Fitness concerns prompt dropping of midfield duo
A month out from the biggest games of his tenure so far, All Whites coach Anthony Hudson has wielded the selection axe to send a message.
Midfielders Bill Tuiloma and Clayton Lewis played in all three matches at the Confederations Cup in Russia in June, but have been dumped for next month’s World Cup qualifiers against the Solomon Islands, and it’s their fitness, or lack thereof, that is the problem.
Hudson feels neither player is able to give him a 90-minute effort at present, and he can’t allow that to affect his plans any more.
‘‘They’ve already had discussions with me, and they know where they stand,’’ said Hudson, who previously excluded Tuiloma from his squad to play Oman in November 2015 for a similar reason.
‘‘More importantly, just because of where they are both at, in terms of the stage of their careers, I need to be quite clear in the media, that these two players are massive players for the future of this team.
‘‘It’s not like in the past where we’ve dropped players, and they might struggle to get back in - these two players are really important to us, and I believe in both of them, a lot.
‘‘I want them to make it, big time, but this is just part of their game which they have to deal with, because it’s been dragging on now.’’
Lewis has started eight of the past 11 All Whites internationals, and was one of the better performers in Russia, even if he was replaced around the hour mark in the two games he started, so his omission comes as a shock.
While Hudson was eager to emphasise that the duo had big
futures ahead of them, they both face complicated footballing situations at present.
Lewis was last with Auckland City, who play in New Zealand’s amateur national league, though Hudson is confident the 20-year-old is on the verge of signing for a professional club.
Tuiloma, meanwhile, has just moved from Marseille in France to Portland Timbers in the United States on loan, where coach Caleb Porter commented on his arrival by saying he wasn’t that familiar with him, which doesn’t bode well for his chances of getting any game time in the near future.
Fringe players Alex Rufer, Tamati Williams and Sam Brotherton are also gone from the 23-man squad that went to Russia, with Wellington Phoenix backup Oliver Sail coming in to replace Williams, who is currently looking for a new club, as the third option in goal.
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 striker Myer Bevan is the lone new face, as Hudson looks for more attacking options.
The winner of the home-andaway tie advances to the intercontinental home-and-away playoff against the fifth-best South American side in November.