Liberato Cacace – Sint-Truiden (Belgian Pro League)

Nobody needed a win more than Kevin Muscat. Without one in eight games, having not tasted victory since the first game of the season, the rumours were swirling that if the streak wasn’t ripped up then Muscat’s contract would be. But luckily for ol’ Nosferatu there his boys delivered in a 2-0 win against Standard Liege.

Libby Cacce didn’t get in amongst the goals or anything but he played another ninety minutes at left wing-back, looking pretty comfortable already at this level. In truth it was a sloppy game in a lot of areas and Cacace definitely missed a few passes trying to push the ball out of defence. But he also made a couple nice runs, linked up well with the midfield around him, and mostly kept that left side of the backline safe. This was his fourth consecutive start and it seems he’s pretty much first choice in that position already. The fella’s going good (this in a week when he also cleaned up at the Wellington Phoenix awards).

Standard Liege are a decent team too... although they were under strength here after coming back from facing Rangers in the Europa League with half a dozen players having tested positive for coronavirus (three before and three after). That probably explains their lack of edge as they controlled a lot of the play in the first half but barely created anything in a very patient game, eventually falling behind as Duckens Nazon struck for STVV. The Canaries rode their luck on a couple occasions in not conceding an equaliser but then with fifteen minutes remaining captain Steve De Ridder struck in a beautiful goal from distance, shaping up and whipping it in with a small window of space, and that was the end of STVV’s winless streak.

No sooner did the final whistle blow then Libby dropped to the deck (while the stadium played silly buggers with strobing floodlights despite there being no fans in attendance), visibly exhausted after doing a fair bit of running up and down that sideline. Despite playing wing-back he wasn’t as much of an option in attack as he would be for the Phoenix, STVV using him more as a support player in those areas, but when you’re starting from deep that’s a lot of ground to cover. Anyway, Kevin Muscat was loving it and he went out on the pitch and hugged and congratulated every player before gathering everyone in a huddle and giving a little speech. Seemed like everyone dug it.

And if you’re wondering what that is stuck up his nose, it was a bit of tissue after a collision in the first half which drew some blood and required a bit of treatment. He carried on all good though.

Up Next: Monday at 4am away to R. Excel Mouscron (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

For about 75 minutes the game against Spurs was shaping up like a perfect Burnley x Sean Dyche performance. Not a lot up topskees for the Chris Wood & Ashley Barnes combination to feed upon (other than some nice touches and hold-up play) but defensively they were outstanding in the first half as they limited Spurs to pretty much nothing. No shots on target, Harry Kane only had one touch in the penalty area, Nick Pope with hardly a save to make. This against a team who’d scored 11 goals in their last two away games.

Tottenham did get better in the second half as they adjusted to the low block but as that half progressed it was Burnley that began to feel more likely to score. Chris Wood was suddenly heavily involved, decent reward for a whole lot of hard work that he’d been putting into this game. There was only one clean shot as he drove a volley straight at the keeper on the snapshot but there was another acrobatic chest-and-volley where he tried to whack a ball on the drop but couldn’t get it cleanly and several crosses that narrowly eluded him or were picked off by the defence. Plus one where he was called back for a handball which he wasn’t too happy about, taking the time to explain in detail to the ref and then to Eric Dier exactly what his interpretation of the incident was. Dier was having none of it. Very rude of him.

It was edge-of-the-seat stuff after a dull first hour or so and Wood wasn’t alone in testing Tottenham, Johann Berg Gudmundsson had a couple shots, as did Josh Brownhill. Dwight McNeil and Ashley Barnes were always involved. But this game came down to two headers from Harry Kane. First one he cleared a Tarkowski effort off the line, the second he flicked on towards Son Heung-Min who scored his eighth of the season. Burnley’s efforts spoiled in the end by a pair of top class individual contributions from two top class Tottenham forwards. Damn.

Still only one point from five games for Burnley but at least they seemed to regain a bit of their usual substance here and on a luckier day they’d have come away with at least a point or three. Woody had scored three times in his last six games against Spurs, no such luck here. He did win nine aerial challenges though which was more than anyone else on the park. The combo with Barnes is also looking sharp with Barnesy now back fully fit. They’re getting closer.

Up Next: Sunday at 4am against Chelsea (NZT)

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

It’s late in the game, only a couple minutes of stoppage time minutes remaining. After surviving some sketchy moments in the first half hour or so your team has mostly defended well, yourself included, with another clean sheet seemingly on the cards. But you don’t want to draw. You want to win. Your team has been equally frustrated by some very good saves and some average finishing in a dominant second half but now you’ve won a corner kick early in time added on and this could be the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. It’s curled in towards you at the near post, you launch yourself into the air and put a head on it, making strong contact. It flies past the keeper as you land and hit the deck, tripping over a teammate. There’s an audible gasp from those around you. It looks like you might just have scored the winning goal... but then the ball comes back off the post.

That’s what Michael Boxall got up to against FC Cincinnati. So nearly with the crucial goal at the end there... luckily for him Aaron Shoenfeld was there to put it home on the rebound and Minnesota United had the three points with a 1-0 win. The MLS didn’t register that as an assist which means that Boxy has still never got one of those in 110 MLS matches, but that’s all good. The win’s what matters at this stage of the season. A home playoff game is very much a possibility.

And regardless of winning goals or assists at least he’s still got a bit of this to fall back on...

Michael Boxall: “I think I was just really delighted for Aaron [Schoenfeld]. Obviously all the work he’s put in and all the cameos and stuff he’s had to deal with, like little time off the bench where it’s not easy coming into a game where it’s just good for him to get his first goal for the club... Yeah, if my head was a little bit bigger I think it might have gone in. As long as it ends up in the back of the net there from somebody, I’m happy. Happy to take away the three points tonight… No, I probably closed my eyes when the ball was like a foot away from my face. It’s a case of inches whether goes inside the post, inside the goal, or out for a goal kick. All pretty fine lines.”

Up Next: Colorado Rapids on Thursday at 1pm (NZT)

Winston Reid - Sporting Kansas City (American Major League Soccer)

Oh... okay then. Better safe than sorry. SKC were up against Colorado Rapids and they won that game 4-0 anyway so no dramas – all four goals coming in the second half and two of them coming in the last two minutes plus stoppage time to rub it in. That win puts Sporting back in first place in the Western Conference and continuing to look very much like a contender come playoff time. They have four more regular season games to get through first, with consecutive double headers upcoming.

No sign of Deklan Wynne anywhere for Colorado either, he’s yet to take the field at all this year and hasn’t even made a matchday squad for more than a month. Free Deklan! Bill Tuiloma, James Musa, and Elliot Collier were all unused subs this week too... Boxall the only fella actually getting out on an MLS pitch. Just the second time that’s happened to Collier this year, he’s usually a lock for at least ten minutes at the end of Chicago games. It was also an international window for the ladies if you were wondering where they all are this week.

Up Next: Cincinnati vs SKC, Thursday at 12.30pm (NZT)

Andre De Jong – AmaZulu FC (South African Premier Soccer League)

After that enormous injury lay-off last season it’s just pretty great to see ADJ beginning the new season in the starting eleven for AmaZulu. He only played 53 minutes but that’s also the most he’s played in a proper game since breaking his foot on All Whites duty last November.

AmaZulu were up against Orlando Pirates and despite going behind after 18 minutes to a Gabadinho Mhango penalty from a bonkers decision after a foul that was clearly outside the box and which was initially ruled a free kick... AmaZulu were still able to get a solid point out of the contest. They won a penalty of their own after ADJ’s scuffed volley at the far post made its way to a teammate who then got bowled over and although Lehlohonolo Majoro’s spottie was saved he smoothly slotted the rebound for 1-1.

That De Jong chance in the tweet above came in first half stoppage time as the Pirates keeper was caught out off his line but he managed to get back off the deck to parry away ADJ’s first-time chip. Goalie was worse for wear for the save too. Both teams would have a late opportunity to win the game but a draw was probably fair.

Up Next: TSG vs AmaZulu at 6.30am on Thursday (NZT)

Myer Bevan - TS Galaxy FC (South African Premier Soccer League)

Myer Bevan: “I have only been here for about five days but I can already see that the country is good. From what I have seen so far, I really like SA. I am very excited about what lies ahead. I am a goal scorer and I am determined to score as many goals for Galaxy this season. I want to achieve great things, like Brockie and Boxall. They had success in this country so that’s the route I want to go as well. Brockie told me that the PSL is a good league ... he’s been giving me advice. My agent Ferreri knows a lot of people in SA and he’s the one who brought me here. I am very happy that he made it possible. Tade is my friend. I played with him at Auckland last season... he also told me I must come over because the PSL is a good league that’s competitive”

Cool. Love it. However not even being over there for two weeks meant that he wasn’t in the squad for Galaxy’s PSL opener. Too early for him. That game was a 1-1 draw against fellow promoted outfit Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhadila. A little confusing though because a few of the South African write-ups claimed that Bevan had scored the goal (a header from a cross after a corner routine late in the first half) but it was actually defender Bevan Fransman who scored it. Ah well.

Yeah, definitely Bevan Fransman there.

Up Next: TSG vs AmaZulu at 6.30am on Thursday (NZT)

Dan Morgan – Maritzburg United (South African Premier Soccer League)

IOL.za: “Tinkler’s troops will have to also make do without the services of midfielder Dan Morgan after the New Zealand international picked up an injury in their game against Chiefs at the weekend.”

Damn. Morgan had gone off injured in the MTN8 quarter-final loss to Kaizer Chiefs. He’d started at left back as he tends to do but had to be subbed off fifty minutes into the match with Maritzburg leading 1-0. They then conceded a couple quickies in the final twenty minutes and that was that for the Team of Choice’s MTN8 campaign (it’s sorta like a preseason cup, with the top eight teams from last season competing).

Not sure on the severity of Morgan’s injury as there hasn’t really been any news about it other than confirming he’d miss the opening league game. Their other left back (Mxolisi Kunene) is also out injured which is an awkward one as it meant loanee Malebogo Modise had to play forty minutes of that MTN8 game a day after joining the squad (and without a single training session) and then a week later he was starting in the PSL too. Maritzburg lost that game 2-1 away to Baroka.

Up Next: Maritzburg Utd vs Cape Town City on Thursday at 6.30am (NZT)

Ryan Thomas – PSV Eindhoven (Dutch Eredivisie)

That injury from last week meant Ryan Thomas played no part in PSV’s Europa League opener against Granada and it looked like they mighta needed him too as they blew a 1-0 half-time lead (courtesy of Mario Götze) to go down 2-1. Ibrahim Sangaré and Jorritt Hendrix were the midfielders there. Didn’t help that they were also missing a trio of players because of coronavirus procedures but a sloppy game from them all the same in a match they ought to have won. Oh and Mario Götze also went off injured just to make matters worse.

So it would have been a huge relief for Roger Schmidt that Ryan Thomas was good to go for the match against Vitesse Arnheim then. Thommo named to start in a more attacking role, pretty much taking Götze’s place, with Sangaré and Hendrix retaining their places in the midfield. They clearly had to mix it up with Timo Baumgartl, Denzel Dumfries, Cody Gakpo, Pablo Rosario, Maxime Delanghe, and Joel Piroe all missing following positive covid tests to go with the existing injuries. Add all that together and it was always gonna be tough for PSV... perhaps not surprising they lost their undefeated Eredivisie start here then.

PSV had a shot on target within the first minute, a cheeky sighter from Mo Ihatarren, but they were behind on eight minutes as Jacob Rasmussen headed in from a corner. Bloody good header actually. Soon after the restart Ryan Thomas found himself charging forward and he unleashed worm-burner from distance which was straight at the keeper but tricky enough that he couldn’t hold it. False alarms though, PSV had a lot more of the ball but weren’t creating anything much from it... it wasn’t until the second half when they began to look like themselves with a strong spell there culminating in Olivier Boscagli’s equaliser (also a header from a corner) after 50 mins. But they were only level for about as long as it takes to cook your morning toast before Lois Openda tapped in – it looked like he might have been offside but the VAR determined that the big toe of the last defender was dragging him on.

Not the last time the VAR would upset the PSV crew either. Ryan Thomas was subbed off after an hour as Donyell Malen came on to add a different look to the forward line as a genuine winger. Didn’t really help. PSV kept on spluttering... and even when they thought they had a penalty in stoppage time after a bump in Hendrix’s back the ref wandered over to the video screen and declined to acquiesce. 2-1 to Vitesse, PSV lose their first of the league season. Meanwhile their biggest rivals Ajax won 13-0 so not a great week, all up.

Up Next: AC Omonia in the Europas on Friday at 9am, then ADO Den Haag on Monday at 4.45am in the Eredivisie (NZT)

Niko Kirwan – Reggiana (Italian Serie B)

This here is Reggiana getting beaten 2-1 by Ascoli, conceding an early penalty and then a banger from outside the box inside the opening 25 minutes and they rode their luck a bit to keep it at that. Yet they almost stole a point after they dragged one back in the 89th minute and for a brief moment it looked like they’d equalised at the death with Niko Kirwan very much involved. He’d started at left wing-back then switched over to the right in the second half and with a bit of space running onto a loose ball in the penalty area right near the end he struck it towards goal only for it to be deflected... into the path of a teammate who scored. Except it was offside so it didn’t count.

Still, Niko Kirwan has started all four games in Serie B since this team was promoted and has only been subbed off once. Dude’s got one assist and a couple yellow cards (including one in that Ascoli game) and seems to be settling in nicely to the higher level. Reggiana have four points from those four games... however their game on the weekend had to be postponed with 11 cases of coronavirus in the playing group and 5 more amongst staff and it’s since gotten worse. As of today 21 players have apparently tested positive along with 6 staff including the manager. Not ideal, that.

Up Next: Sunday at 1am away to Salernitana... maybe (NZT)

Michael Woud – Almere City (Dutch Eerste Divisie)

Back to winning ways after a couple draws and Woudy pocketed a clean sheet in the process. Fine day at the office. Elias Sørensen and Faris Hammouti got the goals against NAC Breda, one towards the each of each half (Hammouti’s was a beauty), and Woudy had to make a couple good low saves along the way. Taking care of business. A fifth clean sheet for him in nine games and Almere City are sitting second on the ladder.

Up Next: Jong Ajax vs Almere, Saturday at 6.45am (NZT)

Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)

There’s Smithy doing the write-up job for us. Colchester played twice this week, first being the midweek 1-0 win over Forest Green Rovers and then they backed that up with a 2-1 result against Harrogate Town. Two really strong defensive outings as they had to hold on to leads under pressure in both (they scored in the second minute of the FGR match) with Tommy Smith played all 180 minutes and leading the way as per. Two impressive victories against two teams ahead of them on the table, which shoots them up to ninth place after eight games, and they’ll back it tomorrow when they take on top of the table Newport County.

Up Next: Away to Newport County at 8am Wednesday (NZT)

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