Liberato Cacace – Sint-Truiden (Belgian Pro League)

The hits keep coming for Sint-Truiden as they beat KV Kortrijk 2-0 in the midweek. Another strong performance from the fellas in which they scored 14 minutes in thanks to Yuma Suzuki after young American right-back Chris Durkin had finessed a penalty – definite foul but the limb flailing was maybe over the top? Anyway interesting comparison between Durkin and Cacace. Both are 20 years old in their first stints as European pros. Durkin played 36 times for DC United in the MLS before making this move at a similar time to Cacace and for a similar fee (although Durkin had spent nine months there on loan before his transfer). However Cacace doesn’t have a note on his wiki page which says he’s: “gotten a lot of complaints for his dirty and aggressive style of play resulting in injuries for his opponents”. Durkin is a midfielder by trade but was playing RWB here opposite Libby.

So yeah penalty awarded which Suzuki converted in off the post. For most of the rest of the half it was STVV on the defensive with their keeper making a couple of fantastic saves from headers to preserve that lead. Then just before the break they cashed in again and it was Liberato Cacace bursting down the left flank, rolling past a challenge, and sliding it across into the danger zone. Ilombe Mboyo dummied over the top of it and there was Suzuki to add another one to his personal tally. But how about the run from Cacace? The first touch, the strength, the balance to get the cross in. Beauty. That’s the main element that he hasn’t quite brought to Belgium yet, his attacking impetus, but this was a prime example of what he can do.

Against STVV rode their luck at times in the second half but Kortrijk weren’t the best with a sight of goal and with that two-goal lead Sint Truiden were always in control. Another excellent result for them as they put some space between themselves and the bottom two. Unfortunately a few days later they gave some of that space back when they lost 2-0 to Royal Excel Mouscron, conceding in the first half and then in the penalty spot in the last few minutes to clinch it. First half they had nearly three quarters of possession but barely created a chance for it and went into the sheds in a deficit and they never really altered the flow in the second stanza. Here are some Libby numbers...

A missed opportunity there but that’s still five wins from the last seven to really turn this season around under new boss Peter Maes. Liberato Cacace, incredibly, has played every single minute of the seventeen games since he made his debut. He’s one yellow card away from a suspension so that streak won’t last forever but kinda crazy how instantly he’s become a key player for this team. And don’t think it hasn’t gone unnoticed either, whether there’s any tangible truth to this Cacace -> Juventus rumour or not it’s at least a flattering thing to even be linked with a superclub like that. We all know how the rumour mill works. Get your name out there and the legend grows on its own.

These jokers even went far enough to get the graphics crew involved...

Up Next: Away to Genk on Thursday at 9am (NZT)

Hannah Wilkinson – MSV Duisburg (German Bundesliga)

New jersey upcoming for Wilkie after a disappointing stint at Djurgården in Sweden where opportunities to play weren’t as forthcoming as they mighta been. But now she’s latched onto some recent Flying Kiwis legacies by playing signing with Bundesliga club MSV Duisburg - which in recent times has been home to Emma Rolston and most famously Meikayla Moore. In fact Wilkie’s already played her first game for the club in a friendly against SGS Essen in which she started and got the first hour of action. Duisburg lost 3-0 but Wilkie very nearly equalised while it was still 1-0. Got through in behind and went around the keeper but couldn’t finish on the angle. The coach was tantalised by the potential though...

Head coach Thomas Gerstner: “Hannah showed how important she can be to us. She started well against the ball and ran towards goal on her own. That would have been a great debut, of course, but if she saves the goal for the league games then that’s fine. She made a great impression.”

Like the sound of that. Jana Radosavljevic is the other NZer in the Bundesliga at the moment. She’s with Werder Bremen. There was also Maya Hahn, now aligned with Germany but a kiwi youth international, who joined SV Meppen on a short term deal while college footy in the USA was on hiatus (while continuing her studies online) but as of last week that’s come to an end with Hahn returning to the University of Oregon for the 2021 season. Hahn played five times for Meppen, all off the bench.

As for MSV Duisburg you can see why they’ve signed Hannah Wilkinson. Only scored eight goals in 12 games and with ten more remaining they’re last on the table without a single win to their name. Three points from three draws is all. Only three further points off safety though, potentially. A few extra goals and that could quickly change.

Up Next: SV Meppen vs MSV Duisburg at 1am on Monday 1 February, first game back in the Bundesliga after the Winter Break (NZT)

Ryan Thomas – PSV Eindhoven (Dutch Eredivisie)

Named on the bench for PSV’s KNVB Cup game with lower tier FC Volendam and subbed on at half-time with the scores still level. Ryan Thomas then went on ahead and set up the opening goal in what proved to be a 2-0 victory. They were actually lucky to get through the first half unscathed as a number of saves from backup keeper Lars Unnerstall (and some shrinking-in-the-moment finishing) bailed them out of jail but once they snapped to attention with Thommo out there in the second half it was a different story.

51st minute of the match and Thomas pounced on the ball after an Ibrahim Sangare tackle and then worked a lovely one-two with Pablo Rosario before feeding Noni Madueke who struck a beauty of a finish after the defence stood off him. Denzel Dumfries then won and scored a penalty with eleven minutes left and that was that, PSV into the next round (where they’ll face Ajax in the quarters). Ryan Thomas came on in an attacking midfield role, where he mostly seems to be playing these days, and did what the team needed him to do as he brought some urgency to their play and sparked that crucial first goal. That’s the one.

Next up it was back to the Eredivisie as RKC Waalwijk came to town and with Sangare given a much earned rest it was Ryan Thomas back in that starting team... although curiously he wasn’t picked in that defensive role next to Rosario, instead playing in the same advanced role he played off the bench in the cup game.

This was also a 2-0 win and it was also an unconvincing one in which they needed a few saves, the width of the post, and even a defensive clearance off the line to get through the bulk of the first half. It didn’t help that Madueke went off injured either, with Donyell Malen called upon in what was supposed to be a rest day for him. It took half an hour before PSV even threaten on attack... but then right before the HT whistle Eran Zahavi curled in a wonderful free kick (which he’d won himself) for the lead.

And just like in the cup game it was a much more confident PSV team that we saw once they’d gotten in front. Thomas was involved in a few moves, keeping the ball rolling towards folks in space, and it was his run down the right in the 73rd minute followed by his low cross to Pablo Rosario dashing out of midfield that provided the second goal. Rosario finishing it nicely as Thommo bagged his second assist in two games. He’d then be subbed off pretty soon afterwards with Marko van Ginkel making his second appearance after 983 days out with a knee injury. No doubt Thommo can sympathise with that struggle – at least he was only out for one season. For context 983 days is even longer than Winston Reid was out for.

How we feeling, bro?

But wait there was more as FC Emmen hosted PSV this very morning, Ryan Thomas again playing in that right-sided number ten role from the start. Emmen are the bottom team in the Eredivisie so this was clearly a must-win game... and thankfully it didn’t really come with the same first half struggles as the last couple games. That’s not to say that PSV were cutting them to shreds though. A committed defensive effort, plus the odd counter attack, kept Emmen very much in this contest while PSV missed a handful of fine chances.

Thomas was pretty busy floating around in those attacking areas and trying to create for others, no shots of his own to speak of, but the clock kept ticking and the game remained scoreless. With 77 minutes played both Thomas and Adrian Fein (the two attacking midfielders) were subbed off. On came Mauro Junior and Erick Gutierrez and it was Junior who broke the deadlock a mere four minutes after coming on. Completely accidental. It was a cross towards Eran Zahavi which drifted into the far side of the goal... take ‘em however they come. Zahavi then scored another of his own soon after and what do ya know that’s another 2-0 victory. Keeps PSV second in the standings, one point behind Ajax who have a game in hand.

Up Next: Feyenoord vs PSV, Monday at 2.30am (NZT)

Michael Woud – Almere City (Dutch Eerste Divisie)

Back to the business of clean sheets in a 3-0 win over Dordrecht. Couple handy saves needing making in amongst all that and it wasn’t until the 71st minute that AC finally took the lead (although they had two disallowed goals before that, one for a foul and one for offside). But they’d been the better team all game and when the first goal arrived, numbers two and three weren’t waiting long in line. That’s Woud’s tenth clean sheet of the season in 21 matches. Incredibly he’s conceded just two goals in home games. How about them apples, aye?

Our dude’s even got the skits! Best Short Film nominee at the next Oscars there, surely. Hey and he even got a bit of Team of the Week action as a reward for that tenth cleanie too...

But nah the big news is proooobably this...

There we go. With Almere City second only on goal difference with a healthy gap between them and third place and the top two spots earning automatic promotion (as well as the following six teams going into playoffs for a chance to face the third-bottom team in the top flight for their place), Michael Woud was gonna have a decision to make if his loan team goes on to get promoted. He’s first choice keeper for Almere and playing great. At Willem II he has only been a backup, with the club signing a new keeper and loaning him out in the summer when they could have given him that chance (understandable, tbf). But it turns out there’s no decision needs to be made because it’s already been made.

Michael Woud has signed a three and a half year contract with Almere City to join them on a permanent basis. Woud had played on five occasions for the first team at Willem II – whose own form has probably made this an even easier choice as they’re currently in the relegation zone themselves after 18 games. As things stand, his new club will be swapping places with his old club.

AC Technical director Teun Jacobs: “Michael Woud has undergone good development since his arrival in Almere. With his reliable performances, he has become a valued player in the squad both on and off the field. From that point of view, we are pleased that we have been able to bind Michael to the club for a longer period of time so that we can achieve our shared ambitions.”

Up Next: NAC vs Almere on Tuesday at 9am (NZT)

Katie Rood - Lewes FC (English Championship)

Katie Rood was the only kiwi woman of all the quintet in the top two divisions there to play this week. Ria Percival had a bye with Spurs. As did Meikayla Moore and Liverpool. Erin Nayler was on the bench for Reading as they conceded a last-gasp leveller to draw 2-2 with Aston Villa. And Rebekah Stott wasn’t even in the squad for Brighton (dunno if that’s an injury or what) as they faced Manchester City but perhaps that was for the best given their eventual 7-1 defeat.

But Roodie was out there for the full ninety minutes as Lewes hosted Sheffield United despite some very heavy rainfall prior to kickoff. Things cleared up as the sun came out though it did take a while for both teams to settle in and when they did it was the Blades offering the most threat, taking the lead in the 27th minute as the wrong Katie got on the scoresheet: Katie Wilkinson. Header from about eight yards out after a sharp run to evade her marker. The game continued on that way into the second half as Lewes tried to hang on and keep themselves in the contest in case that one big chance came their way but their resistance was broken again on 63 minutes when Wilkinson slammed in a free kick just outside the area. Great strike, to be fair.

It was only after that second goal that Lewes got much going. Rood won a free kick a similar distance out from the Wilkinson hit but this was was sent into the wall by a teammate. Sheffield United thought they’d scored a third but for the offside flag. No matter, two was enough for them. 2-0 defeat for Lewes that leaves them smack-bang in the middle of the table after 12 games. Well clear of relegation, even further away from promotion.

Up Next: Monday 8 February away to Coventry at 3am (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

So here’s a thing that happened...

Chris Wood had never been on the winning side against Liverpool before. He has now. An Ashley Barnes penalty with seven minutes remaining was the difference in a game in which the Reds absolutely battered Burnley’s defence but just couldn’t find a way through the brick wall. There was nothing secret about what Sean Dyche’s blokes did: they played like Burnley, putting their bodies on the line and defending in numbers. Liverpool brought on Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino early in the second half and still there was no breaking them. Some of these numbers are drastic...

Obviously this came in the middle of a well publicised dry spell for Liverpool’s forwards (at the end of this game it reached 440 minutes of PL footy without a goal) and despite all that possession they really didn’t do enough with it. Lots of hopeful shots, not too many clean ones. Xherdan Shaqiri blasted past the post early. Divock Origi hammered one straight at Nick Pope. Origi then had the best chance of the lot of them after Ben Mee missed a backpass but one on one he hit the corner of the crossbar and post. An inch away from a brilliant finish but it was that kinda day. There was some biffo between Fabinho and Barnes in the last seconds of the first half which led to some barking between Dyche and Jurgen Klopp. Nothing in it though.

Liverpool brought on the big dogs in that second spell but now Burnley were starting to believe. Nick Pope made a good low stop off Trent Alexander-Arnold. Then an even better one-hander to stop Mo Salah. Firmino sliced one wide. In between it was cross after cross after cross and Burnley just picked them off – look at those clearance numbers again. And then, yeah, huge drama as Ash Barnes ran in behind and got clipped by Alisson. Penalty given. Upheld by VAR. Barnes did play for it, no way he was regathering that ball, but the foul was clear and Ashley Barnes put his name in the record books as he scored from it. Pity Chris Wood didn’t get to place the ball but Burnley tend to have a ‘you win it, you take it’ policy. A few scrappy spots later Burnley survived to inflict Liverpool’s first league loss at Anfield for 1369 days.

Wood got involved on the end of a high ball in the first half which nearly led to a goal, Alisson jumping over him but unable to hold the ball and Wood knocking it back to Barnes to shoot but the keeper recovered to make a diving block. Would have been ruled out for a marginal offside anyway. Other than that... it wasn’t a game that lent itself to standard striker’s play. Wood had zero shots in his ninety minutes. He had just 27 touches in total which was the fewest amongst all Burnley starters. He did get flagged offside three times though and as we well know when The Woodsman is getting offsides, it means he’s playing high on that defensive line and that’s when he’s at his best. But yeah this one was all about the gameplan, all about the personal sacrifices, all about the quiet yet relentless outlets just to relieve that pressure for a few moments.

From The Athletic: “Then we come to the front two. Chris Wood and Barnes have come in for criticism individually and collectively as of late. A couple of days before the game, Dyche spoke to his strikers. He needed more goals from them, he needed them to hold the ball up and allow them to bring the midfield into play. The intent was to target the space between Liverpool’s full-back and centre-back via diagonal long passes. Wood and Barnes looked brighter than they have in recent performances, they had success throughout. Even when it was becoming attack versus defence in the second half, Barnes especially was able to provide those crucial moments of respite.”

Burnley also took on Fulham in the FA Cup a couple days later but Chris Wood was named on the bench in a much rotated team and with Jay Rodriguez scoring a double on the way to a comfortable 3-0 win there was no need to take the trakkies off. Would have been a nice chance to maybe try score a goal or two of his own but getting the rest in during this crowded spell of games is more important. Can’t be getting injured at this time. Good win and a welcome break from 1-0 results which has been the case in each of their last five Premier League games one way or the other.

Up Next: Burnley vs Aston Villa on Thursday at 7am (NZT)

Olivia Chance - Brisbane Roar (Australian W-League)

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

What’s this, a genuine Flying Kiwis derby in the W-League? That it most certainly was. The first of two this week in fact. Friday night in Brizzy and for the first time Olivia Chance was named to start having impressed off the bench in a couple cameos... although she didn’t get to lock horns with Annalie Longo as AL didn’t recover from the injury that forced her off in the first half of the last game in time (she was named in an extended travelling squad though so she’s close). Claudia Bunge was there at least.

A couple weeks back Melbourne Victory put six past Melly City in the derby, a massive win started off by an Annalie Longo goal. This time... well, this time it was their turn to get hit for six. Along with Longo, MVC were also without Lisa DeVanna. At first that didn’t seem to be a problem as Amy Jackson went close but then 26 minutes in a giveaway at the back led to Emily Gielnik dishing for Mariel Hecher to score and the Roar were roaring after that. Gielnik rocked the crossbar before Olivia Chance thought she’d scored her first W-League goal only for an outrageous save from Gabriella Garton. Damn. Yallop then scored a screamer from the resulting corner... she’s Flying Kiwis adjacent through marriage so that’s a bonus. Chance then nearly scored again before the half but her shot was dragged wide.

Victory came out in with renewed vigour for the second half and almost got back into it when Polly Doran hit the crossbar. The Roar then made it three in the 64th minute. The cross only just avoided Chance in the middle of the goal but Sharn Freier gathered up the remains and created enough space to fire in another well taken goal. Gielnik then got a very much deserved goal as she flicked on a free kick with her head and it weirdly looped up and down and in under the crossbar (she’d earlier hit the bar from a similar effort so maybe she knew exactly what she was doing). That took us into stoppage time where Gielnik scored another one on the runaway before Winonah Heatley bundled one in from very close range.

You know how the old saying goes: you win some 6-0, you lose some 6-0. A day to forget for Claudia Bunge who started her W-League career with two straight clean sheets but they’ve since leaked nine in two games. Not a lot anyone could do about a couple of those goals though, while just like their own 6-0er there were some late goals which blew the scores out. But Olivia Chance was excellent. So unlucky not to score however she was credited for an assist for that Freier goal thanks to the minor touch she got on that cross on the way through which is kinda hilarious. She can bond with Claudia Bunge at the next Footy Ferns camp over whose first assist required the least work (remember Bunge with the pass out of her own area to Lisa DeVanna a couple games back where LDV then dribbled sixty metres for a brilliant solo goal). Here’s that Chance assist...

Nothing sneaky about this one. First start in the W-League and a first Team of the Week nod.

W-League: “The New Zealand international's standout performance for Roar so far. Alongside midfield partner Isobel Dalton, Chance gelled a five-star team performance from Brisbane together with industry and artistry.”

This loss wrecks Victory’s good goal difference but it’s still early days. Meanwhile on the other side this was a first win of the season for the Roar. After four straight draws that had to feel cathartic.

Up Next: Melbourne Victory vs Adelaide on Friday at 9.05pm, then it’s Melbourne City vs Brisbane Roar on Sunday at 6.05pm (NZT)

Paige Satchell - Canberra United (Australian W-League)

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

Flying Kiwis derby number two and this time all four participants were named to start (as they have been in every game so far this season). Two teams with contrasting fortunes leading into this one so probably to be expected that Paige Satchell who was most involved as Canberra got on the front foot... but while Perth might have lost both games, they’ve proved tough to break down in each of them and Lily Alfeld’s goalkeeping has been a large part of that.

Yet Canberra didn’t wrangle a whole lot to show for that and the best chance of the opening half fell to Marianna Tabain up the other end when she dashed in behind the defence but Chantel Jones made a wonder of a save to keep the scores even at the break. After which Canberra ramped up the pressure and this was where Alfeld came into her own with a couple crucial saves. Then just as it was looking like a relatively tame 0-0 draw, this happened...

Liz Anton with the banger for the 86th minute lead! But then Hayley Taylor-Young equalised immediately for Canberra to spoil those Glory hopes of victory. A shot which hit both posts before dribbling over the line – that’s what it took to beat Lily Alfeld. A 1-1 draw is the way it ended. Paige Satchell played 74 minutes before she was replaced. The Perth trio all played ninety minutes. With that result Canberra stays undefeated with two wins and two draws, while Perth Glory finally put a point on the board after a couple close losses. Winless but no longer pointless. Literally speaking, that is.

Up Next: Both these teams have the week off, oh well

Winston Reid – West Ham United (English Premier League)

There’s another quick sighting of Winnie in there as the team does their warm-up jog so he’s still hanging around. No sign of him in any matchday squads lately though. Not even the FA Cup game against Doncaster which would have been his best avenue back in yet David Moyes went with the youth approach instead as he handed out three first team debuts: including to 17 year old defender Jamal Baptiste (apparently the top talent in the academy atm) and also goalie Nathan Trott who was on loan at AFC Wimbledon playing ahead of Nik Tzanev last season. With a week left before the transfer window SLAMS SHUT we should get some kind of resolution soon as to what Winston’s next steps will be... hopefully. Another loan to MLS feels most likely – the MLS have just confirmed that the new season will start in early April.

Up Next: Monday at 5.30 am vs Liverpool (NZT)

Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)

Yeah not much to see here. ‘Twas a 3-0 loss away to Morecambe, in which Tommy Smith hit the frame of the goal late in the first half with a close-range header (and it wasn’t the only time the U’s hit the woodwork either) but then even later in the first half they conceded when Adam Phillips ran through on the diagonal and rounded the keeper to score. The game then took a huge swing around the hour mark as first Toumani Diagouraga buried a second for Morecambe tapping in on the run from six yards out and then a minute later an off the ball incident saw Harry Pell sent off for Colchester. He’d fouled a bugger initially then when one of his opponents stepped up to confront him he dropped into a headbutt and as we all know... ya can’t do that. Morecambe added one more thanks to John O'Sullivan. Dumb result for Colchester who have slipped back into the mid-table with some of these recent results.

Tommy Smith: “We felt like we played well in the first half and that we were the better side. We had some chances that we perhaps should have taken and we hit the post a couple of times. We should have been a couple of goals to the good really but we all take responsibility and we all know that we should be putting games to bed like that when we are on top, especially away from home. When you’re on top, you need to capitalise on that.

There was a lapse in concentration bang on half-time that’s meant we’ve gone in 1-0 down. You’re always fighting an uphill battle once that happens, away from home. We were very disappointed before half-time, because we’d felt that we’d played well and had been the better side. I felt like we actually started the second half quite well and then obviously, the second goal was a bit of a killer blow, the sending off happened and that sort of finishes off the game for us, which was really disappointing.”

Up Next: Colchester vs Scunthorpe at 8am on Saturday (NZT)

Jamie Searle – Swansea City (English Championship)

SwanseaCity.com: “However, [U23s boss Jon] Grey did praise the performance of Jamie Searle after the goalkeeper produced a number of impressive saves to keep his side in the game. The New Zealander has been a regular between the sticks for the young Swans this term after arriving from Aston Villa in the summer. Having registered a clean sheet in last week’s draw with Millwall, he turned in another creditable display against Cardiff; notably demonstrating tremendous reflexes to deny Rubin Colwill and Isaak Davies in quick succession. And Grey believes Searle is reaping the rewards of hard graft behind the scenes with goalkeeping coach Martin Davies at Landore.

‘He’s come out of the game today with credit. He hasn’t been in the professional game for very long, but Martin works tirelessly with him every day on the training ground. It’s starting to show in his last couple of performances. He kept a clean sheet last week and kept us in the game today with a couple of good saves.’”

Big praise there.

Up Next: Away to Coventry U23 on Tuesday at 2am (NZT)

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

Kickoff.com: “At the beginning of this season Usuthu had one of their busiest transfer windows in a very long time, bringing in several quality players with experience. [Manager, Benni] McCarthy initially had no plans to make many changes by bringing in new faces but the situation has now changed, and the club is also looking to release some players who have not been getting game-time. Although the coach did not mention names, KickOff.com understands that Somilia Ntsundwana, Andre De Jong, Mario Booysen and some of the youngsters are among those who could be offloaded.”

Hmm, that’s not ideal. But to be fair since he broke his foot on All Whites duty, ADJ has barely featured for AmaZulu and there’s no point hanging around where you’re not playing. Nine appearances totalling 482 minutes before the broken foot, four appearances totalling 99 minutes since. Only one of those games coming in this new season and lately ADJ hasn’t even been making the bench.

Similar yarns for a few other Flying Kiwis, by the way. Sam Brotherton had started 42 games for North Carolina in the season and a half he played there (the half due to covid, obvs) but North Carolina just decided to drop down a division so they can offer young players more minutes at a better level for them, which is oddly unambitious when most USL teams wanna earn MLS licences. Brotherton’s in a tight squeeze in that situation so he’s instead come back to Aotearoa to play for Auckland City. As has Kayne Vincent after several years playing in South Asia, most recently in Thailand. And Ollie Whyte has left Istanbulspor in the second tier of Turkey having played one cup game for them – he’s re-signed with Team Wellington. Some reshuffling of the Flying Kiwis decks going on... remember it’s the last week of the European transfer window coming up too so maybe we get a few happy surprises to balance it all out.

Up Next: We shall see

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