Flying Kiwis – March 18
Macey Fraser - Utah Royals (American National Women’s Soccer League)
Macey Fraser missed a lot of football during the 2024 NWSL season. She didn’t join the Royals until after their campaign had already begun due to the overlap with her Wellington Phoenix season, very quickly made a positive impact for struggling team, and then promptly hurt her ankle. Fraser recovered enough to go to the Olympics with New Zealand a month later only to hurt her other ankle during her lone appearance in Paris and that was that for the rest of her year. She’d spend the remainder of the American season recovering back in Aotearoa after four NWSL games totalling 210 minutes.
The ankles are all good now. She made sure we all knew that with an influential Football Ferns tour in Costa Rica and all the hints from Utah Royals preseason were equally glowing. Fraser continually popped up in first eleven line-ups, earning praise from her coach (who isn’t the same coach that signed her but Jimmy Coenraets was the previous assistant so he’s not a new face). She was also allowed to swap numbers from #14 to the #6 that she wore at the Wellington Phoenix, at her U17 World Cup, and occasionally for the Football Ferns. That evidence pointed towards good things... and sure enough there was Macey Fraser’s name in the starting eleven for the season opener away against Bay FC.
Abby Erceg’s now in Mexico, Ali Riley is out indefinitely with injury, and Milly Clegg’s on loan in Canada. The NZ x NWSL focus is entirely trained upon Macey Fraser so these are very welcome developments indeed.
Fraser’s first eleven spot was telegraphed through preseason... the curious part about it was that they used her on the right side of the front three in a 4-3-3. Ideally she’d be the attacking midfielder but that’s Ally Sentnor’s role and if you follow American soccer then you know that Sentnor is one of the Next Big Things. Okay, no dramas, Fraser can do a very good job as an inverted playmaker out wide, linking with an attacking fullback and working with her midfield. Not that they used their midfield at all in taking a 12th minute lead. That goal stemmed from a uperb long ball over the top by the goalie, with Bianca St-Georges running onto it from the left and burying her finish. Simple as that. Fraser wasn’t making runs in behind in that same way but she did have a fullback who was, allowing Fraser to operate in almost a free role.
Bay FC tied things up when Kiki Pickett thumped in an outstanding shot from outside the area just before half-time. Macey Fraser was subbed a little after the hour. She was very good defensively, with four tackles credited to her, but perhaps under-involved going forwards. Might take a few games to get used to this position. Her team got through with that 1-1 result for a first point on the board. Last year they only took four points from their opening 12 fixtures so having one from one is pretty promising.
While the NWSL does break for the April international window, Macey Fraser’s skipping out on Football Ferns duty for the trip to Chinese Taipei. The press release wasn’t specific but we can safely assume it’s load management after she missed so much time last year. Plus she’s trying to establish herself as a starter for Utah so in that light it’s basically the same thing as Finn Surman... more on him soon. Should also note that Ali Riley has begun the season on Angel City’s “Season-Ending Injury” list... but don’t be discouraged by the title. She went on it last year and can be activated at any point – it’s just a formality to allow them to fit other players into the salary cap as temporary replacements until Riley’s (and Jun Endo, who is also on the SEI list) available to return. If she’s ever available again. There’s no predicting what’ll happen but hopefully we’ve not seen the last of her on a footy field.
Up Next: San Diego Wave vs Utah Royals at 3pm on Sunday (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
Last week it was 55 minutes in his first Eredivisie start since December 2023. This week he went even further, lasting 75 minutes away against Sparta Rotterdam... before cramping up and having to be substituted. Took it all the way to the limit. Just like his previous start, Thomas wore the captain’s armband (passing it to Davy van den Berg as he left the pitch)... and if you peep that little graphic at the bottom of the screen you’ll see that he covered 10.2 kilometres in those 75 minutes which, at that stage of the game, was the most of any player from either team. This is a bloke who’s had three season-ending knee surgeries. The work ethic is unreal.
Unlike last week, Zwolle didn’t lose. They went to Spartans and returned with a 1-1 draw. Very useful point as they hustle to stay in the Eredivisie – avoiding a defeat that would have seen Spartans move up above them on the standings. As it is, they’re both perched slightly above Willem II who are leading the charge from the relegation zoned clubs. Matt Garbett’s NAC Breda (well, sort of... Darren Bazeley did say he’s been able to play a few games for the reserves lately) are three points ahead of Zwolle, who are two points ahead of Willem II.
All the scoring against Spartans got taken care of within a few minutes of the second half getting going. First it was Olivier Aertssen giving Zwolle the lead on 48’ with a charging interception that took him all the way through on goal, shortly afterwards it was Tobias Lauritsen levelling up for Rotterdam on 51’ when he put an outstretched toe on a chunky deflected cross. That was all. It shouldn’t have been because both teams missed huge chances before the goals and both teams missed huge chances after the goals, not to mention when Sparta Rotterdam were given a penalty that they had all ready to go, ball on the spot, when VAR swooped in last second and overturned it. When you’re both scrapping to avoid relegation and confidence isn’t the highest that’s how it goes. What a glorious sight to see Ryan Thomas out there roaming around though.
Up Next: PEC Zwolle vs RKC Waalwijk at 9am on Sunday 30 March (NZT)
Emma Pijnenburg – Feyenoord (Dutch Eredivisie)
Cup days are good days for Emma Pijnenburg. It was in the Dutch Cup that she made her senior debut for Feyenoord in February 2024. It was also in that competition that she experienced probably the club’s finest result of that whole season when they won 3-0 against FC Twente in the quarter finals with Pijnenburg playing the whole thing. She also played 73 minutes of the semi-final against Ajax, which they lost in extra time. Minutes have been more sparse this term – probably because most of EP’s footy last season came as a makeshift right-back and they’ve had time to solve that problem between campaigns. But she did get a good chunk of time off the bench in the extra time win over Excelsior a month ago and would you believe it along came Heerenveen in the quarters and, same it was a year ago, Feyenoord won 3-0 with Pijnenburg getting a full game. Into the semis once again. History repeats.
This was EP’s first start of the campaign, having had to wait until November to get any time at all – although she’s steadily built into things since then with several extended sub appearances. She has occasionally gotten time in her preferred midfield position but mostly it’s been fitting in at right-back again, which is where she played against Heerenveen. Goals were scored by Ella Van Kerkhoven (62’), Romee van de Lavoir (68’) and Sanne Koopman (70’) so they did have to grind them down after a back-and-forth first half. You can see Pijnenburg playing the pass that leads to the assist for the first goal in here...
Choice. The draw for the semis served up possible opponents of FC Twente, PSV, and underdogs SV Saestum who beat Fortuna Sittard on penalties to qualify for the top four as a second tier club. Amazing run from them... but obviously they’re the team everyone else wanted to get. Alas, Feyenoord got put against PSV instead. They’re also trying to consolidate fourth place in the Eredivisie (aka first after Ajax, PSV, and FC Twente are accounted for at the top) so it could be top four in the league and top four in the cup. They were eighth in the Eredivisie in 2023-24.
Up Next: Zwolle vs Feyenoord at 2.30am on Monday (NZT)
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
Once upon a time, Chris Wood’s pleas for early crosses used to get ignored. Newcastle United never even acknowledged them, what with Miguel Almiron chopping inside to shoot and Alain Saint-Maximin needing to do 35 stepovers before a cross was even a possibility. Neither of those dudes are in the Premier League any more although Newcastle Utd did just win the League Cup. It was their first trophy for 56 years and their first on the domestic front since the 1955 FA Cup... shout out to them but we all know they couldn’t have done it without Chris Wood taking them from relegation battlers to Champions League qualifiers. Others played more important roles but The Woodsman did his bit.
Anyway, the point is that there was a moment early in Nottingham Forest’s game against Ipswich Town where Morgan Gibbs-White had nothing going out on the right wing, about three-quarters of the way up the pitch, hence he launched it into the area where Chris Wood powered a header on target that was saved. No fuss... Woodsy called for it and Gibbs-White delivered it. Never has Chris Wood been as integrated in his team’s strategy as he is here. Not even at Burnley or Leeds could we make that claim.
Wood didn’t score against Ipswich. That header was his best chance in a game where he wasn’t really needed. Forest struck three times in seven minutes between 35-41 with Nikola Milenkovic and Anthony Elanga (2) getting the goals and that explosion put them in cruise control the rest of the way. They did conceded two late ones but they also scored another in between (Jota Silva) so the result was never in doubt from the moment Anthony Elanga’s second hit the net. Wood played 80 minutes before Taiwo Awoniyi gave him a rest. It’d be easy to say this was one of those games where he never quite caught the rhythm... but that’s what all his games look like until he scores his usual goal. Nah, it was more that they got the job done without needing to visit that particular gold mine. This does mean he’s now gone four Prem games in a row without scoring (Newcastle, Arsenal, Man City & Ipswich) making this the longest drought of his magnificent season. Nothing to worry about there... although All Whites duty might be arriving at a good time for him.
The bottom line is that Nottingham Forest had an excellent 4-2 victory, continuing their trait of being able to grind out victories against bottom-half teams. The matchweek got even better from there when Manchester City only drew 2-2 with Brighton and Chelsea were beaten 1-0 by Arsenal. That means Nottm Forest are now five points ahead of fourth place and only four points behind Arsenal in second. With fifth-place likely to gain automatic Champions League qualification, they just took another massive stride towards that target.
Up Next: After the international break it’ll be Brighton vs Nottm Forest in the FA Cup quarter-final on Sunday 30 March at 6.15am (NZT)
Sarpreet Singh - União de Leiria (Portuguese Liga 2)
Singh’s been in and out of the starting lineup for UDL lately. He did ninety in a 2-2 draw against Felgueiras last week but prior to that were three substitute appearances in a row (albeit he was subbed on at half-time of one of them). Leiria have been grinding out results during this spell so it’s a competitive scene, no dramas. But hopefully that puts into context why he was on the bench for the visit of CD Mafra.
Singh would be subbed on for the last half hour with the scores locked at 1-1. Before long, he was chipping a delicious ball over the top from just outside the area that picked out a forward running to the byline only for the square ball to miss the open man at the back post. Regardless, the outside-of-the-left-boot dink from Singh was gorgeous... as was his through ball to the corner a few mins later, leading to a foul on the end of the resulting cross that stopped a clear goal. Red card and a penalty. Singh did take (and score) a penalty back in December however Spanish striker Juan Muñoz wasn’t playing that match. Muñoz was there this time so he got the honours and buried his second goal of the afternoon. Then, right at the end, JM completed his hat-trick for a 3-1 UDL victory. You can probably guess who set it up...
Nothing fancy, just two quick touches. One to straighten-up the defender and another to release Muñoz into space. Deflection on the shot but nobody’s bothered about that.
This was a good win from Leiria to make it six in a row undefeated, with three wins from the past four matches. They’re sitting eighth on the ladder, just four points behind second-place. Top two get automatic promotion while third place gets a playoff. That might be a little too much to ask from UDL at this stage but they’re still mathematically in the hunt. Really nice stint from Singh too, who helped change the game in his team’s favour when he came on. He’s got four goals and two assists in 14 appearances (786 mins) this Liga 2 campaign. Very useful stuff.
Up Next: Leixoes vs Leiria at 10pm on Sunday 30 March (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
Most MLS forward flinch to see Michael Boxall coming towards them... but Sporting Kansas City got away with it this week. They shouldn’t have. It was 3-0 to Minnesota United after a superb 65 minutes of football that began on 15’ when Hasani Dotson scored a magnificent volley from twenty metres out. The move was instigated by the goalie with a deep free kick from just inside his own half. Boxy headed it into the middle and then some pinball followed before Dotson rippled the net with that incredible goal. From scrambling footy to pure magic just like that. Tani Oluwaseyi then scored on either side of half-time and all was going swell for Minnesota United Football Club.
Fast-forward to the end and Minnesota, who’d been looking so utterly comfortable, conceded three goals between the minutes 68-80 to get stuck with a 3-3 draw. Threw that one away on the road. Can’t be too easy playing in literal snow but damn, that’s very much not the Loons that we saw for the first three weeks where every result was either a 1-0 win or a 1-0 loss. They finally scored some goals and the defence couldn’t match. The first goal was well-taken but the other two (one a preventable own goal, the other from a defensive third giveaway) were poor ones to concede. As soon as they leaked the first, they lost all control. Even still, Minnesota United should have won 4-3 except they missed an open goal right at the death. Whoops. 3-3 final score. At least it’s a point on the road.
Up Next: Home against LA Galaxy this weekend but Boxy will be away with the All Whites
Finn Surman - Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
There were changes to the Portland backline when Los Angeles Galaxy came to town but those changes didn’t prohibit Finn Surman from making it four starts in a row. He’s the only central defender to have started every game and we’re only a month into the term. Zac McGraw had gone 3/3 but he fell to the bench against LAG, as did Ian Smith, with Kamal Miller picked instead in a back four. Phil Neville had switched to three at the back to begin the season, largely due to injuries to their wide players affecting their balance, but they finished the defeat to Nashville last week in a back four and decided to stick with it against LAG. Surman and Miller holding it down at CB.
So how’d that go for them? Pretty good if you’re only looking at Finn Surman’s contributions. He made six clearances, won two tackles, picked up an interception, and completed 41/43 passes. He was quality and his coach said the same afterwards. The rest of the team also looked in good shape when they came back out after a dull first half and very swiftly took the lead through Felipe Mora on 49’. However, Miller had to go off injured with quarter of an hour to go, McGraw on to replace him, and it was McGraw who got picked off by a wonderful ball over the top by Zanka that allowed Christian Ramirez to level on 81’. Probably not an undeserved goal.
Nevertheless, the Timbers came away feeling that they should have won. Not only because they were leading 1-0 at home with ten to play but also because they had a clear penalty declined by the ref right at the end, who opted to allow an advantage for the subsequent shot and then didn’t go back despite the penalty being the far preferable option. VAR didn’t bother to intervene either. Thus it ended 1-1. Portland have one win, one draw, and two defeats to being the season. It sounds like they’ll likely stick with the 4-2-3-1 formation from here. It also sounds like Kamal Miller could be quite badly injured so Finn Surman’s arrangement to skip the All Whites qualifiers is going to work out fortuitously for the Timbers with his starting spot surely safe for at least another week after this.
If you’re interested, here’s Finn Surman explaining his absence from that All Whites squad. Don’t go saying that he rejected the call-up. Old mate (rightfully) won’t cop that accusation, no sir/ma’am.
Up Next: Colorado vs Portland at 2.30pm on Sunday (NZT)
Una Foyle – Cork City (Irish National League)
The Irish season actually began last week but Cork City lost 2-0 against Peamount United so it wasn’t much fun to mention. That’s not an ideal way to begin a new term after a ninth-placed finish that saw them tail off towards the end (although they did make a good run in the cup). But they did a clever thing by retaining Una Foyle, after Foyle made a name for herself over the back half of that campaign having joined in July 2024. This time she’s there for the whole shebang as the number one keeper. And while the first game wasn’t so flash... the second was much better.
A 4-0 win against strugglers Sligo Rovers was comprehensive. Christina Dring scored on 20’ and 25’ to set things up, then another burst in the second half saw Aoibhín Donnelly (65') and Ciara Fitzpatrick (67') score further goals. Sligo did have a crack at a consolation goal towards the end. Foyle made a good low save at her near post in the ninetieth minute, only for her team to concede a penalty for a handball in stoppage time. Never fear, Una Foyle tipped that thing onto the post and the clean sheet was secured.
That’s what we’re talking about. As for the blokes in Ireland, Oskar Van Hattum returned to the Sligo Rovers starting eleven and played a full game for the first time... but they lost 1-0 at home against Derry. OVH was wide right again. Moses Dyer couldn’t repeat his goal-scoring efforts from last week but he did do 88 mins with a yellow card in a 1-0 win for Galway against Waterford. There was no Norman Garbett for Dundalk a division downwards though.
Up Next: Athlone Town vs Cork City on Sunday at 8.30am (NZT)
Hannah Blake & Michaela Foster – Durham FC (English Championship)
Big time win for Durham over here. They hosted Newcastle and nearly took an early lead when Mickey Foster fizzed one a little over the top from distance... though instead they found themselves trailing after only seven minutes, conceding from a header off a cross that would have been prevented if they’d cleared the ball properly when they had the chance. Nevertheless, it was merely a blip. By the time the clock read 30:00, they were 3-1 up courtesy of goals from Aimee Claypole (17’ & 19’) and Beth Hepple (30’) via a ruthless display of transitional attacks... with Foster winning possession and feeding a clever pass through the gap to set up the move for the opener.
From there they simply had to manage things – a task which would have been much easier if the ref had spotted the last-woman foul that stopped Claypole from getting a first-half hatty. Got held back by a defender with the keeper out of frame but Newcastle got away with it. Since Durham were in management mode, there was plenty of Michaela Foster work at the base of midfield... including a yellow card for blocking a quick free kick with twenty to go. But also because of that state of play, it meant they didn’t turn to their bench until the last five minutes. Hannah Blake was the first sub used and she barely got a run. Still, a 3-1 victory goes hard for Durham, keeping them fourth in sight of the teams above.
Sadly, the promotion hopes of Sunderland are probably cooked after they followed last week’s valiant FA Cup defeat to Manchester United by losing 2-1 against last-placed Portsmouth. Katie Kitching played ninety and had a good chance 1v1 in the first half that she couldn’t convert, then early seconds she set up a similar one for a teammate that likewise got thwarted. Those misses were punished when they conceded twice to a pair of very good finishes. Kitching kept up the threat by turning a shot into the sidenetting from a low cross near post... and with fifteen to go it was Kitch’s through ball that sent Katy Watson onwards to score and give Sunderland hope. There was a deflection on the pass so not every outlet has classed it as a Kitching assist... but they’re wrong if they didn’t. Make that five goals and five assists in the Championship for KK this term. Unfortunately, her team never mustered up a second goal. 2-1 to Pompey. Sunderland are now 11 points behind leaders Birmingham. Oh well. It’s been an outstanding season from Kitching all the same.
That result was a bummer for Sunderland but it was a disaster for Sheffield United, who didn’t play this weekend and therefore have slumped below Portsmouth into last place (aka the relegation zone). Only one team goes down thanks to Reading’s preseason withdrawal and Sheffield United, with Jacqui Hand and Olivia Page, are going to have to whip up some quick points over their last five games if they’re going to save themselves. Jacqui Hand was relegated with Lewes last season too. In 21 Championship appearances she’s only been on the winning side three times.
The Blades didn’t have a game this week and neither did the WSL’s Leicester City... so they played each other in a friendly with the Foxes winning 3-0. Jacqui Hand and Olivia Page definitely featured for Sheffield United. Not sure if CJ Bott got any minutes amongst all LCFC’s rotations but here she is doing pull-ups...
Two other games to mention in England. London City scored late to win 1-0 against Blackburn Rovers, keeping the pressure on in second place. Grace Neville was an unused substitute. Then up a division there was an enormous victory for Crystal Palace who beat Aston Villa 3-1 to rise within one point of them on the standings. Palace are still last but hope is in sight, especially with Villa in freefall having lost their last five WSL matches in a row. Only problem was that Indi Riley missed the game with an unspecified injury.
Up Next: Durham vs Portsmouth on Monday 31 March at 0:00 (NZT)
Tyler Bindon - Reading (English League One)
Such is the immaculate form of Tyler Bindon that a goal-line clearance like that in an outstanding Reading FC victory, winning 2-0 against Wrexham (the pride of the Disney Channel), despite playing the last fifteen with ten men after Bindon’s CB partner Michael Strickland got sent off, still sorta feels like a quiet week for him. Didn’t help that Reading produced a tired follow-up to only draw 1-1 at home with Stevenage but even then Bindon was one of his team’s best. He’s always one of Reading’s best. That’s just how he rolls.
The Wrexham game was a great occasion at home on a Tuesday night. Bindon got to mark his former teammate Sam Smith who transferred from Reading to Wrexham in January... only without a loan back like Bindon’s Nottingham Forest deal. To give you an idea of how that battle went, Bindon’s teammate Lewis Wing had a giggle afterwards saying that: “Tyler still has him in his back pocket. He [Bindon] has been outstanding; it doesn’t matter who he comes up against he always has a good game. It was nice to see [Smith] and I’m glad he didn’t score”. And if one teammate endorsement isn’t enough, this was Bindon’s injured CB partner Amadou Mbengue laughing about it in the sheds...
Bindon blocked a couple of Smith shots in an otherwise tentative first half... then Reading took over early in the second spell with goals from Harvey Knibbs (51’ pen) and Lewis Wing (55’). The red card could have made it frisky but nah they had that covered too. It was an excellent win. And although they weren’t able to take full advantage with a win against Stevenage on the weekend, that result does mean they’re now ten matches unbeaten, only two points outside the playoff spots with nine rounds left. They’ve only conceded five goals in those ten matches.
Tyler Bindon: “For me, Reading’s given me so much and I want to give as much as possible back to the club. Every single game I’ll give my all for them, give my all for the boys, for the coaching staff, for the workers, for everyone behind that scenes that nobody really sees. They deserve to be higher up so hopefully we can make that happen.”
Elsewhere in England, there was a 2-0 win for Burton Albion away to Shrewsbury. Couple saves in there for Max Crocombe along with the clean sheet... but most important are the three massive points as they try to stay in the division. Still a six-point gap to safety but it would’ve been worse without this win. Nik Tzanev remains on the bench for Northampton Town who drew 1-1 with Birmingham. Great result but it needs more Tanz. Likewise, Mansfield Town played twice during which they lost 2-0 to Exeter City with no Ben Waine in the squad then won 2-1 against Barnsley with Waine getting seven mins off the bench (for him at the moment that’s like playing ninety minutes). Also worth mentioning that Matt Dibley-Dias played a full game for Fulham U21s as they beat Sporting Lisbon’s counterparts 2-1 in the Premier League International Cup quarters. It’s not impossible that Dibs could squeeze onto the bench in a Premier League game before the season is done.
Up Next: Sunday 30 March at 4am it’s Reading vs Peterborough (NZT)
Oliver Colloty - Peterhead FC (Scottish League Two)
Nicely done... that’s a second professional goal for Oli Colloty at Peterhead FC and his first in front of the home fans (who he clearly enjoyed celebrating in front of... until he remembered to thank the bloke who set him up). Nodding in shortly after being subbed on to give his team a second goal against Edinburgh City, who were later reduced to ten men. A 2-0 win takes care of business for another week with Peterhead tied on 53 points alongside East Fife (behind on goal difference) in the battle for the League Two title. Both teams have played 29 matches and have seven more remaining. Third place is seven points adrift. Only the champs get automatic promotion, though whichever team misses out will be favoured in the playoffs.
Speaking of promotion quests, up in the Championship, Ayr United were beaten 2-0 by Partick Thistle which follows defeat against Greenock Morton last week. Two bad results have allowed Falkirk to move eight points clear at the top with Ayr dropping to third beneath Livingston. Again, only the champs get automatic promotion... and George Stanger is a free agent at season’s end so if Ayr United don’t pull through in the playoffs he’ll have a tough decision to make.
Up Next: Stirling Albion vs Peterhead at 4a, on Sunday (NZT)
Riley Bidois - Loudoun United (American USL Championship)
That’s the way to do it. Riley Bidois was scoring in preseason too but they’ve only picked him on the bench since the real stuff began (this was the second game). No dramas because Bidois has managed to have an impact anyway, popping up to score the winner as Loudon United beat North Carolina 2-1 away from home. He was subbed on after 57 minutes. He scored after 63 minutes. He also, for the second game in a row, got a yellow card as a substitute. Loudon have won both games to kick off the 2025 USL Championship. Decent way for Bidois to celebrate after turning 23 years old during the week.
RB wasn’t the only kiwi in amongst the goal contributions in those lower-tiered American areas. Alex Greive is working his way in at San Antonio FC (who have also won both games) and action like this will go a long way towards helping him do that. It was the lack of end product that cost him in Scotland and Ireland but he never had a problem with that when he was at university in the USA and based on this dose of magic it doesn’t look like he’ll have that issue in the USL Champ either...
San Antonio won 2-0 against Pittsburgh Riverhounds. Greive played the last 15 minutes following on from two minutes on debut. Elsewhere, there was a 1-1 draw for the Kyle-Adams-captained Racing Louisville away against Birmingham Legion. Didn’t see Elliot Collier for Indy Eleven, who had a bye in week one, but James Musa did get a full game in defence.
And over in the MLS Next Pro competition we got a debut for James Bukleley at North Texas... although it only lasted 12 minutes before he had to be subbed back off again. On after 70 mins, off after 82 mins. He hurt himself lunging into a block that conceded a corner kick, looked like it was his ankle that took the damage. Bulks tried to carry on but only limped through the next few mins before summoning the physio. That sucked. However, Ronan Wynne did this for Atlanta United 2...
Wynne drew high praise on debut for the Atlanta ressies last week and he was similarly good this time around. That goal was a 78th minute equaliser that earned a 2-2 draw away to Orlando City B (some Next Pro teams are 2, some are II, some are B, some have different names entirely... just roll with it). He’s not exactly in Tyler Bindon’s hemisphere but there’s a similar thing going on here where Ronan Wynne seems to find different ways to impress with each subsequent game. If it’s not his tackling then its his attitude and workrate. If it’s not his crossing then it’s a headed goal. Wynne’s doing exactly what he needs to do to get that MLS opportunity sooner rather than later.
Up Next: Most of the USL clubs should have US Open Cup fixtures in the midweek, with Loudon United away to West Chester United on Weds at 12.30pm (NZT)
Kate Taylor - Dijon FCO (French Première Ligue)
It was fourth against fifth in the Première Ligue... and they drew 0-0. Rightio, fair enough. This is a result that suits Dijon a little more than it does Fleury since they’re the fourth-placed team in pole position for the Best Of The Rest title behind Lyon, PSG, and Paris. They were also the away team in this fixture. Having said that, they had more chances than their opponents and probably ought to have won it on balance. But Fleury had some moments of their own, like this one which required a very important diving headed clearance from Kate Taylor to repel...
Taylor was the only Football Ferns player to be rested out of the last international break and they’ve had a week off since then. Therefore it was a relief to see her back in central defence doing ninety minutes in this match. She also picked up a yellow card in the second half for shoving over a dribbler near halfway to halt a counter-attack. Doing what needed doing (even though there didn’t appear to be a whole lot of contact). That’s her third yellow card in 14 league appearances for Dijon.
And if you’re wondering about Ben Old, he wasn’t included in Saint-Étienne’s travelling squad for the match away to Montpellier. He remains on track for a return to action against PSG in two weeks, following the international break. ASSE were heading towards a desperately needed 2-0 win against Montpellier in a hotly contested rivalry game between the two bottom teams on the ladder until some Montpellier fans threw smoke bombs onto the pitch and started a fire in the stands. The match had to be called off after 57 minutes. Saint-Étienne fans had already been banned from attending due to the likelihood of violence (as happened in November when they met in the corresponding match). ASSE were down to ten men so it’s no guarantee they’d have hung on... the authorities will decide over the next few days whether to award ASSE the points or if the game will be continued or replayed or whatever.
Up Next: Le Havre vs Dijon at 5am on Sunday (NZT)
Katie Bowen - Inter Milan (Italian Serie A)
Katie Bowen didn’t play the 2-1 defeat away to Roma last week. Not sure why... but she was straight back into the side to face AC Milan this time around so all goods. Right side of a back three, the usual deal. Except that Inter seem to have lost their defensive grit of late and it’s not only a matter of playing tough games each week in the championship rounds. They’re blowing leads and getting sloppy.
Against AC Milan, they were also sloppy going the other direction because they could already have been 2-0 up when Marija Milinkovic touched them into a 14th minute lead on the end of a corner. The narrow margin came back to bite them when they scored an own goal to level things up on 38’, however they hit back just before half-time when Michela Cambiaghi flipped in from another corner kick. And it was at that point that Katie Bowen was substituted. Seems to have been a tactical thing given that it was a double HT change... but maybe Bowen was still short a gallop after missing last week. Whatever the situation, another own goal made it 2-2 after 65 mins. Tessa Wullaert quickly restored the lead for Inter. But an Evelyn Ijeh goal on 80’, scrambling that thing over the line, gave AC Milan a third equaliser of the afternoon. Another weird game from Internazionale, dropping more points from a leading position. 3-3 was the final score.
Despite only winning one of their last five Serie A games, conceding 11 goals in those five matches after only allowing eight in 15 games before that... Inter are still second on the ladder with six rounds to go. They’re 10 points behind leaders Juventus but have a game in hand and two more fixtures against them to try and shake things off and mount a title challenge. The vibes are pretty strange at the moment though.
Strange beats what’s going on at Empoli, at least. Libby Cacace was at centre-back again for an away trip to face Torino where the Azzurri held out for most of the match until conceding with twenty to go, Nikola Vlasic getting the goal, and with that Torino won 1-0. Typical narrow Empoli defeat. Interesting to see that Emmanuel Gyasi was the left-sided attacking midfielder. He’s usually the right wing-back, so with Cacace needed at LCB they simply picked another converted wide defender in that spot instead. Meanwhile, Sampdoria’s women drew 0-0 with Napoli. Decent point but probably a game they needed to win to have any hope of avoiding relegation. Kiara Bercelli was an unused sub.
Up Next: Fiorentina vs Inter at 12.30am on Monday (NZT)
Elijah Just - SKN St. Pölten (Austrian Erste Liga)
That’s what we want to see. Eli Just did miss a couple of games with the hamstring injury he suffered in his first half back after the winter break but fortunes were good when he was still picked for the All Whites squad and The Baze didn’t steer us wrong on that one. Just was subbed on for the last 25 minutes or so against First Vienna, floating around and linking up sweetly like he’s been doing so well all campaign. He also happened to join proceedings just before First Vienna scored to go 2-0 up... and then played his part in a thrilling comeback that saw St Pölten get back to 2-1, then go down 3-1, before goals in the 89th and 90+1st minutes booked a 3-3 draw. They almost won it at the very end. A few more minutes and they surely would have... with that comeback happening while Just was on the pitch.
St Pölten are fifth in the standings and currently nursing an eight-game unbeaten streak. Just has four goals and an assist in his 13 appearances. He’s also scored in four consecutive All Whites games. Could he be playing at a higher standard? Yeah, sure, he already has done in his career... but there’s also no denying that this Austrian second tier stint has instigated some prime form outta EJ.
Up Next: International break... and then away to Flyeralarm Admira at 8.30am on Saturday 29 March (NZT)
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