in a good system
NZ drawn with PNG, American Samoa & Fiji. Solomons, Vanuatu, Tonga & Samoa the other pool
No New Caledonia or Tahiti. I guess for the Olympics they are considered part of France.
No quarters, straight to semis. I doubt Matt Garbett or Stamenic will play. But otherwise NZ squad close to full strength. Most of the U22 team that played China in March?
The tournament will take place across three venues in Auckland, The Trusts Arena, Go Media Stadium Mt Smart and North Harbour Stadium, from August 27 to September 9. The winner will qualify directly for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics next year.
It would be awesome if OFC were to take these games around the country to some of the regions that don't get any international football. I remember back in the day early 90s u17 playing at Park Island infront of decent crowd. Young Mark Viduka running around i think.
I'm sorry but why is it that every single time NZ hosts an OFC tournament, it's always in Auckland? They do know people watch and follow football in the rest of the country?
Probably the cheaper flights for the islandslthomas20
I'm sorry but why is it that every single time NZ hosts an OFC tournament, it's always in Auckland? They do know people watch and follow football in the rest of the country?
I'm sorry but why is it that every single time NZ hosts an OFC tournament, it's always in Auckland? They do know people watch and follow football in the rest of the country?
because Auckland is bigger than the next eleven cities combined, is the home of OFC, is much easier to access for OFC nations, and it's beneficial having them all in one spot to save on travel costs
Players I believe to be involved in the OFC qualifiers:
Aidan Carey (Auckland City) Will Stephen (Auckland United) Josh Redfearn (Auckland United) Andrew Cromb (Birkenhead) Jack Duncan (Birkenhead) Luis Toomey (Eastern Suburbs) Matt Ellis (Western Springs) Ryan Feutz (Western Suburbs)
Have it on reliable terms that a certain young Fulham midfielder may be involved as well - though I wouldn't hold my breath, conversations are very positive
edit: few more names - Adama Coulibaly (Western Springs), Dan Atkinson (Auckland United), Zac Zoricich (CCM) and Josh Galletly (Eastern Suburbs)
Players I believe to be involved in the OFC qualifiers:
Aidan Carey (Auckland City) Will Stephen (Auckland United) Josh Redfearn (Auckland United) Andrew Cromb (Birkenhead) Jack Duncan (Birkenhead) Luis Toomey (Eastern Suburbs) Matt Ellis (Western Springs) Ryan Feutz (Western Suburbs)
Have it on reliable terms that a certain young Fulham midfielder may be involved as well - though I wouldn't hold my breath, conversations are very positive
edit: few more names - Adama Coulibaly (Western Springs), Dan Atkinson (Auckland United), Zac Zoricich (CCM) and Josh Galletly (Eastern Suburbs)
Couple surprising names there in my opinion, though obviously the coaches get access to far more footage than will ever reach the public eye. Still, it would be a bit of an eye-opener.
Galletly hasn't played since being subbed off at half-time at the start of May, so if he's not been overseas trialling like he did last year then that would be a bit odd. Stephen hasn't played since start of June either; again, I don't know the context why. Carey only has 352 league minutes - Auckland City is a high level of course - but a guy like Rayan Tayeb has three times as many minutes.
I do like Josh Redfearn, I feel he's an underappreciated striker at Northern League level, only Patterson, Kilkolly and Tieku have more goals across the last three seasons. Adama would be a surprise, but I like him. He's played basically everywhere on the pitch this season, from midfield 8 or 6, leading a forward line, out wide, to even playing the full 90 at centre-back the other week. Haven't watched him, but Feutz bangs them in down there, and Toomey has a bit of hype, but I've only watched Suburbs once properly.
Do quietly hope the Phoenix guys are unavailable, I'd rather see the true Northern League ballers.
Players I believe to be involved in the OFC qualifiers:
Aidan Carey (Auckland City) Will Stephen (Auckland United) Josh Redfearn (Auckland United) Andrew Cromb (Birkenhead) Jack Duncan (Birkenhead) Luis Toomey (Eastern Suburbs) Matt Ellis (Western Springs) Ryan Feutz (Western Suburbs)
Have it on reliable terms that a certain young Fulham midfielder may be involved as well - though I wouldn't hold my breath, conversations are very positive
edit: few more names - Adama Coulibaly (Western Springs), Dan Atkinson (Auckland United), Zac Zoricich (CCM) and Josh Galletly (Eastern Suburbs)
Couple surprising names there in my opinion, though obviously the coaches get access to far more footage than will ever reach the public eye. Still, it would be a bit of an eye-opener.
Galletly hasn't played since being subbed off at half-time at the start of May, so if he's not been overseas trialling like he did last year then that would be a bit odd. Stephen hasn't played since start of June either; again, I don't know the context why. Carey only has 352 league minutes - Auckland City is a high level of course - but a guy like Rayan Tayeb has three times as many minutes.
I do like Josh Redfearn, I feel he's an underappreciated striker at Northern League level, only Patterson, Kilkolly and Tieku have more goals across the last three seasons. Adama would be a surprise, but I like him. He's played basically everywhere on the pitch this season, from midfield 8 or 6, leading a forward line, out wide, to even playing the full 90 at centre-back the other week. Haven't watched him, but Feutz bangs them in down there, and Toomey has a bit of hype, but I've only watched Suburbs once properly.
Do quietly hope the Phoenix guys are unavailable, I'd rather see the true Northern League ballers.
Brilliant insight, cheers mate. More NL-related players I believe to be in the squad - Liam Gillion, Corban Piper and Matt Conroy, as well as George Ott (correct YH!), Kaeden Atkins, and Nix duo Kaelin Nguyen and Fergus Gillion.
Think this is an extended squad, so woudln't be surprised to see some names drop out (hope Dibley-Dias isn't one of them as by all accounts he's now set on NZ). Cool that Corban Piper is making the trip over from Ireland to rep his country
Squad announced - got some of these very wrong, must have been a train-on squad and we didn't differentiate? Article says that Bazeley reserves the right to add players to the squad game-by-game, so guys like Coulibaly, Nguyen and Feutz must be among the pool. No MDD either (though he's now registered with the team on COMET). Apologies guys
Feel a lot better about this team. Some pros in there too, happy with the squad, very balanced with few surprises
🔒 SQUAD LOCKED 🔒
U-23 head coach Darren Bazeley has named his initial squad for the @OFCfootball Men’s Olympic Qualifier, kicking off in Auckland from 27 August.
So Surman, Paulsen, OVH & Kelly-Heald to miss the Nix's Australia Cup tie against Melb City. If so will leave the Nix very light.
NZ have PNG & Fiji in their pool. Two to go through to the semis, no quarterfinals. American Samoa pulled out.
No Conchie picked, which is the right decision, though by rights he could have been picked?? His ban only covering club football??
Dibley-Dias he has to stay in England, given he's now cracking match day EPL squads for Fulham. But great news if indeed he has chosen for NZ for his international football, in the short term at least! Be interesting to see if he's picked for the AWs in October.
So Surman, Paulsen, OVH & Kelly-Heald to miss the Nix's Australia Cup tie against Melb City. If so will leave the Nix very light.
NZ have PNG & Fiji in their pool. Two to go through to the semis, no quarterfinals. American Samoa pulled out.
No Conchie picked, which is the right decision, though by rights he could have been picked?? His ban only covering club football??
Dibley-Dias he has to stay in England, given he's now cracking match day EPL squads for Fulham. But great news if indeed he has chosen for NZ for his international football, in the short term at least! Be interesting to see if he's picked for the AWs in October.
Luckily, they won't necessarily miss it! This seems to be one of the few tournaments where chopping and changing the squad around is permitted. I'd expect the Nix and Bazeley to have had a chat about bringing Paulsen and Surman (at least) back for the game, if flights to and from Aussie aren't too hard to handle
It will be tricky. Australia Cup game with be sometime 26th-30th August from memory.
U23s play PNG August 28th & Fiji August 30th. With straight to semis no quarters U23s really can't afford to lose 1 pool game, to be 100% safe.
For the Nix, Duncan could slip in for Paulsen & Al-Taay was tried at RB against the Peninsula Power. Payne & Wootton to pair up as CBs. Bench will have to be a host of Weenix kids - those not in the U23s. Ben Wallace, Jackson Manuel, Rudland, Nguyen etc. Could someone like Francis de Vries be signed on a very short term deal to help out??
Good squad, and good luck to all. Bayliss looks an interesting pickup in all that - Excellent numbers in the NSW NPL, and now signed to the Jets in the A-League.
AussieScout over on twitter will be absolutely fuming!
Good squad, and good luck to all. Bayliss looks an interesting pickup in all that - Excellent numbers in the NSW NPL, and now signed to the Jets in the A-League.
AussieScout over on twitter will be absolutely fuming!
9 goals in 21 games, for a Central Coast II team who are only 12th of 16 teams on the ladder. Good numbers indeed in one of strongest NPL leagues in Aus. Hopefully he gets some A League mins in Newcastle this season.
Good squad, and good luck to all. Bayliss looks an interesting pickup in all that - Excellent numbers in the NSW NPL, and now signed to the Jets in the A-League.
AussieScout over on twitter will be absolutely fuming!
9 goals in 21 games, for a Central Coast II team who are only 12th of 16 teams on the ladder. Good numbers indeed in one of strongest NPL leagues in Aus. Hopefully he gets some A League mins in Newcastle this season.
10 assists too! One of the few NPL leagues that gets coverage and half decent stats out of it as well to be fair.
I vaguely recall some kerfuffle not too long ago about A-League sides wanting their second sides in the top tiers of their respective states NPL divisions and the established clubs essentially told them to shove it. 😂 Although there was probably more to it, but good on the other sides for telling them to bugger off and earn it essentially. Melbourne Victory - NPL VIC 3 Newcastle Jets - NPL NSW 3 Western United - NPL VIC 2 Melbourne City - NPL VIC 2 Just for reference by the way.
I think Victory have earnt promotion to NPL VIC 2 next season and the Bulls II will be relegated to NPL NSW 2.
