Oh Libby that's just class!
OFC Men’s Nations Cup 2024 (Vanuatu)
Libby to Waine - 4-0
Oh Libby that's just class!
he's looked a class above most in this tourney
Good first half for us, could have been 4/5
Tahiti really arent up to much.
I know we have to win this to qualify but it's largely a waste of time, beating these teams never helps our global rankings which in turn means we arent a drawcard for any bigger teams to bother with so our opportunities to get teams to come and play us at home are limited.
Guess we just keep beating up on the little guys and hope we get more opportunities away from home.
Tahiti really arent up to much.
I know we have to win this to qualify but it's largely a waste of time, beating these teams never helps our global rankings which in turn means we arent a drawcard for any bigger teams to bother with so our opportunities to get teams to come and play us at home are limited.
Guess we just keep beating up on the little guys and hope we get more opportunities away from home.
Winning this tourney will definitely improve the ranking of the AWs. It’s the primary reason NZF did an about turn and entered at pretty late notice
Will have 2 quality friendlies in Sept and OFC WC qualifying will be done and dusted by next year’s March window. Post that it’s likely means 10 or more good friendlies in the lead up to WC 2026
Moving from 107 to somewhere in the 90's is an improvement but until we can get ourselves somewhere into the 50-60 range we are never getting any respect from the footballing world.
Good ref. Should do some A-league games. [hmmm...that might have been a penalty/free kick on Waine]
I know there's a number of NZ footy fans that feel like these sorts of games are a bit of a waste of time, but honestly I think it's great purely for some of our young attackers to stump up their goal tallies. Outside of Wood there's very few national team goals in our wider pool of players at the moment (for numerous, obvious reasons) - and regardless of opposition, it's gotta give them confidence
Lol.
The commentator is my man of the match.
“Sometimes commentators feel sorry for teams so don’t take a shot at me.”
I’m sure he was saying “Uncle Kosta Barbarouses” during his three minute speech about his age and experience.
“Sometimes commentators feel sorry for teams so don’t take a shot at me.”
I’m sure he was saying “Uncle Kosta Barbarouses” during his three minute speech about his age and experience.
"Can Tahiti score 6 goals in 10 minutes?"
“Can they (Tahiti) score 6 goals in 10 minutes?”
Edit: you beat me to it but I think it needs repeating.
Edit: you beat me to it but I think it needs repeating.
I honestly love this man, he's the embodiment of OFC (well, the good/rustic/endearing bits anyway).
Miracle save!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The post has been Tahiti's friend today.
Now I'm going to preface this by saying I haven't seen Mata play all that much, but... At senior level I have never seen Mata have a good game/impress at all
If we continue the trend of +1 goal than the previous match should be good 6 nil slaughtering of Fiji on Sunday.
If we continue the trend of +1 goal than the previous match should be good 6 nil slaughtering of Fiji on Sunday.
And 7 nil vs mexico in September
If we continue the trend of +1 goal than the previous match should be good 6 nil slaughtering of Fiji on Sunday.
I was expecting a closer game in the final of the Olympic qualifiers late last year and we whipped them 9-0. A fair few members of their current squad were on the pitch that night. 😅
If we continue the trend of +1 goal than the previous match should be good 6 nil slaughtering of Fiji on Sunday.
And 7 nil vs mexico in September
28-0 against France in the World Cup final
I tell ya what I really love, the continuation of the Kosta Barbarounaissance. A cynic would say it's out of relief that he's chipping away at his abysmal goals to game ratio, but each time he's scored at this tournament you can see on his face that he's genuinely chuffed and it still means something to him. Nice to see a guy in the latter years of his playing career, still taking pride in the shirt on an afternoon in the islands in front of a few hundred people. A fantastic guy to have around the younger guys in camp
Good first half for us, could have been 4/5
Tahiti really arent up to much.
I know we have to win this to qualify but it's largely a waste of time, beating these teams never helps our global rankings which in turn means we arent a drawcard for any bigger teams to bother with so our opportunities to get teams to come and play us at home are limited.
Guess we just keep beating up on the little guys and hope we get more opportunities away from home.
Tahiti really arent up to much.
I know we have to win this to qualify but it's largely a waste of time, beating these teams never helps our global rankings which in turn means we arent a drawcard for any bigger teams to bother with so our opportunities to get teams to come and play us at home are limited.
Guess we just keep beating up on the little guys and hope we get more opportunities away from home.
Winning this tourney will definitely improve the ranking of the AWs. It’s the primary reason NZF did an about turn and entered at pretty late notice
Will have 2 quality friendlies in Sept and OFC WC qualifying will be done and dusted by next year’s March window. Post that it’s likely means 10 or more good friendlies in the lead up to WC 2026
Moving from 107 to somewhere in the 90's is an improvement but until we can get ourselves somewhere into the 50-60 range we are never getting any respect from the footballing world.
Apparently the New Caledonia game being cancelled will cost the AWs some ranking points, but below is a rough summary of how the AWs have shot up the rankings by winning previous editions of the Nations Cup.
I think Carlind at the start of this thread did a more detailed anysis of how FIFA's points system works, and certainly the AWs if they win the tourney will end up higher than mid 90s.
Someone said in the other thread that AWs jumped 54 FIFA places when they last won the ONC. That was with Hudson in PNG in 2016.
That looks about right. In this Wiki link is a table of the AWs FIFA rankings every year since 1992. Someone smarter than me can maybe copy the table in this thread. But in 2016 their best rank was 88th & worst was 161st. They did yes move 54 ranking spots in one go that year.
RankYear Best Worst
109 | 2016 | 88 | 161 |
FYI - looks AWs best rankings were 47th (2002) and 49th twice (2003 & 2010).
There were big jumps yes in years when the AWs won the ONC.
2016 54 places
2008 57 places
2002 41 places
1998 31 places
Positives
• Getting better with each game
• Better, quicker ball movement and off the ball movement to create options and chances
• Good to see some goals flying in. Doesn't matter the quality of the opposition, but you want to see players scoring goals, and especially so given our dearth of goals against stronger opponents.
• Another clean sheet, and rather unchallenged at the back.
Negatives
• Tim Payne's injury and the repercussions that has re Olympic squad selection next week.
Have I missed anything?
• Getting better with each game
• Better, quicker ball movement and off the ball movement to create options and chances
• Good to see some goals flying in. Doesn't matter the quality of the opposition, but you want to see players scoring goals, and especially so given our dearth of goals against stronger opponents.
• Another clean sheet, and rather unchallenged at the back.
Negatives
• Tim Payne's injury and the repercussions that has re Olympic squad selection next week.
Have I missed anything?
Job done. Fair to Bazeley, he has the team playing well, even if the OFC teams ain't great. Again he has a lot of experience managing NZ age group teams in the Islands.
Interesting picks for the Final will be who is in goal (imagine it's Paulsen's turn) and who starts at RB - a potentially big call as we look towards the Olympics. Payne you would think is out for 3-4 weeks minimum. Do they fly over Dane Ingham at short notice? He played for the AWs as recently as March
Edit - not having Issac Hughes at this tourney I think was a mistake. Even if like LK-H it would mostly be a training/learning experience.
Interesting picks for the Final will be who is in goal (imagine it's Paulsen's turn) and who starts at RB - a potentially big call as we look towards the Olympics. Payne you would think is out for 3-4 weeks minimum. Do they fly over Dane Ingham at short notice? He played for the AWs as recently as March
Edit - not having Issac Hughes at this tourney I think was a mistake. Even if like LK-H it would mostly be a training/learning experience.
Good first half for us, could have been 4/5
Tahiti really arent up to much.
I know we have to win this to qualify but it's largely a waste of time, beating these teams never helps our global rankings which in turn means we arent a drawcard for any bigger teams to bother with so our opportunities to get teams to come and play us at home are limited.
Guess we just keep beating up on the little guys and hope we get more opportunities away from home.
Tahiti really arent up to much.
I know we have to win this to qualify but it's largely a waste of time, beating these teams never helps our global rankings which in turn means we arent a drawcard for any bigger teams to bother with so our opportunities to get teams to come and play us at home are limited.
Guess we just keep beating up on the little guys and hope we get more opportunities away from home.
Winning this tourney will definitely improve the ranking of the AWs. It’s the primary reason NZF did an about turn and entered at pretty late notice
Will have 2 quality friendlies in Sept and OFC WC qualifying will be done and dusted by next year’s March window. Post that it’s likely means 10 or more good friendlies in the lead up to WC 2026
Moving from 107 to somewhere in the 90's is an improvement but until we can get ourselves somewhere into the 50-60 range we are never getting any respect from the footballing world.
Apparently the New Caledonia game being cancelled will cost the AWs some ranking points, but below is a rough summary of how the AWs have shot up the rankings by winning previous editions of the Nations Cup.
I think Carlind at the start of this thread did a more detailed anysis of how FIFA's points system works, and certainly the AWs if they win the tourney will end up higher than mid 90s.
Someone said in the other thread that AWs jumped 54 FIFA places when they last won the ONC. That was with Hudson in PNG in 2016.
That looks about right. In this Wiki link is a table of the AWs FIFA rankings every year since 1992. Someone smarter than me can maybe copy the table in this thread. But in 2016 their best rank was 88th & worst was 161st. They did yes move 54 ranking spots in one go that year.
RankYear Best Worst
109 | 2016 | 88 | 161 |
FYI - looks AWs best rankings were 47th (2002) and 49th twice (2003 & 2010).
There were big jumps yes in years when the AWs won the ONC.
2016 54 places
2008 57 places
2002 41 places
1998 31 places
Back up to 70th in the Eloratings table too (my preferred ranking system 😉)
🌟 POTM
— New Zealand Football 🇳🇿 (@NZ_Football) June 27, 2024
🅰️ 3 Assists
Captain Cacace has his say on the All Whites dominant OFC Nations Cup Semi-Final victory against Tahiti 🇳🇿 pic.twitter.com/LQHi6SQRhd
I read the fact that Crocombe has started 2 on the trot, and the more important semi-final, as saying he is still the recognised #1 as he was before the tournament started, and Paulsen's appearance was a reward for his excellent club season without it necessarily meaning he had moved up the pecking order. The more experienced Crocombe who has been in career best form over the past couple of seasons has still yet to put a foot wrong in a white shirt, why drop him for an inexperienced (albeit hugely promising) youngster now?
I read the fact that Crocombe has started 2 on the trot, and the more important semi-final, as saying he is still the recognised #1 as he was before the tournament started, and Paulsen's appearance was a reward for his excellent club season without it necessarily meaning he had moved up the pecking order. The more experienced Crocombe who has been in career best form over the past couple of seasons has still yet to put a foot wrong in a white shirt, why drop him for an inexperienced (albeit hugely promising) youngster now?
Smokey Jack scores a cracker. 'A diamond of a goal"!!!!!!!!!!
I read the fact that Crocombe has started 2 on the trot, and the more important semi-final, as saying he is still the recognised #1 as he was before the tournament started, and Paulsen's appearance was a reward for his excellent club season without it necessarily meaning he had moved up the pecking order. The more experienced Crocombe who has been in career best form over the past couple of seasons has still yet to put a foot wrong in a white shirt, why drop him for an inexperienced (albeit hugely promising) youngster now?
Because you are looking to build combinations ahead of the Olympics. Lets be honest, it would have mattered little had Crocs, AP or my 75 yr old mum been in goal today. Did Crocombe have to make a save??
Today's starting backline - Payne, Surman, Bindon & Cacace - was before Payne's hammy injury a likely Olympics backline. Yet Bindon & Libby have played very little with Paulsen. And given a real strength of Alex's game is his passing from the back, it's important these guys practice that together as much as they can. Chief's Nix had months in pre season to bed that game plan in. Any error will be punished by France, USA or Guinea.
I think Baze made a promise pre the tourney to both keepers, they would get 2 games each. In a way playing in the higher stakes Final, maybe in front of a big home Vanuatu crowd, is the best simulation Alex can have for now of being in goal in France. He didn't get to a U20 WC (Covid cancelled) so he's actually got got very little experience in big international tournaments. I expect him to get the nod for the Final, as useful practice for next month.
And yes it's not that Crocombe has done anything wrong. He has deservedly worked his way into being the AWs no 1 keeper over the last 24 mths. Just that the Final is handy opportunity to prepare for the Olympics.
Smokey Jack scores a cracker. 'A diamond of a goal"!!!!!!!!!!
Spokey, and yes it was.
Was pleasantly surprised by Jesse Randell’s brief 25 mins.
I know he shanked one shot but looks to have a bit of pace about him, a nice cross, close control, presses well and wants the ball.
Really doubted his initial selection but he may indeed be worth taking to the Olympics.
I know he shanked one shot but looks to have a bit of pace about him, a nice cross, close control, presses well and wants the ball.
Really doubted his initial selection but he may indeed be worth taking to the Olympics.
What a strike Fiji!
2-1 Vanuatu. 57'
We might be playing Vanuatu again of the score stays 2-1.
I read the fact that Crocombe has started 2 on the trot, and the more important semi-final, as saying he is still the recognised #1 as he was before the tournament started, and Paulsen's appearance was a reward for his excellent club season without it necessarily meaning he had moved up the pecking order. The more experienced Crocombe who has been in career best form over the past couple of seasons has still yet to put a foot wrong in a white shirt, why drop him for an inexperienced (albeit hugely promising) youngster now?
Because you are looking to build combinations ahead of the Olympics. Lets be honest, it would have mattered little had Crocs, AP or my 75 yr old mum been in goal today. Did Crocombe have to make a save??
Today's starting backline - Payne, Surman, Bindon & Cacace - was before Payne's hammy injury a likely Olympics backline. Yet Bindon & Libby have played very little with Paulsen. And given a real strength of Alex's game is his passing from the back, it's important these guys practice that together as much as they can. Chief's Nix had months in pre season to bed that game plan in. Any error will be punished by France, USA or Guinea.
I think Baze made a promise pre the tourney to both keepers, they would get 2 games each. In a way playing in the higher stakes Final, maybe in front of a big home Vanuatu crowd, is the best simulation Alex can have for now of being in goal in France. He didn't get to a U20 WC (Covid cancelled) so he's actually got got very little experience in big international tournaments. I expect him to get the nod for the Final, as useful practice for next month.
And yes it's not that Crocombe has done anything wrong. He has deservedly worked his way into being the AWs no 1 keeper over the last 24 mths. Just that the Final is handy opportunity to prepare for the Olympics.
AP did play in front of 30k in the A-League semi - although probably a more partisan crowd than he’ll have on July 30.
However, against Brazil in Brazil was a not so friendly packed stadium.
Second Nations Cup in a row, is the host verus NZ in the final.
Same 2016 in PNG.
Same 2016 in PNG.
Second Nations Cup in a row, is the host verus NZ in the final.
Same 2016 in PNG.
Same 2016 in PNG.
I read the fact that Crocombe has started 2 on the trot, and the more important semi-final, as saying he is still the recognised #1 as he was before the tournament started, and Paulsen's appearance was a reward for his excellent club season without it necessarily meaning he had moved up the pecking order. The more experienced Crocombe who has been in career best form over the past couple of seasons has still yet to put a foot wrong in a white shirt, why drop him for an inexperienced (albeit hugely promising) youngster now?
Because you are looking to build combinations ahead of the Olympics. Lets be honest, it would have mattered little had Crocs, AP or my 75 yr old mum been in goal today. Did Crocombe have to make a save??
Today's starting backline - Payne, Surman, Bindon & Cacace - was before Payne's hammy injury a likely Olympics backline. Yet Bindon & Libby have played very little with Paulsen. And given a real strength of Alex's game is his passing from the back, it's important these guys practice that together as much as they can. Chief's Nix had months in pre season to bed that game plan in. Any error will be punished by France, USA or Guinea.
I think Baze made a promise pre the tourney to both keepers, they would get 2 games each. In a way playing in the higher stakes Final, maybe in front of a big home Vanuatu crowd, is the best simulation Alex can have for now of being in goal in France. He didn't get to a U20 WC (Covid cancelled) so he's actually got got very little experience in big international tournaments. I expect him to get the nod for the Final, as useful practice for next month.
And yes it's not that Crocombe has done anything wrong. He has deservedly worked his way into being the AWs no 1 keeper over the last 24 mths. Just that the Final is handy opportunity to prepare for the Olympics.
AP did play in front of 30k in the A-League semi - although probably a more partisan crowd than he’ll have on July 30.
However, against Brazil in Brazil was a not so friendly packed stadium.
Fair call, though that U17 WC in 2019, seems a bit of an age ago now. Covid does that. Coming up to 5 years ago.
Stamenic, Garbett, Old, OVH & Randall also at that WC.
Good first half for us, could have been 4/5
Tahiti really arent up to much.
I know we have to win this to qualify but it's largely a waste of time, beating these teams never helps our global rankings which in turn means we arent a drawcard for any bigger teams to bother with so our opportunities to get teams to come and play us at home are limited.
Guess we just keep beating up on the little guys and hope we get more opportunities away from home.
Tahiti really arent up to much.
I know we have to win this to qualify but it's largely a waste of time, beating these teams never helps our global rankings which in turn means we arent a drawcard for any bigger teams to bother with so our opportunities to get teams to come and play us at home are limited.
Guess we just keep beating up on the little guys and hope we get more opportunities away from home.
Winning this tourney will definitely improve the ranking of the AWs. It’s the primary reason NZF did an about turn and entered at pretty late notice
Will have 2 quality friendlies in Sept and OFC WC qualifying will be done and dusted by next year’s March window. Post that it’s likely means 10 or more good friendlies in the lead up to WC 2026
Moving from 107 to somewhere in the 90's is an improvement but until we can get ourselves somewhere into the 50-60 range we are never getting any respect from the footballing world.
Apparently the New Caledonia game being cancelled will cost the AWs some ranking points, but below is a rough summary of how the AWs have shot up the rankings by winning previous editions of the Nations Cup.
I think Carlind at the start of this thread did a more detailed anysis of how FIFA's points system works, and certainly the AWs if they win the tourney will end up higher than mid 90s.
Someone said in the other thread that AWs jumped 54 FIFA places when they last won the ONC. That was with Hudson in PNG in 2016.
That looks about right. In this Wiki link is a table of the AWs FIFA rankings every year since 1992. Someone smarter than me can maybe copy the table in this thread. But in 2016 their best rank was 88th & worst was 161st. They did yes move 54 ranking spots in one go that year.
RankYear Best Worst
109 | 2016 | 88 | 161 |
FYI - looks AWs best rankings were 47th (2002) and 49th twice (2003 & 2010).
There were big jumps yes in years when the AWs won the ONC.
2016 54 places
2008 57 places
2002 41 places
1998 31 places
Altogether, that would be a 48 ranking point haul, so one window that would probably bring a better haul than a full year's worth of friendly victories (and the likelihood of that is quite low).
If NZF are really keen on getting high enough in the rankings that they are Pot 3 for a World Cup then a biennial OFC Nations' Cup is really the only way it will happen. Playing only friendlies will see you tread water, at best.
Condolences to all the people who were so sure NZ were going to struggle in this tournament, and who were saying that that Fiji & Tahiti were going to be much tougher tests after NZ battered the Solomons & Vanuatu. Called it from the beginning that NZ were going to waltz this.
Pleasantly surprised to hear that Cacace is very keen to play the Olympics. I thought that when Piney interviewed him pre Nations Cup & did not ask him about the Olympics, and when Libby himself didn't mention the Olympics when talking about his offseason plans in that interview, that Cacace must have told Piney he wasn't going to be playing the Olympics and that was the reason Piney didn't ask.
If Payne is out of the Olympics with his hammy, I hope that Kosta or Rufer take the third overage spot.
Pleasantly surprised to hear that Cacace is very keen to play the Olympics. I thought that when Piney interviewed him pre Nations Cup & did not ask him about the Olympics, and when Libby himself didn't mention the Olympics when talking about his offseason plans in that interview, that Cacace must have told Piney he wasn't going to be playing the Olympics and that was the reason Piney didn't ask.
If Payne is out of the Olympics with his hammy, I hope that Kosta or Rufer take the third overage spot.
Was pleasantly surprised by Jesse Randell’s brief 25 mins.
I know he shanked one shot but looks to have a bit of pace about him, a nice cross, close control, presses well and wants the ball.
Really doubted his initial selection but he may indeed be worth taking to the Olympics.
I know he shanked one shot but looks to have a bit of pace about him, a nice cross, close control, presses well and wants the ball.
Really doubted his initial selection but he may indeed be worth taking to the Olympics.
So was I - if I were a freshly minted AFC fan I'd be thrilled with his cameo, looked lively. Same can't be said about Mata imo