Flying Kiwis – November 9
Chris Wood - Newcastle United (English Premier League)
The Woodsman giving it a knee slide on a rainy afternoon on England’s south coast, that’s what we wanna see. Prior to the weekend’s game away against Southampton, Chris Wood had only scored once all season and it was a header from a corner in a 2-1 EFL Cup win over League Two’s Tranmere Rovers. Good game to score in, sure. But that first Premier League goal took a lot longer... it wasn’t until the 14th game that Wood finally got off the mark.
But let’s be fair to the dude, he’s played mostly as a late substitute, often when his team was protecting a lead... not exactly prime situations to bang them away. He was on the bench again for the Southampton game despite Callum Wilson having been ill during the week... but Wilson got into the sheds at half-time claiming to feel light-headed so no further risks were taken. On came Chris Wood at the break with his team leading 1-0 thanks to yet another spectacular Miguel Almiron goal.
It wasn’t much longer before the home crowd was treated to another banger...
Southampton did have a few chances early on. That first half was definitely not Newcastle at their best. But Almiron’s latest ripper gave them a 35th minute lead to take into the break regardless, that pace and directness once more. Who cares if he only has a left foot when he’s scored mad goals?
That lead probably helped the travelling fans digest Wood being subbed on at HT (less a criticism of Wood than a worry about Wilson’s perpetual injury history). The attitudes might still have soured had Che Adams not drilled his volley narrowly wide after Newcastle gave the ball away cheaply in their own half. Thankfully it went the other way instead because two minutes later Chris Wood scored that lovely goal. Facing the wrong way, shooting on the spin knowing instinctively where that bottom corner was. Those are striker’s actions.
The rain was getting heavier but so was the margin on the scoreboard. Very soon after that Wood goal, Kieran Trippier hit Joe Willock with a delightful through ball and he made it three. Willock’s first goal since February (now there’s a goal drought). Southampton did spoil the clean sheet when Romain Perraud scored late on but then Bruno Guimaraes banged in a long range one in stoppage time to cap a 4-1 win.
Ain’t that swell. Wood didn’t have another shot and to be honest didn’t have too many total touches either. But he did what he was there to do and he’ll be stoked with a goal. Despite having featured in all but one game this season (missing the match immediately after going off injured for the All Whites against Aussie at Eden Park), he hasn’t had too many chances to disturb the back of the net. Only five total shots this season and that’s because eight of his 13 matches have seen him subbed on in the 84th minute or later. This was only the second Premier League game this season in which he’s played more than thirty minutes. 188 minutes all combined across those 13 apps. We talked a bit about that in the latest TNC Variety Show, by the way...
May there be many more goals where this came from.
Chris Wood: “It's nice to continue our unbeaten run first and foremost. "To continue the progress the team is making, that's what it's all about, it's nice. I'm at a club with a great squad and a great team. You are always going to have competition at a big club and that's exactly what we've got. We have some great strikers here. I've just got to keep trying to push and work hard and see if I can break my way into the team. But I know I also have to take my chance when it comes my way. It was nice to get on the pitch for a decent amount of time and it's always nice to get a goal.”
Up Next: Bit of EFL Cup against Crystal Palace on Thursday at 8.45am, then home to Chelsea in the last game before the World Cup break on Sunday at 6.30am (NZT)
Anna Leat – Aston Villa (English Super League)
That’s right. You know it.
The one annoying thing about Leat’s run of starts has been the lack of positive results. After winning their first two games with Hannah Hampton in goal, Leat was on the wrong end of tight WSL defeats to West Ham (1-2) and Everton (0-1) before a more convincing loss to Chelsea (3-1). Chuck in a couple Conti Cup draws as well (leading to penalty shootouts - one won and one lost) and that’s five straight starts with zero proper wins.
That’s no longer the case after a battling effort away to Liverpool earned the Villans a 1-0 triumph. Not a game that too many will remember fondly as both teams were sloppier than they’d have liked and although there were quite a few shots throughout the game there were very few on target. Leat only had to make one proper save all arvo. Liverpool arguably had the better chances too, however poor finishing meant they failed to test the kiwi keeper.
Meanwhile Alisha Lehmann hit the post with the last kick of the first half after a runaway from which she should have given Villa the lead. Instead what happened was that Aston Villa won a penalty midway through the second half. Kinda looked like a stonewall spottie based on the live vision though Liverpool were convinced that there was minimal contact as the keeper rushed out and slid through Kirsty Hanson. Teams often feel that way when they’ve conceded one, to be fair.
Sadly for the Reds they didn’t have a penalty specialist like Anna Leat in goal. Rachel Daly’s effort snuck past Rachael Laws for the 57th minute goal. Liverpool then made a few changes that stretched the game as they chased a leveller but the Villans made it home with that 1-0 win. Clean sheet for Anna Leat. Hey, that rhymes.
Up Next: What do ya know, there’s an international break
CJ Bott - Leicester City (English Super League)
CJ Bott has made two starts for Leicester City in the WSL. Both of them were 4-0 defeats. Don’t take that the wrong way though, one was against Manchester City and then this week the same thing happened against Arsenal. The point is more that when the Foxes know they need that extra defensive cover against the best teams, wanting to double up in the wide areas, that’s when CJB becomes a necessity.
Wasn’t much chance of the bottom team beating the top team. Arsenal came into this game with five wins from five in the league and a couple more in the Champions League (including an amazing 5-1 win over Lyon a couple weeks back). Against Leicester they hit the crossbar via an early deflection, then soon enough scored anyway via Frida Maanum on 13’. Scoring on the rebound after the LCFC keeper had pushed the ball back into a dangerous area. Beth Mead then whipped a beauty of a low cross between keeper and defensive line to set up Caitlin Foord for a second on 22’. And another Aussie scored before the half was done, Steph Catley on 37’ directly from a corner kick.
However before the third goal there was a wonderful moment for CJ Bott who got out on the break from her right midfield position (again, doubling up the wide areas of defence by picking two fullbacks) and nudging the ball past Catley to drive into the penalty area only for Manuela Zinsberger to make a very good save with her foot. So close to a legendary moment. Botty also picked up a very deserved yellow card later on. Let ‘em know you’re there, aye? (Sorta looked like she might’ve just slipped)...
Stina Blackstenius went on to score a fourth for Arsenal early in the second stanza and they missed a couple chances to add to that. Leicester did have three shots on target overall but CJ Bott’s was easily the best of them. A solid game from here on the right side of midfield, considering the proposition. One thing about CJB is that she always brings the action no matter where or against whom she’s playing. Another ninety minutes in the WSL in the bag.
Up Next: International break to rest up, not travelling with the Ferns, then away to West Ham at 4am on Monday 21 November (NZT)
Nando Pijnaker & Max Mata – Sligo Rovers (League of Ireland Premier Division)
Yeah bollocks, that’s a 3-1 loss away to Bohemians in the final game of the season for Sligo Rovers. Both Max Mata and Nando Pijnaker started but a very weird own goal just before half-time busted things open and then they conceded a header from a free kick three minutes into the second half. Not ideal. Conceding soft goals immediately before and after the break.
They’d leak a third from close range on the hour though at least they did pull one back with quarter of an hour remaining thanks to top scorer Aidan Keena... with Max Mata getting the assist. Holding the ball up with his back to goal, nudging it deeper to Keena, and that fella blasted it in from distance. Granted the keeper probably should’ve done better with it. No consequence. 3-1 the final score as Sligo Rovers end the season in fifth place – which was going to be the case whether they won or lost.
Nando Pijnaker had played three first team games in about three years since moving to Europe (not counting a brief Torslanda stint down the leagues in Sweden). Two for Grasshoppers and one on loan at Helsingør. He did get a few reserve games for parent club Rio Ave but it’s been hard yakka for him trying to get a chance to prove himself. On loan at Sligo Rovers, he finally got that chance. 31 appearances in the League Of Ireland (28 of them starts) plus four more games in Europa Conference League qualifying. He scored one goal and got one yellow card amidst. A breakthrough year for him.
Max Mata has had a bit more room to thrive, specifically when he was in Estonia with Nomme Kalju, but he was coming off a stink year in the USL with Real Monarchs where he didn’t really get to do what he does best. Here in Ireland that was not a problem. 7 goals in 27 LOI matches (16 starts) and two more goals in ECL qualifying where he featured in all six games. It’s been a breakthrough season for him too, don’t doubt it - remember he won the club’s young player of the year award.
Mata did well enough that Sligo gave him a new contract to keep him around. Pijnaker is only there on loan so now he’ll head back to Portugal to see if he can crack the first team at Rio Ave after the World Cup break. Either that or jump out on loan again.
Up Next: We shall see
Elijah Just - AC Horsens (Danish Superliga)
These are suddenly quite discouraging times over in Denmark. At the start of the season it was the place to be but nobody’s really doing much at the present moment. Elijah Just did get twenty minutes off the bench in a wonderful 5-1 Horsens win over Randers although all but one of the goals were scored before he joined the game. Still, he’s ticking over his appearances and Horsens are doing enough to steer comfortably clear of the relegation zone.
In fact they’re now ahead of Brøndby on the ladder, who drew 1-1 with OB thanks to an 83rd minute concession. The big news outta BIF lately is that they’ve sold a majority stake in their club to a consortium of American investors. Not that it does anything to help Joe Bell who is currently stuck on the bench watching his team sink to third to last on the table (albeit also only three points and some goal difference of third, such is the cluttered table right now). Bell has been an unused substitute in the past five games in a row and has only played 11 minutes in total since the last international break. Free Joe Bell!
As for Marko Stamenic, he was suspended for Copenhagen’s fifth Champions League game so in came young fella William Clem in his place. Different styles of players, Clem’s more of an attacking midfielder, but the bloke did really well on debut. Therefore in the next SuperLiga game, away to Randers, with the game scoreless after the first half and Stamenic on a yellow card... Clem was brought on in Stamenic’s place. FCK went on to win 2-0 and a few days later Clem started ahead of Stamenic against Borussia Dortmund in the final UCL group stage game. It ended 1-1 and Stamenic was an unused sub. Then the same thing happened in a 3-0 win over Lyngby with Clem taking Stamenic’s regular spot alongside Lucas Lerager and Viktor Claesson in the midfield three. So it goes, Stamenic kinda did the same usurping thing himself a couple months earlier. But that’s where we’re at right now in the SuperLiga.
At least Callum McCowatt is chipping away for Helsingør in the second tier, albeit he hasn’t had a goal or assist for a few weeks. FCH won 1-0 away to Hvidovre this week which was an important win against a team above them on the ladder. Lifts them back up to fourth. McCowatt played thirty mins off the bench and got a late yellow card. The vibes are a little fresher in the Kvindaligaen though so let’s do that next.
Up Next: Horsens are away to Vejle on Thursday at 5.30am in the Danish Cup (NZT)
Daisy Cleverley - HB Køge (Danish Kvindeligaen)
Moving on to those Kvindaligaen yarns, Indiah-Paige Riley came off the bench for the first time this season in a 2-2 draw against Nordsjælland. She’d started the previous nine games that she’s played. Unfortunately Fortuna Hjørring were 2-0 up at the break when they made the double change that included Riley and they went on to blow that lead in the second half. Been a sloppy season for them though they had won three in a row prior to this slip-up.
But the real chat here is that HB Køge rolled on with a 3-0 win away to cellar-dwellers Sundby to maintain their five-point lead at the top of the table. Best of all is that Daisy Cleverley started and played 75 minutes.
This was only Cleverley’s second start for HBK having also played twice off the bench. She missed a chunk of time because of injury and only just returned last week (and now is immediately off to Christchurch for some Footy Ferns exploits). Playing as a deep midfielder, she wasn’t hugely involved in the attacks although she did stab a bouncing effort on target from a corner midway through the first half.
DC’s team went on to take the lead via a Kyra Carusa penalty on 36’ and two minutes later Zhao Yujie turned and hit a dipper into the top corner for a wonderful second. Then after an hour Cecilie Fløe was awarded a controversial goal as her cross floated on target and it was ruled that the keeper was over the line when she caught it. Debatable... but a solid 3-0 win regardless.
Up Next: After the international break it’s the Flying Kiwis Derby... Fortuna vs HBK at 1.30am on Sunday 20 November (NZT)
Vic Esson - Rangers FC (Scottish Premier League)
It was League Cup semi-final time, away to Spartans, and Vic Esson’s tended to play the big games for Rangers this season. Got all the Champions League qualifiers. And oh look here she was once more as Rangers chase a place in a cup final.
Which they dutifully achieved. Only six minutes had elapsed when Chelsea Cornet deliciously chipped the keeper from the corner of the penalty area, already Rangers were in front. Spartans did defend pretty stoically so further chances were hard earned. However Rangers continued to control the game and steadily peppered away. Finally a shove in the back saw them given a penalty which Kayla McCoy placed into the bottom corner to make it 2-0 after 37 mins.
Spartans weren’t exactly giving Esson a whole lot to do so the two-goal advantage was always likely to be enough... but just to make sure they added further goals in the second half thanks to Jenny Danielsson (57’) and Lizzie Arnot (80’) – both close range tap-ins. Count it in the books as a 4-0 win for RFC with Vic Esson keeping yet another domestic clean sheet. She’s yet to concede in Scottish football (neither has Jenna Fife, the other goalie, for that matter) - only in UCL games has she been beaten. Very good win away against a team that knocked Liv Chance’s Celtic out in the previous round on penalties.
Up Next: International break... then a massive Glasgow City vs Rangers fixture at 5.10am on Monday 21 Nov (NZT)
Meikayla Moore – Glasgow City (Scottish Premier League)
Less celebratory was Glasgow City’s League Cup semi-final. Meikayla Moore was picked to start at centre-back as GC faced Hibernian, returning to the XI having been on the bench for the previous league game. And City started pretty sharply as Mairead Fulton rattled the crossbar early on and there was a Hayley Lauder free kick that needed some saving too.
But this game took a swing in the wrong direction mid-1H as Moore squared to fellow centre-back Jenna Clark who moved it wide to the left fullback but nothing was on so it came back to her. Clark wanted to pass back to her keeper... but a poor touch allowed Krystyna Freda to steal in and score for Hibs. The two centre-backs swapped sides after that though Freda continued to be a pest on the high press, taking the ball off Clark again and then later doing the same to Moore... those two chances were both saved.
Moore was subbed off after 52 mins as Glasgow City tried to find a pathway back into this thing. It worked in as much as they forged a few good chances... but they didn’t take one, then Freya scored again, then despite Fulton responding with seven to go they ran out of time and fell to a 2-1 defeat. That’s the end of their League Cup run at the semi-final stage. No conflicts of interest in the final then – we’ll be all aboard with team Victoria Esson as Rangers face Hibs in about a month’s time.
Up Next: Mouse is already in the hometown of Christchurch preparing for Footy Ferns yarns
Katie Rood - Heart of Midlothian (Scottish Premier League)
There ya go, straight back into the team and scoring the winning goal. 34 minutes into the match Katie Rood beat the defensive line’s attempted offside trap and then dribbled past the goalie to score. Hearts had chances to score more but didn’t which led to some frisky situations holding on to that narrow lead. But hold on they did for a 1-0 win over Hamilton Accies which keeps them boosted in fourth place on the ladder. Only pesky problem is that the video hasn’t surfaced anywhere. Still, looks like a cracking goal through medium of the mind’s eye.
Katie Rood: “I’m proud of the team to go and get the job done and get the three points that keeps us in 4th spot, which we’re pleased with. It gives us an opportunity to push on after the break. Our aim was to dominate possession and play in their half as much as possible. I thought in the first half we were really controlled. In the second half, it was a bit scrappier. We let them get into the game a bit more. They were pressing a bit higher as well and unfortunately we didn’t take our chances when they came and that is something we really need to work on.”
Up Next: International break, you know how it is
Marco Rojas – Colo-Colo (Chilean Primera División)
They’ve already won the title, they’ve already lifted the trophy... but Colo-Colo did still have one last game remaining in their season to get through. It was against second placed Ñublense and after his heroics in the previous game in getting an assist and then scoring a wonderful first goal for the club it was pleasing to see ol’ Marco Rojas Walen elevated to the starting eleven for this one.
And guess what?
Another assist, this time from a corner kick. Helping his team into the lead just before the half. Matias Zaldivia scored that one however Ñublense hit back immediately before the half was even over - Nicolas Guerra taking advantage of an unbalanced defensive line to stay onside and then bury his chance. Rojas was eventually subbed off after an hour’s play and it flickered out to a 1-1 draw. Colo-Colo did miss a great chance right at the end to steal it though (also from another corner). No dramas.
Marco Rojas finishes his first (partial) Primera División season with a goal and three assists from nine appearances (two of them starts, totalling 283 mins). One of those assists came on debut, the rest of his goal contributions came in the final couple matches. Already making himself a bit of a fan favourite which bodes very well for next season when CC will be back in the Copa Libertadores (which they were knocked out of just before he arrived this season).
Up Next: Got a couple friendly games before the team dispersed, against River Plate of Argentina and Real Betis of Spain
Erin Nayler - Umeå IK (Swedish Damallsvenskan)
Sorta saw that one coming, to be honest. After last week’s shock loss to Brommapojkarna last week UIK needed a bit of a miracle even just to force a relegation playoff. And actually they could not have hoped for a better start away to Kristianstads as Vilma Emilia Koivisto gave them the lead in the opening minute of the match.
But within another quarter of an hour they were losing and by half-time they’d leaked another and it ended up being foursies. The last goal scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Yeah nah. That 4-1 loss meant that UIK were relegated on goal difference for the second time in three seasons (probably wanna try scoring more goals next time) and it also meant that Erin Nayler’s time at the club has come to an end. Her contract was for one year, as they often are in women’s pro footy, and there’s not much point re-signing to drop down a division. It’s too expensive for the club and it’s not challenging enough for the player. Nayler had some great moments for Umeå but it was a struggle of a season overall. Three wins and three draws from 26 matches. Conceded 68 times and scored just 21 in response. Ah well.
Up Next: Fresh pastures, somewhere or other
Stefan Marinovic - Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israeli Premier League)
You know those games where you have all the best chances but can’t put any of them away then the other team steadily grows in confidence and ends up sneaking a late winner? Stefan Marinovic knows... because that’s what happened to him this week. HTA bossed the first half for no reward. Then they found themselves on the back foot later on and couldn’t quite hang on.
They should have gone behind after 72 mins when opponents Ashdod produced quite honestly one of the worst missed sitters in the history of football. Marinovic was dragged out to challenge one bloke, who then slipped the ball past him only for the next dude to hit the crossbar from the middle of an open goal from about two yards out. No kidding, the YouTube highlights got deleted but you might be able to find them some place else.
But that let-off only delayed the pain. Some awful defensive shape around the halfway line in the 91st minute allowed Ashdod to play through them. Again Marinovic did what he had to do in rushing out but again there was a free man inside that he couldn’t account for. This one wasn’t missed... but it was flagged offside. However the VAR took a peek and decided the goal should stand after all so Hapoel Tel Aviv lost 1-0.
Up Next: Thursday at 7.15am against Beitar Jerusalem (NZT)
Max Crocombe - Grimsby Town (English League Two)
This was another one of those great weeks for Max Crocombe – he seems to be having a few of those lately. On the weekend came round one of the FA Cup and up against League One’s Plymouth Argyle things looked sketchy five minutes in when Argyle took the lead. A belter of a first-time shot through traffic that Crocs picked up slightly late and couldn’t get down to in time. Argyle are the team that reportedly put in a bid for the Wellington Phoenix’s Ben Waine, by the way.
They might want to go back to the Nix with a bigger offer in January because despite that start this game soon took a twist. Five minutes later Andrew Smith scored an accidental equaliser as the ball struck the inside of his leg and went in while he was looking the other way. Then they scored thrice – yes, thrice – in the last quarter of an hour of the half. Crocombe only had one save to make after the initial concession. Grimsby would score a fifth in the second half. 5-1 the final score against a team atop the division above them. Plymouth had gone 16-games undefeated until then. Well now.
Then in the midweek there was a cheeky EFL Trophy group stage game against Manchester City’s U21 team and this time it was Grimsby who scored bright and early. Keyendrah Simmonds in the third minute. They conceded about 15 mins later and the game ended up in a draw – Crocombe making one super save with his foot against a 1v1. But same as with the Conti Cup in the women’s comp (remember Anna Leat vs Man Utd?) there was a penalty shootout for a bonus point. And a big deal bonus point too as the winner of that shootout would advance to the knockouts at the expense of their opponents.
Turns out Grimsby Town won 5-3. Turns out Max Crocombe made two penalty saves. Turns out GT are into the knockouts of the EFL Trophy. Yeah boy.
Up Next: Sunday at 4am against Doncaster Rovers (NZT)
Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League Two)
In other FA Cup news, this wasn’t the best bit of goalkeeping of Nik Tzanev’s career...
Probably gotta blame the wall more than anything for letting that free kick get underneath. Needed the fella lying down behind them there to be sure. The goal was bad enough but worse for it being scored by non-league Weymouth, a 70th minute equaliser that’s forced that tie into a replay.
However the auras were much brighter in the following League Two match as AFC Wimbledon rode first half goals from Ayoub Assal (19’) and Harry Pell (35’) to beat Leyton Orient 2-0. Tzanev had a much better game with a few handy saves as his team restricted the league leaders to mostly half-chances (and a disallowed goal near the end) and eventually dealt them just their second loss of the season. Just what the Dons needed to restore a bit of confidence.
Elsewhere there was good news for Colchester United as Tommy Smith was named on the bench for their FA Cup first round match away to Newport County. Unused sub but still an important milestone on the road to recovery following a pre-season foot injury. There was also bad news for Colchester as they lost that game 2-0.
Up Next: AFC Wimbledon are away to Salford City at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Michael Woud – Kyoto Sanga (Japanese J-League)
One last goalie in this apparent goalkeeping special edition of Flying Kiwis (feels that way, doesn’t it?). Michael Woud hasn’t played a minute of J-League action for Kyoto Sanga this season. All his mahi has come in the cup competitions and he doesn’t necessarily even make the bench for the league games with three decent glovemen at the club. But still gotta report that KS drew 0-0 with Jubilo Iwata in their final game... which was not a good result.
It means that this was no longer their final game. Up against the bottom club they needed three points in order to secure top flight footy again for next season and they couldn’t muster it. Had their chances. Didn’t convert. Now they’ve gotta play Roasso Kumamoto in a playoff this weekend with a defeat meaning relegation. Less than ideal circumstances.
Up Next: The playoff takes place at 5.05pm on Sunday NZT, Kyoto Sanga vs Roasso Kumamoto (NZT)
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