They may be around in 2026, but I have a feeling this may be the last World Cup for a while that actually feels like one, as FIFA move to a format involving 174 teams qualifying automatically...
Mind you this one is held in November in a backwards sharkhole.
Solomons have a very slick, pacy counter attack. Similar to how Lea'i & Co cut up New Zealand at U17 OFC Tourney (in pool game?) a few years back.
It will be much harder for them against Reid, Pijnaker & Tuiloma. But AWs will need to be very well organised. If we can score an early goal, that means they can't just sit & wait.
Solomons in Honiara >>> Solomons outside of Honiara.
That 5-0 U17 loss was in the group stage, and worth noting NZ won the rematch in the final. At the World Cup in Brazil, the Solomons lost 0-5 to Italy, 0-7 to Paraguay and 0-8 to Mexico (0 for, 20 against). NZ lost 1-2 to Angola, 0-3 to Brazil and won 1-0 vs Canada.
Solomons aren’t like most OFC teams, I’d be shocked to see them play like PNG/Tahiti did. They’ll most likely have a proper go at us, which means we’ll have more chances to find space in the attacking third.
Last two games against them outside of PNG/Honiara have both been 6-1 wins, including under Hudson. Hudson’s results vs our opponents so far were: 0-0 vs PNG; 3-1, 2-0, 2-0 vs Fiji; 1-0, 2-0, 0-0 vs New Caledonia; didn’t play Tahiti; 1-0, 6-1, 2-2 vs Solomons. Those performances were considerably less dominant than what we’ve seen so far, and even still he managed to put 6 past them.
Lea’i is quality, but he’s never come up against pro players except for that U17 World Cup where he barely even touched the ball. That’s not to be wary of him, but this game will be a level he’s never played before, whilst our players come up against better players every week.
They may be around in 2026, but I have a feeling this may be the last World Cup for a while that actually feels like one, as FIFA move to a format involving 174 teams qualifying automatically...
Mind you this one is held in November in a backwards sharkhole.
One of the nicest places I've visited to be honest. They shouldn't have the World Cup, for myriad reasons, but I'd take work there in the future.
Solomons have a very slick, pacy counter attack. Similar to how Lea'i & Co cut up New Zealand at U17 OFC Tourney (in pool game?) a few years back.
It will be much harder for them against Reid, Pijnaker & Tuiloma. But AWs will need to be very well organised. If we can score an early goal, that means they can't just sit & wait.
Solomons in Honiara >>> Solomons outside of Honiara.
That 5-0 U17 loss was in the group stage, and worth noting NZ won the rematch in the final. At the World Cup in Brazil, the Solomons lost 0-5 to Italy, 0-7 to Paraguay and 0-8 to Mexico (0 for, 20 against). NZ lost 1-2 to Angola, 0-3 to Brazil and won 1-0 vs Canada.
Solomons aren’t like most OFC teams, I’d be shocked to see them play like PNG/Tahiti did. They’ll most likely have a proper go at us, which means we’ll have more chances to find space in the attacking third.
Last two games against them outside of PNG/Honiara have both been 6-1 wins, including under Hudson. Hudson’s results vs our opponents so far were: 0-0 vs PNG; 3-1, 2-0, 2-0 vs Fiji; 1-0, 2-0, 0-0 vs New Caledonia; didn’t play Tahiti; 1-0, 6-1, 2-2 vs Solomons. Those performances were considerably less dominant than what we’ve seen so far, and even still he managed to put 6 past them.
Lea’i is quality, but he’s never come up against pro players except for that U17 World Cup where he barely even touched the ball. That’s not to be wary of him, but this game will be a level he’s never played before, whilst our players come up against better players every week.
Good assessment, think Solomons deserve respect from us because they have played well this tourny and are the nr 2 team in OFC at the moment (and they don't play the ugly football that PNG and Tahiti did). It will be the biggest test our defence has faced this tournament (that's not saying much though), but we're still very comfortable favourites to win.
They may be around in 2026, but I have a feeling this may be the last World Cup for a while that actually feels like one, as FIFA move to a format involving 174 teams qualifying automatically...
Mind you this one is held in November in a backwards sharkhole.
One of the nicest places I've visited to be honest. They shouldn't have the World Cup, for myriad reasons, but I'd take work there in the future.
Good luck with that.
Many people in my industry of aviation (pilots and engineers) whether from India, NZ, Australia, USA or Europe working there have been treated like modern day slaves and when Sars Cov 19 kicked off were treated like scum as they were not Qataris. Similar happened in Oman and Bahrain too in 2020.
Their national airline is one of the worst to work for world wide and not a patch on the UAE airlines.
As many of us will have noticed through this Tourney, there are some very good footballers in the island nations.
Wouldn't it be great if the A League copied Super Rugby and brought in a Island team or two. NC and Fiji climates not too dissimilar from Queensland. I feel that potentially two decent teams, one from Micronesia and one from Polynesia could be supported with the Poly side playing some games in South Auckland.
As many of us will have noticed through this Tourney, there are some very good footballers in the island nations.
Wouldn't it be great if the A League copied Super Rugby and brought in a Island team or two. NC and Fiji climates not too dissimilar from Queensland. I feel that potentially two decent teams, one from Micronesia and one from Polynesia could be supported with the Poly side playing some games in South Auckland.
Definitely not, wouldn't have anywhere near the metrics or financial muscle for it.
I'd like to see an OFC foreign player spot added (so that Kiwis and Pacific players don't get passed over for mediocre Spaniards and Englishmen quite as much).
As many of us will have noticed through this Tourney, there are some very good footballers in the island nations.
Wouldn't it be great if the A League copied Super Rugby and brought in a Island team or two. NC and Fiji climates not too dissimilar from Queensland. I feel that potentially two decent teams, one from Micronesia and one from Polynesia could be supported with the Poly side playing some games in South Auckland.
A combo of Auckland City and a Moana Pasifika style team would be pretty cool. Give them carte Blanche to sign as many non NZ OFC players as they like, bring in Krishna as a marquee with Browne, Lea’i, Semmy and Kaltak as star players. Triple bonus of giving Auckland a team, supporting OFC footballers and if they played at Mt Smart there’s a nice big Pasifika population. If it’s successful they could do some home games in Fiji/Solomons/PNG etc, if it’s not then just let it be an Auckland team
As many of us will have noticed through this Tourney, there are some very good footballers in the island nations.
Wouldn't it be great if the A League copied Super Rugby and brought in a Island team or two. NC and Fiji climates not too dissimilar from Queensland. I feel that potentially two decent teams, one from Micronesia and one from Polynesia could be supported with the Poly side playing some games in South Auckland.
Definitely not, wouldn't have anywhere near the metrics or financial muscle for it.
I'd like to see an OFC foreign player spot added (so that Kiwis and Pacific players don't get passed over for mediocre Spaniards and Englishmen quite as much).
Unless there is a football tragic multi millionaire floating around the Islands somewhere to bankroll it, will never happen. Can't even unearth one in Auckland, so it's doubtful there's one in poorer economies like Solomons, Fiji, PNG or wherever.
And Auckland's Pasifika popn is predominantly Samoan & Tongan - not football nations. Though yes is a big Fijian Indian demographic as well.
Giving each ALM (and ALW) team one OFC player spot as non visa, would be great. Something that I'd hope the Nix especially would push, now that APL run the A League.
As many of us will have noticed through this Tourney, there are some very good footballers in the island nations.
Wouldn't it be great if the A League copied Super Rugby and brought in a Island team or two. NC and Fiji climates not too dissimilar from Queensland. I feel that potentially two decent teams, one from Micronesia and one from Polynesia could be supported with the Poly side playing some games in South Auckland.
Definitely not, wouldn't have anywhere near the metrics or financial muscle for it.
I'd like to see an OFC foreign player spot added (so that Kiwis and Pacific players don't get passed over for mediocre Spaniards and Englishmen quite as much).
Unless there is a football tragic multi millionaire floating around the Islands somewhere it will never happen. Can't even unearth one in Auckland, so it's doubtful there's one in poorer economies like Solomons, Fiji, PNG or wherever.
And Auckland's Pasifika popn is predominantly Samoan & Tongan - not football nations. Though yes is a big Fijian Indian demographic as well.
Giving each ALM (and ALW) team one OFC player spot as non visa, would be great. Something that I'd hope the Nix especially would push, now that APL run the A League.
Given NZ players are still treated as foreign for Australian teams, despite their being a team where they count as local, I can’t see them adding an OFC-only visa spot. The change would be to NZ players counted as local, or nothing at all. The main barrier to that is probably the AFC Champions League, as the foreigner rules there would (and also does, atm) mean players will be unable to be registered due to limits. Pretty sure the J League has several non-foreign countries, as well as European league, but I’d be surprised to see any non-NZ nationalities added.
The only OFC player that would add something to an A League team would be Lea’i, but not for a while, plus he’s only 18 and yet to come up against professional teams, so a big risk to use a visa on. Seen Semmy mentioned a few times, but I reckon he’s a bit overrated, he only scored 6 in Northern League last year as a main attacking threat at HW.
Same goes for making Krishna a marquee. We’ve seen numerous times that bringing someone back on past glories is a bad decision. Smeltz, Burns, Hooper etc, Krishna would not be the same guy as when he left the Phoenix. He played in midfield/behind the striker for Fiji, which suggests he might not have as much pace, he is 35 this year after all.
It might just be geographical semantics mentioned above, but Polynesia is Tonga, Samoa, half of Kiribati, Cook Islands etc. You’d be lucky to find 11 guys at Northern League level, let alone a squad at A League level. The only Polynesian country that has players would be Tahiti (13 hour flight from Sydney), and I doubt the feasibility of a Francophone team playing. The more football-focused islands are all in Melanesia (PNG, Solomons, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Fiji). Micronesia states are so small they’re not even OFC members (Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau).
As many of us will have noticed through this Tourney, there are some very good footballers in the island nations.
Wouldn't it be great if the A League copied Super Rugby and brought in a Island team or two. NC and Fiji climates not too dissimilar from Queensland. I feel that potentially two decent teams, one from Micronesia and one from Polynesia could be supported with the Poly side playing some games in South Auckland.
Definitely not, wouldn't have anywhere near the metrics or financial muscle for it.
I'd like to see an OFC foreign player spot added (so that Kiwis and Pacific players don't get passed over for mediocre Spaniards and Englishmen quite as much).
Unless there is a football tragic multi millionaire floating around the Islands somewhere to bankroll it, will never happen. Can't even unearth one in Auckland, so it's doubtful there's one in poorer economies like Solomons, Fiji, PNG or wherever.
And Auckland's Pasifika popn is predominantly Samoan & Tongan - not football nations. Though yes is a big Fijian Indian demographic as well.
Giving each ALM (and ALW) team one OFC player spot as non visa, would be great. Something that I'd hope the Nix especially would push, now that APL run the A League.
Well yes and no. Nix are conflicted in that matter, because if each team has a free OFC spot just sitting around, they're far more likely to raid our stocks of Kiwi lads... which would be good for NZ football I suppose but not for the Nix. Currently they have somewhat of a monopoly on them considering Aus clubs would need to use a foreign spot (talking Sail, Payne, Lewis, Rufer, Waine calibre of player).
As many of us will have noticed through this Tourney, there are some very good footballers in the island nations.
Wouldn't it be great if the A League copied Super Rugby and brought in a Island team or two. NC and Fiji climates not too dissimilar from Queensland. I feel that potentially two decent teams, one from Micronesia and one from Polynesia could be supported with the Poly side playing some games in South Auckland.
Definitely not, wouldn't have anywhere near the metrics or financial muscle for it.
I'd like to see an OFC foreign player spot added (so that Kiwis and Pacific players don't get passed over for mediocre Spaniards and Englishmen quite as much).
Unless there is a football tragic multi millionaire floating around the Islands somewhere to bankroll it, will never happen. Can't even unearth one in Auckland, so it's doubtful there's one in poorer economies like Solomons, Fiji, PNG or wherever.
And Auckland's Pasifika popn is predominantly Samoan & Tongan - not football nations. Though yes is a big Fijian Indian demographic as well.
Giving each ALM (and ALW) team one OFC player spot as non visa, would be great. Something that I'd hope the Nix especially would push, now that APL run the A League.
Well yes and no. Nix are conflicted in that matter, because if each team has a free OFC spot just sitting around, they're far more likely to raid our stocks of Kiwi lads... which would be good for NZ football I suppose but not for the Nix. Currently they have somewhat of a monopoly on them considering Aus clubs would need to use a foreign spot (talking Sail, Payne, Lewis, Rufer, Waine calibre of player).
Interesting point. So propose it as a OFC spot specifically for Island nation players ie excluding NZ
Good news is read somewhere that Brian Kaltack has a trial at CCM
