Why would either team park the bus in a training match, where the result matters so little. And yeah highly unlikely the Olyroos would have, with the subs coming on keen to make an impression you’d think.
Optimist view though is Hay is very clear on what his starting team is, and probably has been mostly for months. Arnold not so much.
7 of the starting 11 in both games for NZ, played together alot at the U20 WC in 2019. Some others on the bench. With such limited prep for Tokyo compared to other sides, those old muscle memory combinations are going to be really handy.
Optimist view though is Hay is very clear on what his starting team is, and probably has been mostly for months. Arnold not so much.
7 of the starting 11 in both games for NZ, played together alot at the U20 WC in 2019. Some others on the bench. With such limited prep for Tokyo compared to other sides, those old muscle memory combinations are going to be really handy.
- They have a very experienced and successfull coach?
- Their coach is not suffering from indecision and insecurity?
- Arnold understands the need to rotate player for fitness and camp morale?
- Arnold has seen that it is just a friendly and results count for nought?
I would have thought having same starting 11 but then making wholesale changes at HT, and giving likes of George Stanger at least 45 mins would make some sense. What if Boxall doesn't get to Japan, and Reid or Pijnaker get injured in game one. Stanger comes on with hardly any game time prior.
Other school of thought is the top 11, would have had very little football the last 4-8 weeks, and there is no better way to get/stay match fit, than actually playing. Reid for example has barely played since leaving Sporting Kansas last year, so agruably needs big mins in the legs, and now has a week to recover before facing Sth Korea.
Also looking ahead, with the AWs having barely played since 2017, you want this playing group (top eleven) having as many games together as possible, building combinations towards some big games in 2022. Who knows when the AWs will next get together. Only Pijanker (M Boxall), Stensness (Thomas) & Lewis (Singh) from yesterday would definitely not be starters for the AWs currently. Reid, Cacace, Bell & Wood shoeins. Woud, Ingham, Just & McCowatt tossups.
Edit - is still only 9.30am here in Australia, but I can't find any reporting of the game anyway, apart from final score on socceroos.com
Indication perhaps that is was just a soon to be forgotten warmup game.
All sports media stuff here is about the AFL & NRL teams rushing to leave NSW & VIC as those states deal with their latest lockdowns. Long forward to a future where 90% of news stories don't include the words Covid or virus.