In a boost for the domestic game over half the squad currently ply their trade in the ASB Premiership with many having played in the past 12 months, an aspect Milicich believes is good for football in New Zealand.
“I believe the very best young players should be playing in the ASB Premiership as soon as possible, which is good for the player, good for the domestic clubs and a benefit for New Zealand Football as a whole,” he says.
Players in that category include Luke Adams of Derby County and Wellington Phoenix duo Tyler Boyd and Louis Fenton, while players such as Scott Basalaj, Tom Biss, Justin Gulley, Alec Solomons and Hamish Watson are all part of the A-League franchises’ Football School of Excellence.
“Guys like Luke Adams and Tim Payne played a couple of seasons for Waitakere United before they set off. They proved they could play at the highest domestic level and have now moved up to the next level,” Milicich says.
Barring injury, Payne is expected to be selected for the All Whites squad to face New Caledonia in their crucial FIFA World Cup qualifier in Dunedin on March 22 and the Solomon Islands in Honiara four days later, which falls in the middle of the Junior All Whites campaign to qualify for Turkey.
“Part of our role is to develop future All Whites, but we’re also part of the wider New Zealand Football family and with the two campaigns being held concurrently we want to qualify for both.”
The squad will meet in Auckland on March 12 with Adams, All Whites utility Cameron Howieson (Burnley), Max Crocombe (Oxford United) and trialist Bill Tuiloma travelling back from Europe. Boyd and Fenton are in the A-League along with Perth Glory defender Storm Roux.
“I have to thank the clubs for releasing the players for what is ultimately a long period of time. When we come together in March it’ll be the first time we’ve had the whole squad together,” said Milicich.
Goalkeeper Crocombe and Roux are new faces to most New Zealand football fans although Milicich has kept tabs on both for some time.
“We’ve been tracking Max and Storm for a couple years now. Max is highly regarded at Oxford and someone they believe will kick on and play at a higher level.
“Storm developed through the Northern Football Federation system before his family moved to Perth so he’s not really a stranger to people in the game here.”
It will be Milicich’s second consecutive campaign and he confirmed the 2013 Junior All Whites will play a different style to the class of 2011.
“Each group is completely different. We look at the group of players available and then build tactics around the personnel.
“The last group of U-20’s had certain strengths that we tried to maximise, whereas this group is quite different, we’ve got the ability to play through the thirds and retain the ball at the back.
“We’ll take a possession-based approach, working on the principle that we can control the tempo of the game with the ball. That way we’ll also be able to control how much energy we expend in the game and deny our opposition the ball,” Milicich said.
The draw has not been kind to New Zealand with the defending OFC U-20 champions set to play their four matches in a row before sitting out the final match day after receiving the last available bye. New Caledonia has a similarly difficult campaign ahead after drawing the bye on day one.
“It’s going to be really tough. It’s set up for the best squad to win, I can’t see anyone playing more than two games so we’ve picked a side where every player has to be able to compete at the highest level they can,”
“We can only play our four games and do the best we can in those four games and on the last game day we’ll be at home. There’s no final so its winner takes all.”
New Zealand’s first match is against Papua New Guinea on March 21, before facing Vanuatu, New Caledonia and the hosts Fiji in consecutive matches every two days.
Junior All Whites squad for OFC U-20 Championship
Goalkeepers
1-Scott BASALAJ (Team Wellington, New Zealand)
20-Max CROCOMBE (Oxford United, England)
Defenders
2-Storm ROUX (Perth Glory, Australia)
3-Bill TUILOMA (Birkenhead United, New Zealand)
4-Simon ARMS (Auckland City, New Zealand)
5-Luke ADAMS (Derby County, England)
12-Alec SOLOMONS (Team Wellington, New Zealand)
13-Liam HIGGINS (YoungHeart Manawatu, New Zealand)
14-Kade SCHRIJVERS (YoungHeart Manawatu, New Zealand)
Midfielders
6-Tom BISS (Team Wellington, New Zealand)
7-Cameron HOWIESON (Burnley, England)
8-Jesse EDGE (Waikato FC, New Zealand)
11-Louis FENTON (Wellington Phoenix, Australia)
15-Justin GULLEY (Team Wellington, New Zealand)
Forwards
9-Hamish WATSON (Team Wellington, New Zealand)
10-Tyler BOYD (Wellington Phoenix, Australia)
16-Van ELIA (Team Wellington Youth, New Zealand)
17-Ryan THOMAS (Waikato FC, New Zealand)
18-Joel STEVENS (Otago United, New Zealand)
19-Dale HIGHAM (YoungHeart Manawatu, New Zealand)
Staff
Chris MILICICH – Coach
Andy HEDGE – Assistant Coach
Mark OATES – GK Coach
Story courtesy of New Zealand Football.
For more on New Zealand Football visit www.nzfootball.co.nz

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