Vs Mexico 1st Leg Thurs 14th 9:30am SS2

Andy Boyens missed the 2 year cut off date

Sports Bar, Fort St. will probably have it on the big screen. And they do morning food.

Ha ha. If it's 0 - 0 come halftime you'll be f***kn chewing your fingernails like the rest of us!

If he plays Christie and we end up, not making it, :-(

I hope its a result that makes nzf have to fire a lot of people, if that makes sense.

If we are going to lose both games, I hope both games are masscares, that way FVH and his friends wont keep their jobs.

Of course I would rather have us cause one of the biggest upsets in soccer history.

The one they are dubbing "El Marcito" (little Marco) becomes Mexican media celebrity: 

"We already call him 'El Marcito' (little Marco)," said another reporter, "El tiene magia (he's got magic)."

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=11155513

Yesterday Rojas, who admitted match fitness could be a problem and he didn't expect to start at the Azteca - was besieged at the team hotel in Los Angeles after training. Initially there were to be no one on one interviews with the VFB Stuttgart player but Rojas was grabbed on arrival, and completed more than half a dozen interviews with the biggest television networks from Mexico and the United States, as well as the mandatory group media scrum.

"Your Spanish is good, Marco, muy bien, muy bien," remarked one enthusiastic Mexican reporter.

"You need to teach your team-mates something - no?."

It's might be too late for that, but last night the softly spoken Rojas was beamed into millions of Mexican and North American homes...".

Marco's guide to football Spanish
Vamos Nueva Zealanda - Let's go New Zealand
Tenemos que ganar - We have to win
El árbitro necesita lentes! - The referee needs glasses!
Golazo! - What a goal!
No fue penal - That wasn't a penalty
No es justo - That's not fair
Tenemos que esperar hasta Wellington - We have to wait until Wellington

Rojas is not going to start?????? Thats crazy.

I must admit part of me wants NZ to lose just so Rickie can get the sack. If the team qualifies then everyone will be saying what a good coach he is but it'll just mask what a terrible coach he is with his outdated tactics and lack of progress he has made with the national team. This team has the players to play much better football under a more tactically astute coach and until the board sees that the country is not going to progress any further besides long ball into the box. 

Herbert is the fonz, NZF Happy Days......coming this Thursday we have: jumping the shark

Considering he will leave after the world cup anyway.

For NZ to move forward they do need Ricki to go. The fact something like this would need to happen for Ricki to leave is sad and is a reflection on NZF. As I stated earlier, the Ocenia Cup disaster would be enough for most countries to look for another coach, why does NZF have to wait for a catstrophie before they pull finger (though the Oceania Cyp to me was a catastrophie). But I was under the impression Herbert was leaving after the next world cup regardless .

And regardless of if Ricki stays or goes, how many of the current squad would still be around for the next campaign?

When you look at the youngsters and the mid twenties in the squad now, we have a very promising squad that should be hitting their straps in 3-4 years time. 

We were also saying this 3-4 years ago. But the current coach has done very little to bring in new blood from the last world cup. Only when he has had his hand forced.

The weather gods seem to be favoring the All Whites:  Current weather prediction for game day = cool day (late autumn/ early winter):

http://www.weather.com/weather/wxdetail2/MXDF0132

14°C High

Few Showers

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________  

Meanwhile, Mexican Federation invite whole of Mexico to greet AW's at the airport tonight & it's back in black:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/soccer-football/news/article.cfm?c_id=86&objectid=11155629

The psychological warfare has begun. The All Whites will be forced to play in black on Thursday, while their arrival details into Mexico have been published nationwide.

Some crafty work by the Mexican Football Federation has ensured that the New Zealand side will be swamped by a mountain of fans and media when they arrive in Mexico tonight.

The team touch down at around 1130pm local time (630pm NZT), and had hoped to keep their arrival time and airline under wraps, as much as feasible.

But the Mexican Federation contacted every media organisation in the country yesterday, as well as fan websites, forums and supporter networks, informing them of the All Whites exact time of arrival and airline.

"Going into Mexico was always going to be a challenge," says striker Chris Wood. "But it is also a great occasion and we have to try to enjoy the moment."

There is no fear at this stage of a particularly hostile airport reception but there is no doubt it feel like enemy territory.

Meanwhile, Mexico has won another pre-match battle - as the All Whites will be forced to play in black. New Zeland had hoped to play in their traditional white kit, especially as the early afternoon match is expected to be played in sweltering conditions at the Azteca Stadium.

But the home side has first choice, and plumped for their traditional uniform of green shirt with white shorts. FIFA don't allow any colour clashes across the uniform, forcing New Zealand to make the switch.

Can we make El Tri wear scratchy woolen shirts when they come over here?

Anyone else think that if Killen was available Herbert would have him playing in the midfield? After seeing JC back in the side I would not be surprised if Herbert would have tried this failed experiment again.

Cheers

erm....

"Prepare your anus's"?

lol

the psYcHologycal warfare or "mind games", are part of the folk of the game,  it has been around since football was made, how to make it hard for the opposition before hitting the pitch.   Check   Turkey vs Switzerland in 2005, prior to WC 2006

I've put all my Herbert angst and NZF angst behind me for the next 2 days or so, as I can't stand the thought of the likely embarrassment on Thursday morning with a packed Westpac waiting in Wn. The players don't need the angst. It's not their fault.

Herbert will play Christie in a Lia role -and Wood will be the lone ranger up front.

Plan A - everyone, bar Wood behind the ball, with bombs away down the flanks, and centrally down to Wood.

Plan B - when we're 3-0 down - Fallon will come on, and they'll try and nick an away goal from setpiece, or another long ball into the area.

My own view is like everyone else. Critical we don't concede in first 20, and HAVE to show them Wood is some-one they need to worry about. They will come at us from the opening minute like angry ants, and make sure the game is played at pace. But Wood will get 2 or 3 opportunities on goal in the game, but we need to give him the chance to show something early. Have always thought the Away Goal threat is the only thing we've got going for us in this 1st leg.

YES AS THE GAME GOES ON , ENERGY FADES AWAY BEST WAY IS TO START STRONGLY , COVER THE FLANKS, AND PLAY FLANK BALLS TO EMPTY PLACES  FOR THE RUNNING OF  BROCKIE AND BARBAROUSES.   and to have theIR fullbacks busy,...mexico will play  5-3-2  ,  check  Ecuador vs Argentina and check  Argentina display  he played  5-4-1  with Palacio and Di Maria holding when defending and being forwards in attack  change to a spread 3-4-3  formation to support your  long center forward

We need a break Javier

Christie starting? Some Kiwi journalists think so (Burgess in the Herald) and Worthington here:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9389425/Massive-gamble-for-All-Whites-in-Mexico/

"If I played him [Christie] I'd play him because I thought he could do a job as a man marker in midfield," Herbert said.

Chris James, Jake Butler and Aaron Clapham are Herbert's other options in central midfield.

James is the best technical player but Herbert knows tackling will be the order of the day on Thursday at Estadio Azteca."

Likely All Whites XI: Glen Moss, Tommy Smith, Ivan Vicelich, Andrew Durante, Tony Lochhead, Leo Bertos, Jeremy Christie, Michael McGlinchey, Kosta Barbarouses, Jeremy Brockie, Chris Wood

I think they're maybe overstating it as a certainty, and looking at Worthington's reports, Ricki is actually more ambiguous.

This report by Sam Worthington leaves it much more uncertain. Coaches in these situations are happy to leave speculation flying around to confuse the opposition - Ricki in these quotes is purposefully vague and won't even commit as to who his captain will be, let alone name his midfield (see second half of article). He and the players probably know, he's just not making things public:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9387860/All-Whites-warned-of-fanatical-fans

"Herbert is yet to decide whether Smith or Ivan Vicelich will lead the side and he will leave that call until he names his team at the captain's run tomorrow.

There are no injury concerns and Herbert said his toughest selection decision would be around his three attacking players.

Chris Wood, Jeremy Brockie and Kosta Barbarouses are the favourites, with Shane Smeltz and Marco Rojas short of match fitness.

Vicelich spent most of his time at centre back yesterday in a five-man defence featuring Smith, Andrew Durante, Tony Lochhead and Leo Bertos.

Michael McGlinchey will definitely start as one of two holding midfielders, with Chris James, Jeremy Christie, Jake Butler and Aaron Clapham the options to partner him.

Of those four James and Clapham are the best technicians, while Christie and Butler are more robust ball winners.

"I think Chris is a bit more fluent, technically better," Herbert said.

"Jeremy, Jake Butler, Aaron Clapham to a certain degree are probably better markers. So it just depends what we do in that central area of the pitch. If you go man for man and you want people tracking into the box, it might suit the latter three more than the first one.

"Could we afford to have Michael and Chris playing alongside each other, away from home? Maybe not. But there's a couple of thoughts."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/9389596/Pressure-on-Ricki-Herbert-to-deliver

Tony Smith's preferred starting lineup :   Glen Moss;  Storm Roux, Ben Sigmund,  Andrew Durante, Tommy Smith (c), Bill Tuiloma;  Jeremy Brockie, Jake Butler,  Michael McGlinchey, Kosta Barbarouses; Chris Wood.

I don't really trust Wood to start - even though he's far and away our best striker. Can't shake the feeling he'll crumble a bit under the pressure. In saying that, our strikers will probably get - maximum - one clear chance.

All i'm hoping for is a near loss at worse so that the Welly games goes off.

I would be really surprised to see Christie picked to start and would expect to see Butler before him, simply because he will have the match fitness.

Perhaps though this is Claphams time to really stand up and make a mark. 

Ideally I would like to see james start as DM, plays there professionally, is coming off a season so should have match fitness and is better at keeping the ball and finding a pass. We don't want to simply win the ball, hoof it back and repeat a 1000 times over 90 minutes.

The best way to keep up our fitness is to make them do the running as much as possible.

In saying that, i expect every throw in, kick off etc to take an age from the first whistle.

2-0 would be okay; anything more than that and there will be a half empty stadium in Welly

People will still go if we are 0-3 down on agg. Party atmosphere etc. Most ppl have work off why would they want to go to work if we are pumped on thurs

And NZers are tightwads. Theyve already paid

Ricki has picked the Maoris cause they will handle the Mexicans better? Do you actual read the pile of shyte that you write sometimes? This is not a game where they rock up and go " 'sup cuz"

All angst aside for me, there just isnt any point now

Cant wait for the game, and being an optimist, I am looking forward to being pleasantly surprised. Its a world cup game against the 4th best team, under way more pressure than us, anything can happen

#Believe