Olivia Chance - Celtic FC (Scottish Premier League)

League Cup champions. Fresh from helping to inspire a Football Ferns drought-breaking win with a couple of assists, Liv Chance was back in Scotland not even a week later to play the entirety of a triumphant cup final against Glasgow City.

There were no cup competitions last year due to covid so Glasgow hadn’t won this thing since 2015 while Celtic last won it in 2010. The most recent meeting between these two teams was in the league a couple months ago with Chance scoring twice as Celtic came from two down to draw 2-2. But Celtic were red hot to start with on this day. Charlie Wellings had a header pushed onto the post after less than a minute, with Clarissa Larisey going close not long after. Glasgow City did survive those stages to iron out the contest for a while but they still weren’t creating a whole lot. Then, finally, deservedly, Celtic took the lead...

Sarah Harkes with the free kick and Caitlyn Hayes with the thumping header. Get in.

Ode Fulutudilu shot just wide for City, their best chance so far. Priscilla Chinchilla also headed one off target – City struggling to test Celtic’s 17 year old goalie Rachael Johnstone. Then Jenna Clark missed a great chance to level as she couldn’t quite judge the ball coming in. It remained 1-0 at HT with City making a change at the break, however Celtic again came out quickest with Sarah Harkes getting a shot away from the edge of the box... though GC were able to get it clear after the keeper’s initial save.

Jacynta Galabadaarachchi couldn’t convert 1v1 after being played through. That would have put Celtic up by two, instead it was an excellent save with the legs from Lee Alexander. Chloe Craig then put one over the line for the Hoops but she was offside after the initial shot from Larissey. Celtic were looking as confident as they had all game. Moving the ball nicely through midfield, Liv Chance well amongst it (almost putting Jacynta through again). But a soft corner concession nearly doomed them with fifteen to play as Claire Walsh got her head to the delivery for Glasgow City... only for her effort to strike the crossbar. Massive chance gone begging.

After that scare Celtic resumed their dominance in midfield and if anything it was the Ghirls who looked more likely to score in the latter stages. They didn’t... but they didn’t need to. A 1-0 win enough to earn the silverware. Trophies up, y’all.

Up Next: Monday at 3am against Motherwell back in the SWPL (NZT)

Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)

The overwhelming scenes of that win over Kristiansund last week were surely the final peak of Viking’s season. With that result they were all but assured of third place with only a couple games left to polish off against lower-ranked teams. And you can scratch the ‘all but’ from that sentence now after the first of those final two matches saw Viking slug their way to a 3-1 victory against Odd.

Wasn’t a stroll by any means. Bloody Filip Rønningen Jørgensen flicked in a header from a corner, dashing in front of Joe Bell at the near post, in only the third minute of the match to give Odd the lead. However Viking came back into it well after that and eventually levelled up in first half stoppage time via Sebastian Søraas Sebulonsen. Joe Bell’s original cross had been touched on by Shayne Pattyname with Sebulonsen then intersecting it and scoring. A secondary assist for Bellinho, maybe.

A couple brilliant saves by their keeper Patrik Gunnarsson early in the second half, including one he tipped onto the post, kept it steady. Pity he wasn’t able to save his teammate from getting sent off last game but all goods. Gunnarsson is actually on loan from Brentford, btw. Then Veton Berisha won himself a penalty and scored it in the 59th min before Samuel Kari Fridjonsson punted one home in the 76th min.

That did the job. 3-1 to Viking. Joe Bell tried to make it four from a free kick with ten to go but put it well over the top. That win was more than all they needed thus Viking FK are now ensured of a UEFA Conference League place next season. Will Joe Bell still be there by then? Or will the next game be his last game for the club? He’s still under contract for 2022 but that could only mean this is the best time to sell him for a fee.

Up Next: Away to Tromso on Monday at 5am (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

Milestone match for The Woodsman... but in the end it’d be best remembered for an uncharacteristically stroppy reaction from the fella after he was subbed off. It was Wolves vs Burnley in the midweek and it was a game almost instantly forgotten by anyone who isn’t a fan of either team. Three shots on target in the entire match from the two teams combined.

Wolves were the stronger side. True to form and all that. In a game of few clear chances they came closest mid-first half when Adama Traore’s effort took a deflection onto the underside of the bar. Other than that they had two-thirds of possession but Burnley have regathered their resilience lately. Charlie Taylor made a super tackle on Raul Jiminez to shut him down as he seemed likely to strike. Hwang Hee-chan went close another time. But Burnley shut them out... and this with James Tarkowski and Ashley Westwood both suspended too.

But the price for that resilience was a very deep formation and a frustrated striker up front running around to no reward. Chris Wood had 18 touches in 59 minutes with one shot off target. Other than that he might as well have been a passenger... but it wasn’t necessarily for anything he was doing wrong so when he was subbed off before the hour mark against a team he scored a hat-trick against last meeting the bloke was pretty annoyed. Don’t normally see this but he had some rough words for his manager...

Who in turn had some presumably even rougher words to send back in his direction...

Sean Dyche ain’t a man to mess about. You know this was only a little overboiled competitiveness on a frustrating day though, that’s all. Dyche was supportive of his striker when asked about the incident afterwards. Digs the feisty spirit and all that.

Then they played Newcastle. And while Chris Wood did get 90 minutes this time, it came with strike partner Maxwel Cornet going off injured in the first half and... let’s not beat around the bush here it was one of Burnley’s worst performances all season.

Against a team that had yet to win, this was very much a relegation battle. Not much of a spectacle at all for the neutrals yet Burnley started alright. Cornet had a couple good chances, a shot gone wide and a header saved. Johann Berg Gudmundsson crunched one off the post. But after Cornet went off they lost their direction. Newcastle began to get a foothold and they took the lead late in the half after Nick Pope spilled a cross which Callum Wilson finished off brilliantly, collecting the loose ball and slamming in from 18 yards despite Chris Wood dropping desperately back to cover the line. Bit of contact in there as Pope dropped the ball but VAR upheld the goal.

And that was the only goal. Burnley did get one over the line via substitute Jay Rodriguez - Chris Wood dishing it wide to Josh Brownhill who squared for Jay Rod’s speedy near post run - but Rodriguez was offside. Went just a split-second too early. Correct call. Burnley slumping to defeat and they’re now in a three-way tie for last place on 10 points with Newcastle and Norwich.

Chris Wood didn’t have a registered shot all game. Much more involved in the build up stuff but nothing came his way in the box. Burnley looked like Burnley to begin with then it went awry after Cornet went off and they never really mustered much in the second half despite the deficit. A game worth quickly forgetting. They’ve got West Ham next, another team that Chris Wood has a good scoring record against (7 goals in 8 Prem games), so maybe that one’ll go better.

Up Next: Burnley vs West Ham, Monday at 3am (NZT)

Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)

Portland Timbers vs Real Salt Lake, Western Conference Final. Two wins away from an MLS Championship. These are the games you dream of playing... though Bill Tuiloma would have to watch it unfold from the bench. He’d been an unused sub in both previous playoff games. A defensive utility option not yet required.

Perhaps a good old fashioned early lead to protect would get Billy T in the coach’s thoughts. Oh what do you know that’s exactly what they got: Felipe Mora dashing into the box at the right time to turn in the opener in the fifth minute of the match. And eventually they scored again. Santiago Moreno in the 61st minute, blasting one low off the post from outside the area as nobody closed him down, the ball ricocheting in off the back of the diving keeper. For some reason it appears to have been credited to Moreno even though it’s obviously an own goal but who cares.

The Timbers had needed to rely on a point-blank save from their goalie on the end of a header mid-first half but other than that they’d controlled the match nicely at 1-0. So to then double their lead was huge. Portland on the brink of the ultimate game if they could manoeuvre their way through the last half houw... a task that got a lot simpler with ten minutes to go when RSL fullback Aaron Herrera was sent off. That took the fizz out of any unlikely comeback. The Timbers closed it out to advance to the MLS Cup Final... which they’ll host against New York City FC after they topped Philadelphia Union 2-1 thanks to an 88th minute Talles Magno winner.

Bill Tuiloma didn’t play. An unused sub for the third game out of three in this playoff run. Which sucks for us trying to cheer him on as a New Zealander in amongst all the fun but he didn’t seem too bothered swinging a towel around his head at full time, ever the hype man...

Also managed to catch a bit of the ice hockey during the week too...

Up Next: Portland Timbers vs NYCFC, MLS Cup Final, Sunday at 9am (NZT)

Joey Champness - GZT Giresunspor (Turkish Süper Lig)

Cup footy time meant a bit of rotation for Giresunspor as they took on second division Ankara Demirspor and Joey Champness, fresh off a controversial goal last week, was one of the beneficiaries of that. It took him all of three minutes to repay that trust. Dude waxed and waned his way through half a team’s worth of defenders for a thrilling goal right off the bat. Mehmet Umut Nayir then scored from the penalty spot on 14’ and Giresunspor were well on top.

Champness was stationed out on the left wing (although he did swap sides occasionally) but with licence to roam and get involved, which he dutifully did. Dribbling the ball into space and looking to link up around that penalty area. He had a bouncing volley on target after the keeper flapped at a cross but it was rising to sharp on him to control it. However it was Champness’ giveaway in his own half that led to Ankara Demirspor getting a goal back three mins into the second half. Defender and keeper didn’t cover themselves in glory either though Joey started it. No worries, he soon made swift amends with his second of the arvo...

Too quick running onto that one in the 57th min. No stopping the man.

Giresunspor had been lucky to avoid a handball penalty just beforehand so this was a killer. Again Giresunspor conceded after a soft turnover, this one with quarter of an hour left, but again they responded. Ҫekdar Orhan on 85’. Firing in at the near post after Champness had slipped a ball back to him. Count that as an assist to go with his two goals, yeah why not. 4-2 the final score as Giresunspor advance to the fifth round.

Joey Champness then got twenty minutes off the bench in the next Süper Lig game as Giresunspor rallied from a goal down at home to Fatih Karagümrük to win 3-1. JOWIC came on straight after Ibrahima Balde had levelled the game up. Giresunspor had been pretty average to that point but were now smelling blood in the water so on went the attacking reinforcements.

Champness was then peripherally involved in the Soulemayne Doukara goal in the 83rd that put them in front, trying an extravagant flick before helping win the ball back outside the area. He was also in close attendance as Aussie Aziz Behich won a pretty soft penalty five mins later for Doukara to bury and secure the win. Good to see Champness getting minutes and good to see Giresunspor putting some distance between themselves and the relegation zone.

These goals appear to have also gotten a few folks sitting up and paying attention too. This from FTBL (for what it’s worth): “Champness' goals in Turkey have alerted the likes of Beskitas, Galatasary and Fenerbache, FTBL understands. It is believed one of the Istanbul giants could move for the in-form Kiwi in the next transfer window.”

We are coming towards the transfer silly season. Gotta keep that ear to the ground.

Up Next: Adana Demirspor vs Giresunspor, Sunday at 11.30pm (NZT)

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

There’s nothing quite like a good comeback story and Andre De Jong’s is the best going around right now. Two years pretty much on the outer at AmaZulu, hardly getting any games and having to read rumours about how the club couldn’t wait to sell him... then all of a sudden he gets an opportunity and absolutely gobbles it up.

Two assists in two games kept ADJ in the starting line-up for the match against Royal AM – a local derby taking place for the first time ever in this guise after the Royals purchased the licence of Bloemfontein Celtic back in August. And it was ADJ who sparked the first proper chance of the contest. 12th minute, dropping in to hold the ball up then making a sharp run into the area and lashing a near-post shot on target which the keeper was able to turn past the post. Quality save. Making things happen.

He also had a miss-hit cross that nearly sailed into the top corner, though the first half was otherwise pretty tight between these two sides. Not a lot going on despite each trying to attack with pace when they could. Defences up to the task. Five mins into the second spell ADJ dropped a header back for Memela whose half-volley from outside the box required a lot of saving. Hunting that assist streak. Then a counter attack on the back of an acrobatic header on halfway from De Jong ended back up at his feet on the edge of the box. He dummied back onto his left foot for a better angle... but Royal AM goalie Hugo Nyame was once again up to the task with an excellent save. Best one yet, probably.

AmaZulu had a shocker on 78’ as Thembela Sikhakhane got on the end of a long ball that his marker misjudged and was able to skip past the on-rushing keeper only to stab wide past an open goal. It was such a simple chance that the scoreboard on the telly graphics updated to read 1-0 perhaps not believing that he’d missed. That was a killer for them. Royal AM did have a few good chances but didn’t muster a shot on target all game. De Jong played 86 minutes as the game ended 0-0.

Up Next: AmaZulu vs Orlando Pirates, Thursday at 4.30am (NZT)

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

MNUFC.com: “Minnesota United announced roster updates following the conclusion of the 2021 Major League Soccer season. Michael Boxall, Hassani Dotson, Chase Gasper and Dayne St. Clair all received new contracts that will start in 2022. Bakaye Dibassy, Fred Emmings, Franco Fragapane, Niko Hansen, Jacori Hayes, Adrien Hunou, Aziel Jackson, Robin Lod, Tyler Miller, Emanuel Reynoso, Joseph Rosales, and Patrick Weah are already guaranteed for the 2022 season. Contract options were picked up for Nabilai Kibunguchy, Justin McMaster, Romain Metanire, Callum Montgomery, DJ Taylor and Wil Trapp. MNUFC declined contract options for Fanendo Adi, Juan Agudelo, Noah Billingsley, Jan Gregus, Brent Kallman, Jukka Raitala and Adrian Zendejas. Osvaldo Alonso and Ethan Finlay are free agents.”

Never any doubt that Boxall would be back but a shame to see Noah Billingsley released on the back of what was obviously a stink situation out on loan where Phoenix Rising just didn’t give him much of a chance. Only got 130 minutes all year. Minny really liked him when they drafted him too. Ah well. So it goes. Elliot Collier was also released by Chicago Red Stars at the conclusion of their season. Bill Tuiloma should be safe at Portland though.

Also the scene below the MLS is gonna look quite different next season with the introduction of the MLS Next Pro division which is effectively a reserve/academy league. 21 MLS clubs have signed up for year one including Minnesota United – who have announced they’ll be coached by kiwi Cameron Knowles, who has been serving as a video analyst for MNUFC after coaching the Portland Timbers reserves for nine years (including helping get Bill Tuiloma his start with that club). Might make the USL kinda reduntant.

Up Next: Offseason blues

Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League One)

You never know what you’re in for with these FA Cup ties. The Dons drew Cheltenham in the second round who are a fellow League One team so they were at least a familiar foe. However that didn’t stop them from going down a goal inside two minutes as Alfie May curled one perfectly around Nik Tzanev.

Trouble could have been brewing... but they rallied back well before the half with a counter attack goal finished off nicely by Ayoub Assal (36’) followed by Ollie Palmer tapping in after the initial shot from Jack Rudoni had come back off the frame of the goal (41’). Then the pair repeated the dose in the second half. Palmer dishing to Ayoub after the latter had won the ball high up (55’) and then not so long afterwards Palmer struck a beauty of a finish from the left side of the area to make it 4-1 (65’). Dons seemingly cruising into the open draw third round.

Until the late comeback. Andy Williams scored on 73’ as he slammed one in off the underside of Tzanev’s outstretched arm after the Dons had given the ball away a bit too cheaply in the middle. Then a long ball down the middle from the Cheltenham goalie caused a kerfuffle as Ben Heneghan headed back towards Tzanev without looking to see he was off his line. Own goal. 4-3 on 81’. Cheltenham with a full head of steam. Wimbledon absolutely rattled. Ten minutes to survive.

Step up Nik Tzanev. He made two outrageously good stops in the latter stages to ensure the victory. One parrying an open shot away somehow and the other diving at full stretch to tip one wide. Magical work from the kiwi keeper. AFC Wimbledon won it 4-3 and will play away to Boreham Wood in the third round a month from now. Good tie that. They already went far enough this season in the League Cup to face Arsenal at The Emirates so hopefully they can get through Boreham Wood and gather up a glamour tie in the FA Cup too.

Up Next: Weds at 8.45am away to Accrington Stanley, then Sun at 4am away to Wycombe (NZT)

Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)

No such yarns for Tommy Smith, sadly. His boys got dropped 2-1 at home by Wigan Athletic. The U’s thought they should have had a penalty in the first half, probably should have too, but it was turned down and then Callum Lang got onto a cross at the back stick to give Wigan the lead on 24’. Colchester survived one or two other moments before finishing the half strong. Sylvester Jasper wasn’t sure how his header didn’t find its way into the net but Freddie Sears had no such dramas in stoppage time striking beautifully off the post from just outside the area. All square at the break but Wigan lifted afterwards (Smithy nearly slicing a cross into his own net at one point) and another Lang goal with quarter of an hour to go put them through. Colchester unable to reply.

Do still have one cup comp to play, at least. A few days before that clash they took on Swindon Town away in the EFL Trophy second round. Colchester had gone through second in Group I behind Ipswich Town... Smithy’s old club. TS didn’t play any of those group games as they treated them as a chance to rotate guys around but for the first knockouts he was in there for ninety full minutes.

Colchester began brilliantly. Luke Chambers put them up in the sixth min with a powered header off a corner, then he did it again on 11’ only this time it was a header from a free kick not a corner, at the near post not the far post. Regardless it was 2-0. Smith had already guided a shot into the side-netting before the first goal so you get the idea: fast start from The U’s.

After that it was a matter of managing the game. Some good defence, a couple important saves. Chambers nearly scored a third but this particular header was blocked. Freddie Sears had a great chance where he couldn’t beat the keeper. Romoney Crichlow halved the deficit right before the half... but Colchester put the clamps on in the second. Only really gave up one more decent chance and Jayden Mitchell-Lawson couldn’t guide his header past the goalie there... thus Colchester won 2-1 and will face Sutton United in the last sixteen in early January. Smith got a yellow card in there too.

Up Next: Away to Bradford on Thursday at 8.45am & away to Walsall on Sunday at 4am (NZT)

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

There’s a reason they take an extended winter break in Danish football. In the last match before the pause, FCH had to battle away in the snow away against Hobro. Absolutely freezing. 1°C on the thermostat. Snow was piled up in banks along the sidelines. And as if that wasn’t tricky enough to traverse, in the 25th minute they went behind as Joacob Tjørnelund slammed in a banger of a goal from distance.

Fortunately for Helsingør that goal was the only shot out of 15 attempts that their hosts were able to get on target and while FCH were far from their best they were able to get back on even terms right before the half as Frederik Juul Christensen drove one in off his left on the run, then Nicklas Mouritsen finished off a wonderfully well worked move eight minutes into the second stanza. And that was all it took.

Quiet one from Eli Just, who started and played 77 mins, as well as Callum McCowatt, who was subbed on as part of a HT double-change. McCowatt had one big chance before the second goal. Just only a couple low-percentage crackers. No worries. A 2-1 win in difficult circumstances and Helsingør are first at the winter break.

When the league returns there’ll be four more rounds of open league play, then the top half and bottom half split off for the championship/relegation rounds. Points carry on, play everyone twice, top two get promotion to the SuperLiga. Exciting. Here’s the top six as it stands...

Also including the seventh placed team because Marko Stamenic got another ninety for HB Køge this week as they drew 3-3 with Lyngby. Marko won an absolutely crunching tackle to help set up the first goal (an equaliser late first half after earlier going behind), then they went in front three mins into the second stanza - having already missed a penalty early in the half. A couple soft concessions had them staring at defeat... until the 95th minute when Edigerson Gomes whacked in after a corner kick. Poor fella’s celebrations were ruined by an explosion of cramp.

Interesting to see what happens next because Stamenic has done really well on loan with HBK but that loan was only arranged until the end of 2021 so he could have played his last game for the team. Or he could be back on a second loan after the break given all three parties (two clubs, the man himself) would probably be keen on that. Doubt we’ll see Nando Pijanker stay on at Helsingør considering he’s barely played. Dalton Wilkins is also due to return to FCH after getting his match reps back up with Kolding a division down. Plenty of time to sort it all out over the rest of December.

Up Next: Off ‘til late February, sorry ‘bout it

Niko Kirwan – Calcio Padova (Italian Serie C)

Bit of a funky one here because in another timeline this game could have seen Niko Kirwan directly up against Libby Cacace... if Cacace had taken up that offer to play for Juventus’ academy team a year or so ago. Probably holding out for a Napoli offer to be fair. Anyway, Padova had a nice 2-0 win against the Juve U23s although it wasn’t the best for Niko. He started at right wing-back but was hooked at half-time already on a yellow card – his fifth of the season which meant he missed the next match. That next match was a 1-1 draw away to Giana Erminio that ended a four-game win streak in all comps.

Padova are now six points behind first placed Südtirol in their conference after 17 games played. That’s a big deal because only the top team gets promoted automatically and the playoff scheme in the Italian third tier is ruthless... Kirwan knows because he’s been promoted that way before. But they play Südtirol next so they can halve that gap in a hurry. Also sorry to report that Niko appears to have had a haircut.

Up Next: Calcio Padova vs Südtirol, Monday at 2.30am (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Sint-Truiden (Belgian Pro League)

Tutto Mercato Web: “Torino is considering a new addition on the left wing. This is the New Zealander Liberato Cacace, full-back who currently plays in the Belgian Jupiler League, more precisely in Sint-Truiden. The need to sell by the club can accelerate the operation, also because the valuation is less than 2 million euros. Cacace, of Italian origins, also played in the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and is the first choice for [Torino Sporting Director] Davide Vagnati's Toro.”

This needs to happen, please. Libby Cacace to Serie A is obviously a dream for a dude of strong Italian heritage. Already mentioned that he turned down interest from the Juve academy a while back, preferring senior football. Now here comes Torino getting in amongst the conversations ahead of the January transfer window. The same club who recently picked up Matt Garbett for their U19s team. You can already picture Libby and Andrea Belotti getting on like a house on fire.

Cacace has fallen out of the starting team for STVV. Hasn’t been part of the walk-on team since late October, his last four appearances all coming off the bench with Aboubakary Koita getting picked ahead of him at LWB – Koita being more of an attacker, even scoring against Antwerp a couple games ago. Cacace’s lack of goals and assists has been something he’s worked hard on over his time in Belgium and this Koita thing does seem to suggest they’re trying a different option to boost that balance. But also maybe Libby’s being primed for a departure?

The Sint-Truiden model of operating does involve signing prospects like Cacace in order to sell them later at a profit. It’s why they were happy to pay a decent fee for him in the first place. A lot of those prospects are Japanese players given an avenue into European footy (the club has Japanese ownership) but there are other international dudes like Cacace in there too. American Chris Durkin is probably the main guy.

The best example of this strategy is a fella you may have heard of named Takehiro Tomiyasu. Playing super footy for Arsenal these days, he was signed by STVV for roughly the same fee as they paid for Cacace and then sold on to Bologna for €9m only 18 months later. Two year after that he signed for Arsenal for something in the range of £16m. They’re talking about holding our for around €5m for Cacace although this is all mere speculation at this point.

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