Flying Kiwis – August 13
Liberato Cacace - Wrexham (English Championship)
The new season has arrived and even though Liberato Cacace only featured briefly at the end of Wrexham’s preseason, he still went straight into the eleven for the match against Southampton. Picked wide on the left of a 3-5-2 formation, ready to roll at the club where he held the record transfer fee for about two weeks. Cacace was one of six new signings in the starting eleven: strikers Dean Windass and Kieffer Moore, midfielder Lewis O’Brien (the guy who broke Cacace’s club record transfer), defender Connor Coady, and goalkeeper Danny Ward. Plus Ryan Hardie debuted off the bench. Lots of fresh additions and the manager reckons there are more to come as Wrexham seek to establish themselves back in the English second tier after more than forty years away.
Libby Cacace: “It's a great doco, and I've watched all the seasons. There was interest in Italy, but for me, I'm a big football fan as well. I watch a lot of football and I've always watched English football, from the Premier League to the Championship so I know the level I'm heading into. It was always a big dream of mine to play in the UK. Obviously Wrexham having so much publicity in the media as well you could see what the club was like. It's a very exciting project and I'm also very excited to start the season as well.”
For roughly 85 minutes, Wrexham’s long-awaited return to this division was going alright. They were 1-0 up against a relegated Premier League opponent. Windass had scored from the penalty spot midway through the first half and Wrexham’s counter-attacking plan seemed to be working. However, that plan meant they only had limited possession (roughly 26%) and after Kieffer Moore went off injured they lost their best hold-up man. Cacace kept bombing up the line, his boundless workrate making up for his sparse touches. He looked completely at home at this level and already appears to have the trust of his new manager.
But given how he’d only linked up with the squad after they got back from Aotearoa a few weeks ago, it was no surprise when Phil Parkinson subbed him off with five minutes remaining. The surprise is that he didn’t do it sooner... although he probably now regrets making that substitution at all: Wrexham were 1-0 up when Cacace took a seat whereupon they conceded twice in what remained and lost 2-1. Ouch.
To be fair, Ryan Manning’s 90th minute equalising goal was a brilliant direct free kick that had nothing to do with whoever was out there. Some better tracking at the back post, and less passive defending in general, might have prevented Jack Stevens from winning it on 90+6’ but that’s football for ya. The Saints deserved it more. They were brutally unlucky not to score during a dominant spell late in the first half and they forced most of the action in the second spell. But Wrexham can take encouragement from getting themselves into a winning position against a club that’s spent 12 of the last 13 seasons in the Premier League.
Since Cacace is a branded first eleven amigo, he was able to chill for the midweek EFL Cup game against Hull City. James McClean got the start at LWB instead of him – the Irish veteran who last week signed a new contract that’ll keep him in town until the end of the 2026-27 season. McClean earned 103 caps for the Republic of Ireland before retiring in November 2023. His last international game was... a 1-1 draw against Libby Cacace and New Zealand.
Anyway, Wrexham were on the brink of getting eliminated by their Championship comrades with a 3-1 deficit as they entered eight minutes of added time. Then Ollie Palmer scored two rapid goals (McClean assisted the first one) for a 3-3 draw and Wrexham won the penalty shootout to advance. Sometimes the late goals eat you, sometimes you eat the late goals. It’s been a crazy first week of the season for the Red Dragons.
Also just keep in mind that the tally shows Wrexham have conceded zero goals in 85 minutes with Cacace at LWB and five goals in 95 minutes with McClean at LWB.
Up Next: Wrexham vs West Brom at 11.30pm on Saturday (NZT)
Tyler Bindon - Sheffield United (English Championship)
It would be Ben Waine erasure to say that the 2025-26 season marks a return to kiwi involvements in the English second tier. But Ben Waine was only a bit-part player for a relegation-battling Plymouth Argyle side over his year and a half in the Championship (with 2 goals in 33 games totalling less than 1000 mins of footy). You’d be forgiven for not wanting to ponder those days too deeply. Nor Stefan Marinovic’s infamous one-and-done debut for Bristol City in 2019. It’s been sparse in these parts for several years and that’s why this season feels like a full-scale renaissance harkening back to the days when Chris Wood and Tommy Smith used to boss this division.
We’ve got Libby Cacace in the Wrexham spotlight. Tyler Bindon and Max Crocombe at promotion challengers Sheffield United and Millwall. Plus there’s still the potential of more given the undetermined situations of Marko Stamenic (who has been linked to Swansea) and Alex Paulsen, not to mention a few of academy lads sprinkled around – like Joe Wallis at West Brom who’s been granted a first team shirt number (#45, one of four keepers with number and none of them are #1... which may suggest a future incoming transfer).
Tyler Bindon’s on loan at Sheffield United and the initial feeling was that he’d have to bide his time behind incumbent centre-backs Anel Ahmedhodzic and Jack Robinson. But the Blades they sold Ahmedhodzic to Feyenoord less than a week before their first game and there was a further shock to come when the line-up was announced for the Bristol City game and Robinson wasn’t there either. Instead left-back specialist Rhys Norrington-Davies partnered Bindon through the middle (with Bindon on the right side... having usually played LCB for Reading). Robinson has been heavily linked with a move to Wrexham (swapping one kiwi teammate for another) but manager Ruben Selles insisted it was fitness reasons why he didn’t start.
Well, that backfired. At home against a team that they beat by a 6-0 aggregate score in the playoff semis last term, Sheffield United were pumped 4-1. They fell behind to a magical direct free kick inside of five minutes though were able to level up via Tyrese Campbell pretty soon afterwards (14’). But they conceded again after 26 mins and then twice more in the early stages of the second half. Bindon was unable to halt move for the second goal while the last two both happened after misplaced Norrington-Davies passes. Goal four took a big deflection off Bindon for not-so-good measure. Selles soon hauled off RND to chuck Robinson on but the damage had been done. 4-1 to Bristol City.
Depending where you look, you might see some “Tyler Bindon Nightmare Debut” clickbait. That’s all nonsense. He was a 20yo centre-back in a dysfunctional defence who hasn’t previously played above League One and he made seven clearances, a couple of tackles, and completed 80/86 passes. He’s trying to adjust to the rise in levels yet was asked to be the senior man in that defence on debut. It was a shambolic team performance but Bindon was fine. Maybe if he gets to play with an actual centre-back next time he’ll be more than fine. However you wanna dice things, playing a left-back through the middle in week one is a ridiculous bit of transfer mismanagement.
Up Next: Birmingham vs Sheffield United at 7am in the EFL Cup first round; then Swansea vs Sheff Utd at 2am Sunday in the Champo (NZT)
Max Crocombe - Millwall (English Championship)
And now we get to Max Crocombe. Signed by Millwall on a free transfer after two excellent seasons with Burton Albion, he was the Lions’ first addition of the transfer window with the intention of having him compete for the goalkeeping spot while Lukas Jensen is out with a long-term injury. They’re not expecting to see the Danish gloveman back for at least a few more months so Crocombe potentially has half a season to stake his claim. Through the early days of preseason, Crocs and academy grad George Evans were getting all the goalkeeping reps. But then dark shadows formed and Millwall signed Fulham reserve Steven Benda on loan two weeks prior to the first game. And when the Lions walked out to face Norwich for the opening matchday it was Benda who started while Crocombe watched from the sideline. Bummer.
There are two reasons not to panic here. One is that this is nothing new to Crocombe. He wasn’t the game one starter in either of his seasons with Burton Albion yet both times he won those starting honours within a few weeks thanks largely to some excellent cup form. He also unseated a club legend at Grimsby Town before that. Crocs is always having to prove himself. No reason why it should be any different now that he’s risen up to the Championship.
The other reason is that, even though Millwall won 2-1 against Norwich, Steven Benda did this...
It’s also not clear how long Crocombe’s Millwall contract runs for. They never said in the transfer announcement which implies that it’s probably only a one-year deal. That gives him a fair bit of freedom. If he can’t escape from Benda’s shadow before Jensen returns, Crocs could then potentially wrangle a way out in January to get game-time ahead of the World Cup. But that’s only in the worst case scenario. Recent history suggests that Crocs will simply overtake Benda like he usually does to whomever stands before him.
That overtaking manoeuvre has begun with an EFL Cup game against Newport County. This was almost an All Whites shootout except that Nik Tzanev was only on the bench for Newport... he’s in the opposite situation to Crocs as the number one who gets to rest for cup games. The cameras did catch them having a yarn after the game though, a game which Millwall won 1-0 to ensure at least one more cup date on the calendar for Crocombe to continue making saves like this...
He didn’t have a whole lot else to do apart from that one reaction stop. Nevertheless, he put not a foot wrong throughout his club debut (aside from one or two aimless long balls but even those seem to have improved). There were already some rumblings to see him start ahead of Benda off the back of preseason so this oughta raise the decibels further. And you know what else? It was his birthday. There you go... the pressure is on, Herr Benda.
Up Next: Millwall vs Middlesbrough at 2am on Sunday (NZT)
Jacqui Hand, Olivia Chance & Liz Anton – Kolbotn (Norwegian Toppserien)
When Jacqui Hand was at Lewes, it wasn’t until her 10th and final game for the club that she finally scored her first goal. When she was with Sheffield United, it took until game 12 for her to put one away – funnily enough, that was against Durham and Mickey Foster scored the other goal in a 1-1 draw. Hand scored another one later in the season but that still only adds up to 3 goals in 29 games in the England second tier. For someone who’d been very prolific for Aland United and remains so for the Football Ferns (9 goals in 35 caps)... that’s not what we’re used to.
Now, there were still assists during those times. And she was playing for relegated teams on both occasions. But she’s stepped into another relegation battle with Kolbotn so nothing has changed there... hence it’s a bloody good thing to see her bang one away nice and quick, scoring in just her third appearance for the team (having already gotten an assist and taken a shot that led to an own goal on debut). Hand’s had an instant impact playing alongside Liv Chance and Liz Anton in a rare triple kiwi situation. Much more in tune with the production we know she’s capable of.
But there is a stink element to this... because Hand’s goal didn’t lead the team to victory. They started nicely against Bodø/Glimt: Hand nutmegged a defender in the box inside of a couple of minutes while Chance whipped in a cross that Anton nearly turned home after a short corner routine. By the time Hand put them one up after 22 minutes it felt like valid reward for their effort... only to spoil that reward by conceding three minutes later (with Anton unable to make the goalline clearance). Hand had another great chance later in the half when her thumping shot got blocked by an offside teammate. Then they conceded a wondergoal to be 2-1 down and Bodø/Glimt were a different story with a lead to protect.
The hope was that the win against Røa in Hand’s debut would signal a rise up the standings... but consecutive losses against other relegation rivals has kept Kolbotn in last place. They’ve got Lyn away next week which is might as well be a must-win because they’ve got a run of matches against mostly top half opposition afterwards. Kolbotn have 11 games left in their season. No need to panic yet.
Up Next: Lyn vs Kolbotn at 0:00 Sunday (NZT)
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 2)
Would you look at that, Ben Old has already done something that he never managed to do in his entire first season with Les Verts: he’s scored a goal.
A very nice goal too, showing off his pace and then picking his spot confidently across the keeper, that’s how it’s done. Old only made 13 appearances for ASSE in 2024-25 while they were in Ligue 1, adding up to 523 minutes, with a serious knee injury in the middle spoiling his momentum. He’d scored in preseason but he never got much rhythm going for a relegation-battling team that didn’t have the luxury of offering him time to adapt after his transfer from Wellington Phoenix. There will be some pressure in Ligue 2 since ASSE brings a hefty fanbase and plenty of history wherever they go. Expectations will be for an immediate return to the top flight. But that means they should be winning most weeks and therefore Old ought to have a little more wiggle room.
He’s already earned his way into the starting eleven thanks to a strong preseason. Old started five of his six appearances prior to the knee injury last season but only ever played off the bench afterwards. Usually that was on the right wing. Here against Stade Lavallois he was used on the left side where not only did he score that goal... he also assisted another. It was a fluke of an assist where a low cross bounced off his back leg as he attacked the near post and then conveniently fell for a teammate near the penalty spot. It was a complete accident (hence it didn’t get included in the clip above)... but it looks good in his stats, at least. Arguably more impressive was a well-weighted through ball from Old to help forge Saint-Étienne’s second goal.
To be honest, he didn’t do much aside from the goal (and assist). His dribbles didn’t go anywhere. He lost all of his ground duels. He missed some passes. And he was subbed after an hour. But he did score a goal and that’s something to build off for a bloke who’s final product has often felt like a work in progress. Even at the Nix, there were elements of Old’s game that were spectacular and others that lagged below where they needed to be. He’s still a project player this relegation might just suit him for that reason. ASSE ended up drawing 3-3 after conceding an 87th minute equaliser... so yeah Oldy might need to score two next week if that defence is still as leaky as it was last season.
Up Next: ASSE vs Rodez at 6am on Sunday (NZT)
Bill Tuiloma – Charlotte FC (American Major League Soccer)
Billy T did it again...
On the board in the Leagues Cup, making this the third different competition he’s scored in this year. Already got one in the US Open Cup. He scored in his first MLS appearance of the year (which didn’t come until July). Now he’s bagged the opener in a 2-0 win against Monterrey with teammate Tyger Smalls adding a second a few minutes later. Tuiloma played 71 minutes in that game and he got them in his preferred position of centre-back. Still can’t last ninety minutes but he’s making regular appearances now and that’s what we need to see. This was Charlotte’s only win of their three Leagues Cup games. They’d already been eliminated before it kicked off but good to finish on a high with a Tui goal.
Bill Tuiloma: “Still gotta work work hard every day and show the gaffer that you're ready to go. It's not just the eleven on the field, it's everyone. We need everyone on to be to be ready to perform.”
Charlotte then went and beat FC Cincinnati 1-0 thanks to a Wilfried Zaha stunner in the 85th minute. Tuiloma was back on the right edge of defence for this one yet he only lasted 52 minutes before being subbed with what sounds like a hamstring injury. Hopefully nothing major – we’ve seen him replaced with cramps in a couple of games although this was earlier than those salt demons usually strike. In six MLS starts this year, Tuiloma has played 84 mins (CB), 55 (RB), 70 (RB), 73 (RB), 72 (RB), and 52 (RB). In those games, Charlotte FC have taken 16 points from a possible 18 to launch themselves right back into the playoff hunt.
If Tuiloma does turn out to be badly injured then that would spoil the only happy vestige of the Flying Kiwis week Stateside. Minnesota United lost their third Leagues Cup game 2-0 against San Luis to find themselves eliminated. Michael Boxall was rested for that game but then came back into the line-up, as captain, for the MLS game against Colorado Rapids... which they lost 2-1 despite being the better team for most of the match. They could have risen to second place with a win. An opportunity gone begging.
Portland Timbers had an even worse week. Following two wins from two, they were in prime position to make the Leagues Cup knockouts only to draw 1-1 with Club America and then lose the penalty shooutout for a bonus point that would have taken them through. Instead missed out on goal difference. The Timbers were on course up 1-0 after 50 minutes until Surman’s CB mate Jimer Fory was sent off and they conceded straight after. Surman played ninety minutes but didn’t take a penalty. A few days later it was back to the domestic stuff... where Portland lost 2-0 away against FC Dallas. Curiously, it was Surman who was subbed at half-time when they switched from a back three to a back four. He’d given away at least one silly foul and was battling below his usual standards. He’s 21 years old playing 90 minutes most games so maybe we chalk that down to fatigue. This was a rare bad day from him.
And then there’s Macey Fraser with the Utah Royals in the NWSL. Second game back after the midseason pause and still there’s no sign of her. She’s not listed as injured after the knee issue she dealt with earlier in the year. She’s been pictured training with the team and is still on the active roster. Heck, she was even at the game as they lost 1-0 to Kansas City Currents. What the hell is going on? No idea... but it has been pointed out that she recently signed with a new agency – the NZ-based Football Asset Management which represents a bunch of kiwi footballers, particularly those who’ve come through the A-League. It’s still possible that Fraser’s simply being eased back from that injury... but even when she was fit at the start of the season they were playing her out of position and then didn’t hesitate to drop her to the bench. This is how they treat a player that cost them a six-figure transfer fee. Free Macey!
Up Next: Charlotte FC vs Real Salt Lake at 11.30am Sunday (NZT)
Gabi Rennie - Eskilstuna United (Swedish Elitettan)
Gabi Rennie simply cannot be contained. She was awesome for Aland United in the Finnish competition last year in her first gig as a pro after graduating from university in the USA and now here she is in the Swedish second tier challenging for promotion with three goals and eight assists in only 12 appearances. This latest goal came in a 2-0 win against Elfsborg, with Rennie’s effort getting the ball rolling (and she had plenty of other bright moments in a game that EU probably should have won by plenty more than they did).
Unfortunately, Eskilstuna Utd did lose 1-0 against leaders Umeå a fortnight ago in the first game back from the midseason break. That cast a shadow upon their aims of getting up to the top flight... but they beat Jitex 2-1 away last week and now this latest win proves they’ve rebounded confidently. As it stands, Eskilstuna sit third on 28 points behind Umeå and Uppsala who both have 32 points (although Uppsala have played an extra game). Two teams get automatic promotion and third place earns a playoff against the third-last team in the Damallsvenskan. Eskilstuna’s got two games coming up next week and the first of those is a midweeker away against the fourth-placed team, Trelleborg, who are only one point behind EU in fourth. Big fixture there... better make sure they get the ball out to the right winger as much as possible.
Up Next: Trelleborg vs Eskilstuna at 4am on Thursday; then Eskilstuna vs Hacken II at 2am on Monday (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
Viking had the ideal start to their first leg Europa Conference League qualifier against İstanbul Başakşehir when Sander Svendsen dashed into the penalty area and somehow managed to deflect home the opening goal after a mere 80 seconds of footy. If only the remaining 88:40 plus stoppages were as good. It took a freakish defensive block to keep the Turkish side from equalising after eight minutes... a feat that was matched up the other end after thirty when Joe Bell stole and interception and charged into the area, drawing the keeper out and beating him with his side-footed finish only for a recovering defender to head it away off the line. Unreal defensive shift to save what could have been a massive Bellinho goal.
There were other chances for Viking to go 2-0 up except that good saves and heavy touches kept them at bay. Basically, nobody was able to do what Deniz Turuc did for IB on the hour when he slammed in a brilliant goal from outside the box. Or what Christopher Operi did after 79 minutes, drilling in a second goal for the visitors also from distance. Bell had a chance to match them stepping onto a cutback twenty yards out... only to lift it narrowly over the top. Viking later had a goal wiped off for a foul on the keeper and then came a tremendous bugger up when they were caught playing too high and Davie Selke ran through to make it 3-1 on 90+4’, making their task in the second leg so much more difficult. It’s one thing to have to go to Istanbul and win, it’s another thing to have to do so by two goals... albeit Viking are the type of volatile performers who might actually be able to get the job done.
The Eliteserien stuff was much happier. With Zlatko Tripic resting on the bench to begin with, we were graced with another instance of Captain Joe Bell as the Vikes met Sandefjord on the road. This time they conceded first when Evangelos Patoulidis whipped in a magical chipped finish after 25 mins. It was still 1-0 at half-time so they made a couple of changes, including Tripic jumping on and taking the armband back, and pretty soon VFK won a penalty which Tripic converted for 1-1 (50’). Then, would you believe it, they won the thing in injury time thanks to a sneaky own goal (90+2’). The defender stuck a foot out to try and prevent a 1v1 but somehow only poked the ball past his own goalie and into the net. 2-1 to Viking. Not a pretty win but that hardly matters. Bell played the full thing and got a yellow card.
Even better is that Bodø/Glimt drew 1-1 with Tromso, meaning that the second and fourth placed teams (respectively) both dropped points. Third-placed Brann didn’t have a game. Viking are now back to being three points clear in first – albeit B/G have a game in hand and better goal difference. Viking’s played the most games but no other team aside from Bodø/Glimt can reach them via games in hand alone.
Up Next: Away to İstanbul Başakşehir in the ECL at 4am Thursday (NZT)
Callum McCowatt - Silkeborg IF (Danish Superliga)
The Conference League qualifiers didn’t go much better for Silkeborg as they also lost at home in their first leg. Not looking great for a kiwi presence in the ECL league phase this year (although Chris Wood’s Nottingham Forest have been confirmed for the Europa League so we’ll at least have that). A Bernard Vital goal after 15 minutes went unreplied and that gave Jagiellonia Białystok a 1-0 lead heading back to Poland. Callum McCowatt played 77 minutes. This was a far tighter game than Viking’s first leg with Jaga defending effectively after taking the lead. Silkeborg just couldn’t get anything going... but at least they’ve kept themselves within range as they seek to progress to the playoff round.
Thankfully, there was some good news. After that horrific start to the Superliga season (losing all three games without scoring a goal), Silkeborg finally recovered their mojo with a 4-2 win against Nordsjælland. They were 2-0 up after 15 minutes, it was 2-2 after 65 minutes, then Tonni Adamsen scored a couple of late ones to complete his hat-trick and earn SIF a morale-boosting win. McCowatt played 82 minutes and didn’t pocket any goal contributions but he went close with a shot into the side-netting and it was a foul on the end of his inswinging corner kick that earned the penalty for the third goal (Adamsen missed it but scored the rebound). That’s more like it, fellas.
Meanwhile, the women’s A-Liga kicked off in Denmark this week and Grace Wisnewski was named to start on debut for FC Nordsjælland... only to not be involved at all. Must have gotten injured in warm-ups or something. Still, it’s a very good sign that she was about to walk straight into the eleven for a Champions League qualifier having taken almost all of her last season to earn such status at Lexington in a second-tier USA league. Sometimes a team doesn’t recognise what they’ve got. Sometimes they do. FCN won 5-1 against Midtjylland. They did alright without her on this occasion but let us not tempt fate in future games.
Up Next: Jagiellonia Białystok vs Silkeborg at 6.15am on Friday; Viborg vs Silkeborg at 2am on Monday (NZT)
Abby Erceg - Deportivo Toluca (Mexican Liga MX)
We’re fully back on track over in these parts. Abby Erceg may have missed the first few games but she returned with 70 minutes last week and this time around, at home against Leon, she did a full ninety minutes in a 1-0 victory. Toluca nearly threw it away when they conceded a soft penalty deep into added time but their goalie made a wonderful save to preserve the clean sheet and the three points. Toluca have won four games and drawn one to begin the 2025 Apertura – one of only four teams still undefeated. It’s only natural that Abby Erceg should find herself playing for another championship contender.
Up Next: Toluca vs Guadalajara at 1pm on Thursday (NZT)
Ben Waine - Port Vale (English League One)
The fact that Ben Waine started last week was a pleasant surprise earned by his strong preseason impressions and made possible by Darren Moore adapting his formation to remove a midfielder and for a third forward. But as you’ll recall, the tactical tweak didn’t work and they were 2-0 down with a red card at half-time against Rotherham when Waine got substituted... so he wasn’t very likely to be in the eleven for the subsequent match against Cardiff City. He wasn’t. But he did still offer an energetic quarter of an hour off the bench as the Vale were forced to settle for a 0-0 draw in a match they otherwise dominated. Waine’s two biggest contributions were an instance when he shot from range instead of switching the play to an open winger and a very deliberate yellow card that he procured to stop a counter attack.
That’s alright. They’ve got bunch of good forwards at PVFC this year and Waine seems to have a role amongst them. That was proven a few days later when they played Blackpool away in the EFL Cup first round and this time it was Waine and Jayden Stockley – the two guys from the Rotherham front three who didn’t start against Cardiff – that got picked up top. Both played full games as Port Vale won 1-0 thanks to a late goal from substitute Modou Faal (on loan from Wrexham – he played off the bench against the Wellington Phoenix a few weeks ago). Nothing fancy in there from Waineo but he kept running all game and seems to have a better gauge of the required physicality these days. In other words, he’s settling in smoothly... although he’ll want to get that first goal pronto so as to keep the fans on his side.
Of all the recent kiwi EFL signings, the guy who’s settled in best is Nik Tzanev. He was a standout in the EFL Cup preliminary win against Barnet, he won plaudits in the 1-1 league draw with Notts County, now he’s put up another strong showing in a 2-1 backs-to-the-wall win away against Crawley Town. Three games gone and Tzanev is already a favourite at his new club. They signed Jordan Wright (formerly of Grimsby Town) at the same time so there was no guarantee that Tanz would be the number one. But he’s already made that a non-issue. Granted, Wright did put up a good display in the 1-0 loss against Max Crocombe’s Millwall in the EFL Cup first round though.
What else have we got? Well, Tommy Smith went straight into the team for Braintree Town and kept a clean sheet in a 3-0 win against Halifax Town to kick off the fifth tier season. He also played an hour of their EFL Trophy group game against Leicester City U21s, which Braintree won 2-0. Down another division, Josh Redfearn only came off the bench for Maidstone in a 1-1 draw away to Hemel Hempstead... but the keepers were in the mix: Jamie Searle made six saves on debut for Eastbourne as they drew 1-1 with Farnborough while Zac Jones was less individually notable but he did get the start for AFC Fylde in a 3-2 opening day win vs Oxford.
Back up into the EFL, Max Mata is injured for Shrewsbury Town so nothing’s happening there any time soon. Matt Dibley-Dias had a knock in preseason but managed to get a couple of late showings off the bench in Colchester’s first two league efforts. He then got elevated to start against Mansfield in the EFL Cup... and went off injured before half-time. Dammit.
Up Next: Burton vs Port Vale at 11.30pm on Saturday (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
Of all the glorious developments that have taken place for kiwi footballers over recent weeks – from funky transfers to winning streaks to goals and assists and all sorts – one of the most glorious is something that didn’t happen: Ryan Thomas didn’t get injured.
No delays in his preseason activities. No silly niggles keeping him out of friendlies. No easing him slowly back behind the others. He was a full participant the whole way through the preparation for the first time in what seems like forever and he took that all the way into week one of the new Eredivisie where he captained PEC Zwolle to a 1-0 win away against FC Twente, playing ninety minutes. How good.
Ryan Thomas: “It's been a long time since I came out of pre-season match fit without injuries. When I look back, it must have been in a season of my first period at PEC Zwolle. I am really looking forward to the coming season. Also because trainer Henry Van der Vegt appointed me as the captain of PEC Zwolle. I am the proud captain of the club that is my second home. Here in Zwolle I was well cared for as a young boy from New Zealand and I always appreciated that. In those first years I experienced wonderful moments such as winning the KNVB Cup and the Johan Cruijff Shield.”
Up Next: Away to Telstar on Saturday at 6am (NZT)
Elijah Just – Motherwell (Scottish Premiership)
For his sixth game with Motherwell, Elijah Just faced St Mirren away... and had to settle for a 0-0 draw as both sides missed valuable chances in some frisky weather. The highlights may look bright and sunny but there was a heavy swirling breeze that massively affected the game. Not enough that Motherwell didn’t continue to gain praise for their silky style of footy under new manager Jens Berthel Askou, featuring lots of dribblers, plenty of quick passing, and a decent amount of positional freedom. All elements that suit Elijah Just perfectly and he was certainly involved in a few good moves throughout this one.
Motherwell were the better side for a good chunk of this match but failed to convert anything. St Mirren then finished stronger yet had the same issue. So it goes. Make that consecutive draws to begin the new campaign for Motherwell. Also mark this down as Just’s first full game for the club. He was subbed in stoppage time against Rangers, now he’s gone the distance against St Mirren. Next week should be the first game in which Just doesn’t play more minutes than in his previous outing... although not necessarily because it’s a League Cup knockout tie so it could go to extra time.
Kilmarnock have also drawn both games so far with the latest being a 2-2 split away against Hibernian. George Stanger was suspended for that match after his red card last week. His manager Stuart Kettlewell has continued to complain about that decision though he opted against appealing the suspension, adding in his pre-game presser that: “We need to park it and move on. George has been excellent throughout pre-season and we feel we’re missing one of our top performers this weekend.” It was a professional foul so it should only be a one-game suspension (as opposed to dissent or violent conduct reds which carry longer sentences) hence Stanger ought to be back to face Dundee United in the cup on Monday at 2am.
Also shout out to Oliver Colloty who scored this morning for Peterhead in a 4-2 Challenge Cup win against Aberdeen U21s. He also missed a penalty but we won’t dwell on that.
Up Next: St Johnston vs Motherwell at 2am on Sunday in the League Cup second round (NZT)
Ollie Whyte - Manchester 62 (Gibraltar Football League)
This has truly been the deepest and most eventful kiwi transfer window ever. We’ve had moves across all levels of professional football spanning most of the way around the globe... and here’s another one. Following a solid couple years at FC Haka in Finland – where he had to reinvent himself as a striker and continually earn his place - Oliver Whyte left for a stint with Muaither in the Qatari second tier. He was only there for a short time and couldn’t prevent the team from getting relegated so it was time to pack the suitcase and move on again.
The latest stop is Gibraltar. Whyte has joined Manchester 62, a club founded in (you guessed it) 1962 and named in honour of Manchester United. They’re known as the Red Devils of Gibraltar and have won the league title on seven occasions, the most recent being 1999. These days it’s Lincoln Red Imps who dominate the competition. They’ve won four in a row and may be familiar to folks from their Champions League qualifying presence. Manchester 62 were fourth in 2024-25 which was their best finish for over a decade. If they can sneak a spot or two higher this term then European footy could be on the horizon.
Up Next: New season begins with Magpies vs Manchester 62 at 7am on 24 August (NZT)
Andre De Jong & Dublin Boon – Stellenbosch (South African Premier Soccer League)
One of the most righteous things that happens in football is when a foreign club signs a New Zealand player who does so well that they go and sign another. Nottingham Forest in England. Sligo Rovers in Ireland. Portland Timbers in USA. And now Stellenbosch in South Africa is trying to get in on the lineage. Andre De Jong has had a couple of really nice seasons for them (and is no doubt in line for another), with his manager regularly raving about his underrated influence, so they’ve decided to return to the well.
Dublin Boon has joined Stellies with an eye on being their reserve team goalkeeper. The 20yo Christchurch native played for Nomads United and Christchurch United before flying out to the Netherlands where he spent a year in the Roda JC academy. Boon then returned to Aotearoa for a one-year stint with the Wellington Phoenix where he was the third-choice behind Josh Oluwayemi and Alby Kelly-Heald, making it onto the bench for seven A-League fixtures and playing regularly for the reserves. Boon wasn’t re-signed ahead of the upcoming term therefore here he is in South Africa.
Stellies are well stocked for goalkeepers. Sage Stephens the main man with Oscarine Masuluke and Lee Langeveldt offering depth. Unlikely we see much of Dublin Boon in the first team – again, he’s been signed for the reserves - but those three continuing keepers (they’ve each been at the club at least three seasons) are all aged 32 or older. Boon is more than a decade younger than the youngest of them so give him a year or two and see what happens. Keep in mind that Stellenbosch has won the Reserve League in two of the last four seasons.
As for ADJ and the first team, no point in dwelling on their PSL opener against Kaizer Chiefs. Siviwe Nkwali was sent off after 13 minutes with Chiefs scoring direct from the resulting free kick. Even with ten men, the Stellies created some great opportunities. We’re talking posts hit, clearances of the line, top saves, freaky deflections that could have gone anywhere... and of course De Jong was heavily involved – most notably with an attempted header off a deep free kick that he didn’t quite get contact on. He was subbed after an hour as Stellies refreshed their attack. They ended up conceding again at the very end to lose 2-0. Could have been a different story if they’d had equal numbers out there.
Up Next: Magesi vs Stellies at 5.30am on Thursday; then comes the MTN8 semi-final against Sekhune United at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Jay Herdman - Cavalry FC (Canadian Premier League)
They do love an inter-league loan move in Canada. Those folks are always happy to share. Herdman joined Cavalry on loan last year and was really good, winning a starting spot and then winning the CPL championship. After that he re-signed on a three-year permanent deal (the third year being a contract option) but things haven’t gone very well since. He was sent off in a Concacaf Champions Cup game at the start of the year and later seemed to lose the faith of his coach after the CPL resumed, often finding himself stuck on the bench. He only made six starts for Cavalry this year and in two of those he was subbed off at half-time.
Herdman for Cavalry in 2024: 8 games (5 starts) | 402 minutes | 1 goal | 1 assist
Herdman for Cavalry in 2025: 13 games (6 starts) | 432 minutes | 0 goals | 1 assist
You can see there that even when he was in favour (he played in all eight games he was available for Cavalry last year, coming off the bench three times and then starting the remaining five – including a semi-final and final), the production still didn’t come close to the 6 goals and 3 assists he’d managed in MLS Next Pro with Vancouver Whitecaps previously. For whatever reason, JH has struggled to translate his mahi into senior footy. Perhaps a change of scenery – and a return to the city of Vancouver – will do the trick?
Herdman went straight into the eleven for Vancouver in a 3-2 loss against Pacific and lasted 70 minutes - more than he’s gotten in any game since June. Vancouver is one of Moses Dyer’s former clubs. They’re currently running last but are into the semis of the Canadian Championship.
Up Next: Thursday at 2pm, Vancouver vs Ottawa in the Canadian Championship semi-final first leg (NZT)
Norman Garbett - Dundalk (League of Ireland First Division)
Norman Garbett! The 21yo winger (younger bro of Matthew) joined Dundalk midway through last year and quickly entered a zone of constant injuries, restricting him to just eight appearances (for 124 minutes) in 2024 as Dundalk were relegated from the LOI Premier Division. He stuck around with the intention of getting himself fit and firing in the second tier... but then missed most of preseason recovering from a lingering hamstring issue and then, after two bench appearances, suffered a recurrence that sidelined him for another five months. Less than 150 minutes of footy in 13 months. That’s brutal.
Rejoice now because he’s just returned with a cheeky cameo in a 6-1 win against Althone Town in which he even managed to get an assist. Dundalk are six points clear in first place with nine matches remaining. It’s been a stunted time so far for Norm in Ireland so fingers crossed he’s finally able to get a bit of rhythm going to help Dundalk return to the top flight. As for Oskar Van Hattum at Sligo Rovers... he’s been slammed with injuries too. Only three substitute appearances since April.
Up Next: Treaty United vs Dundalk on 23 August at 6.45am (NZT)
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