Oly lads vs Chile - Next week !!

Why was Costa not in the team today?

Not sure, but from the sounds of it he hasnt made the final squad either

Leeds_Chris2008-07-02 18:41:20

I'll be disappointed if Costa hasn't made it. He is a  creative attacking player who makes incisive runs.

Sounds like we're only sending Hearfield to China after all...
I think NZ played well, we were pushed off the ball because it was slippery as the ocean itself, same thing happened to Chile. We'll probably rely a lot on the counter-attack but I think we should beat Belgium, they're hardly a European power, let alone a world one. Nelsen should be worth two men at the back with his leadership and organisational skills.

Dont know why anyone is sl*gging the olywhites I thought it was a good peformance they actually had more chances than chile. Chile's 2nd goal was shocking goalie error but the boy in goal did well after that. Thought New Zealand played some good football to be honest and there 4 midfielders worked there arses off defensively and also provided good ball to counter with. Boxall and Old did a good job at the back too and Brockie had a productive game and probably should have scored a goal or 2. By the way it was freezing in the stands i hate to imagine what it was like on the field!
uptheeverton2008-07-02 19:34:18

from what I've read I'd agree Uptheeverton,

Chilean fans were great- they sang thei anthem with gusto and managed some great chants, prob. without a website to guide them (respect to Amigos Cafe-Newtown!)

Honking horns in the surrounding streets for 30 mins afterwards.....a win is a win for the latinos!

Why do NZers not even sing our own anthem- we are unsure how it to begin it?!

a fantastic international on a crap pitch-thanks to WUAFC for stepping up

I'd like to think we'll give it a lash Friday Salmon...

What was the crowd total, and is their any video footage?

Give it a lash Friday News- nothing wrong with learning from some die hard latino fans

I was as silent as the rest- id estimate crowd at 600+

News?

It was pretty much a full stand, whatever that equates to, possibly with a few extras around the sides. Not bad considering timing and weather

Scottishbhoy.

Yeah.  Might need to wait until next week when Smith returns from chasing totty across South-East Asia.

I seem to recall England dont assemble a side bc they are represented at the olympics by Great Britain - andbecause the various countries that constitute Great Britain have separate national football sides and regimes it has all just proved too difficult to put together a great britain football team. might find a way around it when London hosts in 2012. Marius Lacatus2008-07-02 21:20:12

The UEFA U-21 Championship 2007, played between 10 and 23 June 2007, served as the qualifying competition.

At the end of the day on the Draper/Costa thing. Those boys are talented young players. young being the key word. They are only 18 still? they can still play in the next Olympics qualifiers.

Good Point.

Cheers Nightz.  Sam you are correct. james dean2008-07-03 03:03:25

Just to complicate the analysis from Marcus Lacatus and James Dean on the UK.. Whilst we compete as Great Britain in the Olympics, that in itself is a little messy too. For the purposes of Olympic classification Northern Ireland are treated as being part of Britain. The problem is that Northern Ireland is not part of Britain. It is part of the UK, but the UK and GB are not the same thing - something I've found NZers confused on. Then again, I'm always correcting people who treat English and British as the same thing, even TVNZ, which must really piss off the Scots and Welsh.

from memory, Britain had an olympic team in the early 70's (all 'amatuers')

There's neither U20 or U23 European competitions - they go in odd-year sequences (eg. U19, U21). The U21 European Championship (won by the Netherlands last year, beat Serbia 4-1 in the final) serves as the European qualifier for the U23 "World Championship" held at the Olympics (or so the FIFA would have us believe, despite allowing 3 over-age players per squad to spice things up a bit).

Also, I completely agree with Nightz on this almost delusional expectation that the Olywhites 'should' beat Belgium. Most of our U23s (if not all) would probably struggle to be signed by Belgian 2nd division team, and the guys they'll be sending are already pretty accomplished players in pretty respectable European clubs. Guess some people here don't realise how strong, competetive and tough European football really is.

Most of our U23s (if not all) would probably struggle to be signed by Belgian 2nd division team, and the guys they'll be sending are already pretty accomplished players in pretty respectable European clubs. Guess some people here don't realise how strong, competetive and tough European football really is.[/QUOTE]



absolute bollix...Belgain 2nd division is sh*te...

im not saying all of the u23's would make it in europe but a few of them would pick up contracts in the uk at lower divisions which is alot better than belgium crap.

Kris bright was playing in dutch and norway leagues and said it wasnt much better than back here and belguim leagues wouldnt be much different

 

I checked and according to RSSSF the last time an England U23 side played was in 1976.

Get back to me when you actually see some European football. OK?

i have mate..played and seen it..

you clearly dontknow much about erupoean football..especially in Belgium and smaller countires like that..next you'll be telling me the greek league is good..

We're rank outsiders for the Olympics (I think we were 200/1 odds to win last time I checked.) so even if we get a draw there it'd be a big deal.

Sounds like we put in a good performance v Chile - perhaps could've been better, but it should be with Elliott, Killen and Nelsen there to rev the younger guys up.

The point is many of their players dont play in Belgium. I have listed a few that play 1st team in very respectable clubs, ie Ajax, Hamburg.

Ha - from the NZ Football report on the match:



Wrong Messam brother, you've got the wrong Meessam brother...

You sure he didn't get the pip for not gettin the call up to the AB's and decide on a code-switch???

I'll be there tomorrow night for sure. I'm peeved about the Babarouses call though. Yeah fairplay that he's young enough to have another chance to play in an Olmpic Qualifier but we might not qualify next time and he's missed his chance on a showing at the Olympics... That sucks. Am I being dramatic?

i also cannot believe barboruses kid is not going. That Hawkes player messam doesnt even look like a footballer?? apart from that not a bad squad i believe

I don't know, I mean there is a lot of talk about him. But he's a good player.