Flying Kiwis – May 21
Liberato Cacace – Empoli FC (Italian Serie A)
Hold the phone... Empoli won another game of football! They went twenty games on the trot without winning in Serie A but suddenly they’ve grabbed two in a row just in time to give them renewed hope of avoiding relegation. They did admittedly go on a cup run all the way to the semis of Coppa Italia during that drought... but they had to tank those games against Bologna in order to try and avoid the catastrophe of dropping into Serie B. Times were tough. Then they beat Parma 2-1 last week before beating Monza 3-1 this week and suddenly fires are burning again.
If this game had gone awry then Empoli would have been relegated this very week. It wasn’t ideal when they found themselves 1-0 down at half-time against the worst team in the division but whatever was said at half-time from the coach worked wonders (as did the two substitutions). Lorenzo Colombo banged in a 49th minute equaliser on the spin and then, two minutes later, Mattia Viti headed in from a corner kick. This whole thing had flipped in a hurry... and look who swung that corner kick right onto Viti’s head for his fourth assist of the campaign...
Yes, Libby. That’s the one. In his first two and a half seasons with Empoli he only ever had one assist in 53 appearances (2965 minutes all up). This season he has two goals and four assists in 32 matches (2171 mins). Lots of that is because, as he did against Monza, he’s played lots as an attacking midfielder. But he’s also played lots as a central defender. Often in the same game. It’s his preferred wing-back role where he’s hardly been used yet he’s managed to reinvent himself in multiple ways to keep his name in those starting elevens.
Back to the Monza game, Empoli also got a comical own goal in their favour in the 59th minute when a shot hit the post before bouncing in off the diving keeper’s back. From there they simply shut the gate. Very much a game of two halves where Empoli’s backline looked a mess to begin with but after their attack made a rare appearance the confidence blossomed. Only problem was Lecce winning 1-0 against Torino at the same time. That means that Lecce and Empoli are both on 31 points with Parma on 33 points ahead of them and Venezia on 29 points behind them. Verona aren’t fully safe on 34 points either because Empoli would go ahead of them via head to head tiebreaker if they win this weekend.
There are heaps of ramifications, with the head to head taking precedence over goal difference in Italy, and it’d take too long to get into all of them here. There’s even the possibility of a playoff if two teams are level for seventeenth (as they are right now). Lucky for the Azzurri, the three teams closest to them on the table are all facing top six opponents in their last games. The short version is that Empoli can stay up with a draw if Lecce and Venezia both lose but more realistically they’ll need three more points. And they might get them because they already beat Verona 4-1 earlier in the season... it was the game in which Libby Cacace scored his first Serie A goal. Remember they scored a 90+3rd minute winner in the last game to ensure survival last season so they’ve been here before.
The other possibility to consider is that this could be Cacace’s last game for the club. If they get relegated, he’s going to have enough of a profile that some other club will come swooping in with a transfer fee and with only one year left on his deal, Empoli wouldn’t be able to match that from Serie B. Even if they stay up, he might still get poached. Who knows.
On top of all that, this is what it looks like when you get shortlisted for the Premio Emiliano Del Rosso...
This award – which is named after a fan who died far too young back in 2004 – is not a Player of the Year thing, but rather a recognition of the players who best represent: “the values of loyalty, dedication, and commitment to club”. It was Emmanuel Gyasi who ended up getting the overall recognition but Cacace’s place in the top three shows how much he’s appreciated at the club. Cacace was also in the running for the Sauro Cappelli Award which is sort of a Clubman of the Year gong. Gyasi won that too. The Fans’ Player of the Year went to Giuseppe Pezzella (the bloke keeping Cacace out of the left wing-back spot), while Liam Henderson won the other Player of the Year trophy (voted for by a panel of media, analysts, and ex-players).
Up Next: Empoli vs Verona at 6.45am on Monday (NZT)
Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
First things first, go and do your patriotic duty by voting for Chris Wood for Premier League Player of the Year. Doesn’t matter if you think Mohamed Salah or Declan Rice deserve it more. If they’re going to open it up to a public vote then the public shall speak.
PremierLeague.com: “New Zealand striker Wood, 33, is enjoying the best season of his career, scoring 20 goals, the fourth-most in the league, from only 63 shots. His 31.75 per cent conversion rate makes him the most efficient finisher of any player this season with more than two goals. Wood has become only the second player to reach 20 goals for Nottingham Forest in a Premier League campaign, after Stan Collymore in 1994/95.”
As for the present action, Nottingham Forest may have been slumping lately but they still knew that two wins from two would give them a great chance at Champions League footy as long as a couple other results go their way. That didn’t happen for them on Friday night local time when both Aston Villa and Chelsea won. But Arsenal did beat Newcastle which was helpful... though none of that would matter if Forest didn’t win away against West Ham.
There was a scare early on when Mats Sels had to make a great one-handed save off a Vladimir Coufal header... but then West Ham coughed up the ball in a terrible spot to allow Morgan Gibbs-White to open the scoring after ten minutes and from there Forest settled down and played some familiar footy. That first goal is always telling when NFFC are playing. Chris Wood smacked a low shot on target from distance shortly before that and also nodded a back-stick header onto the post midway through the first half. That was the extend of his shots for the afternoon but his hold-up play continued to provide an outlet for runners off him. Could have had an assist or two on another day. Instead the second goal came from a set piece with Nikola Milenkovic guiding an Anthony Elanga free kick in off his back.
West Ham went dignity farming in the latter stages and it paid off when Jarrod Bowen scored a brilliant volley with five mins to go. Five mins of regulation time, that is. Between a long VAR check for NFFC’s second, heaps of substitutions, and a even bit of aggro from the two teams there ended up being over a dozen minutes added on. Fortunately, Forest defended like their old selves again to keep the walls from being breached again. 2-1 was the final score. Crucial victory that sets up an incredible final round next week. Just look at the table...
One point separates fourth from seventh. Top five get Champions League. Sixth is Europa League. Seventh is Conference League. Forest are already guaranteed at least the last one and they host Chelsea on matchday 38. Draw that and their goal difference won’t be enough for top five... but win and they’d only need one of two other results to go their way (would have been three if Man City hadn’t won their midweek game vs Bournemouth – they’re now realistically out of Forest’s range). Chelsea and Forest drew 1-1 back in October in the reverse fixture with Chris Wood scoring for NFFC. Keep in mind that Chelsea are facing Real Betis in the UEFA Conference League final three days afterwards in Poland. All of the remaining Prem games kick off at 3am NZT on Monday.
Oh and one more thing to track...
Up Next: The aforementioned Nottm Forest vs Chelsea at 3am on Monday (NZT)
Marko Stamenic – Olympiacos (Greek Super League)
Did Marko Stamenic play in the Greek Cup final? Nah, he was an unused sub. The red and whites scored early through Ayoub El Kaabi in the ninth minute but it took them too long to find a second to put OFI Crete to bed for them to think about making changes to their midfield. Roman Yaremchuk did eventually back a 90+3rd min goal to clinch the 2-0 victory. They only used three subs (and one of them was Yaremchuk). So it goes. At least they won the trophy.
That’s the end of Stamenic’s time at the club. Loan complete. There were some good performances, there were some winners medals, there were some hearty celebrations. There were also a lot of annoying stretches where he hardly played and had to cope with the ruthless Greek media hyperanalysing his every move. All combined he made 23 appearances for the club (adding up to 943 minutes) across the Super League, the Greek Cup, and the Europa League. He’ll have gained plenty from this season but it was a frustrating one on the whole. Now it’s over.
But not before Marko Stamenic completed an absolutely incredible feat, winning league and cup doubles in three consecutive countries in three consecutive years. It happened in 2022-23 with FC København in Denmark. It happened in 2023-24 with Crvena zvezda in Serbia. It’s happened in 2024-25 with Olympiacos in Greece. This is near-impossible to research but you’ve gotta imagine there aren’t too many folks who’ve done that before. It’s certainly never happened on this scale for a New Zealander. It Stamenic never wins another trophy in his career, he’ll still be one of the most decorated players we’ve ever produced. Plus who’s to say he won’t make it four in a row next season in another country.
Up Next: Back to Nottingham Forest to begin preseason
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 1)
That right there was Ben Old stepping onto the pitch for his last Ligue 1 game for at least a year. He got the final twenty minutes against Toulouse in game 34 of 34... but sadly the damage had already been done. In a must-win fixture to have any hope of even just getting into a relegation playoff, ASSE were 2-0 down inside of 15 minutes. It was a horrific start that they never recovered from. They did scored to make it 3-2 shortly before Old was introduced on the right wing but, to be honest, they seemed as likely to concede as they did to score and they needed to score twice. They didn’t. 3-2 defeat on the final day. Relegation confirmed.
Not sure if it’s any consolation, probably not, but Le Havre won 3-2 against Strasbourg thanks to a 90+9th minute penalty kick so while they weren’t to know it at the time... even if Saint-Étienne had won they’d still have been relegated. Unless they won by 25 goals to overturn their goal difference deficit with Reims. In fairness, if you concede 77 times in 34 games then you probably do deserve to be relegated. It’s just a pity that Oldy spent so much time out injured, limiting him to only 523 minutes across 13 appearances (four starts). Half of their wins came in games that he played in, though.
Old signed a contract through until the end of the 2027-28 season with ASSE so he’s got time to settle into some second tier stuff, earn his reps with the club, and help them get promoted back next time around. Sometimes a relegation can work out nicely for a kiwi player trying to make their way – Winston Reid at West Ham is the best example of that. But yes, alas, Benjamin Old will be playing Ligue 2 next season.
Also, there was a mistake in last week’s yarn about the French women’s competition where Kate Taylor’s Dijon FCO made the semi-finals before losing to Lyon. Turns out they don’t do a third/fourth playoff... they just give the last Champions League spot to the highest-ranked eliminated team which was Paris FC rather than fourth-placed Dijon. They would have had a chance in a playoff but it wasn’t to be. No Champions League for Kate Taylor but she did finish her first season in France with 20 games played (16 starts) for 1513 minutes. She scored one goal, got one assist, and earned three yellow cards. Mostly played centre-back but did get used in midfield in the semi vs Lyon. Fantastic mahi from KT.
Up Next: The second division for Ben Old and company
Gabi Rennie - Eskilstuna United (Swedish Elitettan)
Yeah, there we go. She’d already gotten a couple of assists but this was Gabi Rennie’s first goal for Eskilstuna United, coming in her sixth appearance for the club. She’s started all but one of those games and the team’s undefeated since losing in the opening round. Lovely stuff. A goal and two assists in 488 minutes is pretty bloody useful to begin a new club stint. Rennie’s dipped from top division in Finland to second division in Sweden with this move but if anything this might be a higher level. It’s certainly got the potential to become a much higher level if they can carry on the way they’ve been going lately and push for promotion.
Rennie’s goal was the opener in a 2-1 win against Orebro, coming after 30 minutes. Rylie Combs then grabbed another on 60’ before Orebro got one back ten mins later. Rennie could easily have had a couple assists to go with this goal too, she was very dangerous out on the right wing. Eskiilstuna are up to fourth in the standings, only two points from top. Two teams get promoted plus third place gets a playoff so on current form they’re absolutely going to be in that consideration down the line. Let’s not forget that Rennie has also been left out of the last few Football Ferns squads so that’s another motivation to keep up this good form (which itself is a continuation of what she was doing at Åland United).
Up Next: Eskilstuna vs Team TG FF at 0:00 on Monday (NZT)
Elijah Just - SKN St. Pölten (Austrian Erste Liga)
Count another one for EJ. Same as he did last week, Elijah Just came off the bench to score for St. Pölten in a 3-1 victory. Didn’t dribble through the whole defence this time but the finish was still immaculate. His was the second goal to make it 2-0. They then added a third shortly afterwards before opponents Rapid Wien II got one back themselves with quarter of an hour left.
There’s just enough time for him to maybe sneak into the starting line-up for the last game of the campaign next week. We’ll see how that goes. As it stands, he’s made 18 appearances totalling 1046 minutes with six goals and an assist. All of those goals have been from the top shelf too. No tap-ins for this bloke (though we wouldn’t argue if he did). He’s only been there for two-thirds of the season and he’s been injured for a chunk of that time yet if he scores again next match he could end up as the team’s second top scorer. St. Pölten can’t get promoted from here but they are up to third place on the back of five straight victories. Keep in mind that Just is only on loan at the club, with one more on the books of AC Horsens in Denmark, however the Austrian side does have an option to buy which they’ll probably take up.
Up Next: Lafnitz vs SKN St. Pölten at 3am on Monday (NZT)
Niko Kirwan – Calcio Padova (Italian Serie C)
Niko Kirwan with a trophy in his hands, that’s vision to be appreciated. This actually came after a loss to close their 2024-25 season. Kirwan played ninety minutes as captain against Virtus Entella but an 85th minute Andrea Franzoni goal condemned them to a 1-0 defeat where if they’d only held on for a draw then they would have won the overall Serie C championship. There are three conferences in the division and Calcio Padova won theirs – that’s what the trophy presentation was for.
But the three conference winners also had a mini-playoff to find the Supercoppa C champs. Padova won 1-0 against Avellino two weeks ago, with Avellino and Virtus Entella drawing last week. That meant that Padova were five minutes away from glory when they conceded for Virtus Entella to take the trophy instead. Nevertheless, everyone went home a winner because, as you can see, Padovia still got given their conference trophy. More importantly, all three of those teams have been promoted to Serie B (along with whoever wins the promotion playoffs).
Up Next: Serie B awaits, Niko Kirwan returning to the second tier after previously playing there in 2020-21 with Reggiana
Vic Esson - Rangers FC (Scottish Premier League)
For the second season in a row, Rangers missed out on the SWPL championship thanks to a late goal on the final day of the campaign. A year ago, it happened elsewhere. Rangers did what they needed to do by winning 4-0 against Partick Thistle with Vic Esson keeping a cleanie... but Celtic simultaneously beat Hibernian 1-0 thanks to a stoppage time winner that gave them the trophy thanks to goal difference. Rangers were mere minutes away but they had no control over their fate.
This time around, they stacked their attack and made sure that goal difference would never be an issue - they had eight separate wins by at least eight goals. However, getting points off the other top teams wasn’t always so simple and with Hibs breaking into title contention this term the chaos was even greater. Once more it came down to the final match... but on this occasion Rangers did have a say in the matter. They were second behind opponents Hibernian but with way better goal difference (of course) and they were playing at home. Win and the title would be theirs. Lose or draw and Hibs would take the silverware.
Sadly, this game came at a time when Vic Esson’s hardly been playing. So while Rangers had control, she did not. Esson had to watch from the sideline as Linzi Taylor’s 74th minute strike beat Jenna Fife in the RFC goal and, to make matters worse, Glasgow City also beat Hearts so no only do Rangers miss out on the title again but they also drop to third place meaning they’ve missed out on Champions League too. Not hard to pinpoint where it went wrong, given that they only won 3/12 SWPL games against the rest of the top four. In particular, they drew once and lost three times against Hibs (although they did beat them 5-0 in the League Cup final).
Vic Esson only played two of those 12 rivalry games and didn’t start any of the team’s last ten league fixtures. But she will probably start the Scottish Cup final against Glasgow City next week. This is Esson’s third season with Rangers and they’ve finished third, second, and third in the SWPL... but they have won four cup trophies and will be seeking to make that five on the weekend. Not impossible that this’ll be Esson’s last game for the club... she’s in a comfortable, ambitious spot but dunno how long a proven international would want to hang on for when they’re only playing 50% of a team’s games (it was more like 40% this season).
Up Next: Monday at 1am, Scottish Cup final, Glasgow City vs Rangers (NZT)
Finn Surman - Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
We got another Finn Surman podium game and you know what that means. Must have been another banger of a performance from him, let’s check the stats from Portland’s 1-1 draw with arch-rivals Seattle Sounders: five clearances, two blocked shots, an interception, four tackles, 93% passing accuracy, won all of his ground duels, won 2/3 aerial duels, never got dribbled past, didn’t concede a single foul. Yeah, that’ll do it. Now roll some tape...
Finn Surman: “I think I have a lot of improving to do. With and without the ball. There’s been some games I’ve done well but even in those games I know that my level can be higher and it’s about pushing myself to get to that. I know that’s going to take time and patience and hard work but I definitely feel that I can continue to grow in this league with the staff and the teammates that I have. I’m in a great environment to do that.”
The 1-1 draw came after Albert Rusnak (30’ SEA) and Santiago Moreno (36’ POR) had traded first half goals, though as Surman explains in the video things then got pretty slippery for Portland in this match. For starters, this match-up is one of the MLS’s most famous derbies so the pressure was on. Plus it was on a short turnaround because Portland also played a few days earlier away against Real Salt Lake. They drew that game 0-0 with Finn Surman watching from the bench as a rotated eleven took care of the midweek necessities.
When Rusnak’s goal went in for Seattle, sneaking under the legs of Surman and past the keeper, it was the first that the Timbers had conceded for 212 minutes. They did well to respond quickly but that was all they mustered. Never really looked like scoring a second whereas Seattle piled on the pressure after the break. Didn’t help that Surman’s CB partner Kamal Miller got booked and then substituted at half-time, Dario Zuparic taking his place – only the second time he and Surman have been paired together... the other being Surman’s debut last October which coincidentally was also against Seattle. So, yeah, not a prime performance from Portland but they escaped with a draw thanks in large part to the efforts of their young kiwi centre-back.
Phil Neville: “We went into survival mode which is not what we’re about. But I’d say at the end, the crosses coming into the box, the centre-backs dealt with it. Fantastic. Finn Surman’s doing really well, I think the rest did him good. He looked fresh tonight.”
This is an extremely busy part of the season with lots of midweek games, including US Open Cup stuff. Portland are into the last sixteen there and the next round is on Wednesday arvo NZT against San Jose... though with Zuparic getting fit again there’s some CB depth at the club now. Surman’s first choice but Neville appreciated being able to rest him last week so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t play that game at a time when the MLS fixtures are also coming thick and fast.
Up Next: Away to San Jose in the US Open Cup on Weds at 2.30pm; then away to Orlando City on Sunday at 11.30am in MLS (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
Not to be overshadowed, Michael Boxall also took a rest for a midweeker which Minnesota lost 2-0 away to Houston Dynamo. However, he was back in there for the weekend where wasn’t required as desperately as Finn Surman was in his game but was commanding and influential just the same. The difference was that Minnesota United were awesome, winning 3-0 with goals from Tani Oluwaseyi (33’), Joaquin Pereyra (62’) and Julian Gressel (78’) earning them the points against St Louis FC. Boxy even had a couple of half-chances himself on the end of corner kicks. Not to mention the hoofing long throws. On top of that, he made nine defensive clearances and completed all 26 of his passes (including five long passes). One shot blocked. No fouls conceded. Excellent stuff from Boxy in an excellent win.
With most teams having played 14 games, we’re now over a third of the way through the season and Minnesota United are sitting in second place in the Western Conference with 25 points. Portland Timbers are only two points behind them in fourth. Charlotte FC are doing okay in the East with 19 points from 14 games to sit eighth, right on the playoff/play-in cusp, but Bill Tuiloma still has only played that one cup game. Perhaps he’ll get another go this week in the next round.
Everything’s rosy for Michael Boxall because his basketball team are into the Conference Finals too. Boxy’s gets spotted relatively often at Minnesota Timberwolves games so here’s hoping there’s room in the schedule for him to get courtside to see them face the OKC Thunder.
As for the defensive clearances charts, Finn Surman continues to lead the way across the whole MLS. He just brought up triple figures, currently with 101 clearances. Michael Boxall has risen up to sixth with 87, despite missing some time to help the All Whites qualify for the World Cup.
Up Next: US Open Cup vs St Louis (again) on Thurs at 11.30pm; then Austin FC at home in MLS on Sunday at 12.30pm (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
On the eve of the last game of the season, Ryan Thomas got a little business taken care of when his new two-year contract extension was announced. This was an inevitability after his recent run of appearances. At the start of the season he was training without a contract at all, trying to prove his fitness, and it took a long while before he was able to win back his starting spot. But once he did he bossed his way through the rest of the term, also helping Zwolle to comfortably avoid getting drawn into the relegation hunt. He reckons he feels as good as he’s ever done (on his android knees). The performances were great. He’s a leader in the dressing room. A fresh contract was practically a guarantee.
Ryan Thomas: “I'm in it this season and still have a great time at PEC Zwolle. In the meantime, I am one of the most experienced players with my 30 years and there is a certain responsibility that I would like to take and challenge on the team. Next season I would like to ask even more of myself and the team, so that we can also take the next step with PEC Zwolle.”
PEC Zwolle technical director Gerry Hamstra: “You see that Ryan is invaluable for our team and the development of our players. Even when Ryan was not available to play at the beginning of this season, he was still often part of the squad. And that was not for nothing. His leadership qualities came in very handy off the field. We have now also seen Ryan Thomas on the field for a number of months, as we know it in Zwolle and like to see it. Eager, comfortable at the ball, and above all a player who leads the charge and never gives up. We are happy that Ryan will also be playing in blue and white for the next two years.”
Thomas had started eight games in a row, several of them going the full distance, until a midweeker against Willem II. He was rested for that one in a rotated side with nothing on the line. Zwolle won 2-1. Then Thomas returned to the eleven to play 82 mins (with a yellow card) and help Zwolle beat Groningen 2-0 in the season finale thanks to goals from Younes Namli (44’) and Dylan Mbayo (68’). With that, PEC Zwolle wrapped up their Eredivisie campaign in tenth place, their best finish since the 2017-18 season... which just so happens to have been the last year that Thomas spent with them prior to his PSV Eindhoven transfer. RT appeared in 17 games this year (9 starts) with two assists and four yellow cards. Zwolle took 13 points from the nine games that he started – giving the team a very helpful boost in production down the stretch. All is well.
Up Next: Might be a bit soon to ask about an All Whites return
Callum McCowatt - Silkeborg IF (Danish Superliga)
No goals or assists for Callum McCowatt this week but it wasn’t for lack of trying. He was heavily involved as Silkeborg tried to take the sword to Aalborg in their penultimate league game. Despite that sharp start, they went and conceded a silly own goal after 36 mins to fall behind, getting caught on the break down the edges. Fortune was kind and they got a dodgy penalty right before half-time to level things up... but then they got burnt down their left edge again and conceded a very similar goal after 61 mins to be trailing again. At least this time it was a striker who got the last touch.
Silkeborg were still down 2-1 heading into the closing stages. Callum McCowatt played the full game as they kept pressing for goals, nearly doing the trick after 76 mins when he ran in behind but he was half a step behind the pass and had to shoot from a tougher angle where it was saved. Eventually they got that goal. Alexander Simmelhack in the 90th minute, go on son, mean header from a floated cross. Then Tonni Adamsen slammed in a 90+5th minute winner because why not. McCowatt was open on the other side if they wanted to go that way instead but can’t complain. 3-2 win against AaB.
Meanwhile, Viborg lost 1-0 at home against Vejle. What that means is that Silkeborg have won the Superliga relegation rounds with a game to spare and will have a single-legged playoff against the third-placed team (currently Brøndby) for a place in the Conference League second qualifying round. Unless Silkeborg win the Danish Cup in which case they’ll get Europa League entry instead and there’ll be no need for a playoff, with that ECL spot reverting to the next up team on the ladder.
Up Next: Silkeborg vs Viborg at 1am on Sunday (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
Nothing to worry about here. Viking still can’t seem to keep clean sheets but they’re scoring so many that it doesn’t matter. They won 3-1 against Sandefjord on a Friday arvo game local time. Zlatko Tripic returned but only on the bench so Joe Bell wore the armband again, swinging in some mint corner kicks and whipping the ball around the pitch in what was a pretty quiet first half. Then the game exploded after the break.
It only took 44 seconds for Peter Christiansen to score once the second spell got going. Should have been less but Viking made a mess of the initial chance and the keeper slapped it away... but not far enough and PC soon buried a nice header. VFK’s defensive sloppiness came back to bite them when Jakob Dunsby snuck behind the line to level up on 59’... so they subbed on Tripic for the last twenty and he scored twice from the penalty spot. Sandefjord also got a red card leading to the second one.
Bell had a couple of shots, both of them were blocked by the second eventually led to the late penalty that clinched the result. He took more risks in possession here, spraying a few long balls, although the flipside is that he had four key passes. Seemed he took on more creative responsibility with Tripic on the bench. Bellinho’s keeping it all ticking along.
That’s the sixth win in nine Eliteserien games for Viking, who’re also eight undefeated. European commitments for other teams, especially Bodø/Glimt, means that the table’s a bit of a mess but Viking are currently at the top. Others will overtake them if they win their games in hand. Hey but it’s better than not being top after playing extra games. Viking’s results so far: 3-1 loss, 3-1 win, 3-1 win, 5-2 win, 4-4 draw, 5-1 win, 0-0 draw, 4-1 win, 3-1 win. Goals galore. They’re by far the top scoring team... and also have a defensive record to rival the clubs in the relegation zone.
Following that, they also had a cup game away against Asane this morning. Fourth round of the Norwegian Cup. Joe Bell had sat out the first two rounds but he played in the third wave so made sense that he’d play this one too, even against another lower-tiered opponent. In fact, most of their top dogs played this game... and it showed. Viking stormed to a 7-0 victory. Bell got the assist for the fifth goal. They made a few subs at half-time with the result already in the bag but it seems Bell played all the way through.
Up Next: Away to Asane at 4am Weds in the Norwegian Cup; then away to Kristiansund at 3am on Monday in the Eliteserien (NZT)
Meikayla Moore & Ally Green – Calgary Wild (Canadian Northern Super League)
That’s the relief that enters a defender’s soul when somebody else scores the winning goal so that they don’t have to. Great goal though. Jenaya Robertson with the expert finish in the 85th minute to give Calgary Wild the 1-0 victory against Montreal Roses. Really good result to reflect a match where they created some good chances along the way while Meikayla Moore and Ally Green held it down at the back.
It took a full ninety minutes and more to earn that clean sheet, especially with Montreal giving it a nudge in the closing stages after conceding. We could have done without Meikayla Moore giving away a free kick on the left edge in the final moments, giving Montreal one last chance to put the ball into the area. Moore got booked for the infringement – she actually won the ball with her sliding challenge but the foul may have been because she then inadvertently handballed. But no dramas because the ball was sent clear to where Ally Green shepherded it away and the final whistle blew. 1-0 win for Calgary Wild.
Meanwhile, Milly Clegg got her first start for Halifax Tides. Up top for sixty minutes against AFC Toronto. Problem was they conceded early and never found a response, losing 1-0. Their fourth loss in five games. Clegg had a good chance late in the first half where she drifted wide to collect the ball, shaped up her marker, then drilled a shot that took a deflection and was well saved by the goalkeeper’s leg. That was her best moment. She was still playing with heavy strapping on her leg so that’ll be why she tapped out after an hour – probably a planned minutes restriction as she works back from a minor injury. Great to see her starting. Next step is to see the goals fly in.
Up Next: Vancouver vs Calgary on Saturday at 11am (NZT)
Will Gillingham - Cove Rangers (Scottish League One)
Oli Colloty’s Peterhead did the right thing by getting promoted automatically. That’s the way to do it. George Stanger’s Ayr United failed to do that and therefore dropped into the Championship playoffs... where Stanger got injured and they were beaten over two legs by Partick Thistle in the semis. Down in the third tier, which Peterhead just got promoted to, Cove Rangers did the same thing.
Cove Rangers were second in the division and managed to win their semi-final against Queen of the South by a 2-1 aggregate scoreline. That took them into a two-legged tie with Airdrieonians for promotion. Sadly, they lost 2-1 at home and then only drew 0-0 away. Will Gillingham had a couple injuries during the season but he played every minute of these playoffs except for the last ten when they subbed him off at centre-back and threw on an extra striker in desperation. Very good campaign from 26yo Gillingham in his second year with the club. Just not quite enough to get them into the Championship.
Up Next: Will Gillingham vs Oli Colloty in League One next season
Zac Jones – Haverfordwest County (Welsh/Cymru Premier)
Zac Jones, pre-game: “I’ve been really pleased with the season. In previous seasons, we weren’t perhaps defensively as strong as a unit, but that comes with a few years playing together. We’ve kept the core of the squad together, so on a personal note it’s been a great season so far for me with how I’ve been going. In terms of the club, it’s a season in which we’ve broken records so it’s great that the trajectory that we’re on is a good one. Unfortunately, because of the coefficient points, we missed out with third spot, but hopefully we can put that right. [Qualification] would be a great way to wrap up a great season for the club and would be the icing on the cake to qualify twice in three years. Before that was 19 years ago, so it’s some feat and just goes to show how the club is moving forward and would be a reward for all the hard work that goes on behind the scenes. There’s a lot of players that go their entire careers without playing in any European competitions so it’s a privilege to play in those competitions.”
Mission accomplished. Haverfordwest’s record-equalling third placed finish meant they got to skip all the playoff drama they went through two years ago in order to qualify for some Europa Conference League preliminaries. Back then, Zac Jones was saving penalties left, right, and centre during the playoffs and then during the ECL qualifiers themselves.
This time they went straight to the playoff final... where they won 3-1 against Caernarfon Town (who were fourth overall). Ben Ahmun established a lead after 17 mins. Dan Hawkins added to that in the 33rd min. From there it was all under control with Ahmun adding another in on 86’ before Caernarfon Town got a very late consolation to spoil Jonesy’s clean sheet. Oh well, he kept more of those than any other goalie in the division so he’ll be alright. Haverfordwest Town will enter the Conference League in the first qualifying round. Should note that Jones is off contract so he’d need to re-up if he wants to partake.
If they make it through that first round, as they did last time, it’s not impossible they could meet Joe Bell’s Viking FK in the second round. We don’t yet know which of the three UEFA competitions that Nottingham Forest will end up in (or if Chris Wood will have Tyler Bindon and Marko Stamenic for company) but the worst case scenario would be Conference League entry in the final playoff round (fourth round). Callum McCowatt and Silkeborg are also in contention so get there, though if they win the Danish Cup then they’d go into the Europa League instead. That’s it for now... although transfers could add to the list. As for the ladies, Katie Bowen will have Champions League if she re-signs with Inter Milan. FC Nordsjælland are also in contention to get there, though with Malia Steinmetz it depends on how soon she recovers from her ACL tear.
Up Next: Wave that flag, Jonesy
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