Flying Kiwis – July 22
Liberato Cacace - Wrexham (English Championship)
Who saw that coming, aye? Wrexham had reportedly been after Liberato Cacace for weeks but they were only one of a long list of clubs you could say that about (and that’s just the ones we heard about). In particular, Cagliari and Cremonese were all over the media links... but the thing about those moves is that Cacace would have been going from a relegated Serie A club to another relegation battler – even though the Cremonese switch would have linked him back up with his former Empoli coach Davide Nicola. There were also clubs in Turkey, France, and Belgium mentioned in reports, as well as more in Italy, but whether those led to any genuine action is another matter.
There was never any doubt that he’d be leaving Empoli. It’s not only that they got relegated, it’s also that he was entering the final year of his contract so this was the last opportunity that this cash-strapped club had to make any money off him. A move suited all parties. There’s some variation in the transfer fees being quoted with numbers ranging between €2.5 and €4.5... probably because there are add-ons involved. Officially it’s an “undisclosed fee”. That means that Empoli should recuperate most, if not all, of what they paid for him on top of also getting three-and-a-half good years of service. Quality business. Cacace has signed a three-year contract and thus becomes the first Wrexham signing from a club outside the United Kingdom or Ireland for a dozen years.
While the rise up the divisions from Wrexham has that Hollywood tinge from the ownership, the team has actually done pretty safe and steady work with their transfers by almost exclusively signing British and Irish players, usually with good experience, often on frees... and regularly getting them to drop a division or two to join the party. The money’s begun flying in the last two years and this Cacace fee will eclipse the €2.4m they paid in January to sign Sam Smith from Reading (where he was Tyler Bindon’s teammate), making this a club record transfer. Libby Cacace is only 24 years old and has now been the subject of three separate transfer fees in his career (Phoenix to STVV, STVV to Empoli, Empoli to Wrexham). Combine those fees and he is now the second-most lucrative kiwi player ever behind Chris Wood. Albeit a very long way behind Chris Wood, since the Woodsman has drawn cumulative transfer fees in excess of €50m.
You don’t have to have watched the telly show to know about the Wrexham rise. This is one of the oldest clubs in the world having first competed in 1877-78. They played four seasons in the English second tier between 1978-1982, though were in the fifth tier as recently as 2022-23. Since then they’ve earned three consecutive promotions. By the way, the year before the promotion runs began they were knocked out of the National League playoffs at the semi-final stage losing 5-4 in a very dramatic game against a Grimsby Town team that featured Max Crocombe as goalkeeper. Tyler Bindon starred in a win against them with Reading last season too. Not to mention that they were beaten by Cacace’s old Wellington Phoenix team within 24 hours of this move being announced. If you can’t beat them, sign them.
That Wellington Phoenix game would have been an amazing opportunity to unveil Cacace to the crowd but alas it wasn’t going to be feasible. He had to go to Wales instead to wrap up the technical details of his transfer and before that he was on holiday in his father’s home town playing footy in his socks with some local kids. Speaking of kiwi connections, this is a good time to mention that Phil Parkinson, Wrexham manager, previously worked with Tommy Smith at Sunderland and about three weeks ago Parky did a chat with Stuff where he mentioned that he still occasionally touches base with Smithy for opinions on potential signings and that he’d “exchanged messages with Tommy this week, actually”. We can probably guess what those messages were about. Smithy’s since become a free agent after leaving Auckland FC so maybe Parkinson ought to ask him if he knows any veteran centre-backs with renowned leadership credentials and a couple hundred games worth of Championship experience who might be able to help his team make the jump.
Libby Cacace: “I’m absolutely delighted to sign for this historic club. I just can’t wait to get started and meet everyone. Obviously, looking from the outside, the project that they’re creating here is one I want to be a part of and also the family that they’re creating here. It’s a tight-knit club and that enticed me. Once I had also the phonecall with the manager, it was a great phonecall and I just really wanted to join the club.”
Up Next: The Champo season begins with Southampton vs Wrexham at 11.30pm on Sunday 9 August (NZT)
Grace Wisnewski – FC Nordsjælland (Danish Kvindeliga)
Grace Wisnewski’s time in America didn’t really go as planned. She joined the brand new USL Super League as Lexington SC’s first signing but, coming off her ACL recovery process, she didn’t even debut until the fourth game and was only used sparingly across the first half of the season despite her team being stuck at the bottom of the table. She managed to find more prominence towards the end, starting each of the last four games. However, her entire year only added up to 13 games (6 starts) for 498 minutes... with one goal (because you can’t ever deny the Wiz completely). Mark this down as yet another case of a kiwi footballer being undervalued/underused in the American soccer system, be that at the pro level or in college ball.
But the thing about those many such cases is that they often land on their feet. Think Katie Bowen to Melbourne City and then Inter Milan. Think Gabi Rennie at Aland United and Eskilstuna United. Maggie Jenkins at ALG Spor. Max Mata had a stinker time in the USA but followed by a career breakthrough in Ireland. It’s a long list... which also now includes Grace Wisnewski after she signed a three-year contract with Champions League qualifiers FC Nordsjælland.
This is the club that Malia Steinmetz won a league and cup double with during the 2023-24 season, though Steinmetz tore her ACL in November and has been out of action since. It’s not clear if Wisnewski’s been signed to partner Steinmetz (in a few months when Steiny might be available again) or if she’s replacing her, since MS signed a two-year contract which has now expired. The injury makes it a foggy situation so we’ll wait on how that unfolds.
FCN weren’t able to defend either of those trophies last season, finishing second in both cases behind a resurgent Fortuna Hjørring side, but they did still qualify for Champions League. Late in August they’ll have their second round qualifying tourney, facing Sparta Prague (Czechia) in game one and then the winner of Roma (Italy) vs Aktobe (Kazakhstan) in the final. There’ll then be a third round two-legged playoff against another League Path team (potentially even Katie Bowen’s Inter Milan) before the 18-team League Phase begins the tournament proper. So from barely playing for a second-tier USA club, Wiz will find herself battling for trophies and Champions League footy in Denmark. She’s already begun training with her new squad. The next Kvindeliga season is three weeks away.
FCN women’s sports director Jessica Davis: “Grace is a player we have been following close for the past two years and we are excited to finally welcome her to the club. She is a versatile mid-ban player who will contribute defensive stability while strengthening our attacks with her excellent decision-making and technical quality. Grace brings valuable experience with him from her time with New Zealand's national team, Football Ferns, and a year in the United States, which we believe will have a positive impact on our squad. We are convinced that she will have an immediate impact on our environment and we look forward to seeing her develop and contribute to the team in the coming years.”
Grace Wisnewski: “It feels really good to be here at FCN. I am very grateful and most of all I’m looking forward to what awaits me at the club. I have only ever heard positive things about FC Nordsjælland and the style of play suits me incredibly well. I had a lot of good conversations with the coaches and individual players and attended a few training sessions, and I had no doubt at all that it was the right club for me.”
Up Next: Sunday 10 August sees FCN vs Midtjylland in week one of the new Kvindeliga campaign (NZT)
Suya Haering - Carl Zeiss Jena (German Bundesliga)
More excellent transfer news. It had already been hinted that Suya Haering had left Turbine Potsdam after their relegation to the second tier, following in the footsteps of teammate Maya Hahn who switched to Viktoria Berlin a few weeks back. But whereas Hahn chose a second-tier club for her next stop (a trendy and ambitious one, to be clear), Haering went a different path by taking up a trial with top flight club Carl Zeiss Jena... and impressing enough that they’ve signed her up and given her the #5 jersey.
Suya Haering: “I'm really looking forward to the new challenge in Jena. For me, it's a good chance to develop and give my all when I'm needed. I want to do my part to ensure that we are successful as a team. I’m really looking forward to the city, the fans and can’t wait for the season to get started.”
Haering is an U20s international who made a name for herself as a classy fullback for Northern Rovers and Auckland United a few years back, before getting snapped up by Turbine Potsdam in January 2024. She spent the rest of that season getting her reps in the reserves and then broke into the senior side during 2024-25 after they’d earned promotion, going on to make 12 Bundesliga appearances. Carl Zeiss Jena were promoted at the same time as Turbine Potsdam except they managed to stay up. 10 points from 22 games with a -36 goal difference doesn’t sound very flash but it was miles better than the unmentionable numbers that Potsdam mustered. Fantastic to see Haering able to stick around in the Bundesliga. As long as she gets on the pitch, this will extend the streak of at least one New Zealander featuring in the German women’s top division into an 18th consecutive season.
Carl Zeiss Jena is a club that’s been good to kiwi players in the past. Or at least the Jena part has been. Carl Zeiss only had a regional league women’s team when they merged with USV Jena five years ago, but USV Jena have spent many seasons in the Bundesliga and have signed plenty of NZers through the years. Amber Hearn was the most successful, spending six seasons with the club during which time she scored 39 goals in 131 league appearances. Ria Percival, Abby Erceg, CJ Bott, and Nicole Stratford have also represented the club. So did Logan Rogerson on the men’s side - it was Carl Zeiss Jena that he joined when he left the Wellington Phoenix back in 2018, although injuries meant he only played a couple of games in the German third tier.
Up Next: Funnily enough, next weekend there’s a friendly game between Haering’s Carl Zeiss Jena and Hahn’s Viktoria Berlin
Sarpreet Singh - TSC Bačka Topola (Serbian SuperLiga)
Sarpreet Singh and Darije Kalezic reunited after seven years, what a sight. Singh has now started five league games under the tutelage of DK, those coming against Perth Glory, Central Coast Mariners, Western Sydney Wanderers, Newcastle Jets... and Radnički Niš. It was only a little over two weeks ago that Singh was announced by TSC hence he only had a limited preseason with the club but that didn’t stop him from going directly into the starting eleven for the first game of the new Serbian SuperLiga season.
TSC set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Singh as one of the tens, although he did occasionally swap with his right winger. That meant plenty of freedom to go get his touches. The thing that gets held against Singh the most is his supposed lack of physicality but, while he may not be built like Liberato Cacace, the bro did spend several years in those Bayern Munich gyms and has played in some rugged leagues. He knows how to hold his own and he showed that on debut in Serbia with some clever touches to keep the ball under pressure, winning five separate free kicks in the process. More of a concern is whether he can stay fit enough to go week in, week out. But so far so good after he logged a strong 80 minutes here.
He did have a couple of chances along the way. There was a shot on target from a cut-back to the penalty spot but that was saved and then scratched off for an earlier offside anyway. He also had a punt from distance that got blocked, plus another effort off target. Later on he’d set up a chance similar to his first shot, as well as whipping in a couple of angled crosses that didn’t hit their targets. That final product was a bit rusty but he ought to get more clinical once he finds his rhythm.
As for the game around him, TSC were comfortably the better side but their goalkeeper messed up when he dwelled too long on the ball, got pressed, panicked, and hacked it straight to an attacker who chipped him to give Radnički a 1-0 lead after 14 minutes. A well-taken equaliser seemed to have arrived when Drago Savic produced a nice shimmy and shot from about twenty yards out, only to be disallowed for a foul. But captain and Aussie international Milos Degenek powered in a header from a corner during first half stoppages to make it 1-1, then Savic scored one that counted three minutes into the second spell. There were a couple of slippery moment that followed by TSC stuck the landing for a 2-1 opening round victory.
TSC’s squad four debutants: Singh and Szabolcs Mezei started, while Bogdan Petrovic and Branko Jovicic came off the bench. Not to mention this being Darije Kalezic’s first game in charge... coincidentally, the bloke he replaced, Slavko Matic, was in the dugout for the opposition. Sarpreet Singh joins Marko Stamenic as the only other New Zealander to have played in the Serbian SuperLiga.
Callum McCowatt also kicked off his season this weekend but we shan’t spend much time on that because Silkeborg were away against Brøndby and got beaten 3-0. At least McCowatt played ninety minutes – last term it took him until March to log a full game thanks to his pesky injuries, although once he got there, he proceeded to deliver some career-best form which has him as a nailed-on first eleven dude heading into this new campaign. Silkeborg don’t have long to dust themselves off because they face KA of Iceland in the first leg of their Europa Conference League qualifying clash on Thursday NZT (5am if you reckon you can find a stream). Also, Dalton Wilkins is still with Sønderjyske but he hasn’t yet recovered from the injury that ended his previous season so no sign of him in the 1-1 draw against AGF.
Up Next: Radnik Surdulica vs TSC at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Kees Sims - GAIS (Swedish Allsvenskan)
GAIS has been rolling along like a steam train lately, culminating in a 3-2 win against Hammarby last week. They’ve risen right up into contention for the European places and an excellent defence conceding less than a goal per game has been a major factor in that. But Kees Sims hadn’t had much to do with it all. He played through the League Cup group stage prior to the Allsvenskan season and he’s popped up in friendlies and in the U21 cup... but with GAIS number one Mergin Krasniqi in fine form and fitness, Sims had spent the league games sitting on the bench.
Until the trip to struggling Degefors this week where coach Fredrik Holmberg decided to make four changes to the team that beat Hammarby, citing a need to keep his whole squad active and rewarded for their efforts in training. Kees Sims was one of those changes and in his first match of the season he made nine saves on the way to a clean sheet victory...
That’s how you take your opportunity. Most of those saves were relatively simple ones but Sims made them all without a fuss and also earned praise for his distribution and aerial work. GAIS won 3-0 to further entrench themselves in the top six. They’ve now gone 11 games undefeated in the Allsvenskan (whereas Degefors have lost seven in a row). This isn’t going to change anything about where he sits in the squad but at least Sims has offered up a little more evidence that he’s ready to go whenever he’s called upon. And perhaps kept any curious scouts on notice too.
Fredrik Holmberg pre-game: “It's time to give [Sims] an opportunity and a chance. He's too good to never get a chance to show how good he is.”
Fredrik Holmberg post-game: “[Kees Sims] put in a great effort. Very stable in the air game and on the shots from outside as well as making good decisions with the ball. Especially because it was his first Allsvenskan match in a while. So I am very satisfied.”
Up Next: GAIS vs Halmstad at 1am on Sunday (NZT)
Chris Wood & Marko Stamenic – Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
For game two of Nottingham Forest’s preseason, they welcomed back a bunch more of their main dudes – including Chris Wood – for a visit from Monaco. Only five players remained from the eleven that began against Chesterfield, so no surprises that Marko Stamenic was one of those who dipped back to the bench. Morgan Gibbs-White even started despite his ongoing transfer saga. Nuno Espirito Santo used two distinct elevens in this game, swapping out the entire team for the second half, and Stamenic was still there amongst the second group. Neither eleven was fully first or second choice with some mixing and matching going on, though the first half crew was a lot closer to what we’ll see when the Premier League gets back underway.
The game ended 0-0 with limited chances either way on a gloomy afternoon. Chris Wood played his usual striker’s role but didn’t have any moments worth mentioning – other than the Nottingham Post’s assertion that The Woodsman “spent more than 20 minutes posing for photographs and signing autographs for Reds fans on the touchline after going off at the break”. Going out of his way for the fans as usual... although he avoided climbing into the stands this time. Marko Stamenic operated as the deepest midfielder and kept things very sturdy. Referring back to the Nottingham Post folks, their impression was that he: “Put a shift in and looks to have something about him. Gave a good account of himself in midfield as he battles to catch Nuno’s eye ahead of a decision being made over what happens next”.
What happens next is a training camp in Portugal (where the weather should be a little better) that’ll include friendlies against Fulham and Estoril Praia. The first of those games is on Sunday NZT, then they play the other on Thursday morning. They flew out on Monday UK time and Chris Wood is definitely there but it’s not yet known if Marko Stamenic has joined them. If there’s an imminent loan coming then this would be the time for him to duck away. There were some pictures of the team getting off the plane but those didn’t show everyone so Stamenic’s absence doesn’t mean he’s absent. Expect some training footage to emerge in the next day or two. It usually does.
Now let’s round up some more preseason activities. Max Crocombe has been alternated with George Evans as Millwall keeper through the first couple games. In game three, a 2-1 loss to Elche, it was Crocs who played 60 mins while Evans got the other half hour. Good signs. Ben Old’s scoring streak ended with Saint-Étienne losing 3-2 to Servette but he started yet again, playing the first half. Here he is not being able to speak French words without an accent...
Zac Jones continues to start games for AFC Fylde, though Nik Tzanev was behind fellow Newport County signing Jordan Wright in their defeat against Torquay with Tanz only subbed on after 67 mins. It was the other way around in the previous friendly though, while Jacob Carney got the start in the one before that. Tzanev and Wright also split an earlier match after Wright and Carney had split the first game of preseason (before Tzanev had linked up with the squad). They’re mixing it up even more than Millwall have been.
Tyler Bindon has played the second half of both of Sheffield United’s games to date. Early days there. Matt Dibley-Dias skipped out on Chesterfield’s latest two outings due to an ankle injury suffered at training. Sounds like it was only precautionary, with Dibs telling the coaches that he was fine but they wanted to wait and see how he recovered. It was a similar tale at Shrewsbury Town where Max Mata wasn’t able to stake his claim back at Shrewsbury Town for their first few friendlies. But the manager assured everyone that Mata would be fine to play some part of the game against Kidderminster this past weekend...
Michael Appleton: “Gilly [Alex Gilliead] and Max [Mata] had a couple of issues a few days in. They’ve trained for a couple of days now so they’ll definitely get minutes against Kidderminster which is obviously a positive one.”
No lie was spoken. Mata was subbed on for the last twenty minutes of a 3-0 win and promptly did this...
Fingers crossed he can have an impact like Ben Waine seems to be having at Port Vale, where he’s already scored twice off the bench. Waine-o started and got 75 minutes in a closed-door game against Notts County during the week. AFC Bournemouth’s two games have both been closed-door friendlies so it’s hard to know if Alex Paulsen’s done much, though he is training with the Cherries for now. AP posted a couple of pics of him in action against Hibernian in the first of those games so he definitely got some minutes in that one. A loan will surely follow in due course.
Same with Henry Gray who doesn’t appear to have been part of Ipswich’s training camp squad which went to Austria. He has gotten some minutes for the U21s but there’s not much of a path with the first team right now. Ante Muric will be back from injury soon to challenge Alex Palmer and Christian Walton, plus they’ve signed veteran David Button on a one-year deal. Scottish international Cieran Slicker has also skipped the Austria tour as he looks for loan options – Slicker is two years older than Gray.
Further abroad, NK Istra have been training in Slovenia ahead of the new Croatian season. Stipe Ukich isn’t part of that squad though, instead he’s hung back to focus on his place with the reserve team. And Ryan Thomas has been quietly plugging away for PEC Zwolle in their exhibitions with no signs of the tweaks and niggles that he usually deals with in preseason. If he keeps this up, we might even see him in an All Whites jersey again in a few months.
Up Next: Still a few more weeks of preseason games for most of them
Katie Bowen - Inter Milan (Italian Serie A)
Didn’t need Sherlock Holmes to figure out that this was coming after we’d already seen KB back in preseason work with Inter Milan last week... but good to get the formalities sorted. Katie Bowen has signed a one-year contract extension with Internazionale, keeping her at the club as they try to qualify for the Champions League for the first ever time. Inter’s women’s team was only founded in 2018. They entered in Serie B and immediately earned promotion as second tier champs... and have steadily improved ever since with Serie A finishes of 7, 8, 5, 5, 5, 2 over the subsequent six years. Bowen’s been there for the last two seasons, starting most games along the way. She was a key player on the right side of the back three last term as the club earned that record second-placed finish.
KB: “It’s a proud moment for both myself and my family. Italy is now a home away from home and I think that re-signing here was no question in my mind. I really love it here, I love the team, the coaching staff. I’m very happy to re-sign.”
The Champions League qualifiers aren’t for another month so there’ll be plenty of preseason activities to get up to speed with first. Getting through those and making the League Phase will be a major target for the club. And, as Bowen says in that interview, the next step domestically is to win some silverware.
Up Next: Big few weeks of training to make sure she’s still first-choice
CJ Bott - Leicester City (English Super League)
LCFC: “Full-backs CJ Bott, 30 and Courtney Nevin, 23, also leave us following moves from the Norwegian and Swedish top flights in 2022 and 2023 respectively.”
Nearly three weeks after last season’s contracts expired, Leicester City finally got around to updating their squad statuses for next term. A bunch of re-signings were made, a bunch of departures were announced, and among those exits was CJ Bott. CJB departs the Foxes after three and a half years and 58 WSL appearances. Only Ria Percival (74 games for West Ham and Spurs) has played more in England’s top flight as a New Zealander.
This is a little bit of a surprise considering that CJB was regularly up there with the best tacklers in the division and was a first choice right-back under multiple coaches at LCFC. Then again, that might have made her an attractive signing for other clubs... and after the relegation of Leicester’s men’s team it could be a difficult season ahead for the ladies. See, London City Lionesses have been promoted and with their financial power it’s unlikely they get relegated straight back down like Crystal Palace did last season. Leicester City have finished 11, 10, 10, and 10 on the ladder (out of 12 teams) since making it to the top flight. The good thing for them is that future expansion means there isn’t any automatic relegation this upcoming term, with the last-placed team getting a playoff against third in WSL2. But perhaps CJB’s had enough of relegation battles for the time being. As with most releases, the story is only half told until we see where she signs next.
Up Next: Time shall tell
Bill Tuiloma – Charlotte FC (American Major League Soccer)
Bill Tuiloma continues to start games for Charlotte, who continue to get good results with him in the team. CFC played twice this week and Tuiloma remained at right-back in each of them. First was a 2-1 win against DC United with Pep Biel scoring a double, then came a 3-2 win away against Atlanta FC in which Charlotte scored three times from four shots on target to take the points. Tuiloma played 70 minutes and 73 minutes so he’s building back up again – and while he hasn’t scored again like he did in that first appearance, Charlotte have taken 10 points from his four games following immediately after a run of nine defeats from 11 in which Tuiloma wasn’t involved.
He’s still not fully comfortable on the right edge but they’ve got him playing like a third centre-back a lot of the time and he’s improving with each passing game. Can’t be surprised at a bit of rust considering he’d not played a second of MLS footy all year prior to that. Supposing he’s able to hold down this position, the next step will be to add more attacking output since he’s only even attempted two crosses in three games at right-back and hasn’t been getting very far forward. But what he has done is he’s been very good with his passing and in these past two games we’ve begun to see him really get the hang of his defensive duties.
The news was less exciting for the other two. Michael Boxall’s Minnesota United conceded from a first-half penalty against LAFC in the midweek and then failed to convert their heavy pressure into an equaliser, going down 1-0. They had done to them what they’ve been doing to others this year. Portland Timbers also had a midweek game that they lost 1-0. This was at home against Real Salt Lake and it was a late goal that cost Finn Surman and the lads. Following that, they played each other. Michael Boxall was rested to begin with but they subbed him on at half-time with Portland looking quite good. That gave us half a game of kiwi derby in which Minny took a 77th minute lead but Portland scored in stoppage time for a 1-1 draw. Honours even between the kiwi centre-backs.
Thanks to a busy week of headers, Surman has reclaimed his lead in the MLS defensive clearances rankings...
Meanwhile, Michael Boxall has (begrudgingly) linked up with the MLS All Stars ahead of that showcase game on Thursday. That’s probably why they tried to rest him for the Portland game. Those fellas are sneaking in a few days of training before they face the Liga MX All Stars... with the exception of Lionel Messi who apparently only has to turn up for the game itself. His Inter Miami teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets are also missing in action and it’s not clear if they’ll be involved or not. For some dumb reason, they scheduled this thing in the midweek between two full rounds of MLS games so a few of the coaches are playing silly buggers about their players.
Up Next: Charlotte vs Toronto at 11.30am on Sunday (NZT)
Milly Clegg - Halifax Tides (Canadian Northern Super League)
Milly Clegg didn’t have to miss any time after the cut above her eye that she suffered in Halifax’s previous game. She was good to go from the start against Vancouver Rise, sporting a bandage over the wound and playing wide on the left of a front three (she’s been used all across that attacking trio this season). No worries. No fuss.
Unfortunately, the defensive improvements that Halifax had been showing lately went out the window in this game. They were 2-0 down inside of nine minutes and conceded a third after half an hour. Then somehow they also conceded seven seconds into the second half. They hadn’t even had time to turn off the Whitney Houston song that was playing over the loud speakers during the break before that one hit the net. Two more goals where those came from resulted in a 6-0 defeat. Still no goal for Clegg in Canada... but plenty of instances of her looking skywards in frustration after making good runs that her teammates ignored to instead go themselves.
And, well, the news wasn’t any better as Calgary Wild were beaten 3-0 by Ottawa Rapid. Ally Green and Meikayla Moore both started but they were 2-0 down after 23 minutes, starting almost as poorly as Halifax did. Later would come a third goal scored by... Meikayla Moore. It was one of those unfortunate own goals where she’d been tracking a runner at the near post only for the low cross to be drilled closer to the goalkeeper who parried it straight into Moore and it ricocheted into the net. Add it up and we had a 9-0 aggregate loss between our kiwi reps in Canada, including an own goal. Flush the dunny and move on.
Up Next: Halifax has a week off coming up, while Calgary are away to Montreal at 11am on Saturday (NZT)
George Stanger - Kilmarnock (Scottish Premiership)
Safe to say that George Stanger is settling smoothly at Kilmarnock. Man of the Match in just his second appearance for the club as Killie won 1-0 against fellow Premiership club Livingston in the League Cup group stage. This following their 2-0 win away to Brora Rangers. Two from two with Stanger playing all 180 minutes and Killie yet to concede a goal. Sweet as.
Stanger’s lined up as the right-sided central defender in a back four in both games, carrying on from what he was doing with Ayr United. He was aggressive and physical and already seems to be winning over the fans. You never know after a move up a division whether a player might have to stay patient and earn their minutes over time or if they’ve been bought to go straight into the starting eleven. This is only the League Cup, the Scottish Premiership is still two weeks away, so it doesn’t necessarily confirm anything. But there’s no denying that Stanger’s made a strong impression so far.
As it happens, Livingston are the team that Killie will face in the opening weekend of the Prem. Nice to set a marker with a win against them ahead of time. Especially for Stanger, because Livingston were one of the clubs that got promoted ahead of his Ayr United side last season. The last time he played them, he was on the wrong end of a 5-0 result back in April. Put that down as a bit of revenge along with everything else.
George Stanger: “I feel like coming in, I knew there’s a lot of good players here and it was going to be that I was just walking into the team. All I can do is focus on myself in that regard and try and do my best on the training pitch especially and then when I get the opportunity to play, try and do what I do. I feel like I’ve settled in well so far, it’s a really good group of lads, and like I say the competition for places is massive but that’s a good thing.”
Up Next: Kelty Hearts vs Kilmarnock on Weds at 6.45am; Kilmarnock vs East Fife on Sunday at 2am (NZT)
Elijah Just – Motherwell (Scottish Premiership)
It took a scrappy goal from Stephen O’Donnell five mins before half-time but Motherwell won 1-0 away to Stenhousemuir and with that are on the brink of qualifying for the next round of the League Cup. All they’ve gotta do is avoid defeat against Greenock Morton on Wednesday morning. We’ve not seen anything fancy from the team under Jens Berthel Askou’s management just yet but they seem to be setting a baseline for their performances which should serve them well once they find some rhythm and start putting a few more chances away.
Elijah Just came off the bench in the first League Cup game, played the first half of the second game, and this time lasted an hour in the third game. Very clear ramping up process there. The weather was awful for the Stenhousemuir fixtures which lent itself to a more direct style of footy than what he was signed to offer, so not a lot of EJ sightings in those highlights. He did nearly set up an own goal with a delicious cross that was accidentally headed on target by a defender only for the Stenny keeper to make a sharp stop. Seems like he’s settling in pretty quickly.
Up Next: 6.45am on Weds, Motherwell vs Greenock Morton (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
A bad week has become a bad fortnight for Viking FK. Not so long ago, they were on a 19-game unbeaten streak sitting top of the league and into the semi-finals of the Norwegian Cup. Then last week they lost 1-0 to Sarpsborg in that cup semi, followed by a 3-1 defeat against Brann in the Eliteserien. Joe Bell did at least score the one in that league loss (and what a goal it was). He scored again this week as Viking were beaten 4-2 by defending champs Bodø/Glimt... but unfortunately it was an own goal.
This was just a bad day. They conceded after 44 seconds and even after Peter Christiansen made it 1-1, they soon conceded again. A Zlatko Tripic penalty after 22 mins gave VFK a second equaliser... and once more it didn’t last long. They were 3-2 down by half-time. Joe Bell’s oggie with twenty mins remaining killed off the fightback. It was an entertaining game of footy with plenty of chances in both directions. B/G certainly had more of them but that’s no different to the last time these two teams met where a clinical (and slightly lucky) Viking team was the team winning 4-2. This time the scorelines were flipped.
Viking do remain first despite this slump... though mostly that’s because they’ve played more games than anyone else. Tromso and Bodø/Glimt can both now overtake them by winning their three games in hand. Or, you know, Viking could rip off another long unbeaten streak and stride to the title. They’re still in a better spot than they had any expectation of being. And in a few days they add something else to the agenda when they face Koper (Slovenia) in their two-legged Europa Conference League second qualifying round match-up. First leg is on Friday NZT.
Up Next: Viking vs Koper at 5am on Friday in the Conference League quals; Byrne vs Viking at 12.30am on Monday in the Eliteserien (NZT)
Moses Dyer - Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodian Premier League)
Finally they’ve got around to announcing this one. Moses Dyer to Cambodia. Release clause triggered, payrise offered. Dyer leaves Galway United after scoring 10 goals in 20 appearances, winning LOI Player of the Month in April, and his last act for the club was getting sent off in a derby game. In other words, it was a short time but a very good time.
Now we’ll see if he can carry that form into the Phnom Penh Crown and perhaps win a trophy or two while he’s at it. This is not a move that’ll do anything for his All Whites chances but it should be a fun experience for a bloke who has already played in Norway, Canada, USA, and Ireland. If you want more of a breakdown of this move, have a look here because it’s already been written.
Up Next: The new CPL season starts with Boeung Ket vs PP Crown at 11pm on 17 August (NZT)
The Niche Cache is out here grinding away for kiwi sports, giving you the coverage that you want to see, so if you reckon we’re doing good mahi then support us on Patreon, Substack, or Buy Me A Coffee
Also helps if you whack an ad, share the yarns on socials, and tell your mates about us