Five Things to Know about New Zealand
Watch USA-New Zealand in an international friendly at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio on Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. ET (TNT, Universo, truTV, Max, Peacock, FDP Radio)
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The USMNT meets New Zealand in an international friendly at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio this Tuesday, Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. ET (TNT, Universo, truTV, Max, Peacock, FDP Radio).
The teams will face off for only the fourth time in history, with the USA leading the series, 2-0-1.
The Americans are coming off a 2-1 loss to Canada in Kansas City, Kansas on Saturday, Sept. 7, while New Zealand dropped a 3-0 decision to Mexico at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. later that day.
Next month, the USMNT will host Panama in a friendly in Austin, Texas on Oct. 12 before traveling to Guadalajara to meet Mexico on Oct. 15.
The All Whites will begin its qualifying run for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, meeting Tahiti in Port Vila, Vanuatu on Oct. 11, followed by a friendly at home against Malaysia three days later.
FOOTBALLING HISTORY
New Zealand has been dominant in the Oceania Football Confederation, winning the Nations Cup on six occasions (1973, 1998, 2002, 2008, 2016, 2024), taking the runners-up spot once, and third place twice.
The Kiwis have qualified for the FIFA World Cup twice, but have never won a game. They participated in the 1982 competition in Spain, finishing 23 out of 24 teams with a 0-0-3 record. In the 2010 tournament in South Africa, it also had 0-3-0 mark and took 22nd place out of two dozen squads.
The New Zealanders have reached the Olympics on four occasions (2008, 2012, 2020, 2024). Their best finish was in the quarterfinals at the 2020 delayed Summer Games in Tokyo. They failed to get out of the group stage at the recently completed Paris Olympics, taking third place in Group A. They lost to the USA, 4-1, on July 27. Djordje Milhailovic, Walker Zimmerman, Gianluca Busio and Paxten Aaronson scored for the Americans, Jesse Randall for the Kiwis.
Ivan Vicelich, who played for the All Whites from 1995-2013, is the all-time caps leader with 88. Chris Wood, who is still active, is the career leader in goals (34) in 75 matches since his 2009 debut.
USMNT VS. NEW ZEALAND
The teams have met only three times prior, with the USA registering a 2-0-1 mark.
In their first encounter in the FIFA Confederations Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico on July 24, 1999, the Americans bested the Kiwis, 2-1. Brian McBride and Jovan Kirovski tallied. McBride headed home a John Harkes feed in the 25th minute before Kirovski headed in an Eddie Lewis corner kick in the 57th minute. Chris Zoicich scored in the final minute for New Zealand.
The score remained the same in their second meeting in a friendly in Richmond, Va. on June 8, 2003. Kirovski snapped a 1-1 tie in the 65th minute on the second assist by Lewis in the match. Chris Klein had given the USMNT a 20th-minute lead, but Vaughn Coveny equalized three minutes later.
The USA settled for a 1-1 draw as Monty Patterson equalized in the 72nd minute in the teams' most recent match-up in Washington D.C. on Oct. 11, 2016. Julian Green scored his second goal in as many contests in the 27th minute.
MANAGER
Darren Bazeley, who played most of his career in England, was named manager on July 4, 2023, after a stint as interim head coach.
Bazeley, 51, made 283 appearances as a right back with Watford in England from 1989-99 before moving on to play with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall. In 2005, he ventured to Oceania to play with the New Zealand Knights and Waitakere United before retiring in 2008.
His managerial career has included coaching the New Zealand Under-17, Under-20, and Olympic sides, as well as time spent as an assistant coach to the senior team.
He also was an assistant coach under Anthony Hudson with the Colorado Rapids from 2018-19. Hudson was USMNT interim head coach after the expiration of Gregg Berhalter's contract following the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
RECENT MATCHES
The Kiwis had a five-game unbeaten streak in 2024 before losing to Mexico on Saturday.
After dropping a 1-0 decision at Egypt on March 22, they played Tunisia to a scoreless draw four days later in Cairo, but lost in a shootout, 4-2.
New Zealand then rolled off four consecutive clean sheets in the Oceania Football Confederation's Nations Cup in Port Vila, Vanuatu in June. The team kicked off the tournament with a 3-0 triumph over the Solomon Islands on June 18, the first of four consecutive clean sheets. Ben Waine struck early, in the sixth and 11th minute before Kosta Barbarouses added a third goal four minutes into first-half stoppage time as goalkeeper Alex Paulsen recorded the shutout.
Three days later, the squad blanked the hosts 4-0 as Max Mata did the early damage this time, with the opening two scores in the 10th and 27th minutes. Elijah Just (63rd minute) and Benjamin Old (78th minute) added second-half goals. Maxime Crocombe backstopped the three matches, all clean sheets.
In a 5-0 win over Tahiti in the semifinals on June 27, Waine (43rd and 53rd minutes) and Barbarouses (three minutes into first-half injury time and 72nd minute) scored again. Finn Surman tallied the opening goal in the seventh minute.
The New Zealanders scored early and late in their 3-0 triumph over Vanuatu in the final on June 30. Cameron Howieson lifted them into a 1-0 advantage in the second minute they didn't relinquish before Jesse Randall struck in the 83rd minute and Mata two minutes into second half added time.
On Saturday, Sept. 7, the Kiwis lost to Mexico in a friendly at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Orbelín Pineda (fifth minute), César Huerta (53rd minute) and Luis Romo (57th minute) scored against Crocombe.
NEW ZEALAND ROSTER
Bazeley named a 21-player roster for the Kiwis' two friendlies in the states, as two-thirds of the squad compete overseas.
Seven perform in the A League Men in New Zealand, including four for Auckland FC - goalkeeper Alex Paulsen, defenders Tommy Smith and Nando Pijnaker and forward Logan Rogerson.
Captain and forward Chris Wood, 32, is the national team's all-time top goal-scorer with 34 in 74 matches. A former teammate of USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner, Wood is coming off of an excellent 2023-24 English Premier League season with Nottingham Forest with 14 goals in 31 matches. He has tallied twice in three appearances in this campaign. The rest of the All Whites roster has combined for 31 goals.
Three players did not have to travel far for both games, as they play for Major League Soccer sides. Those players are defenders Bill Tuiloma (Charlotte FC), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United) and Finn Surman (Portland Timbers).
The goalkeeping corps is relatively inexperienced internationally, having made a total of 20 appearances. Max Crocombe leads the way with 10 matches.
Forward Kosta Barbarouses is the oldest players on the team at 34, having played in 60 international matches and scoring seven times.
DETAILED ROSTER BY POSITION
GOALKEEPERS (3): Max Crocombe (Burton Albion/ENG; 10/0), Oliver Sail (Perth Glory; 9/0), Alex Paulsen (Auckland FC; 1/0)
DEFENDERS (8): Tommy Smith (Auckland FC; 3/0), Bill Tuiloma (Charlotte FC/USA; 40/4), Michael Boxall (Minnesota United/USA; 49/0), Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix; 39/2), Liberato Cacace (Empoli/ITA; 25/1), Nando Pijnaker (Auckland FC; 19/0), Finn Surman (Portland Timbers/USA; 5/1), Dalton Wilkins (Sønderjyske/DEN; 2/0)
MIDFIELDERS (6): Elijah Just (St. Pölten/AUT; 27/2), Matthew Garbett (NAC Breda/NED; 22/3), Marko Stamenić (Olympiacos/GRE; 21/1), Joe Bell (Viking/NOR; 18/1); Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix; 14/0), Ben Old (Saint-Etienne/FRA; 8/1)
FORWARDS (4): Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest/ENG; 75/34), Kosta Barbarouses (Wellington Phoenix; 61/7), Ben Waine (Mansfield Town/ENG; 17/5), Logan Rogerson (Auckland FC; 9/1)