Flying Kiwis – August 27
Elijah Just - SKN St. Pölten (Austrian Erste Liga)
Elijah Just has gotten his transfer and it’s not a move that anyone saw coming. Back in March he was heavily linked to Swedish top division side IFK Goteborg, who were then being managed by the coach who signed him for AC Horsens in the first place (Jens Berthel Askou has since left to become assistant coach at Sparta Prague – possibly jumping before he was pushed with the club lingering barely above the relegation zone). That situation went as far as Just leaving a winter break camp early and training on his own for a spell... but ultimately Horsens refused to sell him because the transfer window in Denmark had already closed so there was no chance of finding a replacement.
Just was promptly reintegrated back into the ACH squad without any dramas but this did make you wonder if he’d still be there by the start of the 2024-25 campaign. He was... playing off the bench a couple times before forcing his way into the starting eleven with a couple of timely goal contributions. That was until he suddenly went missing entirely from a pair of matchday squads, with Horsens Folkeblad swiftly reporting that Just had “probably played his last match for AC Horsens” due to an imminent transfer. Tipsbladet followed that up by suggesting his next destination would be in either Switzerland, Austria, or Sweden. Within a few days he’d been unveiled as an SKN St. Pölten player (along with Malcolm Stolt, a 23yo Swedish midfielder who previously featured for Östersunds FK).
Christoph Freitag, Sports Director at SKN St. Pölten: “With Elijah and Malcolm we’ve signed two very interesting players for our attack. With his physique and force, Malcolm has a profile that we have so far lacked in our squad. He will definitely help us. Elijah is a hugely versatile player who absolutely wants to represent his country at the 2026 World Cup. He should help us with his dynamism and creativity.”
Just has signed on a one-year loan deal with an option to buy. It could be a couple of weeks before he’s eligible to play due to paperwork and visas and whatnot, being a non-EU citizen. Where this gets odd is that St. Pölten are a second tier club in Austria and not even a particularly good one. They were a middling team last season, finishing ninth out of 16 teams with more losses than wins. This year they’ve begun with two draws and a defeat in which they’ve only scored one goal – hence the emphasis on Just and Stolt reviving their attack. Back in 2022-23 they finished third... but only one team gets promoted/relegated between the Austrian Bundesliga and the second division.
The club itself is a reset version of VSE St. Pölten, which folded in June 2000. SKN St. Pölten was formed to absorb all of its infrastructure and history and fanbase but they had to start at the bottom of the pyramid. SKN did spent five years in the Bundesliga from 2016-17 until 2020-21 when they were relegated with 13 points from 32 games, finishing six points adrift. They did make the quarter-finals of the Austrian Cup last season though.
Bottom line is that Just has gone from one second division club that probably isn’t going to get promoted to another second division club that probably isn’t going to get promoted (though both of them do have that potential if they can get things to click). It’s a strange transfer for someone who supposedly had options, having previously played Superliga in Denmark. St. Pölten must have really sold him on the vision. By the way, this is the same club that former NZ women’s U20s player Jana Niedermayr spent last season with (bit more about that stint over here). St. Pölten’s women’s team, in stark contrast, have won the last seven Bundesliga titles in a row and are therefore also regulars in the Champions League. Niedermayr’s since left the club to find more minutes elsewhere in the same division and you’ll read more about her very soon.
Up Next: Gotta wait for the bureaucratic stuff to get done
Liberato Cacace – Empoli (Italian Serie A)
Do you know when the last time Empoli won away against Roma was? Whatever year you guessed is wrong because it had never happened before. Two draws and 14 defeats in their Serie A history – and when they met in this fixture last season, Roma won 7-0. But that’s not how this game went.
Cacace was on the bench but, after only getting on in stoppage time in game one, he was blessed with a solid half hour of action this time... brought on as a defensive plug right after Empoli had scored their second goal. They should have scored even more, really. Emmanuel Gyasi missed a huge chance heading wide at the back post after nine minutes, then Lorenzo Colombo headed an open chance onto the crossbar from six yards out after 19 minutes. But not to worry because they were playing sharp and organised and on 44’ they grabbed something to show for it when Gyasi this time was able to use his right foot to tap home at the back stick. Giuseppe Pezzella’s cross was flicked on to meet him. From left wing-back to right wing-back.
Roma stepped it up after the break with the underside of the crossbar denying Lorenzo Pellegrini after 50 mins (the ball hit the post on the rebound too). Empoli were being pushed back yet they their counter attack was cooking, as they showed when Sebastiano Esposito knowingly drew some contact just inside the area to win a penalty that Colombo converted on 61’ to double the lead. On came Cacace in the wake of that second goal, replacing Pezzella at LWB. Before long LC had a chance to seal the deal overlapping into the box only for a brilliant sliding block to turn his shot wide for a corner (which he himself took).
Unfortunately, Roma got one back with ten to play... and it was Cacace who lost possession leading to the goal. Got caught trying to advance it up the wing, only to lose the ball to his former Empoli teammate Tommasso Baldanzi. There was a cheeky shove in the back from Baldanzi but nothing enough to alert the referee. Baldanzi’s cross was met by a brilliant header from Eldor Shomurodov to set up a funky end to the contest. Never funkier than when Paolo Dybala hit the post in stoppage time. However, the Azzurri survived to claim a special victory early in the campaign.
Cacace also picked up a yellow card for chopping down Baldanzi. A tactical foul... from which a teammate was additionally booked for kicking the ball away. Libby also made a couple of crucial interventions in his defensive area. It was an eventful cameo in an important result that means Empoli have taken four points from their opening two matches. Last season they lost five games in a row to start the season and didn’t even score a goal until game six. It also appears that the transfer yarns have eased off for Cacace, though nothing’s sorted until the window closes on Saturday morning NZT.
Up Next: Sunday at 4.30am away to Bologna... who were linked with Cacace in the transfer window a few months back (NZT)
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
No, The Woodsman didn’t score this week. But every Premier League start is worth savouring, especially the victorious ones. Chris Wood played 75 minutes as Nottingham Forest beat Southampton 1-0 courtesy of a Morgan Gibbs-White goal on 70’. No less than they deserved after having the bulk of the scoring opportunities throughout this match.
Woodsy’s best effort was a powered header after peeling off to the back post for an Ola Aina cross. Good contact but straight at the keeper. There was another instance later in the first half where he chested one down from a similar spot and drove it across the six yard box. Might have been intended as a shot but it ended up as a lovely cross... which Nikola Milenković flicked wide of an open goal (a gentler square ball would have been nice, Christopher). He also had a chest-and-volley blocked later in the match. Then MGW scored and things were swell.
Actually, Wood’s most memorable moment came right after the goal when Anthony Elanga burst into the area from the right wing and Wood dropped off his marker to find himself wide open about eight yards out only for Elanga to shoot from a tight angle instead of squaring it for the tap-in. Keeper made the save. Wood was then seen gesturing in front of him at the open space and heard audibly yelling: “Anthony! Come on!”. You know he’s serious when he’s using the full first name. Sad thing was it was the last involvement Wood had before being subbed off. Taiwo Awoniyi in his place.
Another very solid performance from Wood, although he may want to tamper with the club fax machines because they do seem to be working very hard to bring in a new striker before the transfer window closes. Santiago Gimenez from Feyenoord has been strongly linked. Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal is another. Pedro from Flamengo. None of that is particularly encouraging for Wood (although Awoniyi might be the more affected partner – especially if financial fair play rules come into the matter and sales are required)... luckily goals are the best currency and Forest’s next Premier League opponents are Wolves, aka one of CW’s favourite meals. He’s scored six EPL goals against Wolverhampton, bettered only by his seven against West Ham. And before that they face Newcastle in the EFL Cup. These are the two teams that Wood has scored Premier League hat-tricks against.
Up Next: Nottm Forest vs Newcastle at 7am on Thursday in the EFL Cup; Nottm Forest vs Wolves at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
Bellinho strikes again...
That’s the bro’s fifth assist of the Eliteserien season, albeit his first since May even though he seems to create 2-3 decent chances per game. He’s been playing beautifully in that Viking midfield lately and just hasn’t had the luck with those chances being converted. But his team’s mostly been winning so that’s fine. That’s what matters.
They won this game too, beating Strømsgodset 5-2 in a high-scorer. Bell’s cross for Zlatko Tripic’s goal got it all started. Viking have been susceptible with their set piece defending recently and basically all the early chances that SIF created came from those situations, leading to their 29th minute equaliser in the form of a thumping half-volley on the end of a long throw. Not to worry because Tripic both won and scored a penalty within five minutes of that set back and that had Viking back on track.
Viking would strike the crossbar early in the second half before Bell set up another chance for Tripic with a chip over the top only for ZT to be flagged offside. But then, right on 58 minutes, Tripic turned provider for Lars-Jørgen Salvesen to nod home at close range and that was followed quickly by Sander Svendsen smashing in his team’s fourth. SIF did squeeze one in at the near post with fifteen to go... but then Gianni Stensness was on hand to tap-home from a corner on 82’. That was it. Lots of goals and three more points.
Bodo/Glimt won 6-0 against Sarpsborg so this result didn’t close the gap to first place at all, which remains at eight points, however it does lift VFK back up to second thanks to Brann not playing - Brann and Molde both have games in hand and will go ahead of Viking again with a win. It also has Viking five points clear of fifth (aka the cut-off for European qualification spots) after Fredrikstad were beaten. Lovely way to get back on the horse after defeat last week. Bell’s boys have ten games remaining to see if they can turn this into a title challenge.
Up Next: Tromso vs Viking at 3am on Monday (NZT)
Gabi Rennie - Åland United (Finnish Kansallinen Liiga)
Gabi Rennie might actually be unstoppable in Finland? The finish there was a tad fortunate, dragging the lefty finish over the line from close range, miss-hitting it but still scoring... but she was in the right place at the right time. Plus the one she set up was excellent, spinning past her marker and then marching forwards to pick out Olivia Ulenius for her team’s fourth goal of the day.
It actually wasn’t as one-sided as it sounds. 4-0 was the final score but opponents Honka hit the woodwork on three separate occasions. On another day, who knows. On this particular day, Åland United emerged with a 4-0 win that makes it three wins on the trot. 17 games into the season they’re now firmly established in fourth place – eight points behind third, seven points ahead of fifth. That’s with one more round to go in the regulars before the division splits in half with the top six teams playing each other once more. Six games left in the season, in other words.
Rennie has made 13 league appearances for AU and has 5 goals and 4 assists. She also scored a double in a cup game. It’s been a pretty outstanding first year of professional footy for her and it’s not over yet.
Up Next: Åland vs HJK at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
Andre De Jong – Stellenbosch (South African Premier Soccer League)
There he goes again. As expected, the Stellies did make a few changes for their second-leg Confederation Cup against Nsingizini Hotspurs (Eswatini). Only three of them though. A couple of those were debutants but other wise it was a pretty strong squad and Andre de Jong was one of the lads to retain his spot. Can’t be wasting these rare continental games, s’pose. Plus this is all still technically preseason for them with the PSL not kicking off for three more weeks.
All of which allowed ADJ to be on-hand to punish an error and score another continental goal during a comfortable victory. Alas, this game was equally as untelevised as the first leg so we’ve got no footage to show for it. Maybe next round. The Stellies won 5-0 on the day and therefore cruised into the second preliminary round with an 8-0 aggregate victory.
Right on. Stellenbosch have been drawn up against AS Vita Club of the Democratic Republic of Congo in the next round with the first leg being away from home. Vita Club were the cup winners of Congo and therefore went straight into this second preliminary round. Whoever advances from here enters the group stage. Before the Stellies play that game, they’ve got a two-legged MTN8 semi-final against Mamelodi Sundowns to get through. ADJ scored in the quarters just like he scored in both Confed Cup games. Let’s see how far he can take this streak.
Up Next: Mamelodi Sundowns vs Stellies on Thursday at 5am, then against on Monday at 1am (NZT)
Ollie Whyte - FC Haka (Finnish Veikkausliiga)
The Suomen Cup has been kind to Ollie Whyte this year. Both of the cup competitions have been. It was in the Liigacup that he was given the chance to trial for his next contract and where he vigorously succeeded thanks to a goal and two assists from four games but he’s been even more potent in the Suomen Cup with four goals and four assists in just five appearances as FC Haka took it all the way to the semi-finals. He scored a hat-trick against EBK in one of the earlier rounds. And guess what? He scored in the semi as well. Slipped one through the legs of the Inter Turku goalie to make it five goals in the comp...
This one had cup footy printed all over it. FC Haka survived big pressure throughout the first half, including one rattling of their crossbar, but were able to take it into the sheds still scoreless. Based on the opening minutes of the second stanza they seemed to have ridden out the storm... but then they conceded two quick goals. Djoully Nzoko on 50’ and then Darren Smith on 56’ from the penalty spot. Can’t argue on the balance of the game.
Then Ollie Whyte, who’d literally only just been subbed on, picked off a loose pass and megged the keeper to set up a belter of a last half hour in which FCH threw whatever they could forward. Whyte himself was only a couple boot sizes away from getting a touch on a drilled low cross at one stage. But nah they ran out of time. 2-1 to Inter Turku who advanced to face KuPS in the final (who beat SJK on penalties).
FC Haka rebounded with a 1-0 win over Oulu back in the Veikkausliiga, a victory that guarantees their place in the top six when the league splits. Anthony Olusanya scored the only goal after 19 mins - he’s a striker on loan from HJK who has now scored in both starts for FCH. His arrival could mean less Whyte time. Whyte only played off the bench in the Oulu win, though they did both start the previous league match. Never hurts to have two in-form strikers so we’ll see what happens there.
Up Next: Haka vs Lahti on Monday at 1am (NZT)
Abby Erceg – Racing Louisville (American National Women’s Soccer League)
Back at it with a victory, can’t complain, can’t complain. Milly Clegg was listed as away on international duty after her U20 World Cup call-up, though let’s be honest she probably would not have played anyway. But Abby Erceg did. Erceg who wore the captain’s armband once again and will probably continue to do so on a permanent basis after Racing Lou made a few moves during the break that included trading their regular club captain Jaelin Howell, whom Erceg has been sharing those duties with. Young forward Reilyn Turner and fullback Carson Pickett (who was traded to RL alongside Erceg – they were dating at the time, though that’s no longer the case) also departed in a flurry of moves. In their place they’ve signed Colombian defender Angela Baron and added experienced forwards Janine Beckie and Bethany Balcer. Interesting moves that are very much built around making a splash at the playoffs this very season.
Racing Lou FC: “Veteran defender Abby Erceg moved into third in the NWSL record books in career minutes plated, surpassing Gotham’s McCall Zerboni as she also climbed past 16,000 minutes over 185 games. The centre back has started every game and played every minute for Racing since joining the club via trade ahead of the 2023 season. She has two goals and an assist in 38 league games with Racing”.
It’ll take some time to say whether the moves have had the desired effect... but so far so good. They were really good against Chicago Red Stars, scoring early through Uchenna Kanu after 12 minutes (set up by debutant Balcer), and then continuing to search for more. Savannah DeMelo hit the crossbar early in the second half. Even when Chicago managed to find an equaliser after 59 minutes (a thumping finish from Jameese Joseph on a tight angle after Erceg thought she’d kept her wide enough)... RL retook the lead within two minutes via Marisa DeGrande and then Kayla Fischer added another for a 3-1 win.
That lifts them up into the top eight. This was the type of game they were drawing earlier in the season but here they had that extra firepower to push through. There was also a win for Macey Fraser’s Utah Royals who beat Bay FC 2-1, although Fraser wasn’t included in the squad. She had been on the bench for the friendly game against Indi Riley’s Crystal Palace recently but never got on the pitch and for the return of the serious footy she was back to being ruled out with her ankle injury. Utah have also made a few signings during the break, so we’ll see how that affects Fraser once she’s fit and available. Ali Riley’s Angel City FC won 2-1 against San Diego Wave but we’re not going to see the injured Riley again in a hurry. More on her situation later.
Also, there was a list of impending free agents published today which Abby Erceg was part of. That’s a part of the new CBA which is meant to give more clarity over player movement and whatnot. Erceg is the only one of the NZers on an expiring deal. They’ll probably want to keep her and she’ll probably want to stay but time will tell.
Might as well chuck the MLS blokes in here too for tactical efficiency. Michael Boxall gave it a good nudge for Minnesota United but they were beaten 3-2 at home by Seattle Sounders. That game was pretty wild but it wasn’t as wild as Finn Surman’s Portland Timbers drawing 4-4 with St Louis FC. Surman was on the bench but didn’t get on for a debut. Still settling in. As for Bill Tuiloma, the debut of Tim Ream for Charlotte FC knocked Jaylin Lindsey to the bench who knocked Bill Tuiloma out of the squad entirely... and the MLS transfer window is now closed so he’s probably stuck there for the rest of the year doing nothing. At least he’s on a healthy veteran’s salary. To be fair, it’s nice work if you can get it.
Up Next: Racing Louisville vs Seattle Reign on Sunday at 11.30am (NZT)
Jana Radosavljević - CS Marítimo (Portugese Campeonato Nacional)
Happy to relay that Jana Radosavljevic has signed in Portugal for the upcoming season where she’ll play for Marítimo. The Serbian-born, naturalised-Kiwi has mostly played in Germany, including her most recent stop with MSV Duisburg, though she also had a quick stint in Turkey last year. Rado has three caps for the Football Ferns.
Marítimo compete in the top flight of Portuguese footy and finished seventh out of 12 teams in the most recent season (the year before that they were 11th and had to survive the relegation playoffs). Portugal’s Campeonato Nacional has been dominated by Benfica in recent years, they’ve won the last four titles in a row. Sporting CP ran them close in 2023-24 though - only two points separated them at the end of it. Marítimo won 10 of their 22 matches so they should be pretty competitive against everyone else. The other thing to see is whether Rado is used as an attacking midfielder like in her early days or as a wing-back as has tended to be the case at the highest levels she’s played at.
Up Next: Saturday at 10pm is the opening game of the season, with Marítimo hosting Racing Almada (NZT)
Jana Niedermayr - Union Kleinmünchen (Austrian Bundesliga)
Hold up because that’s not the only Jana transfer we’ve got news of this week. Jana Niedermayr has made the switch from SKN St. Pölten to Union Kleinmünchen in Austria. She’d spent the previous year and a half with St. Pölten as they continued to win copious championships though only got to play with their academy team during that time – granted she did get plenty of game-time with that lot. SKN gave her a farewell prior to their final home game of last season and it turns out Niedermayr didn’t waste any time from there. She quickly linked up with fellow top-flight club Kleinmünchen... and this time it’s all first team action.
Not only did Niedermayr make a Bundesliga debut last week (in a 3-0 defeat against Sturm Graz), she played ninety minutes in defence. Then she did the same as UK won 3-1 against LASK in their second game... only drama there being that she did kinda score an own goal with a few minutes left to give her opponents a consolation. One of those ones where she didn’t quite get her feet set and turned a low cross into her own net from within the six-yard box. Call it a rite of passage for a young central defender. They still won the game (there are some short highlights over here).
Kleinmünchen – or SPG Kleinmünchen/Blau-Weiß Linz to give the club its full name – finished eighth out of ten teams last year so to already have a win on the board is pretty big. They only had four of those in 18 attempts in 2023-24... although since only one team gets relegated in this league that still kept them comfortable.
Up Next: Away to LUV Graz in the Austrian Cup at 3am on 8 September (NZT)
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 1)
Oldy: “On a personal level it was a beautiful experience to play my first match at Geoffroy-Guichard. The fans here are fabulous. On the collective level, we are obviously disappointed to have lost the match. I think we had a lot of strong moments but we didn’t take our chances, while on the other side our opponents did manage to score. It is disappointing. I was satisfied with my first-half performance and with that of the team. The second half was harder to understand. They changed tactics and it became tricky to get the ball back. Le Havre was more compact, tighter in the middle, and it worked for them.”
That there is Ben Old speaking after his home debut for Saint-Étienne, a match in which they were beaten 2-0 by Le Havre. Like he says, they had some moments but it got away from them in the second half as Adboulaye Toure (57’ pen) and Arouna Sangante (67’) scored the goals for the visitors. Old played 85 minutes before he was replaced. Once again he wasn’t able to dribble as often as he’d have liked, nor did he get many touches, but he did get stuck into a few tackles which has probably been the most impressive aspect of his first couple games in Ligue 1. Still a frustrating loss though. Unlike the Monaco game, this was a close contest which ASSE could easily have taken something from. Instead they’ve lost consecutive games to mark their return to the French top flight.
Hey but one more appearance and Ben Old overtakes Bill Tuiloma’s NZ record for Ligue 1 matches. He’s already buried him as far as minutes go. Meanwhile we’ll soon have our second French women’s top tier representative when Kate Taylor debuts for Dijon FCO (to join Erin Nayler). KT’s already getting minutes in preseason. Looks like she started at centre-back in a match against Freiburg of Germany...
Up Next: Brest vs ASSE at 3am on Sunday (NZT)
Vic Esson - Rangers FC (Scottish Premier League)
Good chat from Vic... who remains on course to play against Arsenal in the UCLW qualifiers in less than a fortnight. She was given a spell for a midweek game recently, with Jenna Fife wearing the gloves for a 9-0 win against Queen’s Park, but was then straight back in there on the Sunday for a 9-0 win against Montrose. Needless to say, Katie Wilkinson scored another hat-trick (she has 11 goals in four games and has scored hat-tricks in all three of Vic Esson’s starts... but not in Fife’s start). This was a ferocious hiding in which Rangers let them off easy by settling for single figures. They had a stunning 48 (forty-eight!) total shot attempts with 27 (twenty-seven!) of them on target.
Meanwhile Montrose had one shot in total and it was off target... meaning that Vic Esson’s three clean sheets have still yet to require a single save. Rangers have scored 33 goals and conceded 0 from their four fixtures to date. They lost the league title on goal difference last season and they’re not about to make the same mistake twice. Highlights here if you’re not faint of heart. Keep in mind that things will be very different when they face Arsenal.
Up Next: Dundee United vs Rangers on Monday at 3am (NZT)
Una Foyle – Cork City (Irish National League)
It’s time to check in on a fresh Flying Kiwis face in Una Foyle, the 25yo Canterbury United Pride and Coastal Spirit goalkeeper who about a month ago managed to get her hands on a deal with Cork City in the top division of Irish football. Spent some time training with the team. Signed a contract. And for the past few weeks has been starting games between the sticks and doing things like this...
Cork City manager Danny Murphy: “We are delighted to welcome Una to the club, She has been in training with the squad for a number of weeks now, and has been settling in well. She is a tall and very experienced goalkeeper which is a great asset to have, and she has represented New Zealand so she adds further international experience.”
Foyle hasn’t been capped by the Football Ferns but she did go to the 2018 U20 World Cup where she backed up Anna Leat. She’s now made five appearances for Cork City, keeping a clean sheet on debut in a 1-0 win against Peamount United and then also experiencing a win and a draw prior to losing 4-1 to second-placed Shelbourne. Cork had 10 points from 10 games before Foyle. They’ve taken 7 points from 4 games since Foyle to climb up to seventh on the ladder.
And if the maths there doesn’t add up, that’s because her most recent appearance was in the FAI Cup where Cork City beat Bohemians 2-1 after extra time. It was 0-0 following ninety minutes. It was 1-0 to Cork after 105 minutes. Bohs levelled up soon after conceding but then Barrett Eidson scored a belter of a winning goal in stoppage time of extra time. Foyle was no doubt thinking of penalties only to end up not needing to bother... then again she also made a wicked save just moments from the end after Cork City had scored their second goal. Didn’t have heaps to do but that one stop was essential. Cork City are into the semi-finals.
Danny Murphy on Foyle’s late save: “Never in doubt. No, look, woah she’s good. Una is very good. The save she makes, to hold onto it because she’s under a lot of pressure with bodies on top of her, and just to bring it in and bring it down. It was brilliant.”
After seeing the Men’s League of Ireland become a happy hunting ground for several kiwi players these past few years, it’s a joy to see the Women’s equivalent housing some NZ talent too – especially someone like Una Foyle who is a little more experienced than many first time pros after proving herself one of the top domestic keepers over many years back in Aotearoa.
Up Next: 1am on Sunday away to Treaty United (NZT)
Michael Fitzgerald – Albirex Niigata (Japanese J-League)
Albirex Niigata took on the J-League leaders Machida Zelvia and claimed a point via a 0-0 draw. Michael Fitzgerald played the whole thing. He’s still going strong at age 35. What’s more, Niigata have kept three clean sheets in a row and it was Fitzy who set up the winner against Avispa Fukuoka last week. He’s started 22 out of 28 games and they’ve only taken one point from the six matches he’s not been involved in. It’s Fitzgerald and Australia’s Thomas Deng who are forming quite a formidable partnership at the back for Niigata. The club are also into the quarter finals of the J-League Cup where they’ll get a rematch with Machida Zelvia over two legs. Here’s some shaky sideline footage of his long-ball assist from the Fukuoka win...
Or you can just watch it on the highlights over this a-way.
Up Next: Saturday at 10pm it’s Nagoya vs Niigata (NZT)
George Stanger – Ayr United (Scottish Championship)
Tell ya who’s having a great start to the season and that’s this guy. George Stanger has played all over the place in Scotland, having featured in each of the top four divisions, and he’s got ambitions get get back to where he began: the Scottish Premiership (back in his Hamilton Academical days). Stanger quickly set himself up as a first eleven player for Ayr United last year after transferring. This year he and his team have raised the bar even further. They were unlucky not to advance in the League Cup despite winning three of their four games, the only defeat being a 2-1 loss to top flight Dundee United. But no dramas there because they’ve won four from four to start the Championship season, keeping three clean sheets in the process.
It’s too early to say whether they’re serious promotion challengers or if they’ve just had an easy run of games... two of the wins were against relegated Hamilton Accies (who have a win and a draw from the rest of their games). Falkirk are the only other team with a 100% record and they’ve played one fewer match due to advancing in the League Cup (they beat Hearts in the second round). So far so good for Ayr United with George Stanger one of three players to have played every minute across both competitions so far. It’s him and his centre-back partner Scott McMann along with goalkeeper Harry Stone.
The latest win was a 2-0 victory against Raith Rovers. AU were already grinding out chances in this one and looking promising before one of the Rovers defenders coughed up the ball with a heavy touch and then, as he fell to the ground, grabbed at the ball to prevent the attack from advancing. That earned him a red card and gave Anton Dowds a penalty kick for the lead (40’). Raith Rovers only had four shots all game, one on target, and thus never threatened at all in the second half... however it wasn’t until right at the end that Ethan Walker finally scored (90’) to make it 2-0.
Aberdeen have also had a winning start to their campaign up in the top flight, with only Celtic able to match their three outta three status. They beat Kilmarnock 2-0 this week. James McGarry was an unused sub though.
Up Next: 2am on Sunday, Ayr United are away to Dunfermline Athletic (NZT)
Jay Herdman & Finn Linder - Vancouver Whitecaps II (American MLS Next Pro)
That man Jay Herdman again. That’s his sixth goal of the season for VW2 and it should have been the winner against LAFC2 except that, after his 90+1st minute goal, LAFC2 went and scored in the 90+4th minute to book a 2-2 draw and send the sides to penalties to determine who gets the bonus point (Americans are obsessed with penalty shootouts, as we know – every draw goes to a shootout in MLS Next Pro). Fortunately, both Herdman and Finn Linder scored their attempts as Vancouver claimed the shootout 7-6 to rise up to sixth on the ladder after 22 games. Herdman and Linder have each had small tastes of first team footy this year... still plenty of time for either to get back there again before the season is done.
Up Next: Home against Sporting KC 2 at 11am on Sunday (NZT)
Elliot Collier & James Musa – Indy Eleven (American USL Championship)
Tidy mahi from Elliot Collier, that’s his fourth goal of the USL season to date. Not a whole lot but he’s been playing almost exclusively off the bench so that’s a pretty good haul for a wide player. He wasn’t a sub in this match though. Collier started in the 3-2 defeat to Las Vegas lights – only his second league start of the year... and he’s scored in both. The other time he started was the first game after James Musa was traded to Indy Eleven. The Moose started that game but was subbed off at half-time and promptly disappeared for the next five matches before retuning to the bench a week ago.
Musa got ninety minutes at centre-back of this one though. He’s back fit and firing. Only drama was that, yeah, Indy Eleven did lose this match, conceding immediately after Collier’s goal and then never finding another equaliser. Probably a fair result. Indy Eleven sit fifth in the Eastern Conference. Kyle Adams’ Louisville City are first despite a loss this week. Riley Bidois’ Loudon United are in seventh, however Bidois hasn’t played since getting injured with the Olympic squad. For at least the next few days the USL stuff will take a back seat as Indy Eleven embark upon arguably their biggest ever game: the US Open Cup semi-final against Sporting Kansas City.
Up Next: Sporting KC vs Indy Eleven, US Open Cup semis, midday on Wednesday (NZT)
Ali Riley - Angel City FC (American National Women’s Soccer League)
That, sadly, is the end of Ali Riley’s season. She’s been placed on the Season-Ending Injury list on account of the “chronic and persistent leg injury” that has so severely limited her action throughout 2024 and which ultimately ruled her out of the Olympic Games. Last week she mentioned in a community benefit that there is a possibility she won’t ever be able to play again (although taken in context there was no hint whatsoever of wanting to give up – something she clarified later in a tweet, saying she’d do whatever she could to represent club and country again).
Riley is the team captain of Angel City but has only been able to make five NWSL appearances this year, totalling 260 minutes. She’s also made four Football Ferns apps during that same time but the two most recent only saw her last half a game each time. Her injury is a tricky one and the decision has been made to step back and rest, after probably having held out longer than she might otherwise have done in order to have a crack at becoming a five-time Olympian.
Ali Riley: “This is something I have been dealing with for quite a long time and it just is not a straightforward injury with a predictable timeline. I know that if I keep training at this level and pushing myself, I could do more damage than good. I want to get back to the pitch doing what I love pain free and am now taking the time to do that. That doesn’t make this any easier or less frustrating, because all I want to do is play this game with this team for these fans at the highest level possible. In the meantime, I am going to provide support however I can for my teammates, Becki, and the rest of the staff.”
ACFC Head Coach Becki Tweed: “You never want to see a player go on SEI, especially someone who makes as much of an impact on and off the field as Ali. When you’re a professional athlete who represents their club and their country, you want to play every minute of every day and when you can’t, it is devastating. We understand that and her continuing her rehab with us at the facility in the team environment is massive. It can’t be overstated how much Ali means to this team and community, and we are with her every step of the way.”
Riley remains under contract for the 2025 season so this story ain’t over yet. In the meantime, we can probably look forward to a boosted quantity of podcast and video appearances, heck why not get her into the commentary box for a game or two?
Up Next: A much more patient rehabilitation process
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