Now is the Time
As cultured as Che Bunce's left foot and as profilic as John Lammers
Permalink
Permalink
I couldn't help but thinking before the game, and it's just as pertinent now, how this TRULY was our one shot for glory.
Firstly, I think that a lot of teams globally will be a little peeved we've made the World Cup, especially with such a light qualification run, and to be honest, you probably can't blame them.
So I'd expect our qualification route to significantly change (again) to make our chances of qualifying a lot tougher next time.
Perhaps just as importantly though, is when looking at the age/development of our squad, as a whole they're probably at their peak right now.
Nelsen is perfectly at his peak, and unlikely to be a force next campaign. Elliott is obviously in the same boat, just a couple of notches lower down quality wise, but obviously isn't going to get any younger or fitter. Perfect for your rock centre back and defensive midfielder to be so experienced.
Smeltz and Killen are realistically probably at their peak as strikers. And the World Cup will be their last realistic chance to perform in the hope of getting a good contract with a decent team. Hopefully Wood can really develop and bloom and prove to be more than an early developer - but it's really handy to have an enthusiastic youngster to keep the experienced strikers on their toes.
Obviously both Paston & Moss should have a few years left in them, but it's good to have two experienced keepers competing for the spot (ignoring of course Moss's ban).
The likes of Lochhead, Sigmund, Bertos, Brown, Fallon, etc could still be a force next campaign, but are at that right age to have enough experience, and yet still enough determination and physical condition to compete. Vicelich won't be around next time.
Of course, we're going to have (hopefully) talented youngsters coming through - a cause which can only be helped by our qualification - but as far as this group of players goes, the timing couldn't be better, and it really is the most competitive and talented All Whites squad I've seen in twenty years. Sure, we've had it a bit easy, but this squad really deserves their chance, and whilst no-one is going to get too carried away with what they might achieve at the Cup, I'm really delighted to think that we should be able to compete with most teams there. Much moreso than Confederations Cups etc in recentish years.
Firstly, I think that a lot of teams globally will be a little peeved we've made the World Cup, especially with such a light qualification run, and to be honest, you probably can't blame them.
So I'd expect our qualification route to significantly change (again) to make our chances of qualifying a lot tougher next time.
Perhaps just as importantly though, is when looking at the age/development of our squad, as a whole they're probably at their peak right now.
Nelsen is perfectly at his peak, and unlikely to be a force next campaign. Elliott is obviously in the same boat, just a couple of notches lower down quality wise, but obviously isn't going to get any younger or fitter. Perfect for your rock centre back and defensive midfielder to be so experienced.
Smeltz and Killen are realistically probably at their peak as strikers. And the World Cup will be their last realistic chance to perform in the hope of getting a good contract with a decent team. Hopefully Wood can really develop and bloom and prove to be more than an early developer - but it's really handy to have an enthusiastic youngster to keep the experienced strikers on their toes.
Obviously both Paston & Moss should have a few years left in them, but it's good to have two experienced keepers competing for the spot (ignoring of course Moss's ban).
The likes of Lochhead, Sigmund, Bertos, Brown, Fallon, etc could still be a force next campaign, but are at that right age to have enough experience, and yet still enough determination and physical condition to compete. Vicelich won't be around next time.
Of course, we're going to have (hopefully) talented youngsters coming through - a cause which can only be helped by our qualification - but as far as this group of players goes, the timing couldn't be better, and it really is the most competitive and talented All Whites squad I've seen in twenty years. Sure, we've had it a bit easy, but this squad really deserves their chance, and whilst no-one is going to get too carried away with what they might achieve at the Cup, I'm really delighted to think that we should be able to compete with most teams there. Much moreso than Confederations Cups etc in recentish years.
As cultured as Che Bunce's left foot and as profilic as John Lammers
Permalink
Permalink
Just thought for the first time how amazing it is that we are going this time and last World Cup we lost to Vanuatu and didn't even get to play Australia.
Permalink
Permalink
Just thought for the first time how amazing it is that we are going this time and last World Cup we lost to Vanuatu and didn't even get to play Australia.
Exactly. For too many years now our national team has just appeared really amateurish, you could almost cringe in the lack of confidence you had even against the island teams...
...now they strike me as a professional and respectable outfit, for possibly the first time in my memory. Let's hope it can only get bigger and better in years to come.
As cultured as Che Bunce's left foot and as profilic as John Lammers
Permalink
Permalink
Qualification likely to be harder in future Newstalk ZB - November 17, 2009, 3:20 pm
New Zealand Football believes there will inevitably be changes to the All Whites' World Cup qualification path in the future.
Oceania secretary general Tai Nicholas claims FIFA will not change the qualification route for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
But New Zealand Football CEO Michael Glading disagrees, saying it would be naive to say that New Zealand's qualification will not be under discussion at some point. He believes it is important to plan ahead and say 'what if?'
Glading says it would be a setback if FIFA make the Oceania champions play the fifth placed team from South America in a two-legged playoff. He would rather see the All Whites go into the final phase of the Asian Confederation qualifying.
That would mean the All Whites would play at least eight further qualifying matches.
All Whites defender Ben Sigmund says that would be ideal as it would help New Zealand move forward as a footballing nation. He says the teams in the Asian Confederation are much better.
"To be fair I think we've got to get out of playing these Fiji and so on and island guys. No disrespect, but we need to be playing better games to be to a better team."
Sigmund also believes New Zealand Football need to restructure the sport if it is to continue to grow.
"Right through from the young kids, club football, national league - they've got to really have a good look at it and develop that and push it on through."
The defender and the other five Wellington Phoenix players in the All Whites squad; Mark Paston, Leo Bertos Tim Brown, Tony Lochhead and David Mulligan, have all returned to club training ahead of Sunday's A-League match against the Newcastle Jets.
Sigmund concedes he still has not completely recovered from the weekend celebrations.
"To be fair I'm a little bit worse for wear. But I'll battle through and we'll get back on the wagon and we'll be there for the weekend."
Sigmund is still waiting for a Facebook fan page to be formed in his honour. Game saving goalie Mark Paston is fast approaching 1,000 fans on the social networking site.
Permalink
Permalink
agree that it really is one shot for glory - but not just that the game against Bahrain was one shot for glory in the sense of making the finals - but that our performance at the finals could be one shot to set us up for future campaigns -
if say our worst result in SA is a 2-0 loss to a top team, then maybe our "easy"* route to the world cup will not be questioned (*as we know, it is not really easy to step up and play the 5th ranked asian side after playing fiji). if however we get thumped twice and beaten 2-0 in our best game, then i would almost guarantee our route will change, and a two legged playoff against south american opposition might be the best we can hope for.
Asia feel (well a bangladeshi fan off the comments on us winning on the FIFA website) that Oceania has taken two spots off Asia (although we def would have got one of those no matter what i think).
but i think us beating the fifth place asian side and aus topping Asia, says that Oceania should have had an automatic spot when Aus was still with us (although i didn't think we deserved it at the time).
a few world cups back, Oceania got 0.25 spots - Australia beat Canada over 2 legs as the first intercontinental playoff to earn the right to play the second intercontinental playoff against Argentina.
I can see this as a possible alternative, not fantastic, but better than playing against the 5th south american straight away in terms of competitve build up. if Asia have any say (and i guess they do) they might push for getting 5 spots (not 4.5), or if they could (and they probably can't now) boot Australia back to Oceania and still have 4.5.
Permalink
Permalink