These All Whites are no longer a hypothetical team, so that’s nice. They’re cranking out the fixtures and seeking to build on what they’ve already achieved together under Danny Hay. Three wins on the bounce. Oceania qualification coming up soon with, fingers crossed, an intercontinental playoff to follow and then if that goes well then damn dude there’s a World Cup at the end of the year, who knows? Such busy times ahead that it’s easy to forget that there’s a window coming up with games against Jordan and Uzbekistan this very month. Luckily Danny Hay hasn’t forgotten because the boss has named a squad.

A good squad too. There may have been a case to bring in a few depth guys in light of the OFC qualifiers in March which begin outside of the international break, forcing the All Whites to figure out a balancing act where some players will only be able to join the squad after the first couple games have already been played. Might almost need to pick two squads if it comes to that (I think more likely one and a half squads). Hay reckons there are nearly fifty players that he and his staff are keeping a close eye upon... and that’s just now, that doesn’t include guys who might force themselves into consideration before then (Alex Greive and Ollie Whyte getting pro deals surely puts them into focus... if they weren’t already).

But nah there are only a couple of chances from the squad that took on The Gambia – a nation which just qualified for the knockouts at AFCON by the way – and those changes were forced upon them by clubs putting their feet over down player availability. Libby Cacace is one of those as the Belgian Pro League play through the international window and didn’t wanna lose him. Niko Kirwan and Matt Garbett in Italy also. Kirwan’s third tier Italian side don’t pause and neither does Garbett’s youth team at Torino. Danny Hay did tease in his media opps that Kirwan may have signed a new contract and that Garbs may be edging closer than ever to the first team (and that perhaps those carrots on a stick were partly used as bribes to keep them from international duty).

Also after a couple of covid-enforced absences, A-League players are available again. However only two A-League players have been selected: Tim Payne and Clayton Lewis. To be fair, fitness and health haven’t helped there: Oli Sail and Kosta Barbarouses are out injured for example, while Marco Rojas recently had covid. Also the form of the Wellington Phoenix prior to this squad being picked didn’t exactly throw forward a heap of other candidates. There are so many kiwi men playing professionally at these days that simply being there isn’t enough. Gotta be performing too.

Squad Changes Since The Gambia:

IN: Nikko Boxall, Tim Payne, Dalton Wilkins, Clayton Lewis, Logan Rogerson

OUT: Liberato Cacace, Niko Kirwan, Matthew Garbett, Elliot Collier

Jordan and Uzbekistan are both winnable games, especially with a squad that’ll still include most of Aotearoa’s best footballers. Anthony Hudson’s first game in charge was actually against Uzbekistan and the All Whites lost 3-1 that day... but as Slim Charles once said: yeah, now, well, the thing about the old days... they the old days. Fun story: that game was the source of Jeremy Brockie’s only international goal.

GOALKEEPERS

Stefan Marinovic - Hapoel Nof HaGalil, ISR (27 caps/0 goals)

Jamie Searle - Swansea City, WAL/ENG (0/0)

Michael Woud – Kyoto Sanga, JAP (3/0)

At this point there’s no conversation necessary about Stefan Marinovic and Michael Woud being picked. The two best goalies available, both now well established in these squads. Always gonna be there when available. Marinovic has had a tough time of it in Israel lately with his team desperately out of form – he’s conceded the most goals in the IPL so far this season – but that’s a team drama more than a Stef drama. Woud was playing well below his abilities for Almere City as they also conceded a heap of goals and lost a heap of games but since then gotten a refreshing move to Japan (to a club with a strong Buddhist history so good for the zen vibes). Should help him. Would imagine we get the same scenario as with the Curaçao/Bahrain games where Marinovic gets one start and Woud gets the other start.

The question, as always, is more about the third stringer. Jamie Searle gets the gig again having been called up for the last squad. He’s playing U23s footy with Swansea City. Great experience for him, great encouragement too, though also a little early for him to be honest. Sounds like Oli Sail would have been selected had he been fit so Searle is holding his place to some extent. Also Nik Tzanev is missing again after his vaccination status cost him the last trip. That may be the case here again or it may not be. Tzanev’s playing really well for AFC Wimbledon however they’re in a bit of a jam as far as the League One table goes and that’s another division which doesn’t break for internationals so it’s possible the club did the same thing as happened with Cacace/Kirwan/Garbett. But we’re talking about the third-string keeper here so doesn’t really matter.

DEFENDERS

Michael Boxall - Minnesota United, USA (36/0)

Nikko Boxall – San Diego Loyal, USA (3/0)

Francis De Vries - IFK Värnamo, SWE (1/0)

Kelvin Kalua – Eastern Suburbs, NZ (3/0)

Tim Payne – Wellington Phoenix, NZ/AUS (17/2)

Nando Pijnaker – Rio Ave, POR (4/0)

Winston Reid – N/A (26/1)

Tommy Smith - Colchester United, ENG (41/2)

Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers, USA (27/1)

Dalton Wilkins – Kolding IF, DEN (0/0)

Danny Hay being Danny Hay, there’s an abundance of defenders in this group. Especially central defenders. Hay has alternated between a back three and a back four – often within games, that tactical versatility seems to be something he’s very keen on – and of the ten specialist defenders selected here all except Dalton Wilkins are proficient at centre-back.

Quite a few frisky club situations here too. Winston Reid doesn’t have one. Still waiting on what he decides to do in this January window. Kelvin Kalua was shopping himself around for a European club during both the last two windows and yet here we are and he’s still registered to Eastern Suburbs. Nando Pijanker went on loan to FC Helsingør for senior footy and didn’t really get any so now presumably he’s going back to Rio Ave. Nikko Boxall just moved to a lower level. Michael Boxall and Bill Tuiloma are literally just this week beginning their preseasons after their holidays. Tommy Smith’s Colchester sacked their manager this week. Tom Payne’s Welly Nix have been losing games and dealing with covid. But at least the two left-backs are going good. Dalton Wilkins moving to Kolding on a permanent basis while Francis De Vries is getting ready for the Swedish top flight after back to back promotions.

Those two left-backs have a lot to play for here. Libby Cacace is the no doubter but for once he’s not there, providing for a rare window of opportunity. It’s unlikely that the AWs would take three LB specialists to a World Cup so yeah. Wilkins has been called up before, he was meant to be in the Bahrain tour squad but pulled out late with injury. So this will be the first time he’s actually travelled with the All Whites. FDV of course made his debut last game. Exciting.

The team is without both their starting fullbacks from the Gambia game. Niko Kirwan having started two of the last three games at right back... although Tim Payne was fast establishing himself as the incumbent before he had to miss the last couple squads due to covid and quarantines and all that. Payne’s now a full-time centre-back for the Nix and there is a fair difference between the RB and CB roles, especially with how Danny Hay wants to use them (most of the difference being: running). Could be an issue. However Payne’s as versatile as versatile gets, not sure it’ll be a drama for him the way it would be for others. Kelvin Kalua is the obvious backup RB yet keep in mind that Bill Tuiloma did a little right-backing for Portland last MLS season.

A tad surprised that Nikko Boxall has been recalled given that the team’s balance would probably be better with another midfielder instead. His move to the USL is also a little dubious from an All Whites point of view given that Danny Hay hadn’t picked anyone from that league before now. Elliot Collier just signed there too and he’s been dropped from the last squad. Boxall slid under the radar for a number of years without international rewards though so he’s earned a few more caps if he can get them.

Hay has started with a back four in all five of his games so far and is yet to name a recurring centre-back pairing...

• Ireland: Reid & M.Boxall

• Lithuania: Tuiloma & Smith

• Curaçao: Tuiloma & Pijnaker

• Bahrain: M.Boxall & Pijnaker

• The Gambia: Reid & Pijnaker

Winston Reid and Michael Boxall are still the premier duo but Nando Pijnaker’s left foot and constant availability has helped him start each of the last three games (with a different partner each time). Keeps it interesting. Reid and Tuiloma have missed some of these games with injury while Boxall was sick for the Curaçao one. Smithy seems to have evolved into more of a Squad Elder there for late sub appearances when there’s a lead to protect. Centre-back is probably the funkiest position to look for when the starting line-ups are announced.

MIDFIELDERS

Joe Bell – Viking FK, NOR (5/0)

Clayton Lewis – Wellington Phoenix, NZ/AUS (15/0)

Sarpreet Singh – SSV Jahn Regensburg, GER (8/1)

Marko Stamenic - FC Kobenhavn, DEN (3/0)

Ryan Thomas remains injured. The latest word outta PSV is that they hope he’ll be back in full training by the end of the month and that’s obviously way too late for consideration here. Thomas missed the last two All Whites tours as well for personal reasons, combining his club situation with his young family and the risks of travelling in the middle of a pandemic. Hopefully he’ll be back for the Oceania qualifiers or at least the intercontinentals that’ll come afterwards if all goes as planned. Thommo’s not a guy you have to worry about. He’s a plug and play dude. He’ll slide in like he’s never been away.

Matt Garbett is also unavailable so the midfield ranks are kinda skint. But they also include two of the three highest performing blokes in the entire squad so no dramas there. Sarpreet Singh is destroying 2.Liga defences on the regular on loan with Regensburg and you can pretty much guarantee he’ll be a Bundesliga player next season. Probably another loan out rather than at Bayern Munich but you never know. And Joe Bell’s one of the top midfielders in Norway after what he’s done with Viking FK... with every potential that he’ll have a significant transfer fee next to his name by the time these games actually happen.

Meanwhile Clayton Lewis is in line for his first caps since 2018. His form last season with the Phoenix shows that he can play anywhere in a midfield three, yet his form with the Phoenix this season means that he’s a tad lucky to be selected. Probably got some money in the bank going back to the Olympics where he played in all four games for Danny Hay’s OlyWhites. Crazy to think that Clay’s 15 caps make him the sixth most experienced dude in this entire squad.

Five players have started the entire three-game winning streak: Pijnaker, Cacace, Bell, Stamenic & Wood. Those are Marko Stamenic’s only three caps but he’s already an important player for this team. He and Bell will lock down the midfield with Singh ahead of them depending on the formation. Eli Just has played as a ten for Danny Hay as well in the past. Won’t be much rotation because... well, there aren’t really any other options. S’pose Bill Tuiloma or Tim Payne could cover midfield if needed. The only guy from outside the current group who immediately springs to mind as a midfielder is James Musa... who plays specifically as a CB for Phoenix Rising now. Ollie Whyte could go surging up the contention list if he starts well in Finland.

Midfield is arguably the strongest area of the park for the All Whites and also the area with the least depth. Of course, it’ll look different when Thomas is available and you’re trying to figure out who you have to drop to get him into the XI.

FORWARDS

Joey Champness – Giresunspor, TUR (2/0)

Andre De Jong – AmaZulu, RSA (6/1)

Elijah Just - FC Helsingør, DEN (5/0)

Callum McCowatt -FC Helsingør, DEN (4/1)

Logan Rogerson – FC Haka, FIN (3/0)

Chris Wood - Newcastle United, ENG (60/27)

Finally it’s the forwards where it all looks pretty normal, aye? You’ve got the big man Christopher Wood who could well become New Zealand’s all-time leading men’s international goal scorer this tour. He’d have broken the record (Vaughan Coveny – 29 goals) ages ago if this team kept to an actual fixture list but he should get to make up for lost time this year. It’s only a matter of time.

The two Helsingør chaps are always gonna be here. FCH don’t return from their winter break until the end of February (those Danish winters, brah) but they will miss a few friendlies while they’re away for what that’s worth. The last friendly they’ll probably play before they leave is against FC Copenhagen and potentially Marko Stamenic. Then they can all travel to the Middle East together, good times.

Andre De Jong got a cheeky run of games for AmaZulu late last year after a long, long, long time sitting on the outside looking in. That cheeky run appears to be over now as the injury list has cleared up but tell ya what ADJ looked really good in those games. Look as smooth as he ever has. Joey Champness also, he’s still establishing himself at Giresunspor but his substitute appearances are coming with more and more regularity as the season goes along. Happy signs.

Bringing us to Logan Rogerson who was unlucky to miss the last couple squads, unlucky to miss the Olympic squad, and who has now signed on a permanent deal with FC Haka in the top division in Finland after a positive loan experience. He replaces Elliot Collier from the last squad in the only change that was unforced and based upon form.

Alex Greive is a fella to be aware of now that he’s made his Scottish Premiership debut. Someone who could play as a ten or across a front three. This is also another squad that’s come and gone without a Ryan De Vries recall which is a shame – his efforts in Ireland must surely have him close. Injuries and illness for Kosta Barbarouses and Marco Rojas mean that their respective international absences continue. Barbarouses hasn’t played since Peru in Lima back in November 2017. Rojas has only played twice in the last eight games (which stretches back to everything since those Peru matches). Might have to drop a defender to get both of them in, to be fair, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

Okay quick thought experiment to conclude. If the All Whites were starting a World Cup campaign tomorrow, here’s the 23-man squad that I’d pick (assuming that everybody’s available)...

Marinovic, Woud, Tzanev, Reid, M.Boxall, Pijnaker, Tuiloma, Smith, Cacace, Payne, F.De Vries, Bell, Thomas, Singh, Stamenic, Garbett, McCowatt, Just, Rojas, Barbarouses, Champness, De Jong, Wood

But ask me again in an hour and I’ll probably have changed my mind.

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