Auckland City FC - Thanks a Trillion

Yeah I must agree with this. When you consider that he would want to get back in the shop window again, this would be perfect for him. I would also like to point to that he would be a 3000% upgrade on the Japanese LB that is currently there although I understand he is in the team for marketing purposes.

Oh yeah....When was he released? I guess it would be an international transfer from the US back to NZ so would most likely apply. I don't think NZF would have jurisdiction to wave it even if they wanted to. I would probably guess that there may be something in the regs that a player must have played x amount of games or been registered for x amount of days with that team anyway to stop a team stacking their side. In theory, you could stack a side and promise them the spoils which would negate the point of it.
Is CWC taken seriously (I mean by the other confederations?)

Occasionally they do though. Barcelona seemed to care about it last year I believe as it was the only trophy they hadn't won. Or am I thinking of brazil in the confed cup? 

It would. But it begins from his last game.  Which was ages ago.

my understanding is that hogg will enter a 'waived players' draft, therefore he is likely to still be under some form of contract to the mls for the short term

draft has already happened. Didn't get picked up.

The 30 period is from his last game.  Nothing to so with when his contract finishes.

with only 2 games in the reserves i'm not surprised.

could have been good for auckland to nab him then i guess, but i assume the squad deadline for the WCC has passed?

it's a pity he didn't do better at portland.  hopefully his next gig is a good pro contract

The boy is decent IMO.  And now that he seems to have sorted his angry side out I wish him well.  He can be A-league level at least with his nice turn of pace and his leftiness I think.  So a compliment from the south - there you go.

That was the one thing he needed to sort - the massive 'WTF' moments when he lost it or was angry. His brother Stu never got that memo but had he, he could have had a decent career as well. At least one of the Hoggs has learned and it will serve him well.

Jeff I think Stuart actually had more raw ability, natural technique and such a keen eye for goal.  But perhaps not the hunger or desire to work.  Now I'm older and fatter I think I understand that work ethic is the most important thing of all, not just the talent and frills and skills.

I cannot speak for the rest of Europe, but no one in the UK gives a snake's cock about it.  I assume that Chelsea are playing in it this year and opening this thread this morning is the first mention I have heard about it.  The Chelsea games will probably be on TV over here, but I would guess that the ratings would be low and the only real mention of the CWC that you will hear is in relation to the league games that chelsea will miss and how the travel will affect their form when they return.

So really, its just a FIFA wankfest...

Live on Sky Sports 3

Sanfreece Hiroshima v Auckland City FC 

Thursday 6 Dec 11:45pm

....although I'd check closer to the date as sky tends to move dates/times around willynilly 

 

Isn't the Phoenix an obvious home for Ian Hogg? The lad definitely deserves a good professional contract and the A League would be a nice step up from the ASBP. He'd give you pace and good crosses as a wing back.

 

Fully agree with you Ed. Without all the effort that goes into making ACFC a competitive outfit there would be no ASBP. What ACFC has is a big group of dedicated volunteers. What's wrong with being successful at raising sponsorship money? If the ASBP had eight clubs like ACFC it would be a great competition.

There's nothing wrong with being successful at raising sponsorship money as long as:

a) It's legitimate and sustainable, and

b) you accept that even if every franchise put exactly the same number and quality of funding applications to every gaming trust they could there would still be massive differences in the outcome, and this makes for an inequitable competition.

TB - you say that "If the ASBP had eight clubs like ACFC it would be a great competition". That's not quite the full story. What you should say is "If the eight clubs in the ASBP all had access to the same amount of gaming trust funding as ACFC it would be a great competition".

You can throw up the smokescreen of volunteer effort as being ACFC's point of difference if you like, but the fact is that ACFC/Central Utd receive significantly more gaming trust funding than all but one of their ASBP rivals. That is a real and quantifiable difference.

ACFC aren't keeping the ASBP afloat, the Trillion Trust are, by putting ACFC in a position to qualify for the CWC.

And contrary to what was said in another thread there isn't a shred of jealousy or disdain for ACFC in saying that. In fact, I think that's about as a clear a statement of the facts as could be made.


Good luck at the CWC by the way. For the reasons stated above it's obviously crucial that you are successful.
 

I think he would serve better than Luke Rowe. I thought Luke Rowe was well off the pace in his game. Granted he was not in a fair position and they are two fundamentally different players in terms of style but I think he would offer a bit to the Phoenix. What they don't tolerate (and if you watched Chad Coombes in his run for the AW spot, it was quite apparently) is those stupid little fouls in dumb places that are absolute coach killers. My question is, has he eliminated that from his game to justify being in that environment? Thats the big difference between Durante and Sigmund. You don't see Durante giving away those stupid fouls...

Also given what's happened with Scott basalj not being eligible for the nix...

 Hogg would still be an international transfer....

Only in the short term would that be a problem...

True... It would be an interesting proposition.

for his sake i hope the asb premiership isn't his best option

Is he? That could be worth finding out.

Day 1 on video  ACFC Training Day 1 

 

Fair point. I think Ian Hogg has reduced those silly fouls moments and his performance against Hondouras shows he can step up. I think being in a fully professional environment at the Phoenix would iron out the creases and turn him into a good A League player. It did for Ben Sigmund (to a large degree). There's always going to be those blood-to-the-head moments for Sigmund, they just have to be kept to a minimum.

30' Yamaga play Auckland and it is nil nil 

Even game. 

Best chance for Yamaga on 25

34 minute Yamaga have a corner 

Saw this pop up on Twitter today, Auckland City FC are showing the Club World Cup game at the clubrooms

Details here 

The place will be rockin'. If you're a football fan and in the Queen's city on Thursday night get down to Kiwitea Street. Doors open at 11pm. Beer is only $6. All very welcome. Rumour is JV is going to take his mask off.