Football: Hudson names squad for Oman clash

Kosta Barbarouses. Photo / Greg Bowker

All Whites coach Anthony Hudson named his side for their final international match of 2015 on Friday with a 19-player squad chosen to face Oman in Muscat next week.

In his selecting his squad for his sixth game in charge of the New Zealand side, Hudson has included eight players from across the successful 2015 age-group World Cup campaigns which saw both the U-17 and U-20 sides qualify for the knockout phase of their respective tournaments - a first for New Zealand Football in the same cycle.

Led by tour captain Chris Wood (Leeds United), the team also includes experienced attacking players Shane Smeltz (Sydney FC), Marco Rojas (FC Thun) and Kosta Barbarouses (Melbourne Victory).

At 18 years of age, Blackpool FC midfielder Henry Cameron gets his first call up to the New Zealand side as Hudson continues to give young players an opportunity to push their claim for inclusion in the group aiming to secure a berth at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia when qualifiers begin in the middle of 2016 in Papua New Guinea.

Meanwhile, West Ham United defender and New Zealand captain Winston Reid will miss the trip to Muscat due to injury while goalkeeper Glen Moss and defender Tommy Smith have been omitted for personal reasons.

Hudson is excited by the blend of senior players and talented youngsters in his team while Oman, a side yet to lose in five Asian Confederation World Cup qualifiers, will be the latest to test the developing strength of the All Whites' squad.

"We've got a mix of established senior players and a number of exciting young talents aiming to push their case for inclusion come the middle of next year," Hudson said.

"The game against Oman provides another match against a very strong opponent where we can test ourselves on and off the field. We can continue to refine our approach in an environment which mirrors the kind of test want to be facing at the back end of the World Cup qualifying campaign."

Hudson said the final match of 2015 represents the latest chance for his growing group to put their hands up for the key matches to come in the next 12 months.

"It's unfortunate that we won't have the likes of Winston for this game but I'm happy we're developing a group of players capable of producing a strong performance against Oman similar to our effort against Korea and China.

"We have a core of young players starting to emerge who have all achieved on the world stage this year, and when you combine that with the experienced players we have, we're getting closer to the position we need to be in.

"We are continuing to work to our plan and by the time our World Cup qualifiers begin next year we will need to call on that developing strength in depth if we are to be successful in reaching the World Cup in Russia in 2018."

The All Whites clash with Oman is on Friday 13 November with kickoff at 3am (NZ time).

All Whites squad v Oman

Goalkeepers
Max Crocombe (0 caps/0 goals/Southport FC, ENG)
Stefan Marinovic (2/0/SpVgg Unterhaching, GER)
Nik Tzanev (0/0/Brentford FC, ENG)

Defenders
Michael Boxall (13/0/SuperSport Utd, RSA)
Sam Brotherton (0/0/Wisconsin University, USA)
Thomas Doyle (2/0/Wellington Phoenix, NZL)
Louis Fenton (2/0/Wellington Phoenix, NZL)
Themi Tzimopoulos (2/0/PAS Giannina, GRE)

Midfielders
Kosta Barbarouses (29/2/Melbourne Victory, AUS)
Henry Cameron (0/0/Blackpool FC, ENG)
Clayton Lewis (2/0/Auckland City FC, NZL)
Michael McGlinchey (32/3/Wellington Phoenix, NZL)
Marco Rojas (22/1/FC Thun, SWT)
Alex Rufer (1/0/Wellington Phoenix, NZL)
Ryan Thomas (4/0/PEC Zwolle, HOL)
Te Atawhai Hudson-Wihongi (0/0/Auckland City FC, NZL)

Forwards
Logan Rogerson (0/0/Wellington Phoenix, NZL)
Shane Smeltz (51/24/Sydney FC, AUS)
Chris Wood (38/13/Leeds Utd, ENG)