Teams are likely to play friendlies regardless. I feel the Nations League keeps them honest. A lot of international windows get thrown away otherwise. The club WC provides football for a few across the world while the Nations League is for an entire confederation. I think the club WC has to...

Fair point yet the available UEFA teams are Estonia, Albania and Czech Rep. The pressure of the qualifiers when Velupillay was introduced is higher than a practice game against these nations. Maybe in October. Water under a bridge now. This would've been an FA decision to keep the Ashes going.

Nicely done the Canberra game is a Friday night. Tuesday is NZ makes it a real rush to get back for club matches that weekend.

This will be a thread over many years as it's supposed to keep happening. I can really appreciate the history and discovery of the urn that was considered lost. The opponent in our calendar a little less so.

We’re coming to the capital to renew a rivalry! 🇦🇺🤝🇳🇿 This September, Canberra will host the first of a two-match series against New Zealand, contesting the historic Soccer Ashes Trophy. 🎟️ Pre-sale: 24.6.25, 10:00am AEST 🎟️ General Public on sale: 25.6.25, 4:00pm AEST 🇦🇺 v 🇳🇿 - 5.9.25...

It's not about that. It's the fact that we choose and obvious option where we learn little. NZ are decent now but we're a bit too familiar and to go all that way right after the season starts doesn't help consolidate players at their clubs.

I think we get NZ because we simply didn't organise anything else. The FA are disgracefully slow in planning these things. The September window was open regardless of the qualification outcome so we should have lined up two European based games to minimise club disruption. NZ have an array of...

Australia NZ games are always so stale. It's not even about winning it. It just feels like an excuse to get on the pitch and waste 90min. Underwhelming.

NZ football posting a pavlova. NZ games incoming ffs.

This was posted as a guess the national team. Christ...

Plenty of good analysis on YouTube about what could have been. Brain drain and a massive stuff up. Some very good minds from that part of the world and diaspora is valuable wherever they go. It's probably more individuals but I've got to say some Iranians who live abroad are bloody obnoxious...

There's a lot of rational discussion that this is the best worst option. Threats the 'experts' are making with regime change will only harm Iranians are pure assumptions. Commentators are loving it just putting their ideas on loop selling them to news outlets.

Seg reminds me of Huszti. Brilliant left peg and movement. Low centre of gravity.

Silvera isn't a bad player. He did decent things at Boro. Given his low base, he achieved above a pass mark. He was spectacular at the Mariners. The young AA at Portsmouth can play well already but imagine them in 18 to 24 months if they kick on with their talents.

September picks. Albania are free in September window 1 and Czech Rep free September window 2. Tirana and Prague. Opportunity missed for Tallinn away as Andorra have a friendly there. Norway, Wales, Finland, Romania have sorted friendlies in their gaps. San Marino might be free. Too many...

Jacynta Galabadaarachchi selected.

Arnold stuck in Baghdad. Kalac got the last flight out. Won the seat at an underground poker game apparently.

So what happens here? Reserves? They do well to give match time. Bennie has grown there. Thing is Pearman has already played against men so a loan to League 2 and playing a lot would be better at this stage.

Time for Jelacic to get into gear. A bit of a stutter the past 18 months. Silly hopes placed on the Belgium move where had he been a prominent A League member, he'd be in a better position now.