Chris Wood - Newcastle United (English Premier League)

It was only ever going to be a matter of time. Chris Wood had been delivering excellent performances without scoring a goal, finally he delivered an excellent performance in which he did score a goal. Turned out to be a pretty useful goal too.

Newcastle were away to Southampton on a Thursday night in southern England. A long trip for a midweeker and they were without Joelinton to go with Allan Saint-Maximin and Kieran Tripper. Granted, that did provide an opportunity for their most expensive January signing, Bruno Guimarães, to make his first start... but the Magpies were slow out of the blocks and almost found themselves behind early as Armando Broja had a shot saved by Martin Dubravka and then blasted another over the top following a Jonjo Shelvey giveaway.

Not a good start and, sure enough, soon they really were behind. Saints left-back Kyle Walker-Peters with a cross that was touched back into the middle by Mohamed Elyounoussi and then Stuart Armstrong headed home in fortunate fashion. Armstrong’s attempt would have been easily saved by Dubravka but Dan Burn was in his way and, without the use of his hands, couldn’t deal with it. It went in off his hip and Southampton led 1-0 on 25’. But it wasn’t to last for long.

Seven minutes later Jonjo Shelvey whipped in a gorgeous cross and Chris Wood was too big and too strong for Mohammed Salisu. Thumping header. First goal for his new club. Scored in emphatically typical Chris Wood fashion – 18 of his 51 Premier League goals have come via his head. Shout out to Jonjo for the assist too... not to make excuses for the guy but one reason Wood hasn’t been as potent for Newcastle has been a pretty average quality of delivery from his wingers. But few strike a football with better technique than Jonjo Shelvey and that cross was a beaut. The Woodsman with his first goal for 14 games, ending his longest drought since the 2014-15 season.

Newcastle then rocked up for the second half looking unplayable. There was about fifteen minutes in there where it looked like they could score with any given kick of the ball. Not much fell Wood’s way, he was part of plenty of those moves but none quite broke in his favour. A few passes that didn’t quite get to him and things like that. However a 52nd minute corner kick was headed back across by Dan Burn and that man Bruno, retreating from marking the keeper and therefore with his back to goal, somehow managed to smash a backheel volley home for 2-1.

It was the only other goal they’d score and despite that spell of utter dominance they left themselves vulnerable in the latter stages as Southampton made a few attacking subs and rallied. There was a great save from Dubravka scraping a Salisu header off the line, as well as another tipping an Armstrong shot over the top, while Joe Willock made a great defensive block and Che Adams nearly snapped the crossbar in half with a volley.

Quite honestly, Southampton will be in shock that they didn’t at least get a draw considering the chances they forged. But Newcastle held on for that 2-1 win, their third in a row. Highlights here. This results made it eight games undefeated with Chris Wood in the team... touch wood.

That unbeaten streak was put under serious threat a few days later. Only three days between fixtures, Newcastle having to cram them in, and it was a trip to Chelsea that awaited them. To make matters worse, Newcastle were without Joe Willock and Jonjo Shelvey on top of their existing list of absentees. Curiously, Chelsea set up with a rare back four whereas Newcastle changed things up with a back three – the two teams swapping tactics.

The tone was set early with Chelsea looking to play fast with plenty of in-and-out passing but Newcastle’s physical approach did a good job of breaking things up. A few times when they were stretched out wide but the back three came in handy on those occasions. Couldn’t say it was a great Woodsman game. Lots of competing for (and usually winning) aerial long balls. Pressuring back passes. Taking some liberties with the offside trap. Searching for ways to get involved, though several heavy touches when trying to hold the ball up under pressure didn’t help his cause.

And yet when the half-time whistle resounded it was Newcastle who had the better couple chances despite only having 30% of the possession. Dan Burn flicked on a near post header that wasn’t far wide. Then in the last seconds of injury time there was a Miguel Almiron volley that was palmed away on the dive from Edouard Mendy. Nearly an incredible goal. Chelsea had rustled the side netting through a Mason Mount free kick but that was about it.

A couple driving runs from N’Golo Kante threatened to start things for Chelsea as the game got back underway. Timo Werner beat the flag in behind only for his touch to abandon him when he would’ve been 1v1. However Jacob Murphy had a useful shout for a penalty against a Trevor Chalobah challenge too, the game finely poised (and full of ever-increasing fizz too with multiple near-boilover moments throughout the match) as we ticked into the final half hour.

Werner was seemingly chopped down by Martin Dubravka in the area but the flag was up for offside. On came Romelu Lukaku and Matteo Kovacic for the Blues. On cam Allan Saint-Maximin for the Magpies. Finally Chelsea managed their first shot on target as a Hakim Ziyech cross was headed into the welcome palms of Dubravka by Kai Havertz. 76 mins gone. On came Christian Pulisic soon after. Newcastle edging closer and closer to a fantastic point, clearing cross after cross... until the 89th minute when a silky angled long ball over the top from Jorginho was brought down with a sublime touch by Havertz and then pushed past Dubravka for the goal. A moment of magic in an otherwise scrappy game and that was all that came between them.

Newcastle threw everyone forward and almost got popped on the break as Havertz had a shot parried up in the air by Dubravka which dropped onto the crossbar. Didn’t matter. Chelsea with the late, late winner. Newcastle go down 1-0, tasting defeat for the first time since the signing of Chris Wood. So close to extending the run... bugger. Watch the cheapo YouTube highlights here if you so desire.

Therefore just as a palete-cleanser, here’s Eddie Howe saying nice things about The Woodsman prior to the Saints game...

Up Next: Friday at 8.45am away to Everton (NZT)

Anna Leat – West Ham United (English Super League)

The hope was that with heaps of fixtures in a short space of time, there’d be at least one in which Olli Harder rotated his goalkeepers. That hope came to manifestation on Monday morning when West Ham took on Birmingham with several changes to the usual starters and amongst them was Anna Leat being given another WSL opportunity. Yes please. What’s more is that they won. Plus Leat kept yet another clean sheet.

Birmingham have only had one victory all season and are pretty much on the bullet train to relegation... but they gave West Ham a real scrap here. Leat had to be alert at her near post to deny Lucy Quinn in the first half and while that was one of only two shots on target from Birmingham, they did have more total shots than WHU did in this game. By no means a walkover win, no way.

In the end an Adriana Leon goal five minutes before the half was enough to split the two teams. Rapid far post run off a corner and she seemed to slam it home off her knee (or maybe shin) whilst in mid-air. Quality work. The Hammers did have one or two wasted chances to score a second to make it more comfortable yet they held on for that 1-0 win so all goods. Check the FA Player for highlights/replay.

Leat was much more involved in the possession game than anything else. Didn’t have to get her gloves too dirty although she still did all that was required of her. This was Leat’s fourth WSL appearance (and first outside the window when Mackenzie Arnold was unavailable) and her ninth West Ham game across all competitions... during which she’s kept five clean sheets. Probably gonna see her drop back to the bench for the next few games but you never know. May yet sneak another game or two in there before the season is done.

Up Next: Thursday at 8.30am against Man Utd then it’s the FA Cup quarter-final away to Ipswich on Monday at 1.30am (NZT)

Ria Percival – Tottenham Hotspur (English Super League)

Elsewhere in the WSL, not so much fun for Ria Percival. Spurs were up against Manchester City, a team they actually beat earlier in the season back when City were going through a form slump, and whom they’ve managed to stay ahead of on the table for the bulk of the season. But that may not be the case for much longer after a 1-0 defeat.

Ria Percival, interestingly, was moved from her usual midfield role to feature at right back instead. Presumably in response to the threat of Caroline Weir and Laruen Hemp down that edge – Spurs lining up in a flat 4-5-1 as opposed to their usual more expansive 4-3-3 shape, expecting a backs-to-the-wall kinda afternoon. That’s sort of what they got... but Spurs brought their A-game and were excellent at the back. Like when Percival wasn’t able to keep Hemp from slicing in and shooting, there were defenders there to cover the shot. That kinda thing.

And they packed a punch on the counter too. A few long shots kept City’s defence guessing, while Percival had a strong connection going with right winger (and converted fullback) Ashleigh Neville down that edge leading to a few good crossing scenarios. Goalless at the break and Spurs were absolutely in it at that point. Disrupting the City play and limiting them to a few mere half-chances.

But Manchester City are Manchester City. They tweaked a couple things at the half (at least according to their coach) and soon struck the post via a Weir free kick. City still struggling to create much from open play but they were moving the ball around much more effectively now. Hayley Raso’s pace got her into position to force a good save outta Becky Spencer. Then, on 64’, Lucy Bronze’s forward run led to her sliding Raso into the area again. Spencer was able to partly parry the driven cross from Raso, deflecting it into Percival’s path inside the six yard box. However Percy couldn’t clear it before Weir came running in, so Molly Bartrip stuck a foot on it except Weir charged that down too... and it bobbled over the line.

Only goal of the game, Spurs going down 1-0 at home. For a lot of that match the plan worked nicely, turning it into the kind of scrappy game that prevented City from unleashing their attacking weaponry. But ninety minutes is a long time to hold a team like that at bay and eventually they got got, grungey goal though it might have been.

Having dropped below Man Utd to fourth on the ladder recently, Spurs are now in danger of dropping even lower as City have drawn within two points with a game in hand. Doesn’t get any easier either because Spurs still have to play Chelsea twice and Arsenal once over the final six games of the season. That top four finish is looking extremely vulnerable right now.

On the plus side, Ria Percival did manage to add three more tackles to the season’s tally...

(Depending where you look for your stats, that is. FBRef has Percy with 33 total in third place now behind Beth Mead’s 34 and Neville’s 49... Percival also leading the WSL in successful defensive pressures with 125 by their StatsBomb numbers)

Up Next: No game on the weekend due to the FA Cup quarter-finals, then it’s Chelsea vs Spurs on Thursday 24 March at 8.45am followed by Arsenal vs Spurs on Sunday 27 March at 3.15am (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Empoli (Italian Serie A)

It seems they’ve got a one-on, one-off thing going with the left-backs at Empoli. Fabiano Parisi gets one start, then Libby Cacace gets the next start. Then Parisi gets another start. Then it’s Cacace’s turn again. That’s how the last month or so has gone for Empoli... with Cacace’s two starts just so happening to have been at home against Juventus and now away to AC Milan at the San Siro. Welcome to the big time, fella.

Both fullbacks were swapped over from the 0-0 draw with Genoa last week, Aurelio Andreazzoli doing his best to keep things fresh for a team that has not won since beating Napoli 1-0 in mid-December. Lots of draws and close defeats in that time but away to the league leaders they were heavily expected to make it 12 Serie A games without victory... it’s a relief their early season form was so good, keeping them comfortably clear of any relegation dramas.

Couple nice attacking forays from Cacace early on. Should have won a foul for one of them but the ref inexplicably let play continue. That amidst some solid early possession from Empoli, although AC Milan didn’t necessarily need the ball to control this one and showed what they were capable of eight mins in when Alessandro Florenzi curled one towards goal to draw a quality save with ACM’s first genuine attack. Cacace did seem to be playing a bit deeper in light of the opposition. Careful not to break that back four line in defence and trusting his closest midfielder Filippo Bandinelli to drop in and help him against the double-ups.

Well, it was Bandinelli who fouled Franck Kessie leading to an Olivier Giroud free kick which was smacked straight into the wall... however the rebound fell nicely for Pierra Kalulu who stroked it bottom corner, leaving the keeper flat-footed, for a wonderful goal. A superb finish and one which set AC Milan up for a period of dominance immediately afterwards with Empoli barely getting over halfway during that stretch.

A poor Cacace clearance led to Florenzi slicing one wide from a good area, got away with that one. But towards the end of the half they regained what they’d been doing at the start of it. Good build up from Empoli, progressing the ball through into the midfield. Cacace was as involved as the rest of them: good decisions when in possession, a few important clearances, some very physical defensive work. He also slipped a couple of smart balls forward which helped Empoli striker Andrea Pinamonti get himself into the game. And after conceding a free kick in a dangerous area, Cacace made amends with a good block on a Kessie shot following up from Giroud’s saved header.

Empoli kept it at 1-0 going into HT and then continued where they left off when the game resumed. Cacace won a free kick high up the park and from that free kick Sebastiano Luperto’s header forced a magnificent save which was all that prevented Empoli from levelling up. Regrettably, that that push for a goal also meant that Cacace was predictably sacrificed for Parisi’s more evolved attacking sensibilities. 63 minutes played. 85.3% passing success. Made three tackles. Plenty of touches. Also he megged a dude...

It was an understandable sub at that stage of the game. Parisi did help them with his rebooted energy and with the Empoli midfield pushing forward and plenty of set pieces to work with they absolutely had AC Milan panicking there. Except they couldn’t find a goal. Went down 1-0, a good showing from the Blues but yet again they lacked that cutting edge. How about Libby Cacace though? Games against Juventus and AC Milan in the space of a couple weeks. Living the dream.

Up Next: Empoli vs Verona, 3am on Monday (NZT)

Nando Pijnaker & Max Mata – Sligo Rovers (League of Ireland Premier Division)

‘Twas a blessed Saturday morning as Max Mata joined Nando Pijnaker in the Sligo Rovers starting team for the first time, given a run up front away to Drogheda United and looking pretty much at ease within an outstanding first half performance from Rovers. Didn’t take long at all until they took a seventh minute lead through Lewis Banks and they kept going from there.

Sligo Rovers were in full control. Didn’t quite get an NZ goal from it all but we got as close as it gets in the 20th minute when a Nando Pijnaker long ball picked out Max Mata in the area and he fed Canadian forward Jordan Hamilton for the second banger...

William Fitzgerald also scored on 35’ and there ya go. 3-0 at half-time and cruising. Perhaps a little too much cruising because Drogheda caught them napping early in the second stanza to win a penalty for a sneaky handball. But Georgie Poynton blasted it off target. Wasted opportunity because Drogheda played some decent footy the rest of the way and if they’d closed the distance when they had the chance then they could have made a game of it.

But nah. Nando Pijnaker had things covered at the back in yet another assured performance. Max Mata was pretty decent on starting debut too, lasting 66 mins before he was subbed off. 3-0 the final score. Sligo Rovers keeping themselves undefeated through four games to start the 2022 season. Happy days.

Mata was then back to the bench for the Monday nighter against Finn Harps a couple days later (Nando Pijnaker is ever-present at the back already so no worries there) but MM can’t really complain given that the bloke who replaced him, Aidan Keena, scored a hat-trick. Goals in the 13’, 43’, 48’ mins setting up a 3-1 victory with the Finn Harps goal only being but a late consolation. Spoiled what would have been a fourth straight clean sheet so that’s a bummer but otherwise another clinical day at the office for Rovers. Puts them in a great place ahead of the massive clash away to Shamrock Rovers that’s next on the cards.

Mata still got quarter of an hour off the bench, the earliest he’s been subbed on yet, so don’t sleep on the way he’s working his way into this team. He had a tough season in and out of the Real Monarchs eleven last year in the USL yet he’s already standing out more at a higher level than he did there (and yet another Flying Kiwis example of American soccer being weird with talent recognition). Mata was an absolute gun in his NZ youth team days so hopefully there’s a breakthrough campaign on the way.

But this segment simply has to single out Nando Pijnaker. Another one who’s finally getting a decent chance at senior club level and he’s been nothing short of fantastic for Rovers. Those three clean sheets in a row coincided with his debut, hence that late Finn Harps goal was the first conceded by Rovers with Pijnaker on the field. He’s winning plenty of aerials, he’s matching up physically, his distribution has looked wonderful from the very beginning. Lovely stuff. And the pundits agree...

Up Next: Shamrock Rovers vs Sligo Rovers, Saturday at 9am (NZT)

Adam Thomas – Shelbourne (League of Ireland Premier Division)

Staying in Ireland for a sec longer, Shelbourne also had that quick turnaround Friday/Monday double-header and they also made a few changes between those two matches. Changes which included Adam Thomas being given a debut away against Bohemians in a 1-1 draw.

Too soon for the highlights package so can’t tell you much more than that Shelbourne struck first through Sean Boyd in the 74th minute but were pegged back in the 87th by a Grant Horton goal. Thomas played the whole thing and actually lined up as a defensive midfielder in a 5-3-2 formation. Making his professional debut at 29 years of age. Outstanding. Never give up, kids.

Up Next: 8.45am on Saturday against Finn Harps (NZT)

Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)

He scores from free kicks. He also scores on the end of free kicks. Bagged this one in the nick of time too with Portland searching for a goal to avoid three consecutive draws to start the season. Hard to say he didn’t deserve it either based on what might have been his best performance yet in Major League Soccer.

Because it wasn’t just the goal. Against a tough Austin FC team which had started the season with a 5-0 win over Cincinnati and then 5-1 over Inter Miami, Tuiloma came as close as anybody to scoring in the first half. He had an early header from a corner looped over the top and that was merely a sighter for his next attempt, a 40th minute header with which he punished the post. And that in turn was preparation for the 62nd minute slamming header that put Portland into the lead.

And let it not be suggested that he wasn’t having an equal impact in his defensive duties. He and Zack McGraw, a brand new CB partnership this season, restricted the free-scoring Austin attack to zero shots on target from their 16 attempts. Not to say they didn’t go close, there was a disallowed offside goal in the first half, several tantalising crosses, and some shots that they didn’t make the most of. There was also a massive moment in the 76th minute when Tuiloma rushed back onto his goal-line to clear one away within an Austin scramble. Then seconds later he stepped up and blocked another shot. An essential dose of defending.

All of which added up to a 1-0 Portland win, their first three-pointer of the 2022 season.

Plus it got Billy T a spot in the MLS Team of the Week too...

Timbers.com: “This marks Tuiloma’s first Team of the Week appearance since week four of 2018. On March 12, Tuiloma scored the game winner in the 62nd minute to lift the Timbers to a 1-0 victory over Austin FC. It was his first goal of the 2022 campaign and fifth of his career. Notably, Tuiloma and Portland did not allow a shot on goal for Austin, the highest-scoring team in the league heading into the match. The New Zealand international has started and played every minute this season, anchoring an unbeaten Portland backline.”

What says ye, Bill?

So just to recap here: Tuiloma’s last few weeks have seen him sign a multi-year contract extension, play every minute of the Timbers opening three games through which they’re undefeated, score the winning goal in this latest match, whip out the griddy celebration, earn MLS Team of the Week honours, and pretty soon he’ll be off to Qatar to link up with the All Whites once the international window opens. Good times.

Up Next: Sunday at 1.30pm against FC Dallas (NZT)

Alex Greive - St Mirren (Scottish Premiership)

Not sure that this new manager thing is going all that well for Alex Greive. Last week he was dropped to the bench as they played an excessively defensive formation. This week they returned to a back four, which was nice, but Greive remained on the bench. That was away to Dundee in the midweek and it wasn’t until the 87th minute that AG was finally chucked on... though he did his best to make up for lost time.

In a tight Wednesday nighter, neither team had quite been able to find the cutting edge required to split them. St Mirren with more of the chances but it appeared to be heading for a goalless draw. However a late shot from Jordan Jones did go close to sneaking under the keeper and had it bobbled loose then Greive was lurking in the vicinity. Then deep into stoppage time it was Greive’s press out wide that caused a weak clearing header that Jay Henderson pounced upon. JH was able to shake his marker and whip a ball into the area... where Connor Ronan glanced his header inside the far post for a dramatic late winner. Only tenuously linked to AG’s contribution but they did still score it while he was out there. 1-0 to St Mirren who get back to winning ways after three straight Prem defeats.

Annoyingly, Greive was still on the bench for the cup game against Hearts on the weekend. A tricky quarter-final draw against the third-placed team in the country in which they found themselves down 2-0 after half an hour but dragged it back to 2-2 after 62 mins... only to concede again five mins after the equaliser. Greive came on with quarter of an hour to play and the Buddies pushing for that next goal. Yet it was Ellis Sims for Hearts who put the tie beyond doubt on 85’. Final score: 4-2. A fun game that would have been a lot more fun with Alex Greive in a more prominent role.

A new manager is always going to change some things and when they’re coming in mid-season it’s not always going to be a smooth transition. It’s just a shame that Greive has been caught up in that after such rapid progress at the start of his St Mirren journey. Robinson’s first game in charge of the Saints was Greive’s fifth start in a row but he’s been on the bench in three out of four since (and was subbed at HT of the one he started). 321 mins played in the four games prior to Robinson vs 153 mins in the five games since (of which they’ve lost four).

Positive news is he’s got himself a terrace chant already...

Up Next: St Mirren vs Dundee United, Sunday at 4am (NZT)

Joe Bell – Brøndby IF (Danish Superliga)

Joe Bell experienced two things for the first time in a Brøndby jersey this week. The first was that his team conceded a goal. That hadn’t happened in any of his first three matches. The second was that they dropped points, which also hadn’t happened before. Well, it has now after Brøndby were held 1-1 by AGF.

Maybe it was the Jack Wilshere effect? The former Arsenal midfielder is at AGF these days and lined up opposite Joe Bell, playing 78 minutes. Dunno. BIF did take the lead in the 22nd minute as Anis Ben Slimani set up Marko Divković to score with a sharp through ball after some even sharper progressive midfield play from Bellinho to start the move...

But Brøndby were never quite comfortable. Fortunate to survive an equaliser soon after which was ruled out for a marginal offside in the six-yard box by the VAR. Bell then drilled one narrowly wide up the other end however they conceded for real in the 52nd minute. Bell with an under-hit clearance earlier in the move as well as the defensive header which looped over to the far post where Albert Grønbæk was lurking... though the sliding volley finish was fantastic to be fair. Bell wasn’t far away from an own goal soon after either, getting a toe on a low cross after gassing it back against the counter with his goalie making a great save to prevent those blushes.

Despite the blow that a draw would be to their title hopes, Brøndby’s limited attacking incision over the last few weeks finally caught up with them. Best chance they had the rest of the way was a one-two that Bell tried to play in the box deep into stoppage time which Carl Björk couldn’t do enough with. Copenhagen beat Midtjylland 1-0 at the same time so... not ideal. Worth mentioning that second place still gets Champions League qualifiers though.

Up Next: Away to AaB on Monday at 2.30am (NZT)

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

FCH’s quest for promotion reached a rather important stage this weekend as they came up against Hvidovre away from home, one of the closest teams to them on the ladder. The course of the rest of their season could well have a lot to do with how this one played out – they’d still be favourites for first either way but their comfort levels would be wildly affected with defeat.

Thankfully that’s not something they’ve gotta worry about. Both McCowatt and Just started and both McCowatt and Just delivered assists in a 4-0 victory. Nicolai Geertsen (20’), Mikkel Knudsen (24’), Tonni Adamsen (65’), and Kristoffer Munksgaard (90+3’ PEN) did the goal scoring work while both the kiwi lads were subbed off while the score was at threes with the points safely within their grasp. FCH with considerably less of the ball but they were ruthless when they got out on attack. Just had a couple decent shooting chances too, might have been an even more comprehensive day. But can’t complain about a win like that.

Not only did they whup Hvidovre but also Lyngby lost this week too, going down 2-1 to Nykøbing. Add those two results together and FCH are now eight points clear at the top of the ladder with one more game left before we enter the championship rounds. Of which Marko Stamenic’s HB Koge are still a chance to make but a 0-0 draw against Fremad Amager does leave them on the outside looking in by one point’s margin. Full game for Marko in the midfield at least.

Up Next: Saturday at 6.30am against Jammerbugt... before flying off for All Whites WCQs (NZT)

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

Hands up for sure.

Not quite as flashy as what Bill Tuiloma did this week, but funny how Michael Boxall’s team has mirrored Tui’s. Both drew their first two matches. Both got their first wins with 1-0 results this week. Boxall with a full game at the back away to New York Red Bulls though it was his goalkeeper who deservedly got all the plaudits. With regular starter Tyler Miller feeling unwell, they had to make a last-minute swap with Dayne St Clair taking the gloves instead and St Clair ended up in the same MLS Team of the Week as Tuiloma.

Thanks largely to a 14th minute penalty save. A stumbling Hassani Dotson accidentally handballing and the VAR tapped the ref on the shoulder... but St Clair went the right way and saved the attempt from Patryk Klimala. Big fella. He’d already made one supreme diving stop earlier and he’d make several more noice denials as the game went along.

Meanwhile Dotson bounced back to set up a goal for Luis Amarilla five mins into the second half (okay cross, excellent volley) and that was all they needed on the back of a strong defensive showing and a truly inspired goalie. There was a stop DSC made point-blank with his foot in the first minute of the second half that was probably the best of the lot. NYRB will be scratching their heads wondering how they lost a game like that... but they did. 1-0 to MNUFC.

MNUFC Coach Adrian Heath: “We’ve dug in when we’ve needed to, we’ve defended very resolutely. The two center-halves [Michael Boxall and Brent Kallman] were immense tonight when the ball was going in the box. [Red Bulls] have got so many big players in there. Aaron Long was up there, then Tom Barlow, [Patryk] Klimala, it was difficult.”

Up Next: Minny vs San Jose on Sunday at 1pm (NZT)

Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League One)

Did AFC Wimbledon win a game this week? Nope. Went down in consecutive 2-0 defeats first to Plymouth Argyle and then to 10-man Lincoln. The winless streak is now up to an astounding 18 matches and it is merely goal difference that is keeping them out of the relegation zone (with nine games remaining). To be fair, Tzanev had a really good game against Lincoln with several fine saves... up until he gave the ball away for the second goal towards the end. Sigh.

Up Next: Cheltenham vs Wimbledon, Sunday at 4am (NZT)

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

We’re on the upswing with ADJ at AmaZulu, therefore he finally made the matchday squad for a CAF Champions League match and that was not all. With AmaZulu down 2-0 at half-time against against Algerian club ES Sétif, conceding after 11 mins and then again in stoppage time, coach Benni McCarthy went with a double HT change and coming on were Bongi Ntuli and Andre De Jong.

It didn’t quite prove the quick fix they were hoping for. AmaZulu were better in the second half but still went down 2-0 which means they’ve got some work to do in order to advance out of the group stage. Six points from four games has them now behind ES Sétif who they beat 1-0 at home in the previous matchweek. Not the best. But it was a CAF CL debut for Andre De Jong who pretty sure becomes only the second kiwi to feature in that competition after Jeremy Brockie.

Up Next: Saturday at 5am against Raja Casablanca of Morocco in CAF CL gameweek five (NZT)

Erin Nayler - Umeå IK (Swedish Damallsvenskan)

Update on last week there.

As for the Hammarby game, Umeå lost it 3-2. Which was about as expected against the best team in their Svenska Cupen group. Hammarby took the lead inside three mins after UIK failed to play the ball out from the back safely (helpful for Nayler’s Footy Ferns status to be in a team that wants to operate that way though). That was a mess... but a brilliant save from Nayler tipping a long ranger onto the bar kept them in it before Henna-Riika Honkanen scored a tenacious equaliser in the 39th min.

Hammarby hit the crossbar again before the half was out, a thundering strike that hit Nayler’s back on the way down and for a split second she seemed to think it was headed for own goal territory. Luckily it bounced the other way to safety. However Hammarby did retake the lead two mins into the second half (gotta start those halves better) with a slick transition goal and then eventually made sure of the win in the 82nd min. UIK did pull one back soon after but 3-2 probably flattered them in the end. All goods, Umeå had already qualified for the knockout stages.

Up Next: A week off before the league season begins at midnight on Sunday/Monday 28 March against Häcken (NZT)

Logan Rogerson & Ollie Whyte - FC Haka (Finnish Veikkausliiga)

Staying on the topic of Scandinavian pre-season cup yarns, sorry to report that FC Haka’s Liiga Cup run has come to an end. Both Logan Rogerson and Ollie Whyte started for them in the semi-final but alas they went down on 5-4 penalties to FC Inter after a goalless ninety minutes.

Both Rogerson and Whyte had been subbed off by that time. Rogerson had been a threat running in behind, smashing one over the top from that situation in the first half. Whyte nearly set up a goal with a corner kick delivery which was headed on target and pawed off the line by the keeper. Then again from open play, feeding their striker in the box whose effort was saved once more. Whyte keeping busy in an attacking midfield role. But Inter had their chances too and ultimately held their nerve from the penalty spot. So it goes.

Up Next: Veikkausliiga begins after the international break – FC Haka vs Ilves on 3 April at 2am (NZT)

Niko Kirwan – Calcio Padova (Italian Serie C)

Padova made a mess of the start, falling behind inside three minutes away to AlbinoLeffe as Alessandro Galeandro was left with a wide open path between the centre-backs to pick his spot and score. They were lucky not to go behind further as well, getting away with their keeper being tackled with the ball at his feet and also relying on that same goalie to make a couple very sturdy saves. Padova did hit the post through Fabio Ceravolo in the first half but otherwise they were looking at dropping points here.

Then Niko Kirwan popped up with a goal. Left wing-back pushing into the area, collecting a loose ball on his knee and smashing it home on the volley. From that point onwards it was Padova forcing the issue (although they did have a sketchy moment or two on the counter attack) and after several close calls they finally got one to stick as Cosimo Chirico’s free kick was fired in towards the back post... and who would be there to turn it over the line but Niko Kirwan? 93rd minute winner. Go on, son. His last game before leaving to join the All Whites and making sure he signed off in style.

Padova drew a couple of games late in February which has allowed Südtirol to pull away to a seven point lead at the top of the conference, the only automatic promotion spot. However Padova’s three wins from three response has ensured they have a lead of double that margin over third place. Plus they drew 0-0 in the home leg of the Coppa Italia Lega Pro final against Südtirol which leaves that one nicely poised ahead of leg two in April.

Niko Kirwan: “It's my first double, it's a wonderful feeling. AlbinoLeffe is an organized team, we didn't do well in the first half but we did well to overturn the result. Tomorrow I'm going to Qatar with the national team, I'm sorry to leave my teammates. The goals? I dedicate them to my family and my girlfriend Claudia”

Up Next: All Whites duty for the nation

Matthew Gould – Altrincham (English National League)

He’s actually on loan at Nantwich Town at the moment, getting that precious game time, but how about this for a penalty save? An outrageous one-hander. Just in time for a bit of All Whites duty. Right on.

Up Next: He’s already in Qatar, fire up

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