Flying Kiwis – March 14
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eerste Divisie)
Nothing like getting your team off to a quick start. Ryan Thomas set up a goal last week but it was the seventh of thirteen that they scored so perhaps not quite the shine that a really sharp bit of midfield work from the Te Puke lad deserved. This week PEC Zwolle had a Friday night game against Willem II and inside a dozen minutes we had this sweet bit of movement from Thommo followed by that deliciously direct angled run and then the mean little cut-back. Bang. Haris Medunjanin put Zwolle into the lead.
Conditions weren’t exactly fantastic away to the former club of Michael Woud and James McGarry. Weather was rough and there were puddles on the pitch causing a literal splash. But Ryan Thomas didn’t seem to have any issues. He’d already sparked a move with a pinpoint ball down the line and then he set up that opening goal on 12’. Right on 25 minutes they’d double that lead as Apostolos Vellios dashed in behind the line from a pass inside his own half. Finished it off 1v1 and there ya go... although Willem II hit back swiftly with a towering header from a corner kick after half an hour.
Thomas went close to another assist with a square ball across the top of the box except the shot from Medunjanin was well saved. That was in the second half with the scores still at 2-1. Thomas would then be subbed off in the 68th minute as part of a double change for his team’s first action off the bench. 68 minutes is the equal longest that Thomas has played since his return to the pitch so he’s beginning to stretch things out again. Zwolle went on to score a third with ten to go thanks to Medunjanin. Willem II did pull another back with two minutes left but Zwolle clung on for the 3-2 victory. Three more points to their impressive tally. Highlights here.
They also played again a few days later on that pesky Friday to Monday turnaround. Ryan Thomas started against De Graafschap as he usually does and almost set up another goal early doors when he flipped a short pass to a bloke who rattled the crossbar with his shot from the edge of the area. Zwolle would hit the post as well before long, though Lennart Thy did cap things with a deserved goal in the 13th minute.
From there they soldiered on. De Graafschap had some nice spells but very few chances in that first half. Zwolle were comfortable with their lead albeit with nothing like what we saw in the opening quarter of an hour. Nah, the most drama we got the rest of that half was when Thomas was drifting back to his defensive position and his closest opponent, Giovanni Korte, ran straight across him and caught a shoulder in the face for his blind troubles. Korta hit the floor. He stayed down until the ball was put out of play (head knock and all that) then he got up gesticulating about a swinging elbow. Thomas wasn’t bothered, he was busy giving instructions to a teammate. The ref spoke with his assistant and neither of them had seen anything (because there wasn’t anything to see) hence the game continued. Then, a few minutes later, Thomas casually flipped a pass back to his own goalie and Korte ran through the back of him for some perceived revenge. Thommo thought it was pretty funny as the ref gave them both a quick word.
They survived a real scare at the start of the second half when that lil punk Korte headed a corner kick on target, only for it to be cleared off the line before a Zwolle defender blocked a rebound attempt by someone else which looped up onto the crossbar. But things settled down again after that.
Thomas was subbed off after 67 minutes. A solid but quieter effort from him this time... in which he kept up a pretty superb streak of passing reliability. Against Den Bosch recently he completed 22/22 passes. Then against Willem II it was 38/39. Here against De Graafschap it was 20/22. None of this is particularly extravagant passing but still... 80/82 completed passes across his last three games (roughly 180 minutes of action).
Despite some increasing pressure due to the lack of a second goal, PEC Zwolle did hang on for three more points. Their third win in a row. 1-0 final score. They’re currently 15 points clear of missing out on automatic promotion although the sights are now firmly fixed on holding off Heracles to win the Eerste Divisie title. Wouldn’t be the first trophy that Ryan Thomas has won with this club, that’s for sure.
Up Next: The Flying Kiwis Derby, PEC Zwolle vs NAC Breda, Saturday at 8am (NZT)
Matthew Garbett - NAC Breda (Dutch Eerste Divisie)
Ryan Thomas set up the first goal in a PEC Zwolle win on Saturday morning NZT and in a concurrent kickoff Matt Garbett, only a few minutes later, did the same thing for NAC Breda. Just lovely midfield work, the progressive dribble and the precise cross (every time you watch it, it looks like the defender’s going to cut it out). Elias Mar Omarsson was the one who put it away. Garbett had almost set up another goal minutes earlier except Aimé Omgba’s shot was off target from inside the area.
This match was at home against MVV and despite that strong start they went on to concede an equaliser against the run of play in the 34th min and then almost went behind on the break as MVV somehow didn’t convert an overload (though they did hit the post). However the closing stages of the first half would prove decisive. That was when NAC Breda scored two quick goals to turn a sketchy 1-1 scoreline into a smooth-sailin’ 3-1 lead. Jort van der Sande (43’) and Omarsson again (45’).
Garbett was only peripheral in those goals and did tend to fade in and out of the game. He’s hardly gonna the focal point after only a handful of games. That’s a good thing though, it means that he’s being allowed the freedom to find his feet with his new team, with room to take a few gambles and make the odd mistake within the roaming right-sided central midfield role he’s been given. Garbett played 69 minutes creating two big chances (including his assist). Had a couple of shots that were on target but didn’t really threaten. Got stuck in defensively. Shifted the ball well. In short, this was his best performance yet for Breda, who went on to win it 4-1 as Omarsson completed his hatty near the end. Here’s the highlight vid.
Can’t say the next game was so flash, unfortunately. It’s often an awkward one to catch those reserve teams on a Monday night because their first teams have already played and fringe players tend to be released for these fixtures. Dunno how much that affected this match but NAC Breda got royally pumped 6-2 by Jong Ajax.
Strange thing was they looked fine when they were on attack. Matt Garbett was getting stuck in, they were playing with pace. But any time they were asked to do any defending they were awful. Garbett was one of a handful of dudes who got a foot in but couldn’t stop a scrappy moment in the fourth minute leading to the opening goal. Then while pushing for a leveller they got sliced on the break on 17’. Garbett accidentally played a one-two with a bloke for the third Jong Ajax goal. Oops. 3-0 down after 21 mins. It was bad enough that they made a tactical sub after thirty minutes... which didn’t work because it’d soon be 4-0 after 34 mins. Then 5-0 after 51’.
It was a proper disasterclass but in amongst the carnage we did at least get this moment...
Midfielders who can dribble, mate. Absolute golden areas. Matt Garbett’s now delivered three assists in four starts for NAC Breda. He was subbed off soon after this one with Breda quickly adding a second goal but never finding the third that might’ve made things sweaty. Instead they conceded one last banger in the 86th minute to remind them how badly their day really went.
Up Next: The Flying Kiwis Derby, PEC Zwolle vs NAC Breda, Saturday at 8am (NZT)
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
Tottenham Hotspur beckoned for Nottingham Forest this week. Problem was it was away from home, never a good sign for a Forest team that’s been a mess on the road this season (worst road record in the league with only 6 points from 13 games). Last time they played a top six team, Chris Wood began on the bench as Forest prioritised the counter attack. This time the same thing happened with Jesse Lingard joining Morgan Gibbs-White and Brennan Johnson on the front three.
It didn’t work. They got away with one when Richarlison had a goal disallowed for an absolutely marginal offside within three minutes of kickoff but there wasn’t much of a reprieve as Spurs kept running the show and Harry Kane soon nudged in a smart header on 19’ before doubling that lead from the penalty spot (after a foul by Joe Worrall on Richarlison) on 35’.
Steve Cooper made two changes coming out of the break and that included a switch up top. However it was Andre Ayew summoned instead of Chris Wood (Emmanuel Dennis also got introduced in midfield). Forest were a little bit better after that but they weren’t able to bag a goal to get them back in range, not before Son Heung-min buried one after 61 mins to make it three-sies.
Brennan Johnson appeared to be battling through a knock, requiring a quick pause in proceedings soon after that third goal. The camera then panned over to Cooper on the sideline and you could see Chris Wood behind him getting ready to strip his bib off. That sub occurred on 67’ with Wood on for Johnson and Ryan Yates also replacing Remo Freuler at the same time. But this substitute appearance wasn’t to be like his last substitute appearance when he scored against Man City.
The literal first thing that Wood did was chase down a back header, tripping over as he did before getting up very gingerly. The trailing boot of Clement Lenglet had caught him right on his knee and he did not look comfortable. The next time the ball went out he called the physio over for a survey. Wood then tried to run it off but only lasted about another minute before hitting the deck again and having to be replaced by Neco Williams. He was injured about ten seconds after he was brought on and only lasted six minutes in total. Didn’t get a single touch of the ball.
To make matters worse, Forest went on to win a late penalty (after Joe Worrall had gotten them on the board with an open header from a flicked-on corner kick) but the penalty maestro Chris Wood wasn’t out there to take it so Andre Ayew took responsibility and missed it. Weak shot saved by Fraser Forster. Chris Wood would never. It ended 3-1 to Tottenham... now we send our prayers towards the Nottm Forest medical team as Chris Wood threatens to add to an already extensive list of absences at the club. And right before an All Whites tour too.
Steve Cooper: “Woody was just so unfortunate. He goes on, and in his first moment in the game he gets a really bad knock to his thigh which really swells up instantly like you wouldn't believe. He tried to carry on with it but it was just impossible. When he came to the halfway line and I saw it, I knew he wouldn't be able to carry on, even though he tried. That was really unfortunate.”
If there’s no lasting damage, that swelling should come down and he should be okay. Fingers crossed. Their next game, the last before the international break, is against Newcastle United so Wood is ineligible for that one anyway due to the terms of his loan deal. Not the worst time for that fixture to swing around.
Up Next: Nottm Forest vs Newcastle at 9am on Saturday (NZT)
Vic Esson - Rangers FC (Scottish Premier League)
As so often seems to be the case, there were way too many players injured in or around the last Football Ferns international break (All Whites may or may not be in the same bag as per the previous entry). Vic Esson was one of those but she returned to the bench last week and then this week made her first start for about a month. Home against Hamilton Academical... and it was a cruisey return to action.
To keep a short story even shorter, Rangers opened the scoring after eight minutes and were 5-0 up after 32 mins. They eased off after that to save from being too rude although they did add another goal near the end. Esson did have one save to make when one of her defenders coughed up the ball on the press but the shot went straight at her for a simple stop.
That’s a 6-0 win and you can count that as Esson’s seventh clean sheet in eight SWPL starts. Their other keeper, Jenna Fife, has 12 cleanies from 14 starts (though has conceded four goals to Esson’s one). With this simple victory, Rangers finish the main phase of the league in third place with 55 points from 22 games. Next comes the split where they’ll have ten more games, playing each of the rest of the top six home and away. Top two get Champions League spots. Winners get a trophy. Exciting times.
Up Next: Rangers vs Hibernian in the Scottish Cup quarter-final (NZT)
Olivia Chance - Celtic FC (Scottish Premier League)
The SWPL has never done the championship/relegation round splits before (although the men’s Premiership has been doing so for a wee while already). This is fresh territory for the league but it’s a wonderful idea given how it now sets up this three-way title race with everyone getting to play each other a couple more times before the finish line. Glasgow City currently lead by a healthy margin after their win over Celtic recently. They finished off the regulars in style with an 11-0 win over last-placed Glasgow Women. Meikayla Moore hasn’t played for a couple matches though, must be injured.
Ah but elsewhere we had another full game for Liv Chance in the Celtic midfield as they took on Hibernian. It threatened to be a tricky game as Hibs had a header on target palmed clear by the keeper inside thirty seconds of kickoff, although Celtic soon eased those worries when Amy Gallagher slammed in from the second phase of a corner kick in the ninth minute. That goal summoned a really strong spell for the Ghirls including a one-two on the run between Chance and Gallagher that led to the kiwi being denied by an outstretched foot, unable to quite beat the goalie there.
Hibs went close with another header, from a free kick this time, but then Celtic got that crucial second in the 36th min. Caitlyn Hayes with the goal. Another corner kick situation – this time Hayes won the header to score. Chance would go close again in the second half when she drilled a shot from inside the area, slightly off balance, which was very well saved on the stretch. Then another on 83’ when she collected the ball on the edge of the box, chopped back past her marker, only for her shot to fizz slightly wide of the far post.
2-0 was the final score. Could have been more and Liv Chance was pretty unlucky not to make it more herself but the important thing was another victory to keep the pressure on the other two teams around them leading into the split. Fixtures for that are now live... although first there’s a round of Scottish Cup quarter-finals to get through.
Up Next: Hearts versus Celtic in the Scottish Cup quarters, Monday at 4am, with at least one NZer therefore guaranteed a spot in the semis (NZT)
Katie Rood - Heart of Midlothian (Scottish Premier League)
We also had Katie Rood’s Hearts who are sitting proud in fourth place as the best of the rest, taking on Spartans who themselves needed a result to have a hope of making the top six. No sooner had the game started than Katie Rood was getting on the ball and threading passes forward and sparking things.
Having said that, it was still goalless at the break. And it was still goalless nearing the hour mark with Spartans beginning to get a couple things going. But then Georgia Hunter popped up with a goal from a corner on 58’ and there ya go. An own goal near the end padded that out to a 2-0 victory. Roodie was subbed with about twenty remaining. Ended up being a quiet one from her but no dramas – Hearts have won three in a row and next week they’ll have a crack at knocking defending champs Celtic out of the cup. Katie Rood vs Olivia Chance.
Up Next: Hearts vs Celtic, Monday at 4am, in that same Scottish Cup effort (NZT)
Nando Pijnaker & Max Mata – Sligo Rovers (League of Ireland Premier Division)
Most of their game against Cork City felt like a write-off for Sligo Rovers. The first half had been relatively but they’d fallen behind to a sloppy goal from a corner and hadn’t been able to turn their own positive possessions into proper chances. Nando Pijnaker was defending nicely. Max Mata was working really hard trying to hold the ball up, winning several free kicks. But overall it wasn’t clicking. Then they conceded again to a cracking low strike in the 63rd minute and it seemed like it was simply going to be one of those days... right up until Eanna Clancy swung his foot through a low corner on 79’ to give Rovers a lifeline at 2-1.
Suddenly the whole complexion of the game shifted. Every corner kick was looking like a goal threat. Every cross was causing panic. Pijnaker put a header on target from a corner that was expertly tipped over the top by the Cork keeper. Mata also nudged a header on target from a cross but it was blocked and nobody could sneak it over on the rebound. Then, into the five added-on minutes, Clancy sent one long into the area for Mata, who nodded it back to Kailin Barlow and next thing you knew a penalty had been awarded. Drama at the death. Looked like a very soft foul, not sure it was even in the area, although it may have actually been a handball that was whistled.
Max Mata grabbed the ball. He placed it down. He stepped back. And he thrashed it home as the goalie dived the wrong way. His fourth goal of the season and the third of those from the penalty spot.
There was still about two minutes left to chase a winner so Mata was quick to gather the ball up and rush it back to halfway. And Mata did win (yet another) free kick holding the ball up in a dangerous position... though Fabrice Hartmann’s shot was straight at the keeper and that was that. 2-2 final score. For 80 minutes there was nothing going on for Sligo Rovers and then somehow they came away with a draw. What a strange game of football.
Also, no surprises here...
Up Next: Saturday at 8.45am away to Derry City (NZT)
Liberato Cacace – Empoli (Italian Serie A)
Good things have been happening in Serie A lately... Libby Cacace has now featured in five of Empoli’s last seven matches. The first of those was with regular starting left back Fabiano Parisi suspended for yellow card accumulation. Two weeks later Parisi was sent off in the first half of a match for a goal-preventing handball and up popped Cacace for a solid hour off the bench and then the full game in the next one with Parisi again suspended.
Those opportunities came about because Parisi was unavailable yet in the last two games he’s directly replaced Parisi, something that had only happened twice all season previously. There wasn’t much to say about a four-minute cameo against Monza last week, a game that Empoli lost 2-1. No time to get anything done. However that wasn’t the case with the almost twenty minutes he got against Udinese most recently.
Empoli had been trailing since a 54th minute header from Rodrigo Becão although it’s not entirely clear how neither team had managed to score already. In a first half of few chances, the ones that did occur were pretty massive. Parisi himself cleared a shot off the line. But nope, fast-forward to the 72nd minute and Empoli were in need of a goal so they threw on Libby Cacace – a genuine tactical decision from the manager and therefore a bit of a milestone for LC.
The instructions were quite clear: make those runs beyond the winger and get those crosses into the area. He forced a corner with the first of those crosses. Another, from deeper, picked out a striker in the box with his back to goal but they couldn’t force a shot on target from the lay-off. The third was deflected out for another corner. The fourth was a bit too deep, hitting it on the overlapping run, but was still headed out for yet another corner.
Sadly there was to be no equaliser and Empoli lost 1-0. Frustrating loss. Highlights here. But maybe, just maybe, we’re starting to see the Cacace Renaissance... perhaps not coincidentally in the same week that Parisi’s agent popped up saying that this will be Parisi’s last season before he moves to a big club. Manager Paolo Zanetti has already talked about Cacace as the future despite using him so sparingly (until recently).
Up Next: Away to Atalanta at 8.45am on Saturday (NZT)
Sarpreet Singh - SSV Jahn Regensburg (German Bundesliga 2)
It was a rare good day for Regensburg, check this out...
A 2-1 win against Holstein Keil. Have some of that. Gets them off the bottom of the ladder and breaks that long winless drought. Plus they even scored two goals... and for the first time since he became eligible to play Sarpreet Singh had no part in either of them.
He was running the wide overlap as Kaan Caliskaner was played in centrally to score just before the half, bit of a keeping error allowing that one to sneak in... but because SSV Jahn don’t know how to accept good fortune they somehow still managed to concede before the half was through. Fourth minute of stoppage time. Defensive shambles. Regensburg later survived a header off the post with ten to play and then popped up with the winner themselves instead. A ball was chipped into the area for Prince Owusu to bring it down, turn, and then fire home a crucial goal. Chur to the lads.
It wasn’t anything scintillating. They could easily have still lost. Except that this time they didn’t, they won, and not a moment too soon. Regensburg had just 23% of possession. Singh was subbed in stoppage time as they wound down the clock. Phew.
Up Next: Home to Paderborn at 1am on Sunday (NZT)
Grace Neville - London City Lionesses (England Championship)
It was another week with all four kiwis in the Women’s Super League still injured. Ria Percival is a long-termer with Spurs. Anna Leat’s been missing a month and a half for Aston Villa since picking up a back injury. Seems to have been worse than initially anticipated and there’s no expectation yet on when she might return. At least not publically. But the other two should be much closer. Rebekah Stott hasn’t been spotted for Brighton since being hurt on Footy Ferns duty though that wasn’t considered anything serious at the time. CJ Bott also got hurt on that tour and her Leicester City boss reckons she could be back soon.
Willie Kirk, LCFC manager: “CJ Bott remains sidelined with a slight injury knock, but we hope that isn't something that'll be long term.”
We also hope the same thing, Mr Kirk.
Without any of them, Aston Villa kept up their good form with a 2-1 win over West Ham. That was cool. Leicester City also bagged another point towards their incredible and unlikely midseason turnaround as they drew 0-0 with Everton with their new goalkeeper getting player of the day again. However Spurs lost 2-1 to Liverpool while Brighton were dropped 2-1 by Manchester City and still there are teams with NZers occupying the last three rungs of the ladder. That Tottenham loss, allowing Liverpool to put some space between them, was especially brutal for all three of them.
So instead let us drop down a division and celebrate a 3-1 London City Lionesses win over Lewes in which Grace Neville played the full ninety for the home side operating as a right wing-back. They were three up at half-time and survived a second half red card, although they did lose their clean sheet in the 83rd minute. Highlights on FA Player if you’re keen. The key thing here is that LCL are keeping the pressure on first-placed Bristol City who are six points clear of the Lionesses with six matches remaining. Oh and try guess who they play next?
Meanwhile in third place are Southampton, a further six points back and therefore probably not in the title/promotion race. But not bad for a team in their first season this high up the pyramid. No sign of Ashleigh Ward in their 0-0 draw with Blackburn Rovers this week though. Ward has only played 176 minutes across four league fixtures this term. Neville’s played 669 mins across 12 games for London City within their 16 overall Champo games and that includes missing some time whilst debuting for the Ferns in those non-international window USA games (Neville only played the first before returning to England).
Up Next: Big game, London City vs Bristol City, Monday at 3am (NZT)
Callum McCowatt - FC Helsingør (Danish Division 1)
That’s three goals and four assists in the 1.Division this season. This one was pretty useful too, setting up the only goal in a 1-0 win away against Fremad Amager. McCowatt had started deeper in the midfield three, doing what he could as a facilitator, yet for most of this match the chances were minimal for either team. That all changed when Emil Staugaard was sent off for Fremad Amager with a second yellow after 62 minutes. Eventually Jacob Schoop gave an ascendant FCH the winner they’d been seeking... thanks to the bro Callum McCowatt. FCH are now guaranteed a spot in the top six with one more game before the league split.
Up Next: Home to Hobro at 1am on Sunday (NZT)
Andre De Jong – Stellenbosch (South African Premier Soccer League)
You know what’s a great way to respond to missing out on All Whites selection? This...
Relatively simple finish but no worries. They all count the same.
This was in a Nedbank Cup game against TS Galaxy, with the Stellies taking the lead in the third minute before conceding from the penalty spot five minutes before the break. However a penalty of their own in stoppage time restored the lead and ten minutes into the second half ADJ got his goal. Soon it was 4-1. Then De Jong got subbed. Both teams managed to score twice after the 88th minute as it ended 6-3. The Stellies are into the final eight of the Nedbank Cup and next they face ADJ’s original South African club AmaZulu in the PSL.
Up Next: Stellies vs AmaZulu on Saturday at 6.30am (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
Home opener in Minnesota and jeepers it looked freezing. Snow all over the show, they had to get the ol’ orange ball out for visibility’s sake and even then it was pretty sketchy. Certainly didn’t help us home viewers that Minnesota were wearing a largely white home kit either. Feels like you’re trippin’ out watching the ball progress through midfield.
The game was a 1-1 draw. Good competitive contest between two strong sides with expectations of a playoff run in 2023. Minny Utd versus New York Red Bulls. Minnesota took the lead on 18’ as Bongo Hlongwane popped up with a scrappy one after a corner kick, somewhat against the run of play (which you can tell by the fact that the snow was melting quicker in their defensive half). The Loons certainly grew into the match from then however they had to settle for that single goal as the teams hit the sheds for some hot coffee and a blanket.
Alas, they must have had a little too many of those half-time comforts because NYRB tied things up four minutes into the second spell via an impressive Andes Reyes header from a corner of their own. Gotta make the most of those set pieces when the surface is looking dodgy and both teams did. The Loons got back on top after they made a few attacking subs but in the end the points were shared. Michael Boxall had an excellent game in defence though. He’s already forging a fine combination with new boy Miguel Tapias.
In other news, we shan’t say too much about Bill Tuiloma’s Charlotte FC side losing 3-0 to Atlanta United. Let that one roll out for a goal kick and hope they do better next time. You can see why they didn’t wanna let their expensive new defensive recruit go for the international window, can’t you? Not great but it’s still early days in the campaign. Elsewhere former All White winger Tyler Boyd’s now at LA Galaxy, following in the footsteps of Simon Elliott, which might be fun to follow this year. He’s come off the bench twice for around twenty minutes each time as LAG have failed to win either of their first two matches.
Up Next: Sunday at 2.30pm away to Colorado Rapids (NZT)
Michael Fitzgerald – Albirex Niigata (Japanese J-League)
Get a load of that. Michael Fitzgerald doing the business at centre-back as Niigata rode a 22nd minute goal from Ryotaro Ito to bag a 1-0 win over Kawasake Frontale. Which, funnily enough, is the club he left Niigata for in between his two stints. They wasted a couple chances to extend their lead which threatened to bite them in the backside a couple times but they got away with it. Niigata remain undefeated through four games after promotion. Two wins and two draws. Don’t ask about Michael Woud though as he didn’t even make the matchday squad for Kyoto Sanga’s League Cup group game the other day.
Up Next: Away to Urawa Reds at 7pm on Saturday (NZT)
Zac Jones – Haverfordwest County (Welsh/Cymru Premier)
Yeah boy. That’s a 1-0 win away from home against Aberystwyth Town. Valuable points in the race to finish top of the relegation rounds (and thus earn a spot in the Europa Conference League domestic qualifiers). It’s also the club’s first clean sheet since November. All these other kiwi goalies getting up to mischief lately and Zac Jones had to make sure nobody forgot about him.
Up Next: Home against Airbus UK at 3.30am on Sunday (NZT)
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