November 16, 2024 • 8 mins
The All Whites have taken another step towards the 2026 FIFA World Cup after a dominant 8-1 victory over Vanuatu in Hamilton.
They're set to go up against Samoa tomorrow evening at Mt Smart stadium.
Defender Michael Boxall joined Piney to discuss.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Your Whites have secured their place in the semifinals of
Oceania World Cup qualifying.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Bell nice touch from garbt garb it Oh, Yes, that's
super That separate thing has cut on the scoreboard. What
beautiful lead up work from Matt Garbage.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, that was one of New Zealand's eight goals on
Friday night. An eight one win over Vandawatu in Hamilton
has confirmed their place in the semifinals of Oceannya World
Cup Qualifying tomorrow night. They meet some more at Mount
Smart in Auckland Or. Whites defender Michael Boxel is with
us on Weekend Sport. Michael, thanks for taking the time.
I can't imagine there would have been too many grumbles
(00:55):
after Friday night from the coaching staff during the debrief
that you've had around that game. Would there.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
I'm super flair today, but I think overall we're Yeah.
I've got a professional job obviously as a defender, not
too happy to get a clean sheet, but I don't
know that goes against you sometimes. But we're delighted with
the crowd that showed up in Hamilton and we were happy.
We've got to put on a bit of show. The
show for them.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
When you go into a game as overwhelming favorites as
you were and will again be tomorrow night, how do
you go about keeping standards nice and high and not
letting any complacency creeping.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
I mean, for me, it's about not taking these games
for granted. I think, I mean, my yeah, Tennel, even
whatever it is your career, we haven't played a whole
lot of games in New Zealand, so we can't just
keep in place and I let these kind of go
by the wayside. So we know that and as a
group we're trying to I mean, there's we've got some
quality players for trying to inspire, like the next generation
(01:54):
of Kiwi footballers, So we can't show up and give
anything but one hundred percent. So I think we showed
that with the response to when they equalized. And I
mean when you see Garbs and back of and then
Supprint to come off the bench and kind of do
their thing, and obviously would he's he's just on top
of his game right now, so to see him doing
(02:15):
what he's doing in front of home and fans is
pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And not just attacking players if you, as you've outlined,
but some good young defenders coming through as well. I
know Nanda Pinek has been around for a while, but Finn, sermon,
Tyler Bindon, how have you assessed their development?
Speaker 4 (02:32):
I mean, yeah, obviously it's a big gap between myself
and them, so we've needed some someone to back me
up when I'm when I'm ready for a wheelchairs obviously. Yeah,
Finn making a big step up to MLS, and I
think Tyler's really coming on. I think obviously you see
his footballing prowess in the field, but I think off
(02:54):
the field he's going to going to be a big
leader for us going forward.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Does the competition for places in the All Whites right
now feel about as fierce as it ever has during
your time in the national side.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
It's got to be up there, I'd say, yeah. Obviously,
I've been on both sides of it, where I'm on
the outside looking in and also kind of fighting, fighting
to keep my place, and I think, yeah, I'm even
at my age still having to stay as sharp as
possible to to make sure I genuinely earned my spot
on the team, And yeah, as you mentioned Finn, tyler
(03:30):
Nandov just keeping everyone honest, and I think it's you
can say that for almost every position on the field.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
We we've touched on on one of the hallmarks of
your career, and that's been your ability to, you know,
to stay fit, to stay you know, athletic, to be
as quick pretty much as you always have been. What
what's been behind that? What is the secret of your
ability to to seemingly not age at all?
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Obviously I just enjoy it. I just love playing the game,
love love training. Still at this age, trying to improve
every day. Every off season. I probably won my season.
I'll probably take one or two days off and then
straight into the gym. Obviously, we've got a really good
sports scientists sons who who puts through from puts me
through my paces. So I don't know. I still love
(04:17):
the challenge. Obviously, We've got a goal in nineteen months
time that I want to be a part of. So yeah,
just doing all I can to make sure I'm not
just there but genuinely helping, helping the group out.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
And last month you signed a new deal with your
MLS club, Minnesota United for next year. Another option for
twenty twenty six. You've been there since what twenty seventeen,
the club's all time leading appearance maker. How do you
reflect on your time at Minnesota United.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I mean when we first moved there with my wife,
we probably only planned it to be there for yeah,
two or three seasons, but as we've kind of my
daughter's settled down. My son was born there, and it's
a beautiful place to raise a family, and the football
and the MLS has really grown over the last five
six years, so it's allowed me to grow as a
(05:07):
person as a player as well. So yeah, it feels
a lot like home, and my family's really settled there,
and obviously that league's come a long way and going
to keep growing with the big names are signing and
then off with the World Cup hitting there in twenty
twenty six, a lot.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Of eural whites football box. He's been alongside Chris Wood.
You mentioned him briefly before. What have you made of
his recent seats in the in the Premier League?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I mean everything before this, the last two seasons, I
think he's been so ungraded and I think it's just
amazing to see him get his his drew rewards and
recognition I think. I mean, I can't say enough about
how much playing for the country means for him. I mean,
he does not miss a single window, possibly at the
(05:55):
detriment to his club career, flying halfway around the world
for these World Cup qualifiers and Vanowasu last month, and yeah,
he just loves playing for this country. He loves getting
in New Zealand and he's yeah, obviously doing a lot
for football at this country. And it's cool to see that.
Young players get to see him the flesh.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
And you've been around this team for a long time now,
how special would it be for you to be part
of a team that went to a World Cup?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, obviously when I I think my kind of first
memory of your watching Nellie and Duncan and Samone Elliott
alt Smart and probably the late nineties, and then obviously
seeing what they did in the world stage in South Africa.
I think speaking with some of the younger players on
this team right now and how many were inspired by
(06:46):
that twenty ten World Cup journey. So I think that
if we could do something special and by the next
generation of all whites and young footballers in New Zealand
and that they would mean a lot for this whole group.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I bet and when's this first goal of yours coming
at international level? Tyler Binden even got one the other night.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
I'm trying not to break Jeremy Brocky's record, you know,
I'd like to stay behind him on the just be
one goal behind Brocky. Is it's not too bad, you
know his record as a goalscorer. If i set one
goal behind Jeremy Brocky, I'm happy with that.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Love it, love it, Boxy. All right, Hey, well, thanks
for joining us this afternoon, mate, really appreciate your time.
All the best again some more. Look forward to catching
up perhaps when you arrive in Wellington in the new year.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Would love that great chat with you, Bunny.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Thank you mate, Now you take care to box Thanks indeed,
Michael box All there, veteran All Whites defender, one of
the fittest guys in his mid to late thirties you'll
ever see, still mixing up with the youngster. Still a
big part of this All White squad. Played the ninety
minutes the other night as they beat Vonder White to
eight to one. Tomorrow night some more at Mount Smart Stadium.
Anyone in the Auckland area and want to see the
(07:53):
All Whites and a rare appearance on home soil in
recent times. There's your opportunity. They are, as I mentioned before,
now a sorter place in the Oceania qualifiers for the
next World Cup. The semi finals now they'll take place
on Friday, the twenty first of March next year at
Sky Stadium in Wellington. If the All Whites win their
(08:14):
semi final, then on the Monday that follows, Monday the
twenty fourth of March at Eden Park and Auckland at
seven o'clock they will play for a place at the
next World Cup, the next FIFA World Cup, which will
be in the United States, Mexico and Canada in twenty
twenty six. Direct entry for the winner of Oceania, which
has never been the case before. So the All Whites
(08:35):
tantalizingly close now to a place at the next FIFA
World Cup.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live
to News Talk ZEDB weekends from midday or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Vine
from Newstalk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Your Whites have secured their place in the semifinals of
Oceania World Cup qualifying.
Speaker 3 (00:17):
Bell nice touch from garbt garb it Oh, Yes, that's
super That separate thing has cut on the scoreboard. What
beautiful lead up work from Matt Garbage.
Speaker 2 (00:33):
Yeah, that was one of New Zealand's eight goals on
Friday night. An eight one win over Vandawatu in Hamilton
has confirmed their place in the semifinals of Oceannya World
Cup Qualifying tomorrow night. They meet some more at Mount
Smart in Auckland Or. Whites defender Michael Boxel is with
us on Weekend Sport. Michael, thanks for taking the time.
I can't imagine there would have been too many grumbles
(00:55):
after Friday night from the coaching staff during the debrief
that you've had around that game. Would there.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
I'm super flair today, but I think overall we're Yeah.
I've got a professional job obviously as a defender, not
too happy to get a clean sheet, but I don't
know that goes against you sometimes. But we're delighted with
the crowd that showed up in Hamilton and we were happy.
We've got to put on a bit of show. The
show for them.
Speaker 2 (01:19):
When you go into a game as overwhelming favorites as
you were and will again be tomorrow night, how do
you go about keeping standards nice and high and not
letting any complacency creeping.
Speaker 4 (01:32):
I mean, for me, it's about not taking these games
for granted. I think, I mean, my yeah, Tennel, even
whatever it is your career, we haven't played a whole
lot of games in New Zealand, so we can't just
keep in place and I let these kind of go
by the wayside. So we know that and as a
group we're trying to I mean, there's we've got some
quality players for trying to inspire, like the next generation
(01:54):
of Kiwi footballers, So we can't show up and give
anything but one hundred percent. So I think we showed
that with the response to when they equalized. And I
mean when you see Garbs and back of and then
Supprint to come off the bench and kind of do
their thing, and obviously would he's he's just on top
of his game right now, so to see him doing
(02:15):
what he's doing in front of home and fans is
pretty awesome.
Speaker 2 (02:19):
And not just attacking players if you, as you've outlined,
but some good young defenders coming through as well. I
know Nanda Pinek has been around for a while, but Finn, sermon,
Tyler Bindon, how have you assessed their development?
Speaker 4 (02:32):
I mean, yeah, obviously it's a big gap between myself
and them, so we've needed some someone to back me
up when I'm when I'm ready for a wheelchairs obviously. Yeah,
Finn making a big step up to MLS, and I
think Tyler's really coming on. I think obviously you see
his footballing prowess in the field, but I think off
(02:54):
the field he's going to going to be a big
leader for us going forward.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Does the competition for places in the All Whites right
now feel about as fierce as it ever has during
your time in the national side.
Speaker 4 (03:07):
It's got to be up there, I'd say, yeah. Obviously,
I've been on both sides of it, where I'm on
the outside looking in and also kind of fighting, fighting
to keep my place, and I think, yeah, I'm even
at my age still having to stay as sharp as
possible to to make sure I genuinely earned my spot
on the team, And yeah, as you mentioned Finn, tyler
(03:30):
Nandov just keeping everyone honest, and I think it's you
can say that for almost every position on the field.
Speaker 2 (03:35):
We we've touched on on one of the hallmarks of
your career, and that's been your ability to, you know,
to stay fit, to stay you know, athletic, to be
as quick pretty much as you always have been. What
what's been behind that? What is the secret of your
ability to to seemingly not age at all?
Speaker 4 (03:54):
Obviously I just enjoy it. I just love playing the game,
love love training. Still at this age, trying to improve
every day. Every off season. I probably won my season.
I'll probably take one or two days off and then
straight into the gym. Obviously, we've got a really good
sports scientists sons who who puts through from puts me
through my paces. So I don't know. I still love
(04:17):
the challenge. Obviously, We've got a goal in nineteen months
time that I want to be a part of. So yeah,
just doing all I can to make sure I'm not
just there but genuinely helping, helping the group out.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
And last month you signed a new deal with your
MLS club, Minnesota United for next year. Another option for
twenty twenty six. You've been there since what twenty seventeen,
the club's all time leading appearance maker. How do you
reflect on your time at Minnesota United.
Speaker 4 (04:46):
I mean when we first moved there with my wife,
we probably only planned it to be there for yeah,
two or three seasons, but as we've kind of my
daughter's settled down. My son was born there, and it's
a beautiful place to raise a family, and the football
and the MLS has really grown over the last five
six years, so it's allowed me to grow as a
(05:07):
person as a player as well. So yeah, it feels
a lot like home, and my family's really settled there,
and obviously that league's come a long way and going
to keep growing with the big names are signing and
then off with the World Cup hitting there in twenty
twenty six, a lot.
Speaker 2 (05:23):
Of eural whites football box. He's been alongside Chris Wood.
You mentioned him briefly before. What have you made of
his recent seats in the in the Premier League?
Speaker 4 (05:32):
I mean everything before this, the last two seasons, I
think he's been so ungraded and I think it's just
amazing to see him get his his drew rewards and
recognition I think. I mean, I can't say enough about
how much playing for the country means for him. I mean,
he does not miss a single window, possibly at the
(05:55):
detriment to his club career, flying halfway around the world
for these World Cup qualifiers and Vanowasu last month, and yeah,
he just loves playing for this country. He loves getting
in New Zealand and he's yeah, obviously doing a lot
for football at this country. And it's cool to see that.
Young players get to see him the flesh.
Speaker 2 (06:15):
And you've been around this team for a long time now,
how special would it be for you to be part
of a team that went to a World Cup?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
Yeah, obviously when I I think my kind of first
memory of your watching Nellie and Duncan and Samone Elliott
alt Smart and probably the late nineties, and then obviously
seeing what they did in the world stage in South Africa.
I think speaking with some of the younger players on
this team right now and how many were inspired by
(06:46):
that twenty ten World Cup journey. So I think that
if we could do something special and by the next
generation of all whites and young footballers in New Zealand
and that they would mean a lot for this whole group.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
I bet and when's this first goal of yours coming
at international level? Tyler Binden even got one the other night.
Speaker 4 (07:07):
I'm trying not to break Jeremy Brocky's record, you know,
I'd like to stay behind him on the just be
one goal behind Brocky. Is it's not too bad, you
know his record as a goalscorer. If i set one
goal behind Jeremy Brocky, I'm happy with that.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Love it, love it, Boxy. All right, Hey, well, thanks
for joining us this afternoon, mate, really appreciate your time.
All the best again some more. Look forward to catching
up perhaps when you arrive in Wellington in the new year.
Speaker 4 (07:30):
Would love that great chat with you, Bunny.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
Thank you mate, Now you take care to box Thanks indeed,
Michael box All there, veteran All Whites defender, one of
the fittest guys in his mid to late thirties you'll
ever see, still mixing up with the youngster. Still a
big part of this All White squad. Played the ninety
minutes the other night as they beat Vonder White to
eight to one. Tomorrow night some more at Mount Smart Stadium.
Anyone in the Auckland area and want to see the
(07:53):
All Whites and a rare appearance on home soil in
recent times. There's your opportunity. They are, as I mentioned before,
now a sorter place in the Oceania qualifiers for the
next World Cup. The semi finals now they'll take place
on Friday, the twenty first of March next year at
Sky Stadium in Wellington. If the All Whites win their
(08:14):
semi final, then on the Monday that follows, Monday the
twenty fourth of March at Eden Park and Auckland at
seven o'clock they will play for a place at the
next World Cup, the next FIFA World Cup, which will
be in the United States, Mexico and Canada in twenty
twenty six. Direct entry for the winner of Oceania, which
has never been the case before. So the All Whites
(08:35):
tantalizingly close now to a place at the next FIFA
World Cup.
Speaker 1 (08:40):
For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, Listen live
to News Talk ZEDB weekends from midday or follow the
podcast on iHeartRadio.
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