According to numerous articles the All Whites will be competing in a tournament called the 2018 Hero Intercontinental Cup hosted by India. The other teams are South Africa and Chinese Taipei. The tournament will be hosted in Mumbai in India from the 1st to the 10th of June. 3 matches for each team and the top two teams play a final together. NZF are still finalising if they will compete in the tournament.
2018 Intercontinental Cup
Should be a no brainer
Should be a no brainer
There's little value in going.
As a heads up MLS season runs through those dates.
If the MLS contingent were all unavailable for a tourney that included games verus Taiwan and India, wouldn’t blame them at all.
Esp as their clubs will also be losing players to the World Cup.
Not saying NZF shouldn’t send AWs to India, just expect another under strength selection.
Should be a no brainer
There's little value in going.
If it’s fully funded by the Indian FA or whoever, then no problem sending a ‘development’ type side. May put a kid in an overseas club’s shop window. Otherwise yes very little value playing 2 weak Asian sides so early in WC cycle.
Not in an international window, but European players and A-League based players will be available - It'd be nice to include some USA based players to see what they bring to the set up, but not being in an international window is a bit of a hindrance. Should be able to field a pretty strong squad nonetheless. Imagine it would resemble something similar to the squad we called up to face Canada + Wood, Reid (not sure on injury status), Barbarouses, Roux.
Bit embarrassing how far we've slid down the World rankings, but a good chance to get 3-4 games under the belt, against teams we really should be beating too.
At least if the All Whites do compete we are giving some players game time. Also the climate should be similar to Qatar so might be a good indication of whether our players get affected by the conditions
Should be a no brainer
There's little value in going.
If it’s fully funded by the Indian FA or whoever, then no problem sending a ‘development’ type side. May put a kid in an overseas club’s shop window. Otherwise yes very little value playing 2 weak Asian sides so early in WC cycle.
Weak sides, but they're still above us...
Should be a no brainer
There's little value in going.
If it’s fully funded by the Indian FA or whoever, then no problem sending a ‘development’ type side. May put a kid in an overseas club’s shop window. Otherwise yes very little value playing 2 weak Asian sides so early in WC cycle.
Weak sides, but they're still above us...
Yeah because the rankings are so accurate.
Don’t know a human being not affected by 35 degree temperatures, when trying to play football!
WC in Qatar is madness as we all know.
Chris Wood should be heading to a beach post EPL season, not India. Like to see Collier in AWs shirt ASAP, but again for these MLS guys their clubs should come first over this proposed tourney.
Should be a no brainer
There's little value in going.
If it’s fully funded by the Indian FA or whoever, then no problem sending a ‘development’ type side. May put a kid in an overseas club’s shop window. Otherwise yes very little value playing 2 weak Asian sides so early in WC cycle.
Weak sides, but they're still above us...
Yeah because the rankings are so accurate.
Got a better way to work it out?
Would give the coach more time with the team which is what he needs and can experiment as players as our players in MLS wont be available which creates a large gap. Just like the Canada game we can use younger players and fringe players and give them an opportunity to see how they do. Would like to see Joey Champness get called up for this.
Any opportunity to play should be taken up...even if it’s a mixture of fringe players and locals...if we can’t beat India and Taiwan even with local players (South Africa are a bit more decent) then we should give up now.
Three games, short of playing in the confeds cup that will likely be more games in one stretch then at any other time this cycle.
We just flew around the world to play one game without the majority of our MLS players to play behind close doors
Beggars can't be chosers and this is probably as good as it gets
i think we do not do enough with emerging and fringe all whites players. in the past, we frequently send development type sides to tournaments around the world and often the players taken would develop into worthwhile internatiuonal players. we should be clutching these opportunities with both hands
Should be a no brainer
There's little value in going.
a waste of money?? - apparently fully funded by the Indian FA
It will give us some games, it really means bugger all, so the coach can try out some different players, formations etc
it reminds me of the Kings Cup in Thailand and the Merdaka Tournament in Malaysia that we used to go to all the time - mostly we'd effectively take a B team, we even won the Merdaka Tournament when Dugdale was the boss
can't really understand how you are saying there is no value in going
Should be a no brainer
There's little value in going.
Disagree. Even if we are paying our way, opportunities to see fringe or younger players for 3 games don't come around often. Good chance every person in a 23 man squad would play 90+ minutes, which is a great deal more than the one off game against Canada.
Isn't the point of having an international team to play international games?
I'm okay with any possibility of playing more than just a single game, even if the team is full of Moses Dyers
Should be a no brainer
There's little value in going.
If it’s fully funded by the Indian FA or whoever, then no problem sending a ‘development’ type side. May put a kid in an overseas club’s shop window. Otherwise yes very little value playing 2 weak Asian sides so early in WC cycle.
Weak sides, but they're still above us...
Yeah because the rankings are so accurate.
Got a better way to work it out?
Not great, but better than the totally flawed FIFA rankings.
Be a decent amount of time though so Frtiz can start to gel with the players more and even if the teams are so poor at least our ranking could improve and it could give us a bit of exposure to the better AFC who may consider playing against us because right now I see playing time as an essential for the AW's otherwise when the players (finger crossed) go up against the big teams in the Olympics, Confed Cup and potentially the world cup, they'll need to be as cohesive and united as possible to play well together.
Not ideal (tourey being outside of a sanctioned FIFA window) and I would normally be against sending a team.
But this time - with a new team and a new coach - I think getting three games in quick succession with a good chunk of the squad (minuse the MLS lads) is actually pretty good.
At least if the All Whites do compete we are giving some players game time. Also the climate should be similar to Qatar so might be a good indication of whether our players get affected by the conditions
Do NZ Football have any idea how hot and humid ii is in June in India?
Probably not.
Temperatures in Mumbai in early June:
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/india/mumbai/h...
Tournament dates: June 1 - June 10
Last year in that period it ranged between daily highs of 30 to 35 degrees celcius.
It's unrelentingly hot all day: 30 degrees at 5 am; 31 degrees at 10 pm was typical last year in that period.
Humidity up to 94 percent.
I wouldn't choose to be there in June even on holiday just walking around (though autumn and winter is nice in India: 20 to 30 degrees, like our summer)
Their summers are like Africa or Australia.
Though Mumbai in June isn't as bad as other areas where it can reach high 40's in temperature.
At least if the All Whites do compete we are giving some players game time. Also the climate should be similar to Qatar so might be a good indication of whether our players get affected by the conditions
Do NZ Football have any idea how hot and humid ii is in June in India?
Probably not.
Temperatures in Mumbai in early June:
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/india/mumbai/h...
Tournament dates: June 1 - June 10
Last year in that period it ranged between daily highs of 30 to 35 degrees celcius.
It's unrelentingly hot all day: 30 degrees at 5 am; 31 degrees at 10 pm was typical last year in that period.
Humidity up to 94 percent.
I wouldn't choose to be there in June even on holiday just walking around (though autumn and winter is nice in India: 20 to 30 degrees, like our summer)
Their summers are like Africa or Australia.
Though Mumbai in June isn't as bad as other areas where it can reach high 40's in temperature.
I guess that all part of NZF’s DD before they commit.
Cost, what players are will be available, conditions, strength of opposition etc etc.
Schmid was based in Malaysia previously wasn’t he? So knows a bit about Asian tourneys like these. He will have some strong input into whether AWs go or not.
I imagine he’s gagging to actually coach.
I do chuckle when some here are concerned about the quality of the teams we may be playing
They are probably thinking the same thing about us and we definitely can't act superior based upon our performances the past 7 years.
If we actually beat both India and Tapei and pinched a draw against SA I would be very surprised
As for the temperature, that shouldn't be any factor in NZ footballs decision making. It is what it is and you need to overcome any number of issues playing overseas. We may have some tough temperatures in the islands coming up soon
As said before this may may be as good as it gets this World Cup cycle and it may not get this good again
India are weak. They didn't qualify for the 2015 Asian Cup (held in Australia with 16 teams). They did qualify for the 2011 edition (Qatar) for the first time since 1984. They lost to the Socceroos 0-4 in pool play. That was considered a creditable result at the time. A cricket score had been feared.
They have managed to qualify for the expanded 24 team, 2019 Asian Cup (UAE hosting) by topping a qualifying pool of Kyrgyzstan, Myanmar & Macao.
Basically a full strength AWs side would comfortably beat them in NZ type conditions. The rankings mean squat.
However in their hot humid conditions, and with a weakened NZ side - yeah wouldn't be easy.
Chinese-Taipei have failed to qualify for the 2019 Asian Cup. They were 3rd in their pool, behind Bahrain & Turkmenstein. FYI - the Turkmenis will be the lowest FIFA ranked country (129) of the 24 teams in UAE.
We all expect any AWs squad for this proposed tourney to be similar to the team verus Canada. It maybe even weaker. Wee Mac, Brockie, Themi & Rojas were all in Spain. Any or all of them may want some time off football after their club seasons, & be unavailable. Boxall senior may stay in Minnesota this time.
Might all come down to whether looking for a little Indian adventure & new stamp in their passports.
As others have pointed out, the real benefits would be with the younger players - esp exposing them to unfriendly conditions (yes not dissimilar to playing in the Islands), and time with the new AWs coach. Also chance for a young kid like Callum McCowatt to be picked, and possibly be spotted by an overseas club. All worthwhile valuable stuff, if costs are fully funded by Indian FA.
Note South Africa (Bafana Bafana) are already playing in a regional Southern African tournament (COSAFA Cup) from May 27th to June 9th.
https://www.safa.net/2018/04/18/watch-stuart-baxte...
The Indian tourney is June 1st to June 10th. I presume the COSAFA Cup would take precedence for the South Africans?
So if they send a team to India also - could be very much their "B or C" side?
if everyone turns up whom could be selected we would only be minus two guarenteed starting players - Boxall and Stefan
Am not counting smith
Reid, Wood and Thomas are unlikely to attend. And really this early in the cycle they are not needed. OFC Nations Cup is still 2 years away. Let them have a break after their club seasons. Time to trial youngsters and/or fringe players like the Canada game. Build some depth for long term.
From FIFA window in October this year, I’d be bringing top squad together.
If we participate, beating India and a weakened South Africa team, two countries ranked higher than us, would at least improve our FIFA ranking and help make countries take us more seriously.
Schmid needs a chance to size up prospective players now early on in his reign too so he can build his best side for competitive games in the future.
Starting to wonder as to when NZ Football will confirm their participation in the event as we were told last Sunday that it would only take a few days before it would be confirmed. This a good opportunity to blood fringe and young players into the squad and why might not get this opportunity again.
AIFF announces inaugural four-nation Intercontinental Cup to be held in Mumbai
Still nothing from NZF, but really doubt we'd be sending anywhere near our 'A' team.
Anyone got any other information?
AIFF announces inaugural four-nation Intercontinental Cup to be held in Mumbai
Still nothing from NZF, but really doubt we'd be sending anywhere near our 'A' team.
Anyone got any other information?
Also doubt the South Africans will be sending a first strength team, they already a tourney to attend.
I note Indian FA (AIFF) have requested NZ and SA send their ‘first’ teams as part of some agreement.
For South Africans that looks impossible as the COSAFA Cup runs, over same dates.
Also AWs will be without their MLS players as a minimum.
I guess this is why we have heard nothing for a week now. Whole thing may fall over if Indians, insist on ‘first’ team squads.
How do you politely tell someone ‘your team is pretty shark, don’t worry we will give you a good game no matter who we send. Please let us come with our kids.’
PS. Chris Wood won't be going in India if this tourney happens. His club off season with Burnley will be all too short as it is. Europa League qualifiers start in July.
I note Indian FA (AIFF) have requested NZ and SA send their ‘first’ teams as part of some agreement.
For South Africans that looks impossible as the COSAFA Cup runs, over same dates.
Also AWs will be without their MLS players as a minimum.
I guess this is why we have heard nothing for a week now. Whole thing may fall over if Indians, insist on ‘first’ team squads.
How do you politely tell someone ‘your team is pretty shark, don’t worry we will give you a good game no matter who we send. Please let us come with our kids.’
PS. Chris Wood won't be going in India if this tourney happens. His club off season with Burnley will be all too short as it is. Europa League qualifiers start in July.
I feel like the Aiff are kind of helpless but we would still be sending a quality opposition for them, if you look at how the team performed against Peru and Canada (even though they lost both) our top team and youth team performed quite well considering their superiority in the rankings and since the squad will probably be a bit of a mixture of the two they shouldn't be complaining. Also we may still have a strong striker with Elliott Collier saying his next goal is to play for the all whites so he may ask Chicago to let him play the games. Will be good mixture for Fritz to learn his players and broaden his quantity of players (if that makes sense) the building confidence for the younger ones and experience for all players.
All Whites confirmed they will play in the cup. http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/62141
good stuff
Would have been crazy to turn it down
All Whites confirmed they will play in the cup. http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/62141
It's bizarre when you think we'll be playing India and Taiwan, yet the AW's are the lowest ranked team in the comp...
Very good news; any competitive fixtures are good fixtures.