Chris Wood - Newcastle United (English Premier League)

The first game out of the World Cup break saw Chris Wood have to perform his mahi off the bench in a 1-0 EFL Cup win over Bournemouth, as covered in the previous Flying Kiwis edition. Bit of a shame as the League Cup had been his time to shine over the previous couple rounds... but his karmic rewards were soon to follow when Callum Wilson was taken ill ahead of the Boxing Day clash with Leicester City and with Alexander Isak still absent that meant there was nothing for it except to unleash The Woodsman.

And it did not take long at all for him to make his impact. With 84 seconds on the clock, Joelinton was chopped down in the penalty area after Newcastle had won the ball on the high press (Bruno Guimaraes of course) and you know what that meant. Chris Wood from twelve yards. Bang down the middle as Danny Ward dove to his left, 1-0 to Newcastle United bright and early.

Chris Wood still has not missed a penalty for club or country since April 2016 – that’s 19 in a row within games, 26 in a row if you count shootouts. He also scored from the spot in a friendly game during the break but that doesn’t count. This was his second goal of the Premier League season, having also hit the net against Southampton in November just prior to the World Cup pause.

The Magpies absolutely tore the Foxes apart in the opening stages of this one. All out energy as they passed and moved their way around the park, slicing and dicing that Leicester defence. By the end of the seventh minute it was 2-0 as Miguel Almiron continued his sizzling season of form collecting a return pass as he angled into the box and sliding home his finish. Chris Wood was open for a tap-in to his left but you can’t blame a bloke for wanting to finish his own wonder goal. Things cooled off after that but eventually they did make it 3-0 when Joelinton finished off a corner kick from Keiran Trippier on 32’.

Obviously Leicester are much better than they showed in those opening minutes and they ensured that Newcastle still had to do plenty of defending, particularly between the second and third goals and then in extended spells of the second half. Which was fine because as it happens NUFC are extremely good at defending. So they were happy to settle into their groove and come away with a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Wood did have one other major chance, a pull back from Joe Willock which he lifted narrowly over the top with his left boot late in the first half. Disappointed not to get that on target but overall it was a fine performance from the All Whites captain in a game which was very much suited his skills: a fast start, an early penalty, and a lead to protect. For whatever reason, Wood’s finishing has been a bit messy this season (only a bit... he’s scored 2 goals from 1.8 xG) but there’s no doubt about his work-rate, his tactical acumen, or his physical presence... all of which came in very handy in a convincing win. You’d better believe his manager loved it.

Yeah, that’s it. Plus he nearly made Bruno shed a tear with his kind words towards him in a shared post-game interview. Clever work from Woodsy, butter him up so that he gets a few more assists in his direction. Also rate that when asked about NUFC fans singing “we’re gonna win the league” late in the game he declined to get drawn into any title speculation himself but actively encouraged the fans to dream big and hold high ambitions for the club. Love that.

That performance was a peak in the season of Chris Wood, and against one of his old clubs too. The following game, also against an old team, was not nearly so flash. A 0-0 draw against Leeds in which Wood started again but struggled to get involved and was sloppy with the few chances he mustered before being replaced after 64 minutes by a semi-fit Callum Wilson... who also failed to make a breakthrough.

One of them days. An angled run onto a long Tripper pass saw Wood take the ball down on his chest and past the Leeds goalie. He’d probably taken it too deep to be able to hit the open net but Joelinton was wide open in the middle as Wood sliced his touch out for a goal kick. Early in the second half he ran in behind onto a flick-on from a deep free kick yet the keeper closed him down in time with Wood probably needing to have gotten his shot away before it skimmed across his body. Robin Koch also held him off at the near post to keep Wood from turning in a low cross. A couple other crosses never got played his way. It was a frustrating afternoon.

It wasn’t only him either. Basically everyone had chances, especially in a very strong first half in which all that was missing was a bloody goal. Free kicks and counters and long shots and open play crosses and all sorts. There was even a penalty shout declined. Some wet and windy weather didn’t help matters.

They should have won and they didn’t. You get these games over the course of a long season... this snaps their six-game win streak but they are still twelve games undefeated in the Premier League with their only defeat coming against Liverpool via an extremely late injury time winner back in August. They’re sitting third on the table. And in the next game they face league leaders Arsenal with the chance to make a real statement and perhaps even draw themselves into the outskirts of the title race. Callum Wilson will probably be back for that one but it’s doubtful he lasts ninety minutes.

Bonus yarn: there’s a rumour going around that Cristiano Ronaldo has a clause in his new contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr that would allow him to move on loan to Newcastle Utd – owned by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund – if they qualify for the Champions League. Which would probably be a complete shambles given it’d upend the entire way that they play... but it would be a tale if Chris Wood ended up getting subbed off for Cristiano Ronaldo.

Up Next: Huge game on Wednesday, it’s Arsenal vs Newcastle at 8.45am... plus they’re away to Sheffield United at 7am on Sunday in the FA Cup (NZT)

Ben Waine – Plymouth Argyle (English League One)

It began with New Year’s Eve rumours of Ben Waine being spotted at a Plymouth Argyle home game. Argyle had tried to sign him about six months earlier and had been knocked back by the Nix who considered his value to be greater than what was being offered. But when a transfer target is being hosted in the director’s box then you know damn well what’s going to happen next.

Nek minute...

Yes sir/ma’am. Ben Waine has joined Plymouth Argyle for an undisclosed fee, signing a contract that’ll keep him in town for at least a season and a half, with the club holding an option to extend that until the end of the 2025-26 season. Waine will wear the 23 jersey for Argyle. Full credit for persistence because they tried once and missed out, then come back in the next window with another offer to get their man.

Ben Waine: “I’m buzzing to join Argyle. It’s a dream come true moving over here, I’m just excited to get started. My whole family is from the UK. Other than me and my sister, everyone is British. I’ve always had that interest, and football has been a big part of my life. As soon as I thought it was possible to move over here and start playing, it was something I became obsessed with. For Argyle to give me a chance, an opportunity to be part of this team, is amazing. Hopefully I can return the favour.”

PAFC Manager Steven Schumacher: “We are delighted that Ben Waine has joined us at Plymouth Argyle. He is a player I have been tracking for over a year now, and we made an attempt in the summer to try and bring him to Home Park. Ben is a young player who has a tremendous attitude and a willingness to learn and improve. Hopefully he can help score the goals that will maintain our push for promotion, and I’m sure all of the Green Army will be excited to see him play.”

It’s not only the improved bid that has changed since then. Plymouth Argyle are currently clear on top of the League One ladder meaning they’ll be pushing for promotion over the rest of the season. He’s signed for a League One club but could be playing Championship footy by the end of the year. It’s a team that’s been winning a lot of games lately and that should help him ease into his new environment. The fact that they were so determined to sign him bodes well for his fit in the squad plus he’s also got a couple mentors to lean upon as Welly Nix teammate Scott Wootton and national team assistant coach Rory Fallon are both former Plymouth Argyle players.

Waine didn’t play in Argyle’s 3-1 win over MK Dons on Monday morning. Still awaiting the completion of that EFL paperwork before that can happen. He has already taken part in some light training with his new team although given the long haul travel it may realistically be a few weeks before he properly gets into it. Nevertheless, the gaffer did suggest there’s a chance Waine makes the matchday squad for their next game.

Steven Shumacher again: “Bolton will be a possibility. That gives him seven days to get over his jet-lag, and get up to speed with the training. Obviously he has been on a long flight and a long journey and we don't want to put his body through too much too soon. With the squad being the way it is, and how everyone is playing well, there is no real pressure to throw him straight in. He's going to take his time and get up to speed. He's going to add to what we have got in the squad. He's not here to replace anyone, he's just making us stronger.”

Up Next: That Bolton game is away on Sunday at 4am, there’s also an EFL Trophy quarter-final away to Bristol Rovers at 8.45am on the following Wednesday which could be another window for Waine-o (NZT)

Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eerste Divisie)

He’s back...

It was only 24 minutes in a winter break friendly but Ryan Thomas has returned! He started a 3-2 win over Vitesse, giving it half of the first half before he was replaced, and with that he’s played his first organised football (albeit in an unofficial game) since the start of October 2021 – a 2-1 win for PSV over Sparta Rotterdam in which he scored the second goal... set up by Cody Gakpo who has just signed for Liverpool.

The 24 minute thing was pre-determined. No further injury setbacks after 14 months out of the game. They’re simply easing him along on his recovery – although word is that he did look impressive both moving the ball and moving with the ball. No highlights because it was a closed-door game but we’ll accept the words of those who were there.

De Swollenaer: “What was especially striking was the old trusted game of Ryan Thomas, who made his comeback for PEC after 4.5 years. Following fifteen months of injury misery, the just 28-year-old midfielder made quite a claim with balls, dividing the game and entering into duels. In fact, he looked tireless and extremely fit.”

It’s been a long and frustrating road back for Thomas and not for the first time in his career either. The definitive stat is that in four seasons with PSC Eindhoven he played just 33 league games (the equivalent of one season). But he’s back at his old club now and seeking to get his career back on the tracks. PEC Zwolle were relegated last season however they’re looking good for promotion again, sitting second midway through the campaign in an automatic promotion spot. With Ryan Thomas in their midst they’ll be looking even better than good.

In all honesty, this is a standard below his level. Then again perhaps that’s what he needs after so long out. Six months of bossing Eerste Divisie games from the midfield would go alright, not gonna lie. The proper footy returns next week so we’ll have to wait and see how quickly Thomas is ready to be fully unleashed however he certainly got what he needed out of his return game.

Up Next: Saturday at 8am against Almere City, it’s the return of the Eerste Divisie (NZT)

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

Confirmed transfer news! Before Ben Waine got on a plane, the first big NZ move of the January window came a week early when Nando Pijnaker re-joined Sligo Rovers on a permanent basis. He’d spent 2022 there on loan from Portuguese side Rio Ave, now he’s a fully minted Rover.

That also means that he once again gets to hang with Max Mata, who was already at the club on a permanent deal when they were teammates last year. Mata even extended his contract during the last season. Mata and Pijnaker also played together for the Grasshoppers academy team in Switzerland as well as making their All Whites debuts in the same match.

Pijnaker was the only one of the pair to make a senior appearance (two in fact) for GC Zurich though he soon left for Rio Ave to progress his career. Unfortunately he never cracked the first team there, only playing 11 times for the reserves and twice for the U23s as the top side were relegated. He was sent out on loan as they were promoted back up again – getting minimal minutes for FC Helsingør when Eli Just and Callum McCowatt were both there before. Then he was loaned out again, this time to Sligo Rovers for the duration of 2022 and it was there that he finally got the regular first team footy he’d been seeking. Made a pretty excellent impression too as Rovers went on a wee European run and everything. Only missed seven games all campaign.

From what Pijnaker himself had said in interviews, he certainly hadn’t given up hope of going back and getting a go with Rio Ave when he first joined Sligo Rovers... although it wasn’t a great look that he signed on a loan deal that spanned two different seasons for his parent club. He hasn’t had anything to do with them since his first Sligo season ended albeit transfer registration windows probably dictated that. Regardless it’s hardly a surprise that he’s found his way back to Ireland. Pijnaker signs on a deal for the 2023 season, with Sligo Rovers referring to him as a “priority signing” in their announcement.

SRFC manager John Russell: “I’m delighted Nando has agreed to sign on a permanent deal. I’d like to thank his agent Bruno Meirelles and his former club Rio Ave for their cooperation in getting this deal done. Nando is a player of immense quality. He is a current International and he has all the attributes to play at the highest level. He is a top professional and someone who is very driven and always willing to listen and learn. I feel he can take his game to another level in 2023. I’m sure the fans will be excited to see Nando back at The Showgrounds.”

Nando Pijnaker: “I am delighted to be back at The Showgrounds for next season. I have really enjoyed my time in Sligo so far and I was keen to come back here on a permanent basis. I wish to thank everyone at Rio Ave for helping me in my career and I am looking forward to my future here at The Showgrounds. The supporters and the town in general have been so welcoming to me and made me feel at home”

Sweet as. Nando and Max begin pre-season training in two weeks with the League of Ireland kicking off in mid-February.

Up Next: Seven weeks of pre-season training should be fun

Marko Stamenic – FC København (Danish Superliga)

Maxbet Sport RS: “Marko Stamenić from Copenhagen is on the wish list of [Red Star Belgrade]. As revealed by MaxBet sport, an official offer was sent to the club from Denmark, which is financially acceptable, since the midfielder has a contract until June 2023. And not only that but the red and whites are heavily negotiating with the New Zealand national team player, who completely fits into the vision of coach Miloš Milojević.

The whole story is going in the right direction but the work is only finished when the contract is signed. The talented player has been in the focus of the sports sector and the head of the scouting service, Marko Marin, for months. The plan of the champions of Serbia is clear: bringing in a player who has extra potential.

So far, Stamenić has worn the jersey of New Zealand 11 times. He wears the jersey with number 10 but in Red Star he would have the status of a domestic player, since his father is Serbian. The guy born on February 19, 2002 played 15 matches for Copenhagen in the fall, and spent 973 minutes on the field and played in the Champions League against Manchester City.”

That does not sound like idle gossip. That sounds a lot like a move that could be confirmed imminently. And while he doesn’t strike as an obvious candidate for a January transfer given he’s in the midst of his breakthrough season at senior level... there are a few good reasons for this potential change of scenery.

For one, his father is Serbian. Similar to Marco Rojas moving to Chile in that regard – including the fact that it’s the most storied club in the land after him. That’s point number two: FK Crvena Zvezda (aka Red Star Belgrade in English terms) are currently first in the Serbian Superliga as they chase their sixth consecutive league title. It’s a club with enormous history, including winning the Champions League back in 1991.

Unfortunately their European campaign is over for this season, same as Copenhagen’s, having been knocked out of UCL qualifiers by Maccabi Haifa (Israel) before finishing bottom of a Europa League group that featured Ferencvaros (Hungary), Monaco (France), and Trabzonspor (Turkey). But they’ll be back again next season in some capacity.

Point three: Marko Stamenic had dipped down slightly at Copenhagen prior to the winter break, not featuring in any of FCK’s past four matches including dropping out of the squad entirely for the two most recent matches (although it sounds like that was injury-related rather than being dropped). On that note, point four is that one or two of the injuries to teammates that had cleared the path for him to feature in the first place will be sorted after the winter break potentially pushing him further down the pecking order (although the season-ending knee injury for defensive midfield Zeca might suggest the opposite). And point five is that his current contract expires in July.

Add that all together and a move to a team of a similar European stature where he gets to connect with some family heritage and potentially play more prominently whilst getting his current team a transfer fee all makes a lot of sense. Particularly when he can be registered as a local player for the new club rather than counting against their foreign player quota.

Stamenic won’t be the first kiwi to sign with Red Star if it does happen, as current Auckland City defender Adam Mitchell spent some time there a few years ago. Didn’t play an official game for the club but he may have helped pave the way for a compatriot.

Up Next: Watch this space

Stefan Marinovic - Hapoel Tel Aviv (Israeli Premier League)

Sneaky 1-1 draw against Maccabi Netanya. Two teams in the lower half of the table duking it out, although you’d probably have to say that HTA did well to get anything out of this match based on the performance. Under quite a bit of pressure in the first half, including a header off Marinovic’s post and a good diving two-hander save from a long shot, then all of a sudden Alen Ozbolt scored on a breakaway and they were 1-0 up at the break against the run of play.

The lead only lasted until the 56th minute when Omri Gandelman slotted into an empty net after an air-swing and two blocked shots in a row had left the HTA defence sprawled all over the shop with Marinovic having already dived. He later made a brilliant save 1v1 in the dying moments to preserve the draw though. Another point to the tally as they try to pull away from the foot of the ladder. There’s currently only five points between fifth and thirteenth in the IPL (which is a 14-team league). Hapoel Tel Aviv are near the bottom of that bunch but it goes to show it won’t take much to change their fate.

Up Next: Away to H.Beer-Sheva on Tuesday at 6.30am (NZT)

Alex Greive - St Mirren (Scottish Premiership)

A five minute cameo at the end of a 0-0 draw away against Kilmarnock doesn’t sound like much. But this was a significant appearance for Greive as he returned to the pitch after missing the previous two matches following the passing of his father Richard, who himself was a prominent figure in Auckland football. Just awful news. Sympathies with all the Greive clan at such a difficult time. Alex flew back to Aotearoa to be with the family prior to Christmas and therefore played no part of the 3-1 win over Aberdeen or the 1-1 draw away to Livingston. However that didn’t mean he was out of mind, with teammate Declan Gallagher specifically dedicating the win over Aberdeen to Alex Greive on behalf of the entire squad...

Declan Gallagher to Renfreswhire Live Sport: “Alex wasn’t involved in the Aberdeen game because he had to go back to New Zealand after his father passed away. That result was for him and all the boys wanted to let him know that. We wanted that one for him and it definitely gave us added motivation.

One thing the gaffer said to us before we went out there was to hold your loved ones close. There’s a boy who would love to be playing football, and who had a chance to start the game because he was flying, but because of those circumstances it’s not happened. He said to make sure we did it for Alex and that was important because we’re a close group. It’s good we could do it for him.

It’s very hard given how far away he is from his family. He’s maybe not seen his dad in a long time. At the end of the day he’s half the world away and won’t see his dad again. The boys are gutted for him. He wished us all the best before the Aberdeen game in our WhatsApp group which was amazing to see, he was still thinking of us. It’s obviously upsetting for him and we’re thinking of him.”

Poignant words from the bro there.

The Kilmarnock game saw St Mirren reduced to ten men inside ten minutes. It was an off-the-ball incident as Ethan Erhahon was marched for what was ruled to be a retaliatory high elbow against his marker in the midfield while the teams awaited a throw-in. Thus the Buddies spent the rest of the game in a low block, particularly after sacrificing striker Eamonn Brophy with quarter of an hour gone to throw on midfielder Alex Gogic.

And it worked a treat as some quality saves and brave defensive blocks kept Kilmarnock at bay throughout. In fact they very nearly won it at the end as Alex Greive lashed just over the bar with a spinning half-volley from about nine yards out at the near post. Fantastic movement to get into space and then a great hit... but a little too high. Head in hands. Ah well. A draw when you’ve played 83 minutes with ten men is still pretty useful.

Up Next: 4am on Sunday at home against Hearts (NZT)

Tommy Smith – Colchester United (English League Two)

Love a good milestone and this one is a beauty. 500 games for club and country. It takes a remarkable level of consistency to lock it down for long enough to log as many games as that and Smithy’s got there aged 32 with plenty of room to spare.

The maths is a bit frisky but here goes... Smithy has 49 caps for the All Whites. At club level he played 267 times for Ipswich Town, 64 times for Colorado Rapids, and 8 times for Brentford. Never actually got a game for Sunderland while he was there short term but he’s featured heaps for Colchester where he’s the club captain. 90 times in all competitions plus a cheeky six back when he was on loan there in the early days of his career. That brings us up to 484. Chuck in 15 games for Stevenage Borough in a non-league loan when he was still a teenager. And... maybe he’s counting the one game he played for the England U17s way back when? Or perhaps there’s a lost cup game amidst there. He did make three appearances at the London Olympics with the NZ U23s and we’re in the excess if we count those. Whatever it all adds up to it’s a lot of football.

He’s still going strong too. It may not sound fantastic to say that Colchester has won three and lost three of the League Two matches that Smithy has played since returning from his preseason foot injury but for a team that has been lingering far too closely to the relegation zone all season that’s a positive haul. The latest was a 1-0 win over Swindon Town that buys them some breathing room from the drop zone. Great win against a team currently placed in the playoff spots. Luke Hannant scored the only goal in the 30th minute of the contest while Smithy played the full thing at the heart of a back three. There was a shout for a handball penalty against him that was turned down by the ref but otherwise no dramas against one of the better teams in the division. Right on.

Up Next: Away to Harrogate Town on Sunday at 4am (NZT)

Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League Two)

Coincidentally, the team that knocked AFC Wimbledon out of the EFL Trophy on penalties just before Christmas was Plymouth Argyle. Nik Tzanev watched that one from the bench as his backup got some cup minutes, otherwise Ben Waine wouldn’t be getting that extra game on the calendar next week to help himself get acclimatised at his new club. Hopefully he does get to play that game so that the Dons’ sacrifice was not in vain.

The Flying Kiwis connections have continued for Tzanev since then. Following a 1-1 draw against Newport County on Boxing Day, in which the Dons took a second half lead and then swiftly squandered it with a red card and a penalty, they then took on... Colchester United. Meaning it was Tommy Smith versus Nik Tzanev. And the fact that this ended up in the Tzanev section gives you a decent clue as to which bloke came out victorious.

2-1 to Wimbledon. Full games for both Smithy and Tzanev in there. For the second game in a row, Tzanev was beaten from the penalty spot, John Akinda in the 51st minute, but goals for Josh Davidson (67’) and Ethan Chislett (89’) booked the comeback win for the Dons – who to be fair did have the better of the chances throughout. The funkiest moment of the game, aside from the late winner, occurred in the first half when Tzanev pushed a Smithy header over the top. NT went on to concede the penalty as he chopped down a striker sliding out but his team rallied back for the victory to extend their L2 unbeaten streak to ten games.

Alas, it was ten and out as they’ve since lost 2-1 to Sutton United in the most recent fixture. Not a good day at the office as Sutton Utd controlled the bulk of the game with a whopping ten shots on target. It was often only the reflexes and instincts of Nik Tzanev in goal that kept his team in the show, though ultimately Omar Bugiel’s 69th minute goal proved to be the winner for the home side. A first league defeat for the Dons since... losing to Sutton Utd back in mid-October.

Up Next: 4am on Sunday versus Crewe Alexandra (NZT)

Max Crocombe - Grimsby Town (English League Two)

The post-Christmas period didn’t go so smoothly for Grimsby as they lost 3-2 to Harrogate Town on Boxing Day and then 4-1 at home against Salford City three days later. Seven goals allowed in two matches, as many as Max Crocombe had conceded in his previous five fixtures. But the club landed on their feet with a 1-0 win over Stockport Town in game tahi of 2023.

It was only their second win in ten league fixtures so a much needed three points for the lads. Definitely was not a classic match. Grimsby thought they should’ve had a penalty fifteen mins in. They worked a couple more good chances that went to waste in the first half but were able to take the lead in the 51st minute when Otis Khan turned in a flick-on from a long throw. That’s some League Two footy for ya right there. Crocombe had made his first save of note from a free kick just before that. He’d also be called upon to deny a thumping first-time strike soon afterwards as he earned his eighth clean sheet of the campaign.

Up Next: FA Cup third rounder on Sunday at 6.30 against Burton (NZT)

Rebekah Stott - Brighton & Hove Albion (English Super League)

Stotty has yet to take the pitch for Brighton this season due to that pesky preseason ankle surgery but she’s been close enough to sneak onto a few benches and will hopefully be ready to go when the WSL gets back underway in the coming fortnight. She had been back in Australia for a wee bit over the break so if she’s not back in England already then she will be soon and when she gets there she’ll get to meet her new manager.

Jens Scheuer has been announced as the new Brighton boss following on from Hope Powell who departed at the end of October and interim gaffer Amy Merricks who had taken temporary charge in between. Powell signed Stott not once but twice so it was a bummer to see her go, although Scheuer is a very exciting hire. A German manager who coached Bayern Munich to the Champions League semi-finals (where they lost to Chelsea) as recently as 2021. Now he’s in charge of Brighton. How about that? Stott did spent two seasons in Germany with SC Sand early in her career so maybe that’ll help her jump the queue.

Up Next: Monday 16 January at 4am, it’s Leicester City vs Brighton & Hove (NZT)

Zac Jones – Haverfordwest County (Welsh/Cymru Premier)

There ya go, after a run of seven league games sitting on the bench Zac Jones returned to the starting eleven for a 1-1 draw against Pontypridd United. Ioan Evans equalised for the County via a direct free kick in the ninetieth minute. Jones has made 11 starts for Haverfordwest this league season, keeping three clean sheets and conceding 16 goals overall for a team that’s mostly lingered in the lower mid-table ranges.

Up Next: Away to the big dogs of The New Saints on Sunday at 3.30am (NZT)

Kyle Adams & Elliot Collier – San Diego Loyal (American USL Championship)

Elliot Collier is a USL champion. He won the title with San Antonio in 2022... although he was very much a depth player come crunch time. EC was initially getting some solid minutes for the team. He started pretty much every game until a mid-season injury took him out of the zone and when he returned a couple months later it was mostly as a substitute. Only two of his 14 starts came after June. All of his four goals came before the injury.

Collier did still get on the park very late in the grand final so that’s one to chuck on the career experience list, but having gotten that winner’s medal it was little surprise to see him on the move for next season. And so here he is popping up at San Diego Loyal where he’ll be a teammate of fellow kiwi Kyle Adams – taking up the spot that Nikko Boxall filled last year (albeit for limited minutes and in a different position). Collier’s a proven performer at this level, he just needs the opportunity to play regularly and hopefully this move will do the trick.

SD Loyal Head Coach Nate Miller: “We have followed Elliot’s career for a long time. He is a very versatile player with a lot of key attributes we want to add to our squad. Elliot is an excellent fit – he is a playmaker, has great instincts in the box, and is committed to the defensive side of his game. We are excited to integrate him into our team.”

The Loyal had their best season yet (of the three years they’ve existed for) last time around, finishing second in the Western Conference before losing in the quarter-finals of the playoffs. They will have a new coach in 2023 with Landon Donovan moving into a front office role and Nate Miller taking over. Adams was a regular at the back for SDL last year, playing 33 times with all but two of them being starts.

Up Next: Give it a couple months before the new season begins

Moses Dyer – FC Tulsa (American USL Championship)

After three seasons with Valour in the new Canadian Premier League, during which time he was converted into a striker and scored a bundle of goals, Moses Dyer has moved south of the border to the United States of ‘Murica. Quite a bit south, all the way to FC Tulsa in the fine state of Oklahoma (a judgement based on the first several years of Steven Adams’ NBA career). He follows ex-Valour teammate Brad Levis who is also moving from Manitoba to Oklahoma to join FC Tulsa.

Dyer leaves as Valour’s all-time leading goal-scorer with 19 goals and 7 assists in 57 appearances – the bulk of those coming in the two most recent seasons when he evolved into a centre forward, including some top notch penalty taking. Prior to Canada he’d also played in Norway.

The USL is the second tier of competition in America, a significant drop down from the MLS but there is a decent history of players making the step up. After three personally successful years in Canada this feels like a natural progression for the 25 year old. FC Tulsa finished eighth in the Eastern Conference last year, missing out on the playoffs by eight points.

Moses Dyer: “There’s so many unknowns coming into a new team and new country, so I’m looking forward to meeting the boys and getting started. I can’t wait to give the fans something enjoyable to watch by winning games and scoring goals.”

FC Tulsa head coach Blair Gavin: “What sets Moses apart is his ability to link up. He’s someone who is very comfortable picking up the ball between the lines and has the vision to play the final pass. He’s someone we will be able to play into and force the centre-backs to make a decision, and during that time, we’re hoping to have the solution much faster than they are, whether it’s an assist through the last line to a winger or Moses turning and scoring.”

Up Next: Preseason yarns

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