Joe Bell - Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)

This is what Joe Bell does. Week after week. It was the 29th minute of the game away against Strømsgodset, one of VFK’s many games against teams below them on the ladder down the stretch of the season, and Bell won the ball back out on the right edge then was able to hold off a challenge before slipping it into the path of Kristoffer Løkberg. The first touch from Løkberg was fortuitous as it took out the nearest defender but Løkberg didn’t hesitate for a second, dashing through and side-footing past the keeper to score.

It was a decisive moment in the match. Viking had shown some nice signs in that half, Veton Berisha had one decent attempt, though five offsides in one half is more an indication of what was happening. One was just before the goal when Bell threaded in Berisha and he would’ve been through but for a maaaarginal flag. But defensively they were very good with Gianni Stensness serving up the quality and they should have made it two soon after the half when a Stensness flick-on from a long throw inadvertently found its way to Rolf Daniel Vikstøl with only the keeper to beat six yards out except he nudged it into the post. Sebastian Sebulonsen then hit the frame from a tougher angle about two minutes later.

It was nuts that they never scored a second. Left themselves vulnerable to a sucker punch at the end there and it ain’t like Strømsgodset didn’t have a chance or two either. But a 1-0 win was how it ended, a deserved win, and thanks to Kristiansund and Rosenborg both dropping points in draws it’s a result that lifts Viking up to within one point of third place (and a Europa Conference League qualification spot) with eight games left in the season. With a favourable run of fixtures too, as we’ve chatted about in past weeks. You have to go back to the 2007 season for the last time Viking finished in the top three (and their championship season of 1991 for the last time they went better than third).

You know what the most amazing thing about this game was though? It’s that this was VFK’s first clean sheet of the 2021 Eliteserien. Took them 22 games to finally shut a team out. How about that? Here’s Gianni having a yarn...

Up Next: VFK vs Lillestrøm on Sunday at 3am (NZT)

Meikayla Moore – Liverpool (English Championship)

The WSL Cup (aka League Cup, aka Conti Cup) shapes to be a pretty important one for Liverpool. As they concurrently challenge for promotion back to the WSL itself, the Conti Cup offers them a chance to play against actual current WSL opponents. Not quite to the extent of last year where they faced Man City, Man United, and Everton but they did begin their campaign here against Aston Villa. The rest of Group A are Championship clubs in Sunderland, Sheffield United, and Blackburn... so a positive result against Villa would set them up nicely to perhaps advance and face one of the big dogs in the knockouts.

Midweek games often mean rotation and after sitting out last weekend’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United as captain Niamh Fahey returned from suspension, Moore was in for the full game against Aston Villa. Liverpool have been playing with a back three lately but Jaz Matthews and Leigh-Anne Robe have started every game and Fahey is the captain so MM’s just gotta make sure she makes the most of these kinds of opportunities in a mildly rotated eleven.

The Reds conceded almost immediately. Shania Hayles in the second minute of the match as Aston Villa broke at speed from defending their own goal at a corner kick to Hayles slicing onto her left foot ninety metres up-field and scoring. Not the way to do it... but Liverpool were otherwise pretty steady and began to offer more of a threat as the game went on. Missy Bo Kearns had a shot just wide while there was a penalty shout declined and even Meikayla Moore almost got amongst it. She was hanging around in the box as Melissa Lawley drilled a cross in her area but Moore couldn’t get it the right side of the near post (she’s also misfire on a spinning volley six yards out on the angle early second half after an uncleared corner).

Liverpool were knocking down the door... though it wouldn’t be until the 66th minute that they finally levelled. Leanne Kiernan, fresh off the bench, with a run into the penalty area which seemed to get away from her but then the ball conveniently rejoined her path and she popped it in (Kiernan then went off injured soon after, a short but eventful cameo). Villa did offer some pushback but Liverpool survived and it ended 1-1. Which meant a share of the points but also a penalty shootout for a second bonus point, as is the way they do things in this competition. No spottie duty for Meikayla Moore, she wasn’t needed. Rylee Foster saved Villa’s first attempt and the Reds scored all five to bag it. Check out the extended highlights here.

There was a worry with about quarter of an hour to go when Moore twisted an ankle and as Kiernan was being replaced, Moore was off the field getting that attended to. But a bit of strapping did the trick and she was able to finish the game. Helps that there was then a weekend off before the international break.

Up Next: Two weeks off before facing Lewes at home at 1am on November 1 (NZT)

Anna Leat – West Ham United (English Super League)

Having sat patiently on the bench for the first five games of the season, watching Aussie international Mackenzie Arnold deliver the goods for the Hammers (including in a 2-0 win vs Man City), a cup game thus rolled around and finally it was Anna Leat’s turn. Olli Harder naming a partially rotated team for the trip across town to face London City Lionesses in the Conti Cup – five changes from the 1-1 draw with Birmingham – which included a debut for the #18. Anna Leat’s first professional appearance.

It wasn’t a golden team performance, you wouldn’t expect it to be after five changes. But a 15th minute strike from Lucy Parker following up after a free kick cross had been spilled by the LCL goalie (looked like a slight touch on it from an attacker on the way in) ensured that the Hammers made it five games straight without defeat. It was only really in the second half that Leat’s goal was threatened and even then she was more than up to the task. Gotta dig a clean sheet on debut. Catch some highlights over here.

Up Next: Arsenal vs West Ham back in the WSL on 8 November at 7.45am (NZT)

Joey Champness - GZT Giresunspor (Turkish Süper Lig)

You know, Joey Champness hadn’t actually been playing much for Giresunspor. Eight games into the season he’d featured once off the bench for a grand total of three minutes and that was a month and a half ago. Only even been on the bench one other time. But off the back of a very handy All Whites debut he returned to Turkey and got the summons with eight minutes remaining against Rizespor and say would you look at that? Last minute goal for the clincher in a 2-0 win. His first for the club.

Funny story here. Giresunspor had failed to win any of their first seven games but they did grind out a 1-0 win over Göztepe before the international break to get up and running. This is kinda the team they were expected to be, by the way. They just got promoted but lost several key players whom they didn’t appear to replace. It was always gonna be tough for them and sure enough Champness’ goal was only their fifth all season (they were shut out in each of their first five league games).

But despite all that, the match against Rizespor was there to win from early on after their opponents picked up a 12th minute red card. And who, pray tell, was the man sent off? None other than ex-All White Tyler Boyd. On loan at Rizespor from Besiktas and given his marching orders against Giresunspor. Dodgy red but oh well. It wasn’t until midway through the second half that G’spor took the lead via an own goal yet they got there in the end. A 2-0 win. Onwards we march.

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

Sarpreet Singh - SSV Jahn Regensburg (German 2. Liga)

Sarpreet Singh was excellent in the first half of the All Whites win over Curaçao (second half, the team’s pressing tactics caused them to tire so different yarn there) but he was absent for the win against Bahrain. That’s because SSV Jahn had a frisky Friday night game away to Paderborn coming out of the international break so the All Whites agreed to release him early.

Speaking of early, it seems like Singh and the rest of the Jahndogs were definitely refreshed by the break because early was when they took the lead. Ball played forward towards Singh drifting infield and he touched it off for Charalombos Makridis who threw in a step-over before slamming the ball in off the post in only the third minute of the match.

Regensburg looked sharper than they had been leading up to the break. They kept sure that the majority of the game was played in the Paderborn half and while it was a game of few chances they did have more of them. Singh with a couple shots, one he lifted into the stands while another was blocked. JR were roughing things up too. Nice and aggressive off the ball... which did lead to Singh getting a 14th min yellow card but so it goes. They were good value for the lead as the game evolved. However there were warning signs for sure as Paderborn’s physicality up front caused issues and late in the half Sven Michel clipped the crossbar with a volley. Still, 1-0 to SSV at the half.

Second half it got slippery. Michel had a chance straight away. Kai Pröger, on at HT, had one saved. SSV Jahn couldn’t win a defensive header and those Paderborn chances were coming way more regularly. It was time to go to the bench... and unsurprisingly the fella who just flew back from the middle east was one of those replaced. Double sub with 25 to go, Singh’s evening ending there (along with goal-scorer Makridis).

But they still couldn’t hold on. 71st min and a long throw wasn’t properly cleared and Pröger whipped it in beyond the keeper’s reach from outside the box. Ah well, a draw wasn’t so bad, especially given that Paderborn could easily have won it with the some of the chances they had after the equaliser. Pretty crap second half for Regensburg but they remain in second place after ten games thanks to the 1-1 draw (their fourth draw in five games).

Up Next: SSV Jahn vs Hannover 96, Monday at 12.30am (NZT)

Betsy Hassett - Stjarnan (Icelandic Úrvalsdeild Kvenna)

It was mentioned in these pages a few weeks back as Stjarnan’s season came to a close that Betsy Hassett was coming off contract. Stjarnan are coming off an impressive campaign where they finished fourth in the nation – not bad considering they basically rebuilt the squad a couple years back and has had one of the youngest groups in the comp. Hassett scored four goals in 15 games in 2021, missing time only because of the Olympics. But never fear because we’ve already had a resolution to the matter...

MBL.is: “New Zealand midfielder Betsy Doon Hassett has signed a new contract with Stjarnan's football club and will play with the club's women's team for the next two years. The new agreement is therefore valid until the competition season 2023. Fótbolti.net reports. Hassett, who is 31 years old, has been playing in Iceland since the middle of the summer of 2017 when she joined KR. She played with Vesturbæingar for the rest of the 2019 season and after that joined Stjarnan. She has played a total of 69 league games in the top division in this country and scored ten goals in them.”

Up Next: Well, Footy Ferns in the short term

Jana Radosavljevic - Arminia Bielefeld (German Regionaliga West)

And here’s another signing. Jana Radosavljevic’s last season ended with meniscus surgery which also kept her out of Olympic contention, a real bummer after some impressive outings for Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga. However not impressive enough apparently because she was then released at the end of the season when her contract expired which, considering she was still rehabbing that injury, was obviously not the best timing.

But she has now popped back up again in the German third tier with Arminia Bielefeld – as evidenced by this annoyingly paywalled article. The paywall means we dunno if there’s any clarity in there about where she’s at in her recovery (she wasn’t in the latest Football Ferns squad named last week) or how long she’s signed for. Usually at this level in women’s footy it’ll only be a one year deal. But clearly this is a get-back-to-playing-footy move after the injury because she’s coming from the top flight with Werder and has impressed in the second tier back in her BV Cloppenburg days and now she’s joined the club that just got relegated from that second tier.

Arminia Bielefeld had been last in 2019-20 when the coronavirus caused the league to come to a halt but they decided not to do relegation that season to keep it fair. Nice of them since AB were also only one point off jumping four places on the ladder. That meant that last season saw 19 teams in the second tier so they split it into two conferences... and Arminia Bielefeld came second to last in the northern one. Thus relegation to the regional leagues – the Regionalliga-West, to be specific. There they’re mid-table after seven weeks.

Up Next: Home to Vorwärts Spoho Köln on Sunday at midnight (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

There is no team that gives Burnley more nightmares than Manchester City. He hasn’t played in all of them but since Chris Wood signed for Burnley these have been the Clarets’ results against City: 3-0 loss (Premier League), 4-1 loss (FA Cup), 1-1 draw (PL), 5-0 loss (PL), 5-0 loss (FAC), 1-0 loss (PL), 4-1 loss (PL), 5-0 loss (PL), 3-0 loss (League Cup), 5-0 loss (PL), 2-0 loss (PL). The four 5-0 defeats were all away from home, consecutively.

So the fact that they only lost 2-0 at the Etihad this time around is definitely a positive even if it continues their winless start to the league. Bernardo Silva (12’) and Kevin De Bruyne (70’) scored the goals. Chris Wood played as a target man up top with Maxwel Cornet running off him (until Cornet was replaced by Ashley Barnes on 55’).

Wood, as you’d expect, was mostly isolated with Burnley only having 29% of possession but he did have one shot late on... catching the crossbar as he stretched for a knockdown off a free kick. He was offside anyway so it would have been overturned. Plenty of tireless work from The Woodsman, especially after a couple games in the international break (which he’s not used to these days), but City won it without getting out of second gear to be honest. Granted, Burnley did waste a couple other chances that might’ve made a spectacle of it.

Up Next: Southampton vs Burnley, Sunday at 3am (NZT)

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

The 2021 season began so well for Orlando as they won three of their first four matches and went undefeated through their first seven. But their form since has not been that of a playoff team, only winning three of the next fifteen leading into this double-gameweek. The Pride needed results to get back into the top six. Instead a Keahlia Watt goal in the sixth minute against Chicago Red Stars condemned them to defeat.

Brilliant strike from Watt but Orlando missed the chance to clear it earlier. They’d hit up this game with an unchanged eleven from the 3-2 loss to Gotham, where they nearly came back from three down with a late comeback, and again they’d have to play from behind. Third game in a row they’ve conceded inside ten minutes.

The Pride don’t tend to be the most creative team at the best of times and they struggled to get much going in the first half aside from the odd hopeful cross, however late in the half Sydney Leroux got her ankles clipped in the box and Orlando had a perfect chance from the penalty spot. Except Alex Morgan missed the target entirely. Didn’t even clip a post. They then tried to press the issue in the second half but were regularly under the pump on the counter, Mallory Pugh a constant menace, and only a couple super saves from Ashlyn Harris kept Orlando in it. More than a couple in fact. The one time Pugh did beat Harris, rounding her on a runaway, she missed... not quite an open goal because a couple defenders were getting back but close enough. That amidst a frantic last few minutes at both ends but it ended 1-0 to Chicago. Ali Riley playing at right back but was replaced on 63 mins as they took a few more risks.

Meaning that if Orlando lost their game away to Racing Louisville (Ali Riley again named as a starter at RB) on Sunday NZT then they’d be out of the playoff hunt with a game to spare. Desperation zones... and this time Orlando were the team that scored first. Alex Morgan with the ball in motion and she slid it through for Jodie Taylor to score and with 2:28 on the clock and the Pride were where they needed to be. They clearly took some belief from that too, Morgan had a shot drilled wide about twenty mins later with the Pride playing positively.

But they weren’t quite able to make those positive moments count and in first half stoppage time a pass intended for Ali Riley was picked off and Ebony Salmon curled a blinder into the top corner for Racing as the closest defender stood off her. Then six minutes into the second half Salmon linked with Katie McClure via a beauty of a backheel from the edge of the box and McClure, who’d just been denied by keeper Erin McLeod minutes earlier, dispatched her finish into the far bottom corner for the lead. Goals on either side of the half and everything had flipped.

Orlando ran some subs to try and flip it back. One of those subs, Taylor Kornieck, hit a wonder ball to pick out Morgan in the box but the volley went just over. With fifteen to go it was Ali Riley’s turn to take a drink bottle, a bib, and a seat on the bench as Emily van Egmond replaced her. Another attacking change... but Racing scored a third like a minute later as Salmon fed Yuki Nagasato on the counter. One touch and shoot. 3-1 to Racing Louisville. That’s the way it ended and Orlando Pride are officially out of playoff contention.

So that’s a bummer. Although in happier news, season two of Off The Ball has arrived!

Up Next: Last game of the season, Orlando vs Chicago on Saturday 30 Oct at midday (NZT)

Abby Erceg – North Carolina Courage (American National Women’s Soccer League)

It’s bye-bye to the Orlando Pride, guts. And Katie Bowen’s Kansas City were long since out of the hunt. Rosie White is back in contention for OL Reign now but hasn’t cracked a matchday squad since returning and that squad runs deep. So Abby Erceg and the NC Courage, as usual, are the best hope for a Flying Kiwis NWSL title... yet their credentials aren’t looking too flash right now either. This obviously wasn’t the worst week they’ve had lately but it still wasn’t very bloody good.

Against the Washington Spirit in the midweek, the Courage came out on the front foot but weren’t able to manufacture the quality of chances that they probably deserved in that first half hour and then swiftly paid the price as some sloppy play in their own half allowed Tara McKeown to steal the ball and run into the box. Her cut to Ashley Hatch was quite brilliantly denied by an Abby Erceg challenge but the ball fell to Trinity Rodman who buried it. 1-0 after 39 mins.

The Courage again responded with plenty of gas. They were the team really pushing for that next goal as the second half got underway and on the hour mark they got it. Meredith Speck sprinting about fifty metres to get to the back post for Jess McDonald’s square ball. Almost got taken out by the post but she managed to squeeze it in. However as NCC went in search of a winner, they didn’t deal properly with a defensive corner kick and Julia Roddar’s low volley somehow snuck past keeper Casey Murphy for a very soft winner in the 70th minute. Erceg looked furious. Some of the individual mistakes this team have been making lately... not what you expect from a perennial championship contender. Hard not to think that recent events have shaken them in a tangible way out on the field. McDonald hit the woodwork late on and Lynn Williams also went close but it finished as a 2-1 win for Washington Spirit.

Then they took on Gotham at home on Monday NZT in the team’s final home game of 2021 and it was equally as bad, worse even. The Courage have had trouble scoring goals all year and Lynn Williams, usually one of their best in that area, missed three absolutely golden chances in the early stages of this match. There was a 1v1 that she sliced, a square ball that she lifted, and a header that she completely misjudged. These were chances that a team in NCC’s position simply had to score and although it was still nil-all at the break, Gotham had begun cracking quite a few shots back the other way late on. Call them dark portents.

54th minute and Cari Roccaro wasn’t able to cut out a cross tracking back and her touch fell to Margaret Purce for the easy finish. 1-0 to Gotham. Ten minutes later Gotham turned the ball over in midfield and quickly transitioned into attack with Purce there to bury it on the rebound after Ifeoma Onumonu’s shot had been saved. 2-0 to Gotham. And three minutes after that Carli Lloyd turned sharply on the edge of the box and left-foot blasted a third goal into the bottom corner. 3-0 to Gotham. Debinha would have a shot pushed onto the post as NCC threw what they could in hopeful desperation but 3-0 was the final score.

Because the NWSL prioritises head to head records over goal difference in the tiebreakers, that means that the Courage are now sitting seventh and out of the playoffs as things stand with one game remaining. And that one game is against the premiers Portland Thorns – maybe they’ll get lucky and the Thorns will rest a few players but considering the rivalry between the two teams and that there’s an international break between now and then anyway that seems unlikely. NCC won their first game under interim boss Sean Nahas but have been soundly beaten in the next three and their campaign hangs on the brink.

Up Next: Sunday 31 October at 3pm away to Portland Thorns (NZT)

Katie Bowen – Kansas City (American National Women’s Soccer League)

In other words it’s been an absolutely terrible week for NZers in the NWSL but it was salvaged somewhat by Katie Bowen. As we know: when KB plays in midfield, KC sometimes win. When KB does not play in midfield KC has not won a game. She was in midfield against Houston Dash in the midweek and guess what happened?

A 3-0 win, go on then. Quite an upset there but KC were fully worth it. They took the lead in the 18th as Darian Jenkins curled in a stunner of a strike from outside the box on the left, a little bit out of the blue but they had been looking assured from the start. The goal then spurred them on further and Kiara Pickett was a crossbar away from scoring an equally fantastic goal after half an hour, then literally a minute later Lo’eau LaBonta hit the crossbar again. KC finally reinforced their lead in the 36th min when Katie Bowen, playing on the left side of a midfield trio, lifted in a lovely free kick from the other side of the pitch which dropped perfectly onto the head of Elizabeth Ball and then snuck in under the keeper.

Houston were stunned. Coming into this game on the back of three straight wins in which they’d scored 11 goals they never really looked like scoring here. Kansas City shut them down. Katie Bowen was replaced after 72 mins. KC hit the crossbar again. Then finally LaBonta scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time to clinch the 3-0 result – just KC’s third win of the campaign. All of them coming at home.

Kansas City did then lose away to Chicago on the weekend but it was a game where they didn’t have a lot of luck go their way. It was also a game where they were under pressure from minute one, Chicago throwing plenty at them and hitting the post twice before an awkward headed own goal in the 34th minute gave them the lead. However KC struck straight back. Hadn’t looked like doing much up until that point but then in came the cross from out wide from Katie Bowen after a short corner and Hailie Mace was there with the power header equaliser...

No assists in 2021 up until last week, then assists in consecutive games. KC finished the half well... but then fell behind again on 50’ as some lovely passing in the attacking third led to Makenzy Doniak tapping in at the end of it. Slick goal but there was controversy about it because Mallory Pugh was quite obviously offside earlier in the move but because there was a deflection on the pass it seems the assistant ref decided that didn’t matter. Or they simply missed it somehow. Katie Bowen wasn’t too happy in her post-game media chat...

“I don’t know the exact laws of the game, but I know that when the ball left her foot Mal was in an offside position, so I would have thought that would have been called but we’ll have to watch it back and I hope that the referees do the same because we work... day in and day out and for calls like that — to go against either team, if that happened to Chicago as well we’d be frustrated. I think to lose on something like that is super frustrating because we put our heart and soul into this. So I just ask that they reflect and improve for the next game.”

Tell ‘em, Katie. She was subbed off soon after that goal and KC couldn’t find a second equaliser. They went down 2-1 and with that, as well as Racing Louisville’s win over Orlando, that’s probably the end of any hope they had of avoiding the proverbial wooden spoon.

Up Next: KC vs Gotham on Saturday at 1pm, a catch up game while Bowen’s away with the Aotearoa national team (NZT)

Callum McCowatt, Elijah Just & Nando Pijnaker - FC Helsingør (Danish Division 1)

This one’s a little more of a breeze through because the Friday morning NZT kickoff came just two days afer the All Whites played Bahrain, a game in which McCowatt, Just, and Pijnaker all started. So it made sense that none of them would start against Esbjerg. However they were all on the bench. Indeed McCowatt and Just even got a wee runaround near the end: McCowatt brought on in the 84th min while Just came on deep in stoppage time. They missed all the fun though as FCH rode a brace from Sebastian Czajkowsku (8’ & 57’) as well as a Kasper Enghardt goal (73’) for a comprehensive 3-0 win that kept them top of the ladder in the first division after 12 games (albeit Lyngby do have a game in hand).

HB Køge played two days later so there was no such need to keep Marko Stamenic out, he played the full game as HBK won 1-0 against Nykøbing thanks to an 83rd minute strike from William Madsen. Tidy win there as they start to edge up the table following some dodgy form earlier on. Then across the Baltic Sea there was a 2-1 win for Värnamo away to GAIS in the Swedish second tier. Full game for Francis De Vries, though Joel Stevens was an unused sub. With five games remaining, Värnamo are three wins away from automatic promotion, still sitting top of the table.

Up Next: Venddyssel FF vs Helsingør on Monday at 1am (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Sint-Truiden (Belgian Pro League)

It’s a good day when Libby Cacace is heavily prominent in the STVV highlights. He was involved in a couple good attacks early on against Anderlecht though it was his right-footed shot cutting in on the edge of the box which really shone. Destined for the top corner only for a super save from Hendrik Van Crombrugge. That would’ve kept Anderlecht’s manager Vincent Kompany happy.

This was a fun game in which both teams played positively with plenty of shots. Not always the case with STVV so you know they were feeling it. And they probably should’ve scored in the first half but they left a few chances uneaten on their plate and then thirty seconds into the second stanza they conceded a penalty and Lior Refaelov ensured they went 1-0 down. Mary Konate equalised though. Ten minutes later, a bouncing volley off a defensive clearance from the perimeter of the box. Keeper saw it late and couldn’t get there. Back to Libby surging up the left flank trying to make things happen... until an inadvertent handball in the box was picked up by VAR and Sergio Gomez scored this particular penalty kick to give Anderlecht a 78th minute lead.

The first penalty had elements of a dive about it but there was just enough contact that the VAR upheld it. Then this one was a completely accidental deflection into an arm but them’s the rules. Rough luck for de Canaries. Thankfully they had Toni Leistner lurking in the area late on to whallop in a low volley through traffic for the 94th minute leveller. A game that STVV should have won based on the stats but also one where they showed plenty of guts to get a draw. Cacace was subbed off in the 88th as they chased another goal. Solid showing from him here.

Up Next: Leuven vs STVV, Monday at 8am (NZT)

Olivia Chance - Celtic FC (Scottish Premier League)

Celtic aren’t supposed to be drawing games. Definitely not at home against a team that isn’t Rangers of Glasgow City. But that’s what they did against Spartans on Monday morning NZT. Olivia Chance was named on the bench as Celtic mixed things up in a game they were expected to win and when Tegan Bowie put them up in the 11th minute that was looking like a fair enough decision. Until Spartans equalised straight away through Rosie McQuillan (13’) and then took the lead via McQuillan again soon before the half (42’) and it was officially time to panic. The second goal was outrageous btw.

Chance was one of two players brought on at the half and the Ghirls straight up dominated the second half. It was shot after shot and they probably should’ve won by a couple goals. But in the end it took a stoppage time leveller from Charlie Wellings just to get a point. A very valuable point – Rangers and Glasgow City shared the points on the same arvo so that late Wellings goal at least kept the Hoops from losing any ground. Should’ve gone top with a win but so it goes.

Up Next: Sneaky old SWPL Cup quarter-final against Rangers on Monday 1 November at 5am (NZT)

Emma Rolston - Arna-Bjørnar / CJ Bott - Vålerenga (Norwegian Toppserien)

Always enjoy a Flying Kiwis Derby but there wasn’t much on the line here, tbh. Arna-Bjørnar were already all but safe from the possibility of relegation while Vålerenga’s tiny hopes of getting back into the Champions League were spoiled as Rosenborg won 3-0 away to Klepp the day before to guarantee that they and Sandviken will get those two spots. VIF did still have a chance to finish third yet LSK’s win over Stabæk meant that was out of their hands too... granted that result was excellent for Vic Esson’s Avaldsnes and their relegation battle.

Maybe that explains what happened here then as Vålerenga absolutely laid the beat down on Arna-Bjørnar at their own ground. Full game for Emma Rolston but that’s the last time you’ll hear her name this week as her team lost 8-0. CJ Bott started but only played the first half (they always like to rotate their fullbacks, it seems) with most of the damage being done after the break. It was 2-0 at that stage and A-B did have a couple spare chances in there to be fair... but it fast got away with them afterwards. Best we just move on then. Good confidence booster for VIF ahead of their cup final though.

Up Next: Footy Ferns duty for both... then the next weekend is Cup Final weekend, where it’s Sandviken vs Vålerenga at 3am on Monday 1 November (NZT)

Vic Esson – Avaldsnes IL (Norwegian Toppserien)

Stink buzz here on the 1-0 defeat... but overall good vibes because they frustrated the probable champs Sandviken for ages. Vic Esson with a few solid but expected saves in the first half with Sandviken mostly only looking like breaking them down from set pieces and Avaldsnes may have even been up at HT had Karina Sævik been able to square the ball as she dashed forward with numbers. But she got closed down and then got a bit greedy and her shot was pushed away to safety.

It wasn’t until the 70th minute of the match that Maria Dybwad Brochmann was able to flip one over the line and it almost happened by accident as she attacked a low cross into the six yard box only for a defender’s touch to rebound off her leg and over the line. Rough way to lose it. With two rounds remaining, Sandviken are one win away from clinching the title while Avaldsnes are only one point off the relegation zone but if they defend like they did against Sandviken then they should be okay.

Up Next: Gotta wait ‘til 8 November for a 1am kickoff vs Arna-Bjørnar (NZT)

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

Back from the international break and leading the Loons to victory. They beat Austin FC 1-0 in Texas thanks to a 16th minute Franco Fragapane goal. Emanuel Reynoso’s shot had been saved but Hassani Dotson regathered it and fed Frangapane for what proved to be the winner. It was a scrappy game, it was an aggressive game, and Minnesota definitely got away with a few moments in the second half. But they held on for the clean sheet and a valuable win that has them back in the playoff standings with five games to play.

Up Next: Thursday at 1pm against Philadelphia Union (NZT)

Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League One)

The kings of the late goal were at it again versus Sheffield Wednesday. With 61 minutes gone they trailed 2-0 thanks to a pair of Lee Gregory goal, the first on 13’ from a mint finish on his left foot, the second on 61’ from the penalty spot as Nik Tzanev dove the wrong way.

But these are the Dons we’re talking about so of course they fought back. Nesta Guinness-Walker pulled one back with a strong effort off a rebounded shot (67’) and then it was Jack Rudoni dashing in at the far post to tap in from Luke McCormick’s cross (84’) which earned a dramatic point for Wimbledon. Yet none of that would have been possible but for some Tzanev heroics while it was still 2-1...

Magical stuff. 2-2 the final score and Tzanev continues to have Dons fans all up in his mentions about how well he’s been playing and how cool it is that he’s nailed on that starting spot after so long as a backup.

Now here’s Nikola hanging out with his new best mate Willy Caballero, who’s been training with the Dons to keep his reps up as he seeks out a new club...

Up Next: Lincoln City away on Weds at 7.45am (NZT)

Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)

Smithy was only on the bench for the U’s against Harrogate Town, given a wee rest on the back of international duty, but gotta include this one for the scenes. In Smith’s absence last week, Colchester had lost 2-0 away to Tranmere and without a league win for a month they were slipping down into uncomfortable territory. So pretty massive that Sylvester Jasper was able to bang in a winner here against the second-placed team in the 88th minute.

The goal came two mins after he’d hit the crossbar from a direct free kick. It was Colchester’s only shot on target all game, though they’d kept it very tidy in an uneventful first half. Harrogate also hit the crossbar at one stage, in fact Lloyd Kerry nearly snapped it in half. But CU survived that scare and finished the stronger team with their best spell of the match and were dutifully rewarded with Jasper’s goal. Smith was then immediately summoned off the bench to play the defensive closer’s role as the U’s prevailed 1-0 for their first home win of the League Two campaign.

Up Next: Weds at 7.45 vs Bristol Rovers, then Sun at 3am away to Port Vale (NZT)

Max Crocombe - Grimsby Town (English National League)

An FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie away to Bromsgrove Sporting meant an opportunity to mix things up a little and thus Max Crocombe was finally given a debut for his new club. He’s been stuck on the bench behind James McKeown all of the league season to date (Grimsby are top of the National League with 26 points from 11 games) so this was his time to shine, one of seven changes from the previous game. But Crocombe didn’t really have much to do as Grimsby cruised to a 5-0 win.

Meanwhile at the same level on the English pyramid, Matthew Gould had been out on loan at Nantwich Town but was recalled to Altrincham after an injury to Tony Thompson which was just in time for him to feature in a thrilling 3-2 win away to Southport in the same round of FA Cup footy. Good yarns.

Up Next: Grimsby Town vs Yeovil Town on Sunday at 3am (NZT)

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