All Whites, Ferns, and other international teams
Goddamit!
Rory only had to flutter his eyelashes at me and I'm falling in love with him all over again.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9387200/Azteca-holds-no-fear-for-2009-hero-Fallon
Love his positivity.
#dontstopbelievin in God.
If you are old and wise you were probably young and stupid
I understand the US national team have trained at Mile High Stadium in Colorado to replicate the high altitude at the Azteca before big games against Mexico. I wonder why we didn't do the same to prepare the players rather than train at sea level in LA? I hope it's not down to money saving. It could make a big difference in the last 20 minutes.
I see the ref is a notoriously card-happy Hungarian. Think I'll pop out and put a spot bet on Sigmund being first.
I understand the US national team have trained at Mile High Stadium in Colorado to replicate the high altitude at the Azteca before big games against Mexico. I wonder why we didn't do the same to prepare the players rather than train at sea level in LA?
This worries me.
As said earlier, unless you have weeks to prepare at altitude it's actually better to stay at sea level. Otherwise you just tire more quickly and you don't acclimatise in time anyway
People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis. You can't trust people.
This is the current thinking according to sports scientists. ... stay at sea level till just before game I unless you can fully acclimatize which tales weeks. The All Blacks now stay on the coast before moving up to the high veldt .
As said earlier, unless you have weeks to prepare at altitude it's actually better to stay at sea level. Otherwise you just tire more quickly and you don't acclimatise in time anyway
Bluemagic has said this a few times, despite the reasons being settled on the forum a while ago. You need a lot longer to adjust to altitude than we have, so it is better to fly in as late as possible and to be as fresh as possible, was I believe the reason given.
I wonder if the altitude will have a similar effect on the movement of the Football through the air as that of the WC in South Africa.
I know the ball had some part to play in that but I remember hearing how the ball swerve was amplified by the altitude.
Hopefully Mossy gets as much practice in as possible.
FIFA regulations say you can have up to 23 in your match day squad, and you can alter the squad up to the day before the game. A maximum of 8 officials allowed on the bench - apparently NZF protesting to FIFA about this as we had at least 25 people who needed a spot on the bench for their contribution to team spirit :)
As said earlier, unless you have weeks to prepare at altitude it's actually better to stay at sea level. Otherwise you just tire more quickly and you don't acclimatise in time anyway
If they stay in LA much longer they are gonna get the bends going to Mexico City
The cartels would be great help. Someone who speaks Spanish need to contact one of their team and tell them we have money on nz. It will scare them shitless
Calling all fans in Japan, come down and support the mighty nix in Osaka
http://www.facebook.com/WellingtonPhoenixClubMembersSupportersGroupOsaka
Latest photos All Whites training in LA:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152040025677697.1073741832.148216172696&type=1
Big Pete 65, Christchurch
At the moment the football gods seem to be favoring the All Whites. Current weather prediction for the day of the game is 57 degrees (13-14 celcius) 30% chance of rain, 64% humidity and winds at 15mph. Golden opportunity if the weather predictions hold out.
I picked up on that too. I would have thought that since they make their money with their feet, you would keep them covered and protected at all times. See Doug Bracewell and cuts in the foot.
Grumpy old bastard alert
I had the 'privilege' of being involved with OFC 10 years ago. You have no idea of the politics involved and how every dog protects their own kennel.
I can tell you with certainty, there is a reason OFC get no leg up from other confeds and that's because of the politics involved in running ours. When it comes to voting lines, there is a very definite trend. There is a reason Australia got out and left NZ to it and it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why. That's nothing to do with opinion, that's fact.
In this case I can tell you it's a political decision on wiping the cards having spoken with the men who made that decision.
Saying it's "politics" is just a nicer way of saying the same thing. NZ was shafted by OFC for no logical reason other than resentment and now we have 10 players on yellow cards and facing a card-happy Hungarian referee in a hot house Azteca. You can bet there'll be two or three yellows for the AWs and they are out of the return leg in Wellington. These include Smith, Vicelich, Wood, McGlinchey, Bertos, Brockie and Fallon. The only option is to pull our tackles but legs and lungs are going to be stretched to the limit and timing will suffer.
Oceania have done us no favours as the most likely representative for a World Cup place, dress it up how you like.
nz in black for the game, Mexico is doing his mind games, and a problems at the airport , they may be delayed for hours for an "amicable welcome", will check with detail any backpack and stuff to kept them away of sleeping
Lets be objective. Looking at who is in the squad, how likely is Christie to get near the pitch?? I think its a bit of angst over nothing and he gets free air miles.
On the other hand if asked - as he's bound to be - RH will have to give a reason for selecting him. I have a (tequila-fuelled) theory. Christie's without a club, right? So he's been keeping himself fit alone, right? And practicing hard, right? On his own. So what's he been practising? Not passing, that's for sure. Not tactical interplay, ditto. But he's got to have been doing something - something RH knows about. Maybe something RH has told him to do. "Keep doing it, JC, and I'll see you in Mehico mate." So what's this secret thing RH and JC have cooked up between them? Doing Vinnies? Nobbling them by the cojones when they're not looking? Maybe JC has put on 10 kilos of muscle and become super-JC with a previously unseen cannonball shot. He just needs to get into position to use it. Ah, maybe he's become a dead-ball specialist! A super-sub free-kick/penalty dead-eye dick! Who knows? We don't. But RH does. So tell us Ricki. Pleae tell us.
Nov 05 #4064
"At the end of the drive the lawmen arrive...
I'll take my chance because luck is on my side or something...
Her name is Rio, she don't need to understand...
Oh Rio, Rio, hear them shout across the land..."
Do we have any idea how many away supporter tickets were allocated & sold for next week??
Lets be objective. Looking at who is in the squad, how likely is Christie to get near the pitch?? I think its a bit of angst over nothing and he gets free air miles.
On the other hand if asked - as he's bound to be - RH will have to give a reason for selecting him. I have a (tequila-fuelled) theory. Christie's without a club, right? So he's been keeping himself fit alone, right? And practicing hard, right? On his own. So what's he been practising? Not passing, that's for sure. Not tactical interplay, ditto. But he's got to have been doing something - something RH knows about. Maybe something RH has told him to do. "Keep doing it, JC, and I'll see you in Mehico mate." So what's this secret thing RH and JC have cooked up between them? Doing Vinnies? Nobbling them by the cojones when they're not looking? Maybe JC has put on 10 kilos of muscle and become super-JC with a previously unseen cannonball shot. He just needs to get into position to use it. Ah, maybe he's become a dead-ball specialist! A super-sub free-kick/penalty dead-eye dick! Who knows? We don't. But RH does. So tell us Ricki. Pleae tell us.
Nov 05 #4064
Lets be objective. Looking at who is in the squad, how likely is Christie to get near the pitch?? I think its a bit of angst over nothing and he gets free air miles.
On the other hand if asked - as he's bound to be - RH will have to give a reason for selecting him. I have a (tequila-fuelled) theory. Christie's without a club, right? So he's been keeping himself fit alone, right? And practicing hard, right? On his own. So what's he been practising? Not passing, that's for sure. Not tactical interplay, ditto. But he's got to have been doing something - something RH knows about. Maybe something RH has told him to do. "Keep doing it, JC, and I'll see you in Mehico mate." So what's this secret thing RH and JC have cooked up between them? Doing Vinnies? Nobbling them by the cojones when they're not looking? Maybe JC has put on 10 kilos of muscle and become super-JC with a previously unseen cannonball shot. He just needs to get into position to use it. Ah, maybe he's become a dead-ball specialist! A super-sub free-kick/penalty dead-eye dick! Who knows? We don't. But RH does. So tell us Ricki. Pleae tell us.
Nov 05 #4064
According to reports of the training lineup it looks like Christie will play alongside McGlinchey as a sort of holding midfielder. Two players with no clubs and therefore not match fitness in key positions - Lochhead and Christie. Meanwhile match fit players of J league and A league standard are left out. I suppose the only consolation is that Tim Brown isn't being rushed out of retirement, then Ricki would feel comfortable. I thought it was just a nice jollie for favourite oldies, but apparently not.
Even at his best Christie wasn't up to this level. I shudder to think what he's like after a two year layoff.
I have a theory, and I may be wrong, but I think Herbert has resigned himself to losing against Mexico and plans to walk after the payoffs and so this is his way of lifting a middle finger to his critics. He's doing all he can to help old mates (read Christie and Lochhead) get professional contracts in the US by playing them in matches that'll get huge coverage in North America.
Looks like Christie will be starting, wow. just wow.
Isn't Vince Lia a NZ citizen yet, can we fly him over at the last minute instead? Christie makes Lia look like Zidane.
On another note, it's good the weather is not looking as daunting as expected!
I've got a plan...! Ricki at CB... Player/Coach... Winner.
Auckland City FC
Christie is starting? Someone tell me this is a joke. Ricki Herbert's just pranking us guys.. right?
Christie is starting? Someone tell me this is a joke. Ricki Herbert's just pranking us guys.. right?
^ You guys just don't get it. Christie is RH's SECRET WEAPON! As Frankie Mac says, he's gonna score a hat-trick. At the Azteca. No problem.
And if he doesn't, somebody else will (possibly with a Spanish-sounding surname).
"At the end of the drive the lawmen arrive...
I'll take my chance because luck is on my side or something...
Her name is Rio, she don't need to understand...
Oh Rio, Rio, hear them shout across the land..."
[/quote]
Saying it's "politics" is just a nicer way of saying the same thing. NZ was shafted by OFC for no logical reason other than resentment and now we have 10 players on yellow cards and facing a card-happy Hungarian referee in a hot house Azteca. You can bet there'll be two or three yellows for the AWs and they are out of the return leg in Wellington. These include Smith, Vicelich, Wood, McGlinchey, Bertos, Brockie and Fallon. The only option is to pull our tackles but legs and lungs are going to be stretched to the limit and timing will suffer.
Oceania have done us no favours as the most likely representative for a World Cup place, dress it up how you like.
Funny how people don't read an original post properly and then someone else's misinterpretation of a post gets taken as factual.
Several people have been posting that the ref for Thursday is "card-happy" ans it's become taken as factual...
My original post on the refereeing appointments points out that there are different refs for each leg:
(1) Relax!!! The Hungarian ref for Thursday, Viktor Kassai is not particularly card-happy and is the same ref we had in the away leg v Bahrain in 2009.
See his details: very experienced ref of 2011 UEFA Champions League Final, 2010 Spain v Germany World Cup 2010 semi etc.:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viktor_Kassai
(2) The ref for the second leg in Wellington, German Felix Brych, has been a little card-happy in UEFA World Cup qualifiers recently
and has become known as the notorious "phantom goal referee" after he attracted worldwide attention after allowing the "goal that never was" in the Bundesliga a couple of weeks ago:
http://www.sandiegored.com/noticias/45526/Phantom-goal-referee-to-officiate-New-Zealand-vs-Mexico/
That "phantom goal" Brych allowed that clearly never was Leverkusen v Hoffenheim:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3CLrTOcDa0
As long as he allows us a dodgy goal or two, bring it on !!!!
He's dished out a few reds in recent World Cup qualifiers:
| WC Qualifiers Europe 2012/2013 - Appearances as Referee | |||||||
|
Spain |
- |
France |
1:1 |
Yellows= 3 | |||
| 06/09/2013 | Serbia | - | Croatia | 1:1 | Yellows = 6 | Reds = 1 | |
| 11/10/2013 | Armenia | - | Bulgaria | 2:1 | Yellows = 3 | Reds = 1 |
Brych refereed the uncontroversial first leg of the Ireland v France play-off for World cup 2010 on 14/11/09
(It was after the second leg Thierry Henry admitted to handling the ball into the net but Brych wasn't the ref for that game).
Big Pete 65, Christchurch
I keep swinging between thinking we might have an outside chance and thinking we'll get dicked over 2 legs. I think if we had a full strength squad I'd be generally more confident but the Reid injury and the Christie selection are worrying. On the other hand, Mexico have been a massive shambles in the last year, their euro players aren't there, and all the pressure will be on them. If Ricki's bus parking tactics can frustrate them for the first half of the first leg then who knows how the fans or team will react. From the sounds of it we could have 105,000 Mexicans cheering for us!
Either way I'm sick of the suspense. Bring on Thursday morning!
People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis. You can't trust people.
Finally got around to writing this. My take on our WCQ campaign.
http://2121vision.wordpress.com/2013/12/24/the-blame-game-all-whites-rocky-road-to-rio/
Bloody good write up. Get that into the MSM and that would open their eyes up
Grumpy old bastard alert
Very good. I think the conclusion is it would have been a travesty if we had qualified!
Still disagree with your assessment of the tactics in the away leg - I think our plan to defend that deep for 90 minutes with the players we had was only going to end one way. We needed to find a way to try and stop Mexico playing rather than just rely on our defenders in and around the box and I have no idea what Brockie was picked to do. Didn't see much evidence of a plan to counterattack either, all we seemed to do was try and get rid as quick as possible. But that's unlikely to have affected the result over 2 legs
But that all pales into insignificance when you put our whole qualification in context. It's been a pretty messy 4 year period really. Not a whole lot has gone right for the AWs and quite a bit of it was out of our hands
Normo's coming home
MSM?
Similar to DVDA?
Top of your christmas list?