Liberato Cacace – Sint-Truiden (Belgian Pro League)

They finally got another win last week, now STVV are officially on a winning streak after scraping by away against Standard Liege – a new experience for Libby Cacace in Belgium. Which sounds like a major upset against a strong team but Standard Liege aren’t what they usually are. Not only are they one of the three teams that STVV have managed to beat this season but they’re in some disastrous form of their own. They came into this match on a seven-game league winless streak and were knocked out of the Europa League in the midst of that.

Then fast-forward 16 minutes into this one and STVV were already up 2-0. Duckens Nazon and Yuma Suzuki, the two usual suspects, both getting on the scoresheet. The first goal the product of Suzuki pressing hard on the SL defence on the end of a long ball forward before he squared it to Nazon for the tap-in, then the other one a powerful if slightly-mistimed unmarked header from a corner kick.

There were further chances to add to that lead too... not a lot of them involving Cacace in any way. This was a day when most of their good stuff came down the right side of the pitch so Cacace was kind of a spectator, particularly on attack. Zero shots, zero crosses. He did have a few things to do in his defensive half but that’s meat and potatoes for this lad. Anyway, STVV should have put the game to bed a dominant first half, a dominant first half an hour even. But they didn’t and then eight minutes into the second stanza Max Caufriez, who had been the hero in the win last game, did something very silly and got himself sent off...

Absolutely shocking tackle, six sprigs right to the knee. Astounding that he could shrug his shoulders innocently at the ref after that. That meant 35 minutes or so with ten men and things got even freakier when Jackson Muleka pulled back a goal for Standard Liege with twenty mins remaining, heading in from a free kick swung into the box. But STVV held on. Scrapped away and limited Standard Liege to only a few more half-decent threats and relying on their keeper to take care of business for that lovely 2-1 victory which takes them off the bottom of the table by virtue of goal difference.

Up Next: Thursday at 8.45am vs Beerschot (NZT)

Olivia Chance - Brisbane Roar (Australian W-League)

The W-League kicks off with Chance’s Brisbane Roar in action against Melbourne City, a slightly delayed and very much rescheduled opening to the competition due to the usual complications of organising these things around coronavirus outbreaks. Hopefully that’s the only drama we have (unlikely but might as well be optimistic) because even without a Welly Nix Women’s side it’s shaping up as a massive season for the kiwi ladies. Seven NZers are under contract with W-League clubs, reflecting a variety of stages in their respective careers from uncapped players to an international centurion. And that’s without counting Te Reremoana Walker, a 17 year old kiwi youth rep who is on the books at Newcastle Jets.

• Annalie Longo & Claudia Bunge – Melbourne Victory

• Paige Satchell - Canberra United

• Olivia Chance - Brisbane Roar

• Lily Alfeld, Elizabeth Anton & Malia Steinmetz – Perth Glory

• Te Reremoana Walker - Newcastle Jets

Given that the first seven of them are registered as import players you’d expect to see them playing a fair bit of football too. Covering a variety of positions. Plenty to get excited about there.

Up Next: Wednesday 6.35pm, Brisbane Roar vs Melbourne City (BZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

There was controversy in this one, woah boy. Only a few minutes into the match away to Leeds there was a penalty awarded to the home side. Patrick Bamford running deep and Nick Pope clattered him. The decision was reviewed because Pope definitely got a decent chunk of ball on his way through with his leading foot but it wasn’t enough to overturn it and Bamford himself pumped it in for the fifth minute lead.

That decision could have gone either way. The decision to disallowed Ashley Barnes’ equaliser later on (in the 19th min)... a little less so. It was a long ball hoofed into the area from a free kick just inside the half which Ben Mee jumped up for against the Leeds keeper Illan Meslier, the latter fumbling the ball through contact and Barnes hit a ripper of a strike spinning on the volley for the loose ball. A wonderful opportunistic equaliser... or so it seemed until it was ruled out for a perceived foul by Mee on Illan. Even though Mee made an honest attempt at the ball, blind to the GK’s challenge. Even though he never should have spilled the ball in that situation. That was a bit of a dodgy call, if we’re being totally honest. Sean Dyche with good reason to be upset.

Leeds have been in a messy place due to injuries and the six goals they conceded to Man United the other day (the always enjoyably Marcelo Bielsa made a big translated speech about substance > style at his pre-game presser). They were in an unfamiliar shape up against a battering ram team with Chris Wood and Ashley Barnes up top… but this was a pretty engrossing contest all the same, not one with heaps of chances but one with enough big moments to keep you on edge. Like when Jack Harrison thought he’d bagged one after Raphinha had picked off a poor Ben Mee pass but his shot was blocked by his own player in Bamford. Chris Wood had his obligatory One Major Moment when he posted up at the back stick from a chipped cross and rose up over Luke Ayling to win the header but he couldn’t keep it down and on target. Over the top against his old team (this is the first time these two teams have overlapped in the Premier League era, btw). Ah well.

Burnley’s best stuff came in the first half. After that they looked more comfortable in defence, following that shaky start, but that coincided with creating less going forward. With quarter of an hour left Jay Rodriguez came on to make it three up front for the Clarets and that did give them some extra steam (while Nick Pope kept them in it with a save or two against the counter attack)... but nah no equaliser to be found. Another poor away result for Burnley. Chris Wood with some visible frustration after missing that first half header, granted he did have some clever moments holding the ball up and flicking it on. More of that facilitating footy we haven’t seem as much of from him this season. Just didn’t quite break for him or his team – at least this time the focus is on the refereeing and not Wood’s finishing (if your striker is only getting one major moment per game in front of goal and isn’t scoring them... maybe try create three of those chances next time and if he’s still not scoring then you can start to blame him – the best finishers in the PL tend to also take the most shots, that’s not a coincidence).

In other yarns... Jenga!

Up Next: Wednesday at 7am versus Sheffield United (NZT)

Niko Kirwan – Reggiana (Italian Serie B)

It’s always a big game up against one of your old clubs and there was some late drama in this one. Reggiana versus Reggina. Niko Kirwan missed most of that drama though, starting at left wingback and getting a decent amount of involvement up and down that flank before being replaced in a double sub on 62 minutes. Opponents Reggina, not to be confused with Reggiana, were comfortably the better team with about three times as many shots... but the game remained scoreless the majority of the way. Then with about five minutes left Dimitris Stavropoulos was sent off for Reggina earning his second yellow. Usually that’s a real blow for any side... except then Nicola Bellomo scored the winner in the 88th minute

So a 1-0 loss for Kirwan’s crew. Makes it four games in a row without a win now – still got some buffer room between themselves and the relegation spots at least.

Up Next: Pordenone vs Reggiana, Thursday at 3am (NZT)

Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)

Not a lot else going on this week what with winter breaks and all that so we’ve gotta scrape the barrel for Flying Kiwis chat and that means having to report on things like Colchester losing for the third game in a row. They’d been on a rise on that League Two ladder before hand but have now dropped back into those crowded middling places again. Smithy played ninety mins in all three of those matches including the 2-0 loss to Southend this past weekend. Had a new CB partner that day though, Omar Sowunmi brought in for a rare start with Tom Eastman sliding out to right back... but 22 minutes into the match and they were already down a couple goals while Eastman was booked in the first half and limped off hurt towards the end. Not a good day at the office. Nothing really that Smithy, wearing the captain’s armband again, had to do with nay of that... at least the second chances come thick and fast at this time of the year.

Up Next: Wednesday at 8.45am against Cheltenham (NZT)

Jack van Luijken - Go Ahead Eagles (Dutch Eredivisie)

Nice feature there on a kiwi teenager working his way up the ranks overseas. JVL’s of Dutch parentage, his family emigrating to Aotearoa when he was five, and he came up playing for Onehunga Sports before moving back to the Netherlands for this gig with Go Ahead Eagles. He’s still only 17 years old, a central defender. Chasing the dream and all that. Good stuff.

Up Next: More of the same

Olli Harder – West Ham United (English Women’s Super League)

You don’t see this everyday, a New Zealand manager getting a major gig. Harder’s a bit of a globetrotter having coached at various levels in the USA, China, Norway, and England but born in Aotearoa, now manager of West Ham United. How about that? He replaces Matt Beard who left the club by mutual decision a month ago – Beard was the manager during the season when Ria Percival played for West Ham, a season in which they were beaten FA Cup finalists. Harder signs a 2.5 year contract.

Olli Harder: “I’m looking forward to the opportunity of not only working with such a historic club but, more importantly, a club that has committed itself to the development and progression of the women’s game. I’m relishing the challenge of moving forward the West Ham United women’s team into what will no doubt be a bright future.”

Harder is 34 years old, most recently having been assistant manager at Sandnes Ulf in the men’s second tier in Norway. Before that he was the boss at Klepp IL (in the Women’s Toppserien) for a few years where he turned them from relegation battlers to a pretty consistent top-half team – developing a few Norwegian internationals in the process but more important to Flying Kiwis also coaching Kirsty Yallop (and her partner Tameka Yallop) who was a key player in those teams before she retired after the 2018 season. Yallop had alread been transitioning onto the coaching staff there as a trainer/player developer when she hung up the boots.

Harder also worked with Betsy Hassett briefly when she played on a short term deal while he was at Amazon Grimstad prior to the Klepp gig. A goalkeeper in his playing days, he began his coaching career at Massey High School coaching their girls’ side and also took charge of Lynfield College’s Boys team before leaving our fine shores – so basically all of his coaching progression has come overseas, to be fair. Harder also worked as an assistant coach for the Norwegian U23s for a year while he was at Klepp. Apparently he speaks English, Norwegian, and German fluently.

Here he is, speaking in English, about his career arc back in 2016...

“I have been coaching for 15 years, and started my coaching career in New Zealand before moving to the US. In the States, I worked for five years in youth development, directing, coaching and as an assistant with both the New Jersey Institute of Technology and Maestro Soccer Academy. I then moved to England and operated in various roles, before heading to China and taking a job as Football Development Officer for the largest club in Beijing: Club Football China. Upon completion of this role I moved back to the US and took the position of Assistant Coach with the Yale University men’s outfit. I then moved to Norway and worked as First Team Coach with Toppserien side Amazon Grimstad. This season I am Assistant Coach and Head of Football Development at Klepp IL.”

Yeah so that’s all pretty bloody cool. West Ham are down near the bottom of things but Bristol City are having a nightmare without a win in the first half of the campaign and currently nursing a -39 goal difference so barring something miraculous they’ll be the ones getting relegated. Meaning Harder has half a season to begin shaping things with no real pressure. The Hammers have scored a decent amount of goals but have been conceding them just as often so that’s the first thing to fix. Second thing... sign a few New Zealanders, maybe? Arsenal’s current team is coached by Australian Joe Montemurro and that joker signed three Aussie internationals (Lydia Williams, Steph Catley & Caitlin Foord) this year.

Speaking of kiwi coaches...

Up Next: First game in charge... just a cheeky away trip to Manchester City on Sunday 10 January at 4am (NZT)

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