The Road To Brazil 2014 via Wellington feat. Mexico

Mexico v Finland  tomorrow (Thursday) 4 pm NZT (8 pm San Diego, California)

Is on ESPN 2 and Mexican TV channel Unimas so bound to be many live streams.

Good preview (seven Club America players starting):

http://mexico.cnn.com/deportes/2013/10/29/el-piojo-define-una-alineacion-americanista-para-el-tri-ante-finlandia

Are calling-up naturalized Brazilian, 37 year-old Antonio Naelson Sinha to fill the place of Argentine-born midfielder Lucas Lobos who has suddenly made himself unavailable.

FIFA have rejected Mexico's attempt to call-up Argentine-born striker Sambueza:

http://mexico.cnn.com/deportes/2013/10/29/la-fifa-determina-que-sambueza-no-es-elegible-para-ser-convocado-al-tri

Herrera expresses reluctance to call up European-based players (due to tiring travel time & lack of adjustment to playing at altitude):

http://mexico.cnn.com/deportes/2013/10/26/herrera-duda-convocar-a-europeos-al-repechaje-por-lo-cansado-del-viaje

Hey Kiwis, don't let Mexico score you guys a goal, before the games start. Check the following link, where it says the the Panamanian federation is trying to reverse the result of the game they lost against Mexico, because one of the players, Christian Gimenez, who was born in Argentina, played an official game with his country of birth in 2001, therefore he was ineligible to participate with the mexicans. They should be stripped of the 3 points.

http://www.laestrella.com.pa/online/noticias/2013/10/30/polemica-con-chaco-gimenez-panama-podria-ir-a-repechaje.asp

In the photo, Gimenez wears the number 19 jersey.

And next is a link to the RSSSF, where it shows that tournament was a qualifier for the 2001 U-20 World Cup, therefore AN OFFICIAL FIFA game.

http://rsssf.com/tabless/sa-u20-01.html

Share this alert with your soccer Federation and don't let big money spenders in Mexico get away with this B.S.

This will be interesting, I would say FIFA would have approved his eligibility had they gone through the due process (re dura) however because they haven't (assuming they haven't) I think FIFA would probably lean towards upholding Panamas appeal as an example to other nations. Of course this all changes when you bring into account the money FIFA stand to lose by Mexico not qualifying, not to mention the filling of back pockets that will be undoubtedly going on.

Absolutely, when it comes to money, that is always the only thing FIFA cares about. It would be nice if they showed integrity once in a while.

It would create a bit too much negative publicity too if a 'big' nation like Mexico was kicked out due to this, however, if it was a smaller nation, like NZ, probably wouldn't bother them a bit.

I thought it only counted senior caps, not U20 ones? Someone more knowledgable please correct me if im wrong, I suspect I am.

I remember Rory Fallon was a similar situation, and he represented England at U20 level. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rory_Fallon

But there was something about a recent FIFA rule change that meant he was able to switch his allegiance.

"On 3 June 2009, FIFA Congress passed a motion removing the age limit for changing associations for players who had already played for a country's national team at youth level under article 18 of the Regulations Governing the Application of the FIFA Statutes. This allowed for the possibility of Fallon again representing New Zealand."

Perhaps that's pertinent to this as well.

14 days to go before we hit the Azteca. Where's the squad announcement? Is this going to be another NZF ball-breaker?

the key thing with eligibility, in cases like Fallon, McGlinchey, Reid etc, is that they had dual eligibility before their first international appearance at age level... each of them was NZ born, thus eligible for NZ, but also played for another country... hence why Vince Lia could not have played for NZ when the story came out earlier, as when he played age-group for Australia, he wasn't eligible for NZ at that time... whereas Winston could play for Denmark, or Rory for England, but at that time they already had NZ citizenship...

with the case of the Mexican guy, it sounds as though when he first played for Argentina U20s, he was not eligible for Mexico at that time... it was only later he was "naturalised"...

that's the way I read it, but I could be wrong...

That reeks of desperation

Sounds like the 'protest' was lodged too late anyway.

http://msn.mediotiempo.com/futbol/seleccion-mexicana/noticias/2013/10/30/tenia-panama-una-hora-para-protestar-por-chaco

http://www.radioformula.com.mx/notas.asp?Idn=365971

EDIT: Is this link working?

Panama gave away too very soft goals, perhaps two of the softest i saw in Concacaf qualifying, against USA so tough titties lads

^ This reeks of corruption.

Good and Bad news for me....I just got sent a meeting invite for a training course....you guessed it on the morning of the match. At least I won't now stress out watching the 90+5 mins extra time now and can find out the result and deal with it in one hit. Just like ripping a plaster off quickly. No doubt I'll get a few text updates or hear cheering or crying as the game progresses!  

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/10/30/report-panama-asking-fifa-look-mexican-players-eligibility-play-world-cup-qu

So he played Arg youth, unused sub for Arg game, then played for Mexico in the Hex.

Rules state the player needs to be eligible to play for Mexico at the time he played for Arg youth. But he's born in Arg, not aturalised until 2013. So needs to have Mexican parents or grandparents to qualify.

Crikey. 

Just tell me who I need to prepare my anus's for 

Anybody found a link to a live stream for mexico v panama game

Lol finland

still looking. no link it appears.

http://www.reddit.com/r/soccer/comments/1pl6j2/match_thread_mexico_vs_finland/

Streams here at 17:00: http://www.rojadirecta.me/ (in spanish)

2-0 Mexico at 24:00. Finland playing rubbish.

https://twitter.com/mexicoworldcup

Updates here, currently 2-1 to mex

Mex defence crap but look fluid in attack. Lots of pressure hmm

That seemed like a really long break between halves? Or is it my stream? Mexico came out firing. Is it ok to post spoilers here?

Mexico look sharp on attack and transitioning really quickly. Pressing high on defence also.

Finland look rubbish though to be fair.

Ok stream here http://osihtotvrd1.blogspot.com.au/p/canal-1.html 

Finland missed a sitter. Should have been 4 - 3. Who would win in a match between NZ and Finland?

Based on recent form and considering the amount of games we have had recently I would have to say Finland but this was just a Finland B team all playing in Finland with only one player in the first squad so you really can't expect any other result. Mexico looked weak at the back at times but very good on attack in the second half.

Agree.

Funny how people are wondering who's playing for Mexico and who's not.

Any which way the odds of the NZ team needing a proctologist after the first game are about 95%.

We will need lots of arse to survive :)

But then 5% is a chance, isn't it

 ha yeah 5% is optimistic, but I think we are better than one in a million which you infer

Video highlights of Mexico v Finland: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DK2CMAChFPo

Match reports:

http://www.sportingnews.com/soccer/story/2013-10-30/mexico-finland-friendly-el-tri-world-cup-miguel-herrera

http://www.examiner.com/article/el-tri-demonstrates-unity-against-finland-san-diego

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/30/soccer-mexico-qualcomm-stadium-finland/

"But the mass of empty blue seats in Qualcomm Stadium, and the long stretches of eerie silence in a place that traditionally pulsates for this team, told you that – like most of the tickets – the Mexican faithful is still not sold. The announced crowd was 24,723; Mexico’s last appearance here, against Venezuela in March 2011, drew 60,808.

Mexico appeared to shake its recent offensive woes after scoring seven goals in 10 World Cup qualifiers. But Peralta’s goal came on a deflection, and the amount of genuine scoring chances generated by Mexico was not proportionate to its overwhelming amount of possession.

Of deeper concern is the defense, which was supposed to be the strength of Herrera’s controversial plan to include 10 players from the Club America team he has coached the past two years. The logic, he explained, was that he prefers a 5-3-2 formation not used by recent national coaches and his America players would make a more seamless transition than an all-star team thrown together a few days earlier.

Except the defense looked shaky against the No. 63 team in the FIFA world rankings (16 spots higher than New Zealand). A minute after Pena had made it 2-0, Mexico failed to clear a free kick and Jarkko Hurme – wide open at the top of the penalty area – drilled a shot past goalkeeper Moises Munoz.

Peralta made it 3-1 early in the second half, only for the Finns to strike nine minutes later on another defensive gaff. Marquez was stripped of the ball at the left sideline, allowing Mikael Forssell to send in a low cross that Juan Carlos Valenzuela inadvertently knocked into his own net.

Two other Finland shots sailed just wide of the post, each greeted by boos and whistles.

A victory, yes.

Convincing, no.

"I’m satisfied with the team effort, but we have to correct some defensive mistakes," Herrera said. "I felt we were good controlling the ball and that’s a good sign. I’m happy with the 22 players I brought. I think they are ready and excited to continue on this team if needed."

The big question now facing Herrera is who, if anyone, else he’ll call for the New Zealand playoff. He has a stable of high-profile players with high-profile teams in Europe, most notably Manchester United forward Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, but they are also the same guys who got El Tri into this mess in the first place.

Herrera has been conspicuously noncommittal about adding Euros, telling a Tuesday news conference: “I don’t know. I’ll analyze the (Finland) game and see if there is anything missing that a European-based player can offer. But to be honest, if I do call them, it won’t be many.”

Two reasons: The jet lag would be hell, having to cross the Atlantic first, then the Pacific. And most play at sea level, and the first leg is at 7,000 feet in Mexico City.

Assuming they get to play it.

Reports surfaced earlier Wednesday that Panama is lodging a protest about the international eligibility of Christian “Chaco” Gimenez, the Argentine-born midfielder who gained Mexican citizenship last summer and played in three qualifiers (all Mexico losses).

The day before, another Argentine-born midfielder with newfound Mexican citizenship, Rubens Sambueza, had his appeal to play for El Tri rejected by FIFA because he had appeared as a substitute for Argentina in the under-17 World Cup in 2001 – three years before FIFA changed the rules allowing a one-time nationality switch.

Panama jumped on the opportunity to question Gimenez, who played for Argentina that same year in the under-20 South American Championship that served as a qualifier for the U-20 World Cup. The idea, of course, is that it might get Mexico tossed from World Cup qualifying and allow Panama to replace it in the playoff against the Kiwis.

The difference (Mexico hopes): Sambueza played in a FIFA-sanctioned event, and Gimenez did not. Argentina, as host of the U-20 World Cup, had already secured a spot -- rendering the U-20 South American Championships a non-binding event in terms of soccer nationality. Gimenez was twice called to the senior Argentine team for 2010 World Cup qualifiers but did not play.

Full videos of Mexico's previous games in qualifying:

v Costa Rica (full game): one video for each half of game:

http://www.matchhighlight.com/full-match-game/fifa-full-match-game/costa-rica-v-mexico/

v Panama (full game):

http://www.matchhighlight.com/full-match-game/fifa-full-match-game/mexico-v-panama/

Gourdie on TV3 News: Doubt still surrounds Hernandez card situation and NZF are asking FIFA to clarify; also Herbert interview as he departs to attend Mexico - Finland game:

http://www.3news.co.nz/Mexico-more-vulnerable-than-ever--Herbert/tabid/415/articleID/319444/Default.aspx#.UnJlhflmiSo

"There's also confusion around the eligibility of one of their stars after Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez reportedly picked up a yellow card in Mexico's final qualifying match against Costa Rica, which would've ruled him out of the first leg against the All Whites, but official match records aren't clear.

New Zealand Football has asked FIFA to clarify the disciplinary status of both teams ahead of the playoff.

"It's simple. Footage will tell you if the yellow card's there. It's a fully fledged international fixture and we all play by the same rules. Let's wait and see. If it's not there we could be in a position to appeal that," says Herbert.

We def have a better than 5% chance. People are seriously over rating mexico atm

it sound likes the european players may be left out. 

Short time for travel to NZ and to Mexico (and at altitude) may result in the local talent being favoured.