Have a lot of great memories from the 3 playoff games, a win, a loss (yes even the Mexico hammering!) and a draw.
A real gathering of the NZ football fraternity at a giant partee.
The only way to see our overseas stars up close in a big meaningful game, with real tension. OFC is sharke.
Unless the AWs can get that AFC qualifing path, the WC expansion is a sad day for the NZ football fan.
But surely automatic qualification for one OFC nation would add to the importance of the OFC qualifying round? Beating the Pacific island nations would be even more important and we would always field the strongest team possible.
Ok i get Mexico, Peru and Bahrain added thousands on the gate, but a final home qualification game against Vanuatu would also bring the fans in if it meant a win would see NZ go to the World Cup.
You live in the UK? So did I once. If you love football it’s great, even better now as a Kiwi when you have Reid and Wood in the EPL, or others like Thomas in Europe.
You can travel pretty easily to watch these guys play in high quality top leagues in great stadiums.
Meanwhile the Kiwi resident (including kids who want to see their heroes up close) football fan, hardly gets to see these guys live, andso it’s mostly just a sharkhouse OFC game. The buildup to and attendance to 4 yearly home playoff game was the one game, to get the blood and passion flowing.
Complicated further by real risk that NZ will lose its sole fortnightly, diet of live professional football soon if the Nix fold. Pretty dire then for the NZ football fan wanting to watch the beautiful game, of any real quality live.
