New Zealand U-23s - Quali Whites

At NZ lev there is only one person making the decisions. Hudson reckons dyer is the future midfielder - not tuiloma or rufer or, clearly, ridenton. I disagree with the chap but he's the gaffer for nz teams at the moment. I'm sure the likes of rufer and ridenton will be around longer than mr Hudson.

This is one of the problems with an aligned approach. Effectively there are 3 or 4 young players who have their careers on hold because the same person chooses who he wants at 20, 23 and senior level. Sure we have a limited pool and there is a temptation to align for best outcome but this inhibits player and coach development. You need to have different ideas at all levels otherwise you have a cloned and boring approach. Where does this system allow for the likes of Rufer (Wynton) and Edge (Declan) to provide the odd gem? They might produce one but if Hudson doesnt think they fit his style????? 

You are always a 'he can't juggle' away from ignoring a Rojas.

e.g. Alan Hudson & England.

birkenhead 0-0 NZ U23 halftime

Bodes well

0-2 to u23s

Germany, Denmark, Portugal and Sweden are the four European nations to qualify for the Rio Olympic football comp after the Euro qualifiers concluded yesterday.

England finished bottom of their group, registering just one point.

see www.fifa.com latest

Tuiloma play?

Squad named on Friday

Tuiloma played

Never blindly believe anything FIFA says/reports lol ! .....England had 3 points (courtesy of beating Sweden 1-0)

I don't think England competes in the Olympics anyway as a sole country! They are part of the GB team!

Don't normally compete in football as GB. As hosts GB automatically qualified for 2012 but Welsh, N Irish and Scottish FAs weren't that keen on it - players could choose to join team GB. They were worried it could weaken their position as playing as individual nations and their speicial membership of FIFA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Britain_Olympic_football_team#Reformation_for_London_2012

Yes correct... England were not going to compete in the Olympics even if they finished in the top 4

England would have competed in Rio if (a) Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland had agreed to join England to take part in a Great Britain team as requested by England in March and (b) England had qualified.

However the offer by the English FA was rejected by the other UK associations three months ago:

http://www.fifa.com/mensolympic/news/y=2015/m=3/ne...

"The Football Association has expressed disappointment after deciding not to enter Great Britain teams for the Men's and Women's Olympic Football Tournaments after opposition from the other home nations.

The FA had told Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland it was intending to enter teams for Rio de Janeiro, but was met with resistance. An FA spokesman confirmed the plan has now been dropped, saying: "After careful discussion, The FA has decided not to enter either a women's or a men's team into the Rio Olympics 2016.

"We are disappointed not to be able to go ahead, given the fantastic opportunity it would have afforded the players and the broader exposure it would have brought to the game in our countries."

It was made clear that all four home nations would have to agree before the plan could be ratified. In light of that, the FA's director of football services Jonathan Hall contacted the other British associations on Monday to inform them it had decided to drop the plan.

FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce said last week: ''I was given an absolute categorical reassurance from FIFA that unless full agreement could be reached between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, there would be no GB team participating at next year's Olympics.''

Maybe Ridenton will actually play for the u-23's in PNG?

The u-23 coaching staff already know him well and will be able to slot him in come July.

The Pacific Games football starts July 3 (Friday next week) and the Phoenix's last game in Fiji is Tuesday night.

Maybe he'll fly to PNG on Wednesday to join up with the u-23's?

Could have been some sort of deal done between the u-23's and  the Phoenix because the Nix are short of senior players for the tour, taking only 12 contracted outfield players to Fiji including Ridenton.

They need to turn up to Fiji with an adequate squad to fulfill their contractual requirements against the Fiji national team.

Most of the 16 junior "Premiers" players they are taking to Fiji will be needed for the curtain raiser games on Saturday and Tuesday against the Fiji u-23's. 

Squad named

No Ridenton, seems to me like a mix of U20s from 2015 and 2013, Luke Adams is back also

Rufer a forward again...

Add Reid, Thomas and Wood and we'll beat Brazil!

NB Hudson's mob v Ricki's mob July 5th.

no boyd, payne, howieson, thomas... Surely they would be released to play in off season?

There are definitely some selections there I don't get.

Thomas a bad oversight if available. Be interesting to see what/when/if he twitters. Boyd too ("Rogerson - quem?")

First team professional players: 3 out of 20 outfielders: Fenton, Tuiloma, Roux, plus keepers. Roux is the only defender (out of 8 listed) who is playing in a professional club environment. Big ask for this group, but hopefully they can get the job done.

Absences should of been explained in the press release.

This tournament was brought forward at quite late notice, yes?

Basalaj hasn't had a shot with Hudson while contracted to a club or playing locally.

Good to see Rogerson picked. 

The European clubs might be reluctant to let their players go to play on bad pitches in tough conditions with potentially lenient referees, especially if they're not match fit already. Better for the club to keep them there and manage their preseason conditioning than risk serious injury on the other side of the planet. That would be my guess for why those guys aren't in the squad. 

Anyone know anything about this guy?

Luka Prelevic – Melbourne City FC/AUS

Trialed for U20s.

From googling him,he looks like a young kiwi thats been playing in nyl and Victorian premier league.He was in the under 20s squad at some stage playing against Qatar and Australia.

New Zealand Men’s U-23 squad – Pacific Games 2015
Bisini Field, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea

July 3-12

Goalkeepers

Max Crocombe – Oxford United FC/ENG
Oliver Sail – Wellington Phoenix/NZL
Nik Tzanev – Brentford FC/ENG

Defenders 

Luke Adams – South Melbourne FC/AUS
Sam Brotherton – Wanderers SC/NZL
Kip Colvey – California Polytechnic State/USA
Liam Higgins – WaiBOP United/NZL
Harshae Raniga – Waitakere United/NZL
Storm Roux – Central Coast Mariners/NZL
Alec Solomons – Waitakere United/NZL
Deklan Wynne – Wanderers SC/NZL

Midfielders

Andrew Blake – Wellington Phoenix/NZL
Sam Burfoot – Auckland City FC/NZL
Moses Dyer – Wanderers SC/NZL
Louis Fenton – Wellington Phoenix/NZL
Clayton Lewis – Wanderers SC/NZL
Luka Prelevic – Melbourne City FC/AUS
Bill Tuiloma – Olympique Marseille/FRA
Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi – Wanderers SC/NZL

Forwards 

Monty Patterson – Ipswich Town FC/ENG
Logan Rogerson – Wellington Phoenix/NZL
Alex Rufer – Wellington Phoenix/NZL
Joel Stevens – Wellington Phoenix/NZL

Management staff Head coach: Anthony Hudson
Assistant coach: Alex Armstrong
Goalkeeper coach: Paul Gothard
Manager: Rob Pickstock
Lead Physio: Roland Jeffery
Physio: Matt Payne
Doctor: Ben McHale
Sports Scientist: Aidan Wivell
Analyst: Jase Kim

No Thomas?

Prelvic - good enough for the u23's but not u20's? I thought he was hard done by Beazley.

Quite a weak squad IMO so real potential for egg on the face of Hudson here if we don't get the results we are after. Qualifying for the Olympics should be a priority with the best players selected possible. It guaruntees quality games which is something we don't get very often.

I would be keen to hear if Thomas / Boyd etc were not released or requested.

According to the PEC Zwolle website today is the day that players are required to report for the first pre-season training session  - they'll be doing a lot of fitness tests etc.

And Boyd will need to settle into life in Portugal on and off the pitch, having only recently arrived.

So I kind of understand those two not being involved. 

Also, this qualifying tournament is going to be largely about tough physical endurance in a difficult climate with lots of dodgy tackles etc.

So Thomas and Boyd are not your men for that.

Plus maybe some kind of deal was done with the Phoenix, who are very light on contracted players for their tour to Fiji (taking only 12 contracted outfield players) and who need most of the Premiers junior players they are taking for the two curtain raisers vs. Fiji u-23's.

In the trade-off Hudson got to take Rufer, Fenton, Sail, Stevens, Blake and Rogerson and the Phoenix were allowed to keep Ridenton. 

You are just making that up.  Ridenton didn't make the cut.  Some good players didn't and some shark ones did.

I agree. Ridenton was dropped from the U20 campaign after one game! We also need to get away from the 'thinking' that because a player is with a pro club he must be better than what we have here! Some of these players abroad are at very low clubs and cant even make the reserve team! the better ones like Thomas are probably in pre-season with their clubs and haven't been released because it isn't a fifa window. 

Part of me wants to see the team fail to qualify, so that NZF and aspiring players will finally start taking these qualifying games seriously. Most other nations with eyes set on Rio will be fielding full strength sides from the very beginning, yet as always we're making excuses about players "settling in" at their new club or "reporting for the first club training" or some such shark. This qualifying tournament could well be another 'Nightmare in Honiara'

It's not a FIFA window so you can't force clubs to release players. It's not NZF's fault if the clubs refuse. 

I've seen him play. A work-horse. Lia junior wiv a ponytail. End of.