A few of my observations from last night...
* It's a long time since I've gone to a football game in Auckland and had an allocated seat - sure, there were already people in it so I sat somewhere else, but that's not the point.
* It's the first time I've ever had the cap from the soft drink bottle removed at point of sale. And yet the stick was left in my hot dog.
* It's the second time that I've been to a "once in a lifetime event" like the opening match of an under 17 world cup at North Harbour Stadium.
* Very disappointed that there didn't seem to be a genuine, quality tournament magazine/programme, apart from the lightweight one that had been in some of the Sunday papers.
* A great example to ALL New Zealand sides to have a go and not be overawed - the second half attitude was positive, attacking and based around using the ball thoughtfully - a great change from the dreadfully aimless long ball rubbish from the first half...and the second half could (should!) have yielded a few goals, compared to the first half which could (should) have seen us behind by a couple.
* Auckland is now really missing the fan culture that grew out of the Kingz and the 1999 U17 World Cup - high-pitched squealing apart, there was little real crowd support...and there is NEVER any excuse for trying to start a Mexican Wave (and trying it in stoppage time with your side a goal down and piling forward should be a considered a criminal act).
* Most will probably disagree with this, but...I don't believe that we should even be considering a move away from Oceania for at least a decade or more...get a generation with quality technique-based coaching from a young age and experience from playing at numerous age-group world cups and we'll be much better off than rushing to Asia and being one of the also-rans.