The Road To Brazil 2014 via Wellington feat. Mexico

It really is an interesting dynamic isn't it. Each player has their own strength and they all bring different skill sets. The possibilities are fun to speculate.

I think the use of Marco, you kinda need to be careful with because I believe if he is not played in the right position, he is a wasted player on the field. At Melbourne, him and Archie play as roving strikers that can sit forward and make the runs or just drop off and let the other play forward. Marco may roam the flanks a little more than Archie as well. Now in the AWs what role do you give him because Wee Mac plays a similiar style but perhaps not as forward lying. Do you have Wood, who is a physical specimen and Smeltz whom is a bit more fanciful with ball at feet with Marco to unleash them in a roaming role? What does that then do for Wee Mac?

Not sure if I see Smeltz as a certain starter anymore. Has had an average season by his standards and is clearly out of form. Don't forget he is getting on in years..he was never very fast but looks even slower now.Wood now is first choice up front. Smeltz has looked ponderous and ineffective playing tucked in behind Wood....at the Olympics and for the AW's.

Ideally IMO the best attacking formation for the AW's would be Wood up front with Weemac playing in behind him in the role he has done so well with CCM this season. Rojas on one wing and whoever out of Costa/Brockie/Leo on the other. Mind you it depends on the tactics...if its longball then Killen, Wood and Smeltz should probably all be there

Pretty clear message from NZF that Auckland is their preference/choice:

NZF yet to name Qualifier venue 

I agree. Far from a done deal.

Celia Weighed-Down : the Ring of nothingness

Wellington City Council......Absolutely Positively Useless

I have detected a very very very strong preference for Auckland. 

From who? NZF? Your mates? A vibe in the air? Just curious.

I want it to be in Wellington as much as anyone but the fact remains that the largest two crowds to watch Football in the last two years have been in Auckland (Nix v Pissants and Nix v Grrrrivals)  Crowds to watch football in Wellington have been declining over the last two years. If we had been getting good numbers at Nix matches the decision would have been easier

 If it was a matter of money, the decision would be made already and Auckland would have it.

It is not an easy decision for them to make and I would rather they take some time (it is still 6 months out) to properly consider it.

I still believe and hope it will end up in the R.o.F 

Photos of Celia Wade's Brown  a k a 'The Ring of Fire' available at
info@wc.govt.nz

Wellington Phoenix 2 (Huysegems 43, Louis Fenton 75)
Sydney FC 0

Crowd: 12,057 at Westpac Stadium

Wellington Phoenix 1 (Brockie 41)
Perth Glory 0

Crowd: 11,566 at Eden Park Auckland

Game v Jamaica more?

It was a good night.

Pineys thoughts as usual Hitting Nail on the head 

http://www.radiosport.co.nz/opinion/jason-pine-9apr2013

 Good piece.Manama not Myanmar.

Piney really gets a bum licking on these forums. The guy always plays it super safe zzz

It should be Auckland!

35,000 v 50/60,000. Total no brainer. The defeatist attitude of we're not going to sell it out is tiresome!

ROF! ROF! ROF!

He was always going to say Wellington. 

Most of our opponents likely venues for the first leg have 35,000 capacities and a running track around most (usa/mexico aside who we should not meet) so I'd much rather we got the advantage with 50/60,000 as opposed to the same number. The atmosphere would be far greater at a sold out Eden Park. You could argue familarity of players but the starting XI could potentially feature only 2 or 3 Phoenix players...

I just think that Wellington has a better culture for active support than any other area in the country and that is more likely to create a better atmosphere. Other than that, I think the other arguments (travel, revenue, Auckland's turn) lean towards Auckland.

As much as it pains me to say it, the more I think about this the more I think Auckland should get it. I reckon it would definitely sellout, and the fact that it's rectangular stadium would also mean our crowd would be right on top of the game and thus more intimidating. Add in the extra money from an Auckland game too.

Experiencing the Bahrain game was incredible but I think that atmosphere isn't necessarily going to be unobtainable in Auckland. For a start, how many people at the Wellington game were Wellington-based, and even if most were I'd imagine a lot would travel to Auckland for a game there after experiencing the euphoria last time?

Or they would feel shafted and not travel

If its in Auckland i probably wont travel. I think they'll get it to be honest, the fact alone that theyre still deciding says it all. Wellington wouldve just been given it otherwise. Especially after the fuck up in Honiara - they could use the extra revenue that they wont be getting from the confeds

What's this "familiarity with the sorroundings" rubbish? If the handful of phoenix players who will be in the squad aren't professional enough to handle playing in Auckland then we are f**ked anyway. Imo think this particular argument is prettymuch irrelevant.

The other thing that needs to be borne in mind is that this time around the game will be midweek as opposed to on a Saturday, this will have a reasonable impact on the number of people looking to travel to the game.

Also the weather is most likely going to be more shit and anti-tropical in wellington

I live in AKL, but it has to be WLG. Might only be the one play off game to base it on, but the history is there and there's enough players backing up from 2009 to make it important. Deep down we all know things like this do matter to the players, and we have to take every possible advantage we can. And an extra $500k in gate takings is nothing compared to the $10m + we get for qualifying...

 Either location, I doubt we will qualify.