New Zealand
Group A
How did they get here: By narrowly defeating Papua New Guinea in penalties 4-2 at the 2016 OFC Nations Cup. People give OCEANIA a tremendous amount of stick but the quality of play has improved in recent seasons. But the Kiwis triumphed once again earning their fifth title.
Schedule: Russia (June 17, St. Petersburg), Mexico (June 21, Sochi) and Portugal (June 24, St. Petersburg)
Coach: Anthony Hudson.
Key players to look out for: Defenders Kip Colvey (San Jose Earthquakes) and Bill Tuilloma (Marseille), midfielder Marco Rojas (Melbourne Victory), and forward Chris Wood (Leeds United)
Outlook: The Kiwis are back! After taking a bit of a break from major international competitions New Zealand has returned to the front of the international stage.
New Zealand, as it always seems to be, are in an interesting spot. Due to OCEANIA not getting a full automatic World Cup bid they have to take this tournament a little bit differently than the rest of the competitors. Although the likelihood is high that they will make it out of their World Cup Qualification group (they will be facing the Solomon Islands in a two-legged playoff in August) they will still have to face the fifth place team out of CONMEBOL to earn a spot at Russia 2018. As it stands that would be Argentina, just a slightly more difficult opponent than the Solomon Islands.
So this tournament is really a great opportunity for them to see where they stand against some of the world’s best, even if the odds are still high. The interesting thing about this side is that they are not exactly inexperienced. Coach Anthony Hudson, who spent some time coaching the Real Maryland Monarchs here in the Professional Development League, has done an excellent job scouting and finding young players to build around. While legends like Shane Smeltz and Andrew Durante are back Hudson has brought through a steady stream of young players with high upside and high potential. Defenders such as Kip Colvey, Deklan Wynne (Vancouver Whitecaps FC 2), and Bill Tuilloma have made the jump to the senior roster and are all well adept at the Kiwis bread and butter: lockdown defensive work and counter-attacking.
Kip Colvey, seen here last year in a friendly against the United States, has made his mark with the San Jose Earthquakes this season. Can he do the same with New Zealand at the Confederations Cup?
But New Zealand under Hudson are starting to get out of their comfort zone and attack more than they have in the past. Forward Chris Wood tore the English Championship apart this season with Leeds United, scoring 27 goals in 44 appearances. Although his size makes him a unique target in the air his first touch also allows him to create chances with pinpoint accuracy. Not having captain Winston Reid for this tournament will hurt New Zealand’s ability to create chances on the ground for Wood. But Marco Rojas has shown at both the international and club level that he is more than capable of stepping into that role when called.
The deck is very much stacked against New Zealand in this tournament having to face the likes of Russia, Mexico, and Portugal. But this side needs to get more experience against top-level international sides ahead of a very challenging World Cup Qualification playoff. Hudson has pushed his side to get out of their comfort zone and to play with hunger and passion on the attacking front. They need to score goals particularly against Russia if they are to get through to the Group Stage.
FIFA
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