Nike Cup 2014

Getting back to the football, it was great to see a couple of younger teams in the Auckland qualifier. Papakura looked like a very young team but were two mins away from taking all three points against Ellerslie in their first pool game. In the other pool, Western Springs improved with each game. It also looks like there were more teams in the other regional qualifers this year as well.

And this is where I see the benefits of the competition - a high profile and well run tournament that kids want to be part of and see it as part of their pathway in football. Players are prepared to practice through the heat of summer and you see their improvement from preparation and playing in the tournament. More kids spending more time in the game has to be good.

Hopefully the focus is on football in the NZ finals this weekend rather than the off-field action :-)

Waitak, Cashmere, Wests (Wngtn) and Onehunga in Saturdays quarters (2pm - 6 pm). Final Sunday at 3.30.

Jeepers Smithy, if we all had the same opinion it would be a pretty bland forum.

Yes I try to take a position on things, however I always try to put across a reasoned point of view.  I wouldn't however like to earn a reputation for being inflexible.

In regards to this particular topic - all the best of luck to the teams playing this weekend!

The onehunga (wynr's) player has been kicked out of the tournament.

So how do wynrs stay in it... Seems another gutless call from nzf

This is quickly starting to look like the America's Cup not the Nike Cup!

You've got to hope the muck raking stops now and the focus shifts to youth playing football on the park over the next 2 days at Bruce Pullman Park. At the end of the day these kids must be a sample of the cream of this age group talent, with some no doubt in line to go on and feature in our future NZ age group teams (2000 born and younger = 2017 / U17's) and (2000's & 99's = 2019 / U20's)

Hopefully in time some transparency to the apparent back flip on this matter will be issued by NZF. For those of us watching from a far the MUPC rules seem pretty clear cut.

http://www.aucklandfootball.org.nz/fileadmin/user_upload/Files/Downloads/Regulations/2014/2014_MUPC_NZ_Finals_Tournament_Handbook.pdf

This give's all power for the competition / tournament to NZF and in respect of player eligibility (clause 4) there is no reference to appeals or other NZF regulations, which have been mentioned earlier in this thread as being exercised? One can only hope that if there are any other instances of players being permitted because of application of the discretion provisions NZF have got it right.

Big T, "kicked out". More detail please. Who initiated this? If he's already played in the competition, how can Onehunga (as opposed to individual player) not be penalised?

Looking forward to see how Western Suburbs fare against top opposition from around the country. The team has pretty much been together from 9th/10th Grade & have been the dominant team (with Karori) each year as theyve moved up through the age groups. Have watched a lot of their players as son played either against (club) or with (Ole/Kaizen/RHFA) & they play a quick passing game.  Understand they beat Miramar Rangers U17 7-0 last weekend - didnt watch it so unsure of the standard of the Miramar team.

I can not understand why Onehunga would not be flat out removed from the competition. They had a player ruled ineligible, so therefore should lose their points for any and all games in which that player was on the team sheet, which means they dip out from the playoff tournament. As for all the "Look, they would probably have qualified even without the player, and that makes it a bit tough on the rest who deserve a shot" comments, I agree completely, but rules are rules. If they are not adhered to, at ANY level, what's to stop someone playing a 19yo and pulling him out once the next stage is reached? Rufer should know better, and should hire better people who don't make such epic balls ups as this, and the way to make this happen is to learn the hard way.

 I guarantee any team apart from the mighty Wynrs would not get let off that easily.

Results today:

Waitakere City 7   Cashmere Technical 0

Western Suburbs 0 Onehunga Sports 3

Cashmere Technical 4  Western Suburbs 3

Onehunga Sports 1 v Waitakere City 1

Waitakere City 3  Western Suburbs 0

Cashmere Technical 0 Onehunga Sports 5

Good thing for Wests and Cashmere is that they get another opportunity in tomorrow's semi. 

Draw not up on AFF website yet but I assume it will be:

Waitakere v Western Suburbs

Onehunga v Cashmere

Hey tech speaking - ha ha & I don't know if Chch players have been told no route to nz rep if you not at FTC/NTC but I do know there are over a doz. 14-16 year old Chch lads currently at Ole academy and Phoenix academy in Welly so they've voted haven't they?

I'm really surprised Wests are not more competitive!

Everyone was foxing today I reckon. The real competition. Is tomorrow.

Guys excellent photos from todays action at https://www.facebook.com/jlsphotographs

Smithy the Western Suburbs boys try to play some good nice football but they are probably not in the same physical condition as the Waitakere and Onehunga squads and play a pace a couple of clicks slower. They appear to have a few youngsters 2000 born and someone said at least one 2001 born? (the photos tell a story here) Apparently they only named a squad of  13 or 14?? (16 allowed) so that won't have helped either. Conditions today where tough: hot and the wind unfortunately got up again making play difficult later into the afternoon, although you would expect Wests should now how to play in windy conditions! Bruce Pullman Park is an excellent facility but you would struggle to find a more exposed, windy location in Auckland. I was watching the Waitakere / Onehunga game but are very surprised Wests lost to Cashmere from what I saw in the other fixtures.

Tomorrow is another day and you never know what that may bring. It sounds like it was a very early start for the Wests and Cashmere kids so after a good night sleep they may be up to spring a surprise or two!

PS: Got a download today from an Onehunga official on the background to the players eligibility being over turned today and will look to share this maybe tomorrow, when I have time to sit down and type it up as it has been conveyed to me (I also want to recount a couple of points tomorrow). But by all accounts the player in question only played in and featured on the team card for 2 of Onehunga's 9 fixtures up to this weekend and the loss of points from the 2 fixtures (per the MUPC rule book) had no effect on the results up to this point. Apparently Onehunga were aware of threats to challenge his eligibility so didn't use him until the fixtures were a dead rubber to try and flush out certainty. Apparently everyone including Onehunga wanted clarity and certainty on the issue going back to the 1st weekend of the Auckland qualifiers but the NZF football appeals committee?? kick-ed for touch with a non ruling on a point of procedure not being appropriately followed, so it dragged on until the player was used again.

How the f### are wynrs still in this comp.... Such a joke anybody else would have been out.....

if Wests only have a squad of 13-14 then it is a shame as i would of thought you would need all 16 to give the team the options needed to win against unknown opposition …..

and by the looks of the posted photos they played a outfielder as keeper for some games so injury is also a big issue that a small squad will not help.

is there a rule that could cause this problem to occur and cause wests to have a small squad…? 

Something about fish and ponds?

Auckland has a much bigger player base, both number of players and clubs. In my experience better players play up grades week to week during winter then play "down" for annual age restricted tournament football, eg Nike Cup and Napier U19's. So they have experience playing against better quality and bigger/quicker players (physically) and then the club has no problem taking the full number of squad players to tournament.

So basically, Wynrs try to deliberately circumvent the competition regulations but are cunning enough to make sure that if they are sanctioned that they remain in the competition.

NZF looks largely toothless and Wynton gets to play the 'everybody is against me' card once again.

Guess bringing the game into disrepute isn't what it used to be.

Looks Waitakere beat Onehunga in the final 1-0.

http://www.foxsportspulse.com/comp_info.cgi?a=FIXTURE&compID=298728&c=0-4202-0-265218-0

Here's my wirte-up and photos from today's Nike Cup action FYI...

http://in-the-back-of-the.net/2014/03/09/the-mancunian-candidates/

Finals day photographs at https://www.facebook.com/jlsphotographs

Agreed, hate to think what Wynton has done to the small group of haters that seem to have found each other on this thread.

Hi Smithy, given this is the Nike Cup thread I was talking about teenage play. I do have facts to back my statement up about Auckland being in the fortunate situation, when playing National tournaments, that we have players that either consistently play up or are consistently playing keenly contested matches week in week out, again due to large player and club numbers.  That's reflected in the results of Nike cup, National Schools and  U19 tournaments that are consistently won by Auckland teams, and often with the majority of top 8 teams being Auckland based - although Napier last year was a bit of exception, albeit that the final was won by Three Kings from Auckland.

While Auckland has strength - particularly up to the Nike cup age grade - Auckland clubs are not so good at retaining players into their late teens/early 20's.  I believe I witnessed one of the reasons for this drop off today, it was:

- Iwata (although he was on gardening duty today)

- Bilen

- Berlanga

- Irving

- Moreira

- Tade

- Lowdon

-  Cardozo

It's no wonder some of our younger players get disheartened and give it away, when pathways are filled by overseas sourced players. It's my personal belief that we have to get better at giving options to. NZ players rather than filling our top. National League teams with foreign players who are only really here for the money and the opportunity to secure a contract elsewhere via the world stage of the CWC.

Rumour Wynrs to be given a 1 year ban...