New Zealand U-23s - Quali Whites

Also, along with what Pete mentioned above can someone explain to me why NZF would plan something like this?  It's just bizarre, how is this any sort of sensible preparation.  Perhaps that can be added to the review of the solomons debacle

 

“I look at the young guys and what they were asked to go through with the lack of preparation, the travel [they went to Tokyo, Seoul, London and Austria and back to London in the two weeks preceding the Olympics], it was an extremely difficult task to play against top opposition like Belarus.

A few of the guys are getting noticed by media/football supporters here in Europe. A French football media site said NZ played the first half with commendable skill and Rojas was "tres impressionant". Rojas also got a favourable comment on a English site.

Nice post from a bunch of Ipswich supporters who went on mass to support Tommy Smith. They liked the look of Hogg...suggested the Ipswich coach should take a look at him. Tommy's Mum and Dad drove down to watch their boy....got caught in traffic and only arrived in injury time.

If Rojas has  good games against Egypt and Brazil he might just get a call from a bigger club. There is certainly plenty of scouts at the Olympic football.

Big rap for the way the lads played againstt Belarus. Its very early days yet and it will take time to get it right but these kids will really trouble teams in the not to distant future. Its just a shame they appear to have been handicapped by an insufficient buildup programme.

The most encouraging thing I saw at the game, especially in the 1st half, was how all of our players treasured the ball.  There was a number of times when guys had possession around the half way line in tight spots and watching it you just waited for it to be lumped into the corner.  Players had the desire to try and go back or try to find a team mate, showing an intelligence and a desire to play football that I have never really seen from an international NZ team.  We didn't have much cutting edge, but if we keep playing that positive football that aspect will develop.

Obviously the next two games will be tougher (Belarus were pretty poor) but it was extremely positive.

I think you are getting carried away about how good we were. You must have been drunk.

Im Manc at the moment getting the locals on side

Looks to me like they got the teams the wrong way round on at least some of those. No way did Belarus have twice as much time on the ball as us. Maybe whoever was inputting the data made an error?

FIFA statistics don't show the possession time, but are pretty similar to the Olympic site stats:

http://www.fifa.com/mensolympic/matches/round=256009/match=300197678/statistics.html

I guess as much as we moved the ball around we didn't necessarily shoot often, so those parts of the stats seem like they could be right. The corners count is weird though- how could 2 different numbers crop up there? I mean, what constitutes a shot could be debated, but a corner is either awarded or not

 

Looking only at the second half you had to wonder why Belarus' scoreline was so low.

It's a bitch conceding on the stroke of HT but I didn't think we were considered the underdogs going into this game, sure felt like it by the 60-70 mark.

 

But you could argue that part of the reason for that poor 2nd half is conceding that goal and then chasing the game which changed our approach, at least mentally if not tactically too. I still think that on the balance of the whole game we should have at least got a point.

Positive comments on the NZ performance v Belarus posted above by many fans backed by Ryan in the same interview James Dean quotes from above:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/football/7366191/Oly-Whites-look-to-bounce-back-from-Belarus-loss

“It's just a bitter disappointment that we played a style of football which was the best I've ever seen a New Zealand team play, and sadly we didn't get a result," said captain Nelsen.

 

“Belarus are an extremely good team, and the boys came out with a lot of confidence, they played the ball around and stuck to the game plan. We've had nowhere near the preparation other teams have had, so to be that brave on this stage is commendable to those young players," Nelsen said.

“Unfortunately you can get caught up with all the romanticism of playing good football and creating chances but generally it's the basics that cost you at this level, and unfortunately it was a basic mistake that cost us.”

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Great piece from Tommy Smith's local Ipswich daily paper about a group of 50 Ipswich supporters who journeyed to Coventry to watch their local hero become the first ever Ipwwich player to appear in the Olympics whilst on Ipswich's books.

The Ipswich media and the fans are obviously very proud of Tommy - and were impressed by the Oly Whites, suggestions being made their manager consider signing Ian Hogg !!!

http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/ipswich_town_fans_descend_on_coventry_to_see_tommy_smith_make_olympic_history_1_1462435

IPSWICH TOWN FANS DESCEND ON CONVENTRY TO SEE TOMMY SMITH MAKE OLYMPIC HISTORY

...The stadium concourse was packed well ahead of kick off – and littered with fans in Ipswich Town shirts from various recent seasons. Aside from NZ and Belarus, easily the most common club shirts seemed to be those of a Town persuasion.

 

....Our nerves were set jangling for the start, when the fussy referee threw out a yellow card at a perfectly fine Tommy Smith tackle (from our, admittedly, biased viewpoint).

“Is that your Tommy Smith? He won’t last very long like that,” laughed the Coventry local in front of us.

As it happened, Tommy quickly settled nicely, on the left side of a fluid back four, with Ryan Nelson on the right of centre and Ian Hogg (a 22-year-old part-timer from Auckland, apparently) at left back. He looks good, PJ, check him out.

A decent atmosphere added to the spectacle, around 14,000 fans (including vast numbers of children, on a summer holiday treat) getting into the spirit in the 32,000 stadium.

New Zealand looked the better team throughout but lost to a Dmitry Baga goal when New Zealand keeper Michael O’Keeffe came and failed to make contact with a cross.

At the final whistle, shirts were swapped and Tommy jumped over the barriers to the front of the crowd – to see his mum and dad.

Having driven up from Suffolk to proudly watch their son make history, they had got stuck in traffic on the A14 and arrived in the ground just as the 3 minutes injury time was announced.

Obviously disappointed (but sporting fine, matching white and black NZ replica shirts) they had missed all but the last moments of his steps into the history books. But that won’t affect their acute sense of pride at seeing, albeit for a brief few minutes, their son make history.

It is a sense of pride which all Town fans should feel of our Ipswich Town Olympian. 

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NZ v Egypt live only to My Sky HDi subscribers 11pm tonight - otherwise replay on Prime TV at 3.20am or 6am on Sky Sport 8

For the  NZ men's and women's matches on Prime they've had a half hour buildup show with Ryan Nelsen, Ferns players, players' parents etc. interviewed. Probably not tonight though.

Also great to have a decent post-match show when I watched Ferns v Brazil this morning live on Sky- something Sky usually doesn't bother with either for internationals or Phoenix games. Bloody hell - Dennis Katsanos manged to get in post-match interviews with a few Ferns players, coach Readings, even the Brazil coach and "best woman's player of all time" Marta through an interpreter. Really good effort !!!

we made some pretty passes, but scarcely tested the keeper. Not the sign of a side dominating a game.

 

Now also on Sky Sport 2 live at 10:50pm for those without Mysky.

Does any one in living in Australia with Foxtel know why the NZ game is not on their tv guide? are they going to show this game live?

Good luck to Ryan and the lads, make this your theatre of dreams. Kia Kaha  !!!

I will be shattered if Gleeson can't play.

GO LADS, GO - YOU HAVE NOTHING TO LOSE !!!

 

Thanks so much for that piece of info. It's on at such a good time for staying up and watching it.

Shows maybe Sky do respond to peoples' complaints sometimes.

Also shows what an essential source of info Yellow Fever forums often are, as I would have never known this otherwise and been grumpy about it tomorrow!

From NZ Football: "Emblen has no new fitness concerns and while goalkeeper Jake Gleeson is getting closer to full fitness, the Portland Timbers custodian is not there yet and given Michael O’Keeffe’s overall performance against Belarus, and the likely need for all three outfield substitutes in the midday kickoff, the Oly Whites coach is unlikely to risk Gleeson."

Did anyone see Egypt 2 v Brazil 3 the other day? Freak'n awesome game and best I've seen in tournie so far. As good as a very good senior World Cup game. Egypt have some real class players like left-back Islam Ramadan (on Arsenal's radar), speedy skilfull FC Basel striker Mohamed Salah and Fiorentina centre-back Ahmed Hegazy. The only duff player was MF Saleh Gomaa, but then again he's only 18, all the rest were pretty good,  including over-age national team MF Aboutrika. Three- nil down after 30 mins, 2-3 after 76... gave mighty Brazil a real scare. 

But they do leave holes in defence we could exploit...

If you missed it can find it in full here. Just download this free "Expat Shield" software first so you can temporarily access a free UK IP address (takes two mins):

http://download.cnet.com/Expat-Shield/3000-2092_4-75211377.html

Turn on "Expat Shield", then find the game here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00w2r4l/Olympic_Football_London_2012_Men_Egypt_v_Brazil/

(Turn off "Expat Shield" when not accessing UK sites)

Don't think Jake is playing, just heard that he is not warming up with the rest

anyone got a streaming link? my usual (firstrow) has nothing

...actually, prime tv is showing it?!?!?!?!

edit: mis heard them :\

editedit: we're in business: http://www.thefirstrow.eu/watch/132862/1/watch-olympic:-egypt-vs-new-zealand.html

If you want to watch the BBC coverage online:
Install this: http://www.expatshield.com/
Watch the BBC's live streams of every single event live here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/live-video

Goal!

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLLL!

PS: our right back looks decent (Never thought I'd say that about a NZ team)

 

Because they're not showing it.

 

Bugger it all.

 

I like Adam Thomas linking up with Marco down the right hand side. Thomas for Nix?

apparently we've had 40% of the possession and 1 shot to their 5....still 1-0.

Agree Deloras, he gets forward well.

 

Those that need a stream try sport lemon tv.

The 4th Nz v Egypt option down.

 

 

and its all even again. penalty shout denied and a decent break by them.

 

just saw a stripey in the crowd...

Half-time highlights: Rowing. Sky really does know how to annoy us. 

 

Goal scorer for Egypt was unlucky a little earlier.

 

 

Loving the BBC stream im watching on firstrow, muppet commentators haven't realised they're on air at the moment...highly amusing

Agree that Thomas looks OK. 

Rojas and him doing good things down the right. On the left Kosta and Hogg getting a torrid time by Fatty and his mate. We need to try and get some attacks going down our left to try and pin their RB back a bit.....at the moment he is living in our half. Maybe even a few diagonal balls behind him to make him think about moving so high up the pitch.

We are not coping at all in midfield with their high pressing and are losing the ball under pressure. Shame really because when Rojas drives forward and combines with Wood we have looked OK. Pat on the back for Payne...only just turned 18, playing out of position as a DM and doing a OK job under very difficult conditions. He's got a good football head.

Highly entertaining games....should be a few more goals in the second half...hopefully one of them will be by us

 

Stream had highlights.

http://www.sportlemon.tv/v-4/2/100/v-430068.html

Musa on for Hogg. We're boned.

W00t Marco just about chases down the Egyptian keeper.

Thought Musa was a CB..? Who knows he may play his best game ever....

Barbarouses is having a good game

Kosta is red hot this half!

Who scored for the kiwis ?

was watching sport lemon tv and it was blocked after 10 minutes into the second half.

Chris Wood, tapped in from a corner