Speaker 1: Well, go to football fever. Hello that and welcome into
Speaker 1: football fever. It may well be the last football fever
Speaker 1: for a little while. We thought we might get a
Speaker 1: Grand Final to enjoy from a New Zealand point of view.
Speaker 1: Unfortunately that is not the case. I'm Jason Pine. Bonnie
Speaker 1: Jensen's here as well. It's done, all done Auckland FC's
Speaker 1: maiden season.
Speaker 2: Bonnie, this is not how the script was supposed to go. Finie,
Speaker 2: I can't really believe we're here, you know, really gutted,
Speaker 2: but also yeah, I don't think it's it's hit me
Speaker 2: quite yet. You know, I thought this week we were
Speaker 2: going to be planning and talking about the weekihait and
Speaker 2: what coverage we were going to be doing here at
Speaker 2: the Herald and News talks z'b. But I'm sure it's
Speaker 2: the same for Auckland f C. They probably had a
Speaker 2: few proactive plans in place for the Grand Final that
Speaker 2: haven't come to fruition.
Speaker 1: I'm sure they would have any decent operation, and we
Speaker 1: know that Auckland f C are a very decent operation,
Speaker 1: would have been planning ahead. I'm sure that there was
Speaker 1: a training schedule for the players this week in terms
Speaker 1: of you know, a recovery day on Sunday back and
Speaker 1: I guess today and then looking ahead towards hosting a
Speaker 1: Grand final, and now none of that is required. It
Speaker 1: is a funny old feeling because this team has taken
Speaker 1: us on such a ride over the last thirty one
Speaker 1: weeks that for that right to stop so abruptly and
Speaker 1: we all get told to get off, it's kind of
Speaker 1: hard hard to process. Let's talk about the game. Auckland
Speaker 1: FC going into the second leg of the semi on
Speaker 1: Saturday night, rather against Victory with a one neill lead
Speaker 1: from the first leg, Melbourne victory with two goals in
Speaker 1: the space of five minutes in the second half turned
Speaker 1: it around. Zinnadin Mashash and Bruno fauna Roli on the
Speaker 1: score sheet and they held out. We'll talk about the
Speaker 1: controversy in a moment, but in a wider sense, do
Speaker 1: you think Melbourne victory with a better team on the night?
Speaker 2: Absolutely? I think That's what hurts so much. You know,
Speaker 2: I find it really hard to critique Auckland f C
Speaker 2: on the match, you know, and you look at oh,
Speaker 2: but they've had a great season and you know, some
Speaker 2: of the neutrals in the newsroom that haven't been involved
Speaker 2: like we have, Piney have kind of been like looking
Speaker 2: at the success and the bigger picture. But I'm still
Speaker 2: here reeling at the performance, thinking how did it go
Speaker 2: the way of Melbourne victory and how did Auckland f
Speaker 2: c let that happen. I thought we lacked a little
Speaker 2: bit of passion from the start. You know, we didn't
Speaker 2: create it as many opportunities as we would have as
Speaker 2: we can, and we're capable of the defense were exceptional
Speaker 2: as per but you know, I thought on field there
Speaker 2: were questionable decisions and plays, and off field from the
Speaker 2: coaching staff probably the same.
Speaker 1: Yeah. I just wonder whether they might have got caught
Speaker 1: a little bit in between frames of mind. And Steve
Speaker 1: Corker has said all along, look, we go out to
Speaker 1: win every game. But I just wonder whether there was
Speaker 1: the thought in the back of their mind that if
Speaker 1: they knew that if they didn't concede, they would go
Speaker 1: to the Grand Final. So whether there was just a
Speaker 1: little scaic of that in their heads to say, let's
Speaker 1: just be a little bit more conservative, let's just sit
Speaker 1: a little bit more. I think what Melbourne victory also
Speaker 1: very cleverly did was change their change their formation, plus
Speaker 1: bring in some fresh faces up front. They they brought
Speaker 1: in Fauna Roli and Santos up top, which was different
Speaker 1: from the first game when it was Virgos who was,
Speaker 1: you know, the main striker, with Vloopa Lay and Arzani
Speaker 1: who both started as well. The back three with they
Speaker 1: had Rawlin's Miranda Jackson, who I thought were excellent. You know,
Speaker 1: I just took and Steve Coriker even said afterwards, it
Speaker 1: just took us a little bit of time to you know,
Speaker 1: to adjust to what they were doing. I think the
Speaker 1: tactical battle was won by Melbourne victory. And you know,
Speaker 1: the game just swung on that five minutes when they
Speaker 1: scored those two goals. But then as Auckland FC were
Speaker 1: chasing the game, I at no stage did I really
Speaker 1: think to myself, look, they absolutely deserve a goal here,
Speaker 1: they deserve to pull this back.
Speaker 2: No, And that's what I think was the biggest lead
Speaker 2: down in that last thirty minutes of the game, because
Speaker 2: that's what they had right about thirty minutes to when
Speaker 2: they were too nil down, and you know it was
Speaker 2: Steve Corriker made quite successive changes, a few of them
Speaker 2: I thought pulling Hiroki off was interesting Logan Rogerson obviously
Speaker 2: with that disallowed goal, which will no doubt talk about,
Speaker 2: And yeah, it was just very interesting. He also pulled
Speaker 2: off Felipe And I don't know, I just I wouldn't
Speaker 2: have probably panicked if I mean, I'm not Steve Corker,
Speaker 2: but if I was in that position, I probably wouldn't
Speaker 2: have panicked that much. It was still thirty minutes and
Speaker 2: they only needed a goal.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and well, let's talk about the talking point of
Speaker 1: the whole game.
Speaker 2: I don't know why it is a talking point really,
Speaker 2: but we'll talk about it anyway.
Speaker 3: You know.
Speaker 1: And actually before we do talk about it, you're right.
Speaker 1: The only reason it's a talking point is because it
Speaker 1: has become one, I think because mainly Steve Coriker has
Speaker 1: carried on the narrative long long after the game, and
Speaker 1: it probably in many ways has become something that has
Speaker 1: masked a performance that I'm sure he wasn't happy with.
Speaker 1: You know, they lost the game to nil. They haven't
Speaker 1: lost many games at all the season. They have conceded
Speaker 1: a goal against Melbourne victory. But because there's this controversy
Speaker 1: around this disallowed goal, it has almost become the story
Speaker 1: of the game for though I won't even explain for
Speaker 1: those who haven't seen it. Everybody's seen it. Gijumo Mai
Speaker 1: gets to the ball before the byline. There's no dispute there.
Speaker 1: He gets to the ball before it goes over the byline,
Speaker 1: but in the act of crossing the ball in the
Speaker 1: eyes of the assistant referee has gone behind come back
Speaker 1: into play. Logan Rogerson's headed it in from close range.
Speaker 1: The goal has been disallowed. You know, there's there's no
Speaker 1: absolutely cast iron way of knowing or not without the
Speaker 1: camera angle from pretty much directly above looking down whether
Speaker 1: it's gone out. But the process has been followed. The
Speaker 1: assistant referee has said that's gone out, The referee's gone
Speaker 1: with that. The VR doesn't have any other angles that
Speaker 1: you know, would say, okay, well you've made an error
Speaker 1: on the field, we have to overturn it. They followed
Speaker 1: the process, but it has become this massive, massive talking
Speaker 1: point because I think Auckland FC have made it one.
Speaker 3: Yeah, you nailed that, pinting.
Speaker 2: I think Steve is perhaps using this as a little
Speaker 2: bit of a excuse and way to justify the performance.
Speaker 2: He was very very adamant in the press conference that
Speaker 2: it was that it was out, and I've looked back
Speaker 2: at it multiple times and I no, sorry, he was
Speaker 2: adamant it was in, and I was. I looked back
Speaker 2: at it and I think it was absolutely out. And yeah,
Speaker 2: as you say, they followed the vais process. I've actually
Speaker 2: gone to the the FA this morning to get comment
Speaker 2: because they do obviously review some of these controversial calls.
Speaker 2: So I've gone to them and sadly haven't heard back
Speaker 2: by the time we're recording this podcast. But yeah, I
Speaker 2: don't know. I think the fact that they're so caught
Speaker 2: up on that is a real shame because you know,
Speaker 2: I think what they did in that last thirty minutes
Speaker 2: probably speaks more volumes.
Speaker 1: Yeah. Well, you know, as I say, there's no official
Speaker 1: camera angle. What you know, if there was, they would
Speaker 1: have shown it on the TV. You know, we're as
Speaker 1: much in the dark as anybody else up in the
Speaker 1: TV commentary box. We're seeing the pictures that are on
Speaker 1: the big screen. And so I think everybody, once they
Speaker 1: saw that Guizumo may had kept it in, thought hey,
Speaker 1: this is going to be overturned. Because I think they
Speaker 1: a lot of people thought the reason it was chalked
Speaker 1: off in the first place was because the ball had
Speaker 1: gone behind before Gizumo May had crossed it in and
Speaker 1: it was clear that that hadn't happened. So okay, so
Speaker 1: we're okay now, But actually it was the ball going behind.
Speaker 1: Like I've seen some fan footage, nothing I've seen is
Speaker 1: unequivocal one way or the other. My personal view is
Speaker 1: like yours, I think the ball's gone out, But I'm
Speaker 1: almost certain I will never convince Steve Coricker of that.
Speaker 1: What I will say is that the assistant referees view
Speaker 1: is a heck of a lot better than Steve Corricker's.
Speaker 2: Yes, My thing is pliny is you look back to
Speaker 2: the women's semi final a few weeks ago. That call
Speaker 2: that was missed by the referees in the liner was
Speaker 2: far more obvious this one. I feel like they've got
Speaker 2: to move on and the fans have to move on,
Speaker 2: you know, as much as it hurts and you try
Speaker 2: and find something to blame, this one is yeah, is tricky,
Speaker 2: and it's yeah, it's too obvious the other way that
Speaker 2: is it. And for me, I feel like it's one
Speaker 2: of those those mind games, those brain games where it's
Speaker 2: like that the dress is at yellow and old or
Speaker 2: black and blue, you know that one. That's what I
Speaker 2: feel like it is because I look at the same
Speaker 2: video that my colleague is looking at in the office
Speaker 2: and he's like, that's one hundred percent in, and I'm like, no, no,
Speaker 2: it's one hundred percent out.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yes, I think. And there was a great line
Speaker 1: by our friend Andrew Vorman at Stuff in the article
Speaker 1: he wrote about it, and he said, Steve Coricker is
Speaker 1: seeing what he wants to see, and of course a
Speaker 1: coach does, but you can't tell me that if the
Speaker 1: situation was reversed and Melbourne victory score a goal like
Speaker 1: that which is allowed, that Steve Corecker wouldn't be saying
Speaker 1: that ball is out. You know, you see what you
Speaker 1: want to see.
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think, you know, you do feel bad
Speaker 2: a little bit for Steve because it might come across
Speaker 2: at he's bag, a little bit of a sore loser
Speaker 2: or something like that, trying to find ways to justify
Speaker 2: the result. But I guess you know you've got to
Speaker 2: give it to him. Any coach will will react and
Speaker 2: you know, find ways to justify his team's performance. And
Speaker 2: I feel like about this time last year chief he
Speaker 2: with the Phoenix lost to Melbourne victory, there was some
Speaker 2: sort of reaction as well that was that was controversial.
Speaker 2: So yeah, it's it's just the way it goes. And
Speaker 2: I guess, you know, he's Steve is just as gutted
Speaker 2: as everyone else that they found themselves in this position.
Speaker 1: I guess what has become obvious this season is Steve
Speaker 1: Corika is a very emotional, passionate guy. Right that that's
Speaker 1: obvious and in many ways that has helped drive Aukland
Speaker 1: FC to the success they've had. He is fully all
Speaker 1: in on his team. You know, the overplaying of that
Speaker 1: strength is often a weakness right off in The weakness
Speaker 1: is the overplayed strength. And I think his inability to
Speaker 1: see any other you know, point of view is perhaps
Speaker 1: something that you know, I was gonna say he needs
Speaker 1: to work on. He'll probably not work on it. He'll
Speaker 1: say no, no, this is me warts and all. I
Speaker 1: fully you know, I am, I am all in on
Speaker 1: this as part of my coaching persona and a lot
Speaker 1: of players would say, you know what, we want our
Speaker 1: coach to back us to the hilt in situations like this.
Speaker 1: But I think you before he's coming across in a
Speaker 1: negative fashion. By by I mean I don't think he
Speaker 1: even congratulated Melbourne Victory on their win, not that you
Speaker 1: are absolutely duty bound to. But if I compare it
Speaker 1: to last week after the first League, Arthur Dillis was
Speaker 1: very generous in his praise. He said, look, yeah, Aukland,
Speaker 1: the Sue were very good tonight. We'll go away, we'll
Speaker 1: come back. And of course it's different because he knew
Speaker 1: he had another game to try and turn it around.
Speaker 1: Football is an emotional game and you talk about that
Speaker 1: moment in the women's semi final that actually literally cost
Speaker 1: Melbourne City that game. It was the last kick of
Speaker 1: the game which sent the Marinders threw on an off
Speaker 1: side that should never have been missed and it was unequivocal.
Speaker 1: There is no two ways about it. Isabelle Gomez was offside,
Speaker 1: it wasn't picked up. This is a different, different set
Speaker 1: of circumstances here, and after it happened, Auckland FC still
Speaker 1: had the best part of twenty five minutes to try
Speaker 1: and find a goal.
Speaker 3: Exactly exactly. You're right.
Speaker 2: I think the only bright shining light for me when
Speaker 2: I was sitting in that press conference after the game
Speaker 2: is now there's they've got you know, they've got a
Speaker 2: bit of fire behind them for next season. I did
Speaker 2: kind of I was thinking heading into that game, you
Speaker 2: know what if they go all the way, what if
Speaker 2: they win that Grand Final and then what's next next season?
Speaker 2: You know that they've already done everything there is to achieve.
Speaker 2: So now it does excite me that little bit more
Speaker 2: for next season, knowing that, yeah, they're going to have
Speaker 2: a bit of fire behind them and yeah, they'll go
Speaker 2: at it probably even more.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I would say so, yeah they will, because once
Speaker 1: you win everything, there's only one way to go from
Speaker 1: there unless you continue to push to high heights, which
Speaker 1: this team will. You know, this will be motivation, this
Speaker 1: will be fuel for them. They won't want to be
Speaker 1: back here. You have to give it to Melbourne Victory.
Speaker 1: I thought they were very, very good on Saturday night.
Speaker 1: I cannot find a player in their side, either those
Speaker 1: who started or who came on, who didn't contribute in
Speaker 1: a significant fashion to that game. I thought Jordi Valadon
Speaker 1: and Ryan t in the middle of the park for
Speaker 1: Victory were tremendous, absolutely brilliant in the middle of the park.
Speaker 1: I thought the back Lachland Jackson was herculean, you know,
Speaker 1: up top Bruno Fauna Roley, rolling back the years, Daniel
Speaker 1: Larsanni getting under the skin. Look, that is brilliant from
Speaker 1: Danie Larsanni, right, He got under the skin of the
Speaker 1: Auckland FC fan base all week by calling the team
Speaker 1: one dimensional and you know they're putting in lucky lucky
Speaker 1: nothing balls. He you know, straight away was getting booed.
Speaker 1: He was under the skin of the of the Auckland
Speaker 1: FC players. There were six yellow cards in that game.
Speaker 1: I think that's more than I've seen in any game.
Speaker 1: There was a big malay just before halftime, Alex Paulson's
Speaker 1: running in. You know, Melbourne Victory played this one perfectly.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it did annoy me.
Speaker 2: It did to frustrate me a little bit the amount
Speaker 2: of times they had a calf cramp. But yeah, I
Speaker 2: thought their experience absolutely showed. And you know, even but
Speaker 2: showing slowing down the game is a bit of a
Speaker 2: dick move. They Yeah, they worked it in their favor.
Speaker 2: I thought, you know, regardless of Auckland f C's performance,
Speaker 2: it was one of the more entertaining games and I
Speaker 2: think the last the two matches between the two sides
Speaker 2: that the referees have kind of lead a lot go
Speaker 2: and they've you know, it was it was certainly a
Speaker 2: more physical contest than what we've seen most of the
Speaker 2: season to be.
Speaker 3: And I kind of like that for the A League.
Speaker 2: I like that it's not anytime a player goes down,
Speaker 2: you know, as an immediate I mean, there are obviously
Speaker 2: a few cards, but there are immediate cards and free
Speaker 2: kIPS and things like that. I like the kind of
Speaker 2: hustle and bustle that the A Leagues is seemingly becoming
Speaker 2: to be.
Speaker 3: I don't know if you feel that, you feel the
Speaker 3: same way.
Speaker 1: I feel exactly the same way. Thought Alex can let
Speaker 1: it go? Well, I thought he let it, let he
Speaker 1: let stuff go. And that's what you want. You don't want,
Speaker 1: you don't want to be just a whistle fest. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I think. And once the players know okay, here's the line,
Speaker 1: we can go up to it, they do one stat
Speaker 1: which stands out across the one hundred and eighty minutes
Speaker 1: by Melbourne Victory had two shots on target in the
Speaker 1: entire one hundred and eighty minutes. Wow, And they both went.
Speaker 3: In Oh no, it's not good, is it? Well, it's
Speaker 3: well it talks of for Alex Paulson.
Speaker 1: Yeah, when the first leg, of course there were a
Speaker 1: lot of block shots, but in the second one, look,
Speaker 1: I find it hard to blame Alex for either goal.
Speaker 1: Actually the first one is a wicked deflection of Nando
Speaker 1: Pinekeer's knee which kind of spins it in a rather
Speaker 1: you know, unusual fashion away from him. The second goal,
Speaker 1: I mean, Fauna ROLI's one on one basically haven't evaded
Speaker 1: the off side trap and a guy like that isn't
Speaker 1: going to miss from that range. So I'm not sure
Speaker 1: there's a lot that Alex Pauson can do. But you know,
Speaker 1: I guess it goes to show that actually across the
Speaker 1: two games, Auckland FC were pretty good defensively in restricting
Speaker 1: Melbourne victory toust the two shots on target. Unfortunately, they're
Speaker 1: the two goals that decide the whole tie.
Speaker 2: Alex Paulson was the first person I looked to after
Speaker 2: the match and just saw him on the ground, hid
Speaker 2: in his hands, and I just felt for that kid,
Speaker 2: you know, after Melbourne victory broke his heart this time
Speaker 2: last year with the Phoenix, now again this year, you know,
Speaker 2: knowing that was his last game for the club. We
Speaker 2: know he's going. I guess we didn't know that for
Speaker 2: the Phoenix, So yeah, I felt kind of bad for him.
Speaker 2: I thought he deserved maybe more from his time in
Speaker 2: the A League. He's just been exceptional of these last
Speaker 2: two seasons. I did think his him going and getting
Speaker 2: that yellow card was he didn't need to do that.
Speaker 2: He was standing up for his boy Marley, wasn't he.
Speaker 1: I think he was an accident and I don't mind
Speaker 1: the one and all in kind of mentality, but I
Speaker 1: didn't really think that he needed to be there. You know,
Speaker 1: he's like all of us. I mean, there's a handbags
Speaker 1: going on all of a sudden, the Aleix Paulson in
Speaker 1: the middle of us. Kind of it's not a character really.
Speaker 1: What was in character for him was that after the
Speaker 1: game he was still outsigning autographs and having selfies an
Speaker 1: hour and a half after the final whistle. That's classy
Speaker 1: from him, because it's easy to go and hide, you know.
Speaker 1: And I watched the Auckland fans, the Auckland fans singing
Speaker 1: at the team after the final whistle, and I thought
Speaker 1: to myself, man, that is real bittersweet. That is hard.
Speaker 1: And then I saw Francis Dvrees and he had a
Speaker 1: big grin on his face, you know, and it was
Speaker 1: probably masking a deep disappointment. In fact, I know it was,
Speaker 1: but he was showing his appreciation to the fans who
Speaker 1: have cheered, you know, for this team right across the season.
Speaker 1: It is it is hard. You know, those players would
Speaker 1: have woken up the morning after the game and wished
Speaker 1: it was a bad dream, wish that actually no, No,
Speaker 1: We've still got this game to play and we'll get
Speaker 1: the job done. But football is crawel And as Logan
Speaker 1: Rogerson said to me after the game in an interview,
Speaker 1: that's football, and that he's right, that's football. Sometimes things
Speaker 1: don't go the way that you hope they will. So
Speaker 1: it's Melbourne Victory who go into the Grand Final. Though'll
Speaker 1: take on Melbourne City. I reckon Victory a favorite, Bonnie.
Speaker 1: Melbourne City finished second on the table. They got past
Speaker 1: Western United with very little fuss. But I reckon Melbourne
Speaker 1: Victory a favorite for the final.
Speaker 2: I told you, Parney, I told you they are lethal
Speaker 2: at this time of the year.
Speaker 1: You think I should listen to you more, shouldn't I?
Speaker 3: Yeah, But they did Valp got injured, as he says last.
Speaker 1: How you say his name?
Speaker 2: Yep, he Yeah, he will be a bit of a
Speaker 2: big loss. He's been quite good for them this season.
Speaker 2: They obviously their center back was was out injured.
Speaker 3: The captain.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, Brendan Hammell, Yeah, he's he's out of the season.
Speaker 1: But Miranda's back so and with LP, Yeah, that's a
Speaker 1: big out. But they do have you know the likes
Speaker 1: of Virgos who came off the bench, Rennet Biscopo could
Speaker 1: could potentially start. You know. They they do have some
Speaker 1: some quite good reinforcements.
Speaker 3: Yeah, they do.
Speaker 2: And that's that's what I was looking at when you know,
Speaker 2: we were bringing our reinforcements off off the bench, or
Speaker 2: Steve was.
Speaker 3: Looking at kind of.
Speaker 2: Like maybe the depth is where we've spoken about it often.
Speaker 2: You know that after that kind of core group of
Speaker 2: twelve thirteen players, there's not heaps after that. In saying that,
Speaker 2: you know, I thought like call and Elliott came on
Speaker 2: and did a great job. It's just were the same
Speaker 2: with Nate Armaday. Now it's just whether those decisions were
Speaker 2: the right ones at that right time.
Speaker 3: I'm not sure.
Speaker 1: All right, Well, that's all in the past now. So
Speaker 1: it is Melbourne victory against Melbourne City in the A
Speaker 1: League Men's Grand Final Saturday night. Just a quick check
Speaker 1: of the odds Melbourne City your favorite dollar seventy Melbourne
Speaker 1: victory paying two dollars ten, the first ever Melbourne derby
Speaker 1: in terms of city verse victory in a Grand final.
Speaker 1: It's at Amy Park. I'll probably watch it, I would say,
Speaker 1: I'm not sure there'll be too many from Auckland FC
Speaker 1: who will tune in on Saturday night to watch the
Speaker 1: game they wish they were in. But you know, we
Speaker 1: can perhaps give it a bit of space and then
Speaker 1: give a decent review of the Auckland FC season. But
Speaker 1: for now it is done. All done with a loss
Speaker 1: in the Second League of the semi final by two
Speaker 1: goals to nil. Feel well, let's go to our national team,
Speaker 1: starting with the Football Ferns. Michael Maine, after a rather
Speaker 1: long and drawn out process, was last week officially confirmed
Speaker 1: as Football Ferns head coach through until the end of
Speaker 1: the next World Cup in twenty twenty seven. Is this
Speaker 1: a good decision?
Speaker 2: I'm not like one hundred percent convinced on it. I
Speaker 2: think maybe for new Zealand Football. It might be just
Speaker 2: a little bit of comfort knowing that Mayne's been in
Speaker 2: the system and they're kind of aligned on that respect.
Speaker 2: I'm not sure how well received it would have been
Speaker 2: from everyone in the squad and saying that no coaches,
Speaker 2: you know, it is all players have their favorites, coaches
Speaker 2: have their favorites, you know. So I'm really excited by
Speaker 2: Maine being in there. I feel like he's kind of
Speaker 2: taken a bit of control in his selections this year
Speaker 2: in terms of, you know, making a statement with dropping
Speaker 2: some of the senior players, wanting to look at other
Speaker 2: other characters. But yeah, I think I need to see
Speaker 2: more from him to give you an answer on that
Speaker 2: one Pointy.
Speaker 1: What I have liked is, and you've mentioned this a
Speaker 1: couple of times to me, the fact that while he's
Speaker 1: been interim coach, he's acted like a head coach. I
Speaker 1: do like that he hasn't been scared to make, you know,
Speaker 1: selection decisions. It hasn't felt like he's a placeholder, and
Speaker 1: even if he has been, he has I'm sure treated
Speaker 1: it like he's not a placeholder, if that makes sense.
Speaker 1: You know, he has always acted like a head coach
Speaker 1: he's always been very forthright and adamant that he wants
Speaker 1: the job full time. He's clearly fully committed to it.
Speaker 1: So I think, you know, we don't know who the
Speaker 1: other candidates were, but I don't think it's the worst
Speaker 1: decision they could have made. The players, you know pretty
Speaker 1: much all know him, they know his style. He's got
Speaker 1: a couple of years now before the next World Cup
Speaker 1: to you know, to to really impress his tactics and
Speaker 1: his playing style on this team and get his selections right.
Speaker 1: He's got, you know, some young up and coming players
Speaker 1: who will see very shortly actually again in this two
Speaker 1: game series against Venezuela. I don't mind it a bit
Speaker 1: like you, It's not like it's not a rock star
Speaker 1: appointment by any stretch of the imagination. But then when
Speaker 1: they hie yitka, that's what that was, trumpet it as
Speaker 1: and look how that turned out.
Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2: I act she's caught up with New Zealand Football Chief
Speaker 2: executive Andrew Pragnell and Maney as well. On Friday at
Speaker 2: the announcement, and Andrew said one of the reasons, he
Speaker 2: said that they had some good candidates apply with international
Speaker 2: experience and club experience from around the world, and he
Speaker 2: said that he wasn't convinced on all of them because
Speaker 2: they didn't know half the name of.
Speaker 3: The football fans.
Speaker 2: And you know, whereas Mani knows everyone, he knows everyone
Speaker 2: in the junior system. And you could look at that
Speaker 2: from both sides. You know, you want someone that knows
Speaker 2: the players and knows what brings the best out of players,
Speaker 2: but equally you might want someone that comes in with
Speaker 2: no bias, you know, So it is going to be interesting.
Speaker 2: I also obviously mentioned caught up with many and he
Speaker 2: said it was actually quite a tough interview process. There
Speaker 2: were a few long, long format interviews and they were
Speaker 2: all happening at the same time he was having to
Speaker 2: select the squad to go to Spain to play Venezuela.
Speaker 2: So he said that was a bit of a tricky
Speaker 2: time for him, but yeah, obviously worked out. He's pleased
Speaker 2: that worked out. So yeah, I think we've got to
Speaker 2: give him a shot. See how it goes. Yeah, we'll see.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we'll see, and we will see soon as well,
Speaker 1: because there's games obviously coming up. The football Ferns are
Speaker 1: playing Venezuela. As I say, in these two games up
Speaker 1: in Spain. Hopefully they go better than the last time
Speaker 1: the football Ferns got together against Chinese Taipei where both
Speaker 1: of the games were canceled. Our first game is early
Speaker 1: on Sunday morning, this coming Sunday morning across King's Birthday weekend,
Speaker 1: four o'clock and then four o'clock in the morning on Wednesday,
Speaker 1: the fourth of June. Beyond that, I presume World Cup
Speaker 1: qualifying because of course New Zealand go through go through
Speaker 1: Oceania to qualify for the World Cup. You know, they
Speaker 1: always have, They always get through, Okay, So I presume
Speaker 1: those games will be sometime next year and then a
Speaker 1: program will be put in place to try and give
Speaker 1: the Ferns the best chance for the next World Cup
Speaker 1: in twenty twenty seven.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 2: Well, by the sounds of it, they are not playing
Speaker 2: in the July window. They haven't got on to it
Speaker 2: in terms of organizing something, which is a bit frustrating.
Speaker 2: But I think the rest of the windows this year
Speaker 2: that they should have fixtures confirmed or there or thereabouts.
Speaker 3: They're not.
Speaker 2: It doesn't sound like as well they'll be back in
Speaker 2: New Zealand this year, which is a real shame given
Speaker 2: you off the back of the World Cup. They've only
Speaker 2: played here once. But yeah, no, I think they announced
Speaker 2: the other day that they're going to host the semi
Speaker 2: final in the final of the Oceania World Cup qualifiers,
Speaker 2: so that's early next year, maybe March, So yeah, that'll
Speaker 2: be good to have that and see how they go there.
Speaker 1: Good stuff all right, well, from the football Ferns to
Speaker 1: the All Whites. They've got the Canadian Shield tournament in
Speaker 1: Toronto coming up next month and Darren Baisley his name
Speaker 1: de side for that. Ben Old is back having recovered
Speaker 1: from injury. Finn Sermon comes back in as well. He
Speaker 1: didn't play in the last World Cup qualifiers because he
Speaker 1: was trying to solidify his place at Portland Timbers, which
Speaker 1: he's well and truly done. Callan Elliott is back in.
Speaker 1: They're billed to Iloma and Nick Sanev is also at
Speaker 1: the expense of Oli Sale. Phoenix defender and longtime first
Speaker 1: choice right back Tim Payne has been left out. His
Speaker 1: partner is due to give birth close to this period.
Speaker 1: We're at the point now and we've talked about this
Speaker 1: before where good players are missing out on All White
Speaker 1: squads and that is exactly what I'm sure Darren Basley
Speaker 1: wants like I say, he's left Olie sale of this one.
Speaker 1: No room for Logan Rogerson, no room for Max Mata. Yeah,
Speaker 1: the race as well, and truly on bond for seats
Speaker 1: on the plane for the World Cup next year.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's really exciting. You know.
Speaker 2: I was gutted to see Logan miss out on the squad,
Speaker 2: but like, who do you pull out to replace him?
Speaker 2: You know, and the likes of Kall and Elliott excited
Speaker 2: again to see to see him in there, but you
Speaker 2: know that that's kind of he's in there at the
Speaker 2: expense of Tim Payne, who's who's not there, you know,
Speaker 2: for personal reasons. So it is it is very exciting,
Speaker 2: and you look through the list and you think everyone
Speaker 2: of those players needs to be getting minutes between now
Speaker 2: and the World Cup for their club teams if they
Speaker 2: want to be on the plane, even the players that
Speaker 2: are that are on the on the bubble, on the fringe.
Speaker 2: So really exciting to see the amount of dear Then
Speaker 2: I just think like, oh, I'm so excited for that
Speaker 2: World Cup and I feel like the prospects are pretty
Speaker 2: high of us advancing from the group stage.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I agree, it all comes down to
Speaker 1: who we draw. Obviously the draw will be done in December,
Speaker 1: but yeah, I mean this this group and you look
Speaker 1: at the players there and as I say, the players
Speaker 1: who you know, who are going to miss out, good
Speaker 1: players who in the past would have been you know,
Speaker 1: almost first choices are going to miss out. And there's
Speaker 1: so much depth in positions. I mean even even at
Speaker 1: center back. You know, you look at at at Finn
Speaker 1: Sermon and Tyler Binden and Michael Boxel and Nando Pinekeer.
Speaker 1: You know, there's four high quality center backs there, and
Speaker 1: I reckon Nando's fourth in line. At the moment, I
Speaker 1: think Tyler Binden and Finn Sermon may well be our
Speaker 1: first choice center back pairing at the World Cup next year.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's it's actually crazy, like who misses that because
Speaker 2: Bill Tyloma is back in the end, but who's missed
Speaker 2: out at that expense?
Speaker 1: Well, Tim pay is the one who's dropped out for him. Yeah,
Speaker 1: but then Callen's coming as well. Storm the storm Room
Speaker 1: I think was part of the the last World Cup qualifiers.
Speaker 1: He hasn't He's not there, so yeah, so storm Room.
Speaker 1: It's a funny one. The storm room. Sometimes you think
Speaker 1: he's Tim Pain's backup, and then he misses out when
Speaker 1: Tim Paine's not even there. So he's one who's clearly
Speaker 1: got a bit to prove and will have the opportunity
Speaker 1: to do so. I'm also just trying to work out
Speaker 1: who from the last squad is not there. I've mentioned
Speaker 1: Olie Saale, perhaps a couple of others as well who
Speaker 1: were more fringe players. But it's a really good squad,
Speaker 1: and you know, they play Cote Devoirs who are forty
Speaker 1: first in the world, and Ukraine who are twenty fifth.
Speaker 1: These are really good games. You've spoken before about how
Speaker 1: we should be playing teams who aren't absolutely at the top,
Speaker 1: like your top ten sides, but not playing you know,
Speaker 1: sides in the one hundred and forties. I think these
Speaker 1: are two excellent gauges of where the your whites are.
Speaker 2: Yeah, this is great, and they're obviously gonna they've been
Speaker 2: and be playing in Canada, so there's no way they
Speaker 2: can use probably the field or pitch conditions as an excuse,
Speaker 2: so it's yeah, it's an exciting upcoming window.
Speaker 3: I do look at this.
Speaker 2: Since twenty three players selected, you wonder if maybe they'll
Speaker 2: select closer to twenty six, maybe close to thirty players
Speaker 2: for the World Cup next year, So those players that
Speaker 2: have missed out, they'll still have their art and the prize.
Speaker 3: No doubt.
Speaker 1: I'm still trying to find out. I've almost made this
Speaker 1: a personal crusade, and maybe a listener might know, but
Speaker 1: I've been trying to find out officially what the squad
Speaker 1: size is for the World I.
Speaker 2: Don't think naskins. I don't think they've confirmed it. I
Speaker 2: asked Pregnant the other day and he said they're not
Speaker 2: sure yet.
Speaker 1: Yeah, Darren Base didn't know either the last time I
Speaker 1: checked with them. And you think if anyone would know
Speaker 1: about the head coach or the CEO, and they don't.
Speaker 1: So of course it was twenty six last time in
Speaker 1: cut up, but that was still in a round COVID
Speaker 1: times where travel was not quite as free. It's always
Speaker 1: been twenty three. I think you're right, Bunny. I think
Speaker 1: it probably not. He'll name sort of an extended squad,
Speaker 1: Like let's say it's twenty three, I'd say there be
Speaker 1: seven or eight players on standby right, non traveling reserves.
Speaker 1: If it's twenty six, he's got a bit more riggle
Speaker 1: Room there to have players in certain positions where he
Speaker 1: thinks they might need a bit of extra cover. But yeah, anyway,
Speaker 1: whether it's twenty three or twenty six, the point stands
Speaker 1: there are still good players not going to that World Cup,
Speaker 1: but they have a full year to prove to Darren
Speaker 1: Baisley that they should be on that plane. Now, just
Speaker 1: on that Ben Wayne has been released by Plymouth ar
Speaker 1: Guile so currently doesn't have a club.
Speaker 3: Don't say the Phoenix.
Speaker 1: No, I actually I think he might be going to
Speaker 1: Auckland f C. If Max Mutter is recalled by his
Speaker 1: parent club, Shrewsbury Town, then Ben Wayne is a like
Speaker 1: for like replacement for Max Mutter.
Speaker 2: Right, yeah, I think he's probably better than Max Mutter
Speaker 2: as well, so that'd be a great signing for Auckland
Speaker 2: f C. More probably more of like an out and
Speaker 2: out striker. I'm not sure, do you think, oh.
Speaker 1: Ben Wade's a good a leg striker. I mean, you know,
Speaker 1: I'm sure the Phoenix would love to have him back,
Speaker 1: you know, And look, he needs a club. Like all
Speaker 1: of these players, you cannot in the year before a
Speaker 1: World Cup be risking game time. You've got to go
Speaker 1: like Ben Wade knows if he comes back to the
Speaker 1: Phoenix or Auckland FC, he'll play twenty five thirty matches.
Speaker 1: You know, he'll play every week. That's been the problem
Speaker 1: over in the UK. He didn't get many games for Plymouth.
Speaker 1: He was out on loan at Mansfield Town. He wasn't
Speaker 1: even making their side much of the time. So he
Speaker 1: needs to be playing. These guys all need to be
Speaker 1: playing for their clubs otherwise you really find yourself falling
Speaker 1: down the pecking order in a tight field down base.
Speaker 1: He said it, You've got to be playing for your club,
Speaker 1: So find a club where you are going to be playing. Look,
Speaker 1: I get the feeling. Ben Wade or probably buy irons
Speaker 1: in the fire in the UK or his agent will,
Speaker 1: and he may well pop up somewhere over there. But
Speaker 1: regardless of where he is or any of these guys are,
Speaker 1: Matt Garbett is the other one who doesn't have a
Speaker 1: club either beyond this current season with nack Braider, He's
Speaker 1: got a finer club. You think Matt Garbage's one of
Speaker 1: our best players, but he's still got to be playing.
Speaker 3: So exciting, isn't it painting?
Speaker 2: I was just looking almost exactly twelve months away from
Speaker 2: the World Cup.
Speaker 1: Imagine the Football Fever podcasts during the World Cup next year.
Speaker 2: Well, I think we've got to pitch to them that naturally,
Speaker 2: do we based ourselves over there, right, and we cover
Speaker 2: it from from the United States or Mexico or Canada
Speaker 2: wherever we need to be.
Speaker 1: I think that's the only way that this can be
Speaker 1: a credible podloge yet exactly right. We can't just be
Speaker 1: a sort of a fly by night where we just
Speaker 1: sort of do it at a studio back in New Zealand.
Speaker 1: We have to be on the ground, just on the
Speaker 1: field you mentioned before where the All Hits are playing
Speaker 1: in Toronto. That field in Toronto's hosting games at the
Speaker 1: World Cup next year, So it'll it'll be you know, man,
Speaker 1: it'll be a wetter appetite watching them play on a
Speaker 1: ground where the World Cup will be. They could be
Speaker 1: in you know, we don't know where they're going to
Speaker 1: be based until the draw is made at the back
Speaker 1: end of the year. All right, Bonnie, Well, I think
Speaker 1: we probably give ourselves a bit of breathing space from
Speaker 1: Football Fever for a little while. Maybe once the Football
Speaker 1: Ferns and the All Whites have had their games and
Speaker 1: the nation in a while we can come back. But
Speaker 1: for Auckland FC, thank you for giving us so much
Speaker 1: to talk about over the last thirty one weeks or so.
Speaker 1: The Wellington Phoenix as well. Of course the men's and
Speaker 1: women's sides have also been points of discussion on the podcast.
Speaker 1: But yeah, we'll take away little little hiatus and adjourn
Speaker 1: when there is some more football to talk about. Have
Speaker 1: an excellent couple of weeks, Bonnie.
Speaker 3: It's been real Piney. We'll see you soon.
Speaker 1: This is what dor