Subject: [NT] News

Will be fun:)

Great game, defence dominated for both teams. Although I can't help but feel if the Bulgarian defender who viciously hacked down Morcombe from behind when he was clear on goal, and before he had reached the ball, had received a red card like he should have, it would have made things a little easier for our strikers.

Good stuff Vilpu :D

MINI WORLD CUP FINAL New Zealand vs Australia

Previous matches
2009-04-25 New Zealand 1 : 2 Australia
2009-01-10 New Zealand 3 : 4 Australia
2008-09-20 Australia 2 : 0 New Zealand
2008-02-23 New Zealand 2 : 1 Australia
2008-02-09 New Zealand 1 : 3 Australia
2007-10-27 Australia 1 : 2 New Zealand
2007-07-07 New Zealand 2 : 1 Australia
2006-11-25 Australia 2 : 3 New Zealand
2006-07-01 New Zealand 2 : 3 Australia

As you can see overall it`s 5:4 to Australia. However the last 3 games have been lost. I am trying to end that run tomorrow.

About the team. 98% of the team is in great form and ready to beat the aussies. I would like to use defender Duncan Findlay, but he has to miss it due to low form. However our line-up for tomorrow have all brilliant or better forms, so can`t really complain. Same is with Aussies, don`t see any cards not injuries. Hopefully it will be an interesting game.

I also created a poll in MWC thread about the match and 64% believe that Australia will win. Hopefully almighty kiwi god is with us.

what's the odds of another 1 goal win ;).

I think the cap will be bigger this time:)

Just over ten minutes until the big game. Gooooooo NZ! :D :D :D

I have some serious doubts about the tactic, but hopefully it will be good and if we lose, then cap won`t be big.

:)

:)

don't know how you were dribbling Nikas (well before he got injured, afterwards yeah it's obvious but due to lack of conditional orders there's not much you can do about protecting SI).

A deserved win but a lot of fortune there ;). Injury to Storey and Nikas hurt us badly. Chuck in the goals you got from defensive fumbles which appeared unusually one way, I think in the end a lucky result but in the end you won and that's all that counts ;).

Haven`t seen thriller like this for a while now. Equal game from both sides and despite of 10 men on the pitch we managed to win.

About tactics. It`s good that Willis didn`t play as wide and as high as I afraid before the match. We eliminated him luckily. Aussie defenders were low, which was actually good for them and bad for us. If our strikers would have played in line with their defs, then we would have got more chances.
Our defenders, weren`t high or low, that`s what I was afraid before the game, those through passes. Luckily Kaz was great on goal. Especially that 84.min save was cruicial.

About substitutions. Gilbert was a thread as I hoped him to be. Came in in the second half, when opponent defenders were tired and managed to create few dangerous situations. What`s makes me wonder is what happened after that red card. Richards took the place is defense, he supposed to do that, but he should have stayed in the game too. I am sure I didn`t make a mistake here. Root and Sansom were supposed to go on the bench. But what happened, was that Richards with outstandinf defense went out and Irvine as very good defender took his place against Maras.

Luckily we managed to win this little cup. For Aüstralia it was the second time they lost in the final.

:)

We some luck, but so had you. Last 35 minutes we wre down by one man and very good defender was against Maras. It was a quite ugly game, all those faults and injuries.

Great game anyway, besides we have one friendly match planned in the end of season.

:)

Indeed, although tbf the red card was deserved and should have been issued much earlier after fouling from behind in the box injurying Storey. So that was really about all we had in terms of "luck" but it should almost always happen if you let Storey through and have to tackle from behind ;).

Injurying Storey and Nikas along with about 2-3 defensive fumbles that ended in goals were extremely costly ;).

Week 15 we'll be back that's for sure :).

congratulations for the championship!!

Thanks:)

Tomorrow we meet Nippon aka. Japan. They played in the semifinal of Mini World Cup, not a weak team at all. I´ll be using mostly our sub players. Few of them have quite low form, but just would like to give a chance.

It was the fourth match of last five, where the opponent side didn`t manage to score a goal against us. They had few chances, even the penalty. We should have opened the score already on the first half, shame that Pollock didn`t use his good chances. I liked how he played though.

I have no idea who plays us next week. We were planned to play against Crna Gora, but their manager decided to refuse last week. Hopefully I can find someone to play against.