New Zealand U-23s - Quali Whites

Olympic draw about to begin apparently, hopefully we get a good draw

EDIT - Already been said. I second it
N-Bomb2012-04-24 22:01:25

The Draw starting for London2012 in a couple of minutes can't find a stream, following it here http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2012/apr/24/london-2012-olympic-football-draw-live?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter and on twitter

hope we get group two and mexico...

Wimmen up first

pipped you to it found a stream here http://atdhenet.tv/39089/watch-bbc-2

Ronaldo got fat

Group c: brazil, belarus, New Zealand and Egypt

We play Belarus first
George Costanza2012-04-24 22:35:35

Farken Brazil...

Both NZ teams got Brazil.  

You would have to be pleased with that draw

anyone found anywhere showing where and when the games will be?  they have announced the GB game venues and dates, so assume someone knows all of them

http://www.fifa.com/mm//Photo/Tournament/Competition/01/60/68/90/1606890_FULL-LND.jpg

Thats probably the closets thing you'll get at the moment..

No games at the Olympic Stadium?

When's the last time that happened?

we were C3 I believe.. So.. Coventry and Glasgow.Azevo2012-04-24 23:17:11

Think I'll make the trip to Coventry after work for the Belarus game. Out of country for the weekend and Wednesday afternoon in Newcastle simply not possible.

Then I'll see them again at the final at Wembley.

Oh I thought we were C4...

Blimey, gonna try and find out haha.

Azevo is having a debacle.

July 26, v. Belarus, Coventry, 1945 - Jul 27 @ 6.45am NZ Scousekiwi2012-04-24 23:27:03

GROUP A
Team GB Senegal UAE Uruguay

July 26 5pm    UAE vs Uruguay Old Trafford Manchester
July 26 7.45pm Team GB vs Senegal Old Trafford Manchester
July 29 5pm    Senegal vs Uruguay Wembley Stadium London
July 29 7.45pm Team GB vs UAE Wembley Stadium London
August 1 7.45pm Senegal vs UAE Coventry Stadium Coventry
August 1 7.45pm Team GB vs Uruguay Millennium Stadium Cardiff

GROUP B
Mexico Korea Rep Gabon Switzerland

July 26 2.30pm Mexico vs Korea Republic St James' Park Newcastle
July 26 5.15pm Gabon vs Switzerland St James' Park Newcastle
July 29 2:30pm Mexico vs Gabon City of Coventry Stadium Coventry
July 29 5:15pm Korea Republic vs Switzerland City of Coventry Stadium Coventry
August 1 5pm Mexico vs Switzerland Millennium Stadium Cardiff
August 1 5pm Korea Republic vs Gabon Wembley Stadium
London

GROUP C
Brazil Egypt Belarus New Zealand

July 26 7.45pm Belarus vs New Zealand City of Coventry Stadium Coventry
July 26 7.45pm Brazil vs Egypt Millennium Stadium Cardiff
July 29 12pm Brazil vs Belarus Old Trafford Manchester
July 29 2.45pm Egypt vs New Zealand      Old Trafford Manchester
August 1 2.30pm Brazil vs New Zealand St James' Park Newcastle
August 1 2.30pm Egypt vs Belarus Hampden Park Glasgow

GROUP D
Spain Japan Honduras Morocco

July 26 12pm Spain vs Japan Hampden Park Glasgow
July 26 2.45pm Honduras vs Morocco Hampden Park Glasgow
July 29 5pm Spain vs Honduras St James' Park Newcastle
July 29 7.45pm Japan vs Morocco St James' Park Newcastle
August 1 5pm Japan vs Honduras City of Coventry Stadium Coventry
August 1 5pm Spain vs Morocco Old Trafford Manchester

QUARTER-FINALS
August 4
12pm
Winner Group D vs
Runner-up Group C     Old Trafford
Manchester
August 4
2.30pm
Winner Group B vs
Runner-up Group A
Wembley Stadium
London
August 4
5pm
Winner Group C vs
Runner-up Group D
St James' Park
Newcastle
August 4
7.30pm
Winner Group A vs
Runner-up Group B
Millennium Stadium
Cardiff

SEMI-FINALS
August 7
5pm
Winner QF2 vs Winner QF1
Old Trafford
Manchester
August 7
7.45pm
Winner QF4 vs Winner QF3
Wembley Stadium
London

THIRD-PLACE PLAYOFF
August 10
7.45pm
Loser SF2 vs Loser SF1
Millennium Stadium
Cardiff

FINAL
August 11
3pm
Winner SF2 vs Winner SF1
Wembley Stadium
LondonLJ19822012-04-25 00:01:47

Hmm seems unlikely I'll be able to make any post-group games either due to travel. Apart from the final.

So, who is keen for a trip to Coventry? I hear it's lovely at that time of year.

Brazil Ouch

If NZ make the quarters they would have to play Spain!  Womens draw in football ferns thread. 

Team selection for the U23's is going to be interesting.

We appear to have really good strength up top and in the back and not much through the middle. It will be interesting to see how we line up to acount for this, if we play a 4-3-3 or perhaps reshuffle and play some sttacking forwards deeper, for example put Kosta on as a LM and not a striker.

if we go for a 4 - 3 - 3 i'd like to see the following

                                Gleeson

L. Graham           Nelsen - Reid          Hogg

                        Smith and Keat (if selected)

                                Marcos

any ideas when they are going to name the squad?

June 15 IIRC.

Greg Draper seemed like our OFC version of Chris Wood, but he was given the captaincy armband at one stage which does suggest he is favoured by the coaches.

Is Touchme's team a joke?
He wants to play Smith and Keat in the Midfield?

Some of the overage player chat has been mental. I think touchme even mentioned Henderson a while back. You take the 3 best players available surely - we want results!! How you can justify Keat and henderson when they have barely had a gig at all whites level is crazy. The Olympics is not a training game. In fact I don't even agree with your justification they are ''the central midfield pairing of the future for the all whites''. How can you possibly make that judgement? They have been in about 1 All Whites squad each.

I may be in a minority here but I think we can get a couple of results here...and people want to throw that away by having it as a stage for development. The rest of the squad is aged under23, surely that is development enough. At least Emblen has got it right - wants Nelsen, reid and Smeltz. No brainer!

Who is L Graham?

I don't think its as simple as taking your 3 best overage players - you have to look at the weaknesses in the squad (which in this case is clearly centre mid) and look to address them. There's no point in taking overage players who are going to force the best u23s from the team. Nelsen makes sense because of his leadership and experience, but why take Smeltz when we have plenty of quality attacking options in our u23s already but no decent centre mid?

Also I don't think you're in a minority for thinking when can get a couple of results - I think everyone here thinks we have at least a chance of making the playoffs by beating Egypt and Belarus

i agree that this is no time for 'development'.  an under 23 tournament by nature is already a development tournament.  the over age players should be the best three players available, with a hint of team requirement thrown in.

so if we end up having to change formation to accommodate our strengths, so be it

i wouldn't be surprised to be a lot of the preparation work done so far, with the qualifying squad, thrown out the window

i also wouldn't be surprised if we saw a back 3 deployed - it would get our 3 best defenders all playing in their most effective positions - reid, nelsen and smith
reg222012-04-27 07:44:52

This story from the main page has a quote from Emblen saying exactly that. Who would be the wingbacks then though, Kosta and Rojas?

Based on 3 at the back:

Anyone know the best way to get tickets?

Might be worth contact NZF to see if they get an allocation to the games.

NZ Olympic Team posted this on their facebook page.

regarding tickets get in touch with Jonathan at Cartan Global [email protected] he will be able to give you info on cost and how to apply.

"Musa who does nothing wrong" cannot agree less with this comment, one of the most overrated players in NZ football

Wonder if Smeltz's Snoz will preclude involvement in Olympics?

interesting that emblen talks about a back three and a front four!  leaving a midfield three????
3-3-4
pretty bold

Maybe like a diamond at the front so perhaps 1-2-1-2-4 could work like this:
wood
smeltz - Kosta
Rojas
Two holding/defensive midfielders
then our 4 backs reid, nelsen and smith plus one?

or the diamond with 3 at the back two wing backs operating behind the diamond and one defensive midfielder behind Rojas?

Nope, he's said on twitter that he's looking to play in the May all whites games.