Flying Kiwis – September 7
Ria Percival – Tottenham Hotspur (English Super League)
New season, here we go. The English Women’s Super League is underway and there are two Flying Kiwis in the mix: Anna Leat is the newest addition to the crew (she was on the bench for West Ham as they began with a 2-0 loss to Brighton) while Ria Percival is the record NZ appearance maker in this comp by a country mile, back for another crack with Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs have Rehanne Skinner in as manager for her first full season in charge and it’s gonna be pretty fascinating to see how things go for them this term. Quite a few players departed at the end of last season, including Alanna Kennedy and Siri Worm, however they have added some exciting talent in the attacking areas: Chioma Ubogagu, Cho So-hyun, Kyah Simon, Tang Jiali... all quality additions. Skinner’s used her past connections in the England system to bring in a bunch of younger prospects from other clubs too. Spurs are also doing good things in integrating with the men’s team and their season opener was at Tottenham Stadium. Gotta see now if the rewards outweigh the risks because it’s a much trickier season this time. Easy-ish beats Bristol City were relegated, replaced in the division by a pretty strong Leicester City squad. Not much room for error there.
Good thing then that they got off to a winning start at home versus Birmingham. Ria Percival was named in a midfield three to start alongside Josie Green and Maéva Clemaron... the interesting thing there being that Clemaron was the DM of the three meaning that Percival was given quite a bit of licence to push forward. Right up there where she could spark the high press – can definitely see the logic of that with a player as strong in the challenge and with the work-rate that RP has.
The other thing she’s quite good at is the ol’ set piece delivery. With Spurs controlling possession here, they won an early corner kick on the left side which Percival struck short to a teammate dashing over to return it to her with one touch. The move broke down but soon after they won another corner and did the same thing from the other side, with Percival being the one doing the lay-off part this time. The third corner they won was pumped deep to no avail just to keep ‘em guessing but then for the fourth one, 40th minute of the match, it was back to the same scripted training ground move and say look what happened...
Kit Graham was credited with the goal, meaning that Ria Percival was credited with the assist. Graham’s was clearly a cross but nobody got a touch on it so there ya go. Tottenham on the board for the new season.
The worry had been that Spurs weren’t creating enough clear chances to show for all their possession. Defensively they were safe and sound but they hadn’t really looked like scoring. However things had been ramping up prior to the goal and Ria Percival, in her more attacking role, was a major catalyst. She’d run off the last defender to get in behind after 34 mins but was barged over just outside the area only for no foul to be called. There was a stinging shot that was blocked about five minutes later, leading indirectly to the corner that they scored from. Then after the goal she tried an ambitious touch-and-volley in the area that didn’t hit the target. Percival has never scored in the WSL before. This was her 47th game... but keep using her in this role and there may well be a few on the horizon.
The second half was more of the same. Spurs were freed up by the goal and were able to dish out a couple debuts off the bench for Tang and Ubogagu. Graham had a decent crack just before being replaced. Tang fired one past each post in quick succession. Jessica Naz also forced a good save while Angela Addison was dangerous after she came on. Ashleigh Neville might have scored had she taken the more selfish option on the end of a stunner of a pass from Percy here...
... but Spurs somehow didn’t manage a second which kept things a whole itchier than they should have been in the latter stages of the game. To be fair though, it was long shots at best for Birmingham. Spurs able to grind it out for the 1-0 win. No Spurs player scored more than twice in the WSL last season and they’d failed to get a single goal in any of the previous three games they’d played at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so positive signs here for sure.
Up Next: Away to Manchester City on Monday at 5.45am (NZT)
CJ Bott - Vålerenga (Norwegian Toppserien)
Two games shy of qualifying for the Champions League group stage – and earning quite a chunk of cash for the club as a result, something like €400k - but the draw against reigning Swedish champs Häcken was a tough one, up against the likes of Stina Blackstenius and Filippa Angeldal who had been so good for Sweden at the Olympics. That task has gotten even tougher after the first leg at home.
VIF did fire one narrowly past the post after ten minutes but soon found themselves firmly on the back foot and the resistance was broken in the 32nd min when Angeldal scored a ripper of a strike from distance. The same woman would double the lead before the half was out with a similar chance that the goalie did get a touch on. When Blackstenius then made it three on 64 mins... well, that was seemingly Vålerenga’s UCL dreams over for another year.
CJ Bott was named on the bench again and was summoned at left back for the last twenty minutes as VIF tried desperately to take something, anything from the game. That they did: substitute Rikke Madsen dragging a goal back in the 83rd via a nightmare touch from the Häcken goalie that bobbled right over to her pressing up for the easy finish.
Bit of a fluke way to finally score but also probably a result of the force they’d been applying. They’d hit the crossbar just before and would do so again soon after. With that breakthrough, suddenly the rest of the leg way all over the place. VIF stretched for a second while simultaneously leaving themselves very exposed at the back. Bott got a few moments in there: a cross or two, once where she maybe should’ve shot picking the ball up in the box with space, once from outside the area when she did smash one that was blocked.
Ultimately 3-1 was the way it ended though. Not a good result at all for VIF but maybe, just maybe, that goal gives them a bit of hope going into the second leg in Sweden on Thursday. If they can score first in that one then it’s all on again – no away goals any more in UEFA competition of course. Check out a replay here if you’re keen.
After which it was back to the Toppserien and... this result was almost as bad. Away to Rosenborg, it was a chance to get back into the race for the top two (and a UCL place next season) but nine minutes in Elin Åhgren Sørum scored from the spot and VIF were down 1-0. The worst part? CJ Bott, starting at left back, was the one who conceded it. Trying to control a bouncing ball that came off her knee and into her arm. Very unlucky, there wasn’t even that much of an appeal. But the ref spotted it and awarded it.
Vålerenga did what they could, forcing a few saves and blasting a few more achingly wide on a quest to turn things around. Finally Amanda Jacobsen Andradottir boomed one into the top corner for a superb equaliser in the 73rd min. Bott had already been subbed off by then, she played 67 mins before being replaced in a double sub. But ten mins after they’d levelled it, Sara Kanutte Sørensen Fornes slid in to convert a shallow cross and Rosenborg won it 2-1.
VIF are thus stuck in fourth place. 14 points off top, 7 points off second... and the top two have a game in hand on them too. Can’t argue: they’ve lost all four games against Sandviken and Rosenborg. At least they won’t finish any lower than this with only five games remaining and they are still in the cup. Not to mention that UCL second leg.
Up Next: Häcken vs Vålerenga on Thursday at 5am in the UCL second leg qualifier... then it’s Koboltn away in the cup quarter final on Sunday at 3am (NZT)
Callum McCowatt & Elijah Just - FC Helsingør (Danish Division 1)
Every week it’s the same old tune: FC Helsingør win another game or two and either Eli Just or Callum McCowatt or both are on the scoresheet. This first game was a pesky cup game before the international break, a Wednesday nighter in Denmark. FCH were away to Skjold and found themselves in some trouble when they conceded first against the lower division team, 18 minutes played... but Liam Jordan got them back on level terms before another ten minutes had expired and they dropped the hammer down in the second half when a bunch of the regular starters were subbed in. Just was on at half-time and McCowatt with an hour played. Just then scored the 68th minute goal that put FCH in front and Frederik Juul Christensen clinched it in the 76th min for a 3-1 victory that puts FCH into the third round.
That game came too soon for Nando Pijnaker who is in on loan to join the lads for the next four months. That deal, as well as Dalton Wilkins going out on loan at the same time (and Marko Stamenic dropping into Division 1 for some loanee game time himself with HB Køge) was covered in this transfer season roundup so have a geeze there for some more deets. You’ll not be shocked to find out that as soon as they got that business done there were two-year contract extensions for both Just and McCowatt completed. Extending until the middle of 2024.
FCH sporting director Brian Gellert: “We are delighted to continue our journey with both Elijah and Callum. Both players came to the club very young and have developed into dynamic attacking players that are off to tremendous starts in the League. We’re happy they have decided to commit their futures to Helsingør, and we’re excited for the future together.”
And hey look at this guy...
Up Next: FCH vs Hvidovre on Sunday at 10.45pm (NZT)
Betsy Hassett - Stjarnan (Icelandic Úrvalsdeild Kvenna)
Right on three minutes gone and there was Betsy Hassett sneaking free down the right and a lovely ball from Hildigunnur Ýr Benediktsdóttir set her up with only the keeper to beat. No dramas there whatsoever. Early lead for Stjarnan in their second to last game, one where neither team had much to play for with Breiðablik guaranteed second place and Stjarnan comfortable in mid-table... and perhaps that explains the madness that followed.
Two goals in the space of six mins meant that Breiðablik were up 2-1 by the 24th minute, two poorly defended goals, but the visitors were just as sloppy. Not only did Gyða Kristín Gunnarsdóttir run through in miles of space to level up in the 33rd min but a terrible giveaway at the back led to a Breiðablik defender being sent off late in the first half too. Even down to ten women, they’d reclaim the lead early in the second half via a looping deflected shot over the goalie yet that lead would only last a dozen mins before Gunnarsdóttir scored her second equaliser of the day – this one from the penalty spot after a slightly controversial handball.
Both teams gunned it for a winner, neither could score again. A frantic 3-3 draw was the end of it. Stjarnan face relegation probables Tindastóll in their last game next week knowing that a draw would guarantee them a top half finish.
Up Next: Tindastóll vs Stjarnan, 2am on Monday (NZT)
Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League One)
Big win over here. Oxford Town would have gone top of the division with a win and at half-time they were in a fine position to do exactly that. Leading thanks to a stoppage time goal from Mark Sykes after Tzanev was caught out of position as his defender dawdled on the ball too long instead of passing back to him. Dude gets tackled and Tzanev was left scrambling against the 1v1. To be fair, Oxford, who had already hit the post from a long ranger earlier, good value for the goal.
But the second half was a fresh tale. 55th minute and a free kick sent into the box was won strongly by Will Nightingale, who’d scored from a set piece last game and may have been about to do the same here before Jack Rudoni swooped in to make sure of it and claim the goal himself. All goods for Nightingale, 78th minute of the game and AFCW had a corner kick and there was nobody there to snatch this one off him. Powerful header and that was 2-1. Three mins later Rudoni got his second of the afternoon on the end of a mint counter attack and the points belonged to the Dons. Second win of the season, up to ninth on the ladder.
Meanwhile in League Two, Tommy Smith’s Colchester United team were supposed to be playing against Sutton United but that one got called off for covid reasons. A few positive tests on top of existing injuries and, apparently, an international call up or two left Sutton without a first team squad to put out there so the FA said they’ll have to catch it up some other time. Free Saturday arvo for Smithy to put his feet up.
Up Next: EFL Trophy Group Stage against Portsmouth on Wednesday at 6.45am, and then it’s away to Morecambe in League One at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
Max Crocombe - Grimsby Town (English National League)
Elsewhere in the goalkeeping corps it’s Max Crocombe’s Grimsby Town coming back from 3-1 down after 62 minutes to win 4-3 against the Harry Kewell-coached Barnet. That made it seven points from three games to start things off in the National League as they seek promotion back to League Two, following a 1-0 win over Weymouth and a 0-0 draw with Stockport County. Only drama is that Crocombe’s not actually been playing. Veteran keeper James McKeown has maintained his starter’s gig even after Crocombe arrived so that’s a bit stink. Good results though. Similar deal elsewhere in that division where Matt Gould has been the backup for Altrincham, who have won two and lost one to start their campaign.
Up Next: Sunday at 2am, Grimsby are away to Torquay United (NZT)
George Stanger - Hamilton Academical (Scottish Championship)
It was a Scottish Challenge Cup game, nothing fancy. Up against Hearts U21s. George Stanger was named at centre-back and played the whole game in a rather dramatic 3-2 win. They scored first after five mins, led all the way until the hour, then conceded twice in three minutes to be trailing 2-1, equalised in the 71st min, scored the winner in the 78th minute. Into the next round where they’ll face Aberdeen B. Go on then.
Up Next: Arbroath vs Hamilton on Sunday at 2am (NZT)
Vic Esson – Avaldsnes IL (Norwegian Toppserien)
CJ Bott/Vålerenga’s latest loss was a Toppserien disaster for them and it’s not good Toppserien news here either. Avaldsnes were away to Lyn, the team directly below them on the table, and were behind in the 12th minute as a long ball over the top to Runa Lillegård left her with only Vic Esson to beat. Esson rushed out quickly but Lillegård calmly sidestepped her to slot into an empty net. Then the same culprit made it 2-0 after twenty mins carving her way in from the left wing. Esson probably shoulda stopped this one at the near post but it snuck in.
She did make an excellent stop off Laura Gashi soon after, denying her from eight yards out with an outstretched foot. However her team missed a few good looks to get back into the contest and eventually on the hour mark Cathinka Tandberg was given way too much space to pick her spot in the box and that she did for 3-0. Kristina Svandal pulled one back ten mins later with a close-range volley but even still it was Esson who was the busier keeper down the stretch. Couple more sharp stops to keep the margin from deteriorating further. 3-1 the final score. Both teams are now on 12 points, five clear of the drop zone with five games yet to play.
Up Next: Norwegian Cup quarter-final, away to Rosenborg on Sunday at 10pm (NZT)
Emma Rolston - Arna-Bjørnar (Norwegian Toppserien)
And this one makes it three defeats outta three for the Aotearoa contingent in Norway’s Toppserien. In fairness, this one was expected. Arna-Bjørnar away to league leaders Sandviken and at exactly no point did they feel likely to spring the upset. Marit Bratberg Lund opened the scoring in the 26th from the penalty spot after a soft pass-back caused an A-B defender to stick an armbar out in panic, then Signe Gaupset made it two on 33 mins. Lisa Fjeldstad Naalsund (56’) and Marthine Østenstad (83’) also got on the scoresheet later on. 4-0 to Sandviken... but ninety minutes for Emma Rolston at least, who had one clean shot on target early in the second half as a ball was cleared her way whilst hovering on the edge of the box but the shot was straight at the keeper. The third goal went in soon after.
Up Next: Two weeks off before facing Klepp on 26 Sep at 12am (NZT)
Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
Only one of the MLS bros had a game this week, with Portland earning a very useful 2-0 win away in Texas to the Houston Dynamo. Yimmi Chara scored on 15’ following up from a Felipe Mora header and then five minutes later Mora scored one of his own from the penalty spot. And... that was pretty much it for their attacking efforts. The Timbers kinda spent the remaining seventy mins knocking the ball around and trying to keep things compact at the back.
Bill Tuiloma wasn’t amongst the starters so he couldn’t help the lads as they scraped through a tricky period of stoppage time in the first half with Houston pumping the ball into the box and having some success. Steve Clark made a great save though, kept things where they were. Eventually Tuiloma would offer his assistance for the last twenty mins after he came on at right back for a hobbling Pablo Bonilla. Houston were largely frustrated and Portland had a chance or two to seal the points on the break... but in the end with the Dynamo unable to get that goal to bring them back in range and on the back of another solid Steve Clark performance it was the Timbers who made it consecutive 2-0 wins. Getting the season on track again. Double fist pump at the final whistle from Bill Tuiloma.
Up Next: Vancouver vs Portland on Saturday at 2pm (NZT)
Ali Riley - Orlando Pride (American National Women’s Soccer League)
There was only one NWSL gal in action this week as well. Abby Erceg and Katie Bowen’s teams played against each other – a game which ended 0-0 – but Erceg is still sitting out with a pesky injury while Bowen was an unused sub. So that was boring. But at least Ali Riley was there for the metrics. Full game at left back this week as the Pride kept the points tally ticking over with a late equaliser for a 1-1 draw against Houston Dash.
Rachel Daly had given Houston the lead with ten mins played and it was one that Ali Riley had to cop the blame for. It was her poor touch that allowed Daly to sneak in and score after Riley had seemingly intercepted the pressure. Tried to lay it off to a teammate who wasn’t having it, in hindsight coulda just booted it to safety. Good finish from Daly though and the Pride were once again off to a slow start.
It took a great Ashlyn Harris save (what’s new there) and some goal-line scrambling to keep Houston out later in the half while Orlando’s best looks were all shots from distance. Harris then got injured in a collision midway through the second half and had to be replaced. Yet Orlando kept themselves within range and were finally able to strike back in the 79th min. Corner kick and Taylor Kornieck’s header squeezed in under the crossbar despite a big hand from the keeper.
That was the way it ended. Did the Pride deserve it? Arguably not. They shaded most of the stat lines but Houston were way more dangerous in attack. That’s nothing new for the Pride. They’re pretty handy at grinding things out and this was another very useful point as they push for a top six place – currently fourth though in range of teams below with games in hand.
Up Next: Sunday at 11am, Orlando vs Louisville (NZT)
Dalton Wilkins - Kolding IF (Danish Division 2)
Aw yeah, go on then. Wilkins made his debut for Kolding within hours of properly signing for them. Cup game against Esbjerg, a team a division above them (although they won’t be for long if Esbjerg’s form doesn’t turn around), and they pipped them 2-1 after extra time to advance. Wilkins started on the bench but because of the bonus half hour he ended up getting 53 minutes. Then, days later, he was in the starters for the Division 2 match-up with HIK and yeah man a cheeky 2-0 win there and 66 minutes... can’t complain.
It’s the longest he’s played in a league game since back when FC Helsingør were in the second division – back before his injury. He did play 78 minutes in a cup game for FCH before he was loaned out though so he’s played in consecutive rounds for different teams in that comp this season. Fellow FCH loanee Christoffer Petersen played the full game in goal for Kolding vs HIK as Paul Ngogo (39’ pen) and Victor Olsen (90+3’) got the goals.
Up Next: Monday at 1am vs Hillerød (NZT)
Olivia Chance - Celtic FC (Scottish Premier League)
Here we are, start of the league season, and that start provided another start as Olivia Chance walked out in the starting eleven for the first time for Celtic (one of four summer signings who got their full debuts in this one). Game was away to Aberdeen and Chance played in the midfield as you’d expect. Nearly got an assist in the 12th minute when she played Tegan Bowie through with the ol’ slide rule but Bowie couldn’t finish 1v1 on the angle. Not so long afterwards, Charlie Wellings (another of those full debutants) ran onto a through ball from the other side and scored to put Celtic in front after 15 mins.
The Hoops were looking ruthless but in the 22nd minute they let the home team back in when Kelly Clark headed a cross into her own net. Yet parity only lasted two minutes before Chloe Craig snuck one in from a tight angle off a deep cross. Celtic were playing some good footy. Much more confident for being back in the domestic stuff. Having said that, it wasn’t actually until the 81st minute that they found a third – Wellings with her second on the touch-and-shoot, about two mins after she’d hit the post and three minutes after Eva Thomson had given Celtic a proper scare with a shot just past the post down the other end. Eilidh Shore pulled one back in the 87th with a looping header but then Craig bagged her second soon after from the penalty spot. 4-2 the final score, full game for Liv Chance. Solid way to begin the SWPL season... particularly as game two brings one of their massive title-ramification games against Glasgow City.
Up Next: Celtic vs Glasgow City, Monday at 3.10am (NZT)
Michael Woud – Almere City (Dutch Eerste Divisie)
Now that’s more like it. After a couple disappointing results to get things going, then a very dramatic comeback 4-3 win against Roda JC last week to finally get a win at the fourth time of asking... Almere City dominated FC Oss for a comfortable 3-0 win. All three goals came in the second half as their pressure finally tolled, Ilias Alhaft with a double (56’ & 63’), both of them really tidy finishes after some brilliant footwork, while Anass Ahannach added a third in stoppage time on the runaway. Woud didn’t have too much to do on the way to his first clean sheet of the term although he did make a decent stop from a heavy free kick drive with about ten mins remaining. One he’d have expected to parry away and that he did.
Up Next: Away to Telstar at 6am on Saturday (NZT)
Winston Reid – West Ham United (English Premier League)
Among the many yarns on Deadline Day there wasn’t hardly anything regarding Mr Winston Reid. To be fair, the bloke is still recovering from the injury he sustained at the Olympics which surely hampered his ability to find a loan deal. West Ham have been rumoured to want rid of him for multiple years and David Moyes has never given any indication that there’s a place for him in his Hammers squad... especially now that they’ve signed Kurt Zouma from Chelsea for £30m. But his expensive and long-term contract – which still has two years to run – has been a hurdle there. Keeping Winnie paid though, fair play to the man.
The last two years is when a contract begins to get manageable though. Hence after The Athletic reported this...
“Winston Reid was hoping to seal a loan move from West Ham this summer but it proved to no avail. The 33-year doesn’t feature in manager David Moyes’ plans this season and his last competitive appearance for the club was in the 4-1 victory at Swansea City in March 2018 when he sustained a serious knee injury. Reid had a lengthy spell on the sidelines and once the defender completed his rehab, he had loan spells at MLS side Sporting Kansas City and Brentford in the Championship. His current deal is set to expire in the summer of 2023 and the centre-half recently represented New Zealand at this summer’s Olympic Games.”
We’ve had Football Insider 24/7 offering this update...
“West Ham chiefs have talked about offering Winston Reid a pay-off to leave, Football Insider understands. The New Zealand international, 33, does not feature in David Moyes’ first-team plans and plans to find him a new club during the summer window failed to come to fruition. A West Ham source has told Football Insider that the club are now ready to explore more drastic measures to get Reid off their wage bill. This includes offering a mutual termination of his contract, which has two years remaining. The 6ft 3in centre-back is a high earner and has a £70,000-a-week Hammers contract that runs until the summer of 2023. This possibility would see the defender secure a handsome pay-off to leave but one which falls short of the £7m remaining on his deal.”
Sounds expensive. Also sounds like it might be the best case scenario for all involved, although stumping up a heap of money now to avoid paying a similar amount of money spread out over two years (which is actually how a lot of top clubs pay those huge transfer fees: spread out in multi-year instalments) doesn’t exactly seem to make much financial difference. Granted, it would free up Winston to pursue the next stage of his career without restrictions. Be that a Championship club like last season, maybe back to America (doubt it by you never know), or even potentially a Danish club to throw it back to the start of his career. Everybody else seems to be loving life in Denmark these days. Marko Stamenic could put in a good word, maybe.
Up Next: We shall see
If you rate the yarns on TNC, please support us on Patreon because we do kinda need the cash
Also whack an ad to say cheers, sign up to our excellent Substacker, and tell a mate about what we do