All Whites vs Russia, Confederations Cup | Sun 18 June | 3am | St Petersburg | SS3

Jeremy Christie is still of playing age and unattached.....

Hoping for a miracle. We put 3 past Italy and snuck a win against Serbia this time last cycle, show us that secret weapon you've been hiding from us Hudson

Edit: Seems he left his secret weapon with the under 20s

Great coverage from Fifa website. NZ press conference http://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/matches/roun...

The somewhat inevitable underdog Iceland comparison made by a Brit journo at the presser. Sadly unlikely methinks esp without Reid.

Still go the AWs!

I have an awful feeling we are going to get thumped. Horribly thumped.

Thanks Shane

I think tomorrows match will be utter rubbish and we'll lose 1-0. Then 4-0 to Mexico and 6-1 to Portugal. Patterson will score the consolation and Hudson will been happy that his junior development plan has come to fruition.

Anyone in Auckland going to watch this in at the Fox?

I'm in Auckland, was probably just going to watch it at home, will Fox be open that early/late? Could possibly make my way in if there will be a few supporters there! 

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/93777344/confederations-cup-newlook-russian-squad-with-weight-on-their-shoulders-on-home-soil

Seems everyone on here has pretty low expectations, and rightly so. Losing Reid pre tournament was a massive blow, and even though he won't admit it, I think Hudson is now bit confused as to what formation/strategy to go with. It's alright doing without Reid for the OFC bunnies, but against better quality sides his absence leaves a huge hole.

Reid is not only our best player, defender and leader but also I'd say best passer. My memory of his games against USA & Mexico were of some pin point kicks forward to likes of Wood. We have no one else close to good enough, who can do that role. Our midfield looks as weak as piss. 

There is a lot of angst about Hudson's coaching ability, but I think he is doing an okay job, and some people just need a large dose of reality - the AWs are just weaker (compared to Portugal massively weaker) than the other teams. Even Russia with recent draws against Belgium & Chile (something we can only dream about AWs doing) look way stronger than us. I'd say their FIFA ranking is misleading.  All we can hope for is AWs give everything they have, and get some doses of lady luck.

This reminds me a bit of 2009 Confeds Cup, and no Nelsen being there. This time however there is no opponent as weak as Iraq, so expect 3 losses, and 1-2 goals in total at most.

Still hope we do better than that. Go AWs.

Just called in and checked, their license means they can't be open between 4-6am, so they'll be closed by then 

 Damn just called them and they aren't.

Used to be SPE for two great world cups and that's gone.

 I'm sure Fox and others used to be open. I watched the Wales game in there at 1am I'm sure.  I think all these cut backs on licenses are to funnel business and money to the casino, bloody leech on our city that it is. Brings in everything you want in a city like high-rise, battery hen brothels. 

Oh well, if anyone has any better suggestions! 

Gotta treat it like a big game I'm thinking. Might be our biggest for the next few years.

I don't buy the argument that Hudson is doing an okay job. His squad and team selections verge on baffling sometimes and the AWs have performed to a bare minimum standard vs OFC opposition (1 goal in 2 games + extra time in the OFCNC knockouts, draw with New Caledonia in WC qualifying) and our friendly performances have been patchy.. 

Russia have been smashing in the goals lately

They are also huuuge. They have a couple of massive defenders but are even bigger further up the park, although a few of the bigger guys are fringe players

That's fine, but we shouldn't look out of our depth against a second string Bulgaria Belarus side, or score only one goal (and that through a keeping calamity) in the last 210 minutes of Nations Cup Football.

Edit: Typo fixed.

It was Belarus, and they had made about 5 changes from their previous 2-1 win in a European WC qualifier. So more a mix of 1st & 2nd string.

If you are talking 2nd string, so were AWS almost at OFC Nations Cup. Only about 4-6 of the starting 11 in the final against PNG, can you expect to see start tomorrow. Hudson had a host of players unavailable for that tourney for various reasons. 

Plus he no doubt experimented with a few left field hunch selections like Prelevic, but he's stopped that now and I don't think you can agrue much with his current squad. But he still doesn't have the quality cattle of other teams in this pool

Of course we're weaker than the other teams at the tournament, and of course 3 losses will always be the most likely outcome any time we play at a Confeds Cup, and yes Reid is missing. However, Hudson's call to not play wingers when winger is probably the position we have the most quality and depth in needs questioning. As does his decision to play Rojas as a CM on more than one occasion. As does the general panic on the ball and lack of cohesion in that loss to Belarus and to a lesser extent the NI game as well. And you say that you can't argue much with his current squad yet the goalie who plays at the best level isn't there. Meanwhile Alex Rufer pops up out of nowhere to be in the squad again too on the basis of who knows what? 

Yes we are shark, but that shouldn't be an excuse for not being slightly less shark. Or to put it another way, under Hudson have we been as good as we could be? I don't think we've been close, save for bits of a couple of friendlies out of all the games we've played. And when we've been shark, we've been really, really shark.

A thought: perhaps a confed cup 3 match thrashing might not be a bad thing if it leads to a sacking/resignation/new coach.

#hudsonout

Since everyone is making predications, here's mine:

We're fudgeed

come on lads. Cheer up. There's a proper football match on in 4 hours! 

We are the All Whites, we're gonna get humped.

So much misery in this thread. I'm looking forward to the game and reckon we will be competitive.

[/quote] And you say that you can't argue much with his current squad yet the goalie who plays at the best level isn't there. Meanwhile Alex Rufer pops up out of nowhere to be in the squad again too on the basis of who knows what? 

[/quote] Do very much agree with this. Fan of Gleeson (regularly post highlights of Timbers games) and disappointed he not picked. It's the one really baffling selection/non-selection to me. However Marinovic is going okay, and the bigger problems obviously lie further up the pitch.

I still maintain Hudson is doing an okay job. He'll be judged now on next few mths (Confeds Cup & World Cup qualification playoffs). As a minimum he should leave AWs better setup, than the mess that was inherited from Ricki. That should always be the goal of any coach, to pass on a team in better shape to the next boss. 

All the players are now making themselves available, and it appears a genuinely happy camp. Acknowledge could all unravel if team cops some hammerings in Ruski land. But it's mostly the keyboard warriors who seem to hate the guy (admittedly he's not always likeable).

He probably experimented too much with players for sure but given the wafer thin NZ football talent pool, can excuse that somewhat in the search to uncover a 'gem' somewhere. All coaches are going to have controversial picks. 

Go the AWs

Fire up! 

I thought the goal of any coach was to win matches, or at least get the best result possible given it's the All Whites we are talking about here and you can't expect always a win

AW line up

1 Marinovic

2 Wynne

5 Boxall

7 Kosta

8 WeeMac

9  Wood

11 Marco

14 Thomas

18 Colvey

20 Smith

22 Dura

So Thomas or Rojas again as CM and no Tuiloma, great

Maybe more like

                  Mar

    Wynne    Dura.   Box Smith

Thomas  Colvey WeeMac Marco

           Wood.       Kosta

The French daily news mag Léquipe has the AW's lineup as

   

                      Marincovic

      Boxall   Durante   Smith

Clolvey                                Doyle

           Weemac   Lewis or Tuiloma

Thomas                              Rojas

                   Wood

I sure hope Tuiloma plays instead of Lewis. Tuiloma has been in a prof Euro squad for three years now training daily. Lewis comes from semi amateur NZ setup. Tuiloma won't be phased by the pace of the game. He is our only out and out DM.....we will need him for sure....not only to screen in front of the back three but also to provide a passing outlet in transition from defense to attack.

Quite a lot of publicity here in Europe for this match. The football season is over here so it seems the Conf Cup is the big focus for everyone now.

This is a huge huge game for NZ. Easily our biggest since the WC in Africa. Plus being the opening game against the hosts only adds to the pressure. THe pressure might get to the Russian team as well.....which might help us. However if we don't play at 100% in all departments then we will get well beaten.

I personally don't expect much out of this match. However I would like to see us keep our shape for 90 minutes, to press and be agressive and to scrap for the whole match, to look like a well drilled side. A one goal defeat would be OK...to score would be great. 

The whole football world will be watching this match....I hope we dont let ourselves down.

This game is on free to air TV in France....nothing better to do on a 35 degree afternoon than watch NZ play..... with an ice cold beer

My line up from Fifa.com 

Tuiloma etc. named subs.

I think it's

                        Marinovic

          Durante   Boxall    Smith

Colvey                                      Wynne

                WeeMac    Thomas

                          Rojas

                   Wood     Barbarouses

At least considering how we've been playing the last matches

no tuiloma? RiP all whites 

Guardian has Colvey as CB in 4 alongside Box!!  Smith and Weemac CMs with Thomas and Marco outside

Edit: Guardian now changed it to 3 4 3 !! Give up!

THe FIFA lineup would be the correct lineup then....so no Tuiloma

Our midfield looks very very light weight. Rojas and Thomas are small wingers IMO. The Russian side has some big guys in midfield. I am not confident that Weemac and Thomas have the physicality to muscle up in midfield......who is going to contest and win ball in this area? It appears Hudson has gone for an all out attack formation with all our small ball players on the field. To me the side looks unbalanced.

Quite nervous about this now. The Russian midfield could run riot.

Opening ceremony underway.....Putin gave a speech

He said that if Russia don't beat NZ then they are all off to the salt mines...LOL

http://buffstream.com/watch/event/confederations-cup-russia-newzealand/link-2

amazing atmosphere! The crowd are already going nuts. Hopefully our boys can feed off them, and not be overawed by it all.

"the amazing story of Andrew Durante"... already love this commentator. 

Anyone got an eng stream? too early for spanish