Comments on: Australia should back All Whites for World Cup

By: thinker

thinker — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:56:29 +0000

come on bahrain, having a team called “the All whites” in Sth Africa would not go down well

By: allblackfan

allblackfan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:16:48 +0000

I’m rugby mad through and through (with an soccer background) but I’ll be watching the All Whites. This one game (I’d say) is equal in status as the WC to NZ (soccer/sports) fans. I support the All Whites because I’m a Kiwi (GO THE ALL WHITES!!) Stick it to Bahrain (especially if the AFC wants to kick NZ out!!)

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:41:25 +0000

Soccer always has great participation levels everywhere because it’s a good social activity to keep fit and you’re not likely to get hurt like you are playing a contact football code like Rugby. But high participation does not equal marketability, just look at netball in Australia.
But I see what you’re saying

By: Kelly

Kelly — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 08:27:58 +0000

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=10608618

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:54:31 +0000

Might add a few thousand to phoenix games and people might make an effort to watch them (the Phoenix) on tv if they make the finals.

Won’t lead to NZ hosting the world cup

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:50:05 +0000

There not talking about creating a full time profesional league. They have potential for perhaps another team in the A league down the track and that’s about it.

It’s equal participation wise with rugby at the moment and the world cup is only once every 4 yearsm people can care and take an interest in it without it being there one and only code. They have Ryan Nelson doing well at Blackburn so even if it’s their 3rd favorite footy code considering how similar the Rugby codes are (and league is only another 2 pro teams max) that is a decent niche. Not a world cup winning niche but a decent shake at qualifing niche which would put NZ (or bahrain) on the map a bit.
Cricket has survived in NZ for yonks on scraps.

All blacks will always be number one, if you go to NZ All blacks merchandise is everywhere, it’s NZ’s version of soft toy Koalas. A fair chunk of my family are kiwis and most of the played football and watched the FA cup…but admittedly as their second code.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 07:06:01 +0000

The problem is that NZ already has a population smaller that Sydney and a very full Rugby calender with a bit of league thrown in for good measure. I’ve just never met a kiwi who’s really cared even remotely about soccer… it’s all very good to talk about niche markets, but in a country of 4 million people who are heavily into rugby that niche is going to be very small – think French Rugby League small. It just gets to a point where you start to wonder if it’s worth bothering… I mean is soccer struggling for international attention? Hardly. Why care about a country like NZ where the vast majority of its small population don’t care about you? It’s actually OK for some country’s not to be totally in love with soccer.

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:55:57 +0000

Since we are dishing out very basic and flawed stereotypes

Substitute the word Rugby for League and you just described the very successful niche Australian Rugby (two time World Champs) has carved up for itself.

By: silver

silver — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:49:53 +0000

Hey Jake why doesn’t the domestic competition get any people to attend their games.
A one off event of any sport gets most Kiwis’ support but can NZ Soccer build on this if the All Whites qualify for the World Cup.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 06:43:46 +0000

A sold out stadium for what though?? Most Kiwis I know tell me that soccer is only for meek middle class white boys who can’t mix it in Rugby…

By: danny

danny — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:52:59 +0000

we can claim them all!

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/contributors/join-oz-new-zealand–its-for-the-best-20091112-ib8r.html

By: Ben of Phnom Penh

Ben of Phnom Penh — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:04:12 +0000

On balance Solomons is probably second best in the region and they are the poorest nation in the Pacific per capita. Such costs are covered by FIFA in these circumstances.

By: Rhino

Rhino — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:51:20 +0000

Where is Vanuatu (who usually come second) or any other small pacific nation going to find the cash to jet there players around asia.

By: jake

jake — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:38:12 +0000

A sold out stadium says people care buddy!!! GO THE MIGHTY ALL WHITES!!!!!!

By: dasilva

dasilva — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 09:26:23 +0000

Remember that article by drew777 http://www.theroar.com.au/2009/08/19/nz-the-goods-for-footballs-biggest-stage.

This shows that NZ fans (although I think Drew777 is actually an Australian) can be just as guilty as talking down the opposition with no real justification (the bahrain side has nothing too impressive, Pit these three sides head to head, and you will see that every Kiwi is equal to, or better, than any Saudi or Bahrain player.). The way drew just declared that NZ is a stronger team then both Bahrain and Saudi Arabia without giving a reason why and then declared that NZ has some world class players was laughable.

So I think both sides have some divine rights issue going on here.

However saying that, Andre Zlotkowski was very impressive and quite humble for a fan judging from that interview.

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:34:09 +0000

NZ soccer? Do you think anyone in NZ would care? I don’t…

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:40:23 +0000

Yeah, old mate from Bahrain was arrogant as! Let’s hope he’s eating his words, just like the Uruguayans were in 2005 against us. I remember bitter exchanges on the Hattrick Forums (no, I don’t play anymore) in the lead-up, and some really bad, arrogant stuff from the South Americans in particular.

That being said, I’m sure they’re not all like that, as I found with the Uruguayans, but this Bahraini guy didn’t do himself or his country any favours whatsoever, if he was looking to attract neutral support.

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:34:50 +0000

It’s probably a case in that the NZ fan is a lot more respectful than your average NZ fan which really showed him up.

It was a good advertisement for NZ amongst the neutrals.

By: danny

danny — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:32:08 +0000

geez, it’s a bit hard to go for bahrain after reading that fan’s responses. humility, anyone?

personally favourite:

‘I doubt that there are any dangerous players in the New Zealand team.’

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:10:40 +0000

After reading this

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1863/world-cup-2010/2009/11/11/1617537/world-cup-fan-vs-fan-new-zealand-bahrain

I am on the NZ bandwagon now

By: danny

danny — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:58:29 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hoF_fa9TMDk

By: megatron

megatron — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:50:27 +0000

I’m amazed so many here are going for Bahrain considering the All Whites are essentially an A-League national team and we have little association with Bahrain. Guess it shows how connected Aussies are becoming with Asia

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:49:41 +0000

Flight of the conchords is my favourite aussie show.

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:32:55 +0000

cbowden9000
I don’t begrudge people like yourself who otherwise wouldn’t see it from watching the game.

It’s more the public discussion that is frowned on and hopefully they are on FTA soon so people like yourself and other youngsters don’t miss out and it’s all a moot point.

By: AndyRoo

AndyRoo — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:18:15 +0000

Danny I don’t think the AFC service works for those in Australia. I tried to see a demo of a CSL game and it’s blocked to Australian IP addresses.

If you have moved on from a standard TV then it only takes one cable (and a second for sound) to stream from your computer to TV.

By: danny

danny — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:44:13 +0000

you can watch a lot of games not involving australian teams completely legally on bet365. i’m pretty sure the kiwis game will be on there. in terms of a-league games, if you *want*, you can pay a subscription to the afc website and watch a-league games online through that. it’s cheaper than pay tv i’m pretty sure, but still has the dual problems of costing money and being online (so the worst of both worlds, really).

By: danny

danny — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:41:15 +0000

shihad and crowded house are two great aussie bands…

By: danny

danny — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:37:20 +0000

hmmm. wonder what would happen if bahrain beat the kiwis and costa rica beat uruguay?

5 AFC
5 CAF
2 CONMEBOL
4 CONCACAF

interesting scenario.

By: dasilva

dasilva — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:08:14 +0000

Although I’m supporting Bahrain

However, the chances are that if Australia didn’t join Asia, the Asian side would most likely be stripped of a world cup place due to poor performance in the last world cup.

Asia benefits from our presence as well so we shouldn’t really be worried about us taking other sides places in the world cup

By: Gibbo

Gibbo — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:56:40 +0000

i’m kinda changing my tune toward supporting Barhain… i mean, us aussies already took one of the asian spots for auto qualification (which, as last team standing, Barhain could have some right to lament that it would have been theirs), and now through the Nix in the A-League we’ve been training their opponents for the knockout game!!

poor little buggers.

that said, i wouldnt begrudge the kiwi’s a trip to Sth Africa.