The Road To Brazil 2014 via Wellington feat. Mexico

It isn't a fifa window so they aren't available.

"Storm Roux confirms he has just been called up into the NZ World Cup squad." (see above)

So who do we think is in there?

Certainties: Moss, Bertos, Reid, Sigmund, Durante, Smith, Lochhead, Tuiloma, McGlinchey, Vicelich, Butler (seems to like him), Howieson, Rojas, Barbarouses, Wood, Smeltz, Brockie (17)

Apparently: Roux

Possibly: Spoonley or Williams, Keat, Payne, Peverley, Christie, James, Henderson, Bright, Fallon

Unlikely (sadly): Fitzgerald

Bolters: Hicks?

Injured: Killen

Missed anyone?

As certainties: Payne for Butler I reckon; and Fallon - as cover for Smeltz.

Can't see Fitzgerald getting the call up. Should do, but why now, why not earlier.

Too late for Hicks.

Henderson and James ahead of Butler.

Wait so Mexico isn't selecting any European-based players for the games against us?

Who knows what Mexico is gonna do. Our biggest worry is having Bertos/Lochhead as wing backs IMO. Will absolutely carve us up out wide and get in behind. A shame its too late for Roux/Tuiloma to get starts. PACE!

In  3 keepers at least

     8  defenders

      8 mids

      5 strikers 

since 9 players are w/ one yellow and some will play the first leg, he would call 23 to 25 players, some yellows will fly in mexico city

confirmed 

moss and spoonley

reid smith sigmund durante lochhead tuiloma bertos

mc glinchey vicelich  brockie keat clapham

barbarouses  smetz wood fallon  rojas

craig henderson and james should go, dont know about payne, lacks fitness Boxall as cover for return leg and Hogg back, Roux?

i have 19 players  if rojas goes howieson wouldnt go

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he wouldnt call less than 25,,

10, 12 "european based" mexican players will be call up, most of them would fly directly to WELLINGTON to prepare for game 2.  Among them, the dos-santos brothers , chicharito, guardado, ochoa ( maybe gk) some pair from Porto,  Vela? resigned to the nat team as Nery Castillo, uruguayan born Mexico players

There is pressure on Vela and Nery Castillo to come back, it seems, dont think so they will partner in attack since they both resigned to play for Mexico

No. Jonathan Dos Santos hasn't been called up since like 2011, he's not playing so he won't be called. If Herrera & Reyes get minutes maybe they will. Vela definitely won't. Chicharito is a doubt. Guardado & Ochoa are also doubts. Giovani should come, Aquino too. Moreno is a lock, or he should.

Nery is Mexican born, his parents were Uruguayan, but he did born in Mexico.

----

Herrera stated before he wouldn't call Vela. And Nery has never resigned to the NT, he just has been in a slump practically since 2010. Really, stop trying to be the "I know all" when it comes to the Mexican NT, you rarely say anything that's true.

If this is true what the hell is going on with NZ football. We had a dogs breakfast of a shambles for the last announcement on the squad And we now have players announcing that they have been selected for the biggest game in the last 4 years before the official announcement.  Does anyone with half a brain actually work for NZ football

Youve obviously had no dealings with NZF....

Looks like its the AWs playing America..Club America that is... with 10 players in squad.

The section of Club America players may actually make the game harder for us.

Pure speculation, but I'm guessing the coach is thinking... we can't gel as a team at the moment so I'll select a team which already plays together and knows each well as a base and make one or two changes around this. That way, I don't have to worry about egos, poor club form and lack of knowledge about one another or of his knowledge of them...

Feck Me... They've hired the Mexican Herbert!!

If the team has been decided I guess they don't want to release it to make it harder to learn our weakness.  Our games are wet really televised so could be hard to scout.

Fuck Me, having just seen the TV 1 highlights I hope the Winston who played spurs turns up and not the one who played against Man Citeh.

1st leg is 13th November at 9 am NZT.  Anyone know if there will be any bars screening the game in Wellington.....Four Kings?

One thing I'm a bit worried about - we're talking about flying in the evening of the match.  That gives us no time to acclimatise to the altitude.  I'm no expert but wouldn't you want a few days training there at altitude??

I think their are a few different theories these days, one says that unless you are there for a good long time you won't acclimatise so why expose yourself to it and the other more conventional one that you can get used to it.

Don't think many of the rugby teams go to altitude until the day before games these days, though they have more experience in it.

Mexico squad announced - all Mexican based players.

Goalkeepers: Jesus Corona (Cruz Azul), Moises Munoz (America)

Defenders: Rafael Marquez (Leon), Juan Carlos Valenzuela, Francisco Rodriguez, Adrian Aldrete, Paul Aguilar, Miguel Layun (all America), Miguel Herrera (Pachuca), Hiram Mier (Monterrey), Rodrigo Salinas (Morelia)

Midfielders: Juan Carlos Medina, Luis Mendoza, Jesus Molina (all America), Lucas Lobos (UANL Tigres), Carlos Pena, Edwin Hernandez, Luis Montes (all Leon)

Forwards: Jesus Escoboza, Oribe Peralta (both Santos Laguna), Raul Jimenez (America), Aldo De Nigris (Guadalajara)