Assuming the visa signings are quality and settle quickly, at the moment I'd say AFC would lineup something like -
Paulsen
Sakai(v), Hall, Pijnaker, Galloway/FDV
Gallegos(v), Howieson, Brimmer
May(v), Mata, Rogerson
Bench - Woud, Elliot, Galloway/FDV, Smith, Toomey, Randall, Champness, Gillion
So 5-6 Kiwis starting, and another 6-7 on the bench.
People get too hung up on what league players are currently at, or where they have been prior. Often it takes the right club, manager, being injury free and just pure luck to do well.
Pijnaker definitely good enough to go well in the ALM.
Smith hasn't been a regular starter anywhere for awhile. Not for MK Dons, Macarthur or the AWs. He seems content enough coming mostly off the pine, and likely offering alot of off the field experience to a new start up club.
de Vries (FDV) has played in the Swedish top flight, which is probably a bit above the ALM.
Elliot & Champness have periodically shown they can be good ALM footballers, JOWIC with a bit of star quality even.
For Rogerson to get an AWs callup now, he must be impressing at AFC in pre season.
Youngsters Randall, Toomey & Gillion get their chance to step up. Older dude Howieson is good enough.
Mata will equal parts frustrate, and have his days where he scores a few or holds up the ball for others to score. But suspect Corica has plans to bring in a better visa out & out striker.
It's good for NZ football, and the AWs that all these Kiwis now have a club. Many were at Unattached FC prior, or not doing much. Even if just 1 or 2 crack on, to strongly put themselves in reckoning for the 2026 WC that's a good thing.
NZF HQ is just down the road, so they will certainly be more in Baze's orbit than those in lower profile overseas leagues, that are a bit off the radar, eg Armenia!
Paulsen
Sakai(v), Hall, Pijnaker, Galloway/FDV
Gallegos(v), Howieson, Brimmer
May(v), Mata, Rogerson
Bench - Woud, Elliot, Galloway/FDV, Smith, Toomey, Randall, Champness, Gillion
So 5-6 Kiwis starting, and another 6-7 on the bench.
People get too hung up on what league players are currently at, or where they have been prior. Often it takes the right club, manager, being injury free and just pure luck to do well.
Pijnaker definitely good enough to go well in the ALM.
Smith hasn't been a regular starter anywhere for awhile. Not for MK Dons, Macarthur or the AWs. He seems content enough coming mostly off the pine, and likely offering alot of off the field experience to a new start up club.
de Vries (FDV) has played in the Swedish top flight, which is probably a bit above the ALM.
Elliot & Champness have periodically shown they can be good ALM footballers, JOWIC with a bit of star quality even.
For Rogerson to get an AWs callup now, he must be impressing at AFC in pre season.
Youngsters Randall, Toomey & Gillion get their chance to step up. Older dude Howieson is good enough.
Mata will equal parts frustrate, and have his days where he scores a few or holds up the ball for others to score. But suspect Corica has plans to bring in a better visa out & out striker.
It's good for NZ football, and the AWs that all these Kiwis now have a club. Many were at Unattached FC prior, or not doing much. Even if just 1 or 2 crack on, to strongly put themselves in reckoning for the 2026 WC that's a good thing.
NZF HQ is just down the road, so they will certainly be more in Baze's orbit than those in lower profile overseas leagues, that are a bit off the radar, eg Armenia!