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Chris Wood (second from left) celebrates scoring against Gambia in Dubai.
photo: Photo sports
All Whites coach Darren Bezelli has called up a group of his best overseas players for next month’s international matches against Mexico and the United States in North America.
Nottingham Forest veteran striker Chris Wood is one of eight changes to the 21-man New Zealand squad that played in the Oceania Nations Cup in Vanuatu in June.
Bezelli used that tournament to develop many new players and prepare for the Under-23 Olympic competition, and cruised to four wins.
However, he has unveiled a nearly complete roster for the games against Mexico on Sept. 8 in Pasadena, California, and the United States three days later in Cincinnati.
The two opponents are ranked 17th and 16th respectively, and will present quite a challenge for the 94th-ranked All Whites ahead of their three World Cup qualifiers in October.
A host of European midfielders were recalled, including regulars Joe Bell, Matthew Gabbet, Marko Stamenic and Sarpreet Singh.
In defence, Ireland’s Nando Pijnaker and the United States’ Michael Boxall will return to the squad, the latter making his 50th appearance.
Michael Boxall
photo: Photo sports
Bezelli stressed the importance of the two U.S. friendlies.
He said: “Playing two matches in one of the host countries against the two host nations of the 2026 World Cup will be the perfect motivation for our players as we begin our own journey to qualify for the World Cup this October.”
“Both teams are top teams but we need to test ourselves at this level to be ready for what we might face once we qualify for the World Cup.”
Wood was a goalscorer the last time New Zealand played Mexico, a 2-1 defeat at the 2017 Confederations Cup in Sochi, Russia.
The All-Whites played their most recent match against the United States a year ago, which ended in a 1-1 tie in Washington, D.C.
Monty Patterson of the All Whites battles for the ball against Team USA in Washington, D.C. in 2016.
photo: Photo sports
Bezelli wants his team to be fully tested.
“We’ll probably be facing a big, passionate Mexican crowd against Mexico, and they’ll probably have a new head coach against the United States, so these games will present new and interesting challenges for us, and we’ll meet them as a team.”
“We’ve had a number of high-profile transfers over the last few months so it will be great to be able to gather the squad and see how our players develop ahead of some big games for the team.”
All White Team Lineup:
goalkeeper
Max Crocombe (9 caps/0 goals) Burton Albion, England
Alex Paulsen (1/0) Auckland FC, New Zealand
Ollie Sale (9/0) Perth Glory, Australia
Defender
Tyler Bindon (10/0) Reading, England
Michael Boxall (49/0) Minnesota United, USA
Libertadores Kakasai (25/1) Empoli, Italy
Tim Payne (37/2) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Nando Pinnacle (19/0) Sligo Rangers, Ireland
Tommy Smith (55/2) Auckland Football Club, New Zealand
Finn Surman (5/1) Portland Timbers, USA
Dalton Wilkins (3/0) Sonderjyske Football, Denmark
Midfield
Joe Bell (18/1) Viking FK, Norway
Mathieu Gabet (22/3) Breda, Netherlands
Elijah Just (26/2) SKN St. Pölten, Austria (loan from AC Horsens)
Ben Old (8/1) AS Saint-Etienne, France
Alex Rufer (13/0) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Sarpreet Singh (14/1), single
Marko Stamenic (21/1) Olympiacos, Greece
forward
Kosta Barbarouses (60/7) Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand
Ben Wayne (16/5) Plymouth, England
Chris Wood (74/34) Nottingham Forest, England
schedule
All Whites vs Mexico
September 8 – 1pm NZ time (September 7 6pm local time)
Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, California
All White vs Team USA
September 11 – 11am NZ time (September 10 7pm local time)
TQL Stadium, Cincinnati, Ohio
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