Flying Kiwis – November 27
Chris Wood – Burnley (English Premier League)
We begin this week with the mighty Kauri tree that is Christopher Wood, whose Burnley side took on Newcastle United at Turf Moor on Tuesday morning NZT… delaying Flying Kiwis this week so as to include its headliner. Anything for The Woodsman… especially as he’s worked his way back into the starting XI again for the Clarets.
Wood started up front with Sam Vokes and the two of them look likely to be the pairing going forward now after a pretty excellent combination between them here. However the game itself didn’t go the way it should have. Just a couple minutes in Newcastle took the lead when Fernandez’s shot was deflected into his own net by Ben Mee. Burnley went on the offensive after that and Wood had a couple decent digs at goal, one half-volley sliced wide from a difficult cross and another long range one when he’d taken a lovely pass on the turn and figured, bugger it, the first touch was so good I’m gonna just have a crack here. The shot was straight at the goalie but with the power and swerve on it Martin Dúbravka could only parry it away. Burnley were looking good for an equaliser… but then Newcastle doubled their lead through a Ciaran Clark header.
Burnley continued to have the better of things but making the most of their many crosses was a tricky task. Yet on the brink of half-time they had a lifeline. Sam Vokes with a header on the edge of the area which he lifted over Dúbravka to make it 2-1. That really sparked the two strikers and soon after a nod down from Vokes was absolutely whalloped towards goal by Wood… but the keeper made a sharp save. Newcastle started the second half quite well and they had their chances, none better than Matt Ritchie who missed a sitter early in the half, somehow failing to hit the target with the keeper out of the picture at the back post. Joselu also struck the post later on after a great counter between him and Ayoze Perez.
But the Clarets did some cool things. Wood was excellent in his hold-up play and when he and Vokes started playing off each other a lot more with Burnley pushing for an equaliser there were plenty of chances created. Wood had six total shots and Vokes had 5. There was another strike saved from Wood when Vokes slipped him a tidy pass in a crowded area, not to mention a blocked shot as well. Only problem was he failed to do the main thing he’s there to do and score a goal or two. With those chances, a fully flowing Chris Wood is a guarantee to put at least one away. That he didn’t maybe has something to do with his staggered opportunities in recent times but that’s no excuse. A positive performance, just lacking the finishing touches. There was a feeling that Wood might’ve been replaced when Ashley Barnes got up off the bench, instead with Burnley pushing hard to score Dyche chose to leave him on and get all his three main strikers out there at once. Didn’t quite do it though. Newcastle held on to win 2-1.
Sean Dyche: “I think we deserved something, I think a lot of aspects of the game I was very pleased with, and certainly the amount of quality chances… Woody’s had chances, Vokesey has, even in the dying seconds, so I think the character of the side is coming back, the energy of the side was very good, and some of the quality, some of the play was really good.”
Up Next: Sunday at 4am away to Crystal Palace (NZT)
Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
Let’s go indeed. Cheers Bill.
Obviously Tuiloma was not expected to play this game, he was named on the bench and would probably only get the tracksuit off if they needed a late sub to stack the defence or kill some time. This was the first leg of the Western Conference Finals after all. But that all changed quarter of an hour in when Larrys Mabiala went down in pain with what was eventually diagnosed as a sprained ankle… an injury which meant he couldn’t continue and will be in immense doubt for the second leg in Sporting Kansas City on Friday. Tuiloma’s already stepped up once when needed this postseason. Time to do it again…
This was a huge occasion to get that kind of opportunity and Tui did not disappoint. The Timbers defence as a collective unit was outstanding, keeping Sporting KC to just one shot in the entire first half and it was a long ranger – worst 1H shot total SKC had managed in all of 2018.
In what was often a slow and grinding game, Portland went on to claim a very valuable clean sheet. All that was missing was a winner of their own. Jorge Villafana hit the post in the sixth minute while a flurry of chances late in the first half went close – Liam Ridgewell’s header was the closest but it was saved. Sporting KC got better as the game went on and they had their share of shots in the second, though Portland were the only ones to hit the net. David Guzman’s 71st min strike was disallowed for offside, however. Then the last great chance they had fell to a certain kiwi midfielder/defender…
But a 0-0 draw is okay, it means a score draw in Kansas will be enough to advance to the championship game. Entertaining stuff and the second leg will be appointment viewing on Friday afternoon. Best of all is that with a couple of next-man-up moments from Bill Tuiloma it’s looking like he’s earning himself some favouritism with the fans.
Stumptown Footy: “Fortunately, Bill Tuiloma looked pretty damn good replacing him, so maybe not all is lost. And as long as we’re on the subject, Tuiloma’s performance lately bodes well for a 2019 that will probably not include Liam Ridgewell. If Bill shows well the rest of the playoffs, he and Mabiala may be our starting center backs next year. To which I say, long live the French Connection! Vive le Lien Français!”
MLS Player Ratings: “Bill Tuiloma (7) - It's never easy to step into the backline as an early injury sub, but Tuiloma handled the assignment very well from a defensive standpoint. He also forced a late save by getting to the end of a restart, but needs to be more careful passing out of the back.”
Up Next: Friday at 3.30pm away to SKC (NZT)
Marco Rojas – sc Heerenveen (Dutch Eredivisie)
Yes, boy. Come on!
That’s Marco Rojas’ first appearance for the senior team in two months and just his third of the season. He played 25 minutes off the bench against PEC Zwolle on August 10, then got 78 minutes in his only start in a cup game vs Katwijk on September 26, and now 13 minutes against PSV in the league off the bench, replacing Mitchell van Bergen on the wing. Heerenveen lost 3-0 but everybody loses to PSV these days. It was only 1-0, Hirving Lozano with the goal, when Martin Thorsby got a first half red and Luuk De Jong and Lozano added second half goals before Rojas got out there. Note that the two Eredivisie games he’s played have come against Ryan Thomas’ clubs… coincidence?
Rojas has been on the bench many times and not been called upon, so s’pose this was coming. He’s also done plenty for the reserve team even scoring for them a couple weeks back. What’s difficult for Rojas now is that the club, which has had a below-average campaign so far, are in pretty poor finances (albeit easily surviving despite their losses thanks to a large equity fund). There’s also frustration about the vision of the club. That’s all putting pressure on General Director Luuc Eisenga, one of the responses to which is that they no longer wish to sign players from outside the European Union… players such as Marco Rojas.
Luuc Eisenga: “We have the same revenue model as other clubs: operational results. It has to be compensated with transfer income. Of course we have to pay attention to the costs. That is why we have decided, for example, that we will no longer attract players from outside the EU. The turnover can go up, I am convinced of that, but we do have to deal with a tight hinterland and limited financial possibilities, and if you look at it, we are doing very well, and I think people should be proud of that.”
Not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. Maybe it’s a positive as there’ll be less foreign competition for his place, or maybe it’s a negative as it’s a sign they’re not willing to invest in his like.
Up Next: Heerenveen vs Fortuna Sittard, 8.45am on Sunday (NZT)
Jana Radosavljevic - BV Cloppenburg (German Bundesliga 2)
It’s been a while since we’ve heard from Jana. The FFDP graduate, who has played at age group level for Serbia but was included in the Football Ferns squad that went to Thailand, had a brilliant start to the season with BV Cloppenburg, scoring in a 3-0 win over Gütersloh in the second game. Carrying on nicely since scored 10 goals in 22 games last season.
However that start was cut short in early September when she damaged her knee in a cup game and she hasn’t played since. Turns out it was an ACL injury and she had surgery at the end of October, now about a month into rehab and recovery. Always a devastating injury and unfortunately one which is too common, for whatever reason, among female footy players. Hannah Wilkinson is currently on her way back from her second such injury. Still, it ain’t the setbacks, it’s how you respond, and Rado is well on her way there.
Also trucking away in the second tier in Germany is Aimee Phillips, who is back out on the field and came on for the last six minutes for USV Jena this week in a 1-0 win over Hoffenheim – continuing their turnaround which has seen them take ten points from their last five games after taking one point from their first five. Jena have three more games before the two-month winter break comes along… and their next game is actually against Cloppenburg.
Up Next: Recovery
Stefan Marinovic & Myer Bevan – Vancouver Whitecaps (American Major League Soccer)
It’s roster news time for the clubs that didn’t make the postseason, which includes most of the kiwi players in the MLS, and news has been mixed on that front. We’ll get to a couple others soon enough but the main shocker was most definitely that Stefan Marinovic (and also Myer Bevan) had his option declined for 2019 and will probably now leave the club. Bevan will almost certainly leave now, having failed to kick on at a couple loan deals and therefore never quite cracking the Whitecaps senior team at all. They’ve got a new manager now trying to make them competitive again and Bevan’s better off finding a gig elsewhere where he can play more regularly. Probably back in Europe where his style of play is better suited. We’ll see what happens there.
But Marinovic getting cut was a wild one. Not completely out of the blue because there had been whispers of discontent among fans, Marinovic wasn’t on an expensive deal but he was using up an international roster spot and while he didn’t play poorly, he also didn’t stand out massively ahead of the domestic options they already had. Especially with a lot of energy invested in youngster Spencer Richey who was brilliant on loan in the USL this year and some of the performances filling in for Marinovic by Brian Rowe (who is a free agent). But they edged out fan favourite and long-time servant David Ousted to get Marinovic in there as the new starter so it’s been a rapid flip there.
Mostly it seems the new gaffer just wants to shake things up, bring in a bunch of new players and all that. Shockingly Richey was amongst the others to have their options declined too, although that could be so that he can negotiate a longer deal on more money (it also might mean he wants to stay with FC Cincinnati, who are entering the league next season). These fellas break it down quite well here so I’ll spare you having to read it twice…
Eighty-Six Forever: “The decision to decline both Marinovic and Richey, and keep Melvin, is an interesting decision. It is important to remember that both keepers might have expressed a desire to leave and not really left the club with many options. However, if that is not the case, I am a bit disappointed that the Caps got rid of their top two keepers. The Richey move stings a bit more as I felt he was ready to ascend to the starter position, and I have always loved his personality. It is something that I feel this club needs. Of course, the moves do not signify that the players will not return. Remember that player options have a specifically salary attached to them. If the club and the player have agreed to a higher or lower salary, then the player could return. It is quite possible that Marinovic ($162k+) and Richey ($68K+) wanted significant salary increases. Again though, if that is not the case, it makes the decision even more curious as both are relatively cheap - Rowe made $135k last season.”
Gotta wait for this to play out, basically. There’s a brief trade window on December 9 before the free agency window begins two days later, both US times.
Marinovic has copped it a bit from the American tendency towards analytics (which may or may not be effective ways of judging individual players within a team sport), with a rubbish defence and midfield not helping those matter for him. It’s also possible that Marinovic’s comments about disharmony in the locker room didn’t help, though ultimately it’s a matter of him not being far enough ahead of their local option in Sean Melvin, a homegrown player, to justify an international spot which they’d be better off using on a creative outfielder. In total he played 32 times for the Whitecaps, keeping five clean sheets and making 95 saves compared to 52 goals conceded. He won 13 of his starts, drew six, and lost another 13. It’ll be interesting to see whether Marinovic stays in America now or looks back towards Europe.
Marc Dos Santos to TSN: “It was about me profiling what the Whitecaps need as a goalkeeper and what does it mean to use a foreign spot. When I looked at the goalkeeping position, I thought we could get the job done with a domestic goalkeeper. So I think we totally go in the right direction with this one.”
Up Next: Bit of a chat with the agents
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
In more positive news: “Michael Boxall, Carter Manley, Collin Martin, Wyatt Omsberg, Rasmus Schuller and Bobby Shuttleworth had their options picked up by the club.”
Boxall was the best performing of all the kiwis in the MLS in 2018 so he was always a good bet to get another gig, even if his defence wasn’t always the best (to be fair, the midfield in Minny needs more work first). But not only is Boxall but, so is Francisco Calvo and Brent Kallman, his two first choice partners at the back… clearly the Loons are keen on a bit of that consistency, building from one year to the next.
Up Next: Happy holidays with the fam
Elliot Collier – Chicago Fire (American Major League Soccer)
There we go, that’s some more good news. Elliot Collier getting the 2019 option on his MLS contract taken up, which was never a guarantee despite him getting good minutes in the first half of the season with the Fire. Collier then went out on loan to the USL and considering he’s an international player, it’s actually a little odd that they’re persisting with a project player. But all the better for Elliot and the Flying Kiwis crew. Keeps him in a very decent job for the next twelve months at least.
Chicago Fire: “The Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced today that the club has exercised its 2019 contract option for forward Elliot Collier. A native of Hamilton, New Zealand, Collier, 23, was selected by the Fire in the third round (49th overall) of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft from Loyola University Chicago. In his debut season in MLS, the striker provided one goal and one assist in 16 regular season appearances (nine starts), while also tallying one goal in the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Prior to joining the Fire, Collier posted 15 goals and 11 assists in 69 games played across four seasons at Loyola University Chicago. The striker was also named to the All-Missouri Valley Conference First Team in his senior season.”
Up Next: Try not to get fat in the offseason
Ria Percival – West Ham United (English Super League)
Up Next: More of the ol’ Oceania Nations Cup
Jeremy Brockie – Mamelodi Sundowns (South African Premier Soccer League)
Been a couple weeks since the Sundowns last played but they’re back in action on Thursday morning. Jezza will be fancying himself to put a few goals away too after breaking that extended, year-long drought recently – always said it, this bloke scores them in bulk. Although he might not be able to go in this game as he recovers from a lacerated toe… ouch.
Phakaaathi: “Mamelodi Sundowns striker Jeremy Brockie says he would like his coach Pitso Mosimane to alter the playing style so he can fit into the team. Brockie is not a ball-player in contrast to most, if not all, Masandawana attackers. Brockie’s difficulty in settling and adjusting to Mosimane’s system has seen him spend more time on the substitutes’ bench and in the stands more than on the pitch and he has only scored one official goal since joining the Brazilians in January. “The whole team is not going to change for me but obviously when I am playing there should be a little adjustment,” said the former SuperSport United striker.”
Up Next: CAF Champions League prelims, away to Leones Vegetarianos on Thursday at 3am (NZT)
Steven Old – Morecambe (English League Two)
Ah yeah so there isn’t gonna be a dream FA Cup run for Steven Old and Morecambe this season. In a midweek replay against Halifax Town the Shrimps were awful, going behind to a Cameron King goal in the 12th minute after the midfielder had beaten Old and smacked his shot past the keeper to score (with a bit of a deflection off Oldie’s trailing leg). Morecambe barely reacted for the rest of the first half, only mustering a bit of fight after a half-time lashing from the gaffer. But despite a lot of possession they couldn’t muster the shots on target and they’re outta this thing. Down 1-0. Better focus on the league now.
They did manage to keep the league total ticking over though, with a 1-1 draw at home to Nottingham County. Another ninety minutes at the back for Old who is racking them up since returning from injury… but this was a drab old contest. Kristian Dennis gave Notts the lead in the 5nd minute before a rare bit of drama when Kevin Ellison levelled up with two minutes remaining on the clock. Probably a game that the Shrimps should’ve won given how rubbish Notts County have been so far but important all the same just not to drop points to a team below them. Morecambe are up to 19th now, a couple wins clear of the drop zone.
Up Next: MK Dons vs Morecambe, Wednesday at 8.45am (NZT)
Erin Nayler – Girondins Bordeaux (French Division 1 Féminine)
Not a bad way to get those reps in, is it? Shout out to fellow Fernies Betsy Hassett and Rebekah Stott on the production values too. So many players in that squad with so many talents beyond the football pitch.
Up Next: Footy Ferns in the ONC semi-final vs New Caledonia, Thursday at 5pm (NZT)
James Musa – Phoenix Rising (American United Soccer League)
James Musa: “I am delighted to be coming back to Phoenix in 2019 to build on the success we had in 2018. I can’t wait to link up with my new and old teammates and get to work to achieve our goal of bringing back two trophies in 2019. The club epitomizes what a top franchise in USL should look like. Not just from the player's standpoint but the ownership, coaches, front office and of course the fans are all amazing. It’s an exciting time for football fans in Phoenix and 2019 is only going to be better!”
There you go, the first player announced for next season. Musa had a rock solid 2018 but it was spoiled by an injury which cost him Phoenix’s entire playoff run, which was a long one. The Rising went all the way to the USL championship match, though were defeated 1-0 by Louisville City. Second year in a row that The Moose has lost the USL championship final. Here’s hoping for third time lucky as the USL gets a big rebranding for 2019 that better aligns it with the MLS. Also, Didier Drogba retired, so no more Drogs… but he still owns this team. Bit of a brush with football royalty, played in the same team as the great man for his final season as a pro.
Up Next: Offseason for a few more months
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