Subject: [NT] Friendlies

lol, it was just your warming up back then *wink wink* :D

:) They should be "warm" by now. In 4 previous election seasons I'm 3-4-1 (W-D-L). Doesn't sound that bad, but most all those matches were against lower ranked opponents. :S

I really do think the players hate me. ;) Too many suicides maybe.

The good thing about being Seca-less next season and the season after is that we can't exactly have a worse crop of injuries/cards =p

lmao

Now, now. I'd like to point out there were 7 matches this past season where New Zealand finished with 11 players on the pitch. That's almost half. :D It could be worse. :P

I should have asked the candidates how they would have played this one - may help the voters to see them in semi-action. If any of them happen to be on-line before game time, they can give their two cents.

I will ask earlier next week. :)

Turkey's manager is not on-line, so I'm going to post a few minutes early.

So ... Turkey.

I believe the last time I played Turkey was with team Canada. It was also during the election period. Giacomi was sent off early. Parker was terrible - let in 2 long shots and a long pass. Turkey pressed - Canada got a number of break-aways but couldn’t finish for .... Game ended in a draw.

A good opponent. I have a fair bit of respect for their defense. Not as much for the forwards (part of the reason why the defense moves up this week). I think their midfield has improved a great deal in the two seasons since I last played them. With their user base it’s only a matter of time before they push into the top 30.

Had planned an experimental narrow 3-4-3 (used it with my club in days of yore) - but I thought the game had WC ramifications, so a more tried and true formation is being used. A 4-4-2 triangle midfield with winger is being employed. I consider it a counter-attacking tactic, as the 3 interior middies don’t usually hold possession. The line is a little higher then usual - may help control the ball. If they play 3 at the back Atkinson could really have a nice game. Turns out the game isn’t for WC seeding, but is against an important WC opponent. No less intrigue.

Was going to sit Hird this weekend after his sub-par match last week ... but then his form popped 3 levels Thursday. Potential NT managers must be salivating about a possible in-form Hird. He’s been stuck at the bottom end of the spectrum for 3 seasons. Tomlinson recovered from his knock and will start. Would prefer to use one of the younger defenders ahead of Harris, but with the game carrying some importance, Harris is in.

LINE-UP

Taylor
Harris, Watts, Edwards, De Bruin
Kelly, Shields, Tomlinson (Root 60), Atkinson (Sansom 60)
Hird, Gilbert

Bench
Welford
M Gilbert
Roza

Hird takes Pks. Freekicks are open.

damn! first few minutes are total domination! =]

LOL

gutted at the goalie getting an injury in the last minute, from collecting up the through ball.

15 days.

so he will be slightly injured the next time we play him, in 2 weeks!

I counted 4 good scoring chances in the first 7 minutes. :)

Pretty solid match by the All-Whites. Can't point to anyone who played poorly. Hird looked much sharper then last week. Shields fit right in. Winger didn't see alot of action, but Atkinson set up 1 goal, and that is often the difference.

The high line worked well. Their attackers are a little different then the Chilean and Canadian ones the team has been up against lately. Offsides were totally worth the odd-man rush risk.

Perhaps I overstated the doom & gloom in the other thread. Even so ... Turkey is a quality opponent. The new manager will need to be on their toes.

well done in beating turkey! I will have a good look at that match tomorrow

Good match, specially as they are opponent at group stage of qualifications. Lots of chances lost, it could be even more than 3x0. ;)

We could see with this match that they don't have a very weak team, but we are better and must win against them in qualifications group. I liked their midfield, getting a lot of balls against New Zealand's mids. Their forwards seemed to be fast, but not very good. I didn't like the way their defensive line played, anyway. NZ's strikers used very well the space between the defenders, and Atkinson was very important tactically.

I was perhaps too hard on Turkey's strikers - Derelioğlu is reasonably dangerous. They do have a good team - had a better average player rating than New Zealand in this one, and would have had comparable team ratings if 3 of 4 shots hadn't been taken by midfielders.

Match booked against Australia this weekend. Would like to put in a stronger effort in my final match, but can't justify risking players in a friendly (even if it's Australia :D) when qualifying starts the following week, and is expected to be tight.

Not sure what players the new manager will want to use. I plan to sit these 17 - there are a few others who might also get the week off.

Atkinson, Bodger, D Chadwick, J Chadwick, Dawkins, De Bruin, Edwards, B Gilbert, Harris, Hird, Kelly, Kilkenny, Mathews, Sansom, Taylor, Tomlinson, Watts.

The tactic probably won't be pretty - will be focusing on playing to the strengths of the B-squad, rather then considering what Australia may do.

Mathews eh?

=p

Trying to give cometer the upper hand before the match? Nice way on rubbing in the past couple of results ;D

Apologies - Matthews.

Cometer certainly doesn't need the upper hand. The last meeting was very close - could have gone either way. :)

Australia is in a similar dilemma. Tho Cometer won't need to rule out as many players, since he probably knows which 11 he'd want for the following week. But I suspect they won't have all hands on deck.

Line-up is set for Australia. It could get pretty ugly - depending on who the Socceroos trot out. They have a little more depth, so sitting their top players (if they choose to do this) probably won't have quite the same impact.