Chris Wood – Leicester City (English Premier League)

Ladies and Gentlemen. Friends, kiwis and countrymen. We have some news for you. All White striker Chris Wood, recently returned from injury to find himself pretty much exiled from the Leicester City first team after a busy transfer period, has found asylum with a familiar face.

He’s joined Tommy Smith’s Ipswich Town on loan for the rest of the season. Smith and Wood are great mates, and there were transfer rumours at the start of the campaign when Wood popped by an Ipswich home game to watch his pal play (causing some folk to read a little much into that). But it’s clear that Wood is a great fit for the old fashioned management of Mick McCarthy, not to mention the fact that Mick’s one of the cheapest men in the Football League and Woody was there available for loan.

Ipswich have had trouble scoring the last couple games. They have a clear first choice strike pair, but basically nothing beyond them, leaving them vulnerable to injuries (like Dave McGoldrick’s current one). They have a direct approach that will suit Wood’s aerial threat fantastically. Curiously, Ipswich had a failed bid for fellow Leicester City player Anthony Knockaert as well. Knockaert rejected that deal himself, but Woody saw an opportunity.

It was a rapid move by the sounds. LCFC were happy to let him get some game-time – they’re not in a position to be fiddling with unproven players as they battle to avoid relegation – while Ipswich needed another forward to solidify their promotional push after a few more poor results recently. The fact that two of the best New Zealand footballers get to team up as a result is just a lucky bonus.

Wood will wear number 39, and was immediately available to play in the derby against Norwich.

Speaking of which…

Tommy Smith – Ipswich Town (English Championship)

The East Anglian Derby. Norwich vs Ipswich.

Norwich came into the game as the form team in the Championship, storming up the table with five consecutive wins. It was a familiar looking backline for Ipswich but a couple changes further up the park. Chris Wood was named on the bench just days after his loan move.

Ipswich were set up to spoil. They looked to strangle the creativity in the middle for the Canaries, while capitalising on long balls and direct play. That didn’t quite work. In the eighth minute, Tommy Smith got burned by Lewis Grabban but managed to just get a foot on the ball with a desperate, lunging tackle. Penalty shouts declined.

There were a few more close things, before Norwich did open the scoring, in the 24th minute, with a rifled finish from Bradley Johnson after a small scramble.

Ipswich were in the game. They were a threat with their immediate approach but a couple smart saves from John Ruddy kept them at bay. At times they lacked any semblance of variety, at others it didn’t look like they’d need any. Mick McCarthy made a half-time sub to shake things up, but the game got messy in the second half. Norwich doubled their lead thanks to Grabban from a scrappy little sequence after the hour mark. Ipswich changed up their formation a couple more times, trying to find a way back into it but it never came. Chris Wood came on with 11 minutes left, and nodded a header past the post. 2-0 was the final score.

That drops Ipswich down to sixth, the final playoff spot and just two points off falling back again. However other results still went their way. Bournemouth dropped more points, they’re five games without a win now, and although Watford won to overtake the Tractor Boys, the top two teams (Derby and Middlesbrough) both lost.

Ipswich get a chance to make short amends with both a midweek and weekend game coming up.

Up Next: 8.45am Thursday, away to Leeds (NZT)

Winston Reid – West Ham United (English Premier League)

A few months ago, West Ham were staring down the Champions League places and Crystal Palace were prepping their rusty weapons for the relegation battle. Now it’s the Pardew Revolution for Palace, while Winston’s West Ham are six games win-less.

Despite starting something close to a full strength side at home (Andy Carroll removed from that conversation), the Hammers were lacklustre from the start. Palace took the incentive and went deservedly ahead at the end of the first half when Glenn Murray’s header was clumsily dealt with by Aaron Cresswell, slicing his attempted clearance into the side of the net.

Then just after the break, Winston Reid was beaten comfortably for a header from a corner and Scott Dann doubled the lead. 10 minutes later it was 3-0, a Murray header from a free kick. There was a definite trend.

Brazilian winger Nene came on to make his WHU debut, and he cracked one off the post. That might’ve gotten West Ham back into it, as might’ve Glenn Murray’s sending off a few ticks later. Winston Reid’s clearance was blocked after a picking off a swinging cross from the left flank, and as he made better work of his second effort, Murray came charging through, taking out the legs from underneath him. A lumbering attempt at a tackle, and a second yellow for the man Murray.

Enner Valencia pulled one back with quarter of an hour remaining, but that was all. Palace won 3-1. Not the best from any of the team, though Reid’s 9 clearances were at least noteworthy. Aussie and Palace captain Mile Jedinak was lucky to escape punishment for an apparent elbow to Diafra Sahko late on.

Up Next: Just the small measure of Chelsea, 8.45am Thursday (NZT)

Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)

Things are getting ugly for Thomas’ lot. Four consecutive losses and their grasps on a European spot next season are starting to slip. As it stands, they still hold sixth place, but that’s only good for a Europa League qualification spot. They’ll need to get up to fourth for an automatic entry, or face the same task that they faltered at this season (they were knocked out of the first round of qualification by Sparta Prague).

Despite taking the early lead at Vitesse, Zwolle fell to a 2-1 loss. Chelsea loanee Bertrand Traore equalising, before Marko Vejnovic missed a penalty in injury time. Davy Propper scored the winner in the second half. Both teams had their chances, each hitting the post, although Vitesse were clearly the more dangerous side. Ryan Thomas started on the left wing but was subbed off at half time as Zwolle mixed up their formation to try save things.

Up Next: Sunday 8.45am, PEC Zwolle vs Cambuur (NZT)

Marco Rojas – FC Thun (Swiss Super League)

Rojas returned to the starting XI this week, his fourth game for the club. It was a big game too, a local derby. The Berner Derby against Young Boys. A drifting long ball in the third minute almost provided the opening goal for Thun, who also had a couple other chances to strike quickly. They then almost found themselves behind, but for the frame of the goal denying their opposition. Yet as the game dragged on, both sides slowly settled for a draw. 0-0 it ended. Rojas played all 90 for the second time with Thun, getting booked in stoppage time. Thun stay fourth, unbeaten in the league since Marco signed.

Up Next: Travelling to leaders FC Basel for an 8am game on Sunday (NZT)

Jeremy Brockie – SuperSport United (South African Premier Soccer League)

Jeremy Russell Brockie, born October 7, 1987. You may have heard of him.

Brocks has already surpassed his Wellington Phoenix season goal tally with new side SuperSport. He struggled for most of his final months with the Nix, not scoring at all until a double in his final game. For SuperSport though, he’s yet NOT to score.

In four games, he has four goals – one in each of them! The winner on debut, a goal in a massive upset 2-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs… then this week he added one in a midweek cup victory and another in a 5-2 PSL loss to AmaZulu.

Brockie’s partnership with Zimbabwean Kingston Nkhatha up front has already flourished, and his coach is plenty pleased. That coach is former South African international manager Gordon Igesund, who managed them against the All Whites not so long ago. Here’s what he had to say on JB:

“What I like about him is that he is a humble player who never stops working hard. You have already seen what you can expect from him and he will get better and better.”

Boom. Love it.

Up Next: Ajax Cape Town on the weekend. 5am Sunday, to be exact (NZT)

A Couple Other Lads

Shout out to young All Whites Tyler Boyd and James Musa, both of whom announced overseas transfers this week.

Phoenix Winger/Striker Boyd will be leaving the A-League at the end of the season to take up a four-year contract with Portuguese club Vitoria SC. The 20 year old has had some fine moments for the Nix this season though he has struggled to get much game-time, and his current deal expires at the end of this campaign. Vitoria are the fourth most supported club in Portugal, beyond the big three of Benfica, Porto and Sporting. For now they sit fifth in the league. Boyd would become the first kiwi to play in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.

As for Musa, he’s now 22. He had a little stint with the Phoenix as a teenager, playing three games before he was released and took up spells with Waitakere and Team Wellington. A strong showing at the 2012 Olympics for the U-23s got him a deal with Fulham, though he never played for them. He was let go after 15 games on loan with Hereford, returning to Wellington as well as South Melbourne in the Victorian top league (in Australia, if you didn’t take geography at school). Anyway, he’s now signed with American MLS expansion side Saint Louis FC. This from the franchises head coach, Dale Schilly:

“At 22 years old, James brings loads of experience to Saint Louis FC. His experiences with Fulham and the New Zealand National Team have helped shape him into a top player.  He has demonstrated very good defending instincts, is good in the air, and possesses sound open-field defending and tracking.”

Both of these lads are fully capped internationals, and we wish both all the best. Two very exciting moves for two talented young players.