Flying Kiwis – April 8
Finn Surman - Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
It’s hard to imagine how the last few weeks could have gone any better for Finn Surman. He may have had some reluctance about skipping out on the last All Whites tour but it’s proven to be the best thing for him. At the start of the season, he was a (somewhat) surprising inclusion in Portland’s starting eleven... now he’s one of the first names on the teamsheet. His coach Phil Neville absolutely adores him. His teammates aren’t far behind (including the one who thought that they called him “kiwi” because his head resembles the fruit). And week after week he’s laying down commanding central defensive performances for the Portland Timbers which swiftly earned the adoration of the fanbase too. The Finn Surman experience is going global.
Portland travelled to face FC Austin this week, a team they’d beaten 1-0 at home about a month ago. They did so with an unchanged back four from the win over Houston last week and also, for the fourth game in a row, with the Finn Surman + Kamal Miller centre-back pairing in place. To be honest, Portland didn’t create a whole lot in this game despite getting into some good situations. But that was alright because it was a tricky away game and the defence carried them over the line for a 0-0 draw. It was only in the last ten mins that Austin mustered anything of danger. Clean sheet and a point on the road. Sweet as.
This was another of what’s fast becoming a typical Finn Surman performance. He had more touches of the ball than any other player on his team, completing 60/66 passes (91%, albeit mostly sideways and backwards consolidating stuff), made three blocks, grabbed an interception, and made a game-high 10 clearances. Nobody who saw him play for the Wellington Phoenix (or for the NZ age grade sides) will be surprised by how he manages to repel damn near anything that gets sent into the penalty area because we’ve seen it all before. But the Americans are learning all this live and unfiltered. Morris Duggan dropped to the bench for Minnesota Utd this week in order to accommodate the return of Michael Boxall which means that Finn Surman has now gone ahead of Duggan and into the MLS-wide lead for the most defensive clearances this season.
Surman on dealing with crosses: “I’m looking at different things. I’m looking at the person who’s taking the cross, I’m looking at where I am positioned, I try to read where they’re looking to put the ball – whether that’s in front of me or behind him – I look a little bit at the opposition players and where they are in the box. But we work a lot on it. Myself, the back four, and the sixes. We know the positions we need to be in and how each other defends. It does take time.”
Up Next: Sporting KC vs Portland at 6.15am on Monday (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
Boxy missed one game while he was away with the All Whites. The Loons were a bit sloppy only getting a 2-2 draw out of that home match against LA Galaxy but they still chose the wise option of giving Boxall an additional game’s rest after the international break, during which they were much more effective at the back in a 2-0 win against Real Salt Lake. But that didn’t change anything. Michael Boxall is the captain of this squad and with his rest obtained he was back in the starting eleven for the trip to face NYCFC... where they won 2-1 and thus extended their unbeaten streak to six games. With 14 points from seven matches, this is Minny Utd’s best ever start to an MLS season.
The Loons were playing away from him in front of a big crowd. They scored after only sixty seconds when Tani Oluwaseyi flipped in a tidy finish. New York City tried very hard to respond but Minnesota United kept up the threat from set pieces, with vice-captain and midfielder Will Trapp scoring a rare goal after 28 minutes to make it 2-0. It seemed that the home side had found a pathway back when Boxall conceded a penalty in first half stoppage time. VAR suggested a good long look but the referee upheld his decision (despite hints that Boxall had won the ball and that the attacker had initiated contact it probably didn’t meet the “clear and obvious error” criteria). But then cosmic justice prevailed because Alonso Martinez, who’d earned the spot kick, lashed it onto the crossbar.
NYCFC ended up having 76% of the ball and way more shot attempts than their visitors as Minnesota Utd went into their shells in the second half, yet it was only right at the very end that New York City finally got a goal to show for it and Boxy’s lads kept the door closed from there. The Loons lost their opening game but have been undefeated every since. Boxall got a yellow card (not for the penalty incident). He also made 10 clearance and 5 blocks. Boxy was so good that even in a game where he conceded a penalty and got booked, he was still picked for the team’s Man of the Match shortlist (finishing third in the voting).
Michael Boxall: “The penalty kick and then my yellow card as well... I think that, I don’t know his name but the guy for New York City, he embellishes contact a bit so he knows where I am. As soon as the penalty’s given, I think it’s pretty 50-50. I know that it’s tough to overturn that when there’s a little bit of contact so I was just frustrated it was given in the first instance. I’ll have to watch it back so I can be honest with myself. Probably not a situation where I need to get that close, he’s heading away from goal.”
Up Next: Sunday at 6.30am away to Toronto FC (NZT)
Troy Putt - Minnesota United 2 (American MLS Next Pro)
But wait there’s more. It looks like Michael Boxall’s influence in Minnesota has shone through yet again. Birkenhead United youngster Troy Putt was recently training with the Auckland FC Reserves, seemingly on track to get a contract there, but it turns out that he’d already trialled with Minnesota United’s development team back in February and they liked him enough that they’ve signed him up on a two-year contract. He’ll be available as soon as his visa papers come through.
MNUFC2 Head Coach Jeremy Hall: “Troy impressed our staff while he was on a trial with the team earlier this year. He is an exciting young player with exceptional pace and a natural ability to create problems for defenders with his threat in behind and pure athleticism. We’re happy to see Troy again when he joins our team as an official member of the group, and look forward to helping him develop as a player during this next chapter of his early playing career.”
Putt was part of the Birkenhead United side that made it to the NZ National League grand final back in December, playing off the bench on that occasion. He’s a speedy forward with good technique who added a couple of assists during that Birko run to the final. Incredibly, he’s the seventh player from that squad to move on to a professional environment in 2025. We’ve got Monty Patterson with Atletico Ottawa in Canada. We’ve got Semi Nabenu, James Taylor, Everton O’Leary, and Shivam Nair joining Auckland FC Reserves. Can’t forget Corban Piper at the Wellington Phoenix either (although he left before the National League). Now we’ve also got Troy Putt.
Putt joins a kiwi contingent in MLS Next Pro that contains Finn Linder (Vancouver Whitecaps), James Bulkeley (North Texas), and Ronan Wynne (Atlanta United). Linder hasn’t featured for VW2 yet while Bulkeley was injured a few weeks ago and hasn’t yet recovered. Wynne’s been pretty good for AU2 though, pushing his case for an MLS debut before the year is out. Might also see Bill Tuiloma pop up for Charlotte FC’s affiliate team at some stage but so far that hasn’t happened. As for kiwis in Minnesota, Michael Boxall (the club’s all-time leader for MLS appearances) was briefly joined by James Musa and Noah Billingsley a few years ago. Ideally, Putt will someday play a few more games than those lads were allowed to.
Up Next: Waiting on some paperwork, by the sounds of it
Oliver Colloty - Peterhead FC (Scottish League Two)
It was first versus last in Scotland’s League Two as Peterhead hosted Bonnyrigg Rose... so that might explain why Oli Colloty got given a rare start. But as Gandalf told Frodo, all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us. Colloty was given some time against Bonnyrigg Rose and he decided to score a triumphant hat-trick in a 5-0 victory. Goals on 19’, 26’, and 47’. All three were proper striker’s finishes: tap-ins from roughly six yards out. That’s that Chris Wood playbook and Oli Colloty has been studying it.
These were the first three goals in the match, sending Peterhead cruising towards victory. Colloty was subbed soon after they scored the fourth with about an hour gone. He’s made 13 appearances for Peterhead since he became eligible in January, appearing in all but one of his team’s matches during that time, but only three of those games have been starts. The first of those starts also came against Bonnyrigg and he scored that day too (in a 4-3 away win). OC also scored off the bench against Edinburgh City in March. We’re talking about 5 goals in 13 appearances (397 minutes)... roughly one every 80 minutes. The 21yo is still proving himself at his new club and having to be patient for a winning team that doesn’t need to make too many alterations from week to week. This is exactly how you do that.
What makes this result even better is that East Fife stumbled to a 1-0 defeat against Forfar, allowing Peterhead to move four points clear at the summit. They’re on track for promotion. They’re on track for a championship.
Unfortunately, that’s a whole lot better than how Ayr United are tracking in the Championship. George Stanger’s boys have lost three of their past five matches, including 1-0 to Raith Rovers most recently, and that’s seen them tumble from briefly sitting in first place to now being 11 points adrift. The wheels have come off and they now sit third. If they can’t climb back up another spot, that’ll mean having to play a quarter-final rather than skipping straight to the promotion playoff semis. They’re already guaranteed that playoff spot but this is not the form they want to be bringing into it. Stanger and company have four games left with which to regather themselves. Given that Stanger is coming off-contract at the end of the season, failure to earn promotion would probably mean it’s time to look elsewhere for the next phase of his career.
Up Next: Peterhead vs Spartans FC at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
Liberato Cacace – Empoli FC (Italian Serie A)
Ordinarily, a cup semi-final appearance makes for a special occasion. Nottingham Forest are hyped up for theirs... but Empoli unfortunately have the cold financial realities of Serie A relegation to fear so for the first leg of their Coppa Italia semi, at home against Bologna, gaffer Roberto D’Aversa decided to rest players and made eight changes from the 1-1 draw with Como. But one of the three players in common was Liberato Cacace who, in the absence of Giuseppe Pezzella, received a rare start in his preferred position as the wide-left defender.
All those changes brought doom from the very beginning though. Empoli were stuck on the back foot and only managed to hold out until the 23rd minute when Riccardo Orsolini scored for Bologna. It was a frustrating goal to concede because the centre-back in the middle had his back turned to the cross, far too distracted by trying to wrestle the striker rather than repelling the danger, and that forced Cacace to rush off his man to attack the ball. But the ball got through to an open Orsolini who lashed it home. Speaking of the ball, they then made a show of taking that ball and bagging it away, with a graphic on the telly screen about how you can bid in the auction to own a goal-scoring football from the Coppa Italia semis. That was different.
Thijs Dalinga doubled the lead on 29’ before adding another five mins into the second half. Forget about it. Empoli were thoroughly beaten 3-0 in their home leg and now have to go away in a few weeks to try and overturn the deficit if they’re going to take their best ever cup run all the way to the grand final. Considering how they’ve only scored more than twice in a game on two occasions this season, and how the most recent of those was four months ago, it ain’t looking likely. Cacace played the full match although he did move infield after Pezzella was subbed on at half-time.
That sucked. After tanking a cup semi-final first leg in order to prioritise their scrap against relegation... they really needed to get something out of the visit from Cagliari on the weekend. Luckily they did. Empoli claimed a point in a 0-0 draw, with Cacace spending the whole match in that left-sided attacking role where he managed to keep himself pretty steadily involved. He was whipping that ball into the middle wherever he could... including a cut-back from a position where he probably should have just shot. He did smash one shot on target much later in the match running onto a loose ball just outside the area. Too close to the keeper though, who kicked it away. Empoli looked the more likely team in the first half whereas the second was much more even. Both teams were pretty toothless though.
Empoli still have not won a league game since December 8... but at least they’ve managed to draw four of their last seven. That’s what’s keeping them alive with seven matches to go. The Azzurri remain two points away from safety with none of the bottom five clubs having managed a win in their past five fixtures. They’re all blindly stumbling around down there. A couple of quick victories and the whole picture could change in a hurry for Empoli... it’s not too late.
Up Next: Napoli vs Empoli at 6.45am on Tuesday (NZT)
Callum McCowatt - Silkeborg IF (Danish Superliga)
Yeah nice. That’s actually Callum McCowatt’s first assist in the Superliga this season (to go with two goals) – though keep in mind that he’s only played 584 league minutes due to the injuries that plagued him prior to the winter break. He’s started both games since Silkeborg dropped into the relegation rounds and, following a disappointing defeat against Sønderjyske, this time McCowatt was pretty influential in a winning effort.
Silkeborg beat Lyngby 2-1 at home after doing the damage early. McCowatt’s sumptuous ball for Younes Bakiz came after only eight minutes. Tonni Adamsen then scored from a 15th min penalty kick. Another burst up the right wing from McCowatt led to a Bakiz this time laying the ball off for a teammate whose shot was headed off the line by a defender... all this within 25 minutes. Lyngby struck back after half an hour when Michael Opoku smacked the leather off a shot from twelve yards and they would later have the opportunity to tie things up from the penalty spot, only for Nicolai Larsen to fire it over the top after 50 mins. With that crisis avoided, Silkeborg were able to survive for the win. McCowatt played 68 mins.
Viborg also won so they remain two points behind Silkeborg in the rellie rounds. Top spot gets a lifeline in the European qualifiers whereas second gets nothing. Silkeborg won’t have to worry about relegation itself as they’re 18 points clear of the bottom two with eight rounds to go. Also, SIF are still in the Danish Cup with the two-legged semis against Brondby to be held in early May. Still plenty to play for and it seems that McCowatt, whose three goal contributions have come within SIF’s last six matches, has regained his rhythm at the right time.
Up Next: Viborg vs Silkeborg at midnight on Sunday/Monday (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
Viking had a ‘mare in week one by losing 3-1 to promoted club Vålerenga. Fortunately, things were much improved at the second time of asking. Viking were home against KFUM Oslo and if it weren’t for pesky ol’ VAR they would have had a penalty after just five minutes... alas, the soft contact led to that call being overruled. They then found themselves trailing 1-0 after 29 minutes when Moussa Njie ran onto a through ball that split the VFK centre-backs and then finished nicely. Wasn’t looking great at that stage.
But Jost Urbanic managed to sweep home a loose ball in the area ten minutes later to tie things up and the Vikes took over in the second spell. Even then it took until the 74th minute for an own goal to break things open. Joe Bell played a lovely flick around the corner to spark that move but it was a scramble that caused the goal with defenders and attackers all hacking at the ball until Mathias Toennessen poked it into his own net. Nick D’Agostino should have promptly made it three when he ran through unchallenged from halfway only to hit the post as he stroked his shot past the out-rushing goalie. But no dramas because they won a penalty for real later on which Zlatko Tripic converted (83’) to seal the deal on a 3-1 victory.
That cancels out last week’s shambles. Bell played the full game as the defensive midfielder, completing 60/70 passes, granted his crossing was unusually inaccurate and he did concede a couple fouls. Nothing fancy but they got the win which is what matters. Bodø/Glimt and Rosenborg are the only two teams to have won both matches so Viking haven’t lost much ground.
In other news, here’s Joe Bell discussing his favourite fruit: “I love kiwifruit, I eat it every day and I eat it with the skin on. It may take some time to get used to eating those with skins. In winter and spring, however, the kiwis can be a bit hard and sour, and I can be a bit picky when it comes to choosing the right kiwi. In summer, kiwis are at their best. I'm looking forward to that. It's our national fruit, they call us “Kiwis” after all, and I've eaten them all my life. Many people in New Zealand who eat them with the skin, that's where the vitamins are located.”
He may be exaggerating how many people eat kiwifruit skins... but on Bellinho’s recommendation maybe we’ll have to try it. He reckons he eats 20-40 of them per week, the absolute mad man. His club’s trainer is also a big fan of eating them with the skin so there seems to be a mounting movement here.
Up Next: Friday at 5am, Viking vs Kristiansund (NZT)
Tyler Bindon - Reading (English League One)
Tyler Bindon was rested for Reading’s first game back after the international break, the first match that he’s missed all season. The first League One match that he’s missed since Boxing Day of 2023. In fact, Bindon had only been off the pitch for 31 combined minutes across Reading’s previous 59 league games, dating back to the start of 2024. He’d started every one of them. He was subbed as a concussion precaution earlier this season and he was replaced late in the last game of last season. Those are the only two instances of him missing time. But after sitting out the 3-1 win against Peterborough, presumably for post-All Whites resting purposes... he also then missed the midweeker against Blackpool. This time it was because he had to call in sick.
Reading manager Noel Hunt: “He was ill. He was texting and said he didn’t want to let us down, but I told him he could never let us down. These guys are giving everything they have got every day. Every training session, even when we give them days off, matter. The reason you get the days off is to make them matter. We come in and work to make us better. We focus on what we can control and that is ourselves, as a team and a group. His mum and dad are away at the moment in New Zealand, so I hope he has something sorted for himself.”
We’ll trust that the club sent someone around with some chicken soup. Somebody clearly did because Bindon recovered in time to face Wycombe Wanderers on the weekend and, you’re not going to believe this... he delivered another defensive masterclass as Reading won 1-0. Okay, maybe you will believe it since he does this all the time. RFC conceded three in a heavy defeat against mid-table Blackpool during the week and then Bindon returned and they instantly shut out the second-top scoring team in the division.
It was a bit of a sneaky one from Reading because they struggled for long stretches of this game, finding themselves under serious pressure against their higher-ranked opponents. But in front of their biggest home crowd of the season (over 15k), they dug in their heels defensively and then won a penalty kick against the run of play with quarter of an hour to go. Harvey Knibbs converted from the spot. Reading got the victory and Bindon was outstanding (also getting to resume his partnership with Amadou Mbengue who’s back from injury). Reading did temporarily move up into the playoff positions but then Bolton won to climb a point ahead of them again. Six games left.
Reading’s next couple games are against teams down near the bottom so they should be hoping for six more points on the tally by this time next week. That would also provide Max Crocombe’s Burton Albion with a huge favour in their relegation scrap. Crocs was in goal for a 2-1 win over Leyton Orient and then a 3-0 loss to Wrexham over the past seven days. No sign of Nik Tzanev for Northampton Town so bugger them. Ben Waine’s still feeding on crumbs for Mansfield Town and wasn’t even in the squad for their 2-1 loss to Huddersfield.
As for Reading’s ownership dramas... the FA did extend the deadline for the club’s sale until April 22, having been happy enough that progress was being made, so hopefully something gets sorted by then. They won’t get booted out of the league but they probably will have to suspend games after that deadline if a change in ownership hasn’t been sorted and that would spoil Tyler Bindon’s farewell party. And we can’t allow that to happen.
Up Next: Away to Shrewsbury at 6.45am on Weds; away to Northampton Town at 2am on Sun (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
Another week and another ninety minute performance. Can’t take these for granted. Ryan Thomas captained PEC Zwolle for the match away against Almere City, with Zwolle dashing out to a 2-0 lead after 31 minutes courtesy of goals from Anouar El Azzouzi (24’) and Dylan Vente (31’). The first was a gorgeously worked and patient team move that began with Ryan Thomas whipping it around in his own half and ended with a dude 1v1 in the box. The second was less aesthetic, Vente’s opportunistic strike taking a looping deflection on its way into the net. They all count the same.
Problem was, Almere City always had the better chances even while Zwolle were building a lead. They switched things up with a double sub at the break and the second half was all theirs. Couple quick goals midway through the stanza got them back level and Zwolle did quite well just to hang on for the 2-2 draw. Probably gotta call it two points dropped against the bottom team but they are now six points clear of relegation... and ahead of NAC Breda on goal difference. Breda were beaten 3-1 by Ajax. Matt Garbett scored in the reverse fixture but of course he’s nowhere to be seen these days.
Thomas had one fluffer where he lost the ball in his own half leading to a good chance for AC. That was while it was still 2-0. Moments later, he pressed high and won the ball in an equivalent situation and it could have been all over if Jamiro Monteiro had scored from that chance. Instead Almere City fought back for a draw – with both sides disappointed at how it ended up. Thomas did some post-game media work (in Dutch) where he said exactly that. Otherwise, it was a typically tidy ball-playing role for Thommo working at the base of the Zwolle midfield. Probably won’t see him getting goals and assists from this spot but he’s doing a very valuable role. This relegation-threatened team have taken five points from the three games in a row where RT has played 60+ minutes.
Two questions spring to mind now that Ryan Thomas is back playing consistently (knock on wood). The first is whether (or rather when) he’ll re-sign with PEC Zwolle given that he’s working with an expiring contract. Here’s what he had to say about that...
“We are talking to the club and are not going to ask crazy things, so that will be fine. I feel good, I am fit and want to help the club as much as possible. I came back to Zwolle to become a key player here and I hope I am now. I think so too, because on Saturday everyone was fit.”
Good to know, good to know. The other question is whether he’ll make himself available for the All Whites again, especially with the 2026 World Cup in mind. As it happens, RT recently addressed that too...
“I have already spoken to [Darren Bazeley], he often apps me to ask how it is, but I also told him that I do not need the national team at the moment, because my body cannot yet handle it. But if the next two months go as well as now, we can see what's possible next season. I hope so because I miss it.”
That’s a cautious statement but it’s also the strongest intimation he’s given for several years that a comeback is within sight. It also validates everything that Bazeley has consistently said about Thomas’ situation: that they’re in regular contact and that RT wants to play for NZ again, he misses it, but he won’t make that decision until his body is in a place where he can handle the extra workload. Based on what he’s been saying, and the trajectory he’s been on lately, Ryan Thomas is as close to that place right now as he has been at any stage since his last international cap in 2019.
Up Next: Monday at 12.30am at home vs FC Twente (NZT)
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
The latest news on Chris Wood is that his injury remains a case of taking things one day at a time. He missed the FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton (which Forest won on penalties). He missed a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the midweek. He then also missed a 2-1 defeat against Aston Villa on the weekend. That last one was a brutal result that closes the Champions League race up again by bringing the Villans into the hunt... though Forest are still in a good spot with a five-point buffer and seven matches remaining. Not to mention a relatively favourable run of fixtures.
Nuno Espirito Santo didn’t explicitly rule Chris Wood out of the Aston Villa game in his pre-match presser, which is good news. NFFC were confident from the get-go that Wood’s injury suffered on All Whites duty was nothing serious. Nuno hasn’t given an exact diagnosis but from reading between the lines it sounds like it’s merely bruising around the hip. Painful but not damaging. Once the pain eases up he’ll be good to go again. Here’s what Nuno said specifically regarding Wood in his most recent press conference prior to the Villa match...
“Assessing. Assessing. Like I’ve been telling you, it’s going to be day by day so hopefully tomorrow he’s better and continues to improve.”
It’s not impossible that he could feature next week, judging by the information available. They kinda need him... Taiwo Awoniyi started the Brighton and Man United games and didn’t much. Then got injured and missed the Villa match – leading to a change in formation (3-4-1-2) in order to work around the absence of their two leading strikers.
Up Next: Nottingham Forest vs Everton at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
CJ Bott - Leicester City (English Super League)
About time they put some focus on CJB’s profound defensive abilities. The ladies are all on international break at the moment hence there are no games to speak of instead. Even for those that were called up into the Football Ferns there were still no games because apparently the Chinese Taipei groundstaff weren’t up to scratch. Oh well, should have played home games instead.
Up Next: Arsenal vs Leicester City on Weds at 6.30am (NZT)
Andre De Jong – Stellenbosch (South African Premier Soccer League)
Continental knockout ties... these are the matches that can illuminate an entire season. Stellenbosch had a little bit of trouble traversing their CAF Confederation Cup group stage but they got there in the end with three wins and three losses, earning a two-legged quarter-final meeting with Zamalek of Egypt. That was a tough fixture – as you’d expect in knockout continental footy (the Confed Cup is the equivalent of the Europa League). Stellenbosch are competing in this competition for the first time whereas Zamalek are defending champions.
The first leg was at home - or rather at Cape Town Stadium because they needed a bigger stadium - and despite a competitive game of footy there weren’t very many clear chances so the two sides settled for a goalless stalemate. Andre De Jong played 87 minutes up top. He fizzed a shot over the bar in the first half. He flicked a header high in the second half – probably as close as his team came all afternoon. Zamalek had a header tipped onto the post by a good save but didn’t do much else. ‘Twas a very pensive 0-0 draw which leaves Stellenbosch needing to pluck a result in Cairo in a couple of days if they’re going to take their debut continental effort any further.
ADJ on his hopes for an All Whites recall: “I think this season, I've already put in a lot and contributed a lot to be in the conversation. I think the bigger the games get, there's more chance of some more eyes looking at it and pushing your case a bit more. I do think I'm there or thereabout and hoping to one day get the call-up.”
Up Next: Zamalek vs Stellies at 4am on Thursday in the second leg (NZT)
Marko Stamenic – Olympiacos (Greek Super League)
If you want the shortest possible explanation why Marko Stamenic hasn’t gotten as many minutes as he’d have liked for Olympiacos this season, it would go like this: Christos Mouzakitis.
That bloke is an 18yo local who has come through the youth system and has been producing some outstanding first-team performances way ahead of schedule. Olympiacos may have thought that one year of Stamenic would tide them over until Mouzakitis was ready. As it happens, the Mouz is already being picked ahead of Stam. If you believe the rumours then AC Milan, Juventus, Arsenal, Manchester United, Aston Villa, Wolves, Brighton, Villareal, Atletico Madrid, and Borussia Dortmund are all “keen” or “tracking” or “looking closely” at Christos Mouzakitis. Let’s just hope that Mouzakitis doesn’t end up at Nottingham Forest.
Fortunately, at a successful club like Olympiacos there are always plenty of games to go around. An example was the second leg of the Greek Cup semi-final away against AEK Athens. Olympiacos had won 6-0 in the first leg. They had a huge games against PAOK in the Super League on the weekend. Naturally, changes were made... including Marko Stamenic starting in the midfield and going 65 minutes. Seems a bit rude not to have given him ninety but at least he was out there as Olympiacos lost 2-0 (the second goal was scored after Marko got subbed) yet still cruised into the final without a fuss. They’ll face OFI Crete in the decider – remember Marko Stamenic is out here trying to win league and cup doubles in three different countries in consecutive years.
Stamenic had one primo moment soon into the second half when he hovered into a pocket of space just past halfway, collected the pass on the turn, burst forward, played a one-two with a striker on the edge of the area... and would have been in behind with only the keeper to beat if a defender hadn’t backed into him and blocked him off. Ref didn’t even whistle a foul. Marko and his striker were both apoplectic. Other than that, it was relatively quiet from him. The Greek media is pretty ruthless and there were whispers of a missed opportunity for Stamenic by not asserting himself more. Seems clear that they want him to be a different player than he is – hard to see how their misunderstanding is Stamenic’s fault. Regardless of any criticism of his performances, he’s always maintained a selfless attitude when plenty of loan players would have tuned out by now. Fully invested in the team’s success.
Marko Stamenic: “No, I mean, we look at the game and we can’t be satisfied. We lost the game and we go out every game to win it. So obviously we’re not so happy. But in the bigger picture, we’re going through and advancing to a final which we can look forward to. That’s our goal and ambition, that’s what we set out to do. We’re trying to take it step by step, game by game, and not thinking too far ahead of ourselves so we’re only looking forward to the next game and the next three points.”
Olympiacos then went and lost 2-1 to PAOK despite their opponents getting a red card with quarter of an hour to go. They were 2-0 down after 12 minutes and never managed a shot on target – the one goal they scored was an own goal. Stamenic was an unused substitute so they can’t blame him. Olympiacos are ten points clear in first with four rounds remaining so they could wrap up the title next week.
Up Next: Olympiacos vs AEK Athens at 6am on Monday (NZT)
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 1)
Another twenty minutes for the Oldster, pretty similar to what he got off the bench against PSG last week. This time it was an away match versus RC Lens and Old was chucked on in the hope of maybe possibly finding a winning goal. Instead, ASSE conceded straight after the change and lost 1-0. Aussie keeper Mat Ryan was playing for Lens. Old had a decent amount of touches for his short time on the pitch, popping up on both wings, but wasn’t able to spark any chances from them.
There are six rounds left and Saint-Étienne are four points adrift in the relegation zone and three points from a relegation playoff – thankfully they did get awarded the win for the abandoned match against Montpellier because without that result they’d really be up the creek without a paddle. Their remaining fixtures are: Brest (H - 8th), Lyon (H - 5th), Strasbourg (A - 4th), Monaco (H - 3rd), Reims (A - 16th), and Toulouse (H – 11th). Not looking good, bruh.
Up Next: ASSE vs Brest at 1am on Monday (NZT)
Riley Bidois - Loudoun United (American USL Championship)
Riley Bidois really likes the US Open Cup...
He scored a double in the first round as Loudoun United won 3-2 against West Chester. Now Riley Bidois has scored again in Loudoun’s 4-2 win against Virginia Dream, slotting home his team’s first goal to send them on their way. Not coincidentally, these are also the only two matches that he’s started this season with his presence in the USL stuff so far limited to around 20-30 minutes off the bench each week. But he rather likes the USL Championship as well because check what he did in his sub cameo this week...
This to put the icing on the cake of a 2-0 win against Hartford. That result makes it four wins from five to begin the new season. It also means that Riley Bidois has scored 3 goals in 122 minutes of US Open Cup footy and 2 goals in 144 minutes of USL Championship footy. Put him in the bloody starting eleven already, mate.
Across the rest of the USLC stuff, James Musa played ninety with a yellow card as Indy Eleven drew 2-2 with North Carolina. Elliot Collier finally returned to the bench for Indy but didn’t feature. Guessing he’s been injured. Kyle Adams captained Louisville City t a 1-1 draw away against Sacramento Republic... his team equalising in the eighth minute of stoppage time. And, happily, Alex Greive got twenty minutes off the bench for San Antonio so his injury wasn’t too bad after all. Only missed one game. AG wasn’t able to keep San Antonio from their first loss of the year though, going down 2-1 to Phoenix Rising.
Up Next: Tampa Bay vs Loudoun United at 11.30am on Sunday... surely Riley Bidois starts that one, right? (NZT)
Josh Redfearn - Welling United (English National League South)
Not sure how prestigious Kent Senior Cup is but if there’s a trophy on the line then you might as well go and win it. Welling United went and won it... with Josh Redfearn scoring the decisive goal in a 1-0 grand final triumph against Ebbsfleet United. That’s a National League side one tier above where Welling United are (could be more than that soon because Welling Utd are probably going to get relegated from the English sixth tier), so respect on a fantastic result. Ebbsfleet hit the woodwork four times in the first half but Welling kept them out. This was Welling Utd’s first Kent Senior Cup title since 2009.
As for Redfearn, the 24yo former Auckland United striker has 5 goals in 23 league games and just proved the match-winner in one of the cups. If it weren’t for the impending relegation then this would have been a pretty great campaign for him. Having said that, he’s not really been a first eleven selection over the last few months (during which time Welling have changed managers) so with luck this hero’s moment will help him get a few more minutes in the league stuff too.
Up Next: There’s also the London Senior Cup, in which WU face Brentford’s Reserves at 6.45am on Weds (NZT)
Monty Patterson - Atlético Ottawa (Canadian Premier League)
- Monty Patterson. pic.twitter.com/KkHvEJm33O
— Atlético Ottawa (@atletiOttawa) April 7, 2025
There was a game last NZ National League season that Birkenhead United played in torrential rain... but not sure Monty Patterson will have experienced many games of football quite like his Canadian Premier League debut where temperatures weren’t far above freezing and it rained throughout (granted, Monty did spend time in Norway several years back so perhaps he’s well-versed).
Atletico Ottawa hosted Halifax Town in week one. Patterson is new in town so he only did 12 minutes off the bench – subbed on with right before Ottawa scored their equaliser in a 2-2 draw. They’d been 2-0 down after 50 minutes. They fought back to draw. Patterson was used as a striker and had the defender been able to block the second goal on the line, he was right there waiting to tap in the rebound. Confronting weather but solid enough signs to begin with.
Jay Herdman is the other kiwi in the CPL this season but his defending champion Cavalry FC team, who had a jump start on everyone else in preseason thanks to their Champions Cup games, were beaten 1-0 by Forge in game one. Dominated the game but couldn’t find a response to Molham Babouli’s 58th minute goal... not even after Forge got a red card with twenty to play. Herdman started and played 65 minutes on the left wing. He got sliced down in the foul that led to Zayne Bruno’s first yellow card a few mins into the second half.
Up Next: Vancouver FC vs Atletico Ottawa at 10am on Monday (NZT)
Get amongst the whanau on Patreon, Substack, or Buy Me A Coffee if you appreciate the yarns on TNC and feel like supporting the mahi
It also helps to whack an ad, do some likes/shares/comments, and tell your mates about us