Liberato Cacace – Empoli FC (Italian Serie A)

Maybe, just maybe, something might be changing at Empoli because Libby Cacace got another start this weekend. Two in three games after none in the previous ten Serie A matches. This was a relatively important game too – away against last-placed Lecce and therefore a winnable match. Empoli are a long way above the relegation zone after their bright start this season but one must always stay vigilant to these things, especially a club of Empoli’s stature. They may currently sit in the top ten but as things stand they’re also only six points above the drop zone.

The bad news is that Empoli drew 1-1. The good news is that Cacace set up the goal that they scored. Operating wide left in the Azzurri’s usual 3-5-2 formation, it was Cacace who squared the ball to Pietro Pellegri just outside the area and he wriggled through some close attention and slammed a fine shot low into the net...

Not one of those assists where the assister gets much credit from the neutral observer, that’s fine, it’s still his first goal contribution of the season and only his second in Serie A across 61 games of footy. He actually could have ticked off an even bigger milestone later on when he went surging into some space up the left after 56 mins, picked out by Liam Henderson with a sharp switch, with space to shoot from the top of the box. The shot was a good one, low and hard... however the keeper got a fingertip on the effort to touch it onto the post. Cacace recovered the ball and fed Lorenzo Colombo but he shot wide.

It’s not like Cacace is expected to turn up and bang goals or anything but the fact he has not scored a club goal since his Wellington Phoenix days is kinda crazy. More so because of how many close calls like this one he’s had. Disallowed goals. Woodworks. Narrow misses. One day he’s just gonna score a hat-trick out there.

Sadly, they did come to rue that miss (and also a few others throughout the afternoon) because with fifteen mins to go, Lecce equalised through Santiago Pierotti. They hadn’t looked like conceding at all until that moment but they then spent the rest of the game trying to hang on with a couple nice saves and a header off the crossbar required to avoid defeat. Not how it was supposed to go down, though a draw at least keeps the points ticking over (and for Lecce it gets them off the bottom).

Cacace also picked up a yellow card late first half so he’s now been booked in three straight appearances. Four yellows overall which has him one away from a suspension. He played 79 minutes before being replaced in this one... curiously not by Giuseppe Pezzella which is the usual custom. Those two have been alternating LWB all season (Pezzella as the first choice, Cacace as back-up) but apparently Pezzella felt a sneaky injury niggle during the warm-ups so he wasn’t risked off the bench. Cacace was going to start anyway but this is why Pezzella didn’t sub in for him. Might be something to track after the international window since Pezzella’s injuries did open up plenty of room for Cacace last season.

Up Next: Back to Aotearoa for some World Cup qualifiers, yeah boy

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

Didn’t even need thirty seconds of footy to do that. Indi Riley had gone close a few times before but this here was her first goal for Crystal Palace and her first goal in the Women’s Super League of England. IPR has probably now graduated into the top tier of Football Ferns not only with this transfer but with how she’s been performing and the extensive minutes she’s been getting with the Eagles. She’s started six of seven games for Palace this season and is proving herself to be a coach’s favourite with her versatility. Building off an excellent season with PSV Eindhoven last time out. We do love to see it.

That was only the fourth goal that Palace have scored in those seven games... but they have steadily improved since losing their first two games by a combined scoreline of 11-0 (against Tottenham and Chelsea). Here they were up against Everton and they could not have dreamed of a better start than to be leading 1-0 after 29 seconds. If only they’d been able to score another one.

Riley did have one other chance fighting through a fifty-fifty to get a shot away from the corner of the box but she dragged it wide. Eventually, Honoka Hayashi guided a header in for Everton after 72 mins to spoil an otherwise impressive defensive showing from Palace. Everton did have a shot deflected onto the crossbar soon after Riley’s goal but that freaky one was as close as they’d come until Hayashi scored with the first Toffees shot on target. This was, of course, after they’d already subbed off IPR on the hour. Shouldn’t have done that. Oh well. A 1-1 draw will have to suffice.

Indi Riley: “I don't remember too much about it but I remember that it was a really good press from the team. I'm just happy with my job and I'm really happy to get my first goal. I think we had a really good start but it wasn't the best game that we've played. We need to take the positives from this game and look at the things we can improve and I'm really hoping to get the three points against Villa.”

CPFC head coach Laura Kaminski: “[Riley] got moved around a little bit today in terms of her positioning, and was asked to be a little bit more attack-minded. For me, she's answered that question and I'm delighted for her in getting her name on the score sheet.”

As for the other two WSL comrades, there’s been no update on Anna Leat since she resumed training for Aston Villa but she’s gotta be close to contention again. Villa drew 0-0 with Manchester United this week so that was a good clean sheet for Sabrina D’Angelo. The Canadian has played every minute of all seven games to date, though she’s conceded 11 goals from 25 shots on target. The stats also say she’s conceded two goals more than she ought to have against her Post-Shot xG. Bring back Anna Leat.

And for CJ Bott... well, Leicester City did return to a back four this week but Asmita Ale played at right-back instead of CJB. Bott was on the bench after missing last week’s game and ended up with quarter of an hour at the end in place of Ale in a disappointing 1-0 defeat against West Ham. Not sure what the deal is there. Bott may not be a hundy percent fit given she didn’t play the previous game (though there was no explanation why). It also might be a case of trying to find more attacking output. They’ve got Manchester United next so that could change the outlook.

Up Next: Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace on Monday at 3am (NZT)

Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)

Look at this tremendous specimen of a New Zealander...

First Nottingham Forest player to win that honour. First New Zealander to win that honour. What’s more, his manager Nuno Espirito Santo got Manager of the Month too, capping a magnificent month for the club. Woodsy was quick to give praise to his teammates for making his own accolade possible... and when asked about future aims he said that the Golden Boot isn’t something he’s thinking about but 100 Premier League goals is absolutely something he’s targetting. He reckons he can score 20 this year. That’s what we like to hear. His previous best is 14, which he’s done twice including last season. With eight goals already in 2024-25 he’s banging them in at the right pace to reach that number.

This is a legitimate award, as far as these things go. A lot of these POTM type nods are just decided by easily-skewed fan voting (like how the Wellington Phoenix kept winning heaps of them last A-League season). This one only has 10% fan vote consideration. The other 90% is accounted for with an expert panel and votes from the captain of each club. Premier League Player of the Month dates back to the start of the 1994-95 season so we’ve got three full decades of winners and Chris Wood has become the 169th man to achieve this, putting Aotearoa on the list of 41 nations represented by those players. Sergio Aguero and Harry Kane each won it seven times, they’re the leaders. But give Woodsy six more months and see what happens.

Would have been cool if he’d then scored a hat-trick against his old team Newcastle United just to show the exes what they could have had. But to be fair he’s already done that. This time Newcastle weren’t going to get caught off guard, in fact they dealt with Wood better than any team has all season. Didn’t even let him get a shot away. The only one he did attempt, which was blocked at close range, was from an offside position. Nevertheless, Forest were able turn that attention to their favour for a 22nd minute lead. Free kick situation. Everyone setting up for the cross into the area. With all the focus on The Woodsman at the back post... Murillo was able to make a late run into the middle of the six-yard box to head home for 1-0. Smartly done.

Wood later played a wicked ball out to the right wing for Nico Dominguez on the counter attack, leading to a shot that got saved low by Nick Pope. He was still affecting the game without getting into those shooting spots. But then Newcastle turned it on in the second half. Alexander Isak levelled on 54’ smashing in some second phase stuff after a corner. Joelinton then put them up on 72’ with a sweet curling finish. And Harvey Barnes sealed it on 83’ with a slightly deflected shot cutting in from the left. Credit where it’s due, the Magpies were too good. 3-1 final score and Forest drop to fifth on the ladder.

Interesting note: the other game in which Chris Wood didn’t register a single shot was the 1-0 defeat against Fulham. Those are the only two NFFC defeats this season. It seems if you restrict The Woodsman then you restrict Nottingham Forest. He’s also now only second-equal on the Golden Boot rankings, trailing Erling Haaland’s 12 goals and now level with Bryan Mbuemo and Mo Salah on 8 goals.

Another interesting note: after last season where Woodsy had this sudden influx of goals with his left foot (5/14 goals were lefties, same as his header total, with 4 from his right foot)... he’s yet to even attempt a shot with his left boot this season.

Up Next: Arsenal vs Nottm Forest at 4am on Sunday 24 November (NZT)

Elijah Just - SKN St. Pölten (Austrian Erste Liga)

Must be an international window on the precipice because Eli Just scored another lovely goal. His fifth in seven matches for club and country combined and four of those have been left-foot magic efforts, usually cutting in from the right wing... although he did switch it up this time by going low instead of top corner.

Just’s goal was the first in a 4-0 win away against Schwarz Weiss Bregenz, giving them the lead after 12 minutes. This wasn’t one of those 4-0 cruise shows though. The home side stung the palms of the St. Pölten keeper a few times in that first half and Just’s dudes were lucky to be ahead. But they turned up the heat in the second spell. Just had a chance two mins after the resumption which he hooked straight at the keeper from the edge of the box. This time the defender was alert to the whip across goal and forced him to go the other way and Just probably should have opened up his angle on the right boot instead. Shortly afterwards he rose up to put a header on target from a wide cross but the keeper made an acrobatic stop to push it over the crossbar. Finally the Wolves did get a second goal from a set piece situation on 63’ and then picked SWB off on the counter a couple more times to mark their heftiest win of the season.

They’re a long way short of the title race, which is the only way to get promoted from the Austrian second tier, but they do at least have a positive goal difference now. 16 points from 13 games and sitting in 11th (out of 16 teams). Bregenz were third prior to this round though. St. Pölten are starting to show they can compete with anyone in this division – they’ve already beaten leaders SV Ried who were first at the time (now third) so two of their four wins have come against teams near the top. Just scored the opening goal in that game too. The loss to Sturm Graz II last week was the first in which Just has been part of. It’s now 14 points from 8 games with him after 2 points from 5 games without him.

Up Next: More goals in the international break, probably... then afterwards he’ll try score against Rapid Wien II at 6am on Sat 23 Nov (NZT)

Katie Kitching - Sunderland (English Championship)

Would you believe it, she’s scored again. First goal in a 2-1 win against Blackburn, getting the fun started after 28 minutes. Blackburn would equalise in first half stoppage time as Sunderland briefly let their guard down... but then Eleanor Dale won it for Sunders on 73’ – a fair reflection on what of a game where Sunderland had around twice as many shots as Blackburn Rovers and scored twice as many goals. That makes it three wins in a row for the Black Cats which is nuts because they began their season with 5-0 and 3-0 defeats. Kitching set up the only goal in the 1-0 victory against London City that got them back on track and since then they’ve gone blasting up the table.

Katie Kitching is in supreme form. Starting with that LCL match, Kitching has four goals and two assists from her past six league games. She set up a goal in the Conti Cup during this run too, so it’s seven goals plus assists in seven matches across all competitions. Only Shania Hayles (Newcastle) has more goal contributions in the WSL Championship this season and she’s just one ahead so Kitching’s got her in sight.

KK wasn’t the only one digging in this week either, we also got some Jacqui Hand quality setting up her old Lewes mate Maria Farrugia for Sheffield United’s goal in a 1-1 draw with Portsmouth. Running in behind on 20 mins, dishing square for Farugia to nutmeg the keeper. Might have over hit the pass but no dramas, it ended up the right outcome. That was Hand’s first goal contribution for the Blades but she nearly had another later that half, leaping to get a head on a ball into the area only to see it then cleared off the line (quite spectacularly) by a defender. Sadly, Sheff Utd couldn’t keep up the good work. Portsmouth fought back in the second half an equalised on 65’ for a share of the points. Not ideal for Sheffield United to be drawing 1-1 with the bottom team, who had only scored once in seven previous games, but at least they don’t lose any ground by staying three points ahead of Pompey. Only one team gets relegated.

Additionally, London City Lionesses lost 2-1 to Birmingham in a top of the table clash. Grace Neville played 12 minutes off the bench. Also, Durham drew 1-1 with Southampton as Hannah Blake and Michaela Foster started together in a league game for the first time. The Durham goal was an 85th minute equaliser from Mollie Lambert, though she scored it after Foster (68’) and Blake (77’) had already been subbed off. Foster in the midfield again while Blake was on the wing. Blake did have one change cutting in from the left side and trying to curl one inside the far post but it didn’t curl enough.

Up Next: Sheffield United vs Sunderland at 2am on Monday (NZT)

Kees Sims - GAIS (Swedish Allsvenskan)

Once more for good luck. With Mergim Krasniqi still suspended, Kees Sims was able to make and eighth Allsvenskan appearance in GAIS’s final match of the season. In keeping with the carnage in so many other appearances, this one featured a red card for GAIS (not Sims this time but one of their midfielders) and it also featured a late winning goal despite the ten-men disadvantage. A 2-1 win against Sirius was a lovely way to polish things off.

Sims made a couple of saves as well as a punch and a high claim. Got fouled one time. Made a few clearances. The official Allsvenskan website has him listed as running more than six kilometres in the match which seems like a big distance for a goalkeeper. It was roughly 500m more than the Sirius goalie and more than any of the nine outfield subs used during the match. His max speed was only 25.75 km/h, although again that’s still comfortably clear of the Sirius goalie.

GAIS scored in the eighth minute, Axel Henriksson with the near post header from six yards out. Good stuff. Sims seemed to be pretty comfortable until the 56th minute red card for Amin Boudri changed things. Suddenly Sirius were getting after them. Sims made a good stop adjusting to a deflected shot but another deflected effort after the short corner proved unstoppable. He’d have gotten it without the late touch though. Sirius then hit the post from a 1v1, Sims perhaps doing enough to challenge the shot, and then, yeah, they went and won it right at the end to finish the season on a high.

Back to back wins in the latest two Sims starts. Sixth place overall. They finish as the highest-ranked team from Gothenburg for the first time since 2011 and the fans bloody loved it. It’s been an excellent return to the Swedish top flight and Sims has played his part in that, making genuine progress from where he began to where he is now.

Up Next: Season’s done, back at it next year

Kiara Bercelli - Sampdoria (Italian Serie A)

Apparently nobody bothers to report on cup games properly so images and video seem to be non-existent... but Kiara Bercelli debuted for Sampdoria last week. Got on for the last eight minutes of a Copa Italia tie away against Napoli. It was right after Sampdoria conceded and she was the fifth and final substitute used, chucked on in search of a miracle. They didn’t find it so they lost 1-0 but that’s still a huge milestone.

This wasn’t her professional debut because she did spent last season out on loan at Chievo in the second tier (where she got to play against Juventus in this same competition). Having stuck around with the parent club this time around, Bercelli has been on the bench for every game so far. Hasn’t gotten that first Serie A shot yet but surely that’ll be coming soon... although it’s worth mentioning that the club did just sack coach Davide Corti after going winless through the first eight games. He’s been replaced by Stefano Castiglione as the interim, stepping up from the Primavera team which Bercelli used to be a part of (granted, not at the same time).

Bercelli was part of the U20 World Cup squad earlier this year. That team did pretty awful but what really matters is what those players go on to do afterwards. And this wave has been keeping very busy. It was a talking point during that U20WWC about just how many overseas pros there were in that squad... the flipside being that most of them were in youth or reserve team situations at the time. But in the past few months we’ve seen:

• Milly Clegg’s American NWSL debut for Racing Louisville

• Suya Haering’s German Bundesliga debut for Turbine Potsdam

• Lara Colpi’s Austrian Bundesliga debut for Thun

• Olivia Page’s English Championship debut for Sheffield United

• Kiara Bercelli’s Coppa Italia debut for Sampdoria

Haven’t seen Emma Pijnenburg yet for Feyenoord, she’s gone back to being a bench player this season after filling in at right-back for the last few months of the previous term (the one exception to the youth/reserve rule during the World Cup yet she’s the one who hasn’t been playing since). But Ruby Nathan’s getting good minutes again in her second season with Canberra United in Australia while Zoe McMeeken, Ella McMillan, Manaia Elliott, Ella McCann, Daisy Brazendale, and Olivia Ingham all have first team contracts with the Wellington Phoenix. Helena Errington is bound to pop up somewhere soon too.

Up Next: Sunday at 6am, Sampdoria vs Inter Milan (NZT)

Katie Bowen - Inter Milan (Italian Serie A)

If Kiara Bercelli gets that Seria A debut next week then it’ll happen against Katie Bowen, who’s coming off a very busy week for Inter Milan. First she had to do 120 minutes in the Coppa Italia, though at least there was a happy ending as Inter beat Parma 5-2 to advance to the quarters. They were leading most of the way until two goals in three minutes had them trailing 2-1... but only for a short time before Michela Cambiaghi’s 79th minute equalising header went in. They then scored three times in extras to make it look more convincing than it probably felt. Bowen played on the right side of defence and it was her cross that led to the fourth goal for Inter.

Then Bowen was back at it a few days later to face Lazio in the league. Right side of the back three. Inter Milan won 1-0 thanks to goal after half an hour from Chiara Robustellini, tapping in at the far post after Tessa Wullaert’s initial shot was dribbling ever-so-slightly wide. Pity about that because if Wullaert had scored then it would have been Bowen’s assist after a lovely underlapping run to the byline and a precise cut-back into the danger zone. Great work from KB who also gets to share some credit for the clean sheet (though not as much as her goalie who saved a penalty). Back to winning ways for Inter following the loss to Fiorentina and draw vs Juventus. They currently sit third with 18 points after nine matches.

Up Next: Sunday at 6am, Sampdoria vs Inter Milan (NZT)

Jay Herdman - Cavalry FC (Canadian Premier League)

The mounties were there. Horses on the pitch. Canadians politely cheering. Cavalry FC are champions of the Canadian Premier League... and they did it with the aid of Jay Herdman as a loan player.

JH had one fantastic chance in the final against Forge when he took down a dipping ball in the area after 18 mins with an absolutely velvet first touch then smashed a shot on target which the keeper parried away. Ten minutes later, Tobias Warschewski both won and scored a penalty before Sergio Camargo made it 2-0 on 38’, with Herdman involved earlier in the play by keeping things alive with some tenacious ball retention. Opponents Forge did get a goal back early in the second half but they never found a second and thus for the first time Cavalry FC are champions of the CPL. Jay Herdman gets his first trophy as a senior footballer. Happy days.

The fact that Herdman was playing here at all was curious. He’d been going great for the Vancouver Whitecaps MLS Next Pro side and made an MLS debut earlier in the year... but missed out on a senior contract when the roster freeze happened, meaning that he either had to see out the year playing youth team footy or he could go out on loan. Based on interviews he did prior to the final, it sounds like his ambition was all about getting competitive senior football. He was sick of academy stuff, with that developmental outlook, and felt over-ripe for a fresh challenge. That he managed to get it for a team that went on to win a championship was a nice coincidence. We’ll have to wait and see what happens now because he’s off contract with the Whitecaps reserves.

Jay Herdman: “I was fortunate to join a top side like Cavalry, coming into one of the best teams in the league. I'm playing with a lot of players, great players around me, and that’s getting the best out of myself. It’s a physical league with some really quick and technical players. So, joining the CPL, it’s been a good step for me. The main difference is the CPL is men's football. MLS Next Pro is great in that academy kids can make that push and hopefully get a first team deal in MLS. There's also a line between winning and developing. But here in the CPL, people just want to win. I think it was the right time for me to try something else, try something new.”

Herdman got six goals and three assists in 20 MLS Next Pro games. He had one goal and one assist in his eight Canadian Premier League matches. Also can’t overlook his nine minutes of MLS action, nor sitting on the bench for some CONCACAF Champions Cup. It’s been an eventful year.

Up Next: To be determined...

Vic Esson - Rangers FC (Scottish Premier League)

No clean sheet for Vic Esson, as a defensive giveaway allowed Motherwell to bang one past her. But Rangers still won 8-1 so no dramas there. It was another huge win for Rangers, this time in the Scottish Cup, and it was also Esson’s first game for a month. She last wore the gloves for the 2-2 draw with Celtic in early October. Jenna Fife had played the previous four matches, including 1-1 draws with Hibs and Glasgow City, meaning those two now have an even split across the 12 league games that the club has played. This has been a wee pushback by Fife following a spell where Esson had seemed to be the clear number one, though they were always likely to mix it up through the chunky parts of the campaign. Rangers are one point behind leaders Glasgow City in the SWPL standings and they’ve got a pretty big game coming up next.

Up Next: Celtic vs Rangers at 1am on Monday (NZT)

Meikayla Moore – Calgary Wild (Canadian Northern Super League)

Did you know they’ve got a new professional women’s football competition on the way in Canada? Because they do... and Meikayla Moore’s going to be playing in it. After finishing up with Glasgow City in the Scottish Women’s Premier League she’s now joined Calgary Wild. Mouse is the second player to join the Wild following on from Farkhunda Muhtan, who is the captain of the Afghanistani national team.

Alix Bruch, Calgary sporting director: “Meikayla is an experienced defender who has delivered under some of the most pressured situations at all levels of the sport. Her experience and leadership make her a valuable addition to our club. Beyond playing the game, each of the players on the Calgary Wild FC team will play a huge role in making meaningful connections and positive change in our community. Meikayla’s rollercoaster journey on and off the pitch is a true inspiration for young girls who will have the chance to connect with her, providing the next generation with comfort and security that if she can do it, maybe they can too.”

The NSL doesn’t start until April with preseason beginning in January so Moore will get a few more months at home beforehand. There will be six teams in the competition, whose creation has been largely instigated by former Canada international Diana Matheson. A few older Canadian players have already signed up though the purpose is more to give opportunities to younger Canadian pros who’d otherwise have to move overseas to get a start on their careers. Seven player limit on internationals per squad. The fact that Moore has been signed so early in the process shows she was a priority transfer for Calgary. All very cool, all very exciting.

Up Next: Waiting ‘til preseason

Max Crocombe - Burton Albion (English League One)

They did it! They finally did it! In game 14 of their League One campaign Burton Albion has won a game of football, their first league win of the season, making them the last team across England’s top six divisions to do so. Lots of draws at least gave them some breathing room but damn that had to have been a stressful time.

But the monkey’s off the back now after they won 2-0 against Shrewsbury Town, leapfrogging them on goal difference in the standings thanks to this result. Burton Albion finally have a win and they’re no longer last. Sweet as. Tomas Kalinauskas (10’) and Danilo Orsi (51’) got the goals. Max Crocombe got the clean sheet even though he only needed to make two saves. Rarely threatened. Call that a pleasant day at the office. Not much else going on amongst the other kiwis at EFL clubs over recent days so let us just enjoy Crocombe’s efforts.

Up Next: After the internationals it’ll be Burton vs Stockport at 4am on Sun 24 Nov (NZT)

Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)

Happily, the old mates at Viking didn’t need a dramatic comeback this week. They managed to grind out a win in a different manner, with a 12th minute counter-attacking goal from Zlatko Tripic enough to give them a 1-0 win away against Kristiansund. A second goal would have been nice but they got away without one. Somehow.

For most of the game, Viking looked comfortable in defence (even with the loss of Gianni Stensness from that unit) but the last twenty or so mins saw the home side throw the kitchen sink at them – a header off the crossbar, a few great saves, a disallowed goal, a header past the post from six yards out. Nothing to breach the defences though. Once again VFK were able to grind out a tricky three points. Bellinho got ninety minutes with 80% passing accuracy, making five tackles in the heart of midfield. He’s out there doing his job as a leader for this club. Hanging tight against the press. Getting the ball where it needs to go.

This is a team that absolutely bottled it down the stretch last season, so this run of results has been fantastic. They’ve gone six games unbeaten and have won the last three in a row. Only two rounds remain. Elsewhere, a ten-man Bødo/Glimt side conceded a very late equaliser in a 2-2 draw against Fredrikstad while Molde only drew. Brann scored a stoppage time winner from the penalty spot to beat Lillestrøm which gives them control in the title race with a two-point lead. Viking are now within range of B/G if they falter again. They’ve also got a four-point buffer between themselves in third and Molde in fourth. Come on, lads, you can do it.

Up Next: Viking vs Haugesund at 5am on 24 November (NZT)

Dalton Wilkins - Sønderjyske (Danish Superliga)

He’s back after two months on the sideline due to the same injury that ruled him out of his All Whites recall (for the North American tour). Dalton Wilkins popped up with four minutes off the bench and immediately helped Sonders snap a three-game losing streak with a 1-1 draw away to Vejle. It’s only a wee cameo but it’s a significant one having last played on 1 September. They’ve bulked up their fullback stocks since then so it’ll be educational to see what role he has now that he’s available again. Although he’s only played 248 minutes this Superliga campaign, Wilkins is the only played in the squad with a positive goal difference while he’s been on the pitch.

Elsewhere in Denmark, Callum McCowatt got another start for Silkeborg as they won 1-0 against Randers. Lasted 71 minutes and then they subbed him off and scored immediately. He seems to be back into a prominent role after his own spell on the sidelines. Huge relief to have both Wilkins and McCowatt available again after injury-plagued starts to both of their seasons.

Over in the Kvindeliga, Malia Steinmetz only played off the bench for FC Nordsjælland but they won 2-0 against B93 so that was fine. Half an hour for Steiny. Ally Green got a full game a left-back for AGF in a 0-0 draw versus Odense in which she came as close as anyone to setting up a goal with an early in-swinging corner kick. And Ava Collins started for Kolding but they lost 5-2 against Fortuna Hjørring.

Up Next: Sonders vs Brøndby on Monday 25 Nov at 4am (NZT)

Matthew Garbett - NAC Breda (Dutch Eredivisie)

Over the last few weeks there’s been constant chat about Matt Garbett but only limited action. He was dropped for a game prior to the last international break which ended up spreading into a five-game spell without getting on the pitch. Amidst that Garbett spoke to local media, desperate to reassure fans that there was no big scandal and that his work-rate and dedication were never an issue. The rumour around the fan podcasts was that it was more about Garbett lacking discipline when it came to sticking to the coach’s tactical instructions. Then the coach himself told media that this whole scenario was in part because he wanted to get a rise out of Garbett, to light a spark in him. Next thing he was getting thirty minutes off the bench in a defeat against Heracles. Next thing he was starting against PSV Eindhoven.

And he was starting not as a midfielder or a winger but as a striker. A false nine, to bring back the terminology of a previous era. Garbs did play a bit of striker in his NZ youth team days so this wasn’t entirely out the gates for him but it was very different to what we’ve been seeing recently.

He didn’t really do anything though. Lots of running but not much else given that PSV were multiple levels beyond them on the way to a 3-0 victory. Garbett lasted an hour before being subbed as part of a triple change (they were two goals down at the time). Not sure the experiment really worked but then again this wasn’t the right opponent to see anything more than what we got. Where this really gets funky is if this becomes an option they try more often, rather than just a one-off to try and disrupt the league leaders. Leaning towards the latter but hoping for the former.

Up Next: After the internationals it’s Willem II vs NAC at 2.30am on Monday 25 November (NZT)

Owen Parker-Price, Dom Woolridge, Harry Moss-Edge & Sean Bright – Torslanda IK (Swedish Ettan Södra)

Yeah, that’ll do. Another one to take Torslanda to the end of the campaign. This goal helped the lads to a 3-2 win against Tvååkers IF, lifting them up to a final position of tenth on the ladder. They spent much of the season trying to get out of the relegation zone but in the end they dodged it pretty comfortably. Note the assist from Sean Bright in there... while Dom Woolridge also set up the third goal. Cheeky boost to the stats in the last game. Very good, very good.

• Owen Parker-Price finishes the year with 8 goals and 5 assists from his 29 appearances. He also scored twice in his only cup game.

• Dominic Woolridge played in 28 matches with one goal and one assist.

• Harry Moss-Edge made 28 appearances, scoring one goal.

• Sean Bright got 27 games and this was his sole assist.

The other three are more defensive-minded players, while OPP is an attacking midfielder.

Elsewhere in the same division, Cameron Hogg’s FC Trollhättan ended the term four points and four places above Torslanda. Hogg played 29 matches, keeping five clean sheets and even getting an assist at one stage. Up in the Northern conference, Otto Ingham did have some injuries but still managed to score three goals in 18 games for Eskilstuna who won their final game to avoid a relegation playoff.

Up Next: Do it all again next year

Oliver Colloty - Peterhead FC (Scottish League Two)

Hey, there we go. Oli Colloty’s got himself in at the ground level in Scotland, joining Peterhead FC in the fourth tier. Not the most glamorous division he could have found but having trialled at a bunch of clubs last year, mostly in England, and gotten nothing to show for it you’ve gotta get in somewhere. Colloty was part of the 2023 U20 World Cup squad where he and Kian Donkers alternated as the number nines. Donkers is now in the academy system at VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands.

In Colloty’s case, he’s tall and strong and a tidy finisher, including from the penalty spot. If his agent isn’t trying to sell him as the next Chris Wood then he’s not doing his job right. But Colloty’s had a weird career. Originally from Dunedin, he made his National League debut for Southern United as a 15 year old and seems to have spent some time with the Ole Academy as a teenager before moving to Christchurch United. He left the Rams to play for Melville in search of senior footy and had a great time of it there, leading to his NZ U20s call-up.

However, the trial circuit wasn’t rewarding – Sheffield Wednesday, Fleetwood Town, Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool, and Barnsley were all confirmed destinations and there may have been other clubs that looked at him too. Lots of interest and nothing to show for it, not being helped at all by a pesky hamstring injury. He’s since spent 2024 bouncing between Auckland City, Wellington Olympic, and Auckland United in the domestic stuff. Frankly, this is way too many clubs in way too many cities to feel comfortable with how he’s been tracking, so it’s beautiful to see him find a spot at a team like Peterhead where hopefully he can properly settle.

Only issue is that he can’t play until January because of the registration windows and whatnot. So it goes. As for the level that he’s found himself at, that’s not a problem. George Stanger was playing in this division a couple of years ago – having started in the Premiership with Hamilton Academical, Stanger made his senior debut in League Two on loan with Stirling Albion and was back there as recently as February 2022 with University of Stirling. By the time he was 22 he’d already played in the top four divisions in Scotland. Now Stanger’s a key player for an Ayr United team trying to get promoted from the Championship. Colloty will do just fine with Peterhead as long as the goals are going in.

Co-manager Jordon Brown: “We are delighted to get this one secured as it is a unique opportunity for both us as a club to improve, and also Oliver to come here and settle into Scottish football. I am sure this one will get a bit of excitement with his background and the unknown elements. He came in to training for the last few weeks highly recommended through mutual contacts within the game and has shown a real eagerness to get to know ourselves and fit in with the squad, he also played in a friendly where he showed up well and scored 2 goals. He's a natural number 9 with an eye for goal but can play anywhere across the front line and brings different attributes to our already talented attackers. We are excited to see how he develops in the short term and are confident he can have a positive impact and has a bright future in front of him. Unfortunately due to league and FIFA rules, we won’t be able to utilise him straight away but his fitness levels are good and his goalscoring record both for the New Zealand under 20 international team and his old club are really impressive. We are looking into an option that allows him to get some game time within Scotland at a lower level between now and January to keep him sharp. Thanks again to the board and behind the scenes in their help to get this one secured and we look forward to getting Oliver fully integrated in January.”

Up Next: Full-time trainer until January

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