Flying Kiwis – September 28
Vic Esson - Rangers FC (Scottish Premier League)
Last week it was Marko Stamenic, this week Victoria Esson partook in a massive Champions League game. It was Rangers against Benfica in the first leg of their final qualifying round tie – seeking a place in the top-16 group stage in the club’s first ever European excursion. Esson has juggled the goalkeeping duties with previous RFC incumbent Jenna Fife but it was Esson who started both previous UCL qualifiers and it was Esson who was selected for this one too. Rangers played the game at Ibrox, the famous stadium that their men’s team call home. Great occasion. Huge challenge against the reigning champions of Portugal.
Esson was called into action inside a minute to deal with an underhit back pass, no dramas there. Benfica were the more confident team, holding most of the possession, though Esson didn’t initially have too much to do other than a simple low save from a long shot and a punch away from a tricky cross. Nothing she could do about the cut back to Marta Cintra... thankfully that one pinged back off the post. But Rangers figured out soon enough that they could build a few things down the wings and in the 25th minute they did exactly that when a Brogan Hay cross was headed firmly on target by Kayla McCoy. Keeper got her hands to it yet couldn’t prevent it from rustling the net. 1-0 to Rangers against the run of play.
That goal improved Rangers who were now keeping the ball better than before. However it also sparked up Benfica. Esson was more engaged now and even won a header stepping out to a long ball. No time to let it bounce where she could pick it up so she had to do her best Abby Erceg impression instead. And it was a pretty good impression.
But come the 38th minute we were level again. Ana Vitoria ran around from the left wing, Esson half-shaped for the cross and then got beaten by a rocket at her near post. It was a great move by Benfica with a mint one-two pass in the build up. Maybe VE coulda done better with her angles. It was a great strike though.
1-1 at half-time and all up for grabs. Rangers had some nice moments early seconds, though were their own enemies in passing the ball away in their own half against the press. Esson made a good stop diving low to tip a shot around the post. She also had a moment of friskiness coming out for a cross then having to bail, though nothing came of it.
The danger was mounting... and in the 56th minute Ana Vitoria was given too much space on the right, took a touch past a defender, then lashed a half-volley into the roof of the net with Vic Esson left helpless. No worries. Kayla McCoy got through and smacked one into the bottom corner literally a minute later. Too good from the Jamaican international – Benfica caught off guard after scoring because this was exactly the kinda chance that Rangers hadn’t been able to create all game: a ball in behind and McCoy on the run.
This was a wild game. Too wild for Rangers’ liking to be honest because it didn’t stop there. In the 78th min Benfica regained the lead through strange circumstances. Okay, so here’s what happened. A corner kick was hacked at by a defender except it only looped up backwards. Esson had to retreat to the goal-line to gather it. She juggled the ball once then held onto it, holding it out in front of her to be sure. But the assistant ref determined that it’d already crossed the line. None of the camera angles had anything definitive on it and Esson did argue the point... though maybe only half-heartedly which may have been a clue. The defender that she bumped into on the line didn’t help either. Credited as an own goal to Esson rather than the defender who kicked it towards goal too. Salt + wound.
Benfica hit the crossbar on 80 mins. It was chance after chance for the Portuguese side whereas other than that goal, RFC were no longer manufacturing much in terms of shots. In that light the eventual 3-2 defeat might have even flattered them a bit. Getting a result in Portugal is going to be hard mahi but they are at least still feasibly in the contest, just a shame they couldn’t cling on to a 2-2 draw.
Esson was always like to sit out the subsequent SWPL match, own goal or no own goal, and sure enough that’s how it went. Five changes from the Benfica game and that included Jenna Fife with the start in goal. Also as expected, the changes made zero difference to the performance as Rangers eased into a 4-0 win over Motherwell. They’re still yet to concede a goal in domestic play this season. Esson was able to put her feet up. Hopefully she gets the start for game two against Benfica.
Meanwhile here’s Vic on the club channel doing the interview thing...
Up Next: Benfica vs Rangers, Thursday at 7.30am, Champions League qualifying second round second leg (NZT)
Abby Erceg & Katie Bowen – North Carolina Courage (American National Women’s Soccer League)
A strange thing happened as the Courage took on Orlando Pride down in Florida during the midweek. Two strange things, come to mention it. One was that Abby Erceg didn’t play. The other was that Katie Bowen did. Poor old KB has been stuck on the bench as an unused sub in almost every game this season and the one time she was given a chance to get on the park in an NWSL game it was as a stoppage time replacement. She’d literally gotten one minute of league action this year... until she was named to start in a rotated eleven for the Orlando game.
Bowen was picked in central defence which may explain why she’s been so sparsely used: if she’s considered the backup to Abby Erceg then it’s pretty hard to get game time with an iron woman ahead of you. But even challenging for a playoff spot as they were, it was decided that for their fourth out of five games in a space of 15 days it was maybe best to rest a few folks. Erceg wasn’t even on the bench. Neither was Kerolin. Carson Pickett and Diana Ordonez were unused subs. Gotta do what you’ve gotta do. Simply had to rely on the backups to get the job done.
That they did. Katie Bowen, if you didn’t know, is actually quite a good player. Wouldn’t know it from watching her sit on the bench but here she was getting a chance and she helped the Courage keep a clean sheet on the road. Not only that but Debinha scored a couple goals and Tess Boade got another and they strolled to a massively helpful 3-0 win. Bowen played the full thing and was as reliable as it gets at the back.
After that the Courage took on Gotham at home and all the big guns were back in the line-up. That meant Katie Bowen was back to unused sub territory... but Abby Erceg had us covered instead. Debinha was good in that Orlando game. She was unstoppable in this Gotham game. Hit the post early on but later rounded the keeper to score the opener on 27’. Then in the 34th minute she side-footed in a volley on the run for 2-0. And towards the end of the game she completed a wonderful hat-trick running in behind and chipping the onrushing keeper. 3-0 the final score here too.
Basically a perfect week for NCC who left their run late but they’re now into the top six with one game remaining. It’s all in their own hands. Simply gotta win away to San Diego or else pray for a draw between Chicago and Angel City. Could still finish fifth if Houston drop points too.
Good fun there. And this one was even better. Double the off-field Abby Erceg content, how good!
Up Next: Saturday at 3pm away to San Diego Wave (NZT)
Ali Riley - Angel City FC (American National Women’s Soccer League)
This has been a fantastic season for Ali Riley on a personal and professional level, captaining an expansion team in her home state and playing as well as she has for a couple of years (with friends and family able to watch in person every second week). It may not last beyond next week though.
If it does then Ali Riley’s performance midweek against Washington Spirit will have been essential to that quest. Along with an excellent defensive performance, Riley also set up the first goal for ACFC as she broke forward down the left wing after 39 minutes and laid across a perfect ball for Claire Emslie to do the rest. Riley’s second assist of the NWSL to go with one in the Challenge Cup. She’s also got two goals for Angel City this year (all from fullback, remember). Plus of course she scored the winner in the Footy Ferns victory over Philippines recently.
That goal was fine reward for Angel City towards the end of a strong first half in which they’d also forced a couple big saves and hit the post. They carried it on into the second half as well with Simone Charley doubling the lead on 50’ with a glancing header. ACFC did get silly and give away a penalty with a couple minutes left which Ashley Hatch scored from. But overall those two goals and a solid defensive outing got them home with a 2-1 victory and three huge points in the playoff hunt.
But then they lost to Racing Louisville and now those playoff hopes are dangling by a thread. Savannah McCaskill got them off to a great start in their final home game of 2022 with a 14th minute weirdo goal where she was hit by teammate Jun Endo’s shot and the deflection hit the post and the backspin took it past the keeper and over the line. Alas, Kirsten Davis smashed in an equaliser on 37’ and then Alex Chidiac scored from the penalty spot on 43’ to really shake things up.
The Angels threw everything they could at them in the second half, going especially close from a couple Emslie free kicks. But they had to gamble and that left them stretched at the back, leading to a last minute Emina Ekic goal that sealed a 3-1 Louisville win.
Angel City can’t blame anyone but themselves. They lost to a team outside the playoff hunt in a must-win contest and now the only way they can make the top six is if they win away in Chicago next week and North Carolina loses to San Diego. We’re officially in the Abby Erceg or Ali Riley stage. No remaining circumstance in which they can both make the postseason. They are still both in the hunt going into the final few days of fixtures though, that’s something.
Up Next: Season closer away to Chicago Red Stars on Monday at 11am (NZT)
Rebekah Stott - Brighton & Hove Albion (English Super League)
Honestly. What can you even say? Rebekah Stott’s first stint with Brighton ended early when she was diagnosed with cancer and returned to Melbourne for treatment. She came through all that, into remission, returned to the footy pitch, re-signed with Brighton... and then busted her ankle in preseason. We knew she was injured after missing the last Footy Ferns tour as well as the season opener for Brighton. Didn’t realise she was this injured. Bummer. ‘Reconstructive ankle surgery’ isn’t a specific diagnosis but you’d imagine she’s unlikely to play again for a couple months. She’ll be back though. She’s overcome worse.
Up Next: Pesky rehab
CJ Bott - Leicester City (English Super League)
Stotty’s injury means that she joins Ria Percival on the Not Playing Any Time Soon list in the WSL. As a result, when Leicester City hosted Aston Villa this weekend it was the only game we had to pay attention to from that Aotearoa perspective. CJ Bott (LCFC) and Anna Leat (Villa) were both only named amongst the substitutes, which was as expected. Leat went unused as a backup goalie. Thankfully Bott did get twenty minutes.
CJB was subbed on as part of a triple change nearing 70 minutes gone with the Foxes trailing 1-0 to a Rachel Daly penalty kick scored in just the third min of the match. It was Erin Simon who conceded it, barging her marker over. Simon was the starting right wing-back which is exactly the position that Bott took up when she went on. Leicester had a decent amount of the ball but struggled to turn that into chances and it was only after that triple change that they finally had a couple shots on target.
Bott didn’t shoot but she did get forward on that right edge. Intercepted a loose one and cut it back at one stage except her teammate was slightly behind it. Then with five to go Aussie international Emily Gielnik, who’d come on at the same time as Bott, slammed in a second goal for Villa with the Foxes stretched at the back and that was how it ended. 2-0 to Aston Villa. Leicester went close to pulling one back in stoppage time. Didn’t happen. Consecutive home defeats to begin their campaign.
Although on the plus side we did get some delightful CJB niggle near the end...
Up Next: Everton vs Leicester City on Friday at 6.30am (NZT)
Betsy Hassett - Stjarnan (Icelandic Úrvalsdeild Kvenna)
Boom, get in there. This goal was from last week as Hassett got the Stars off to a great start against Þróttur. Beautiful curling strike and she nearly had an assist a minute later as she squared to Anna Maria Baldursdottir from out wide but the keeper closed her down. A similar thing happened in the second half only this time Baldusdottir was fouled and Gyða Kristín Gunnarsdóttir buried it from the penalty spot for a 2-0 win. Hassett was rewarded for that showing with her third Team of the Week honour this season (picked at right back, lol – she’s been playing a sort of right wing-back/winger role so that’s why)...
With that win Stjarnan made it six games without defeat in the Besta Deildin (although they did lose a cup semi-final during that span). Six undefeated games is nice but you know what’s better? Seven of them. Which is where they are now after one of their best games of the whole season in beating Þór/KA 4-0 away from home.
No goals or assists for Hassett but she played 82 minutes in the win and those three points, combined with Breidablik’s loss a day earlier, sends Stjarnan up to second on the ladder. Valur have already engraved their name on the trophy with one game remaining – Betsy Hassett’s last for the Stars before leaving to sign with the Wellington Phoenix – and they’re playing a team they ought to beat as well. Do so and they’ll earn their highest league finish since winning the title in 2016.
Up Next: Stjarnan vs Keflavik on Sunday at 3am – win and finish second (NZT)
Jamie Searle – Barnsley (English League One)
First thing to say is that Barnsley’s main keeper Brad Collins is okay following the aerial collision that led to Jamie Searle coming on for his pro debut last weekend. Collins put out a statement via the club thanking folks for the well wishes and clarifying that the only long-ish term damage is a broken nose. Still, that could keep him out a few weeks and with the regular number two Jack Walton also dealing with an injury cloud – hence why Searle was even on the bench to begin with. Jamie Searle might have a sneaky little window in the meantime.
Such as in the EFL Trophy midweek where Barnsley took on Newcastle U21s. Walton had played the first game of the group stage but it was Jamie Searle given a first professional club start for this one... with a short-term signing on the bench as his backup. Nobody particularly interesting in the Newcastle team btw, just a bunch of local youngsters. Barnsley were somewhat rotated themselves... though that didn’t stop them scooping up a 2-0 victory.
They left it late. Jack Butterfield scored in the 79th minute of his professional debut (getting there a couple days after Searle’s pro debut), then Fulham loanee Ziyad Larkeche polished it off soon afterwards with a killer free kick. Jamie Searle didn’t have much to do in an otherwise cagey contest, Barnsley were the better team and deserved their win. A clean sheet for Searle. A victory as well. Good times.
Unfortunately Jack Walton returned for the league game on the weekend so he started in a 3-1 win over Charlton Ahtletic. Not a game of too many chances, Josh Benson scored early and then Barnsley were able to chip away with a couple second half goals (scoring from all three shots on target) before Charlton got a late consolation goal. Searle was on the bench.
Up Next: Fleetwood Town away at 3am on Sunday NZT)
Kees Sims - Ljungskile SK (Swedish Ettan Södra)
Exciting news for another kiwi keeper on the rise as 19yo Kees Sims has extended his stay with Ljungskile all the way until 2025. This is in the third tier of Swedish footy so hopefully there’s a release clause in there just in case (Sims is eligible for the U20 World Cup next year, always a useful shop window) but great business by his club either way.
Sims joined LSK along with two of his other Western Suburbs buds: Otto Ingham and Robert Sabo. Ingham, an attacking player, was the first to get decent game time and has been involved in some part of most games including scoring in a 2-0 win over Oskarshamns back in June. Defender Sabo has had to be more patient though a few chances have come his way recently. Meanwhile Sims began as the backup keeper though has played increasingly more regularly as the year has progressed. He’s made ten league starts (plus a debut off the bench) and has kept four clean sheets.
Erik Lund Fahlen, LSK: “It feels great that Kees wants to continue with us in LSK. He has had a fantastically good development with us this spring, where he really had to fight to take the place as a goalkeeper in the starting eleven. Once given the chance, he has done very well. He is an ambitious guy who we look forward to working with more in the coming seasons.”
LSK have six games left this season and there’s still an outside chance they can get up to second and playoff for promotion. A few too many recent losses have seen them lose pace with that target though so it may have to be a next season kinda thing.
Up Next: LSK vs Torns on Sunday at 3am (NZT)
Katie Rood - Heart of Midlothian (Scottish Premier League)
It was Meikayla Moore vs Katie Rood in the SWPL... or at least it should have been. Except Moore was left on the bench throughout, given a rest in what ended up being a 2-0 win for Glasgow City. Moore was one of two changes from the previous eleven. Luckily Katie Rood started and played 70 minutes as a left midfielder for Hearts, although against one of the divisional powerhouses she had to do a lot more defensive work than she’d have preferred.
Glasgow City took the lead in the ninth minute via a Jenna Clark header but fair play to Hearts who battled hard to stay in the contest. They held that single-goal deficit into the break and Katie Rood actually had a decent chance to tie it up after 49 mins, Hearts intercepting the ball in attack and Roodie peeling off to collect the ball just outside the area but her shot was well saved on the dive.
The retiring Clare Shine then hit the crossbar for Glasgow City in her final professional game. Then on 66 mins GC were able to play through the Hearts press and into a counter attack where Lauren Davidson’s shot snuck under the goalie for 2-0. Rood subbed pff soon after. 2-0 was the way it ended. Glasgow City remain perfect through six SWPL matches although Hearts will take some confidence from how they fared. Their aim is to be the best of the rest behind the three title contenders and it’s so far so good on that count.
Up Next: League Cup second round, Hearts vs Spartans, Monday at 1am (NZT)
Olivia Chance - Celtic FC (Scottish Premier League)
Liv Chance played off the bench as Celtic travelled away to face Aberdeen in their latest. Clarissa Larisey finished 1v1 to give the Ghirls a 29th minute lead – making amends for having missed an earlier penalty kick - and that was the way it stood when Chance came on in the 58th as part of a triple sub intended to give Celtic a bit more fizz. Larisey had hit the post a little earlier. They’d had chances but so far had not been able to put Aberdeen away.
Celtic had already been bossing things but after those changes it became one-way traffic. Liv Chance wasn’t directly involved in either of them but two goals in a short space of time (75’ and 76’) eventually did clinch this thing. Jacynta with a great strike from distance. Lucy Ashworth-Clifford with a simple finish from in close. 3-0 to Celtic the final score and still the big three in Scotland remain perfect. It’ll be a few more rounds before any of them play each other too.
Up Next: Away to Partick Thistle in the League Cup on Monday at 1am (NZT)
Erin Nayler - Umeå IK (Swedish Damallsvenskan)
Every week that Umeå fail to add to their points tally, things get even sweatier. This week they hosted Örebro and took the lead in the ninth minute thanks to a stinger of a shot from Vilma Koivisto into the bottom corner after a very tenacious counter attack saw UIK players consistently hustling to win the ball back and keep things from breaking down. They got great reward for that via that lovely Koivisto finish... but it didn’t last.
By half-time they were down 3-1. The first was only a couple minutes later, so much for the lead, and it came from a corner. Nayler did well to punch the first delivery away despite a crowded six yard box around her but Örebro kept it alive with a couple more headers and that was 1-1. The second was a transition attack with a low finish into the bottom corner across Nayler’s reach. The third also came about via direct play, with a defender unable to get a touch on the cross to allow an easy finish with Nayler helpless. At least there were no goalkeeping errors in there... actually she made one blinder of a stop to keep the score from getting any worse.
The game ended 3-1 to Örebro but goal difference could yet be a crucial factor in the relegation battle so that save does still matter heaps. The bottom two teams get relegated and the third-to-last has a playoff to stay in the division. UIK are currently second to last and there’s no chance of getting any higher than fourth to last but there’s only three points separating 11 from 14 on the table. Only one of these four teams is going to be guaranteed safe but still everything to play for. Umeå have the second best goal difference of the quartet. Only one more game against any of the teams around them though.
Up Next: Away to Vittsjö at midnight on Sunday/Monday (NZT)
Emma Rolston - Avaldsnes IL (Norwegian Toppserien)
1-0 down at the break, Avaldsnes away to Lyn. They were lucky it was only one as their goalie made several genuinely fantastic saves along the way. That was when Emma Rolston was subbed on to try and change thing and almost immediately Avaldsnes drew level. Header by Kaja Olsen from a corner within two minutes of the second half getting underway. Rollo had nothing to do with it but she was lurking in the six yard box amongst the crowd that Olsen was able to rise above.
Then guess what happened? They absorbed all sorts of pressure with keeper Siri Ervik making a heap more impressive saves... only to concede in the final minute of the ninety as Cathinka Friis Tandberg flicked a header inside the back stick. 2-1 to Lyn and now Avaldsnes only have four matches left in the relegation rounds to save themselves.
The relegation rounds reset all the points and include a couple teams from the second tier. Seven games, everybody plays everybody else once, bottom two teams are relegated while third to last has a playoff. Avaldsnes have 1 point from three games hence as it stands... they’re dead last. Rolston has suggested she’s leaving at the end of the season so maybe it doesn’t matter in the grander scheme but you still don’t want to experience the dreaded drop.
Up in the championship rounds the format is even more unusual as the top four teams are given 6, 4, 2, or 0 points depending on their regular season placings and then play each other home and away to decide the rest. Ally Green’s Vålerenga were six points behind Brann (whose sporting director is Olli Harder) but as the champo rounds began they were suddenly only four points back. Having said that they lost 2-1 to Brann in week one so that took care of that anomaly. Had a 5-0 win over Stabæk this week... but backup LB Ally Green hasn’t been required in either of these matches.
Up Next: Monday at 2am, Avaldsnes are away to TIL 2020 (NZT)
Marco Rojas – Colo-Colo (Chilean Primera División)
There ya go, a goal in a friendly game for Marco Rojas during the international break. Doesn’t mean much but it’s better than not scoring a goal in a friendly game during the international break. All good practice with a title to win for the Colocinos. Five games to go and an 11 point lead. Let’s go.
Up Next: Colo-Colo vs Universidad Catolica on Monday at 7am (NZT)
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