Flying Kiwis – September 3
Sarpreet Singh - União de Leiria (Portuguese Liga 2)
So that’s where Sarpreet’s got to. After escaping a very lame situation in Germany with Hansa Rostock thanks to a conveniently-placed relegation release clause, he’s ended up in the second division of Portuguese football with one of Jose Mourinho’s old clubs. UD Leiria was Mourinho’s second gig in football – he guided them to a seventh-placed finish in 2001-02 and then got poached by Porto midway through the following season and within a few years he was The Special One.
Those early 2000s days when UDL were regular challengers for European footy are a long time ago now. The club went through some serious financial issues which saw them have to hit the reboot button down in the third division... where it took them a decade of frustration before finally getting out of it. In 8/10 of those years they finished in the top five but missed promotion. Finally they won the division in 2022-23, at the eleventh attempt, and then last season managed a sturdy 12/18 finish in the second tier. They began this year with a win, a draw, and a loss... and that was the context in which Sarpreet Singh arrived.
In other words, this isn’t as confusing a move as it might appear on the surface. Singh was a free agent so he had his choice of destinations and this was the one he landed on. He may not have had any perfect options on the table but we can reasonably assume he’ll be given a proper chance to play at UDL, and that it’ll be a standard which he shouldn’t need time to adjust to. He mentioned their ambitions in the video so there’s no doubt about that element either. And also, like, check out those backdrops. There are plenty worse places for a bloke to earn a living. Singh has signed a one-year contract but with “two options”... whatever that means. Presumably an option for two more years – suggesting that he’ll have a way out at the end of the season if the partnership isn’t working.
Singh didn’t play as UDL drew 1-1 with Porto Reserves on Monday morning NZT and one day later he withdrew from the All Whites squad to face Mexico and USA. Definite bummer but he’s got to get this club career back on track first and foremost. There’s not a huge amount of history around kiwi players in Portugal, though there have been a few cases in recent years. Most notably, Tyler Boyd had a great time of it with Tondela on loan from Vitória de Guimarães. He played Primeira Liga with both clubs though his Vitoria stuff was mostly confined to the reserves who back then were in the same tier that Singh is about to enter. Nando Pijnaker and Ollie Whyte also spent time with Portuguese clubs, albeit without making first team appearances. And just last week came news of Jana Radosavljevic joining Marítimo in the women’s top division, a league that Hannah Wilkinson also spent a year in with Sporting CP.
Up Next: Academico de Viseu vs UDL on Monday 16 September (NZT)
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
The transfer deadline brought good news for Chris Wood as Nottingham Forest failed to materialise a move for the new striker they wanted. NFFC were willing to spend some serious coin on a centre-forward to challenge (or surpass) Chris Wood and Taiwo Awoniyi but it never happened. Eddie Nketia chose Crystal Palace instead. Santiago Giminez decided he’d rather stay at Feyenoord. Their bid for Omar Marmoush was rejected by Eintracht Frankfurt. As were offers for Evanilson (Porto) and Yoane Wissa (Brentford). Nope, nothing happened. They did managed to fill out their midfield and defence stocks but Chris Wood remains the main man up front for Forest, a fact that he celebrated by scoring yet another Premier League goal...
Yeah mate. Second goal of the season and it’s only three games. Typically, it came from a well-placed header off a set piece. That is the 24th goal that Chris Wood has scored with his head in the Premier League. Only six men have more in EPL history, with Peter Crouch and Harry Kane sharing top spot with 40 headed goals each. One more and he overtakes Andy Carroll. Two more and he overtakes Romelu Lukaku and maybe Michail Antonio as well (supposing the West Ham forward doesn’t add to his tally). Third and fourth are Christian Benteke (33) and Olivier Giroud (32).
Even aside from the goal, this was an excellent Woodsman’s performance, playing high on the last man and holding the ball up sweetly, but also dropping in to help defend when required. All those good Chris Wood things. He even had three offsides reminiscent of the Burnley days. His goal was a tenth minute effort placing that deep header home after Elliot Anderson picked him out with the delivery. Keeper was a bit obstructed and that was all it took (they checked for an offside, there was none). Woodsy put it into the danger zone and earned the rewards to make it 13 goals in 19 EPL games under Nuno Espirito Santo’s guidance. It was also his seventh career Prem goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers, his equal favourite opponent alongside West Ham.
But those pesky Wolves went and equalised straight afterwards. Wood’s goal was timed at 9:54 on the match clock. Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s thumping response, given too much space to line up a shot from 20 metres and taking full advantage, rocked the net at 11:54, exactly two minutes later. That set up a pretty decent game of football. There were no more goals but there were plenty of chances, including a few for Wood. He flipped a near-post touch over the top under pressure. There was a leaping header nudged on target but denied by a diving save after Morgan Gibbs-White had lifted one towards the back post. There was a swivelling volley on target but too close to the keeper without enough power (he and his marker had gotten tangled waiting for a cross, they both fell down, but Wood quickly rose back up to sniff out a chance like a good little striker does).
Most dramatic of all was a fantastic reactive finish at the far post which would have won it for Forest late on had the flag not gone up. It was one of those ones where he was offside when the ball was sent in his direction but back onside when he himself touched it. Unlucky but the correct call. CW was thiiiis close to an even more special day against his pet Wolves...
So it was that the game ended 1-1. Wood played ninety for the first time this term, remaining out there alongside Taiwo Awoniyi instead of being replaced by him as they chased another goal. Didn’t get it but a win and two draws is a fine way to begin the new campaign... and hitting the back of the net in both home games sends a sharp message from Wood following the lack of a striker signing. The bro said: what else could you even want? Crazy thing is he’s scoring all these goals without yet having taken a penalty for Forest – only Erling Haland (15) and Phil Foden (also 15) have scored more non-penalty goals than Chris Wood (13) since 20 December 2023... which is when Nuno was hired.
He was involved in two penalty shouts in this game. One as he challenged for a dropping ball that caught an opponent’s hand, then another in his own area with his arm in question. Neither were called and rightly so.
Also, here are a couple of Woodsman tidbits courtesy of The Athletic:
Wood is also part of the leadership group at the club; he is among the clutch of players who guide the dressing room. He had an influence in the signing of [Elliot] Anderson, who called his former Newcastle team-mate for guidance on what life is like at the City Ground when deciding whether to join him there. When Anderson subsequently arrived in Nottingham, Wood was among the first to put an arm around the shoulders of the 21-year-old midfielder and help him settle in, as he tried to acclimatise not just to new surroundings, but also to the idea of leaving his hometown club, which he had been part of since he was a boy.
... [Wood] was called up to play for his native New Zealand side in the Olympics. His country were desperate to call upon his experience and know-how but, after discussions with Nuno, he explained to head coach Darren Bazeley that it was more important for him to remain with Forest to prepare for their new season. “I was aware this was the opportunity for him to be involved in the biggest sporting event in the world — the Olympics,” said Nuno. “That shows the commitment he has to us. It is not just about his goals, his work for the team is amazing.”
Up Next: He didn’t go to the Olympics but he is going to America with the All Whites... after which it’s Liverpool vs Nottm Forest at 2am on Sunday 15 September (NZT)
Ben Waine – Mansfield Town (English League One)
Saturday morning NZT marked the final hours for most men’s European league transfer windows and amidst big excitement around deals for the likes of Jadon Sancho, Raheem Sterling, and Manuel Ugarte... came the blockbuster yarn of Ben Waine’s loan deal to Mansfield Town. It had become likely that he’d have to leave to find regular football – and to prove himself as a goalscorer in the English leagues. His cheeky EFL Cup effort for Plymouth Argyle the other week had sparked some hope but then manager Wayne Rooney signed a new striker, Michael Obafemi on loan from Burnley, and Waine was immediately absent from the next two matchday squads. Rooney later clarified that this was injury-related... though there’s reason to doubt that...
Plymouth Herald on 28 August: Saxon Earley and New Zealand international striker Ben Waine are two players who have not been included in the Argyle squad for the last two games - the 1-1 Championship draw at Queens Park Rangers on Saturday and the 2-0 Carabao Cup second round defeat away to Watford last night - and Rooney explained there was a reason behind that. “Both injured,” said Rooney. “Ben Waine felt his groin and Sax felt his back. Sax was going to play tonight. That's why the two of them weren't involved.”
Three days later both Saxon Earley (Lincoln) and Ben Waine (Mansfield) were loaned out so either the injuries were a white lie to protect the news of these impending deals or they were very precautionary to protect the actual impending deals. Waine clearly wasn’t feeling too many after-effects as Mansfield rushed him into the squad for their 1-1 draw with Stockport County, the Waine Train featuring for a sneaky three minutes plus stoppages at the end wearing the #21 jersey.
Mansfield Town are a League One side, hence this is only dropping down one division. Same tier that he joined Plymouth in prior to their promotion. Mansfield were themselves promoted from League Two last term after finishing third behind Stockport and Wrexham. They’ve settled nicely into L1 with five points from four games to date... and they’re doing so with a rebuilt centre-forward contingent. They’d already signed Lee Gregory and Will Evans prior to getting Ben Waine on board and that’s because last year’s top scorer Davis Keillor-Dunn (22 goals) has joined Barnsley while back-up Will Swann (9 goals) has joined Crawley Town. Another of their recent signings is Aussie midfielder Keanu Baccus who previously played with Alex Greive at St Mirren.
MTFC manager Nigel Clough: “We’re very pleased to get Ben on board. He wanted an opportunity to go on loan and play some games. We received good references on him from the New Zealand manager and a few other contacts we have. When Chris Woods [sic] is injured for New Zealand, he’s the one who plays, and he’s also scored some goals for Wellington. He’s not had too many opportunities at Plymouth but we like what we’ve seen of him.”
Shout out to Darren Bazeley on the positive reference. We’ve got soldiers out there batting for these kiwi footballers, don’t overlook how valuable that can be for getting a foot in the door. It’s also worth mentioning here that Ben Waine is 23 years old. It wasn’t until Chris Wood was 25-26yo that he had his breakthrough season with Leeds United. Admittedly he’d already played Premier League before that... but he also got started in England at a younger age. Woodsy had a loan stint in League One himself once upon a time, scoring 8 times in 29 matches for Brighton & Hove Albion.
And Waine will have plenty of compatriot company in this division, with Max Crocombe (Burton Albion), Tyler Bindon (Reading), Nik Tzanev (Northampton Town), and Matt Dibley-Dias (also Northampton Town) already cracking into their League One mahi. Max Mata (Shrewsbury Town) is technically on the books of a L1 club as well, though is out on loan at Auckland FC.
Up Next: Mansfield managed to postpone their next match due to international call-ups so Waine’s next match will be after All Whites duty when MTFC host Cambridge United at 11.30pm on Saturday 14 September (NZT)
Tyler Bindon - Reading (English League One)
Reading lost 3-0 away to Wrexham last week but they rebounded strongly with a 2-0 home win against Charlton this time around. Second half goals for Charlie Savage (66’) and Sam Smith (76’) did the deed. The first was a long-ranger that went in off the post, the second a deftly-finished counter attack from up the wing. That’s seven points from four games to begin the new campaign and nothing’s been lost to points deductions yet – although there was an update about the ownership change taking another delay, meaning it has dragged on beyond the transfer window’s closing and thus Reading still aren’t allowed to pay any transfer fees, as has been the case for a while now (fortunately they got Bindon on a free). This was their second clean sheet from those four matches.
Alas, we did get a worrying moment when Tyler Bindon was substituted just before the second goal after landing awkwardly on his neck/head. He’d had a similar instance in the first half where he kinda got flipped in an aerial challenge but was alright. The second one looked much worse. He walked off without any assistance but was subbed so that they could get him into the concussion protocols.
Ruben Salas: “[Bindon] is okay. They have been going through the concussion protocol to see what it is. The next game is in two weeks so he will have plenty of time to recover.”
He’ll get that time to recover because he’s withdrawn from the All Whites squad. Bill Tuiloma has taken his place, a convenient late replacement given he’ll only require a domestic flight. There are always one or two late changes to those things so after potentially suffering a concussion it’s best not to be hopping on a plane and cramming in a couple more games. Sarpreet Singh has also withdrawn with a minor issue, probably to do with having just signed a new club. Logan Rogerson had already been added to the squad so he takes Singh’s spot. Ben Old and Nando Pijnaker also missed games with injuries this week so could be in doubt.
In other English Football League action, Northampton Town and Burton Albion played out a 0-0 draw in which Max Crocombe made five saves in another solid performance (his distribution seems to be trending back towards inaccurate long balls... albeit that could be a good sign if it means his manager is easing up on playing out from the back). That made it three draws in a row for Burton who probably should have won but after this last-second one-handed stop from Max Crocombe they were happy enough to share the points...
Annoyingly, Northampton Town had seven substitutes on their bench and the only two they didn’t use were Matt Dibley-Dias and Nik Tzanev. Comes with the territory for Tanz as a reserve keeper. As for MDD, he’s had his integration slowed by illness so hopefully he’s able to use the international break to good use there.
Up Next: International breaks for all of them thanks to various postponements
Andre De Jong – Stellenbosch (South African Premier Soccer League)
The goal streak may have ended for Andre de Jong, who was kept scoreless in both legs of the MTN8 semi-final against Mamelodi Sundowns, but he nevertheless achieved something in the second leg that he didn’t do in any of his three scoring games to begin this new season...
Man of the Match as the Stellies progressed to the final with a 2-0 aggregate victory, winning both legs 1-0. ADJ did go close to scoring a few times in that second leg, including a header that drew a one-handed save which you can see towards the end of that clip. There was also a blocked effort off a corner and a glancing near post header that flashed across the face of goal. Those ones weren’t to be, instead it was an assist that capped off an excellent team and individual performance...
He’d put a similar ball across goal inside the first couple of minutes of the match which nobody was able to get on the end of. This time ADJ’s square pass picked out Lehlogonolo Mojela at the back post to double the aggregate advantage and before long they’d seen it through for a place in the decider.
This club won its first ever major trophy last year when the claimed the Carling Knockout (they did win the second tier championship in 2018-19 as well, to be fair, but that obviously didn’t require beating the best teams in the land) and now they’re in line to challenge for another one. Mamelodi Sundowns are perennial champs of the PSL having won the last seven titles in a row so to shut them out across two legs is quite a feat.
Stellenbosch will face Orlando Pirates in the final, though that won’t be for another month. Between now and then they’ve got more continental footy on the calendar as they try and make the CAF Confederation Cup group stage, plus the league season begins next week. ADJ has three goals and an assist in five games early in this season and just won man of the match in the latest of them. His team is doing awesome. Times are good.
Up Next: Saturday TBD is the first leg of the Confederation Cup second preliminary round against Vita Club of DR Congo; also Stellies vs Golden Arrows at 3.30am on Monday in the PSL’s opening round (NZT)
Katie Bowen - Inter Milan (Italian Serie A)
And we’re back, with Katie Bowen continuing to do world class things just casually hanging out at Inter Milan playing ninety minutes every game. Internazionale got their season underway with an emphatic 5-0 win against Sampdoria – who themselves might have a kiwi player this year too. Kiara Bercelli spent last season on loan in the second tier but as of yet there’s been no subsequent loan this time around. It could still happen... s’pose we’ll find out when she gets back from the U20 World Cup.
It looked like Bowen was playing as a right-back here with inverted duties that took advantage of her background as a midfielder. Could have been a back three though, it’s not easy to tell from highlights in which her team was on the attack the entire time – the Inter website listed it as a back-three with Bowen joining Marija Milinkovic and Ivana Andres in the trio. A couple of the goals began from Bowen throw-ins. No goals or assists for her on this particular afternoon, though she did assist Michela Cambiaghi in a bit of basketballing celebration...
Inter Milan finished fifth last season, struggling towards the end after making it to the championship rounds (Sampdoria were eighth in 2023-24). They’ve not done a whole lot in the transfer market to bridge the gap to the best few teams in Italy, losing more players than they’ve gained, though the ones they’ve signed look pretty sharp. Four new additions were in this starting line-up: Icelandic goalie Cecilía Rúnarsdóttir, Spanish defender Ivana Andres, Italian midfielder Martina Tomaselli, and Belgian attacker Marie Detruyer. Lots of fresh options but Katie Bowen remains a key player.
Up Next: Napoli vs Inter at 1am on Monday (NZT)
Liberato Cacace – Empoli (Italian Serie A)
Well, the transfer window has come and gone and Liberato Cacace remains an Empoli player. It’s a risk from the club since he’s into the final year of his contract and once he hits the last six months he’ll be free to negotiate with clubs from outside of Italy... and remember he’s already played in Belgium and was linked to a few German teams during the offseason. They might also still manage to sell him in January, especially if his preference is to stay in Serie A, but we shall see. Surely a new contract is on offer. Then again, he might not want to sign one if he prefers the idea of free agency. Decisions, decisions.
In the meantime, Cacace’s going to keep hanging out as Empoli’s reserve left wing-back, a role in which he’s appeared off the bench in all three matches so far totalling 48 combined minutes. The latest of those sub cameos was against Bologna who, coincidentally, were one of the clubs linked with Cacace a few months ago. They’re a Champions League team after a fantastic previous campaign but were held to a 1-1 draw by Empoli, meaning that Empoli have yet to lose and Bologna have yet to win after three weeks. Heck of a start for the Azzurri to already have five points on the board considering how they lost their first five matches in a row last time.
The goals were scored early. It took 101 seconds for Bologna’s Giovanni Fabbian to pop one home at the back post off a flicked-on corner... but Emmanuel Gyasi responded pretty much straight from the kickoff. Empoli broke up the left and Giuseppe Pezzella flung a sweet cross over for his opposite wing-back to thrust over the line. Pezzella didn’t get a single assist last season but he’s already got one this time. Not ideal for Cacace... though counting in his favour is the fact that Pezzella always seems to be injured. This match provided another niggle for the Italian who was limping very conspicuously before to dropping to the turf after 72 minutes and being replaced by our lad Libs. Might have only been cramp. He’s got the international window to recover.
As for Cacace, he was his usual self. Some good defensive moments (including a block on a cross from down in the corner). Always an option with the ball. He also whipped in a good low cross of his own which could potentially have led to a penalty as Pietro Pellegri had his leg kicked out from under him trying to turn on the ball. That didn’t happen but it was still a tidy cameo from Cacace.
Up Next: Empoli vs Juventus at 4am on Sunday 15 Sep (NZT)
Marko Stamenic – Olympiacos (Greek Super League)
Marko Stamenic: “I think we can be happy with ourselves. It took a while to break them down but we were patient, we were hungry, we showed passion, and I think that showed in the result... We have huge ambitions to celebrate the 100 years, not only for us but for the fans and the community in Athens. We have big ambitions and we want to win everything that’s available. Good start to the season, we need to continue.”
That’s the main man Stam talking after his first Super League start for Olympiacos. He came off the bench for around half an hour in a 2-0 win vs Volos in week one. Nine days later, he was brought on for more than forty minutes after Santiago Hezze needed to be replaced with an injury. That was in a 2-1 win against Athens Kallithea. Hezze was back for the match against PAS Lamia... but that didn’t prevent Stamenic from joining him in a double pivot, lasting 85 minutes before Dani Garcia replaced him with a 3-0 victory already sorted. True to form, Stamenic showed off his passing range and his aggression (three tackles won, three fouls committed) in a tireless performance that hopefully bodes well for him remaining in this starting line-up more often than not.
As the bloke says in the video, this is a centenary year for Olympiacos. They won the Europa Conference League last year and are therefore partaking in the Europa League – which for the first time will have a league phase rather than a group stage. More games against different teams. Top eight overall go straight to the round of sixteen. Next sixteen teams go into the earlier knockouts. Bottom twelve are eliminated entirely. Olympiacos will play: Olympique Lyonnais (France - A), Braga (Portugal - H), Malmo FF (Sweden - A), Rangers (Scotland - H), FSCB (Belgium - A), FC Twente (Netherlands - H), Porto (Portugal - A), and Qarabag (Azerbaijan – H). Big array of nations there.
Up Next: After the break it’s Olympiacos vs Panetolikos on Sunday 15 September (NZT)
Nando Pijnaker – Sligo Rovers (League of Ireland Premier Division)
Ben Waine wasn’t the only player who was suddenly and conspicuously injured towards the end of the transfer window. Nando Pijnaker also ducked out of action with an apparent knock this past fortnight. In this case it was a legitimate injury with Pijnaker having suffered a head knock... but just like Waine he’s on the way out. Not that the transfer window had anything to do with it since he left Europe entirely after Sligo Rovers accepted a bid that will allow Nando to “continue his career closer to home”. In other words, he has signed with Auckland FC.
Pijnaker leaves the Bit’O’Red in third place on the League of Ireland, challenging for a European spot, having played 85 times for them across all competition over the past two and a half years. That includes four games of UEFA Conference League qualifiers. The 2024 season saw him miss a couple of months with broken ribs due to a collision with his goalkeeper but when he’s played he’s been amongst the club’s very best. Even after Sligo won 2-0 against Waterford on Sunday NZT, there’s still a huge disparity between their results when Pijnaker plays and when he doesn’t...
Sligo Rovers in the 2024 LOI with Pijnaker:
14 G | 8 W | 3 D | 3 L | 23 GF | 12 GA | +11 GD | 7 CS | 27 PTS
Sligo Rovers in the 2024 LOI without Pijnaker:
15 G | 4 W | 4 D | 7 L | 12 GF | 27 GA | -15 GD | 4 CS | 16 PTS
He’d been having his best season in Ireland... although his manager reckons there’s been interest around every corner. Nando himself has admitted he turned some opportunities down, just as his manager is now on the record as saying the club has rejected bids. Pijnaker was linked with Shrewsbury Town around the same time that Max Mata signed there (the rumour was that a Shrews scout had attended a game in order to see both of them). It’s not easy to find a move that matches the player’s ambition with the club’s footballing/financial interests, but it finally happened... no doubt influenced by the fact he was on an expiring contract.
John Russell, Sligo manager: “Every transfer window, there’s been interest in Nando. We turned down bids in the past and even last January he was close to leaving but we persuaded him to stay on. We had an agreement with Nando that if the right move came for him, we would not stand in his way. He has an opportunity now to play at a club closer to where he is from and I and the club have kept our word in regard to that. Nando has been a big player for us since joining the club. His game has developed over the seasons he’s been here and that’s a testament to him and the staff that have worked with him. I would like to thank Nando for all his efforts and wish him all the best in his future career.”
This potentially snaps a funky streak of kiwis at Sligo Rovers that dates back to Ryan De Vries signing in early 2020. RDV had a couple of seasons followed by Nando Pijnaker and Max Mata’s arrivals. We’re going to need to see them dip back into the transfer bag with that Pijnaker cash to keep the streak going into 2025. This also leaves us with only Alex Greive and Norman Garbett in the League of Ireland down the stretch. Both are in relegation battles. Greive was a very late sub as Bohemians won 2-1 against Shamrock Rovers. Garbett was an unused sub in Dundalk’s 1-0 defeat to Shelbourne.
Up Next: Bit of All Whites stuff before anything else
Maya Hahn - Turbine Potsdam (German Bundesliga)
The Bundesliga has been kind to kiwi women for a long time. In fact, there are more New Zealanders who have played in the German top division than in the English top division over the past decade. Rebecca Smith, Ria Percival, and Amber Hearn were probably the most successful – although just last year Erin Nayler won the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich (only making one appearance off the bench, having been signed as a backup keeper). She’s since left but in her place have come two more NZers courtesy of Turbine Potsdam’s immediate promotion from the second tier.
Maya Hahn was with Potsdam before the got relegated, though was only a bit-part player that year with 303 total Bundesliga minutes across eight matches. But down in the second tier she really broke through as a regular and influential starting midfielder. Problem with getting promoted, however, is that incoming signings arrive... hence Hahn was only on the bench for the season opener against Bayern Munich with six new players in the initial eleven. Hahn still managed 15 minutes off the bench on the right side of a midfield quartet...
Potsdam did alright. They only lost 2-0 to the defending champs, the second of those goals not being scored until the 85th minute (meaning MH entered a game in the balance). Hahn brought good energy and had a couple of nice touches to go with a couple of errant passes. Not a whole lot of time or opportunity to do much else against such a dominant team but the close defeat definitely reflects better on the promoted side. Both goals came from set pieces. Of course, Suya Haering is also with Turbine Potsdam having joined them back in January... though she’s yet to feature for the first team and wasn’t available for this match because she’s away at the U20 World Cup.
Up Next: Monday at 1am away to Viktoria Berlin in the DFB Pokal second round (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
Every week this guy serves up at least a 7 or 8 out of 10 performance without fail. The only thing holding him back from the levels he reached in his first stint with Viking are the goals and assists but he’s mostly leaving that up to others (although, as we’ve mentioned throughout the year, with a little more luck the assist tallies would be soaring too). He’s a mature presence in the midfield at 25 years of age. And, mate, they sure needed that this week as the Vikes found themselves down 2-0 against Tromsø with ten minutes remaining and crucial points on the verge of being dropped.
Not sure what was going on in the first half. Tromsø hit the post in the second minute and then took the lead after quarter of an hour, narrowly dodging the offside flag. With half an hour gone they bundled a second one over the line and this time it came from some more of that sloppy set piece defending from Viking. It wasn’t until the second half that VFK started properly testing the keeper... meanwhile they had their own goalie to thank for it not being three or four nil by that time. But there was a twist in this tale. Peter Christiansen slammed a low shot through traffic after a post-corner-kick scramble in the 84th minute and then Vuljar Vevatne straight away levelled up after Bell had helped win possession in the midfield in the 86th minute.
Bellinho was excellent. Viking not so much. They still dropped points... but they at least managed to salvage one in a 2-2 draw. And because the Eliteserien refuses to be normal, third-placed Brann lost and fourth-placed Molde lost so therefore Viking hang onto second for another week. Brann and Molde do each have a game in hand but there’s no guarantee they’ll win those the way things are going. Admittedly, Frederikstad and Rosenborg did both win to keep the pressure on the top four.
Up Next: Viking vs KFUM at 2am on Sunday 15 September (NZT)
Matthew Garbett - NAC Breda (Dutch Eredivisie)
Matty Garbs: “I already said it last year: I want to show my best self. I want to play every minute. For NAC, under this coach. Ultimately I want to become a decisive player: scoring goals, giving assists. I want to have a great season here. When you play a good season, you never know what will happen and I also have personal goals in the end, but that will come naturally. I want to show the fans here what I can do. I can do much more than I have shown so far.”
Confident words from Garbett, who has started both games since coming off the bench to score that goal in the win against Ajax. Having said that, his best self is still awaiting display after NAC Breda lost both of those matches. They were leading 1-0 against Utrecht only to concede twice in stoppage time and lose 2-1. Garbett had already been substituted when the damage was done in that match but he didn’t get to escape the tarnish in a 4-0 loss against Heerenveen in which three of those goals were scored during his 75 minutes on the pitch. Robin van Persie is coaching Heerenveen these days (an ex-club of Marco Rojas).
Garbett’s played alright in both games, it’s more that his team are having difficulty settling into the Eredivisie again... remember they were the lowest-ranked team in the promotion playoffs despite the fact they ended up winning the thing. Several new signings are also being embedded, plus they’ve got a new coach this season (who apparently is going to be more nurturing with the young players). Anyway, the win against Ajax has bought them some time considering that there are still three winless teams beneath them on the ladder. It’s also been tough sailing for Ryan Thomas’ PEC Zwolle who finally won a game this past week when they topped Heracles 3-0. Still haven’t seen Thommo on the pitch but he’s been included on the bench for all four fixtures. RT didn’t get any preseason minutes so he’s behind the rest of the crew in terms of match fitness even aside from the three knee surgeries he’s had in his career.
Might also just mention here, since it’s not really worthy of its own segment, that Saint-Étienne are also struggling to adapt to life back in the top flight of France. They have lost all three games to date and have looked pretty far off the pace in a couple of those, particularly the 4-0 defeat against Brest this past week. Ben Old didn’t play that match. He was out with an adductor injury and it’s not yet known how long he’ll miss. Hopefully just that one game, otherwise he’ll have to skip the All Whites tour.
Up Next: A pleasant week off for the Eredivisie clubs to take stock
Claudia Bunge – HB Køge (Danish Kvindeliga)
With that bit of news, both of the New Zealanders at HB Køge have now gapped it. Daisy Cleverley was released a few months back and we’re still waiting to hear where she goes next. Claudia Bunge did still have a contract but has wriggled out of it to rejoin Melbourne Victory in the A-League – where she previously won two ALW championships.
This is a weird situation because some overseas moves work, some don’t. That’s fine... but usually you can tell which way the wind is blowing. This one was trending beautifully until it all of a sudden wasn’t. Bunge made her HBK debut in a 0-0 draw against Nordsjælland (just before her good mate Malia Steinmetz arrived). She did suffer an injury through November that cost her several appearances but she started the first ten matches she was available for (after one unused sub effort prior to her debut) and had been looking like one of their better players. Then she got benched and the whole situation flipped – meanwhile at the same time Daisy Cleverley was in her best form for the team, albeit not good enough to earn a new contract. It was hoped that Georgia Eaton-Collins departing for Sporting CP would clear up a spot for Bunge to go straight back into the first eleven for the new season but that didn’t happen – a pattern that led to her only making the Olympics squad as an alternate player – so the logical move was to bail out.
Dennis Bauer, HBK sporting director: “Claudia has been a positive acquaintance for us, but she never got a permanent place in our defence during her time with us. That's why it makes sense to make this deal with Melbourne so she can come home and play some more football again. This is best for us, Melbourne, and Claudia herself.”
Meanwhile HBK have lost three of their first four matches so mistakes have been made but that’s no longer our concern. We’re also yet to see Malia Steinmetz for FC Nordsjælland... they’re probably just giving her a break after the Olympics but hopefully she’s had enough rest now because up next is the first round of Champions League qualifiers. FCN have a brutal first up match against Benfica on Thursday morning. Unlike HBK, that lot have won all four of their matches to start the league campaign. Ally Green is another one who is yet to be spotted at AGF. At least newcomer Ava Collins is doing things. She played ninety minutes up front for Kolding in a 4-1 defeat against Fortuna Hjørring. Got a yellow card. Made a good run to help clear space for the goal... in fact she might have scored it herself had the ball not deflected in off a defender instead.
Over in the men’s stuff, Callum McCowatt remains injured for Silkeborg, but Dalton Wilkins did get 18 minutes off the bench in a 2-2 draw for Sønderjyske against Viborg. They appear to have signed a new fullback, Haitian international Jeppe Simonsen, who started ahead of DW. Sonders were 2-0 up at half-time (those two goals constituting the first scored without Wilkins on the pitch this term) but let that lead slip through their fingers in the second stanza. Wilkins came on to help arrest the slide and did so. He remains the only dude in the squad with a positive goal difference during his playing minutes (+1 from 243 mins).
Up Next: The one to watch for is Nordsjælland vs Benfica at 3am on Thursday in UCLW qualifiers (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
With 119 clearances this season, Michael Boxall leads the entirety of Major League Soccer. He turned 36 years old a fortnight ago but he’s not slowing down, stringing together another extremely accomplished season of defensive football. After a 2-1 win against San Jose Earthquakes, his Minnesota United team are right there in the playoff hunt with seven matches remaining. They had some wobbles earlier in the year, most notably that six-game losing streak in June-July... but they’re back on the horse now.
The Loons took an eighth minute lead via Bongi Hlongwane. Boxy himself almost made that two a few mins later but he couldn’t get a touch on a diverted corner kick which was then cleared away by a defender on the line. There was one clearance Boxy maybe should have made in that game which allowed the Quakes to equalise, trying to shepherd his man away from goal only to inadvertently allow a flicked header back infield that set up the goal. That equaliser arrived after 33 minutes... but other than that the Loons were sturdy at the back and eventually managed to bundle in a scrappy winner on 63’. Hlongwane again. Captain Boxy leading the troops to victory. Right now they’re in ninth which would mean a play-in game against the eighth-placed team. They’re only five points away from fifth though, and that distance could disappear in a hurry if they can keep winning. In the meantime: international break.
That was it for the MLS lads. Finn Surman still awaits a debut after sitting on the bench for Portland Timbers’ 1-0 win over Seattle Sounders. Bill Tuiloma has been nowhere to be seen since Charlotte FC signed Tim Ream. The secondary transfer window has been closed for a couple of weeks too so it kinda looks like his three MLS appearances in 2024 will be all he gets. Tyler Boyd is out injured for Nashville SC and won’t return this year. Finn Linder and Jay Herdman are still with the Vancouver Whitecaps reserves trying to make a name for themselves. Pretty much just Boxy these days. Onwards.
It’s also pretty much just Abby Erceg in the NWSL. Milly Clegg is away at the U20 World Cup. Macey Fraser is still absent for Utah Royals with that ankle injury. Slight concern with how many players the Royals seem to have signed since the season began... not sure how that’ll affect Fraser’s situation but it does seem to be working for Utah who have won two games in a row after only winning twice in their first 16 matches. Ali Riley is out for the season with Angel City. That’s all we’ve got.
So the pressure is on Abby Erceg to get the job done for Racing Louisville and... that didn’t happen this week. They lost 3-2 to Seattle Reign with an 81st minute own goal from Arin Wright winning it for the others. Racing Lou twice held leads in this match only to lose conceding three times to a team that only had five shots in total. Not a good outcome. Drops them to 10th on the ladder, two points outside the playoffs with eight games left. Work to be done.
Up Next: St Louis FC vs Minnesota at 12.30pm on Sunday 15 September (NZT)
Brynn Sinclair - Arbroath (Scottish League One)
Say nau mai, haere mai to Brynn Sinclair, an unexpected new entrant into the Flying Kiwis community. The 22yo defender, originally from Dunedin, was one of the standouts in Petone’s National League run last year has signed a one-year contract with Arbroath in Scotland’s third tier after a short and successful trial period. The co-managers at Arbroath said he’d come highly recommended and that his attitude and willingness to develop had impressed them during his week at the club. That was enough to win the golden ticket.
Brynn Sinclair: “I’m excited to get going here at Arbroath. I moved across here from NZ recently and did plenty of research into the clubs that are out there and Arbroath were one that everyone spoke very highly of. I was really impressed with the people in the club that I’ve met so far and they all have the common goal and desire to work hard and fight to get up the table. The managers have been great through the process of signing and were really clear on what they expect from me and the team which I really liked as it gives me a personal goal to achieve as well as the wider team goals.”
League One is Scotland is the same level that Will Gillingham is at with Cove Rangers, where he’s become a first choice starter. Nothing special in terms of the standard but George Stanger did some good things there with Alloa Athletic leading to his move to Ayr United where he’s now aiming for promotion to the Premiership. Stanger has even played in the division below this so the progressions are there. Sinclair went straight into the team for a 0-0 draw with Alloa Athletic which does unfortunately keep Arbroath winless after five matches (three draws, two defeats) but a clean sheet on debut is nothing to scoff at.
Up Next: Scottish Challenge Cup, Arbroath vs Montrose at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
Zac Jones – Haverfordwest County (Welsh/Cymru Premier)
A 3-0 win for Hwlffordd County against Newtown. That’s their third win from five games to go with two draws which keeps them undefeated. Sitting third after five weeks. Zac Jones has kept four clean sheets conceding just once. Good things are happening and you deserve to know about it.
Up Next: Haverfordwest County vs The New Saints at 1.30am on Sunday (NZT)
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