No thread on Oceania football.
But in recent news, with the Euros and Copa America dominating global international football,
New Zealand have yet again, won the Oceania Nations Cup, defeating Vanuatu 3-0.
Was pretty much stock standard. NZ topped their group winning both their matches without conceding, New Caledonia pulled out just before the start of the tournament.
They then put 5 past Tahiti in the Semis, Vanuatu beat Fiji.
But the big question, Will they put a star above their crest?
Maybe the first time New Zealand have convincingly won that tournament. Their last two appearances were far from convincing, even if they won it in 2016.
The sooner the OFC is dissolved, the AFC into East-West, and the OFC included in West Asia as a sub-confederate the better. It’s such a pointless confederation when all of the teams are just so weak. New Zealand is the only nation that really remotely looks like winning it every single edition, and you can’t blame the Kiwis for not being motivated against Fiji, New Caledonia, or Tonga. I feel like New Zealand is going through the same exhaustion Australia did before we joined the AFC. You’re just going through the motions.
I’d say it’d make more sense for most of the OFC to be dissolved into South America. The only thing is that it would definitely stifle some opportunities for the teams on the OFC to qualify for major tournaments.
Why would Oceania go into West Asia?
My bad, I meant East Asia.
It will sadly probably never happen.
Those island feds have VERY IMPORTANT votes come World Cup host voting time. More valuable than a couple of lobster platters one might say.
I’m more disturbed than I thought. I read that as “lobster pictures”.
Imagine NZ playing an away qualifier in Qatar and it’s 45 degrees and returning the favour with a 6 degrees trip to Dunedin
But isn’t the stadium down there indoor?
It is, but it’s basically an old school gymnasium which has been glassed in. When I was there for the women’s World Cup it was 1 degree on the wall thermometer in the men’s bathroom.
It would still be more comfortable than the last Bledisloe Cup game at night I can remember down there.
3c and sleeting at 45 degrees I think it was.
No sleet while we were there thankfully but the wind was definitely biting.
Got any more?
We built a small snowman just aft of the capstan on the forecastle prior to departing Dunedin. It was there the next day.
Less than a month earlier we were in Pearl Harbour and had an “eventful” July 4.
Can confirm that the south of NZ is rather cold.
So New Zealand have broken into the top 100 FIFA rankings for the first time in 7 years. They now find themselves amingst illustrious nations including:
