New Zealand Men's U-17s

Knowingly ignoring them is different to 'wrong'.

Nah mate - just being reasonable. 

I guess we're all waiting to find out exactly what happened. I can see how the situation could arise where someone got it horribly wrong without any malicious intent. 

A few years ago, Little Dave left his cricket bat at his neighbour, Little Johnny's, house. Little Johnny wanted to take Little Dave's cricket bat to school to play, but isn't sure whether he's allowed so he asks his Dad. His Dad says no, that's Little Dave's bat - and maybe one day if he leaves it at our place long enough you can use it but no, not now, so Little Johnny left Little Dave's bat alone, and uses his own.

Some months later, Little Dave leaves some wicked marbles at Little Johnny's place (Johnny's marbles are ok, but Little Dave's are a bit better - not the best money can buy, but a bit better). 

There's a big marble tournament at Little Johnny's school, and Little Johnny knows that if he asks his Dad, his Dad will say "no Johnny, just like with the cricket bat, you're not allowed to play with Little Dave's toys".  So Little Johnny talks to a school mate who reckons that after a week of leaving your toys somewhere, they're not your toys anymore and whoever finds them can take them and use them as their own.

Little Johnny takes the marbles to school and wins the tournament he's way too good for the other kids - and would have won with his own marbles but decided to use Little Dave's anyway, just because.

Little Mary, (who sucks at marbles by the way) finds out that Little Johnny used Little Dave's marbles and TELLS THE TEACHER!!!

The Teacher tells Little Johnny he's very naughty, and disqualifies him from the tournament, declaring Little Xavier the winner. Little Xavier will go to the regionals where he will quite likely get pumped. But regardless, thats the rules.

Little Johnny is very disappointed, and remembers a time when Dad said he was allowed to use the marbles. Little Johnny's memory may be somewhat clouded after an incident some years earlier involving some passive smoking and an angle grinder. We may never know the truth.

Little Johnny wants to tell Dad, but then realises he may actually be wrong. He decides to go to the principle because Little Mary TOLD THE WRONG TEACHER!!!

Little Johnny thinks Dad's rules are dumb and it's such a waste because nobody can play with the wicked marbles. 

Little Johnny is wrong.

(Names amended to protect the potentially innocent).

That really is outstanding.

Have you ever considered applying to FIFA to write their regulations?

So not standing back 10 yards at a penalty is cheating? not taking a throw in from the correct spot is cheating? etc etc etc

 

Of course it is. Diving is cheating. Etc etc. Rules are rules.

I'm not saying Gordinho is wrong that this could all have happened without malicious intent. I believe this could just be a fudge up.

But it's still cheating.

There are degrees of cheating. Not taking a throwin where the ball went out is still cheating, just not on the same scale as doping, for instance

 

Agree 100%.

Now, can we get back to the serious discussion?

By facsimile: David: hi sepp, those sharky kiwis who cheated in PNG have been up to it again! Sepp: david, my good friend, surely you jest. No one could be that fudgeing stupid. David: It's true. They played more ineligible players in the U17 boys. Please advise the Chileans that Tahiti will be traveling in place of the same old kiwis...always cheating. Sepp: let me look into it. David: let's go FIFA, let's go FIFA. Sepp: :)

Google News has nothing in French on this saga since it first blew up on 13 July. A recent Tahitian article on Oceania 2018 qualifying doesn't mention it:

http://www.ladepeche.pf/FOOTBALL-Eliminatoires-Coupe-du-monde-2018%C2%A0-tour-preliminaire_a7068.html

Reason I ask is that if OFC have received a complaint from one of their member nations re U17 player eligibility, Tahiti, as losing finalists, would have most to gain; but I cannot ascertain whether it was Tahiti who made complaint or not.

U17 World Cup. Official draw - LIVE. This week

Wasn't there an interview with someone from Tahiti federation saying they didn't file the complaint but were keeping their eyes on it as they obviously had some interest in the matter? Or did I dream that?

If you did it must have been a pretty slow night for you dream-wise. Try eating a bit of camembert before bed. Spice things up a little.

I recall something like that too but don't recall if it was Tahiti or not.

Was it this quote from this article you're "dreaming" of:

The Tahitian Football Federation was unaware of the enquiry when contacted by Fairfax Media on Thursday afternoon, but said they would be keeping an eye on developments.

As the team that narrowly lost to New Zealand in the championship final, Tahiti would have the most to gain from any eligibility concerns raised with Oceania Football.

At first, a Tahitian football spokesman was confused, thinking he was being asked about the Olympic qualifying protest made by Vanuatu Football.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/706...

Yep, that's the one.

NZ (or Tahiti) drawn v France, Syria, Paraguay

NZF statement avoided the elephant in the room.

well it wasn't actually a New Zealand elephant to avoid because the elephant wasn't born here, it moved here when it was 2 and mummy and daddy actually come from Botswana and the elephant (though very large) is only 14 years old.

That was not a New Zealand elephant

Australia drew Mexico, Argentina and Germany. Yikes.

But we allowed it to compete as a New Zealand elephant because it seemed reasonable to do so - and seeming like a reasonable thing to do always trumps the actual rules...always ...

 

And it had really good feet for a big man.

This conversation is totally off-base. Anjalee is from Sri Lanka, not Botswana.

Burgess' article in the Herald this morning offers nothing new on the U17 shambles. Fact of the matter is NZF have apparently knowingly and consistently chosen not to pursue exemptions for numerous players who do not meet FIFA criteria. That is the "level of offence" which will "dictate the punishment". Arguing playing these players isn't against the spirit /intent of the rules is somewhat sentimental.

Now the draw has been made with NZ included, it seems to me that it's unlikely that FIFA will take any action to replace NZ in the tournament.

FIFA are caught up in their own massive troubles and this will work to NZ's advantage.

FIFA are usually reluctant to get involved in Confederation issues regarding qualifying tournaments and the ship has sailed as far as OFC's remit to adjudicate since no one protested about NZ player eligibility within the required timeframe.

Reading the Summer, July and August editions of "World Soccer" magazine, FIFA just have too many issues to deal with mostly in CONCACAF, CONMEBOL and the Brazilian federation where most of the corruption is centred.

Luckily, the u-17's are being held in Chile where the Chilean FA seems well-run and corruption-free.

The Brazilian federation seems on the verge of falling apart with the current and the two prior presidents embroiled in the corruption allegations.

Amusingly, the Paraguay government are moving to strip the CONMEBOL headquarters in Asuncion of its diplomatic immunity status granted by a former corrupt government so that officials there can be extradited to the USA. Currently the HQ has diplomatic immunity like an embassy.

Collusion between corrupt CONCACAF and CONMEBOL officials lies at the heart of the whole FIFA corruption scandal.

  

While I agree with that statement completely...

...I think one inferecne that could be taken from it is that the corruption is limited to CONCACAF and CONMEBOL officials, and I don't think that is the case. 

I think that that would be a very generous interpretation - I think UEFA and and AFC are anything but squeaky clean, in particular re. the South African World Cup. I think it is just that CONCACAF and CONMEBOL officials' activities are the ones that (a) have come to light and (b) that US authorities had jurisdiction to investigate, as (at least some of) the money was transacted through the US.

In a different universe, where the US and the Caribbean were part of AFC, I think you'd see AFC embroiled in the current investigation at a much earlier phase than they are/are likely to be.

68 days until Oceania representative plays first game. If Big Pete is right and OFC don't throw us out for fielding ineligible players in qualifying (which we would appeal on compassionate sentimental grounds), then when will FIFA rule on the exemptions we must have applied for? Final squads a month prior? So FIFA ruling in approx 37 days? Sound about right?

53 days until first game. Final squad to FIFA 23 days prior. U23 eligibility decision deferred...one month and counting.

Not under the radar anymore Mr Mata

- I stand corrected - recognised and funded by the Hammer one, thank you Mr Reid for investing in NZ's footballing future.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/71435479/win...

Now can we get some poundage out of Smith and Wood for other U17 players? Uh oh - English haka.

sounds like the NZ U17 coaches will be at Sth Island NTC late September.

If so, good one

Anyone know why the Girls NTC trials was scrapped?

His brother ben made lots of mistake in nz a game when he came on Max striker? Ben defender?

yes.

You seem to know a lot of inside stuff

Lol!

So i havent seen either play... Lol? Really?

South Island NTC squads announced

Still waiting on 1999/2000 Girls.

 that's was not what I said. What I said was 'you know a lot of inside stuff'. If I think you were talking shark, I would say 'you're talking shark'

Any impending friendlies or pre tornament game announcments. I often think we are underdone heading in to these games.

Will play a match against St Kents 2nd XI

#alignment