Flying Kiwis – October 2

Jacqui Hand - Sheffield United (England Championship)

Another week and another Football Fern signing in the English Championship. Last time it was Michaela Foster joining Durham, this time it’s Jacqui Hand re-emerging from the wilderness with Sheffield United. Both also get to link up with a compatriot who was already there: Hannah Blake at Durham and NZ U20s defender (formerly of Eastern Suburbs) Olivia Page at Sheffield United.

Hand spent the back half of the 2023-24 season with Lewes in this same division yet was unable to keep them from being relegated. Still, she was one of their better players while she was there so it was getting to be a real concern just how long she’d remained without a club – granted, the Olympic Games might have been a factor there given that they delayed the club returns of several other Ferns players (and were no doubt a factor in Foster also signing after the season had already begun). A trio of Lewes players moved to Blackburn Rovers back in August (Ellie Hack, Eve Clarkson, and Grace Riglar)... but Maltese forward Maria Farrugia instead made the switch to Sheffield United. Now, belatedly, Jacqui Hand has joined her to spark up that familiar partnership once again.

SUFC coach Ash Thompson: “We're really pleased to have brought in Jacqui for a variety of reasons. She is someone who knows this league but also has experience at the very top level, having played at a World Cup and an Olympic Games as recent as this summer. She'll provide attributes we've been missing in our front line and we're looking forward to working together.”

Despite the late arrival, Hand does shape to be a key player for the Blades. They’ve given her the #11 jersey and she was straight into the matchday squad to face Southampton – they even subbed her on at half-time, meaning she’s made her Sheffield Utd league debut before Olivia Page who has been there for over a year. Page was again an unused sub but the fact she keeps popping up on the bench shows she’s close – and will almost certainly feature when the Conti Cup stuff gets going (she did get some Conti Cup action last year too, though mostly played with the academy side).

Alas, it does seem like Jacqui Hand might have stumbled into another relegation battle. Sheffield United were beaten 2-0 by Southampton due to goals from Freya Gregory (64’) and Rianna Dean (89’). Although it was close right up until that second goal near the end, Southampton were always the side looking more likely and they deserved the victory. Hand played as a striker, roaming around a fair bit. Sheffield United have lost all four games scoring only once in the process but fortunately only one team gets relegated and Portsmouth also have a 0-0-4 and their goal difference is already much worse (-12 compared to -6). Hand was relegated with Lewes so we can’t allow that to happen again.

There was happier news over at Durham where a wonderful individual effort from Lily Crosthwaite gave them a 1-0 win over Birmingham. Hannah Blake almost scored another beauty of a goal when she peeled to the edge of the area for a trick corner routine and first-time smacked a shot on target. Keeper saved it on the dive and then a follow-up Durham shot was cleared off the line. Blake played the full game... and Mickey Foster joined her from the 87th minute onwards as she made her English football debut. There were more than ten minutes of stoppage time so that cameo was more substantial than it sounds, especially with her team hanging on to a one-goal lead. Foz played as a left-back.

There was also a 1-0 win for Sunderland against London City Lionesses. Little bit of an upset there given Sunderland’s abysmal start to the term. Natasha Fenton scored the only goal on 59’. Cool thing was both Katie Kitching (Sunderland) and Grace Neville (LCL) got starts here – the two English-born Football Ferns who both switched allegiances to Aotearoa within the last few years thanks to a kiwi parent. Kitching nearly scored in the first half with a curling, dipping shot that the keeper pushed over the bar. Neville almost had an assist except Missy Goodwin couldn’t control her shot on the end of GN’s driven low cross. Good involvements from each of them. Say and guess whose corner kick it was that set up Fenton’s winning goal?

Hannah Blake has a goal in the bag from a couple weeks ago. Katie Kitching now has her first assist. With Mickey Foster and Jacqui Hand on board (plus a bit of Neville and hopefully even Page) we should get some decent quantities of kiwi goal contributions in this division this season.

Up Next: Friday at 7am is Sheffield Utd vs Sunderland in the Conti Cup group stage opener, then Sheff Utd face Bristol City at 1am on Monday (NZT)

Marko Stamenic – Olympiacos (Greek Super League)

The only New Zealander to make it to league/group phase UEFA stuff this year has begun his continental campaign. Marko Stamenic didn’t make the cut for Olympiacos’ starting lineup. No surprises since he’d been an unused sub in their previous domestic fixture (which was a shock 2-1 loss against Aris) – the return of Dani Garcia meant a resumption of the DG/Santiago Hezze/Chiquinho midfield trio. So it goes. But Stamenic would get more than twenty minutes off the bench to mark his Europa League debut. Already played seven times in the Champions League but it’s the Europas that are the focus this season.

Olympiacos were away against Olympique Lyonnais of France in a cheeky clash of the Olympians. Lyon are pretty awesome though, having accrued a bunch of ex-Premier League and La Liga talents (Nicolas Tagliafico, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Nemanja Matic, Wesley Fofana, Alex Lacazette, Wilfried Zaha, and Said Benrahma all featured in this tie) and they spent most of the first half in attack mode, with the Greek side sitting deep in defence. They took things into the break with an encouraging nil-all scoreline but Lyon began to crack things open in second half, hitting the post and forcing several good saves, by turning their lofty possession into meaningful chances.

That did allow Olympiacos the room to hit them on the counter attack which could easily have led to a goal the other way. If it had then this game would have been tantalisingly poised... but instead Rayan Cherki managed to hold off a couple defenders and lash in the opening goal for Lyon on 65’. Thumping near-post finish just seconds before he was about to be subbed off. They still made the changes despite the goal (thus the goal was Cherki’s last touch) and Olympiacos also took that opportunity to make a couple subs, with Marko Stamenic and Willian both introduced. That’s what we wanted to see. However, before Stam could even do anything, two of Lyon’s own subs combined with Wilfried Zaha setting up Said Benrahma for 2-0 (70’). Ah well. There was an own goal in Olympiacos’ favour which nearly gave them a path back into contention but it was disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside by William in the build-up. 2-0 to Lyon was the way it ended.

Stamenic then returned to the starting line-up for the weekend’s Super League fixture where this time the 2-0 scoreline went in his side’s favour. They beat Atromitos courtesy of goals from Rodinei (40’ pen) and Ayoub El Kaabi (74’), with Stamenic playing the first hour of a fairly comfortable return to winning ways...

Some sweet touches in there, good to see. This was his fifth appearance in the Greek Super League and his third start. He’s featured in all but one game so far – though we’re still awaiting a ninety minute effort. Lots of depth in that Olympiacos midfield and Stamenic is not only a new boy there, he’s also a temporary comrade so you can understand the situation. But the shared Nottm Forest and Olympiacos ownership factor does help. They want to see him succeed. So far so good.

Also, remember last week how Morgan Gibbs-White began celebrating before Chris Wood had even taken his penalty for Nottingham Forest? Well, it appears that Marko Stamenic was taking notes...

Up Next: Friday sees game two of the Europa League quest, at home against Braga of Portugal at 5.45am (NZT)

Ben Waine – Mansfield Town (English League One)

There he is. Ben Waine has scored his first goal on loan at Mansfield Town in his sixth appearance. Other than getting 79 minutes in a 3-0 League Cup defeat against Bradford, he’s been slowly but steadily eased into the side with Mansfield in great form having no need to rush anything. Three minutes on debut. Then cameos of 12 mins, 16 mins, and 13 mins in his next three matches. After which he was subbed on at half-time of a midweek clash with Crawley Town and that’s when he did the aforementioned.

He actually should have scored earlier. Waine had a runaway with only the keeper to beat and he didn’t beat him. Shot saved. He looked a little dazed by the miss when the cameras zoomed in on him but he made amends towards the end by scoring what was probably a tougher chance. That’s his second League One goal to go with the one he scored for Plymouth against Morecambe in April 2023. Mansfield Town’s 2-0 win against Crawley has them up to third place, only behind Wrexham on goal difference but with a game in hand. Sweet as.

While we’re hanging out in League one, there’s been an update on why Matt Dibley-Dias has hardly played for Northampton Town. Turns out it’s less about a specific injury – although he had picked up a few small things along the way – and more about just trying to build his physicality up. Didn’t help that he had covid very early in the situation either. It’s annoying but it’s probably better for him in the long-run to take this time to bulk up a little and ensure he’s at 100% before he rips in properly.

Northampton Town boss John Brady: “The intensity of training has been different and [Dibley-Dias]’s had a few little niggles here and there. He’s continued to train but we’re trying to get his physicality to a place where he can be consistent. The week he did play in the team, a couple of weeks ago, he had just come off the back of a bout of COVID but he still went out there and played despite being under the weather. We were lacking midfielders at the time and he wanted to put himself out there and I thought he did quite well, especially in the first half. It’s now about building that strength and resilience back into his body. He has the qualities that we need and he will certainly come to the fore over the next few weeks and months with all the games that we have coming up.”

Nik Tzanev hasn’t done anything other than sit on the bench for Northampton Town lately so nothing to add there. His twenty-minute debut the other week didn’t get a sequel because Lee Burge recovered to play the next match. NTFC are on eight points after eight games. Not great but it beats Burton Albion who lost both games this week conceding three times in each to remain winless and sitting in the relegation zone. Max Crocombe’s save percentage has taken a hit. However, the second of those defeats was a 3-1 loss to Reading so at least Tyler Bindon came out alright. That’s 13 points from eight games for Reading who are a comfortable midtable twelfth... but only four points off second-equal Wrexham and Mansfield Town.

Up Next: Mansfield Town vs Blackpool at 3am on Sunday (NZT)

Andre De Jong – Stellenbosch (South African Premier Soccer League)

In other news, Andre de Jong is continuing his remarkable start to the South African season...

It’s spectacular what he’s doing, having worked his way into being a first eleven player, starting basically every game as the second striker/number ten, and contributing goals to vindicate that status. The spectacular aspect comes from how rarely he’d gotten anywhere near this level of potency throughout his time in South Africa previously. Injuries and a lack of opportunities have been huge contributing factors but he never scored a goal in 34 appearances across all competitions for AmaZulu (he did get a few assists, to be fair). At Royal AM he started well but then faded out of the picture - 3 goals in 13 games for that club. But for the Stellies he’s been awesome from day one (12 goals and 6 assists in 54 games, mostly as an attacking midfielder).

Last season it was all about his cup goals but this year he’s got goals for every occasion. This latest goal came in his club’s second PSL match of the term against Cape Town City in the local derby. The Stellies won 3-0 with ADJ’s long-range strike being the goal that got them going. It swerved and knuckled and ended up going in down the middle of the goal with the keeper completely bamboozled. Super hit. Add that onto the goal he scored in the MTN8 a few weeks back and the two he scored in CAF Confederation Cup preliminaries. Eight games into the season and he’d already got four goals and an assist, having scored in three different competitions.

That led to another one of these bad boys...

And it also led to some extremely glowing words of praise from his manager...

The amount of times that club coaches put up friction around their players being selected for national teams, it’s refreshing to see one openly trying to start a dialogue for ADJ. A dialogue which is 100% deserved upon current form. ADJ’s most recent All Whites cap was against Australia in September 2022 and there’s no doubt he’s a much-improved (and more confident) footballer since then. He didn’t make the cut for the October window but there’s another squad to come in November so we’ll see.

ADJ didn’t then get a goal on the weekend, sadly... but he did play another 84 decent minutes in a 1-1 draw away against Polokwane City. Not a lot of chances for either team, however the Stellies may still feel they should have won that. This result makes it a win, a draw, and a loss to begin the new season. Could be better but still pretty good considering they’ve been competing in a bunch of different competitions all at once. Case and point, their next game is the final of the MTN8 Knockout where they’ll seek to add only the second-ever major trophy to the club’s cabinet following on from their Carling Knockout victory last season (there’s also a second division title in there from a couple years earlier but that’s not the same).

Up Next: Time to try add another trophy to the haul as Stellies face Orlando Pirates in the MTN8 final on Sunday at 5am (NZT)

Maggie Jenkins - Gaziantep ALG Spor (Turkish Süper Ligi)

Wide open header with the keeper out of the picture but there you go, Maggie Jenkins deserved that one after the goals she’d been setting up goals for others – in each of her first two games for ALG Spor she assisted a late equaliser.

Last week they won but she didn’t have any direct goal involvements. No dramas. A goal and two assists through four matches as a professional footballer is a pretty tasty return. It’ll probably take a larger body of work than four matches to get her into Football Ferns squads but she’s right on course. Another kiwi forward scoring and setting up goals for a foreign professional club. We didn’t used to have hardly any of those and now in recent years there’s Jacqui Hand, Indi Riley, Gabi Rennie, Maggie Jenkins, Katie Kitching... and Hannah Blake and Ava Collins are well on their way as well.

ALG Spor also benefitted from a Patrícia Setoco double to dash out to a 3-0 lead away to Hakkarigücü, and while they did make things friskier than they needed to be with a couple of late concessions they still came away with a 3-2 victory. That keeps them undefeated with two wins and two draws to start the term. Jenkins has begun really well. ALG Spor have begun really well. Things are going really well.

Up Next: ALG Spor vs Beylerbeyispor at midnight on Sunday/Monday (NZT)

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

Some good news...

Boxy was an impending free agent for Minnesota United and, at 36 years of age, there was no guarantee he’d even keep going. But not only has he signed on for next season, he’s got a contract option for the year afterwards too. A few of the fans seem to be nervous about extending a player of his age but the club adore his leadership and personality and he just so happens to be leading the entire club in minutes player this year... by a margin of over 400 minutes. It’s not even close. He’s the longest serving player at the club, the record appearance holder, and that’s only going to continue.

MNUFC Sporting Director Khaled El-Ahmad: “Michael has been a pillar on our team’s roster, and a strong part within the Twin Cities community since he joined the club in 2017. We look forward to seeing his leadership and experience continue to shape the future success of our team, both on and off the field.”

The man himself says he found it “kind of funny” how he had more options at age 36 than at any other point in his career. But his family are settled in Minnesota and he always preferred to stay. Another aspect of this is that he’s been re-signed under a new head coach (Eric Ramsay, in his first year) and general manager (Khaled El-Ahmad, who was hired late last year) so this can’t be seen as deals-for-the-boys. The Loons are making an active point of getting younger but that still requires a few veteran leaders for guidance and Boxall is top of that list having captained the Loons in all but two appearances this year. In fact, for a team that has used 35 different players this year – equal most in the MLS – including ten different central defenders alternating between a back three and a back four trying to find something that works... Boxy has quite obviously been their most important defensive player.

Eric Ramsay, MNUFC head coach: “It was a real captain’s performance [last week]. I think it is pretty symbolic in a sense. Someone, of course, really happy that he’s going to be around for the coming couple of years, because Boxy is someone who sets a standard with how he looks after himself, how he trains, and in those games, in particular, he’s a gladiator.”

(Ramsay is three years younger than Boxall, by the way).

The other thing this means is that Boxall is almost certain to surpass Simon Elliott as the MLS’s most prominent New Zealander. He’s already gone beyond his All Whites assistant coach in terms of regular season games but Elliott’s time with LA Galaxy in particular was wildly successful – Elliott played 27 playoff games, all other NZers have played 31 combined (Boxy’s at six, hoping to add to that in 2024). Meaning that Elliott got to 247 appearances in the competition (220 regulars) while Boxall is currently at 236 (230 regs). Incredibly, Boxall has never come off the bench in the MLS. All 236 games have been starts.

The latest of those starts? That was this game...

A damn near flawless 3-0 win against Colorado Rapids that hugely reinforces their playoff hopes. Goals for Kelvin Yeboah (16’ & 47’) and Hassani Dotson (82’) got the job done in a performance where the Loons only allowed one shot on target. It hasn’t often been the case but they were excellent in both penalty areas against Colorado, thus moving within five points of them in the Western Conference standings... and also eight points clear of tenth place (which is below the cut-off for post-season). At the moment they’re still in the play-in spots but if they continue this form then there’s room to climb. Coincidentally, they would be playing Portland Timbers in that play-in game if the season ended today. Michael Boxall’s team vs Finn Surman’s team (though we’re still awaiting that promised Surman debut after Portland’s 1-1 draw with Vancouver).

Boxall captained the Loons to this victory (not that that’s anything new). He blocked one shot, which was a quarter of Colorado’s overall efforts, and completed 30/33 passes. Still managed to make six clearances as he continues to challenge for the MLS season lead in that stat category, although he did pick up a yellow card in stoppage time – his eighth of the campaign. That would ordinarily leave him with a suspension but they have this good behaviour bond thing in MLS where your yellow card tally reduces by one each time you go five consecutive games without a booking (Boxy’s done that once so he’s still on the brink).

In other news, Bill Tuiloma did make the matchday squad for Charlotte FC this week. They reshuffled their defence with Tim Ream at left-back and that created an extra spot on the bench for the 1-1 draw away to Inter Miami. First time for two months that Tuiloma’s been in a squad and it allowed him a pitchside seat to watch Lionel Messi scored his 15th goal of the season. Tui didn’t play though, of course he didn’t. Not unless you count the 45 minutes he got for the reserves against Inter Miami 2. This year he’s made six appearances for the MLS Next Pro side and three for the MLS side. The #FreeBilly cause is as relevant as ever.

Over in the NWSL, Abby Erceg’s Racing Louisville lost 1-0 to Utah Royals to drop out of the top eight, a brutal defeat against a team well below them on the standings. They’re three points adrift with four games left. Milly Clegg wasn’t in the matchday squad for Racing Lou. Macey Fraser remains out for Utah due to an “excused absence” - that potentially translates as being granted leave due to her ankle injury but nobody’s bothered to explain it. Ali Riley’s out for the season at Angel City.

Up Next: Thursday at 2.30pm away to Real Salt Lake, then Sunday at 12.30pm away to Vancouver (NZT)

CJ Bott - Leicester City (English Super League)

Leicester City vs Arsenal. One of the toughest fixtures on the calendar, immediately levelling up after a battling 1-1 draw away to Liverpool in week one. Unchanged eleven for Leicester City so nothing to worry about there. Bott was never going to be dropped after a defensive masterclass last week, particularly not against a team like Arsenal where defence was going to be the operative word.

Sure enough, Arsenal were largely dominant. But that’s okay because it meant for lots of great little Bott interventions: shouldering players off the ball, stepping in and winning tackles, intercepting passes, making clearances, holding possession against the press. The works. Keep in mind that the wingers for Arsenal were Beth Mead and Caitlyn Foord with Alessia Russo and Frida Maanum up top. About as tough as it gets but actually the Gunners only had a few clear looks in the first half. Lize Kop made one outrageous save and otherwise the defensive unit knuckled down like champs. Heck, they could have even been leading at the break had Jutta Rantala’s shot not come back off the crossbar.

The Foxes were right there in the hunt... until CJ Bott tracked back to collect a long ball towards the corner. She turned under pressure and sent a pass back towards her goalkeeper only to realise too late that Alessia Russo had jumped the lane. Russo squared for Frida Maanum and that was a simple tap-in for 1-0 after 55 minutes. It would prove the only goal of the game. Bott was subbed off with twenty to go as Leicester tried to re-energise themselves for a push at an equaliser that was never very likely to eventuate. A 1-0 defeat to Arsenal is pretty encouraging considering their two fixtures against them last season combined for a 9-2 aggregate deficit... if only that one errant pass hadn’t happened.

The mistake was a bummer, but Bott won all five of her tackles in this game along with five interceptions and nine clearances. She completed 71% of her passes, which is pretty good by her standards, and even had one bursting run up the wing and into the penalty area leading to a blocked shot. She was excellent except for that one moment. After two weeks she leads the entire WSL with 13 tackles, leads the entire WSL with nine interceptions, and is fifth for clearances with 12 of them.

Up Next: Leicester City vs Bristol City in the WSL Cup on Thursday at 7am; then Leicester City vs Crystal Palace in a kiwi WSL derby at 3am on Monday (NZT)

Indiah-Paige Riley - Crystal Palace (English Super League)

Elsewhere in the WSL, there was almost a magical Indi Riley moment early in her match against Chelsea. Up against the defending champs Crystal Palace were always going to be in for a rough time, but they held strong for the first twenty minutes and then, out of nothing, Nathalie Björn dawdled on a messy pass from goalkeeper Hannah Hampton and Riley came screaming through to steal the ball. She charged into the area at pace and lashed a shot towards goal... but possibly made her angle too small with the run and Hampton was able to make a two-handed diving stop. Just for a second there it looked like something amazing was on the cards.

Anyway, Chelsea went on to win 7-0. It was only one at the break but then Lucy Bronze whipped out a clever finish early in the second half and Riley was substituted not long after that. 53 minutes gone. It got a whole lot worse in the time that she watched from the sideline. Crystal Palace’s first two games have seen them lose both conceding 11 goals and scoring zero. We’re beyond rude awakenings and nearing waking nightmare territory... but there’s a long way to go. IPR has started both games so that’s cool. Next she gets to go directly up against CJ Bott.

There are also Conti Cup games through the midweek which should see most of the kiwis in England’s top two divisions get some action. CJ Bott with Leicester City is the only one who might be rested and even then you wouldn’t bet on it. Indi Riley should feature against Aston Villa, although Villa’s Anna Leat probably won’t as it has been revealed her multi-week absence is due to a head injury. Gotta be careful with those ones... although it’s a pity because the Conti Cup is usually her chance to shine. Durham (Mickey Foster & Hannah Blake) have a game against Blackburn Rovers. London City (Grace Neville) face Southampton. And Sheffield United (Jacqui Hand & Olivia Page) are up against Sunderland (Katie Kitching).

Up Next: Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace in the Conti Cup at 7.15am on Thursday; then Leicester City vs Crystal Palace on Monday at 3am in the WSL (NZT)

Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)

That’s just Chris Wood having a goal disallowed for offside in Nottm Forest’s latest. Lunged onto a nod-down from Nikola Milenkovic and the ball did cross the line despite the best efforts of Fulham’s keeper to paw it away. However, a VAR review confirmed that he was an inch or two beyond where he was allowed to be so it didn’t count. Fulham went on to win it 1-0 thanks to a controversial penalty, awarded after a defender trod on the heel of an attacker, entirely accidentally, as they both challenged for a header. Raul Jiminez converted it after 51 mins and that was that. Wood got the full game as Forest searched for a levelling goal. This was their first defeat of the Prem season. Highlights here.

Curious aspect of this game was that Taiwo Awoniyi started alongside Chris Wood in a two-man frontline. That was probably because of Morgan Gibbs-White being suspended after his red card last game. Awoniyi had only played 33 combined minutes prior to this game (and he only lasted 45 minutes in this one, subbed off at half-time for tactical reasons with winger Anthony Elanga taking his spot). Good to see there’s scope for Wood and Awoniyi to be on the pitch together... but really that only matters to Awoniyi because Wood is clearly beyond him in the pecking order these days.

Up Next: Away to Chelsea on Monday at 2am (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Empoli (Italian Serie A)

At the very start of the season, Liberato Cacace delivered an impressive Coppa Italia performance at centre-back in a 4-1 win against Catanzaro – including a magnificent through ball assist from the kiwi defender. Last week he had a left-winger cameo in Serie A but as the next round of the Coppa rolled around it was a return to the tried and true. Cacace was rotated in at left-back for his first start this campaign in his preferred position, going the distance in a 2-1 win against Torino to keep his club’s great run of form going.

Empoli scored first after half an hour when Emmanuel Ekong crouched into a top-corner header. Torino were top of the Serie A table after five unbeaten games so they weren’t having that. Two subs at half-time and then another after two after sixty minutes. Empoli were happy to sit back and try hit on the break, yet the resistance was broken by Che Adams after 74 minutes, making it 1-1.

All goods. Cacace had been swinging in some wicked corners all evening and, in the ninetieth minute, one of those corners swirled deep and was touched back inwards by Luca Marianucci to where Nicholas Hass stuck a toe out and scored the winner. Empoli’s goalkeeper, 19yo Jacopo Seghetti, still needed to make a spectacular one-handed reaction save in stoppage time (one of several great stops he made in this match) to avoid extra time. Empoli advance to the third round. Cacace was reliably good as LWB without having too many moments to shine. The fact that Empoli could make ten changes from their previous fixture and still knock the league leaders out of the cup shows that Cacace is part of some pretty decent depth at the club this year, with new manager Roberto D’Aversa doing an awesome job.

But you know how this story goes: Cacace was then an unused substitute for the 0-0 draw against Fiorentina in Serie that followed. Another positive result for the lads, just not one in which Cacace’s many attributes were required. But he made a strong impression in the cup, at least.

Up Next: Away to Lazio at 2am on Monday (NZT)

Katie Bowen - Inter Milan (Italian Serie A)

Katie Bowen didn’t play last week as Inter Milan drew 1-1 with AC Milan. She’d only gotten five minutes off the bench in the previous match too. But she returned at centre-back for the match away to Sassuolo, logging ninety minutes alongside Ivana Andrés. It’s been covered in past Flying Kiwis but effectively Inter have made a few signings so there’s more depth in the squad now and Bowen isn’t guaranteed a spot like last year. She’s featured at CB and at RB so far this season (and we’re only four games deep). 19-year-old Serbian defenders Marija Milinković has been starting ahead of Bowen (except for week one when they used a back three) but she was moved into the midfield for the Sassuolo game, so here’s hoping it stays that way.

Bowen had a good one against Sassuolo, completing her passes at 86.3% for the best mark on her team. Most of the defensive action happened in front of her but that’s fine. She also helped spark her team’s first goal with an overlapping one-two that took her all the way into the penalty area where she squared the ball to Elisa Polli who backheeled it to Annamaria Serturini to score. A typically dependable outing from KB. Inter have taken 10 points from their first four matches to sit second behind Juventus. It’s been a fantastic start to the season, even if fixtures have probably been a little fortunate so far with all four of their opponents currently in the bottom half after the four rounds.

Up Next: Inter vs Roma at 2am on Sunday (NZT)

Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)

Last week Bellinho had to serve his yellow card suspension and without him (and also key forward Zlatko Tripic) they lose 3-2 to Fredrikstad in a potentially damaging result as far as their European qualification hopes are concerned. But Bell and Tripic both returned for the trip to face Lillestrøm and seemed to make all the difference as the Vikes won 4-1, scoring just before half-time and just after half-time to break it open. In a unique outcome for this very wonky Norwegian season, every single one of the top seven clubs had a victory this round so nobody gained any ground. Nobody lost any ground either. Viking remain in fourth but are only two points off second. Everybody’s got six games left.

This wasn’t a game where Bell was too involved in the attacking stuff. No goals or assists, only one key pass, and one shot on target – the latter being a left-footed half-volley from the edge of the box as a corner kick was diverted into his path... he struck it beautifully but it zipped wide. Regardless, Bell was superb in this match. Brilliant workrate in both directions, completing 72/82 passes, and generally just allowing his team to function at its capacity. It should have been 4-0 except their keeper missed one through his hands in the 68th minute. No dramas. Great win. A return to form. The home stretch awaits.

Up Next: It’s a cup week coming up and Viking are already out of that so they won’t play again until after the international break when they host Odd on 21 October at 4am (NZT)

Malia Steinmetz – FC Nordsjælland (Danish Kvindeliga)

First start of the league season for Malia Steinmetz. Every week she takes another step into further prominence with FCN, after having rejoined the squad late following the Paris Olympics. Here she played 64 minutes of a 2-0 win against AGF. Subbed off just before the second goal was scored. Malia’s also rocking the dyed blonde buzzcut again so you know she means business. As does her club – this as an important win after losing by the same scoreline to Fortuna Hjørring last week. But Fortuna only drew 0-0 with HB Køge this week so FCN have jumped back into first place with a one-point lead after seven rounds.

Meanwhile, Ava Collins made yet another start for Kolding away at OB. She was subbed at half-time with her team down 1-0 and they ended up losing 4-0. Moving on. In the men’s comp, Callum McCowatt didn’t play for Sikeborg but he did return to the bench after his ongoing injury issues to start the season. That’s good progress.

Up Next: 2am on Sunday, FCN vs HB Køge (NZT)

Kate Taylor - Dijon FCO (French Première Ligue)

A 2-2 draw for Dijon against Fleury in week two, making it two draws in a row. Dijon conceded in just the fourth minute at home and then, despite some very positive footy, ended up conceding again in the 58th min. But two goals in the last fifteen from Viktoria Pinther salvaged things. Another full game for Taylor in central defence, looking confidence on the ball and trying to advance things.

Up Next: Reims vs Dijon at 4am Sunday (NZT)

Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 1)

Ben Old returned to the starting eleven for Saint-Etienne this week just like most people expected following the disaster that was their 8-0 defeat last week against Nice. Thankfully, there was a positive response from ASSE who rallied back from being two goals down away to Nantes to leave with a 2-2 draw. Ibrahim Sissoko scored both goals, the first on 57’ and the second from the penalty spot on 67’. Their defence was as rubbish as it has been all season but they were able to withstand enough pressure to get a few things going themselves.

Old was used as a right winger in the front three for this match (he’s alternated between wing and attacking midfield) and one of the most pivotal moments of the game came right before ASSE’s first goal when Nantes were way on top and searching for a third. Old managed to scramble back and deflect a goal-bound shot onto the post to prevent the damage from getting any worse. He was then involved in the short-corner routine that set up his team’s first away goal of the season, before a defensive elbow led to a VAR penalty and there ya go, Saint-Etienne walked away with a point after all. Old got 78 minutes. The Greens are still second-to-last but one win would send them surging several spots upwards.

Up Next: ASSE vs Auxerre at 4am on Sunday (NZT)

Henry Gray - Ipswich Town (English Premier League)

Two-year full professional contract extension for 19yo Henry Gray, that’s what we love to see. Gray hasn’t gone out on loan this season, at least not yet, instead sticking around and playing pretty regularly for the Ipswich U21s. Curiously, Ipswich recently loaned a young Scottish keeper named Woody Williamson to Chelmsford City – the same club that Gray had such success at last campaign. The pathway is the same but Henry Gray is further down the track, it would seem. Weirdly, Williamson played the most recent U21s game for Ipswich after being on the bench for Chelmsford on the weekend so he must be allowed to go back and forth.

Back to the first team picture, Arijanet Muric is the number one for the Tractor Boys with Christian Walton backing him up. Cieran Slicker is also still at the club having not gone on loan either – he also just signed a new deal, his being a four-year banger. That means that, as things stand, Gray is the fourth-choice goalkeeper for a Premier League club and one injury would get him into the wider matchday squad while two injuries could get him onto the bench. There’s a lot to be gained by sticking around and this new contract shows that Ipswich are happy to invest in his abilities.

Up Next: More of the same

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