Sarpreet Singh – Bayern Munich (German Bundesliga)

It had to happen eventually. After five straight games as an unused sub, Sarpreet Singh was bound to get out there sooner or later and when it finally did happen it was even better than expected. This was no five minute cameo, matey.

In the first game after Bayern wrapped up the title, Singh was rewarded with a place in the starting eleven. Home versus Freiburg in their second to last league game. There were a couple other changes with Lucas Hernandez coming in for the suspended Alphonso Davies and Javi Martinez getting his first start in ages, while Michael Cuisancee retained his starting spot despite Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski coming back into the team... but this was an extremely strong Bayern team all the same. Multiple World Cup winners involved. Shout out to reserve keeper Sven Ulreich for finally getting a game too – poor chap had sat on the bench for every single game up until now this season.

Just like on the preseason tour, Sarpreet Singh set up on the left wing. What was immediately impressive about his performance was just how involved he was. Heaps of touches in the first quarter of an hour especially, keeping busy and working really hard to make an impact. Doing his best to make the most of the opportunity and not in any way being intimidated by the occasion. There was a volleyed shot which was blocked and a ball in for Lewandowski which only just missed its target. Bloody lovely. And then in the 16th minute Bayern took the lead, Singh with a front row seat as Lewandowski laid the ball back to Joshua Kimmich who stroked that sucker into the bottom corner to cap a dominant start from the champs.

The other cool thing for Singh is that with Bayern holding so much possession, they really pushed their fullbacks forward which gave someone Singh on the left the licence to drift all the way inside and look for the ball, which he did plenty of especially after the first goal went in and play drifted away from him. Then Lewandowski scored their second in the 24th min (his 32nd of the league campaign, incredibly). Following up on a saved shot from Leon Goretzka.

Freiburg pulled one back after half an hour which was perhaps a little sloppy from Bayern’s adjusted back four (which included Javi Martinez at CB) but the goal for Lucas Höler came in the middle of a strong spell for Freiburg as Bayern perhaps took their foot off the gas after the second goal. But then Bobby Lewandowski scored again in the 37th minute and that was all the goal scoring action for this particular day. The game held on ‘til the half then Bayern spurned a couple chances before the subs started rolling and Singh was replaced in the first wave of those in the 64th minute – American Chris Richards and Englishman/German Jamal Musiala making first team debuts off the bench. 3-1 was the final score, no dramas there.

There were probably a few moments where Singh showed his inexperience, a few touches which weren’t quite perfect, but for the most part he looked pretty comfortable. He was never as involved again as he was in the opening quarter of an hour but 29 touches in 63 minutes, one shot off target (blocked shots are counted as off target even if they were on the right trajectory, can’t shoot through a bugger after all), 78.3% pass success, and he conceded three fouls too just to keep the Bundesliga on its toes add up to a fine day’s work. Got a righteous handshake from the gaffer after he was subbed as well. All in all a positive day at the office and here’s hoping there’s more to come before the end of the season.

Earlier in the week there was no rest for the wicked. One day after Bayern confirmed their eighth league championship in a row, with Sarpreet Singh on the bench, he was kitting up to start for the reserves in a home match against Meppen. He wasn’t the only one either - Kwasi Okyere Wreidt and Oliver Batista Meier also started that game having been on the bench the day before. And Bayern 2 were just as rampant as their top team have been. They rolled on to a 5-1 win with Wreidt continuing his excellent form with a hat-trick. They also haven’t lost since the league resumed and a run of 22 points from their last possible 24, culminating in this win here, shot them up to the top of the ladder with five games left (which they maintained, narrowly, with a draw in their most recent game). They’re not allowed to be promoted any higher as a reserve team but remember they were only promoted into this league this season. Goes to show that club is just swarming with talent.

Sarpreet Singh didn’t have a major role in the match however because Sarpreet Singh was subbed off at half-time. Meier was also replaced quarter of an hour into the second half while Wreidt played the full contest. Singh lined up as a central attacking playmaker and they were 2-0 up when he came off. The first goal came from a penalty and the second a ball in behind from the left, both scored by Wreidt. Singh’s replacement was clearly a planned one to keep him fresh for the weekend where we now know he was destined to play a significant role, he never came back out after the break and with the rains pelting down and the officials on the sidelines with the umbrellas out he probably didn’t mind too much either. Last time these two teams played, BM2 were 3-1 up and lost 5-3 but this time they had no such issues. And the rest, as they say, was Flying Kiwis History.

Up Next: Wolfsburg vs Bayern, Sunday at 1.30am (NZT)

Meikayla Moore – MSV Duisburg (German Bundesliga)

We’re in the big time desperate stages now of this relegation drama... it’ll all be over this time next week. There is a midweek and a weekend round to get through this time and that takes us exactly to where we thought we’d be: with crucial final game for MSV Duisburg against the bottom team, which even before this week was already destined to land somewhere in the realm between absolute must-win and probably-need-to-win.

The rough news from the midweek is that they lost and lost comfortably. Hoffenheim are third on the ladder, one of the best teams in the country, and although the Zebras held on until the 37th minute they were eventually topped by a 3-0 scoreline which left them exactly where they were before the match. Not much else to say, they were comfortably the second best team and looked vulnerable particularly against the aerial delivery into the box even if the goal that eventually broke them was an absolute ripper from the edge of the area. The second was a volley in the area after some scrambliness just before the hour and the third was a penalty on 66 mins. Just gotta do better in the next two games is all.

Thankfully they did get a boost from games elsewhere. Bayern Munich were kind enough to beat FC Köln 4-0 and it could have been a lot more too with all four goals coming inside the first half hour, meanwhile Bayer Leverkusen buggered up supreme when they were held to a 0-0 draw by already-relegated USV Jena. That means they did climb one point ahead of Duisburg with a better goal difference but it wasn’t the leap they will have wanted, not with Duisburg still to play Jena in the final round.

Which took us to the weekend’s offerings where Bayer Leverkusen hosted FC Köln in a bit of a winner takes all matchup while at the exact same kickoff time on Monday morning NZT, MSV Duisburg hosted Turbine Potsdam hoping not to leave it all entirely up to the last match. Ideally what the Zebras wanted was for one the other game to involve a nice handy winner so that they can capitalise in their final game, seeing as they only need to overtake one of them. Well, things took a pretty poor turn when Kristina Matsuki went down injured and had to be replaced after quarter of an hour in their own game but then came news that Leverkusen had taken the lead at about the same time. Ivana Rudelic scored the goal after getting in behind the defence and then four minutes later she had another thanks to an excellent volley at the near post.

All the while Meikayla Moore and crew were keeping Turbine Potsdam frustrated in their own game. It was still scoreless at the break, with Potsdam making a half-time change to try and spark something. Over in the other match Köln got themselves back in the contest with a Eunice Beckmann strike in first half stoppage time, however the next goal they scored was in the wrong net. Vanessa Zilligen with an oggie in the 53rd minute. Probably more the keeper’s fault for not covering the near post but then the cross was lashed back across goal so damned if you do, damned if you don’t. A lucky break for Bayer Leverkusen and equally as lucky for Duisburg who continued to batten down the hatches against Potsdamn. Köln were desperate yet it was Leverkusen who looked more likely to score again, twice going close to a fourth.

Then came the final whistle. Drastic emotions on both sides. With their goal difference, that 3-1 win all but guarantees Bayer Leverkusen in the top flight again for next season while the final whistle for MSV Duisburg was almost as beneficial as they held on for an enormous 0-0 draw against the fourth placed team on the ladder, sliding them ahead of FC Köln thanks to goal difference. That draw snaps a three-game losing streak at just the right time. Full match for Moore, of course. She hasn’t missed a minute of the nine games since she returned from injury.

The Zebras have actually scored fewer goals than Köln but their defence has been much better, shot Meikayla, and that margin will almost surely keep them up if they can beat USV Jena in that final match... Jena who have to play their a catchup game in the midweek too so they’ll be on short rest as well as having the psychological baggage of already being relegated. FC Köln host SC Sand in their season ender, knowing they have to better the result of Duisburg’s away to Jena. All games kick off simultaneously. Here’s how the bottom of the table looks...

Up Next: USV Jena vs MSV Duisburg, midnight on Sunday/Monday (NZT)

Michael Woud – Willem II (Dutch Eredivisie)

Michael Woud: “It is good for my development to arrive at Almere City FC and play some more minutes. I need that experience to grow. I'm excited to show what I can do in Almere.”

Interesting move, this. Willem II did brilliantly to hang on to qualify for the early Europa League stages by virtue of their fifth placing at the time the Dutch league was abandoned for pandemic related reasons. Their top choice keeper, German Timon Wellenreuther, had long since been rumoured to leave though and sure enough he’s since signed with Anderlecht in Belgium leaving that number one gloveman role vacant.

Woud was the backup keeper for the entirety of last season (after an injury break at the start, at least) and a good chunk of the season before but has only made five first team appearances for Willem II so far. The club never lied about the fact that they preferred to sign an imported keeper to fill Wellenreuther’s boots but with the state of travel in Europe what it is at the moment that wasn’t necessarily a simple task. Which might have been a fortuitous fall of the dice for Woudy but nah turns out he’s going out on loan instead. Pretty much the standard plan for a player in Woud’s position. He’s spent two years learning as a backup but he’s 21 years old and will learn more from playing regular first team footy.

Thus Willem II won’t have their top two keepers next season, while Greek third-stringer Giorgios Strezos (who is coming off contract) and 19-year-old academy grad Connor van den Berg have never played for the senior team. Safe to say they must be confident they’ve got a transfer or two lined up if Woud’s being allowed to leave on loan. It’ll be a full season loan, by the way, with reports suggesting they considered loaning him out in January too.

Almere City were ninth in the second tier when that all got canned... that’s one spot outside the promotion playoff spots. Their regular goalie was 27 year old Joshua Smits but he’s just left, confirmed literally a couple days before Woud’s arrival was announced, to have signed in Norway with 2019 runners-up FK Bodø / Glimt. Crazy thing is you’ll hear a little bit more about that club in a second. So that leaves the gloves free for Woudy to swoop in, although he will have competition for that spot.

More from Michael Woud: “This is a good step in my career. My goal is to become the first goalkeeper at Almere City FC and play many games. I want to get better here and fight with the team for promotion. That is the goal of Almere City FC and I would like to contribute to that.”

Almere City Technical Director Teun Jacobs: “Michael is a talented goalkeeper who has enjoyed part of his career at Sunderland and has already made his debut as an international. He is a physically strong boy, who therefore dominates in the penalty area and can also play well with his feet. We're glad we were able to capture him.”

Up Next: Meet the new teammates

Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)

First game of the 2020 season, first game of Joe Bell’s professional career as well. Bell started on the bench as anticipated as Viking hosted last term’s runners-up Bodø / Glimt and they started pretty ideally as Fredrik Torsteinbø nodded in from a corner kick but that lead only lasted six minutes before Ulrik Saltness had levelled things again. Though Viking did take the lead into the break thanks to this sumptuous looking backheeled volley from Even Østensen three minutes before the spell. Have a piece of this one, aye?

Unfortunately they weren’t up to much in the second half. Jens Petter Hauge equalised eleven minutes after the break as Viking were skinned for pace down their left and Hague tapped in from the low cross, then Sondre Fet scored in the 69th minute, finishing off after the ball had come back off the crossbar after a shot from a tight angle. Bell was subbed on in the 72nd minute as part of a triple change and he slotted into the midfield as Viking switched up to a 4-4-2 shape to try and get back in the game.

But then in the 80th minute they gave up a bit of space over the top as Bell and company pressed to win the ball back high up the field and after some sloppiness Viking eventually conceded with a fella called Philip Zinckernagel bundling it over the line to seal the points. Disappointing result, going down 4-2, but it was a promising performance in a few main areas against a very good side and Joe Bell got some football at the first possible opportunity also so certainly not all bad. 17 year old Sondre Auklend also made his club senior debut at the same time as Joe Bell... this is what the team looked like if you’re bothered with that sorta thing.

Then they played away to Brann on Monday morning and again Bell was a presence off the bench. Got the last ten minutes, coming on as part of a double sub against Brann. Unfortunately Viking were a bit rubbish and they lost 3-0. They started well enough but weren’t able to make it count in a scoreless first half, although they reckon they were robbed for a penalty, but then they conceded twice in fifteen mins coming out of the break and that ruined them. Beaten by a ball over the top and a cross in from the left, not great. And when Viking did win a spottie for some rash keeping late-ish on poor Tommy Høiland stepped up with a terribly disguised panenka kick which landed in the goalie’s lap. Then Brann scored on the runaway in stoppage time to seal the points and a 3-0 win. Joe Bell was the closest defender to Erlend Hustad but couldn’t quite catch up to him.

Up Next: Home vs Mjøndalenn 4am Thursday (NZT)

Betsy Hassett - Stjarnan (Icelandic Úrvalsdeild kvenna)

The 2020 season is finally underway in Iceland and that’s meant a debut for Betsy Hassett at her new club Stjarnan. She had an excellent campaign with KR last time around, helping them into the cup final (although their league form wasn’t as hot), and now she’s moved on after two and a half years with that lot to join Stjarnan, who in 2019 finished four points and two places ahead of KR (and beat them in the final game of last season).

The debut wasn’t good. Stjarnan were away to Þór/KA and trailled after just fifteen minutes and were 3-0 down soon after half-time and when they struck back soon after the third goal they just as quickly conceded a fourth and 4-1 was the final score, not the way they wanted to begin things. Pretty well dominated and creating very little in the process. But that’s all background noise, next up was FH who were another team to have lost by three goals on the opening weekend and guts to them because they lost by three more again here. And who happened to score the first goal? Betsy Hassett. Off the mark and helping her team to a comfortable win, as they added two more goals in the second half and Hassett was subbed off with ten minutes remaining and the match in the bag. Just what we wanna see.

Up Next: 6am on Thursday away to ÍBV (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

Sean Dyche: “Unfortunately, we are down with Woody and Barnesy and down with Johann. They definitely won’t make this early period of these games. We’re really working hard with them and you’re going into the world of keeping your fingers crossed when you’ve got so many games in such a short space of time. You only have to miss a couple of weeks and you could miss five or six games. It’s not perfect in that sense and we have contract situations as well.”

Sean Dyche some more: “[Ashley] Barnesy has flared up a little bit so he is not on the grass at the moment. Johann [Berg Gudmundsson] and Woody are on the grass at the moment but only just. We will have to hope that their bodies deal with their injuries quickly and we can get them up to speed... Woody is a fresh injury. Unfortunately in lockdown, he had a bit of a calf situation. It wasn’t drastic, but unfortunately in training just got a bit of a strain on his calf. That’s not ideal either.”

All three were thus ruled out of the return match away to Manchester City. Hopefully the Woodsman ain’t out too long, it sounds like he’s close. Pesky calves, aye? The Burnley website actually said it was an Achilles thing but you’d fancy that’s another diagnosis of the same injury rather than a separate thing. Man City predictably won it 5-0 and between injuries and players coming off contract this could be a difficult run in for the Clarets... luckily relegation is no threat for them.

Up Next: Burnley vs Wolves, Friday at 5am (NZT)

Hannah Wilkinson – Djurgården IF (Swedish Damallsvenskan)

Good chat in there. Talking about moving back to the Swedish league, doing a masters in psychology remotely from Harvard, playing and recording music, surfing, football... and Wilkie’s favourite Swedish word: älskar. Which means ‘love’.

Up Next: Djurgården’s first game is away to Uppsala at 1am on Monday (NZT)

Matt Garbett – Falkenbergs FF (Swedish Allsvenskan)

Two games. First was a 1-0 win away to Mjallby in which Garbett’s services off the bench were not required. More about holding firm and getting that first win of the season rather than chucking on teenaged striker prospects. Then they faced Kalmar FF and while it was a 2-0 defeat, this did happen...

28 minutes off the bench, introduced with the game still scoreless. Garbett’s brightest opportunity yet to show what he’s capable of. Looked like he was posted out on the right wing, a bit of speed and skill on the flank to try and spark something. But it didn’t quite go as planned. FFF struggled to create much throughout the match and what they did mostly came from set pieces. Then they conceded twice and lost.

The first goal they conceded was a lovely cut back move in the 66th minute. The second was an absolute shambles, nine players forward for a free kick to be pumped into the box from halfway and it didn’t even beat the first defender, then when the FFF keeper was able to come way off his line to break up the counter he hoofed it to another attacker who controlled it and volleyed in from about five metres shy of halfway. This is the end of it...

Up Next: Mjällby vs FF in the quarters of the Swedish Cup, that’s on Friday at 6.15am (NZT)

Joel Stevens & Francis De Vries – IFK Värnamo (Swedish Division 1 Södra)

It’s been a pretty useful start to the season for Värnamo in the Swedish third tier, even more because it’s involved a couple kiwis. Both Stevens and FDV logged full games as the Varnies won their second match of the campaign by the same scoreline as their first: 1-0. A first half goal for Mikael Kargbo was enough to beat FC Trollhättan. Seems like they were good enough to win by a few more but that’s the way it goes sometimes. Stevens picked up a yellow card late on. Värnamo were one of only two teams to have won both their first two games in the Southern portion of the first division. Highlights are kinda hard to come by for those fellas but here at least is their starting lineup and some proof of Flying Kiwis inclusion...

Then a few days later they made it three outta three. Great start for Värnamo and this time they even bothered with a second goal. Lindome were their opponents, both Stevens and De Vries were in the starting lineup, and the goals were scored one in each half by Bernardo and Abdussalam Magashy (a Brazilian and a Nigerian). So that’s decent, Lindome were the other team to have won their first two games prior to this one which means Värnamo are now the only team on their side of the first division with a perfect 3/3 record so take that one, Lindome.

Up Next: Away to Landskrona at 2am on Sunday (NZT)

Cameron Hogg - Umeå FC (Swedish Superettan)

Jumping up a division to the second tier where Cam Hogg got the start with the gloves in Umeå’s 2020 opener (weird thing to say in late June but it’s been a weird sort of year, to be fair)... but it didn’t go so great. After taking the lead in the 35th minute through Bajram Ajeti they went on to lose 3-1 to GIF Sundsvall. Hogg was part of a very multi-cultural team for Umeå, with Sweden (obviously), Japan, France, Turkey, Ghana, Norway, and Uganda all represented in the eleven while a fella from Ethiopia came off the bench. Here’s Hoggy not saving the third goal, although the swan dive was decent...

He also got beaten at the near post for the first goal, though his defence didn’t do him any favours, while the second which came bang bang straight after the first was a no-chancer open header at the far post. Cam Hogg might be a slightly unfamiliar name for some readers, this is his second season in Sweden after playing nine times for Nyköpings BIS in the third tier in 2019. They were promoted but he was released and signed a division up with Umeå FC anyway back in January... following American manager Brian Clarhaut from Nykops to Umeå along with a couple other players. Bit cheeky. Hogg is 25 years old and was a part of the Wanderers SC thing leading into the 2015 U20 World Cup but didn’t make that squad, then progressing to college in the States and moving to Sweden after he finished that.

That game was in the midweek. Umeå then hosted Akropolis five days later and this one was better with a 1-1 draw... but Cam Hogg was back on the bench as Viktor Frodig came in, their usual number one keeper (at least that’s what it says on the back of his jersey – he played the majority of their games on the way to promotion in 2019). Umeå took the lead in the 53rd minute thanks to Alexis Bbakka but Adhavan Rajamohan stole a point for Akropolis with only two minutes remaining. Not sure if Frodig was missing for a reason in that first game of if he and Hoggy will get to rotate a bit throughout this compacted 2020 season. We’ll see how it goes.

Up Next: Saturday at 11pm, away to Eskilstuna (NZT)

Ali Riley - Orlando Pride (American National Women’s Soccer League)

Stink one. With the NWSL Challenge Cup kicking off next week, one of the kiwi participants will have to sit this one out as Ali Riley’s Orlando Pride have withdrawn from the competition at late notice after a few positive COVIC-19 tests emerged from out of their camp. For the safety of all involved, it was decided they wouldn’t be able to participate. The positives were all asymptomatic but that’s not really the point. Sucks because it was gonna be so much fun seeing Ali Riley in this league and she was absolutely pumped for it too.

Up Next: Gotta wait to see what the NWSL’s plans are for after the Challenge Cup

Nikko Boxall – Viborg FF (Danish Division 1)

Just the one game to get around here and it went crap. It was second versus third as Fredericia came to town but despite having some quality moments, particularly early in the second half, Viborg lacked a cutting edge to their attack and eventually they couldn’t hold on at the back. They were lucky not to concede in the first stanza as Fredericia had a goal disallowed for offside and also hit the post but they made one count in the 66th min with a smooth team goal after a defensive giveaway by VFF and then sealed the points in the 83rd on the counter after VFF had again gone close to scoring themselves but weren’t quite able to. 2-0 defeat drops VFF down to third below these fellas and if you didn’t hear Nikko Boxall’s name, that’s coz he was on the bench throughout.

Up Next: Skive vs Viborg, 4am on Thursday (NZT)

Nando Pijnaker & Max Mata - Grasshopper Club Zürich (Swiss Challenge League)

Translation: Nando Pijnaker’s been added to the Grasshoppers first team squad.

Which puts him in good company with his buddy Max Mata because while both of them had been working their way up from the U21 squad, with Mata also spending some time out on loan while Nando only signed at the start of the year... both of them also appear to be in the first team picture now moving forwards. At least according to reports anyway, haven’t found confirmed evidence of Mata’s first team permanence yet. Pijnaker’s been added to the list on their website but Mata’s still on the U21 page. Having said that he’s there wearing the #15 jersey on their Wikipedia page so you never know with these things.

Part of this development will be due to getting a new coach involved. Zoltan Kadar is now in charge there as GCZ try to push their way back up into the top flight with a strong close to the season. And an even bigger part of it is that the schedule is going to be brutal from here on out. Pijnaker has been added this week along with five of their other top prospects from the U21s in order to expand their squad to help them cope with having to play 13 games pretty much in a month and a half. They basically play every 3-4 days.

Grasshoppers are a bit of a sad case. They were once a powerful club in Switzerland, specifically back in the day when they had Wynton Rufer on the books, but they’ve fallen on hard times more recently and were relegated last time around. So now they’re in the second tier with the biggest stadium capacity in the division and trying to bounce back up. The Swiss Challenge League has been on the drop since late February with every team having played 23/36 matches and good news because it came back this very weekend.

GC Zürich were 15 points off top placed Lausanne as the pandemic came around, looking unlikely to catch them for that lone automatic promotion spot. But they’re only goal difference behind Vaduz for second and as long as they don’t mess around with the regulations because of all the weirdness that second place will earn a promotion playoff so there’s a heap to play for over these last thirteen games. Or, twelve now because they rocked back into the swing of things with a convincing 5-0 win over FA Aarau in Zoltan’s first match in charge. Neither of the two NZers were included in the matchday squad (although GC does have a striker on the bench called Ze Turbo, which is amazing) but that’s to be expected. Plenty more games where that one came from.

Up Next: Wednesday in the AM away to Winterthur at 4.15 (NZT)

Steven Old – Morecambe (English League Two)

Morecambe FC: “Morecambe Football Club has announced its retained list for the new season. Carlos Mendes Gomes, Alex Kenyon, Steven Old, Cole Stockton, Aaron Wildig and Jordan Slew have all been offered new one year contracts and the club has taken up the option clause in Toumani Diagouraga’s contract for a further year.”

So that’s good news then. At least another year for Oldie with the Shrimps in League Two. Quite a few fellas got the cut with this cull but their kiwi defender was not among them as manager Derek Adams looks to get the squad ready for next season in the hope to avoid another relegation scrap like the last couple seasons.

Up Next: League Two got canned when the pando hit, no idea what the deal will be with next season yet

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