All Whites in the FIFA Series 2026: Squad Yarns & Preview
In an ideal world, Darren Bazeley would have picked a shadow version of his intended World Cup squad for these games so that he could chase some serious results against Finland and Chile. Because despite an excellent group of players and some really encouraging performances... the All Whites haven’t actually won a game since beating Ivory Coast in June 2025. They’re on a seven-game winless run which only includes one draw (1-1 vs Norway). But ideals and international football rarely go together and old mate Baze has had to pick this squad – the last one before the proper World Cup crew gets named – with at least half a dozen players ruled out due to injuries.
Chris Wood is still recovering from knee cartilage surgery three months ago. He’s hoping to be back next month and despite plenty of pessimism and speculation and clickbait along the way it does sound like all is on track for him to hit that target. Sarpreet Singh came back to the Wellington Phoenix for game time only to get injured straight away. He’ll be another month. Libby Cacace has suffered another set back as he tries to overcome his fourth muscle-related issue since joining Wrexham. Michael Boxall picked up an adductor complaint that’s kept him out of the last two Minnesota United games (they conceded nine times in those two games without him) so he’s not available. Matt Garbett’s been nursing a heel thingamajig for Peterborough... they had been hoping he’d be back on the pitch last weekend but that turned out to be too optimistic as he hasn’t even returned to full training yet. Couple more weeks, it seems.
Those five are first choice players all in the mix for starting places. Beyond that, Nando Pijnaker would probably have made the cut without Boxy available except he rolled an ankle for Auckland FC recently and is still sidelined. Dalton Wilkins should be an All Whites regular based on talent, alas he’s always injured. He returned with a bang recently, earning a match-winning penalty for Sønderjyske against Callum McCowatt’s Silkeborg... and then promptly got injured again so no last chance for him to stake a World Cup claim here. We don’t really need to bother with Oli Sail in this conversation. Sure he’s injured... but there are at least five goalies ahead of him in the pecking order. Sail’s been in a few squads as a convenient third-choicer yet his last cap for the national team was in 2023 (a 4-1 loss to Sweden). He’s injured too and it’s a doozy, tearing his ACL while taking a goal kick. The difference between Sail and all these other fellas is that his injury has ruled him out of the World Cup itself. Everyone else will be back within another 4-6 weeks if all goes to plan. But they won’t be part of this All Whites tour.
Even in the squad that’s been picked there are guys in doubt. Ryan Thomas has been subbed off early in two of his last three matches for PEC Zwolle and skipped a match entirely before that. He’s being carefully managed by his club team who are giving him extra recovery days... though can’t really afford to rest him because he’s such a crucial figure as they try avoid relegation. Thommo could yet withdraw from this squad to stay fresh. It’s unlikely that Bazeley leans on him very hard even if he does make the trip, perhaps we might only see him off the bench in a similar concession to how Chris Wood has been used at times. We’ll see how it goes. He’s not got anything serious to worry about, he’s simply dealing with the accumulated workload of having already played nearly 1900 minutes in the Eredivisie this season – the most he’s played for eight years, dating back to before his knee dramas began.
Oh yeah and as if that’s not enough, we’ve got more: Bill Tuiloma wandered off with a tight hamstring from the latest Wellington Phoenix game; Joe Bell got his nose broken jumping for a header in training for Viking FK; Elijah Just got the crap kicked out of him by Celtic leading to a bandaged shin, three opposition yellow cards, four injury stoppages, and eventually a substitution. Those three should all be fine though. Bell has already played again since his nose got chopped, sporting a facemask for VFK’s league opener.
That’s quite the injury crisis, right? Wrong. It’s a lot of injuries but it’s not a crisis because the All Whites have depth. We’re not living in those past ages with only a handful of professionals to call upon... we’ve got really solid pros who can’t even get a look in these days. Moses Dyer is currently leading the golden boot for the AFC Challenge League and it’s been years since we last saw him for NZ – and that’s not even controversial. Boxy’s unavailable? Oh no we’ll just have to roll out a centre-back duo of Finn Surman and Tyler Bindon instead. Same pairing that kept a clean sheet in the win against Ivory Coast, by the way – a game in which Chris Wood only made a late sub cameo.
Wood is much harder to replace, even with Ben Waine suddenly reinventing himself as an FA Cup hero, but let’s not misrepresent who The Woodsman is as a player. He’s a finisher. He’s a grafter. He’s a target man. By his own admission, he doesn’t create the chances that he scores... that’s why he’s always quick to thank his teammates whenever an individual accolade comes his way. Only a fool could argue that the best All Whites team doesn’t include Chris Wood but if these guys are going to do something at the World Cup then it’s the supply line to the Woodsman that is most crucial. Getting him his service. And the reason that’s not such an unhinged dream is that the supply line doesn’t rely on one or two figures but on an interchangeable group of dudes with varied qualities.
It’s for that reason that Darren Bazeley can pick a squad without Wood, Cacace, Garbett, Boxall, and Singh... and it doesn’t lose its identity. It still looks like the All Whites. It’s still got a bunch of fellas who’ve recently made big deal transfers, who’ve discovered career best form, who’ve experienced success at club level and internationally. A quick roll through some of the highlights...
Elijah Just is earning recognition as one of the best playmakers in the Scottish Premiership, playing brilliantly for a fantastic Motherwell team where he’s one of the leading goal contributors.
Callum McCowatt’s Silkeborg team are pretty awful at the moment but heading into the winter break he was tied for second top scorer in the entire Danish Superliga – including scoring a hat-trick away against FC Copenhagen.
Ben Waine scored FA Cup winners against consecutive higher-ranked opponents as Port Vale have made it all the way to the quarters – including his goal to knock Premier League side Sunderland out. His career was in limbo a few months earlier, now he’s completely flipped the script and become a valuable player for PVFC.
Ben Old has reinvented himself as a left-back for St-Etienne and has become a first choice player during the team’s revival in form, chasing promotion back to Ligue 1.
Tyler Bindon had a rough first few months at Sheffield United but he’s now a locked-on first eleven player beloved by the fans – they were thinking about cutting his loan short when the January window opened and now they’re trying to figure out if they can sign him permanently.
Michael Boxall was named as an MLS All Star in 2025 for the first time in his career in the year he turned 37 years old. He captains Minnesota United and plays pretty much every minute where available.
Finn Surman led the entire MLS in defensive clearances last year. He’s Portland Timbers’ best defender and has captained them on several occasions despite only being 22 years of age. The club is already steadying themselves for when he inevitably moves on to even bigger things.
Max Crocombe’s lost his spot lately, but spent much of the season with Millwall leading them to clean sheet victories and absolutely proving that he can hack it at the Championship level in England.
Joe Bell is the vice-captain and a key player for a Viking FK side that just stormed their way to the Norwegian league title for the first time in over thirty years.
And that’s just a sampler. Could give the same treatment to Ryan Thomas with his resurgence since having his kneecaps lifted, Marko Stamenić settling into the English Championship at Swansea, Kees Sims helping GAIS qualify for Europe, Owen Parker-Price’s promotion to the Swedish top flight, Andre de Jong’s move to South African giants Orlando Pirates (albeit his form’s not quite matched the prominence of his transfer), Francis de Vries and Jesse Randall’s explosions for Auckland FC over the past two years, Matt Garbett getting mad raps at Peterborough, Alex Paulsen making a steady step into European footy, et cetera. With the World Cup on the horizon, we’re going to be reading a lot of international media (and probably some local stuff too) that paints the All Whites as being a one-man team entirely reliant on Christopher Grant Wood. That’s nonsense... a lot of kiwi ballers are going to take folks by surprise when the main event rolls around.
(Some of them are already preparing for it – Callum McCowatt’s team rejected multiple transfer advances for him in January, including from Michael Boxall’s team, and their football director specifically said that they wanted to wait until after the World Cup boosted his valuation)
The fun thing about having players out injured is that it gives a final chance for a bunch of others to try and earn their tickets to the World Cup. There are probably going to be 26-man rosters at the World Cup and at least 80% of that squad is already sorted...
GK - Max Crocombe, Alex Paulsen
DEF - Michael Boxall, Finn Surman, Tyler Bindon, Tim Payne, Liberato Cacace, Francis de Vries
MID - Joe Bell, Marko Stamenić, Ryan Thomas, Matt Garbett, Alex Rufer
FWD - Sarpreet Singh, Elijah Just, Callum McCowatt, Ben Old, Chris Wood, Jesse Randall, Ben Waine, Kosta Barbarouses
That’s 21 players right there. Some might quibble about one or two of them... Jesse Randall is pretty inexperienced but he’s got a place not only due to his fantastic A-League form but also because he offers something different to our other wingers as a speedster who can stay wide and run vertical lines. Alex Rufer and Kosta Barbarouses have been inconsistent this season but Bazeley values their experience and reliability. Can’t fathom any arguments about the rest of them.
That leaves five spots up for grabs. One will be the third-choice goalkeeper. Last tour it was Kees Sims. This tour, with Bazeley not opting to drag Sims halfway around the world with no chance of game time, it’s Michael Woud who has stepped up following some resurgent form for AFC. Henry Gray and Nik Tzanev are other options.
For sure there’ll be another fullback and centre-back. Could get away with that being the same player if it’s Bill Tuiloma. Nando Pijnaker, George Stanger, Tommy Smith, and maybe even Isaac Hughes are CB candidates. For the wide lads, Callan Elliot’s been working his way towards the front of the queue lately while James McGarry, Storm Roux, Sam Sutton, Lukas Kelly-Heald, and Dalton Wilkins (if fit) are in the hunt.
That leaves two, maybe three, spots for midfielders and forwards. They’ll definitely want another attacker and if that happens to be Lachlan Bayliss or Owen Parker-Price then they’ll have someone capable of covering both areas. Beyond that we’re looking at dudes like Logan Rogerson, Andre de Jong, Luke Brooke-Smith, Corban Piper, Max Mata, and Moses Dyer. If you’re one of those people who crave certainty and want to know who yours truly would pick in those final five spots, the answer for today would be: Kees Sims, Bill Tuiloma, Callan Elliot, Owen Parker-Price, and Logan Rogerson. But that’s subject to change on a whim and obviously there’s always the possibility of further injuries.
That means we’ve got the following players in this squad actively auditioning for WC selection:
Woud, Elliot, Tuiloma, McGarry, Rogerson, De Jong, Bayliss
Of those players, by far the most interesting is Lachlan Bayliss. The Newcastle Jets midfielder has been on an absolute tear since the turn of the year, scoring five goals and assisting two during the Jets’ eight-game winning streak. For contrast, the 24yo only had one goal and two assists in his entire career up until that point. He’s found a wonderful run of form after being allowed to play a little further forward, leading to plenty buzz around a potential All Whites summons. It’s easier said than done trying to make room in that midfield but the absence of Garbett and Singh has cleared the path for Bayliss to get his first senior call-up. If he excels then perhaps they hustled up one of those last few tickets for him. But if he doesn’t end up in the World Cup squad, as is still most likely outcome considering the competition for places, then at least he’s been given the opportunity. That’s all anyone can ask for. And let’s not act like the World Cup context is all that matters - there’s an international debut on the line here and that’s a special moment in any footballer’s career.
Lachie Bayliss was born and raised in Darwin on the Northern Territory but with a kiwi father. He was in the Newcastle Jets system as a youngster before switching to Central Coast after family issues made the travelling to-and-fro quite difficult. He was with the Mariners for several years where he progressed to a professional contract though was released before making an A-League appearance, at which point the Jets came back around and he’s been back with them since 2023. His older brother James followed a similar path and managed to play 13 ALM games for Central Coast before dropping down to the NPL. As it happens, James is currently playing for Auckland FC in the OFC Pro League.
This isn’t the first taste of kiwi football for Lachie Bayliss though. He first got amongst the scene when he was picked for Olympic qualifiers only to withdraw from that squad with an injury. Darren Bazeley coached that team and eventually got his man when Bayliss was named as a travelling reserve for the Paris Games in 2024... later elevated to the full squad after Riley Bidois withdrew injured. Bayliss went on to start two matches and come off the bench in the other at those Olympics. He set up Ben Waine’s winner against Guinea. It’s only this recent burst of form for Newcastle that’s gotten him near the senior squad but thanks to that U23s experience he’s already played alongside guys like Paulsen, Surman, Boxall, Bindon, Bell, Garbett, Singh, Waine, and Randall.
Another thing to know here is that Lachlan’s father passed away a few years ago, adding extra significance to him wanting to represent his father’s nation. People can sometimes get snooty about sporting eligibilities but it’s always fascinating to learn how dual nationals embrace their kiwi heritage/connection. You can tell this means a lot to him.
Alrighty, that’s the injury stuff and the World Cup context and the bolter all covered. Let’s move on to the opposition. This is a FIFA Series tournament, something that the governing body have been encouraging for the last few years as a way of getting more meaningful games on the calendar particularly for those nations who might not be able to rustle them up otherwise. Nations like Aotearoa. We already played in one of them back in 2024, sort of... it was initially going to be an invitational tournament in the UAE but there were shenanigans afoot with the sponsors so they moved it to Egypt and brought it under the FIFA Series banner. Egypt beat us 1-0 in the first game and then we drew with Tunisia in the playoff before losing on penalties. Most of these mini-tourneys take that same shape with the winners and losers of the first games playing each other next. This one is different because we’ve got two set fixtures in place: New Zealand will meet Finland on Friday 27 March, then Chile on Monday 30 March. Cabo Verde will play the other team in each respective double-header but won’t play the All Whites. Both matchdays will be hosted at Eden Park in Auckland.
The funny thing about that is the one team we don’t play, Cabo Verde (aka Cape Verde), are the only other team from this quartet who actually qualified for the World Cup. They pocketed 7 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat, to top a qualifying group that also included Cameroon and Angola to earn their first ever World Cup entry – briefly making them the smallest nation by land mass (and second smallest by population, behind Iceland) to ever qualify for the World Cup... until Curacao pipped them on both counts five weeks later.
Chile, on the other hand, had a horrendous qualifying campaign finishing last in South America with only 2 wins from 18 games. La Roja only scored nine goals in those fixtures although they have won three in a row since then (beating Peru, Russia, and Peru again – scoring twice in each). They’ve got an interim coach at the moment in Nicolas Cordova, and he has understandably picked a very inexperienced squad for this trip with seven uncapped players in their squad of 26 and only 5/26 players with 20+ caps. More than half the squad are aged 23 or younger. So, no, you’re not going to see Alexis Sanchez or Arturo Vidal or Charles Aránguiz. Chile are in a rebuilding phase.
Finland didn’t have a disaster campaign but they still finished comfortably behind Netherlands and Poland in their group to miss out on qualification. There’s a bit more experience in the Finnish group albeit they still have a couple of uncapped players and plenty of younger emerging players. That includes Swansea City midfielder Leo Walta who, since his move in January, is teammates with Marko Stamenić at the Welsh club. Weird thing about that is their goalkeeper Lawrence Vigouroux is in the Chilean squad too... meaning that if Ricardo Santos makes the cut for Cabo Verde then there’ll be a Swansea City player in all four squads. Might have to send an invite out to Swans part-owners Snoop Dogg and Luka Modric to come down and watch. Can’t find that Cabo Verde squad anywhere just yet.
New Zealand has played Chile on a several occasions: losing 3-1 away in 1995, drawing 0-0 at Mt Smart in Auckland in 1998, and losing 4-1 and 1-0 away in 2006. After losing narrowly to Colombia and slightly-less-narrowly to Ecuador last window it remains true that the All Whites have never beaten a South American opponent. We’re at four draws and 13 defeats having only scored eight goals in those matches. Suffice it to say that this is a major opportunity to make some history. We’ve never played Finland before and our record against European teams is almost as bad, having not beaten one since a cheeky 1-0 against Serbia in the lead-up to the 2010 World Cup. In a way, it’d be history repeating itself to break that drought in the lead-up to another World Cup.
GOALKEEPERS
Max Crocombe – Millwall, ENG (21 caps/0 goals)
Alex Paulsen – Lechia Gdańsk, POL (5/0)
Michael Woud – Auckland FC, NZ/AUS (6/0)
It’s been over two years since Michael Woud last played for the All Whites... and he’s not going to play here either but good on him for getting back into the squad. His mistake against Central Coast a few months ago put him under some pretty unfair scrutiny. He’d been fine for most of the season, statistically slightly above average compared to other A-League goalies, and suddenly folks were acting like he was a perpetual trainwreck. Granted, slightly above average doesn’t cut it for title-challenging Auckland FC so he still got dropped. But then Oli Sail was injured and to his immense credit Michael Woud has been superb ever since that reprieve.
Woud is very doubtful to make the World Cup squad. Darren Bazeley tends to pick locally-based GK3’s for games down under given that it’s a long way to travel for the least likely player to be involved. Kees Sims got the nod last time when they played in USA... but he’s trying to win the Swedish Cup with GAIS at the moment, with preseason friendlies also to play, at a time when their main keeper is out injured providing him with extra opprtunities. These could be crucial times for him at his club. No need to wobble that. Henry Gray should also be right up there given how well he’s performing on loan at Harrogate, who are trying to avoid relegation and don’t break for FIFA windows. Nik Tzanev might also be hanging on despite not having played for a few months. On both merit and match fitness, Woud should have moved ahead of Tzanev in the ranks... but not ahead of the other two. As much as it’s helpful to have an experienced GK3 for team culture and whatnot, we’ve got two phenomenal young talents in this position who deserve it more (three phenoms if you count Alex Paulsen – AP, Sims, and Gray were the three keepers in the last Olympics squad).
But who is the number one between Crocombe and Paulsen? Depends on how Bazeley reacts to Crocombe being dropped at Millwall. He’s been generous to his dudes in the past, think on Matt Garbett’s situation last season, and Crocs did nothing wrong to lose his spot. They simply signed a more pedigreed keeper on loan who knocked him down to the bench. That shouldn’t count against him, in which case we’re looking at his form leading up to that and the honest truth is that Crocombe has been better than Paulsen this season. AP has been good for Lechia. He’s helped steady that team and raise them up the ladder. But he’s not been shining the way he did in the A-League, having missed a few goals you’d expect him to have saved and only kept a pair of clean sheets.
Meanwhile Crocombe still ranks seventh equal in the Championship for clean sheets this season despite only actually playing for about half the season thus far. What he was doing for a player who’d never been empoloyed at this level before was massively impressive and it’s pure bad luck that circumstances have taken that from him. But that’s why he only signed a one-year contract. He’s free to do what he wants after the World Cup and it’s not hard to envisage another Championship club giving him a ring now that he’s shown what he’s capable of. Crocombe has the edge in experience, reliability, and current form. Paulsen is a much better passer and has a little more x-factor. Crocombe’s values are more what coaches tend to prioritise at a major tournament... but it’s still a close race and we’ll probably get to see them both during this window.
DEFENDERS
Tyler Bindon – Sheffield United, ENG (21/1)
Francis de Vries – Auckland FC, NZ/AUS (16/1)
Callan Elliot – Auckland FC, NZ/AUS (7/0)
James McGarry – Brisbane Roar, AUS (5/0)
Tim Payne – Wellington Phoenix, NZ/AUS (48/3)
Finn Surman – Portland Timbers, USA (15/2)
Bill Tuiloma – Wellington Phoenix, NZ/AUS (47/4)
In their last ten matches, the All Whites have used three unique centre-back pairings: Michael Boxall and Tyler Bindon have started three games together (including the WCQ final vs New Caledonia), Michael Boxall and Finn Surman have started four games together (including the draw vs Norway), and Finn Surman and Tyler Bindon have started three games together (including the clean sheet win vs Ivory Coast). Any combination will do, there’s no wrong answer... and whoever is left out come World Cup time is still probably going to feature off the bench, especially if we ever find ourselves with a lead to protect. Nothing to stress about there. Especially not now that Tyler Bindon’s over his wee dip.
Bill Tuiloma will cover depth at CB... and in the case of an emergency either Tim Payne or Francis de Vries can do a job there at a pinch. Strange to see an NZ Football side with only three CBs though - usually we’ve got them tumbling out of our ears. No George Stanger here either, who completely fell out of favour at Kilmarnock after they changed managers but suddenly returned to the side on the weekend with a superb performance in a win against the league leaders. Too late for this squad, however it does suggest he’s not out of the running just yet (granted, the fact he never got on the pitch despite being in the last two squads wasn’t a good sign).
The hunch is that Nando Pijnaker is still ahead of Stanger in the queue although he’s gotta get himself fit first. Tommy Smith has managed to do that after missing a few months but let’s be honest that ship has sailed for a dude trying to avoid relegation from the English fifth tier who has spent most of the season out injured. There are too many deserving candidates to justify having Smithy on board as a non-playing player any longer. Really hope (and expect) they bring him along in a staff capacity though – he’s been a big part of the journey of this team. Plus he’s Chris Wood’s best mate so that oughta help.
Something to pay close attention to here is how the minutes are balanced between Callan Elliot and Tim Payne. Elliot’s been really good for AFC whenever he’s been let loose. Payne’s an important vet but has had a few injuries this season that have slowed him down. Payne is the main man at right-back, don’t get carried away... this idea is more about whether Baze makes an effort to get Elliot more involved because if so then we’ll know he’s on track for the World Cup. As he should be – he’s been the next best right-back, just gotta nail that down in front of the coach.
Other than that... James McGarry is holding space at LB with Cacace absent thanks to a pretty good, and heathy, campaign with Brisbane Roar. It’ll take an injury elsewhere for him to make the World Cup squad but his presence here tells us that he’s next man up in this position... unless we see left-back extraordinaire (and the Kiwi Lizarazu) Ben Old get a crack at the position he’s made his own at St-Etienne. Probably won’t because he’s of more value further forward... but it’s an option. Also, if Tim Payne appears in both games then he’ll become the 21st All Whites player to reach 50 caps, joining current players Chris Wood (88), Kosta Barbarouses (72), Michael Boxall (61), and Tommy Smith (56). Tuiloma’s not far off that milestone either but it won’t happen on this trip.
MIDFIELDERS
Lachlan Bayliss – Newcastle Jets, AUS (0/0)
Joe Bell – Viking, NOR (29/1)
Alex Rufer – Wellington Phoenix, NZ/AUS (23/0)
Marko Stamenić – Swansea City, WAL/ENG (35/3)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle, NED (23/3)
It was in September last year for the games against Australia that Ryan Thomas ended his All Whites hiatus. Marko Stamenić was injured at the time so he started alongside Joe Bell. Then came the Poland and Norway games where Joe Bell was left out with a niggle and Thomas and Stamenić were the starters. Next came Colombia and Ecuador and it was Thommo’s turn to skip the games with a minor injury. That means we’ve still never had a scenario with all three of those midfield maestros available at once. Will Bazeley try to squeeze them all into an eleven together? It’s very do-able even though they’re all ostensibly defensive mids for their clubs... just put Ryan Thomas as the CAM. It’d mean a more conservative midfield trio than having Singh or Just or Garbett in that spot but at a World Cup against three difficult opponents that’s not the silliest idea. Or would Baze prefer to keep one of the three up his sleeve to supply an injection of energy off the bench? Also a clever idea, to be fair. We’ll get a big clue in that direction during this window... as long as they all make it to camp.
The cool thing about that midfield trio is that they’re not only superbly good technical players... they also work extremely hard off the ball. Bell is a legend in Norway for how well he covers the midfield – he won the league championship by doing so. Thomas has a reputation as a more attacking player but these days he sits at the base and patrols, with his defensive stats being the ones that spring off the page. The most enjoyable aspect of Stamenić’s game is how he lopes forward with the ball but man he knows how to win it as well. Add in the very underrated counter-pressing abilities of guys like Elijah Just, Sarpreet Singh, and Callum McCowatt and we’ve got a team very capable of defending on the front foot.
Not sure where Lachie Bayliss fits in. If it’s in the midfield then he’s gotta get past Bell/Stam/Thomas/Rufer for minutes. If it’s as the CAM then we’re talking about Elijah Just, Ryan Thomas, possibly Andre de Jong all in his way (and that’s without Singh or Garbett around). He was used on the wing a bit at the Olympics but then he’s got even more guys in his way. Owen Parker-Price had the same issue when he got into the squad. Frankly, Alex Rufer has a similar problem himself... hence why 7/12 of his starts under Bazeley have come against Oceania opponents (the others were vs China, Tunisia, USA, Malaysia, and Ecuador). Sometimes he gets on via the bench but mostly he’s there for insurance and for rotational purposes. He’s done quite well on those occasions and there’s plenty to be said for his very disciplined positional approach. He’s earned his back-up status.
FORWARDS
Kosta Barbarouses – Western Sydney Wanderers, AUS (72/9)
Andre de Jong – Orlando Pirates, RSA (11/2)
Elijah Just – Motherwell, SCO (40/8)
Callum McCowatt – Silkeborg, DEN (28/4)
Ben Old – Saint-Etienne, FRA (20/2)
Jesse Randall – Auckland FC, NZ/AUS (7/1)
Logan Rogerson – Auckland FC, NZ/AUS (16/2)
Ben Waine – Port Vale, ENG (28/8)
The last two tours where Chris Wood didn’t start either game, it was Kosta Barbarouses and then Ben Waine who alternated in his striker position – and in that order. Kosta was scoring goals for the Welly Nix. Waine was struggling to find a home in England. That was the hierarchy. More recently, Ben Waine has become the hero of the FA Cup while Kosta is playing off the bench for the last-placed team in the A-League. The hierarchy has flipped since the All Whites were last in camp.
Elijah Just is crazy because he debuted in November 2019 and has only missed six games since then. He’s already up to 40 caps... not so far behind guys like Tuiloma and Payne who have had twice as many years as international footballers. He’s also the single most in-form kiwi footballer right now. What he’s doing in Scotland with Motherwell is absolutely incredible, pulling strings for one of the surprise package teams in all of Europe. He’s gone to a whole new level – and he was already one of New Zealand’s top players beforehand. With no Singh or Garbett, there’s more room than ever for Just to be a catalyst.
Callum McCowatt too... unlike Just, he hasn’t had that many statement performances for the national team (although he does have a couple statement goals – one of the rare dudes in this squad with multiple goals against non-OFC teams). His workrate is very underrated but he could do with a banger or two against Finland and Chile. It’s a funky one because Just and McCowatt (two mates who go way way back) have each had superb club seasons but Just has done it for a team that keeps a lot of possession and likes to pick defences apart whereas McCowatt’s thriving for a team that plays fast on the counter. Neither of those identities describe the All Whites who kinda flitter between the different elements their players provide without fully embracing any of them. If we want to score more goals, we may need to pick a lane.
Andre de Jong has found himself back in the squad much more regularly yet has still only made one substitute appearances in the past three years. Despite his transfer to title challengers Orlando Pirates, he wasn’t actually having that good of a season for Stellenbosch and he’s yet to find his groove for Pirates either. He’s a really clever player who we haven’t found a defined use for. Often used as a striker, he’s way more effective as a false nine or a number ten where he can drop in and get his touches. If he can’t get minutes in a squad without Singh or Garbett then don’t hold much hope for his World Cup place. However, if he does get to work in these games then he might be just versatile enough to make the cut.
Logan Rogerson is auditioning to be the right-sided version of what Jesse Randall has become. Randall has made appearances against Australia, Colombia, and Ecuador over the past few months as he becomes further embedded in the national team set-up. He’s been brilliant from day one of this A-League season, a genuine breakthrough player, and what’s amazing is how he’s continued to improve along the way. His finishing is getting sharper. He’s staying more involved. Fitness is through the roof. Doesn’t shun his defensive duties. Regularly assisting goals as well as scoring them. He’s due to take up a gig with Dundee United after the World Cup so look for more prominence from him in these games as his rise continues... and let’s see what Rogerson is able to do having been in and out of squads over the past year. Also stay tuned to Ben Old’s work on the left-wing now that he’s finally getting consistent minutes in France and has learned how to tackle thanks to his left-back conversion.
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