Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

oh dear - england slip up in the ukraine and it looks like croatian players can book their summer holidays any time they like!

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

But from the far south - the All Whites hold Bahrain to a nil-nil draw - in Bahrain.

Return leg is in Wellington 14th of November - planning to be there.

Permuations abound, but with a game to go - and home advantage - NZ could be going back to the big show for the first time since 1982!!

woohoo!

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

Guess it had to happen eventually that we miss the big1.
It was so weird cheering for England for the first time ever, hope that never happenes again.

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

go nz!

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

...well blame Rio ferdinand!

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

All Whites v. Bahrain

Winner makes it to the big show.

Wellington has put on the best home town show - screaming winds, temperatures in the low teens, a chance of hail - 35,000 fans in the stadium - it's our one chance to use the home field advantage.

The Bahrainan team might end up running around in their tracksuits. Oddly - they stayed in Sydney to practise and acclimatise this week. They've obviously not heard that there's no bridge between Oz and NZ - and that we've just had the coldest October in the last 30 years!

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

nice1 nz! that's sewn up my 2nd team for the world cup!

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

Yeaaaassss!!

Wonderful game to be at - a record NZ crowd for a football match - 35,000 - majority decked out in white - which made a nice change from the regular all black garb.

Fantastic crowd - my seat was right behind the away fans - 500 Bahranians - allegedly flown in by some Sheik.

Chant of the night: "Don't you go out to Bahrain again. Don't. Go. Out. tooo Baaahhrain!

Tune: "Don't you go out in the rain..."

Clinical header just before halftime to take the lead. Stunning penalty save in the second half to deny Bahrain - who would have gone through on the away goals rule if it was draw.

Ryan Nelson just a machine in the defensive line. Bertos down the right wing was strong and they hustled and bustled Bahrain out of the game.

Bahrain came looking to milk the penalties and free kicks. At one stage people were looking for the sniper on the roof - that many Bahranian players were collapsing to the ground. The worst one was a foul that required the player to be stretchered off - he then got up off the ground by doing some Matrix/ninja like back flip - wtf was that all about?

That sort of diving, gutless shite is bad enough in a football loving country - here in a rugby mad nation - where a former All Black captain played despite having his scrotum torn up by a wayward French boot - that shit is not tolerated.

I can't see us winning a game in the group stage in SA - but then again, no-one really knows what NZ can do - hell most Kiwis hardly know we've got a team - and football is a funny old game.

Just getting there is fantastic - and the experience last night was amazing.

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

well congrats to you and nz XI chuck:D

Re: england FIVE - croatia one
 

Images from the NZ v. Bahrain game on the weekend.


Absolutely mental crowd - outstanding in every way.

Pick of the bunch.


:D