All Eyes on CONCACAF

 

No one remembers this now, but Hungary were a bit of trendy darkhorse pick to make a run in 1986. They beat West Germany in Stuttgart in friendly and then handed (and admittedly not all first choice) Brazil a 3-0 defeat in Budapest. It was Brazil’s heaviest defeat in 23 years. And then they got absolutely smashed by Lobanovskiy’s Soviets in the first match in Mexico. 

 

With a wild day in African qualifying the stars have aligned and Canada can get into Pot 3 of the draw with a win in Panama Wednesday, so not quite a dead rubber for us. 

 

The Costa Rica-US match is going to be somewhat interesting because the entire American squad has some level of a stomach virus from the trip to Mexico on top of playing three matches in seven days. At the same time, apparently yellow card accumulation carries into the playoff. Costa Rica has NINE players on a yellow and in the circumstances I wouldn’t play any of them and risk losing them for the playoff. It’s absurd to me that two yellows over 14 World Cup qualifiers earns you a suspension, but that is the rule. 

juneof86

 

No one remembers this now, but Hungary were a bit of trendy darkhorse pick to make a run in 1986. They beat West Germany in Stuttgart in friendly and then handed (and admittedly not all first choice) Brazil a 3-0 defeat in Budapest. It was Brazil’s heaviest defeat in 23 years. And then they got absolutely smashed by Lobanovskiy’s Soviets in the first match in Mexico. 

 

With a wild day in African qualifying the stars have aligned and Canada can get into Pot 3 of the draw with a win in Panama Wednesday, so not quite a dead rubber for us. 

 

The Costa Rica-US match is going to be somewhat interesting because the entire American squad has some level of a stomach virus from the trip to Mexico on top of playing three matches in seven days. At the same time, apparently yellow card accumulation carries into the playoff. Costa Rica has NINE players on a yellow and in the circumstances I wouldn’t play any of them and risk losing them for the playoff. It’s absurd to me that two yellows over 14 World Cup qualifiers earns you a suspension, but that is the rule. 

Good news 9 CR players are on a yellow. Bugger that basically nothing riding on Ticos game verus USA, so I imagine all 9 will be rested.

Mate of mine was suggesting date for playing is likely a Monday/Tuesday scenario in June (14/15). Any idea why this is?

brumbys

Mate of mine was suggesting date for playing is likely a Monday/Tuesday scenario in June (14/15). Any idea why this is?

You have the dates correct (NZ time anyway). Why they were chosen? Ask FIFA I guess.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(inter-confederation_play-offs)

But imagine Playoffs are little test event for the World Cup itself, when there will be plenty of midweek games. Wonder if they will use actual WC venue(s) when for the OFC tourney was just local club grounds?

If nearby UAE beat the Socceroos and get to play Peru there will be a reasonable crowd of Emirati supporters I imagine, for that Playoff game. Even likely a decent band of expat Peruvians from around Europe (alot live in Spain). There was a heap at the ROF in 2017.

But the AWs verus Costa Rica game likely to be played in front of a few hundred perhaps.

Really reckon FIFA missed a trick not playing these 2 Playoff games at say Wembley, making it a festival of football. London being a city full of all nationalities. Such a huge game for NZ & CR to be played in front of so few folks most likely - unless they are going to bus in Qatari school kids or something!

I'd imagine Qatar offered, picked up the tab etc - gives a reason for having all these new stadiums that would never get used otherwise...

Costa Rica 2-0 up over the USA. What does it mean?

martinb

Costa Rica 2-0 up over the USA. What does it mean?

 They need four more goals, then it would be All Whites v United States

Costa Rica look good, they just might roll the USA here. 

martinb

Costa Rica 2-0 up over the USA. What does it mean?

Nothing the moment, if Mexico win vs El Salvador (which they are atm) then the only way for Costa Rica to jump to 3rd is a 9-0 win in this game

Bung the stadium manager a few bob and get him to wind down the AC to below freezing.

juneof86

 

I will wait until it’s official before I bore you with a few hundred words of my thoughts on Costa Rica, but you shouldn’t fear the Ticos. They’re a solid side, they have a world class keeper, they have a lot of players with immense experience and they’re kind of old, slow and have a lot of trouble scoring goals. If New Zealand defends their set pieces well, this match fairly screams 1-0 and could go either way. 

 

I didn’t get to see the US Panama match, but it feels like Panama just collapsed after giving away the penalty. So much for the US having a hangover after Azteca and feeling it in their legs. I still can’t decide if Mexico isn’t getting the most out of their players and it’s bad management or if they just aren’t very good. But it looks like they will limp into Qatar. 

 

Panama really hurt themselves with that draw Thursday. Canada was introduced at half time of the NBA match in Toronto tonight and half the squad looked very hungover. I am tempering any expectations for the performance away to Panama on Wednesday, but that could have been an easy three points for Panama, but now it doesn’t matter. 

 

And celebrate we did coochiee! When I imagined us finally qualifying I never expected it to be in a match when we were already mathematically in, playing a bunch of Jamaican reserves and absolutely bossing it with an extra match to spare. There was no drama, once we got the early goal it was just a great chance to soak in the atmosphere and think about the journey it has been to get here. It was also obnoxiously cold for March 27. I got windburn on my face. A lot of people felt it was colder than the Iceteca match against Mexico in Edmonton, but I think we were all really ready for that cold, the cold in Toronto caught us off guard because it was only -4 or something, but it was -15 with the windchill and it was right in your face. We play well in the snow though… it snows in November in Qatar, doesn’t it? :) 

 

Good luck to the All Whites in the OFC final.  

Last round results. No surprise it's Costa Rica (4th) confirmed for the AWs.

https://us.soccerway.com/international/nc-america/wc-qualifying-concacaf/2022-qatar/2nd-round/r44081/

Panama  1 - 0  Canada  (Canadians still hung over maybe)
Jamaica  2 - 1  Honduras
Mexico  2 - 0  El Salvador
Costa Rica  2 - 0  United States  (presumably the Ticos rested all 9 guys they had on yellows)

We have a fighting chance in a one-off fixture, can't wait!  At the very least, we have to do better than this:

Khalil Media

We have a fighting chance in a one-off fixture, can't wait!  At the very least, we have to do better than this:

I remember watching this - God what an awful performance that was. Could've been double figures on the day. 

I'm pretty sure it won't be as one sided this time 🤞

Now all copies of that one can get locked in the vault, never to see the light of day again.

Danny played in this game, so he won't lack for extra motivation!!!  Not that that would be an issue!

Trainspotting stuff. Themi's Levadiakos captain Alfredo Mejía, has been away playing for Honduras in CONCACAF qualifiers. Honduras finished bottom of CONCACAF, losing last 2 games to Mexico (0-1) and Jamaica (2-1).

Of course Australia fortunately got Honduras as their CONCACAF playoff opponent in 2017. Honduras have been to the World Cup 3 times. Whilst Mexico have been 16 times (hosted twice) & Costa Rica 5 times. So on face value NZ have drawn tougher CONCACAF opponents with our playoffs than the Socceroos.

https://www.concacaf.com/world-cup-qualifying-men/article/costa-rica-to-face-new-zealand-in-world-cup-playoff/

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/128223125/all-whites-world-cup-playoff-rivals-costa-rica-made-it-thanks-to-a-hot-run-of-form

Who are their key players?
Their most well-known player is goalkeeper Keylor Navas, a three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid. One of the most underrated goalkeepers in world football, the 35-year-old is currently on the books of Paris Saint-Germain where he has been sharing game time with Gianluigi Donnarumma following the arrival of Italy’s Euro winner.

Captain Bryan Ruiz spent 12 seasons in Europe, playing for the likes of Fulham, PSV and Sporting but has since returned to Costa Rica to finish his career at boyhood club Alajuelense. At age 35, he will be eyeing a final World Cup appearance.

Forward Joel Campbell is best known for securing a high-profile move to Arsenal as a teenager, but the now 29-year-old never lived up to the hype and was loaned out to seven different clubs during an unsuccessful stint in Europe. Now based in Mexico, where he is out on loan once again, at Monterey, Campbell remains one of Costa Rica’s most dangerous attacking threats.


What history and connections do they have with New Zealand?
The All Whites have played Costa Rica in a friendly once, losing 4-0 in San Jose in 2007, on a tour of Central and South America that also included a 5-0 loss to Venezuela, and is widely considered one of the lowest points in the history of New Zealand’s men’s football team. They were also current coach Danny Hay’s last as a player.

There has been three other football internationals between the two countries, including two at age-group World Cups. One was at the 2009 Fifa Under-17 World Cup, where Michael Built’s goal was cancelled out by one from Campbell in a 1-1 draw; the other was a 3-0 win at the 2014 Fifa Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Canada, where Megan Lee, Tayla O’Brien, and Steph Skilton scored the goals.

New Zealand also competed at the 2014 Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Costa Rica and is due to head there in August for this year’s Under-20 World Cup.

A pair of Costa Rican internationals arrived at the Wellington Phoenix in 2013 – midfielder Carlos Hernandez, who left after one season, and forward Kenny Cunningham, who left after two.

Costa Rica veteran Bryan Oviedo is on the books of FC Copehagen in Dennmark, where one of his team-mates is All Whites youngster Marko Stamenic, who is currently out on loan at HB Køge in the next division down.

Time for a WCQ vs Costa Rica thread?