Flying Kiwis – March 19
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
The Woodsman’s return from injury turned out to be a timely one because as soon as he did, Nottm Forest’s other main striker Taiwo Awoniyi was immediately ruled out for what’s expected to be a number of weeks. They just cannot seem to keep both of those guys fit at the same time (partly because they keep having to rush back from injury to play big minutes in relief of the other). So it was all about Woodsy as Nottingham Forest took on Luton Town in an absolutely crucial relegation battle.
Luton had spared Forest during the midweek when they inexplicably blew a 3-0 half-time lead to lose 4-3 against Bournemouth. A win for Luton there would have put them above Forest, who’d have fallen into the drop zone for the first time this season. Even still, a Luton Town win in this match would have the same effect. But Chris Wood did score a double against them earlier in the season in a 2-2 draw.
And now he’s scored against them once more...
Right place at the right time, like always. After a tentative start, Forest had begun to create a few hopeful chances thanks to an increasing emphasis on getting crosses into the danger zone for their striker. They were struggling in the midfield but with service comes goals. Here Morgan Gibbs-White was able to dink one into a great spot and Chris Wood reached out to do the rest.
This was his ninth goal of the Premier League campaign. His 150th goal in English league football (64 in the EPL, 78 in the Championship, 8 in League One... you can also chuck in another 16 in various cup competitions, plus another 3 in UEFA club comps). And, funnily enough, the first of those nine Prem goals this term which he scored with his right boot. He’d touched the ball fewer than any other player in the match when that chance fell his way but that was never going to stop him.
Sadly, this is Nottingham Forest we’re talking about so of course there were twists in the table. They got away with one late in the first half when Teden Mengi’s apparent equaliser was ruled out for a handball. Correct decision... but Forest didn’t heed the warning. They needed a second goal to be safe and they didn’t get one, leaving the door open behind them. Anthony Elanga was played through by a clever lay-off from Wood only for his finish to squeeze past the keeper but get hacked off the line by a defender. That was as close as they got. Luton Town equalised in the 89th minute and the teams had to share the spoils with a 1-1 draw. Not a devastating result for Forest, but also not one which eases their situation at all. Especially since their FFDP sanction came through a few days later and they were officially docked four points, causing them to dip into the relegation zone for the first time this season.
To make matters worse, this also happened...
Chris Wood got subbed off with quarter of an hour to go, having taken the opportunity of a break in play to hit the deck and call the physios over. They seemed to be working on his right upper-leg. Not sure if that’s the same leg he’d had his recent hamstring issue with. He walked off unaided and had a quick word with his manager, but was pretty swiftly subbed off all the same. This is what his manager had to say afterwards...
Nuno Espirito Santo: “[Wood] has to be assessed. He was feeling something, so it was a precaution. Hopefully it's nothing... Unfortunately he had to come out. We don't have Taiwo. We need strikers. The presence of our strikers on the pitch makes everything different. Chris played well and he scored. It is important for us that he is healthy and can help us. Let's assess him and see. Chris and Taiwo are very important for us because they are the strikers we rely on.”
This is particularly frisky one with the international window now upon us and Wood having been named for the All Whites games in Egypt. We were in the unusual spot of having no major injury absentees when that squad was named (outside of Ryan Thomas, but he hasn’t played for the national team in ages). So naturally we’ve since had a Chris Wood scare, Sarpreet Singh was listed as doubtful for his latest Hansa Rostock game before missing it entirely, and Tim Payne limped off for the Wellington Phoenix.
Singh seems to have made it through, but Wood and Payne have since been withdrawn... as well as Joe Bell, who is in preseason mode with Viking FK at the moment. Alex Rufer has been called up. No word on any other additions just yet. It doesn’t seem like this was anything serious for Forest but given where they are on the table now, given the Awoniyi injury, and given Wood’s own recent layoff... it’s hardly a shock to see him withdrawn. The All Whites need Chris Wood playing Premier League football next season.
Up Next: Sunday 31 March at 4am, Nottm Forest vs Crystal Palace (NZT)
Emma Pijnenburg – Feyenoord (Dutch Eredivisie)
A few weeks ago, Emma Pijnenburg made her senior debut at Feyenoord as a substitute in a KNVB Cup match. That game ended up going to extra time, giving her a longer cameo than expected, with Feyenoord eventually progressing past ADO Den Haag with a penalty shootout victory. Since then things have accelerated rapidly for her.
In the following game, she made her league debut in a 2-1 win vs Excelsior. Usually a midfielder, she was picked at right-back and played the full game as her side earned a very valuable win against one of their relegation-threatened rivals. They scored early in that game, a long range belter that beat the keeper at her near post, then were able to add that crucial second goal in the second half – taking advantage after an attempted defensive clearance smacked another defender in the face and rebounded back into the danger zone. Excelsior made them sweat with some late pressure but didn’t get their own goal until the 89th minute which came via a rebound from a missed penalty. Very valuable three points. Very valuable experience for a 19 year old kiwi prospect.
EP: “I'm glad we won. We had to fight for it until the end. Especially in the first half we had control of the match with lots of possession. The second half was more difficult after Excelsior made a few changes. Towards the end we lost control. It was an exciting the last ten minutes. They score and then it becomes a fighting match... My debut in the competition, yes. I have already been allowed to fill-in in the cup, but it feels different to be in the starting line-up and play for ninety minutes.”
After that fine display, Pijnenburg retained her spot for a visit from PEC Zwolle... which Feyenoord won 4-0. This time she was subbed after 74 minutes with the job done. No worries there. This was a funky game in which Zwolle had two shots cleared off the line by defenders inside of ten minutes (one of those chances came after EP was beaten down the wing). Instead Feyenoord took the lead in the 10th minute, though it wasn’t until the 65th when they finally got that all-important second. Pijnenburg played a big role in that goal, stepping out from defence to punt a lovely ball over the top which Esmee de Graaf squared for Ella van Kerkhoven to finish off. There’s that incisive passing that EP was renowned for with Western Springs. EVK would score again five minutes later as Feyenoord ended with a much more convincing win than the game probably deserved.
That meant three appearances in a row, with two consecutive starts. Might as well keep it going. After that came the quarter-finals of the KNVB Cup. Feyenoord were drawn against league-leaders and defending cup champs FC Twente for Pijnenburg’s toughest assignment to date against a team that has won 7 of the last 13 Eredisivie titles and which was one goal away from making the Champions League group stage earlier this season.
This came four days after FC Twente had beaten Indi Riley’s PSV team 3-1, another major statement as they surge on towards their likely latest Dutch league title. There were eight players in common between those two FCT starting line-ups... yet Pijnenburg’s Feyenoord taught them an unexpected lesson. No kidding, they scored early through Sanne Koopman (8’) and then doubled that when Ella van Kerkhoven got involved (34’). If the reigning cup champs FC Twente had designs on turning things around in the second half, that didn’t happen either with Romee van de Lavoir making it 3-0 after 56 mins. 3-0 was the final score. Pijnenburg played the entire match.
This was the first time that Feyenoord have ever beaten FC Twente, having been defeated in all five previous meetings. They met with Twente sitting first in the league with 48 points and Feyenoord down in eighth with 17 points but that didn’t matter. Cup games send league form out the window. Somehow Feyenoord have won all four matches that Pijnenburg has played for them in, despite otherwise being a lower-half team in the Eredivisie. They’re into the semis of the Dutch Cup. And here’s the kicker: in their next game, they face PSV Eindhoven. Emma Pijnenburg has been playing right-back. Indi Riley has been playing left-wing. That’s some hand-to-hand combat on the way between one current Football Fern and one impending Football Fern.
Up Next: PSV vs Feyenoord at 2.30am on Monday (NZT)
Marko Stamenic - FK Crvena Zvezda (Serbian SuperLiga)
Red Star’s 2-2 draw with Partizan last week, in which Marko Stamenic made his first start since before the winter break, felt like the frustrating dropping of two points considering how much they dominated that match. As it turns out, it was actually the start of an untimely wobble from title rivals Partizan who lost their subsequent match then drew the one after that. Meanwhile Red Star have continued winning to surge four points clear at the top of the ladder. The most recent of those wins was a 5-0 result vs Radnički 1923, strolling all over the fourth-placed team in the nation, and look who scored the first of those five goals...
That’s his first goal in the SuperLiga. Stamenic has gone close so many times and he did score (very famously) in the Champions League, so this was overdue. Picked a good time for it. Smart finish at the back post in the tenth minute, staying alert as the ball was sent in at the second attempt after a corner kick. And there was no looking back from there.
Cherif Ndiaye flicked in a second after 20 minutes, which is how it remained into the half. Then their opponents were reduced to ten after Slobodan Simovic got two yellows in the space of three minutes. Ndiaye very quickly tapped home a third after that, 50 minutes gone. Nothing to worry about. Stamenic was subbed off as part of a 63rd minute triple change, then In-beom Hwang (68’) and Aleksandar Katai (76’) scored further goals. Big old win to assert their place at the top of the table.
This was after a 2-0 midweek win against Radnički Niš, in which Stamenic played the last half hour. It was still only 1-0 when he joined and they didn’t make the points safe until Katai’s goal in the 87th minute. Good from them. Good from Marko. Crvena zvezda have taken 19/21 points since the league resumed for 2024, regaining their best form under the new manager.
Up Next: Javor vs Crvena zvezda at 5am on Sunday 31 March (NZT)
Anna Leat – Aston Villa (English Super League)
Fresh from last week’s Arsenal transfer speculation, Aston Villa’s usual number one keeper Daphne van Domselaar missed another game. She might not have played the Conti Cup quarter-final anyway since Anna Leat has tended to get those cup nods regardless, but she definitely would have played against Everton in the WSL were it not for her pesky hip injury. But that’s no drama in these parts. It meant another WSL appearance for Anna Leat... who helped guide the Villans to a 2-1 victory.
Leat barely conceded a goal during the first half of the season. Just one in four Conti Cup group stage games plus she kept a clean sheet in her previous WSL match (a 1-0 win vs Brighton). However she did have the gloves for a 3-0 FA Cup loss to this same Everton side and last week allowed a quartet of breaches in that 4-0 Conti Cup knockout loss to Arsenal. Seven goals allowed in her previous two was going to require some avenging.
Not that she actually had much to do in this game. Plucked a Hanna Bennison shot out of the air early on, though that was probably going wide anyway. Other than that her defenders mostly had things covered with a bunch of blocks, as her forwards broke this match open in the second half. First with Kenza Dali’s deep shot which nested in the bottom corner (55’), then with Ebony Salmon’s flicked header (60’). Two decisive moments to swing a quiet contest into a victory. Only negative was Everton pulling a goal back with five to play: Elise Stevenik heading in from a free kick which Leat rushed out to claim but misguidedly so, unable to get to the ball and finding herself stranded instead. Cost herself another clean sheet but it had no effect on the 2-1 winning scoreline.
In the other WSL game of note, CJ Bott’s Leicester City went down 1-0 away to Tottenham Hotspur. They conceded in the second minute of the match to Matilda Vinberg and then couldn’t find a response across the entire rest of it. Got blitzed on the counter attack having sent numbers forward for an attacking free kick.... which spurred Spurs on as they hit the crossbar and might have scored on a couple other occasions too.
Leicester City got a lot better after that first half wonkiness, though Spurs always seemed to have a counter-attacking threat about them and LCFC just couldn’t create the open shots they were searching for. So they lost. That’s how that tends to go. At least we got another powerful display from CJB, ripping into her challenges as always (leading into a very deserved Football Ferns recall). The only reason she’s not up amongst the very top players in the WSL for tackles won and successful challenges is because of the time she missed at the start of the season. Even still, there are only three players who’ve won more challenges against dribblers and CJB has a better success rate than anyone else in the top ten.
Beneath this lot in the Championship, there was all sorts going on. Crystal Palace stumbled in the title race with a 2-0 loss away to Sheffield United. Ria Percival played 80 minutes, subbed for another attacking weapon with her team still down by one at the time. Both goals were headers from corners. But Sunderland were unable to take advantage as they lost 1-0 to London City Lionesses – big result for the latter, buying some room above the drop zone. Grace Neville is still injured for LCL but Paige Satchell started while Katie Kitching was there for Sunderland. Satch missed a 1v1 that would have opened the scoring prior to Ruesha Littlejohn’s 26th minute goal. Satch also should have gotten an assist for her role in a brilliant short-passing move into the attacking penalty area but the shot from a teammate was dragged wide. A deserved win for the Lionesses, their second in a row. With both Crystal Palace and Sunderland losing at the top, we’re now back to only one point separating the top four teams (and only one gets promoted).
London City’s recent form is bad news for Lewes and Jacqui Hand, leaving them further adrift, although they did their bit by defeating Watford in a battle between the two bottom sides. Full game for Hand. No goals or assists this time although she did hit the crossbar with a sliced cross amidst another influential attacking performance (credited with three key passes). Grace Riglar (16’, 45+1’) scored the two goals, with Watford’s a consolation in second half stoppage time.
Up Next: Monday at 7.45am sees Aston Villa vs Arsenal in the WSL (NZT)
Nando Pijnaker & Max Mata – Sligo Rovers (League of Ireland Premier Division)
Looks who’s tallying them up again, aye? Max Mata only scored once for a misfiring Shrewsbury Town team, falling out of favour when they changed managers, so they sent him on loan back to his old Irish club to recapture his best footy. And it did not take very long. After a match-winning brace against Drogheda United he’s already got four goals and two assists in six matches.
Both of these goals were tap-ins (although he made the first one emphatic), setting Sligo up with the early lead by hunting at that far post. He’s actually been playing as a wider forward recently – a risk that comes with being a late and opportunistic transfer addition – but that’s with licence to drift inside and hunt for goals. They’re not asking him to stay wide and swing in crosses all day, hence how he was exactly where he needed to be for crosses from Ellis Chapman and John Ross Wilson.
Mata was also unlucky not to have earned a foul right on the edge of the area after the keeper rushed out and kicked him in the shin. Could have been danger time if the ref had thought to whip the cards out but instead he didn’t even call anything, shockingly allowing play to restart with a goal kick. Mata soon got his revenge with those two goals... although there was a long way still to go and they got away with one when Drogheda hit the post late in the half. Nando Pijnaker had a chance early seconds to put it away only he headed wide from close range. Then, on 58’, the Drogs got back within range as they scrambled in a goal for 2-1. That made for a sweaty final half hour, with Sligo’s Ed McGinty making a superb low save to prevent an equaliser... before Wilson Waweru (who’d been subbed on for Mata ten mins earlier) back-heeled in the clincher in the 86th minute. 3-1 the final score. Sligo Rovers sit third after six matches. Happy days.
Up Next: After the international break it’s Waterford vs Sligo Rovers at 8.45am on Saturday 30 March (NZT)
Dan McKay - Cobh Ramblers (League of Ireland First Division)
While we’re over in Ireland, gotta mention that former Wellington Phoenix Academy midfielder, and NZ U20 World Cup rep from 2023, Dan McKay made his debut for Cobh Ramblers this week. Wee cameo off the bench towards the end of a 1-1 draw away to Kerry in the team’s fourth match of the season. They’ve won one, drawn two, and lost one to sit mid-table. Many more McKay minutes to come now surely.
Up Next: Cobh Ramblers vs UCD on Saturday at 8.45am (NZT)
Abby Erceg – Racing Louisville (American National Women’s Soccer League)
The 2024 NWSL season is upon us, beginning with the familiar sight of Abby Erceg leading her team out with the captain’s armband. She splits duties with regular captain Jaelin Howell at Louisville, though the latter was only on the bench for the visit of Orlando Pride as she recovers from a preseason injury. Speaking of which, this was obviously too soon for Milly Clegg to be involved with her own thigh injury still in recovery mode – although she is over there with the squad so she’s getting closer. No guarantee that she’ll go straight into the matchday squads given her inexperience but this is an RL team that seems to want to develop their younger players – starting up front against Orlando was rookie Reilyn Turner, whom they’d picked at number six in the latest college draft.
Louisville didn’t get the win to mark the new campaign though. They should have. Louisville struck first when new Colombian signing Elexa Bahr flipped a silky chip over the top of the keeper from just outside the area in the 13th minute. Things got even brighter when Uchenna Kanu doubled the lead after 18 minutes. Could hardly ask for a better start to a season than that. Until Erceg’s CB partner Elli Pikkujamsa threw a heel at a cross and deflected it into her own net five mins later.
Suddenly a healthy lead looked very vulnerable. Erceg was in sharp form, winning headers and passing the ball around confidently like usual, so RL got through the rest of the half unscathed. Then they got a boost when Kylie Strom was given a second yellow for accumulated fouls and Orlando Pride would have to do the last half hour with ten women. Problem was: they did, scoring an 86th minute equaliser through Summer Yates with a clever reverse flick off a free kick sent into the area, ghosting around Erceg then fooling the keeper with the angle of her shot. A disappointing one for RL to concede having come so close to victory. 2-2 draw. Ah well.
In the other game of note, Angel City FC were captained as usual by Ali Riley (playing right back again), who had a dependable 78 minutes before being subbed. But Angel City went down 1-0 to expansion side Bay FC, with Asisat Oshoala’s 17th minute goal proving the difference. The Nigerian striker, formerly of Barcelona, immediately beginning to repay the big transfer fee they spent on her a month ago. Angel City definitely had their chances, heaps of them, but they couldn’t convert. We’re talking several goal-line clearances from Bay FC here.
Up Next: Sunday at 1.30pm, Houston Dash vs Racing Louisville (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
This week’s game was the first for Minnesota with new coach Eric Ramsay in charge, signed fresh out of the Manchester United system. They’d been working under an interim to date but with the new gaffer having arrived they were able to dig into some new tactical ideas at training. Starting with a new 4-2-3-1 formation, with a focus on defensive structure and pressing. Sadly that does mean no more Cam Knowles as boss, though the Auckland-born coach (one cap for the NZ U17s back in the day – he’s been living in the USA since his university days) is remaining on as an assistant to Ramsay.
Game one of the new era was against LAFC. Michael Boxall still wore the captain’s armband, as he had in their three previous games (shout out to compatriot Knowles for that), and Robin Lod continued his form by nudging in the opening goal after 16 minutes. The ball just kinda fell his way in the area after LAFC had failed to properly clear a free kick delivery. Probably because of Boxall pressuring Jesus Murillo, who was then booked for arguing that Boxy had fouled him. Goal stood.
The Loons then spent more than an hour continuing to work on those defensive structures, hanging tight during a couple of slippery moments, then eventually sealing the points with Bongi Hlongwane scoring in the 88th minute. Bit fortunate at times... but it means 10 points from four games to start the new season. 2-0 win for Minnesota United. That’ll do.
Elsewhere, Bill Tuiloma served unused substitute duty once again as Charlotte FC lost 2-1 to Nashville SC. Tyler Boyd started for Nashy but was subbed off at half-time. No Jay Herdman in the squad for Vancouver Whitecaps as they won 3-1 away to FC Dallas – both of Herdman’s senior matchday squads this year have been home games. He did play 67 mins for the reserve team this week though. A 0-0 draw against North Texas. Finn Linder also got ninety minutes.
Up Next: Philadelphia vs Minnesota on Sunday 31 March at 7am (NZT)
Andre De Jong – Stellenbosch (South African Premier Soccer League)
This has been a sneakily remarkable campaign from Stellenbosch. They won the Telkom Knockout back in December, they’re sitting pretty in fourth place on the PSL table with a game in hand that could send them second (very much in range of continental qualification), and after this latest game they’re into the quarters of the Nedbank Cup as well. Andre De Jong has been in and out of the team along the way but he’s had his moments. Amongst the best of those was his double in that latest cup victory.
A couple of quickies early in the second half, helping turn what was a comfortable lead into an emphatic lead. They’d been 3-1 up at HT. ADJ ensured it was 5-1 by the 48th minute – the first a simple finish, the second a less simple finish as part of a lovely team move. He’d be subbed off after 68 minutes before he could find that hat-trick goal but it didn’t matter. 6-1 was the final score. Stellenbosch way too good for second tier club Milford... although know that Milford did knock Kaizer Chiefs out on penalties in the previous round.
Andre De Jong now has five goals this season across all competitions. One in the PSL, one in the Telkom Knockout, one in the MTN8, and two in the Nedbank Cup. Sprinkle in a few assists as well. He’s got one piece of silverware already and there’s plenty left to play for this season.
Up Next: Back from the international break with Stellies vs Royal AM, one of ADJ’s old clubs
Liberato Cacace – Empoli (Italian Serie A)
We got another one of those dumb games where Cacace started on the bench. Empoli vs Bologna, with Guiseppe Pezzella getting the nod on left edge of defence. But that didn’t last so long because as half-time hit, the Azurri were being held at 0-0 by a team below them on the ladder and Pezzella already had a yellow card. Thus Cacace was subbed on at the break.
That sub initially looked brilliant as Empoli continued on from a stronger finish to the first half by taking control early in the second. Lots of time spent in the attacking half, with most of it on Cacace’s side – although not as many touches as he should’ve gotten with blokes constantly using his overlapping runs as decoys so they could cut inside and shoot/dribble themselves. But that initial boost steadily lost its steam until Bologna were back on top as they had been in the first stanza. Cacace was finding himself isolated against running wingers, committing four fouls whilst miraculously avoiding a booking. Funky to see him still on corner kick duties for the left side – that’s just a permanent thing now when he’s on the pitch.
A draw would have been okay. Not ideal but given how the game had tracked it was more than Empoli deserved and in the late stages that potential point was definitely what they had on their minds. But they didn’t get it, because Giovanni Fabbian popped up with a 90+4th minute winner for Bologna. 1-0 the final score. Empoli have now lost three games in a row and after the international break they face the runaway best team in the lands: Inter Milan. Having worked hard to haul themselves clear of danger, they’ve now slumped back to being just one point above the relegation zone... and will dip into it if Sassuolo win their game in hand. Nine rounds remain.
Up Next: Inter vs Empoli, Tuesday 2 April at 7.45am (NZT)
Ollie Whyte - FC Haka (Finnish Veikkaugsliiga)
It had to happen sooner or later. You don’t bring a trial player into your squad then having him starting basically every game, with goals and assists flowing, and then not sign him properly. Especially when he was with the club for the previous two seasons anyway. Ollie Whyte had to reapply for his job with FC Haka (under a new coach) and he did so without a fuss, simply delivering a run of Liigacup performances that demanded a new deal. Now that deal has arrived, with Whyte signed up for the 2024 season.
Ollie Whyte: “I am happy to finally reach an agreement and excited to continue with Haka under new coaching. I've just done my best and tried to show the new coach and the club management that I can be an important piece of this team. I wanted to continue especially because I really enjoyed Andy and Sander's style of play that they're trying to implement. I think this style really suits me as a player.”
FCH head coach Andy Smith: “[Whyte] is a good addition to the team, especially because of his great attitude. He brings really good qualities to the last third. I am very glad that we reached an agreement with him.”
Up Next: Still several weeks before the Veikkaugsliiga begins
George Stanger – Ayr United (Scottish Championship)
Another goal from a kiwi footballer this week. Stanger got the first for Ayr United in a 2-1 win away to Inverness, a win that keeps them ahead of their opponents in the standings... pretty important given how Inverness are in the relegation zone. Stanger is stringing together a pretty impressing campaign after moving to Ayr United this season – yet to be capped at senior level by the All Whites but the Scottish-born defender must be as close to that honour as he has been at any stage in his career.
Meanwhile Alex Greive was rewarded for his superb game last time with the start in Dundee United’s latest. Unfortunately they lost 3-1 against Dunfermline... though they do remain first on goal difference thanks to Raith Rovers being held to a 0-0 draw away to Queen’s Park. Both teams have seven matches remaining. Ayr United have an extra game in hand but are thinking a lot more about the teams beneath them than those ahead of them.
And up a division, James McGarry’s onto his next Aberdeen manager already with Neil Warnock having stepped down from his interim gig. Too old to have that little fun with a job, Warnock only lasted 34 days in the role. But the good news is they did scrape a 1-0 win away against Motherwell, breaking a nine-game winless drought in the Premiership and also buying them some desperately needed points in the quest to avoid relegation. Weird thing about that is, despite their horrendous league form, they made the League Cup final (lost 1-0 to Rangers) and are into the semis of the Scottish FA Cup. But McGarry was only an unused sub for the Motherwell win, while Callan Elliot didn’t make the matchday squad for the other team. JM’s only made two substitute appearances since the turn of the year.
Up Next: Sunday at 4am, Ayr vs Queen’s Park (NZT)
Meikayla Moore – Glasgow City (Scottish Premier League)
Not a game full of Meikayla Moore highlights here, but it didn’t need to be. Glasgow City beat Hearts 2-0 with Fiona Brown curling in one of those half-cross/half-shot ones from the sideline to get them started in the ninth minute. Then Emily Whelan, an Irishwoman on St Patrick’s Day, scored the second on 38’ when the broke the lines and finished at the second attempt. GC might have scored more. Regardless, they kept a clean sheet and then got the helpful news that Celtic had beaten Rangers in the other game. First loss of the season for Rangers (Vic Esson didn’t play, which was probably why)... now there’s just one point separating the top three teams and it’s Glasgow City who are in the best form. They’ve won 12 SWPL games in a row.
There’s no game next week, but GCFC will have to put that undefeated streak on the line against Celtic in a fortnight. The reason there’s no game next week is that it’s the Scottish League Cup final, in which Rangers face Partick Thistle and there’s a pretty good chance that Vic Esson will get to wear the gloves for that one.
Up Next: Huge game, Glasgow City vs Celtic at 4.10am on Monday 1 April (NZT)
Matthew Garbett - NAC Breda (Dutch Eerste Divisie)
Matty Garbs is back, having featured off the bench in the last two NAC Breda games. Both of them were 1-0 wins - beating Jong Ajax and then VVV-Venlo – with Garbett only making cameos on both counts... but his team improved after his introduction each time. Especially the VVV game, which was still tied scoreless but Breda’s finishing burst led to a Cuco Martina winner with basically the last kick of the game in the fifth minute of stoppage time. NAC Breda have now won four games in a row. It’s been a twisting and turning kind of season for them but they’re now up to seventh with room to keep rising.
Up Next: Roda JC vs NAC Breda at 8am on Sunday... though Garbett will be away with the All Whites (NZT)
Claudia Bunge & Daisy Cleverley - HB Køge (Danish Kvindeliga)
The Kvindeliga is back, and with it we enter the Championship Rounds. All three of our relevant clubs have made that top six, which was expected for HB Køge and FC Nordsjælland but will be a relief for sixth-placed AGF who had to drop into the promotion/relegation tier in each of the last couple of seasons, where they were required to re-earn their Kvindeliga place again (which they dutifully did). They’ve already achieved their season’s goal by avoiding the drop ahead of schedule and are now playing with house money. HBK and FCN, on the other hand, are smack-bang in the middle of a title race which also includes Brøndby – with one point separating that trio heading into the Championship Rounds.
Week one of ten saw HB Køge hosting AGF. It also saw them beating AGF, scoring three first half goals on the way to a 3-1 victory. Olivia Garcia scored twice with Mie Leth Karshoj getting the other. Claudia Bunge was typically excellent at the back while Daisy Cleverley got 23 minutes off the bench as the first substitute summoned by HBK. That lot were already out of the Danish Cup so didn’t play last week, but AGF did and their game didn’t involve Ally Green. Must have been an injury... good to see Greeny get the last ten minutes of this match.
Up Next: On Monday at 1am it’s Nordsjælland vs HB Køge, while AGF hosts Kolding at the same time (NZT)
Malia Steinmetz – FC Nordsjælland (Danish Kvindeliga)
In the other Kvindeliga game of note, Nordsjælland dropped points in a 2-2 draw away to Fortuna-Hjørring. They were 2-0 up at half-time with Malia Steinmetz having set up the first goal, for Anna Walter, with a pinpoint curling cross and then having shifted the ball wide for Alma Aagaard to square to Walter for the second goal. For someone known more for her defensive mahi in the midfield, this was slick stuff from Steinmetz. But FH got back into the match with a goal around the hour mark and then, after Steinmetz was subbed for the last couple of minutes, were able to flip home a 90th minute equaliser. Along with HBK, Brøndby also won their game so FCN will need to make up for this one.
Up Next: FCN vs HBK at 1am on Sunday (NZT)
Moses Dyer - FC Tulsa (American USL Championship)
How’s that for a slice of news less than two days before the season opener? FC Tulsa had only confirmed Dyer’s re-signing two months earlier and then they ended up releasing him anyway. The official word was: “a mutual contract termination agreement to allow the player to pursue opportunities with other clubs”. In other words, he had something else lined up. Could it be a return to Aotearoa with Auckland FC...?
No, it could not be. Because the word on the street is that Dyer’s returning to Canada where he played three seasons for Valour FC prior to his season in America. Dyer had 19 goals and 7 assists in the CPL. He had 4 goals and 6 assists in his lone year in the USL Championship. So it wasn’t necessarily a matter of game-time or success, although FC Tulsa did recently change their head coach which might have been a factor. The CPL is probably a lower standard that USL, though Myer Bevan recently rode the Canadian league into CONCACAF Champions Cup qualifiers so there’s always that aim. Only thing here is we’re not actually sure yet which team Dyer is signing for. That’s still in the wait-and-see basket.
Up Next: The big announcement
All these good TNC yarns are made possible by the generous folks who support us on Patreon or with a Paid Substack – join the whanau if you appreciate the reads
Other helpful acts: whacking ads, Buy Me A Coffee, and sharing our work far and wide
Keep cool but care