LOL Egypt couldn't finish a kebab at the moment. GET A PYRAMID UP YA
New Zealand U-23s - Quali Whites
Doloras is it still 1-1?
28 shots vs 4 but finished 1-1. We'll take that point. Brazil is beatable........
FT 1-1
Can you hear me, Tutankhamen! Ramesses II! Cleopatra! Gamel Abdel Nasser! Hosni Mubarak! The Suez Canal! Your boys took a hell of a humiliation!!!
Intense match!
That Egyptian miss all came about because Musa pushed up down the left, leaving us with a 4 on 2 miss match in defense lol
Very entertaining finish, wish Smeltz had of taken his chance at the end there.
OKeefe had a blinder!
That was quite the ending...I thought we had it when I saw their keeper rush out
Shit, that's one massive result, well done to the team.
WTF Smeltz!!!
Can't speak highly enough of Kosta B & Rojas deserves a mention too.
Wish Smeltz did better there! Kosta had a great second half, Rojas did well. Musa wasn't half bad considering he was playing out of position, he put in alright cross too. Egypt had so many chances!
May the fleas of a thousand camels infest your hidden bits!!!
Ha ha Egypt! Well done lads. What a game! What a last 10 minutes! Everyone was out on their feet and it was wide open...either side could have won. Egypt couldn't score in a Cairo brothel..NZ just needed a slice of luck.
Oh! Smeltzy....this is not the A-League. Three or four touches will not get you in a better position to shoot at this level. Just shoot. Top first half by Rojas, good second half by Kosta. Weemac looks 100% better when we play the ball along the deck. Good games too by Thomas and OKeefe. Nelsen and Smith were rock steady. Wood was physical up front without threatening. My man of the match was Payne. Unbelievebly calm at DM, screened well in front of the back 4, broke up a few attacks and distributed well......and he was playing out of his normal position. Plays like a 28 year old not a 18 yr old
Thoroughly enjoyable game and the big crowd at Old Trafford gave them all a huge round of applause at the end.
The BBC commentators loved Rojas "Theres something special about this lad, he's quite the wee prospect".
Smeltz for me wasn't at his best, which was a shame (maybe I'm expecting more given his overage position). Kosta, Wood, Wee Mac, Payne & Rojas looked decent and tried to play decent football - Damn the next 8 or so years are looking good for NZ!
I am a huge Tim Payne fan. Adam Thomas is the big weakness in the side - how much I'd love to chuck Winston Reid in there for him. Other than that, the Oly-Whites are much more entertaining than the All Whites so I'm not sure who would miss out once the seniors were allowed back.
I am a huge Tim Payne fan. Adam Thomas is the big weakness in the side - how much I'd love to chuck Winston Reid in there for him. Other than that, the Oly-Whites are much more entertaining than the All Whites so I'm not sure who would miss out once the seniors were allowed back.
I think this has a lot to do with Neil Emblen as a coach. Perhaps they are prepping him to take over from Herbert if it comes to that.
The last ten minutes was the most exciting of any game I have been at. Had great seats behind the goal NZ was attaching at the front of the second tier.
Wood was poo.
I don't think Thomas has been a weakness at all, and I thought that Wood played the targetman role well - holding up the ball and winning it in the air etc. IMHO the only starter who disappointed was Smeltz. The future looks bright though!
O'Keefe was outstanding. In a few years there's gonna be a hell of a battle for the 1st choice keeper spot for the AWs
Awesome game and I reckon they were offside for their goal.
So cool to see 'Stripey' at Old Trafford
Cmon KIWIS
New Zealand, Egypt and the Belarusians all "have a chance of going through in second place''.
All three have one point from two games, behind Brazil"
[/quote]
Really? Belarus only got 1 point for their 1-0 win against us?
[quote=tony smith]
New Zealand now have to upset Brazil at Newcastle on Thursday and require Belarus to beat Egypt for the Oly-Whites to advance to the quarterfinals.
Surely our best hope is that Belarus and Egypt draw? An Egypt win would mean we would need to beat Brazil by multiple goals, and a Belarus win puts them on 6 points.
We're done, we're not beating Brazil.
Surely our best hope is that Belarus and Egypt draw? An Egypt win would mean we would need to beat Brazil by multiple goals, and a Belarus win puts them on 6 points.
Erm no?
If Belarus draw and we win both of us are on 4pts, and Belarus are ahead of us on head to head.
So we need Egypt to win and then better their result by 1 or more goals.
Summary: We're fucked.
No, this is a FIFA tournament so goal difference is the first tie-breaker.
Surely our best hope is that Belarus and Egypt draw? An Egypt win would mean we would need to beat Brazil by multiple goals, and a Belarus win puts them on 6 points.
Erm no?
If Belarus draw and we win both of us are on 4pts, and Belarus are ahead of us on head to head.
So we need Egypt to win and then better their result by 1 or more goals.
Summary: We're fucked.
Wrong. Goal difference trumps head to head, so if we win and Belarus draw we would go through as our goal difference is better.
Been impressed with O'Keefe. Holds the ball, has good reactions and distributes off both feet.
Agree re- Smeltzy- he's playing for the time and space he'd get in the a-league but has been able to make the space here to get a shot off. Can understand about Wood- he's done really well holding up the ball and passing it, but hasn't challenged goal the way, say the Belarussian striker did.
cracker game to watch
My thoughts on this morning's game after somehow managing to avoid the result throughout the whole school day:
1. Where was our midfield? Barely noticed them until 20 minutes were left
2. Thomas offers a lot going forward but was unfortunately caught out for the goal
3. O'Keefe is another in the Kiwi keeper mould - fantastic shot stopper, dodgy with crosses.
4. Impressed with Musa when he came on, not so impressed with Smeltz, thought he was very poor
5. My MOM would be Kosta, very impressed, far better than Marco
Good report on Brazil v Belarus by "World Soccer" magazine's Brazil correspondent Tim Vickery who travelled back to his home country from Brazil to watch the game and wasn't disappointed - he indicates parking the bus is the way to go - Brazil took 46 mins to go ahead after Belarus opened the scoring early with a counter-attack by their Brazil-born MF Bressan and the third goal only came in injury time...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/timvickery/2012/07/how_olympic_football_affects_t.html
HOW OLYMPIC FOOTBALL AFFECTS THE WORLD CUPOlympic football may not be the main event of the Olympic Games but those teams taking part have an excellent opportunity to try things out as they prepare for the next World Cup.
This has rarely been clearer than at Old Trafford on Sunday, when 2014 hosts Brazil were confronted with a problem they will surely meet time and time again in two years' time. Opponents Belarus put 10 men behind the ball and looked to frustrate them, forcing them to pass sideways, hoping that Brazilian frustration would lead to error and then launching the counter-attack.
What made this match especially interesting was that Belarus took the lead, scoring a beautifully worked goal on almost the first occasion they crossed the halfway line. The true test of a team is always when they go a goal down. How would Brazil respond?
In the event they were level just six minutes later - but it took them another forty to get in front. And the three points were not safe until the third goal was scored in stoppage time. A crowd of 66,000 turned up, many of them Brazilians well aware of the importance of Olympic football.
Like many Brazilian national team crowds, after the initial euphoria wore off they went very quiet when things were not going well on the field. That was interspersed with moments of impatience, such as calling for substitutions. This was a fascinating test for the full ninety minutes.
Arguably Brazil made their task harder for themselves by replacing centre forward Leandro Damiao with Alexandre Pato. Damiao had scored one and made one in Thursday's 3-2 win over Egypt, but coach Mano Menezes thought Pato's characteristics were more suited to this game. Throughout his reign, the 4-2-3-1 system has worked better with an out-and-out centre forward and this was surely all the truer against Belarus.
Against a deep-lying defence there was little space for Pato to show his speed. Meanwhile, the penalty area presence and back to goal game of Damiao were missed - it was harder for the midfielders to make runs beyond the striker and Brazil struggled to get behind the opposing defence.
It was Pato, though, who headed the equaliser, taking advantage of a superb cross curled to the far post by Neymar.
The main reason I travelled to watch the game was to see Neymar at Old Trafford. I have watched him many times over the last three years. With his balance and fluidity, his two-footed unpredictability, his capacity to improvise at speed, it seemed to me that Neymar was reminiscent of a young George Best. The chance to catch the Brazilian at Best's Theatre of Dreams was too good to miss.
There were indeed some memorable moments - an audacious attempt to score from half way stands out. There was also some showboating and some over-elaboration. By no means did he have things his own way but Neymar is one of that select group of players who can play badly wonderfully well. Even when he seems to be struggling he can come up with enough flashes of inspiration to change the course of the game. This was certainly true of Sunday's match.
As well as laying on the equaliser for Pato, he also broke the deadlock with a stunning free-kick whipped across into the far top corner. And he was then instrumental in the moment that sent the crowd home happy - cutting across for the left and wrong-footing the defence with a backheel that set up Chelsea signing Oscar for goal number three.
This could prove to be an exchange of great significance as there are signs of a massively important partnership between the two youngsters. If Neymar supplies the icing, then Oscar promises to provide the cake. The slightly built midfielder is making himself the key to Brazil's possession-based game. Always available to receive the ball, constantly seeking to generate ideas, he is becoming the man who dictates the rhythm of the team's play. He also stands out for his versatility. Oscar is stronger than he looks and capable of pressing the opposition high or of funnelling back to help with the marking. Without him, it is hard to believe that Menezes would have gone with the bold substitution he made when the score was still 1-1 - central midfielder Sandro replaced by playmaker Paulo Henrique Ganso.
Many positives for the future indicated by performances of the u-23 players in that game. The whole team did well, except thought Smeltz didn't contribute much and Wood doesn't currently have his shooting boots (or head) on.
Am pissed off with Sky's lack of coverage of other games though - WTF - no Brazil v Belarus or GB v UAE or Spain v Honduras this morning.
All goals in Brazil v Belarus scored by Brazilians (Belarus' by a naturalised Brazilian, Bressan who played a blinder against his compatriots; Neymar scored one and set up the other two for Brazil)
Only option to view these games in full is on demand at BBC iPlayer:
If you miss any games can find them in full here. Just download this free "Expat Shield" software first so you can temporarily access a free UK IP address (takes two mins):
http://download.cnet.com/Expat-Shield/3000-2092_4-75211377.html
Turn on "Expat Shield", then find the games here:
LIVE GAMES - CHECK ON GAME DAY:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/live-video
WATCH REPLAYS AT YOUR LEISURE:
Full games Brazil v Belarus; NZ v Egypt:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/live-video/p00w2tnk?tc=2012-07-29T13%3A59%3A16-00%3A00
Brazil v Egypt full game: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00w2r4l/Olympic_Football_London_20...
BBC Olympic Football homepage - links to games, highlights and news: Spain v Honduras full replay here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/olympics/2012/sports/football
(Turn off Expat Shield when not accessing UK sites)
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/opinion/7385836/Olympic-football-is-at-the-crossroads
It's a valid debate to have, but the thrust of Hinton's argument is misguided. FIFA don't need the Olympics, they have a flagship event that's bigger than them. So it makes absolutely no sense to undercut their own bigger event just so people like Hinton can be happy. The reality is, it's IOC that desperately wants to have football at the games, not FIFA, and it's them who are willing to embrace the compromise offered. FIFA would have no problems ditching Olympic football at all as it's a hassle for everyone at any rate, but IOC wants to have the biggest sport in the world, and with its attendant large attendance, TV viewing and sponsorship figures. So when IOC wants to leave this behind them, FIFA won't have any problem with it. The problem is that IOC doesn't want to do this.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/opinion/7385836/Olympic-football-is-at-the-crossroads
It's a valid debate to have, but the thrust of Hinton's argument is misguided. FIFA don't need the Olympics, they have a flagship event that's bigger than them. So it makes absolutely no sense to undercut their own bigger event just so people like Hinton can be happy. The reality is, it's IOC that desperately wants to have football at the games, not FIFA, and it's them who are willing to embrace the compromise offered. FIFA would have no problems ditching Olympic football at all as it's a hassle for everyone at any rate, but IOC wants to have the biggest sport in the world, and with its attendant large attendance, TV viewing and sponsorship figures. So when IOC wants to leave this behind them, FIFA won't have any problem with it. The problem is that IOC doesn't want to do this.
+1
To bad there is no comment section for the article.
For those of us living in Aus. Fox sport are showing the Brazil v New Zealand game delayed on Thursday morning 0530am wast. On London 6.
In the Toon now!
If you looking for some time to kill, see if you can nick the new Newcastle kit - brand new kit for the Wharf next season.
Who cares - 3 for 1 drinks!!
Managed to find the mythical bar with the help of some locals, who led us there. Got a round of six drinks for £9 lol. Had a great time in Coventry even though we lost. We started really well but faded pretty hard as the game went on though.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/opinion/7385836/Olympic-football-is-at-the-crossroads
It's a valid debate to have, but the thrust of Hinton's argument is misguided. FIFA don't need the Olympics, they have a flagship event that's bigger than them. So it makes absolutely no sense to undercut their own bigger event just so people like Hinton can be happy. The reality is, it's IOC that desperately wants to have football at the games, not FIFA, and it's them who are willing to embrace the compromise offered. FIFA would have no problems ditching Olympic football at all as it's a hassle for everyone at any rate, but IOC wants to have the biggest sport in the world, and with its attendant large attendance, TV viewing and sponsorship figures. So when IOC wants to leave this behind them, FIFA won't have any problem with it. The problem is that IOC doesn't want to do this.
Anyway, people seem to put the Olympics up on a pedastal without ever considering them as having practical issues to deal with. As far as I am concerned anyone who says that there should be senior men's football at the Olympics doesn't actually understand professional sport - comparing football in this context with tennis or basketball (like that article did) is completely invalid because the nature of how those sports are organised and supported globally are completely different. Sure you could argue if its not full-strength then it shouldn't be at the games but how much revenue would that cost the games? Nope, whichever way you look at it this seems like the best solution as it is.
Having been at both games so far and speaking to neturals, most agree that Shane is a waste of overage spot, Kosta and Adam have played well and Marco will be playing in Europe very soon. Even the Brazilans I sat with right behind the goal in the Old Trafford game rated his touch and ability to take on players.
I've met a number of brits from West Brom and Ipswich supporting us becuase of Tommy and Chris.
Bring on Brazil tomorrow!!!
Who cares - 3 for 1 drinks!!
Managed to find the mythical bar with the help of some locals, who led us there. Got a round of six drinks for £9 lol. Had a great time in Coventry even though we lost. We started really well but faded pretty hard as the game went on though.
What pub's that mate, might have to hit it tomorrow night to celebrate the win 
Gleeson is fit for the Brazil game, do we pick him or stay with O'Keeffe?
Gleeson is fit for the Brazil game, do we pick him or stay with O'Keeffe?
Gleeson is fit for the Brazil game, do we pick him or stay with O'Keeffe?
Gleeson straight in. He was the number one keeper for a reason.
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/opinion/7385836/Olympic-football-is-at-the-crossroads
It's a valid debate to have, but the thrust of Hinton's argument is misguided. FIFA don't need the Olympics, they have a flagship event that's bigger than them. So it makes absolutely no sense to undercut their own bigger event just so people like Hinton can be happy. The reality is, it's IOC that desperately wants to have football at the games, not FIFA, and it's them who are willing to embrace the compromise offered. FIFA would have no problems ditching Olympic football at all as it's a hassle for everyone at any rate, but IOC wants to have the biggest sport in the world, and with its attendant large attendance, TV viewing and sponsorship figures. So when IOC wants to leave this behind them, FIFA won't have any problem with it. The problem is that IOC doesn't want to do this.
I actually agreed with Hinton's sentiment; it does very little for football and diminishes the nature of the Olympics (not that I'll complain if we do well).
However as you say - it's a rather moot point if it is IOC wanting it in rather than FIFA.
Come on FIFA - time to grow a couple and stand up to the second most corrupt sporting organisation in the world.