[DAY 2] Group D: New Zealand vs. FYROM

[Hepcat]

Grow up. Had you watched today's game, you would have seen a team of grown men who had the character to come back from a major setback and play their hearts out instead of just going through the motions.

[stojanov8]

new zeland like lithaunia ,losers cry babys.we crush lithaunia like this.

[Remon]

One love one name MACEDONIA. Bravo Macedonians.

Thanks.

[greenarcher]

Where's Kirk Penney?

[MZT Skopje]

One love one name MACEDONIA. Bravo Macedonians.

[Robimkd]

Ok Greeks. Is not like we will lose against San Marino with out Makaleb. True we would not be here with out him but we porved to be a top 10 team in europe with out him (not so bad) we playd good 2007 and 2009. We beat LTU not long agao with out him -).

Simply few other players would gett bigger space with out Makaleb. Vojdan Stojanovski scord 15 against Russia and 23 against Lithuania and today 9 points as soon Makaleb on the bench.

Vladimir Micov who just signed with CSKA could have been playing for Macedonia today but he choosed Serbia. He is better than Clethas. You mention only Makaleb but not that we lost Micov.

[Robimkd]

We have not playd good so far but I am sure that we can and will do better in defence and I think Russia knows this so will be very interesting to see what Russia will have in mind against DR.

Technically they should choose Angola since we are better.

Last 3 matches very tight calls against Russia. 71-69 in Poland 2009, 2011 63 : 61 (buzzer winner) and later on one more thriller.

[Robimkd]

We won today but still think we can improve a lot. Defence prity poor onece again 48-35 NZ out rebb us, that is a joke. This is something we need to fix.

[sixama23]

Indeed, the German NT players are comparable to players like Schortsanitis who plays for Greece who is raised in Greece by a Greek father, but a Nigerian mother. Not quite the same as McCalebb, Holden (who played for Russia) or Preledzic (Turkey). They are truly naturalized players.

Then there are players like Ibaka for Spain and Illyasova for Turkey who went to these countries as late teenagers and were naturalized while they were developing their skills.

For me the example of the German NT players or Schortsanitis is the red line. I consider all the other examples as naturalized players and don't approve of it. We are watching national teams and not club teams.

His mother is from Cameroon...
I agree with your post.
But as far FIBA is allowing one naturalized player per NT, I can't blame countries which are taking advantage of this rule.

[Victorious]

u are on the wrong way.
nobody says, that they are 100% germans. but they have a german passport since they were young. they don`t have to be naturalized.
f.e. mario gomes..he is 50% german/50% spain...but he was born in germany, played for all german youth teams...

Indeed, the German NT players are comparable to players like Schortsanitis who plays for Greece who is raised in Greece by a Greek father, but a Nigerian mother. Not quite the same as McCalebb, Holden (who played for Russia) or Preledzic (Turkey). They are truly naturalized players.

Then there are players like Ibaka for Spain and Illyasova for Turkey who went to these countries as late teenagers and were naturalized while they were developing their skills.

For me the example of the German NT players or Schortsanitis is the red line. I consider all the other examples as naturalized players and don't approve of it. We are watching national teams and not clubteams.

[sixama23]

Because they grew up in German and they learnt german football,that means they are German?
If you were grewn up in Spain,you learnt spanish football and you played in spanish nt with a name Stathis Argiropoulos for example that means that you are Spanish?

And what if my mother was Spanish? Doesn't this one make me a half Spanish by blood?
As I told you most of them are even half Germans by blood.
Khedira's mother is German, Gomes mother is German, Boateng's mother is German, Klose's father is German too.
Ozil is a third generation German-Turk but he declined an offer to play for Turkish NT.

All this cases are different from naturalizing mercenaries. They are very common situations in countries with a lot of immigrants. Same happens here in Australia.

[Supply&Demand]

Because they grew up in German and they learnt german football,that means they are German?
If you were grewn up in Spain,you learnt spanish football and you played in spanish nt with a name Stathis Argiropoulos for example that means that you are Spanish?

You seem to prioritize 'blood' over culture. While Mr. Argiropoulos would still be Greek, he may become culturally Spanish. Similarly, football player Mario Balotelli is Ghanaian by blood, but he was raised from his infant years in an Italian family and thus became culturally Italian. It's a natural consequence of living in a country for an extended period of time.

[tmlouk]

Because they grew up in German and they learnt german football,that means they are German?
If you were grewn up in Spain,you learnt spanish football and you played in spanish nt with a name Stathis Argiropoulos for example that means that you are Spanish?

u are on the wrong way.
nobody says, that they are 100% germans. but they have a german passport since they were young. they don`t have to be naturalized.
f.e. mario gomes..he is 50% german/50% spain...but he was born in germany, played for all german youth teams...

[Tasos Peiraias]

You are totally wrong...
Most of these guys are German my birth and one of their parents is German.
They were born in German, grew up in German and learn how to play football in German. This has nothing to do with naturalization.
It doesn't matter if their parents or grandparents have roots somewhere else.
.

Because they grew up in German and they learnt german football,that means they are German?
If you were grewn up in Spain,you learnt spanish football and you played in spanish nt with a name Stathis Argiropoulos for example that means that you are Spanish?

[sixama23]

I think the scenario's are Angola wins the group if they win, fyr of Macedonia wins the group if angola loses close, but Angola would still qualify for the next round, New Zealand qualifies if they win over Angola huge.

FYROM is +18
Angola is +4
New Zealand is -22

New Zealand must beat Angola by more than 13 points in order to qualify and leave Angola out.
I cannot see this one happening...

In fact, I think Angola will win tomorrow.