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

Sarpreet Singh just wants to make sure you haven’t forgotten about him. Sixteen and a bit minutes into SSV Jahn’s game against Hannover 96 and there he was collecting the ball on the right wing and working a lil give-and-go before drilling home his third goal of the season to give Regensburg the lead. That reverse angle really makes the goal sizzle, plus check out the movement there. And how he basically sparks it out of broken play as his initial run was shut down. Tu meke.

After grinding out draws against a few tougher opponents (Nürnburg, Paderborn, etc.), this was a game that Regensburg came into plotting a victory and Singh gave them an ideal platform with the early strike. Then it got even better because five minutes later it was 2-0. A truly comical goal, scored in the end by Carlo Boukhalfa, via some shambolic defending from Hannover...

Singh’s shot had been SSV’s first of the match. Hannover tried counter some poor recent form by breaking things up with some instant direct stuff, hoping to keep the ball down the other end. You can see why, based on how they conceded that second goal. But at 2-0 it was all in Regensburg’s control. Jahn have a solid defensive shape and were able to push for the next goal without pressure (including Boukhalfa almost scoring from nearly halfway trying to chip the keeper). Gotta say they were a little wasteful in only being two up at HT.

Hannover then made a triple substitution at the half and the changes did seem to help because ten minutes later they’d pulled one back. A free kick from Sebastian Kerk which looked like it was intended as a cross but it didn’t catch anyone on the way through before nestling inside the far post. Cue another straggler of an SSV Jahn second half. Hanging on in a game that they should have been out of sight in. Sarpreet Singh was replaced as part of the consolidation effort on 75 mins (four minutes after the Bundesliga 2 website had him listed as the player who’d covered the most ground in the match to that point – 9.3km)... luckily the lads closed it out from there. In fact Joël Zwarts scored a runaway third in stoppage time for a 3-1 win. Keeps them second on the ladder, sweet as. Get in.

Up Next: Thursday morning there’s some DFB-Pokal against Hansa at 7.45am, then on Monday at 1.30am they’re away to Ingolstadt (NZT)

Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)

Viking’s game against Lillestrøm was supposed to be one of the toughest they’ve got left... instead they’re celebrating their biggest win of the year. It didn’t even take three minutes before they were into the lead as Seb Sebulonsen poked in off a diverted corner and although a second goal was a while in coming they were pretty safe for most of that first half. Only in the last couple mins did Lillestrøm offer much but VFK held firm and then once more scored less than three minutes into a half as Harald Nilsen Tangen managed to dodge a couple tackles in the box and somehow shoot through a procession of defenders to score.

Things were looking swell... but in the 64th min Lillestrøm got back into it with a goal. Gianni Stensness did well to block the initial back post attempt but then the ball rebounded to Fredrik Krogstad who buried it. 2-1 and this game was in the balance again... for about four minutes. That was when Veton Berisha swiftly went to work. With three goals in fifteen minutes he bagged himself a hat-trick as well as taking this game beyond any shadow of a doubt. 5-1 was the final score.

A quiet one from Joe Bell this week. He was a prominent figure patrolling those defensive midfield areas but wasn’t directly involved in any of the goals – though it was his initial free kick which led to Berisha’s first after some goal-mouth lolly scramblin’. It’ll be like that sometimes, no dramas. By all accounts Gianni Stensness had a very good game, he seems to have settled in beautifully already.

Most important of all is that they beat a team that was only three points behind them on the ladder coming in, making it three wins on the trot and lifting them ahead of Kristiansund (who lost to Sarpsborg this week) and into fourth place. Bodø/Glimt only drew as well (no doubt tired after pumping Jose Mourinho’s Roma 6-1 in the Conference League a few days earlier) so Viking gained two points on first to tighten things up. Gonna be a fascinating sprint to the finish over the last seven rounds of games.

Up Next: Away to Brann at 5am on Friday, then home to Sarpsborg at 6am on Monday (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Sint-Truiden (Belgian Pro League)

The one major criticism of Libby Cacace’s first season in Belgium is that for all his tireless work up the left flank, and all his uncompromising defensive efforts, he didn’t contribute enough in attack. Recent weeks it feels like that may be changing. Cacace’s been much more involved in the attacking third, his shots and crosses on the rise (12 shots in his last five games, only two in the five before that). And away to OL Leuven he was out to turn those involvements into goals and assists.

Cacace had a good low crack in the 17th as he cut inside which was tipped wide leading to a corner. He then, curiously, took that corner struck it low towards Steve De Ridder who diverted it onwards to Daichi Hayashi for the tap in and the first goal... almost. Teams were all lined up for the kickoff but VAR called it back for what turned out to be a comfortable offside.

They were lucky not to concede straight afterwards but Xavier Mercier fired his shot across the face of goal. Then Cacace himself should have opened the scoring in the 25th. Sliding into a great position near the penalty spot as STTV attacked down the right, his first-time shot on the cut-back was lifted over the top. Must have been a touch off the keeper’s reaching hand as it was given as a corner, it didn’t miss by much, but maybe try hit the corners next time.

The Canaries weren’t able to bag a first half goal from any of it but chuck in some scrambling defence and some reliable saves from their keeper and it was 0-0 at HT. It then remained 0-0 as STVV started the second half positively with a few more corners and some half-chances (including Cacace blasting one miles over that had opened up for him on the edge of the box)... but it wasn’t 0-0 when Cacace got beaten by a ball in behind and in the end Sory Kaba tapped in from close range right on the hour. 1-0 to Leuven.

But it didn’t stay for long. 63rd min and another Cacace corner was cleared but only as far as Dimitri Lavalee who thumped one in off the post from distance with a cheeky deflection for assistance. Then it all fell apart. Immediately after the equaliser, Cacace was subbed off as STVV switched to a back four. Then they conceded three minutes later. Then ten minutes after that a clumsy sprigs-up reach in the box led to a red card and a penalty which Kaba scored. OHL put another in the net before it was out - initially ruled offside but the VAR proved otherwise - and 4-1 was the final score. That escalated quickly.

Up Next: Got a Belgian Cup game away to RFC Seraing on Thurs at 7am, then it’s STVV vs Club Brugge on Sunday at 7.45am (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

Burnley’s wait for a first Premier League win of the season continues after a 2-2 draw with Southampton... and Chris Wood’s wait for his next goal continues too. Since scoring against Leeds in late August, he’s gone six PL starts without a banger to his name (although he did score for the All Whites in the middle of all that). He does tend to be a bloke who scores in streaks, to be fair.

The Woodsman’s also working with a new strike partner as recent signing Maxwel Cornet plays off him, which does seem to have had an effect. Wood’s not got that combination going yet and for a guy whose tasked with holding up the ball like he is, those combinations are crucial. Just gotta give it time because Cornet’s had a lovely start to his Burnley career and he put them up on 13 mins here. Glancing header after Matty Lowton put one on a dime for him.

Sadly, the Clarets made a mess of playing with the lead. Southampton instead took the game to them and after Tino Livramento hit the post, and Mohamed Elyounoussi hit the post, and Theo Walcott shot wide, and Nathan Redmond missed an absolute sitter... finally Livramento headed in an equaliser from a corner kick five mins before the half. And five minutes after it the Saints were in front: Armando Broja with the goal after an uncharacteristic giveaway by James Tarkowski. But don’t panic because in the 57th min a ball up to Chris Wood allowed him to chest it down for Josh Brownhill who lifted it up to Cornet who decided to just smack it right into the bottom corner on the dipping half-volley. Nicely done.

Wood was a bit sloppy overall. He missed more passes than he made and only had one shot - a first-timer from the edge of the area which was heading off target but Alex McCarthy made sure of it anyway with the save, that was in the 33rd min. However his hold-up play was a feature in the build-up for both goals and the manager will certainly have noticed that. Burnley are searching for answers at the moment. They didn’t find any in the last half hour as the game flowed on into a 2-2 draw. Chris Wood’s not one of those worries although a quiet few games in a row isn’t ideal.

Up Next: Burnley vs Spurs in the EFL Cup on Thursday at 7.45am, then they host Brentford at 3am on Sunday in the PL (NZT)

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

Eli Just was the only one of the fellas to start for FC Helsingør in their latest, away to Vendsyssel. Callum McCowatt did get out there for the last twenty mins while Nando Pijnaker was an unused sub. But Just did enough for the lot of them. After FCH fell down 2-0 inside ten mins, a shocking start, Just was one of the main fellas to set the tone for a comeback – he had seven total shots in this match. None that added to his scoring tally but he did set up Sebastian Czajkowski’s second goal late in the first half for the equaliser. 2-2 was the way it ended. Keeps them first by one point ahead of Lyngby who have a game in hand... and who they’re playing next.

Up Next: Lyngby vs FCH on Saturday at 6am (NZT)

Marko Stamenic - HB Køge (Danish Division 1)

Subbed off with an injury barely half an hour into HBK’s latest... that’s not what we wanna see. Stamenic had been rushed back into the team after the international break but that wasn’t the worry, it was a head clash with Christoffer Boateng which did it. That incident happened very early on and Stamenic was able to play another half an hour but he can’t have been right because he didn’t last until half-time. Hvidovre scored after 24 mins. Stamenic was replaced on 33 mins, adding to what’s already a long injury list for HBK. The game ended 1-0 to Hvidovre. Fingers crossed that Marko’s all good. It does help that there’s a nine day break until the next match.

Up Next: HBK vs Horsens on Tuesday 6.30am (NZT)

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

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

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

Very cute. Love that. Also love what Boxy got up to during the confines of a pair of ninety minutes for the Loons this week too with Minnesota United desperate for results having dipped out of the playoff spots with some poor ones lately.

It was Philadelphia Union first up and a lot of defending to do, playing large stretches without the ball. But they did well to blunt most of the half until a cheeky turnover on attack saw Manny Reynoso hit Franco Frangapane who fed in Adrien Hunou and in seconds they’d gone from winning the ball to scoring a goal. Hunou on 40 mins. However Daniel Gazdag scored a ripper on 45’ to level it up again and then in the 54th he gave the Union the lead tapping in on the line after a header off a corner was only partially saved. Now the Loons were in real trouble. Now they were on the brink.

And, mate, did they respond. 63rd min and again they won the ball high up off Philly. Reynoso here, who then put the skids on a defender before backheeling to Robin Lod and he buried it having only barely come on as a sub. Then guess what? They won the ball high up off the Philly defence again and although Hunou’s shot was saved, Frangapane was there to put Minny back in the lead with a touch off the noggin. All three goals coming from Union defensive turnovers.

Romain Metanaire then lost his rag and threw the ball at an opponent to earn a red card and ensure that Minnesota Utd had to close it out with ten men for the last quarter of an hour. Constant defending down the stretch. They did it though. Held on for an absolutely crucial three points: 3-2 the final score.

Bringing us to game two this week and again it was a scrapper and a biter. At home to a difficult LAFC team, Michael Boxall had spoken midweek at an after-training media session about the need to protect home field and put an early chance or two away to keep the pressure on. Well, nobody had a better chance to do so than himself, running onto a Reynoso free kick curler, beating the offside trap beautifully... and thumping his header past the post.

Lod and Hunou also had good chances for the Loons but to no avail. Then, 32 mins gone, Cristian Arango struck a free kick straight at goalie Tyler Miller and the dude missed it between his hands and legs. Horrible goal to concede. Hunou would miss another golden chance in first half stoppage time before Miller made some amends with a great stop on the end of an LAFC counter and again it was getting very frisky for Minny.

Helpfully then Reynoso got axed down outside the box and while Reynoso’s shot from the free kick was saved, the ball was then struck into the net by Ossie Alonso from a tricky angle. Finally that goal they deserved. It was then a case of Minnesota frantically trying to find a winner the rest of the way yet alas they’d have to settle for a 1-1 draw. Oh well. At least they’re back in the top seven now. Playoff hopes in their own hands with three games to go.

Up Next: Thursday at 3pm away to Vancouver and then home to Sporting KC on Monday at 6am (NZT)

Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)

Bill Tulioma got injured on international break yet it wasn’t expected to be a long term thing and after sitting out a game or two upon his return he was back in the starting lineup to face the Colorado Rapids on Sunday NZT (last time he played these jokers he was sent off). But there was a twist on this occassion... Tui wasn’t picked at CB where Larrys Mabiala and Dario Zuparic continued as they have been the last few games. Nope, he was picked at right back. He has been used there a couple times off the bench this year so not completely out of the blue but definitely a new one from the start.

How did it go? Not great. Colorado had a goal disallowed for a blatant offside early on and not much else happened for a while other than lots of choppy fouls, which Tuiloma will have enjoyed, but then on the brink of the half-time whistle the Rapids took the lead. Tui defending inside and wasn’t able to close down the cross from his edge. Dominique Badji then leapt a mile above the defence to nod it in. Rubbish time to concede, at least it fired them up for the second half with several quick-fire shots. Mostly from range but still. Until they conceded again, 63 mins, Diego Rubio swooping in after Mabiala missed a defensive header, and that was that. Portland never compiled enough scrap for a comeback and it was only a Bill Tuiloma goal-line clearance that saved it from ending at threes.

A 2-0 defeat was not what they needed. That’s three losses in a row for Portland. Still sitting fourth and will be expected to make the playoffs all the same with only three games left but their buffer’s quickly disappearing.

Up Next: Portland vs San Jose, Thursday at 3pm (NZT)

Niko Kirwan – Calcio Padova (Italian Serie C)

Eventful midweeker here, Pro Sesto versus Padova. The home side took the lead through Tommaso Gattoni on 26’ as he headed in a cross that Niko Kirwan was unable to prevent coming in from his wing but then ten mins later Fabio Ceravolo converted an awkward finish that narrowly crossed the line to keep things even at the half... albeit only just. Remember how Kirwan ghosted in to head home for the All Whites the other week? He had one late first half with a great run in behind but his header went down into the grass and up onto the post. Maybe with a touch from the keeper helping it into the woodwork, hard to tell.

Giovanni Terrani put Padova into the lead with a strong header on 53’... then Ceravolo hit the bar from a penalty which could have clinched the points and they rued that one for sure because Andrea Ghezzi ran away down the wing in stoppage time, holding off Niko Kirwan’s attentions (he swapped to the left wingback spot in the second half), to equalise. Terrani then got himself sent off letting his frustrations get the best of him right at the end. 2-2 draw the way it finished. Only one win from the last four for Padova after winning six on the trot to get going.

Padova then lost 1-0 to Feralpisalo this morning thanks to a second minute own goal from keeper Antonio Donnarumma (brother of the Italy/PSG gk Gianluigi Donnarumma) but the highlights aren’t up from that one yet. Kirwan played the full game though so that’s cool.

Up Next: Padova vs Alinoleffe, Monday at 5.30am (NZT)

Joel Stevens & Francis De Vries – IFK Värnamo (Swedish Superettan)

Back to back promotions getting closer and closer. And whereas their trip up from the third tier to the second tier saw them lose all form down the stretch and make a worry of what looked at one stage to be a sure bet, this time they’re just churning out results the whole way.

Against Falkenbergs they were 2-0 down after half an hour at home. No Joel Stevens in the squad but Francis De Vries played the full game. 2-0 down after half an hour but goals to Oscar Uddenäs (41’) and Wenderson (53’) either side of the break got them right back into the ascendancy and then, in a moment that could prove pivotal in their hopes to crack the Eliteserien, Edvin Becirovic scored a winner in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

The 3-2 win not only keeps them first but it takes advantage of Sundsvall only drawing with Braga (0-0) to extend their lead to five points with four games to play – even if they don’t win the division, four points is all they need to clinch automatic promotion and that’s assuming that Helsingborgs can win out. So close they can almost taste it. Of course there’s no guarantee that Stevens or FDV will still be with the team if they do get promoted but still it’d be quite an achievement.

Here’s Francis De Vries’ self-uploaded season highlights, get amongst it...

Up Next: Away to AFC Eskilstuna on Tuesday at 7am (NZT)

Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League One)

For all of his excellent form lately, one thing that Nik Tzanev hasn’t had many of is clean sheets. He did get a couple in the early EFL Cup rounds but this game against Lincoln City supplied his first in League One this season (at the 13th attempt, lucky for some). What’s better is that thanks to a fifth minute penalty from Aaron Presley the Dons were able to snap a six game winless streak in all competitions. Nothing vintage from Wimbledon but Tzanev made a couple smooth stops, including a steady one late on from a deflection, as they ensured that early goal was enough for the 1-0 victory.

The Dons then came up against a red hot Wigan side and were stuck on the other end of that equation. Wigan scored twice in five minutes early in the second half in a 2-0 defeat. First goal (50’) an own goal deflecting in a cross that gave the keeper no chance, the second (54’) a thunderbolt from just outside the box after the closest defender had overcommitted. Wigan also managed to bounce one over the bar from less than a metre out later on. Not the most competitive game out. The Dons did have a few set piece threats late in the first half while it was still scoreless. Three points out of a possible six this week keeps AFCW in the muddled mid-table.

Up Next: Unlikely NT plays the EFL Trophy game midweek so it’ll be Cambridge vs Wimbledon in L1 on Sunday at 3am (NZT)

Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)

After a rest midweek in a funky 1-1 draw against Bristol Rovers in which there were three red cards handed out and the U’s scored an 88th minute leveller (Smithy an unused sub as he got his legs back after international duty), the man was back in there for the weekend’s trip to Port Vale.

He probably wished he wasn’t. Down 2-0 after 16 minutes, they did have a couple good chances to get back into it early second half but then the third goal on 61’ killed them off. Ended up losing 3-0. Poor from Colchester who are lingering a little lower on the table than they’d feel comfortable with, granted the games do come thick and fast at this time of the year so that can change quickly.

Up Next: Weds at 7.45am vs Sutton, Sun at 3am vs Scunthorpe (NZT)

Kyle Adams & Max Mata - Real Monarchs (American USL Championship)ò

A rare kiwi USL goal. Kyle Adams pouncing at the far post from a set piece situation. First goal of the season for Adams and his second USL goal all up in 88 appearances (the last coming in 2019). Plus it was an important goal too, giving RM the lead early in the second half despite having played with ten men since the 13th minute... although they ended up conceding an equaliser in the 95th min so not as important as it could have been. Max Mata also started and played 87 mins.

The Monarchs are long since out of the playoff hunt so it doesn’t matter too much. Same deal for Deklan Wynne and the San Diego Monarchs. But the Phoenix Rising (James Musa and sometimes Noah Billingsley) are among the title faves as we near the knockout stuff with the second best record in the competition across all conferences.

Up Next: Real Monarchs vs RGV Toros, Kyle Adams’ old team, on Thursday at 2pm (NZT)

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