Talked to a couple of parents.
Except for 1 player, who seems exempt because of the surname.If you weren't an Aucklander, they weren't really interested . You were only considered if you were prepared to transfer to Auckland or spend the majority of the time up there.
no surprise there really
i remember suffering a similar fate in 1996 even though i was smoking my opposite and eventual NZ rep. #stillbitter ha
that team lost 13-0 to spain though boom
Team : http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/index.php?id=11&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=2226&tx_ttnews[backPid]=10&cHash=fb3d744e27
Talked to a couple of parents.
Except for 1 player, who seems exempt because of the surname.If you weren't an Aucklander, they weren't really interested . You were only considered if you were prepared to transfer to Auckland or spend the majority of the time up there.
Have to disagree JV, it is a New Zealand team not an Auckland team. On probability about 8/20 players should be from Auckland.
Sorry I should be a bit clearer.
Yes I agree it is an NZ team and not an Auckland team. I also agree that if the coach is based in Wellington, or Auckland, or Christchurch and he decides that he would like the team to be based there, thats his prerogative. I can respect that in trying to build a team that familiarity is a key component. In this case (and invariably others) he would like those players to be based in Auckland. If this was the same team and it was Wellington, I would still be in agreement. Looking at the team (and it was a once over), it does look like an Auckland side because the majority seem to be there already. Ipso facto, an Auckland side but I was not endorsing that.
Now that I think about it, when was the last time a mens age group coach came from outside Auckland. Stu Jacobs?
Isn't the object to have the best players in New Zealand play, not the best in Auckland. U20' s seemed to have managed it!.
We don't have the money to scout and monitor performances like other countries do when selecting squads, thus we try and pool as many as we can together to work and build from there.
Not the greatest system, but probably the most affective one we have at the moment.
Isn't the object to have the best players in New Zealand play, not the best in Auckland. U20' s seemed to have managed it!.
I would argue that the object is to have the best team possible represent New Zealand. If the coach believes the way to do that is to leave out a better player who isn't as familiar with the rest of the players and pick lesser players who are fully integrated into the team then that's the way it should be.
Isn't the object to have the best players in New Zealand play, not the best in Auckland. U20' s seemed to have managed it!.
I would argue that the object is to have the best team possible represent New Zealand. If the coach believes the way to do that is to leave out a better player who isn't as familiar with the rest of the players and pick lesser players who are fully integrated into the team then that's the way it should be.
We don't have the money to scout and monitor performances like other countries do when selecting squads, thus we try and pool as many as we can together to work and build from there.
Not the greatest system, but probably the most affective one we have at the moment.
What if NZF or some wealthy entity built a brand-new academy facility for national age group teams, with all sorts of training gear, pitches, sports scientists etc etc... and they then selected players from around NZ, and those players were expected to move to that facility in order to be part of the squad in preparation for qualification and World Cups... would it be "unfair" if a player chose not to take up that offer because they didn't want to move from their home city?
The only time we qualified for an age-group World Cup prior to Australia leaving Oceania was in 1997 - the entire squad was expected to reside in Auckland, those from out of town were billeted, and the squad trained most days each week etc... that approach paid off then... in 1999, the squad that played when we hosted were based in Auckland... again, relatively successful at the time (notwithstanding the 5-0 pounding by Uruguay)
The point is, surely, that having the squad together and training in one location is surely beneficial? Do you think the Clarefontaine centre is regionally prejudiced against youngsters from other parts of France?? or that the Ajax academy is being unfair by basing itself in Amsterdam??
Speaking to some of the guys who were in those "successful" squads in the late 1990s, they talked really positively of the experience they had training regularly and living in the same city, and didn't see moving to Auckland from elsewhere as a problem... they still went to school etc, so not as though they were deprived of a normal life... and their football improved...
can't see now why using such an approach should be such a point of antagonism...
My issue with moving to Auckland from conversations I have had with players of different teams is that NZF provide little if any support with helping these lads to find places to stay, schools. Parents considering placing their son in boarding school so that he could come up, thats pretty costly on the parents that don't have that kind of money. Be interesting to see how many other countries ask their players to relocate for such a period of time? I think as long as NZF help out with the move etc then its all good.
The initial WOF presentations by John Herdman included a NZ Talent Excel programme that echoed TBDFSOE's comments. Basically the best of the NTC would be invited into this programme to 'hothouse' them towards world cup tournaments. Seems to have disappeared off the radar in the last few years. Maybe Andy Hedge will dig it up again - but where will the money come from, unless they align themselves with a private provider. They could quite easily do it with APFA who offer something similar with Lincoln High in Christchurch.
I am told that only 1 player out of the whole squad in the U20 is actually living in Auckland at the moment. A couple from there, but don't live there at the moment.
Would NZF have been willing to support all the others to live in Auckland?
Three auckland players...... Arms, Turner and unless he's gone overseas in the last week, Bill T
Was at Birkenhead yesterday^
Three auckland players...... Arms, Turner and unless he's gone overseas in the last week, Bill T
Pretty sure the initial thinking of a one-city base (could be Auk, Wgtn or Chch IMHO) "hothouse' leading into World Cup was for U17s as at that age the players are pretty much still based in NZ and still at school; whereas U20 is a whole different ball game as many are trying their luck off shore by that stage and generally more complicated.
Sadly I don't think many of the U20s are overseas. And it applies to those that are in NZ. If you want to make it, if you want to represent your country at a Junior World Cup - 17s or 20s what is wrong with leaving mummy and moving to be in a more productive environment?
Oceania qualifiers kick-off Wednesday.
Note revised kick-off times for all matches:
OFC wishes to advise that the kick-off times for the OFC U-17 Championship in Vanuatu have been amended and that the three games on each match day will now take place at 10am, 1pm and 3.30pm local time.
The order of the matches will remain the same.
The five match days will all take place at the Luganville Soccer City Stadium on the
island of Espiritu Santo.
The revised schedule for all matches is as
follows:
Wednesday 17 April
10am New Zealand vs. Cook
Islands
1pm Fiji vs. New Caledonia
3.30pm Papua New Guinea vs.
Vanuatu
Friday 19 April
10am Cook Islands vs. Papua New
Guinea
1pm Vanuatu vs. Fiji
3.30pm New Caledonia vs. New
Zealand
Sunday 21 April
10am Fiji vs. Papua New
Guinea
1pm New Caledonia vs. Cook Islands
3.30pm Vanuatu vs. New
Zealand
Tuesday 23 April
10am Cook Islands vs.
Vanuatu
1pm Papua New Guinea vs. New Caledonia
3.30pm New Zealand vs.
Fiji
Thursday 25 April
10am New Zealand vs. Papua New
Guinea
1pm Cook Islands vs. Fiji
3.30pm New Caledonia vs. Vanuatu
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW:
One player to watch would seem to be New Caledonia's midfielder Mickael Partodikromo, who is "learning his trade in New Zealand at the Asia Pacific Football Academy – a programme quickly earning a reputation for producing promising talent – and spent time training in the youth set up of Premier League club Swansea City earlier this year."
New Zealand: 1. Zac SPEEDY [GK], 2. Riley KELLIHER, 3. Cory BROWN, 4. Nick FORRESTER, 5. Adam MITCHELL, 6. Alex PALEZEVIC, 7. Andrew BLAKE, 8. Michael DEN HEIJER, 9. Elijah NEBLETT, 10. Matthew RIDENTON, 11. Monty PATTERSON, 12. Sam COPP [GK], 13. Spiros AGATHOS, 14. Andre DE JONG, 15. Thomas PROBERT, 16. Meysum SHAFAHI, 17. Nick SUGDEN, 18. Stuart HOLTHUSEN, 19. Alex RUFER, 20. Tamupiwa DIMAIRO
Ok who plays where? Havent seen enough yoof this year
2-0 up over the Cook Islands after 10 mins.
Oceania Football hashtag for game v Cook Islands is #NZLvCOK. Surely they could come up with something better than COK?
Anyway, we are up 2-0 after ten mins. Goals to Monty Patterson and Nick Sugden, according to Twitter.
Anyone know who plays where?
Would it kill OFC to do formations
4-0 after 23 mins.
7-0 after 41 mins
Looks like it isn't our strongest team.
Ends 9-0
Another round of games today, they face New Caledonia at 4:30pm (I think).
Another round of games today, they face New Caledonia at 4:30pm (I think).
Prob their toughest opponent by sounds of it
Goal!!
12' GOAL! New Caledonia 0 New Zealand 1: Elijah Neblett opens the scoring for the Young All Whites when he cuts onto his right foot on the edge of the area and powers a shot in off the post
does everyone know what positions these guys play? anyone?
really do wish i could go in there and do something with that NZF site and match reports. So poor. NZF still have last U17 sides profiles (if you can call them that) up
46' GOAL!!! New Caledonia 0 New Zealand 2: Alex Rufer extends New Zealand's lead with the goal of the tournament so far, dribbling past several challenges through the heart of the New Caledonia defence before tucking the ball past Schmidt
46' GOAL!!! New Caledonia 0 New Zealand 2: Alex Rufer extends New
Zealand's lead with the goal of the tournament so far, dribbling past
several challenges through the heart of the New Caledonia defence before
tucking the ball past Schmidt
46' GOAL!!! New Caledonia 0 New Zealand 2: Alex Rufer extends New
Zealand's lead with the goal of the tournament so far, dribbling past
several challenges through the heart of the New Caledonia defence before
tucking the ball past Schmidt
Too sloooow bro
71' GOAL!!! New Caledonia 0 New Zealand 3: The Young All Whites go three goals ahead when Rufer prods home a loose ball on the line for his second
