Michael Woud – Willem II (Dutch Eredivisie)

Hey, right on, sweet as... Michael Woud got a game for Willem II. It’s been a while in coming as a preseason injury limited him at the start of things and then ever since he’s just been living in his role as a backup waiting his chance but an injury to Timon Wellenreuther finally meant his first game time since he played the final of his four appearances last season.

Those four games probably weren’t his best to be honest. He conceded nine goals including one or two that were directly his fault but here he looked much more at home. Willem II are on fire this season and were again good enough to claim three more points with a 26th minute goal for Sebastian Holmén, tapping in after Dries Saddiki had hit the bar with an acrobatic but kinda ugly volley from a free kick delivery, all they needed for a 1-0 win against midtable Heracles. Oh and one other thing, the ref subbed himself off with injury after quarter of an hour here. Don’t see that too often.

Woud didn’t have to make many saves. Heracles were competitive in the first stanza, hitting the crossbar straight after Willem II had scored, but they were comfortably the second best on the park in the second 45 with all that was missing being another goal for W2. There was a header that went close for Heracles but it was off target. Nothing out of Woudy’s wheelhouse... but that was the impressive thing. He looked comfortable as though he knew he belonged, a big boost since the last times he played for this team – something that he spoke about after the game to the microphones (watch the vid in the hyperlink below).

Michael Woud: “I look on that period [his four games last season] and I learned so much. I learned so much in those games and I knew that when I got another chance like today I’d be able to use those things I learned to help me and today I showed that I learned a lot of those in those games and I was more calm and more easy and yeah I’m happy with how I played. Those first for games were just me learning and getting used to the league, you know.”

It sounds like whatever malady laid Wellenreuther low was nothing too serious and he’s not expected to miss the game against Ryan Thomas and PSV next week, though it’ll depend how he comes through training. Speaking of PSV, Willem II are now four points clear of them and still in fourth place only behind Feyenoord on goal difference. Their 40 points is already more than they’ve accrued in 10 of their 12 completed top flight seasons. Also, James McGarry was an unused sub for this game same as he has been for every league game this season – playing once for six minutes as a sub against Emmen way back in August.

Up Next: PSV vs Willem II on Sunday at 7.45am (NZT)

Ryan Thomas – PSV Eindhoven (Dutch Eredivisie)

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, the dumb buggers at PSV sold midfielder Gaston Pereiro and had Ibrahim Affelay suspended but still they didn’t pick Ryan Thomas for the big game away to Ajax. Jorritt Hendrix and Pablo Rosario got the nods instead with Mohamed Ihattaren in the number ten role and Thommo was an unused sub as they lost 1-0. A first half Quincy Promes goal means PSV stay in fifth place and are now 14 full points behind Ajax on the table. Like, they coulda just played Ryan Thomas but no. Apparently they wanted to lose.

This was also a PSV team without Steven Bergwijn who was busy scoring for Spurs against Man City after securing his transfer before the deadline, however PSV did offer a debut to their new left back Ricardo Rodriguez. Honestly though, it was only 1-0 in the end but it could have been a few more. PSV only had one shot on target all match and were comfortably beaten. Of course, they’re undefeated in the last four games that Thommo has started and in all five games in which he’s played more than half a game. The one he was sent off in against AZ, it was 0-0 when he was dismissed and they went on to lose 4-0. The cup game he was subbed off at half-time of the other week it was 0-0 when he was hooked and they went on to lose 2-0. Folks, the analytics team has spoken.

Up Next: PSV vs Willem II on Sunday at 7.45am (NZT)

Hannah Wilkinson - Sporting CP (Portuguese 1a Divisão)

Count one, count two, count three. Not just three goals on the day but also three hat-tricks for the season as Sporting strolled to a 9-0 win over CF Benfica in the League Cup, a fine way to respond to getting dropped from the Portuguese Cup last week (3-0 vs SC Braga, with Wilkie a 52nd min substitute).

Wilkinson scored first to get us going in the 11th minute. Stepping in front of her marker at the near post to get on the end of a cut back and putting it away with ease after that. Raquel Fernandes then doubled the lead in the 25th min with a yoga stretch of a volley before Wilkie got her second in the 37th min. This one was the prerequisite header. She’d already headed the ball away from the grasp of the keeper from a deep free kick and was then able to get back on her feet in time for the second effort cross, make that 3-0 at the break.

Diana Silva then scored a header of her own, this one on the end of a free kick, before Wilkie hammered home a defensive deflection in the 71st minute, an emphatic finish to cap off a lovely afternoon before she was subbed off for the closing stages... during which Silva added another, Carolina Mendes nabbed a quick brace, and Joana Marchão put the final touches on the performance. 9-0. Too good.

Being a League Cup game there wasn’t too much on the line. They’re in the middle of a group stage which Sporting are already likely to qualify from – they drew 2-2 with SL Benfica in their other LC contest. But nice to get in amongst the goals all the same. This was their biggest win since the second game of the season and if you’re counting at home that’s now 16 goals in 17 games for Hannah Wilkinson this campaign.

Up Next: Monday at 3am, away to Ovarense (NZT)

Winston Reid – West Ham United (English Premier League)

David Moyes: “Winston Reid is going to join a club in America on loan, everything being well. I don't want to give you a club just now, he's got to get through a medical and a few other things.”

There you go then, forget about the rumours and the innuendo, this one’s coming straight from the mouth of the head horse himself. Those words were spoken at Moyesy’s press conference midweek (ahead of the game against Liverpool... which West Ham lost, obvs) and they come after reports that Winnie had already rejected a loan deal from Charlton. Davie didn’t wanna name clubs but Sporting Kansas City and Nashville FC have both been mentioned, with the latter sounding like the ones that have won out for his signature. Interestingly the two cities whose teams took part in the AFC Championship game in the NFL a couple weeks back, maybe Winnie’s just a massive Derrick Henry fan. DC United have also had some traction... shout out to Ryan Nelsen. But Nashville SC it shall be.

Any move for Winston is complicated immensely both by his recent injury history, not having featured for West Ham in a proper game for nearly two years, and also his massive contract. A contract that he signed just after Sam Allardyce left the club and which, incredibly, still has THREE MORE YEARS to run on it. The end of the 2022-23 season is when he’s off the books for the Hammers which is awkward for all involved if he’s not going to be trusted to play in senior games. He needs to get his match fitness up after so long out but that’s simply not an option for a team still looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone.

Hence the move to Nashville SC - (that’s SC as in Soccer Club) – will happen on temporary basis as a loan deal. There had been chatter of a two year loan deal which would definitely have been a ‘run down the clock on that contract’ sorta move from WHU but the NZ Herald reckons we’re talking six months so as to allow him to return to London for the next preseason. Which, in turn, would mean leaving the MLS expansion side midway through their own season. Also, the Premier League transfer window has nothing to do with this one since he’s an outgoing fella so it’s the MLS window that matters for his registration and that opens on 12 February. He’s already in Tennessee for a medical, so they say. Expect word imminently.

Up Next: Waiting, waiting...

Nando Pijnaker - Grasshopper Club Zürich (Swiss Challenge League)

The January signings just keep on coming, here’s Nando Pijnaker linking up with his 2019 U20s teammate (and possible teammates at the Olympics too) Max Mata over in Switzerland. Mata has been over there since January 2019, playing with the U21s initially and then spending the last six months of last year on loan with Nõmme Kalju in Estonia. He did quite well, scoring goals for both of those teams but Grasshoppers’ senior side were relegated from the top flight at the same time so not the bestest situation overall, although they’re second in the Challenge League coming out of the winter break so a strong bet to go straight back up.

Nando, who spent the second half of 2019 with so many other of his Ole mates at Torslanda in Sweden, had been with GCZ on a trial basis in December and did enough to be invited back after his holidays as the team coalesced again. He even played the second half of a friendly match against FC Basel for the first team last week before news a few days later that he’d signed on a permanent basis. That was the only of their several January friendlies that either he or Mata featured in so don’t expect an instant first team impact. It’s still possible that Mata will end up with another loan deal elsewhere to keep churning out first team footy, although it’s worth noting that both Nando and Max are listed on the GC Zürich website in the U21 Squad. Which, and this is amazing, list not only the DOBs of the players but also their star signs...

Odd that Nando’s listed as having been at the club since August. The GCZ U21s don’t play a proper game until the end of February though. Might be a little wait to see what happens with a couple dudes hoping to be a part of that Olympic squad midyear.

Up Next: Well, horoscope.com says while Cancer’s long term trends may not be going the way they like, there are plenty of short term pleasures to enjoy... not sure that aligns with signing a long term pro contract but okay

Erin Nayler – Girondins Bordeaux (French Division 1 Féminine)

Having pretty much been leap frogged for the starting keeper role at FCGB, Erin Nayler is now one of those cup alternate keepers for the time being. But that’s not a bad thing to be when there’s a cup game going on.

Bordeaux were up against Montauban and despite taking the lead through Kathellen Sousa late in the first half they were pegged back early in the second half with the game ending in a 1-1 draw. They’d already brought on a few of the top dogs off the bench but breaking down the Montauban defence proved a little tougher than anticipated even into extra time and, just as in the previous round, it came down to Erin Nayler in a penalty shootout. She didn’t actually have to save one on that occasion as the decisive penalty was struck off target but this time... this time she saved two.

One for fun and then two for the money. That second save ended the shooutout with a 4-2 victory for Bordeux, taking them into the last eight of the French Cup, still in the mix to add some silverware to what’s already proving an immensely successful season for the team.

Up Next: Fleury 91 vs Bordeaux at 2.30am on Sunday (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

Burnley may usually tend to struggle against the traditional top six sides but having beaten Manchester United last week, a visit from out of form Arsenal might not have been as intimidating as usual. Same lineup as the lot that beat United, The Woodsman up top with Jay Rodriguez. Let’s go.

The Gunners could have been in front within two minutes. Alexandre Lacazette nodding one wide from a great position. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did even worse a while later after a glorious ball over the top from David Luiz, Aubs slipping and shanking his shot through on goal from the left. But as Burnley settled in, they were able to apply a bit of pressure of their own beyond the hopeful long shots they’d been mustering. One of those long shots was pretty close to bee fair, Jay Rod drawing a solid low save outta Berndt Leno after Woody had chested it down and laid it off to him.

But tell you what, if only Jeff Hendrick had put in that chance late in the first half which he pushed past the post. Or if only James Tarkowski had left that ball at the far post for Ben Mee. Or if only Hendrick had done better with Dwight McNeil’s cross in a situation that would have been a trademark Chris Wood headed goal if it had been him instead. Or worst of all if Jay Rodriguez had kept his side-footed volley under the crossbar near the end, instead of taking the underside, bouncing on the line, and bouncing clear.

What that all adds up to is a relatively quiet game from Chris Wood in front of goal. Just the one shot off target and he touched the ball a mere 26 times – fewer than every other starter for either team except for Arsenal’s 18 year old left back Bukayo Saka who was subbed off at half-time. Burnley made zero subs all game. And with the poor finishing on show from everybody else it meant a 0-0 draw which keeps Burnley level on points with the Gunners on the ladder, albeit behind on goal difference. Nothing particularly interesting but a valuable point all the same.

Up Next: Southampton vs Burnley on Sunday at 1.30am (NZT)

The MLS Contingent

We’re less than two weeks away from the start of the 2020 MLS season now and it seems like we’re adding to the crop of kiwis over there every couple days at the moment. Noah Billingsley’s going great, for one thing. He’s talking up the step from college to the pros there but so far he’s done everything right from his dominating fitness testing to getting a good run in their latest friendly match. The Loons played two distinct teams, one in each half, with Michael Boxall predictably amongst the first XI and Billingsley and James Musa in the second XI (which is more or less what’s expected of them come the real stuff – Boxall starting and the other two on the bench). They were playing a college team and won it 5-0, btw. So things are looking good in Minnesota with their trinity of Aotearoa internationals... but what about the rest of them? A quick recap...

Bill Tuiloma (Portland Timbers) – Erm, not good news. Terrible news in fact. Tui was likely to be battling to earn a starting CB spot for the Timbers after his efforts in 2019 but that quest has been put on hold for a little while thanks to injury. Two months out with a muscle problem. He’ll most likely miss the All Whites games in March now too, guts. Still, of all the other fellas he’s the most established so it ain’t like he’ll be cast aside now. Tuiloma signed a multi-year extension with the club back in December.

Deklan Wynne (Colorado Rapids) – The forgotten man in the MLS in a lot of ways. Uncle Tony Hudson might have gone but Dekkers is still there and is finally back to playing footy again after a foot injury ended his 2019 season very prematurely. So prematurely that Anthony Hudson was still his manager when he was injured. When he took the park at left back for the Rapids in their first preseason clash it was the first time he’d ever played for the new Rapids gaffer Robin Fraser, who had taken over as caretaker before getting the full time gig after almost taking them to the playoffs despite the handicap that Huddo left him with. Tommy Smith was supposed to be in favourable negotiations to return to Colorado as well but those would seem to have broken down considering his name has been floating around a few Football League clubs back in England. Smithy had been training back at Ipswich with the U23s to keep fit but their manager Paul Lambert shot down any ideas of re-signing the fella. Wigan and Portsmouth have been mentioned as possible landing zones, with Huddersfield also in the mix.

Elliot Collier (Chicago Fire) – EC had a great run in the Fire first team after being drafted in 2018 but has spent most of the last 18 months away with USL teams on loan. His contract is up but he’s been invited to Chicago Fire preseason to trial for a new one. They’re in Florida for a two week camp currently, one of 28 players in that group with 8 of them currently uncontracted for whatever reason (youth teamers, trialists, or unsigned rookies). Collier played the entire second half of their opening preseason fixture – a 3-0 loss to Philadelphia Union.

Kyle Adams (Houston Dynamo) – Signed for 2020 with the Dynamo last week, confirming his step up from their USL feeder team Rio Grande Valley. He’s just chipping away during preseason at the mo’.

Up Next: New season begins at the start of March

Olivia Chance – Bristol City (English Super League)

Liv: “Now it’s the second half of the season and we’re starting to build something, we’ve got a few more players in so more numbers to add to the group and I think that shows in training. Our training has stepped up a level because there is more of us. I think the game this weekend is about righting a few wrongs from the last game against them last time, we let them have shots from distance that shouldn’t have happened, so there’s things we know that we gave them that we’re going to make sure doesn’t happen.”

Them’s fighting words and even more so considering who Bristol City had on the cards this weekend: Ria Percival and Tottenham Hotspur... a Flying Kiwis Derby! Yeah except that then the weather had the final say and the game ended up being postponed. Guts. It was a waterlogged pitch that proved the stumbling block.

Up Next: Monday at 4am, BCFC vs Reading (NZT)

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

It finally happened! Jeremy Brockie’s on the scoresheet for Maritzburg with his first goal for the club that he signed with on loan with back at the start of September. His previous PSL goal had come in November 2018 and that goal was the only league goal he ever scored for Mamelodi Sundowns so it’s not been a happy time of it for a bloke that scored 54 times in effectively three seasons (in all comps) for SuperSport before that.

This goal wasn’t the sexiest, that’s for sure. His own coach called it a shank. But a scrappy one counts the same as a wonder goal and this one would earn Maritzburg a point against Cape Town City, despite playing the entire second half with ten men after Gabriel Nyoni was sent off in the 39th minute. Jerry’s goal came only ten minutes after he was brought on as a substitute too – which is a relevant footnote in the scoring dramas because he really just hasn’t played much football. This was his first appearance in three weeks and obviously he was pretty much quarantined at Sundowns by the end of it. Of course the game that Brockie finally scores in would be one where Dan Morgan was only an unused sub – Morgs plays a whole lot more than Brockie does for this side, more often than not starting at LCB or LWB in their formation.

Coach Erik Tinkler: “Jeremy has been fantastic the whole week in training, he was a different man. This week he was scoring for fun. Today he shanked one in, but it’s just about getting off the mark. He came on with the right energy and mindset. I was happy for him because he needed that goal to lift some pressure off his shoulders.”

Up Next: Away to Stellenbosch in the Nedbank Cup R32, Saturday at 7am (NZT)

Rebekah Stott – Melbourne City (Australian W-League)

Too right. However it was an off week for the W-League, with the only game taking place being a catchup between Newcastle and Adelaide (the Jets won 2-0). So... moving on then.

Up Next: The Melbourne Derby, Thursday at 9.30pm (NZT)

Matt Garbett – Falkenbergs FF (Swedish Allsvenskan)

He set up a goal too, how good?

Up Next: Next friendly game’s vs Varbergs Bois on Sunday at 1am (NZT)

Steven Old – Morecambe (English League Two)

Indestructible. The 68th minute of a scoreless game, away to Walsall, with opportunities at the minimum for both teams. A true midweek winter game of lower league football which was demanding a hero to rise from the crowd and Steven Old had to rise pretty high to get his head on that corner on his way to that crucial goal. Walsall had already missed a penalty in the first half and it could have been a very different game had that one gone in but nah Stevie got to be the man instead. Indestructible. Carlos Mendes Gomes then scored deeeeeeeep into stoppage time to bank the points after the Shrimps had survived a couple very nervous moments (including Walsall hitting the post) and a 2-0 win means Morecambe are now just two points from safety with 15 games remaining.

As is generally the case, things weren’t as much fun against Cheltenham on the weekend as two goals in three first half minutes saw them lose 2-1, Morecambe’s goal coming late on. But three points in a week is still great news for them. Fire up, Oldie. Love that multi-leap fist pump celebration too. That’s the real deal right there.

Up Next: Sunday at 4am vs Mansfield (NZT)

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