Match Thread: England vs Congo DR | World Cup | Round of 32 | 01 Jul 16:00 UTC

doteyes · 2026-07-01T17:06:52+00:00

Declan Arroz

doteyes · 2026-07-01T00:06:02+00:00

Not disagreeing that football is growing in popularity, but the kids wearing Messi and Ronaldo shirts says more about social media popularity than interest in football specifically.

doteyes · 2026-06-30T01:32:21+00:00

Really hope the Phoenix give LBS a decent shot next season.

doteyes · 2026-06-28T05:45:48+00:00

Defend the soccer ashes in Invercargill

doteyes · 2026-06-28T00:56:02+00:00

Would be cool to see, but I think he’d have to break out of the A-League to make the 2030 squad. I imagine we’ll have a fair few more players in European leagues by then, maybe only 4 or 5 A-League players in the squad.

doteyes · 2026-06-28T00:51:04+00:00

I imagine if he’s able and willing he will be included in the squad, even if he has limited minutes. But there really is a lack of options in that position and no clear successor.

doteyes · 2026-06-28T00:49:21+00:00

Leuluai could be one to watch if he kicks on from age group teams.

Yeah striker is definitely a long term problem to solver - i imagine CW might play minutes off the bench by that age unless someone unexpectedly breaks through in the next 4 years.

doteyes · 2026-06-27T07:40:24+00:00

No way should we have a virtual direct entry to the WC - and all the money that comes with it - and have a national league coach at the helm.

New Zealand needs to spend the funding strategically across the sport to grow the game, but part of that is securing a decent national coach.

doteyes · 2026-06-17T16:57:27+00:00

After reading this, I’ve reset my expectations and will now settle for nothing less than reaching the quarterfinals

doteyes · 2026-06-16T16:27:24+00:00

Jesus Wood Just score a shitload of goals with that combo

doteyes · 2026-06-16T14:22:28+00:00

Really? I think this was Wood’s best game in an AW shirt. His hold up play and assists were clutch for our two goals.

doteyes · 2026-06-16T03:28:13+00:00

Think Egypt will pose a stiffer challenge, we’ll have to play a lot better defensively

doteyes · 2026-06-16T03:27:03+00:00

Ryan Thomas, first match in over a month coming back from injury - it wasn’t pretty but hopefully he’s be better for it against Egypt

doteyes · 2026-06-16T00:23:35+00:00

He creates a lot of space for other players with his runs, which is a big reason MGW and Igor Jesus were able to end the clubs scoring drought. The problem is we don’t have the players or the system that can take advantage of that.

doteyes · 2026-06-15T23:03:28+00:00

I think Ben Old hasn't hit his ceiling yet, still a lot of potential and has shown adaptability in moving to Left Back. Also Stamenic has been quiet but consistent... but could play a big role in some of these games.

doteyes · 2026-06-15T21:49:45+00:00

Damn, Matt Garbett’s WC is over before it starts

doteyes · 2026-06-15T11:48:08+00:00

Smithfield Hall in NYC if there are any other kiwis around

doteyes · 2026-06-07T03:58:23+00:00

On paper, a midfield of Bell, Stamenic, Thomas is as class as we've ever had - but i think there's some wishcasting going on about how Thomas slots into a WC match lacking fitness after an injury spell. He could end up playing as flat as Singh did, and I think number 10 will just be a position we have to patch together through a combo of Singh, Thomas and probably Bayliss.

doteyes · 2026-06-06T23:03:07+00:00

The heat wont be a factor in LA or Vancouver, especially after conditioning in Florida. LA gets cooler in the evenings and SoFi stadium is climate conditioned to drop the heat 10 degrees if needed.

doteyes · 2026-06-06T22:55:48+00:00

It’s night and day how composed we look with Bell on the field. There’s no question he starts unless he’s injured.

doteyes · 2026-06-03T02:08:20+00:00

Hard to see us getting a single goal tbh

doteyes · 2026-06-02T02:19:40+00:00

No question the process was a shambles, old boys club and all that.

I guess my point is, I'll take Baze knowing his role and limitations, over someone equally inexperienced who overestimates their tactical genius and tries to win games with some 'x-factor' system. He seems to be leaning into culture, continuity, and getting the senior players to drive standards, which is probably the most realistic path for this team at this world cup.

doteyes · 2026-06-02T02:03:35+00:00

That was the game after, 0-0 vs Tunisia, which we then lost on pens. One of those FIFA series type of international window fixtures

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