Ryan Thomas – PSV Eindhoven (Dutch Eredivisie)

Fiiiiinally Thommo’s back in training. To recap for ya once again the bloke hadn’t played since going off injured in a Europa League match back in early November two full months ago. But that mini-break over Christmas/New Years did its thing and Ryan Thomas was considered back in full contention for a very important game against Ajax. As also were Mauro Júnior and Érick Gutiérrez – the former having last played in late November while the latter was yet to feature all season. Getting the troops back at a time when PSV had found some very handy form, winning five games in a row leading into that break and it’s with a slight hint of bittersweetness that we report they did not lose at all in the time that Thomas was out. Nine wins and two draws in all competitions.

Obviously it was too much to chuck him in to start against PSV’s biggest title rivals but what a relief to have him back on the bench. Ibrahim Sangare and Pablo Rosario were the starting central midfielders, while it was Eran Zahavi up front who got everyone all excited early on. An international teammate of new Phoenix striker Tomer Hemed (although Hemed hasn’t played for Israel for a wee while), Zahavi wasted no time at all in putting PSV in front after just 109 seconds. Olivier Boscagli with the ball forward for Donyell Malen who flicked it gorgeously with the outside of his boot to Zahavi who had just dodged the offside trap and he buried it.

That set up the game beautifully. PSV are the shakier of the two sides so for them to have an early lead gave us all sorts of possibilities. Ajax came back strong at them with Sangare having to block a couple shots (looked like the second one winded him)... but then in the 21st minute old mate Zahavi did it again. Sangare won the ball in midfield and dished it to Zahavi who played Malen through. That fella then cut it back and Zahavi buried it again. 2-0 to PSV who’d go top of the table if this result held.

Which it didn’t. Dusan Tadic got in behind the defence in the 40th minute and squared the ball to Quincy Promes who made it 2-1. Then into the second half and Ajax’s pressure continued up until new signing Sebastien Haller (who just joined from West Ham) set up Antony for the leveller in the 65th. Haller had already had a goal of his own disallowed for offside (he was about half a boot ahead of the last defender, one of those VAR specialities) while keeper Yann Mvogo made a couple quality saves to preserve that lead as long as he could... but then Antony held off his marker in the box and picked out the bottom corner.

Pretty soon after that, this happened...

First appearance for 67days. Glad to have him back. The timing of the sub makes it sound like a consolidation scheme from the gaffer and it would have at least partly been that but also he replaced winger Cody Gakpo who had gotten his ankle caught in a bad position which left in a world of pain a few minutes earlier, just before the goal. Thomas played in a midfield trio as Roger Schmidt altered the formation and they needed all the bodies back that they could spare to hold on to that point with Ajax coming at them with a mixture of trickery and speed.

Yet hold on they did, even applying some pressure of their own at the end and it took a sliding defensive clearance in the 89th min to keep the ball from getting through to Thommo for a simple tap in. A 2-2 draw keeps them second by a point. Disappointing not to win from two goals up but also they could easily have lost. Only the 15 touches of the ball for Ryan Thomas, his passing accuracy much lower than usual which reflects the state of the game when he entered it. The games come thick and fast at this time of year with five in the space of 14 days coming up so we should see a fair bit more of him now that he’s fit and able.

Up Next: PSV vs AZ Alkmaar on Thursday at 6.45am (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

Sean Dyche: “We’ve made so many good chances and their keeper has been excellent – I must say that – but I think on today's quality of chances I have got to look at the centre forwards today and put a bit of pressure on them. I said to the centre forwards at half time that I put pressure on the defenders to defend, so I have to put pressure on you to score. We have created a lot more chances over the last run of games, and they are getting in the right areas, but on the quality of chances today, I have to look at the centre forwards and put a bit of pressure on them and say 'come on lads, they are ones that have to go in.'”

Those are the kinda words we keep hearing from Burnley fans and now they’re coming from the manager too. This was after the FA Cup win over MK Dons in which the Clarets needed penalties to top a lower tier opposition. In fact they needed a 94th minute equaliser from sub Matek Vydra – who had replaced Wood in the 77th minute – just to get to extra time at all after Cameron Jerome’s first half strike for the visitors.

Ashley Barnes had the bigger misses. He buggered up a one on one in the first half (running in slow motion but still rounding the keeper before a little touch on the ball from an outstretched arm caused him to tumble off balance) and also a side-footed volley which was saved and avoided Woody on the rebound. Then Jerome headed in his goal and things got scratchy. James Tarkowski missed an open goal then missed it again on the second attempt as he fell over, hitting the post. Chris Wood’s physical presence on the edge of the defensive line earned a red card as Richard Keogh handballed one which otherwise would set The Woodsman through on goal... but then VAR overturned that coz Wood had fouled him. All that in an eventful first half.

Not so much happened in the second stanza. Chris Wood probably didn’t deserve to be lumped in with “the centre forwards” for not scoring his chances because he didn’t really have any major ones, nothing that he absolutely should have scored from anyway. A header wide late in the first half was the best he mustered. There was also a header tipped over right at the start and a powerful shot midway through that half which was saved for a corner. Subbed off for the last quarter of an hour or so and... well we already discussed what happened. Vydra with the stunning late leveller. Burnley then did the deed in penalties after the extra half hour didn’t separate the teams and they’ll face Fulham away in the next round of the FA Cup.

There was also an earlier game we’ve gotta get to (Flying Kiwis took a break last week so we’ve got two weeks to make up for) in which Burnley picked up a very handy 1-0 win over Sheffield United. Wood very nearly set up an early goal for Ashley Barnes with a great nod down header but Barnesy’s shot was saved. And actually for a game between two teams who struggle to score goals this was relatively action packed. Josh Brownhill cleared one off the line for Burnley. Then Chris Wood cam so close to scoring one off his noggin but bloody Aaron Ramsdale made a brilliant save. Wood should’ve gotten over it more and it’d have been his third of the season but still gotta throw it up for the save.

But then from the corner kick Ben Mee scored a ripper of a header and Burnley had their goal. Into the second half and Nick Pope made a very important stop with his shoulder off David McGoldrick while a few other shots flew off target. And with Sheffield United unable to score that meant Ben Mee’s goal was a winner even though the Clarets couldn’t add another. Sweet. There ya go.

Then finally one more match which happened just this very morning (shout out to missed deadlines) and it was Burnley hosting Manchester United – one of the two big six sides that Wood has actually scored against (the other being Tottenham). And it was a refreshingly positive start from Burnley at a chilly Turf Moor. Chris Wood himself had an early-ish shot which was acrobatically blocked by Eric Bailly, that one after Wood had linked up sharply with Ash Westwood and then Ash Barnes.

However the talk of the first half was the refereeing. Such as the VAR extravaganza which saw the officials looking at separate red card incidents for each side, eventually deciding that Robbie Brady had committed a send-off worthy offence down one end but instead of upgrading his yellow card they rescinded it to give Luke Shaw a yellow for the earlier foul (seeing as the game should have stopped there... it was strange). At least there were no dumb red cards from all that (shout out Alex Rufer).

By that time the game had become pretty firmly dominated by the Red Devils. Harry Maguire had a goal controversially ruled out for a foul on Erik Pieters in winning the header. Nick Pope had to be sharp to deny Anthony Martial at full stretch. Chris Wood did put the ball in the net himself... but only after everybody had stopped playing after the whistle went for an earlier foul. As the second half progressed it was even more a case of Burnley sitting deep and repelling everything they could and Chris Wood pretty much faded from view before being subbed off with ten minutes to go. Which was about ten minutes after Marcus Rashford shaped up on the right, chipped the ball back to Paul Pogba on the edge of the area, and The Pog lashed a beautiful volley in via a tiny deflection that took it through Pope’s legs.

1-0 to Manchester United who held to go top of the table. Burnley made it tough for them, including a couple scares late on (James Tarkowski fluffing another great chance though nowhere near as bad as that one in the other game) but yeah they never win these kinds of games.

While we’re talking about big chances and all that, this chart is pretty interesting in good and bad ways. Shows that he’s getting into good areas. Not as far along the shot regularity axis as you’d want but very impressive the quality of shots he’s able to get. Except he’s only scored a couple goals this season so this also shows him up for some of that conversion.

Oh yeah and in amongst all that Burnley Football Club got new owners. We’ll see if that does anything for them in the transfer market. Chris Wood is still the record transfer for the club (£15m tied with Ben Gibson).

Up Next: Sunday 17 January at 4am, it’s West Ham versus Burnley (NZT)

Meikayla Moore – Liverpool (English Championship)

Player of the Month shortlisted!? Didn’t quite get there with the votes - Moore ended on 21% in third place of that particular Twitter poll with Natasha Flint (Leicester City) out in front – and the rest of the fan vote and the expert panel went in similar directions as Flint won the honour. But keep in mind that this was the first month in which Moore was even a proper starter at this level so to so immediately be in that kind of contention is supreme.

Here’s what the Liverpool website had to say about it: “Liverpool FC Women defender Meikayla Moore has been shortlisted for the December Player of the Month award in the FA Women's Championship. Moore played in all three of the Reds’ fixtures in the month, helping to secure important victories and clean sheets against Crystal Palace and London City Lionesses. The fixture against the Lionesses also saw the New Zealand international score her first goal for the club after her summer arrival from MSV Duisburg in Germany.”

No game this week though. They were supposed to play London Bees but you know what the coronavirus stuff is like in the UK right now and that one got postponed along with several other matches. Positive cases around the top two tiers of footy – exacerbated apparently by some Arsenal, Man City, and Man Utd players all going to Dubai for some kind of “business trip/commercial event/holiday” over the break, which sounds rather shady – caused havoc with the fixture list. Only one of six scheduled games was played in the Super League while only three games were possible in the Championship.

So no wins or losses or draws on the pitch but Liverpool did, however, lose a manager. Vicky Jepson leaving by mutual consent. Bit of a surprise but so it goes.

Up Next: Monday at 3am against Leicester City (NZT)

George Stanger - Hamilton Academical (Scottish Premiership)

George Stanger, he of 2018 U20 World Cup prowess (remember when he and Nando Pijnaker shut down Erling Haaland at that tournament?), has been hovering for a while now. Pijnaker is in the same boat actually, sneaking onto the bench a few times for Rio Ave but so far yet to make his senior debut (he’s getting a few games with the reserves though).

Stanger had been an unused sub in eight Scottish Premiership matches seeking to add to his lone appearance for the Accies top side in August 2018 (a ninety minute stint in a 3-1 loss to Motherwell). But these last few games that patience has paid off and he’s been able to stretch those legs: subbed on for the last 14 minutes of a scoreless draw with St Johnstone in Hamilton Academical’s last game of 2020... then getting nearly 70 minutes in the first game of 2021 as he replaced captain Brian Easton in the first half against Motherwell. Easton was the same dude he subbed in for in the St Johnstone game, el capitan struggling with fatigue in the midst of the silly season and although he overcame some doubt as to his fitness for the Motherwell clash he didn’t last. The gaffer reckoned Stanger did pretty nicely in his absence..

Brian Rice, Accies manager: “The injury situation isn't any better and Brian Easton has added to it after having to come off last week. He's got a little bit of a problem, it's a small problem, and he should be back for next week but he won't be available for tomorrow. It's challenging. Young George Stanger came in and did really well last week, he's waited for his chance, so there's a chance that George may play, or I have one or two other options I can look at.”

It helps that the club got two excellent results. They had to ride their luck at times against St Johnstone, well behind on the shooting stats for instance, but they battled away to a 0-0 draw and a valuable point...

Then in the Motherwell game they were already 1-0 up when Stanger came on with Lee Hodson having scored the goal. Ross Callachan (49’) and Callum Smith (65’) then added second half goals to book a 3-0 derby day victory for the Accies which lifts them off the bottom of the table, leap-frogging their vanquished rivals. Quality result all around.

Which took us to the weekend’s game against Kilmarnock where Stanger appeared to be in line for a start with Easton still missing and having shown a good account of himself as a substitute. And yeah wow would you look at this...

Rough day for him to be fair. A learning experience. He played in the centre of a back three which was even more disrupted a few hours before kickoff when Aaron Martin had to be taken out of the squad because of covid tracing and he’ll miss the next ten days self-isolating. Lacking their two best CBs they never looked comfortable against a Kilmarnock team that’s regathered their form lately. Hakeem Odoffin did hit the crossbar for them while things were still level but in the 36th minute Greg Kiltie popped in a miss-hit Youssouf Mulumbu shot through the legs of George Stanger for the opener. That fella Kiltie was a problem from minute one to ninety and he later bagged a second in the 63rd min firing home after picking up the ball in some space just inside the area. Final score 2-0.

It was always gonna be difficult for Stanger coming in for just his second career Scottish Premiership start but even more so when the two best CBs at the club are missing. Alongside him he had 22 year old Ben Stirling and 18 year old Jamie Hamilton. Both of whom are more experienced than him but still not the same as having the club captain, for example, there to guide you. Anyway, Stanger could get another chance next game too with Aaron Martin still due to be isolating when Dundee United come to visit.

Up Next: Hamilton vs Dundee Utd, Sunday at 4am (NZT)

Kyle Adams – Real Monarchs (American USL Championship)

Change of scenery for Kyle Adams after three years playing for Rio Grande Valley (the last of which spent on loan as a wider squad member of the Houston Dynamo MLS side, though he never played for them). 61 appearances for RGV with plenty of those as captain. But now he’s off to Utah where he’s signed with Real Monarchs for the 2021 season – the feeder team to Real Salt Lake in the MLS... and if the team name sounds familiar that’s because he’s the second New Zealander to sign there recently: Max Mata also joined the squad a few weeks back.

RSL Assistant GM Tony Beltran: “We are thrilled to welcome Kyle Adams to the Monarchs and Real Salt Lake organizational player pool. Kyle is a well-rounded left-footed center back, who we feel will not only complement the direction of our Monarchs roster but who will also, under the tutelage of our coaching staff, have the potential to make the jump to the first team.”

So that all sounds great. Promises and pathways and praise. Just what you wanna hear when you sign with a new club. Adams is the seventh player under contract for 2021 for the Monarchs (who’ll probably be banking on a few first team loanees as well). He has a green card too so he’s registered as a local.

Up Next: New season’s still a couple months away, we don’t know exactly when yet

Katie Rood - Lewes FC (English Championship)

The only one of the kiwi women in England to play over the last two weeks and Katie Rood made it count, converting a 56th minute penalty to cancel out the early goal they’d conceded against Durham and earn an impressive draw against the second placed team on the ladder.

The goal they conceded was a sneaky one that crept in at the near post from a corner kick where Bridget Galloway got there just before keeper Tatiana Saunders for the seventh minute lead. But Lewes kept it coming and in some freezing conditions they strung some great stuff together. All it needed was the finishing touch as those promising moves failed to lead to clear shots... but eventually Katie Rood saw them good. She won back the ball just over halfway, carried it through into the box with pace, then right as she lined up a shot she copped a push in the back and the ref pointed to the spot. Roodie sent the keeper the wrong way for her second goal of the season.

Durham had a few chances the whole way through to add a second but some scrappy Lewes defence kept them at bay. Lewes couldn’t muster the means to bag a winner at the same time however that strong second half and the equalising goal should be enough to spark a bit of confidence for the second half of the campaign. They lost 3-0 last time they played Durham so the improvements are there.

Up Next: Monday at 1am away to Blackburn Rovers (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Sint-Truiden (Belgian Pro League)

A 1-0 win over Beerschot. Sounds good. STVV came out with good intent and worked several decent sighters at goal in the first quarter of an hour or so then 40 mins in they took the lead as Yuma Suzuki headed in at the far post from a corner routine. And the fellas held on to win from there despite a much tougher second half in which Libby Cacace picked himself up a yellow card.

Also the dude got absolutely man-handled in the celebrations, lol...

They then lost 2-1 to Club Brugge with Duckens Nazon sent off late on. Much less interesting game but you can see at least some of the highlights at the start of this review clip...

Sint-Truiden currently sit 15th on the ladder and two points clear of a relegation playoff. They definitely seem to have found some decent form over the last month or so since Kevin Muscat was sacked.

Up Next: STVV vs Leuven on Monday at 8.45am (NZT)

Sarpreet Singh - Nürnberg (German Liga 2)

Another club to have found some form lately is this lot and that means also finding the confidence to play a more attacking formation which in turn means things are starting to take a turn for the better for Sarpreet Singh. FCN might have lost 2-0 away to Heidenheim in their first game of 2020 but Sarpreet Singh started in a number ten role and played 83 minutes before he was replaced. He moved out to the wing for their 1-1 draw with Hamburger SV but still got 87 minutes of action. Both of those are easily the most he’s played in any league game so far this season. 170 minutes in two games in 2021 after 201 minutes combined in the club’s first 13 games (granted Singh wasn’t available for all of them).

Up Next: VfL Bochum vs FCN, Sunday at 1am (NZT)

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

Things appear to be turning around for Maritzburg too, quite the recurring theme we’ve got going here. Two straight wins to begin 2021 and not only does that snap a streak of 15 games in all comps without a win but it scoops them off the bottom and out of the relegation zone. Morgan only played the last few minutes of the game that ended the slump. A 2-1 win over Bloemfontain Celtic in which Thabiso Kutumela scored a first half brace and Morgan came on as the final sub in stoppage time soon after Celtic had gotten back into it with an 87th minute goal. Mission accomplished for the 2-1 win though.

Morgan was also on the bench away to Kaizer Chiefs a week later but he was subbed on for the last half an hour with the scores still even. There were few chances in a tight first half. Then came a bunch of subs for both teams, including Morgan, before Maritzburg shook this thing up in the 66th minute when Judas Mosemaedi guided a glancing header in from a deep cross from Gadi Modise on the right. Which had come about after Dan Morgan had whipped in a ball from the left that was only partially cleared. Then in the 80th minute Morgs was involved in another goal, his long throw allowed to float all the way to Mosemaedi who slipped it in from a tight angle. 2-0 to Maritzburg, a couple super sub moments for Dan Morgan. That’s a good day at the office.

Funny thing about that is Maritzburg’s new manager is Ernst Middendorp who was the boss of Kaizer Chiefs last season but was sacked after leading them to second place. Now Chiefs are all the way down in 14th without a home win all season. Football, aye?

Up Next: Monday at 2.30am away to Andre De Jong & AmaZulu (NZT)

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

Only got a few minutes at the end but that right there was a club debut for Myer Bevan. It took a fair while as there were work permit holdups and all that but finally he’s gotten that first appearance. Bevan was also an unused sub in a 2-2 draw with Baroka, though the one he actually played didn’t go so well. Easily beaten by SuperSport 3-0 at home – a game in which they were down 2-0 after a mere five minutes.

Still, it could’ve at least been a personal triumph for Bevan (it already was just by playing at all but, you know, more so) as right on 89 minutes he flicked the ball into the box trying to find some space to shoot and ended up lifting the ball into an outstretched arm of a defender and winning a penalty...

You wouldn’t expect the debutant to take the penalty but if he had then he probably would’ve done better than Bevan Fransman who had his attempt saved by a diving keeper. Very good save but also he hit it at a good height for the goalie to reach. Maybe next time.

Up Next: TS Galaxy vs Chippa United, Sunday at 2.30am (NZT)

Michael Woud – Almere City (Dutch Eerste Divisie)

Back to the business of clean sheets for Michael Woud. That’s two in a row thanks to a 1-0 win over De Graafschap and a 0-0 draw with FC Eindhoven. A few more goals at the other end would not have gone astray but at least Woudy’s doing his job. He made one brilliant save down low in the first game, keeping it level before Thomas Verheydt could win it in the 90th minute with a header from a corner. Big drama, people.

Unfortunately there was no repeat of the late heroics against FC Eindhoven. They actually played better in that one and created way more chances especially early on... but they couldn’t finish. To give you an impression of the game there isn’t even a sighting of Michael Woud in the highlights package, let alone any saves.

Anyway, this pair of results make it nine clean sheets in 19 league matches for Michael Woud (although they were also his first since November) and those four points keep Almere City second on the ladder now only two points behind Cambuur. Given how good he’s gone here out on loan there might be a decision to be made by Woud if Almere go on and get promoted.

Up Next: Jong AZ vs Almere, Saturday at 9am (NZT)

Paige Satchell - Canberra United (Australian W-League)

How about the start to her W-League career from Paige Satchell? She’s started all three games for Canberra United who have begun undefeated. Granted she missed a lot of the fun in the first game as she’d already been subbed off when a couple stoppage time goals got them the 4-3 win against Adelaide (with ADL scoring the final goal of that one in consolation). Satchell played out on the right wing, a little deeper than we’re used to seeing for the Footy Ferns but with her pace that’s no drama. She had one great chance late in the first half (down 2-0 at the time) which she sliced just past the post though it was Michelle Heyman who was the star of the day, scoring a second half hat-trick in the comeback win. Satchell was replaced on 62 mins.

Next up was Melbourne City who are a shadow of the team that won the championship with Rebekah Stott and all her mates last time – most of their key players from the dynasty are playing in England now. Satchell was again used out on the right and this time she had all sorts of opportunity to run directly at defenders and make things happen. She nearly set up the opening goal in the 22nd min but she’d taken the ball narrowly over the line before cutting it back to Nickoletta Flannery who stroked it home as the whistle blew. That was just a taster. Satchell continued to look like a major threat, striking one of those shot/crosses just past the post in the 51st minute.

Meanwhile Canberra’s keeper had to make a couple fine stops as this was far from one way traffic. Even when Canberra took the lead in the 73rd min thanks to Heyman via a brilliant finish after breaking the defensive line... it was only four more minutes before Jenna McCormack put things back on level terms with a header from a free kick after a sharp run to the far post.

However once again Canberra won it in stoppage time. Flannery with a stunner of a shot from range. 2-1 the final score, ninety mins for Paige Satchell, and hmm would ya look at this...

Which took us to game three (Canberra one of only three teams to have played three times already at the time of publishing) away to Brisbane Roar. The Roar had drawn both their first two games 0-0 but in just the third minute they took the lead thanks to Katrina Gorry. A blinder of a shot from miles out. Can’t argue with that.

Brisbane were proving a tricky prospect and Izzy Dalton hit the post with a similar chance late in the first half while Gorry forced a good save out of Sally James ten mins into the second stanza. Michelle Heyman was again in amongst it getting Canberra going on attack but they were bloody lucky to stay in range as Emily Gielnik hit the crossbar in the 73rd min when it looked easier to score.

Paige Satchell had already been replaced by then, swapped out on 66 mins as Canberra tried to figure out a way to get going... which they never did. But that was okay because in the 78th minute Grace Maher got the ball about five or six metres into the other half and she looked up, saw the goalie off her line, and incredibly chipped her for a goal of the season candidate. Some unbelievable goals being scored this W-League season, aye. Canberra Utd somehow sneaking a 1-1 draw from a game they absolutely should have lost. That’s how you do it.

Up Next: Sunday at 8.40pm away to Newcastle Jets (NZT)

Olivia Chance - Brisbane Roar (Australian W-League)

While we’re on the topic of that Brisbane vs Canberra game, here’s something that happened with a few minutes to go...

Olivia Chance with her W-League debut. She hadn’t been in the matchday squads for either of their first two games after signing from Sheffield United – where she was playing on a short term contract probably always with the W-League in mind – but she got the call up for game three and was brought on with three minutes remaining (plus stoppage time), replacing striker Rosie Sutton as Brisbane chased a winner. And with literally her first involvement she turned on the ball and played a beauty of a pass through for Emily Gielnik which ended with a shot off target. You already know it ended in a draw though.

Up Next: Week off before playing Perth away at 11.05am on Sunday 24 Jan (NZT)

Lily Alfeld, Elizabeth Anton & Malia Steinmetz – Perth Glory (Australian W-League)

Tough one being based in Perth at the moment with various travel restrictions... the Glory had to wait until Saturday night to play their first game. Paige Satchell had already made three starts by that point. Not that it took long for Perth Glory to catch up to that quantity of Flying Kiwis starts as the entire Aotearoa trio walked out there for the season opener away to Adelaide United.

The game didn’t go fantastic. Perth played like a team having their first kickaround of the campaign (and with quite a few new players, including all three NZers) although that wasn’t the initial feeling as Gemma Craine gave the upright a good belting in only the second minute of the match. But in some utterly sweltering heat it was Adelaide who soon took control and although the shot totals ended close to even Adelaide had quite a bit more possession, a huge discrepancy in balls into the box, and the chances they did create were quality. Like when Dylan Holmes rattled the crossbar early in the second half. Or half an hour earlier when Emily Condon crunched a volley towards the roof of the net which looked for sure like a goal off her boot... only for Lily Alfeld on debut to dish up a save of such enormous quality that it was later voted Save of the Week...

That is straight up amazing, is what that is.

Alfeld only got busier as the game went on but Liz Anton and mates were holding them back. Yet right as it was starting to seem like they’d get out of there with a handy draw, Chilean striker Maria Jose Rojas, who had been so tricky to handle all game, got chopped down by Natasha Rigby for a penalty which Condon scored in the 80th minute. Alfeld went the correct way but it was achingly out of her reach... although there was some confusion amongst the fans as the ball went through the netting. Probably the only way that they were gonna beat Lily Alfeld on that day, to be honest. 1-0 to Adelaide United was the final score.

Lily Alfeld got the highlights but there were tidy ninety minute performances for the other two as well. Liz Anton especially who had more touches of the ball than any other Glory player, looking like the main distributor in the backline. Meanwhile Steinmetz had fewer touches as a defensive midfielder but her 84.8% passing completion was the best of any Perth starter and both of the kiwi outfielders got stuck in plenty with the defensive stuff. Disappointing result but this should be a fun team to follow this season.

Up Next: Thursday at 10.05pm against Adelaide... again (NZT)

Annalie Longo & Claudia Bunge – Melbourne Victory (Australian W-League)

Ooh yes. That’s the one. Melbourne Derby, a couple NZers out there, and Annalie Longo was excellent as she scored the first goal in what turned out to be a 6-0 belting. Four of those goals were scored late on so the score doesn’t fully reflect the game but fifteen minutes gone and it was a great run into the box and a lovely finish from the one they call Flea to get it all started. Melina Ayres was then sharp to add a second on the rebound after 28 minutes and that put the Victory very much in the driver’s seat.

It wouldn’t be until the last twenty that they pulled away though. Lisa De Vanna with an incredible solo goal in the 72nd and from there on out it got messy. Amy Jackson made it four in the 80th and Annalie Longo was subbed off soon after that with the job complete... with enough footy remaining for Catherine Zimmerman and Kyra Cooney-Cross to add another pair of goals in the last few minutes. 6-0 in the derby, wow. Ayres hit the crossbar at one stage too so it coulda been more... although Harriet Withers should have cut it back to 2-1 midway through the second half when she missed a great chance for City. Could have been a very different game if that had gone in.

Claudia Bunge had a solid game at left centre-back. Didn’t get to mention her name in the first few paragraphs given the nature of the contest... but she did actually get credited with the assist for De Vanna’s goal. Always rate an assist for a short pass coming out of your own penalty area...

Racking up the stats. Bunge was relatively quiet otherwise as she seems to play more of the covering role in her CB partnership with Kayla Ann Morrison,who in turn is the aggressive one who’ll jump into challenges and play the ball out. It’s shaping up as a strong combination.

There was also a game before that in which Longo (who you’ll recall stayed with the Canterbury Pride all the way to the grand final) only played off the bench, though Claudia Bunge got the start on her pro debut in the heart of defence. That was against Brisbane Roar and it was a 0-0 draw. Both teams had their moments. Neither scored any goals. Which means two games and two clean sheets for Claudia Bunge as a W-League player. Not to mention her assist. And also a yellow card in this Brisbane game.

Up Next: Get to do it all over again with the rescheduled return fixture, Victory vs City, Sunday at 6.05pm (NZT)

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