Flying Kiwis – September 15
Marco Rojas getting some time on the park for Greuther Fürth (Marco Rojas)
Marco Rojas – Greuther Fürth (German Bundesliga II)
There are signs of life for Marco Rojas in Germany! With his parent club Stuttgart struggling in the top flight, his loanee club are doing OK mid-table in the next tier down. Since joining the Furthers for the season, Rojas has featured in each game he’s been available, coming off the bench in both of them. He got 9 minutes in a comfortable win over St Pauli and 15 this past weekend in a late loss to Sandhausen. Plus, Marco got some time in a friendly game last week while folks were on international break. All baby steps for now, but necessary ones. It’s great to have some positive news on a guy who’s had to pay a few dues over the last year.
Up Next: Home to Kaiserslautern on Saturday night (NZT)
Chris Wood – Leicester City (English Premier League)
I guess the big development since the last Flying Kiwis is the fact that the transfer window passed with Wood still a Leicester player. It was rumoured that they were keen to bring in another striking option and that could have meant an exit for Wood, with Wolves reviving their interest in the kiwi (though probably only on a loan deal). None of that transpired to mean anything and Woody went and played a decent game for the All Whites.
He returned to Old Blighty to take his customary place on the bench against Stoke. He didn’t get on the park in this one, Jamie Vardy instead getting the nod from Nigel Pearson late on, but it was a massive result for Leicester City. New boy Leonard Ulloa continued his hot start to his Foxes career with another goal, his third of the season. Ulloa initiated the move, then managed to contort himself at the back post to slip Paul Konchesky’s cross in for the winner. Former Real Madrid, Inter Milan and Argentina midfielder Esteban Cambiasso came off the bench to make his Foxes debut also as they claimed their first win of the Premier League campaign. Stoke should really have come away with at least a point on the basis of things but that’s why you’ve got a take your chances.
Up Next: Manchester United come to visit early next Monday morning (NZT)
Tommy Smith – Ipswich Town (English Championship)
Merry Mick McCarthy went and mixed things up a little bit as the Trotters hosted Millwall this weekend. Trying to accommodate a couple more defenders, Tommy Smith found himself on the bench as regular right back Luke Chambers moved into the middle alongside captain Christophe Berra (who signed a 3 year contract extension this week), while Norwegian fullback Jonathan Parr played out on the right and Tyrone Mings was rewarded for his loyalty with a start on the left. Mings was the subject of a deadline day bid from Crystal Palace which was firmly rejected, along with interest from Leicester City in striker David McGoldrick. The latter was left out of the last match day squad due to all that transfer drama but returned here and was one of the best players on the park.
Millwall started stronger and they looked most likely to open the scoring, with Jermaine Easter hitting the crossbar and Carlos Edwards driving a low ball across the goal. It was that man McGoldrick that made it count though. After teenage midfielder Teddy Bishop’s incisive play, McG found himself through on goal and in stoppage time of the first half he made it count. Ipswich came out confident in the second and a little after the hour mark they scored again when Daryl Murphy put away a close rebound after his header was parried back. Tommy Smith made his bow after 71 minutes, coming on for Mings who left the park to a rousing reception from the grateful home fans. Bishop, too, was well received as the Ipswich academy graduate impressed in just his second professional game. Smith, meanwhile, had time enough to make 3 passes, 6 touches and win a header as he helped Ipswich keep that precious clean sheet for a 2-0 win to get their stuttering season back on track.
Mick McCarthy: “It was a difficult decision, but I wanted Tyrone at left-back and I wanted a rampaging right-back as well. I also wanted a right-footed centre-back (Luke Chambers) and a left-footed centre-back (Christophe Berra). Unfortunately it was Tommy who missed out. Sometimes you can’t give rhyme or reason for doing something, other than ‘it’s what I wanted to do’. It’s been hard to upset a back four that has been as good as ours has.”
Up Next: Brighton drop by for a match on Wednesday, 6.45am (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
Fresh from having the international break off to nurse a niggling issue or two, Ryan Thomas was back in the starting line-up as Zwolle hosted the league leaders PSV Eindhoven. PSV were unbeaten leading in to this game, with 14 goals scored in their opening 4 Eredivisie wins. However the Dutch league’s top scorer and probably the form guy in all of Holland, Memphis Depay, limped off after just a quarter of an hour. Without their star man, PSV struggled and it was Zwolle that had the better of the early chances… at least until defender Joost Broerse handballed in the box and Luuk De Jong stepped up to give PSV the lead from the spot. A goalkeeping error saw Zwolle tie the game just before the half when Jesper Drost’s shot was parried into the goal, and in the second half Broerse was able to make amends for that penalty with a sweetly taken free kick. PSV’s attack really lagged after that blow and they barely managed another shot. Midfielder Ben Rienstra sealed the shock result with a gorgeous chipped effort right with just a few minutes remaining. Zwolle now go tied for top with PSV on 12 points after 5 games.
Ryan Thomas had a fairly quiet game given how things went, registering just one off target shot and struggling to get touches on the ball. When he did he found himself dispossessed a game-high 5 times. But that’s the nature of things on the wing against a team like PSV. Most of the game was spent battling in the middle of the park and in the end they got the result anyway. Thomas was subbed off after 69 minutes, around five after the goal that put them in front.
Up Next: Away to mid-table AZ Alkmaar next Monday morning at 12.30am (NZT)
Winston Reid – West Ham United (English Premier League)
It’s a Monday night game in England for the Hammers this week, so you’ll have to wait a while longer to hear how Winnie did against Hull. Both teams are expected to be sporting some new faces. Alex Song should make his debut for West Ham on loan from Barcelona (I know, right!) as probably will Morgan Amalfitano too while Hull City will likely start Mohamed Diame for a debut against the team he signed from… though other incoming deadline day players Gaston Ramirez and Hatem Ben Arfa are struggling for match fitness and Abel Hernandez is still awaiting a work permit. James Collins is available for West Ham again following suspension and is expected to partner Winston Reid at the back. WHU are coming off of a pretty lifeless 3-1 loss to Southampton and the hosts’ last outing saw them fall to Aston Villa. Should be a good’un.
Up Next: Hull City vs West Ham, 7am Tuesday 16th (NZT)