Flying Kiwis – October 22
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
For his third Champions League appearance, Joe Bell returned to the land of his birth to face Aston Villa. Three Champions League appearances takes him beyond Kim Wright into outright fourth in the NZ rankings (and he’s already third ahead of Chris Killen if you go by minutes player rather than matches). If he features in all eight League Phase games then he’ll surpass the seven UCL appearances of Marko Stamenić into second place behind Wynton Rufer (10 apps for Werder Bremen in 1993-94... during which he also tied with Ronald Koeman for the Golden Boot). So far Bell has faced Stuttgart, Bayern Munich, and Aston Villa... so he’s certainly getting his money’s worth.
Not really a spoiler to say that they lost 3-1. It was always likely to go that way against an opponent like this. The famous draw against Bayern last time was a home game, after all, plus it removed any surprise factor that VFK may have had about them. Villa took the lead after 23 mins via Ross Barkley and then Emiliano Buendia (37’) doubled it from the penalty spot. An own goal on the hour confirmed things before Peter Christiansen scored a spectacular volley near the end (84’) to give Viking something to show for it.
Viking are one of six remaining teams without a win after three matchdays, though it does have to be said that they improved quite a bit in the second half with more possession and better urgency. Admittedly, Villa were already comfortably ahead by then. But within all that came what was easily Joe Bell’s best personal performance of these three outings, lasting the full ninety minutes during which he completed 56/59 (and they weren’t all sideways or backwards this time) and keeping up with the pace of the game much more than he’d done in those other couple. Understandable that he’d need a few games of adjustment.
A few days earlier, Viking had won a thriller 3-2 against Fredrikstad. They were 1-0 up after six minutes, 2-1 down after 40 minutes, then Peter Christiansen scored two in two minutes (56’, 57’) to put them on course for victory. Joe Bell was subbed off at half-time – would imagine that was partly to put on a more attacking alternative (which they did) and partly with an eye on the Champions League game to follow. It was a double change at HT with Zlatko Tripić brought on at the same time as Joe Bell was brought off, making sure to have one of their two main leaders out there at all times.
Bodø/Glimt won 2-0 away against HamKam which keeps the two title challengers equal on points with B/G nudging ahead now by a margin of one on the goal difference splits. With seven games to go, there’s a 16 point drop to third place. In other words, it could be any day now that Viking secure another crack at Champions League qualification for next season (qualification to the qualifiers, that is).
Up Next: Viking vs Tromso at 2.30am on Monday (NZT)
Matthew Garbett – Peterborough United (English League One)
Matt Garbett is back and Matt Garbett is making up for lost time, scoring a stoppage time equaliser for Peterborough as they drew 2-2 against Burton Albion...
It’s not only lost time that he was making up for. He’d gone dilly-dallying on the ball in the midfield five minutes earlier, coughing up possession for Burton to score and go ahead. He could easily have been the villain in his third appearance back after injury, where he was subbed on for the last 21 minutes as he builds up his match fitness, but Garbs is never been one to lose confidence so instead he quickly made amends by getting up into the area where he could pounce on that rebound and get Posh back on terms. Another positive result since Robbie Savage has come in as manager.
Matt Garbett: “You can see the change in culture and environment under the new manager. The fans were brilliant again and the character the lads showed to get a point was great. The new gaffer asked me if I was fit enough to start when he got here and I said no because I’m still building myself back to full fitness after having surgery 16 weeks ago. I don’t want a setback, but at the same time I want to be a presence in the squad and to be available to help as much as I can. I felt full of confidence today and I was doing well, but I got over confident and lost the ball in midfield. I was just hoping the lad didn’t score, but he hit a wonder goal. I should have released the ball earlier. That was on me but you don’t lose the ball in central midfield very often and then watch someone score from so far out.
I could have sulked, moaned and put my head down, but we all kept going and at the end of the day I cancelled things out by scoring the equaliser. I’m grateful to the players for helping me get out of the crap. I did show some good actions before that which helped me lose some of the anxiety from my situation. I feel like I’m getting back to it and I now want to earn the trust from the new manager. I hope to be able to start soon, but I know I have to earn it. I hope he plays me and I hope I do well for the team and then everyone wins.”
He mentions in that post-game quote how the coach asked him if he was ready to start and he said no. That tells us that Savage wants him in his starting eleven, that also tells us that Garbs may take a little longer before he’s back to that point. He did play 45 minutes on Wednesday morning NZT though. Subbed on at half-time with Posh trailing 1-0 against Huddersfield. They ended up losing 4-1 so there’s not a lot to say about that other than Garbs extending himself out a little further in his comeback.
Huddersfield Town is where two-cap All Whites goalkeeper Nik Tzanev is currently employed... but he’s the third-choice goalie there so he’s yet to make an appearance this season, not even in the EFL Trophy. Hasn’t been in a League One matchday squad since the very start of September. Elsewhere, Ben Waine has been given a rest these past two games for Port Vale after battling through an injury prior to that. Couple better results for Vale recently as they find a bit of footing in League Two. Waine’s yet to get a goal or an assist this season though you can’t hold that against him after a week where he didn’t even play.
Matt Dibley-Dias is playing plenty for Newport County. He’s now started eight consecutive League Two matches and has gotten at least 80 minutes in all but one of those. What’s more, Newport are undefeated in the past seven (two wins and five draws but still). Dibs is laying down some very solid defensive midfield performances. Will that be enough to get him into All Whites consideration for the games vs India in November?
Up Next: Bromley vs Peterborough at 3am on Sunday (NZT)
Katie Kitching – Sunderland (English Super League 2)
Katie Kitching is already a legend at Sunderland following her excellent last couple of seasons (and she’s fast getting that way for the Football Ferns too – where she’s always available and, along with Kate Taylor, has probably been the most reliable performer over the last couple years). Can’t be resting on your laurels though. And it sure doesn’t hurt to amplify that connection to the fans by scoring the winner against your closet rivals...
The only downside of Katie Kitching’s goal giving Sunderland a 1-0 win over Newcastle United was that it came in the League Cup group stage and not in WSL2 where these two clubs are leading the way after five games and currently the main contenders for promotion. It was a relatively even game that Newcastle probably shaded at home, missing a penalty that would have tied things up later on – good save by American goalie Noa Schumacher, who usually the backup and has only played the two EFL Cup games since joining from Hibernian in the summer. She was brilliant in this game with seven saves including the penalty. Combine that with Kitching’s finish and that was how Sunderland won. Fine result following a 4-2 loss to Liverpool in their first League Cup match.
Kitching got an assist in that Liverpool defeat (lovely corner kick delivery) so that’s a goal and an assist in two outings in this competition. She has two goals and two assists from five WSL2 matches. Started every game so far this campaign. She’s also played in 30/31 Football Ferns internationals since her debut in December 2023. Gotta be one of the most dependable footballers going around.
Plenty of other activities in the United Kingdom this week. The League Cup stuff included Watford drawing 2-2 with Leicester City with Grace Neville playing 70 minutes in the back three before being substituted. Leicester then scored a 90th minute equaliser although then missed three attempts in the bonus point penalty shootout as Watford took the tiebreaker. A two-point draw for the Hornets. The Mickey Foster-less Durham have been terrible, if you were wondering. They conceded in stoppage time to lose 3-2 to Burnley and were then whupped 5-0 by Birmingham, both in the cup, to extend their losing streak to eight games across all competitions. They’ve conceded at least three goals in all but one of those defeats.
Southampton drew 1-1 with Bristol City and then lost the bonus point shootout. Alina Santos was on the bench for that game which was curious since she had started the previous League Cup match (and been sent off). They may have wanted to prioritise that fixture with number one Grace Moloney in goal. Plus they also knew they had another one coming up midweek and this time Alina Santos did start and this time she didn’t get red carded and this time Southampton won. They were 2-0 down after 19 minutes against Crystal Palace (one of the goals was a penalty) but battled back to be leading 3-2 at half-time and they kept it that way in the second spell. Victory against a WSL opponent, now that’s where it’s at.
Down in the third tier, Peterborough have won three National League games in a row since Grace Bartlett signed, including a 3-2 win against Olivia Page’s Huddersfield (who have since bounced back with a 3-1 win over Middlesborough). Both those kiwis are first eleven players for their clubs. And upwards in Scotland, Hannah Blake came off the bench for Rangers in a 4-2 win over Hibernian and then started a comeback 2-1 win over Glasgow City. That makes it 9/9 wins in the SWPL for the ‘Gers. Already five points clear at the top.
Up Next: Ipswich Town vs Sunderland back in WSL2 at 3am on Monday (NZT)
Dalton Wilkins – Sønderjyske (Danish Superliga)
Thirteen seconds. That’s how long it took Dalton Wilkins to find the back of the net for Sønderjyske this week, his first ever goal for the club and his first in the Danish Superliga. As long as you don’t count the one he scored for the reserves during one of his many injury comebacks in March 2025... his previous goal was for Kolding in the second tier in August 2023. This one came straight after the kickoff with opponents Silkeborg not even touching the ball until they picked it out of the net. It’s officially the third-equal fastest goal ever scored in the Superliga.
Silkeborg would collect a red card after 18 minutes which skewed the match even further, with Sonders eventually winning it 4-0. Huge result for them following a 3-0 loss to AGF last week (Wilkins didn’t play that match coming off the international break). So they were well beaten by Callum McCowatt’s current team but took revenge on Callum McCowatt’s former team. That’s a massive victory which further stokes the flames of their quest to avoid relegation... and we don’t have to search far for the instigator: Sonders have two wins and a draw in the three games that Wilkins has started and in the eight games he didn’t they’ve drawn once and lost seven times.
Alas, there’s a sad twist here because Wilkins only lasted nine minutes before being substituted. He’d already set his team on their way (playing on the left wing this time – there had been a thought that he’d get a go in his more traditional left-back spot after their top choice LB got injured but nah they seem to love him in that high and wide zone), however he didn’t get to experience much more of it and for a guy with his injury history it’s going to be a nervous wait until the next game to find out the damage. Could go either way. On the one hand, he’s prone to muscle injuries that keep him out for months at a time. On the other hand, because of that history he’s also less likely to take the risk of pushing through a minor complaint. Very little info about what happened to him so fingers crossed that means it was only precautionary.
Up Next: Horsens vs Sønderjyske on Monday at 4am (NZT)
Callum McCowatt – AGF (Danish Superliga)
Here’s a quiz question for you: Prior to Callum McCowatt’s appeared for AGF last Friday, who was the only New Zealander to have played in the Europa Conference League (excluding qualifiers)? It wasn’t Chris Wood who qualified with Nottingham Forest a couple years ago but they then got shuffled into the Europa League instead after Crystal Palace had some ownership complications. Nor was it Ryan Thomas who was with PSV Eindhoven during the inaugural 2021-22 ECL but that was during the worst of his injury dramas so he never came close to featuring. Nope, it was actually James McGarry. One appearance for Aberdeen back in December 2023 in a 2-0 win at home against Frankfurt.
Callum McCowatt made it two representatives when he did ninety minutes away to Gent in Belgium. Frustrating competition debut because Aarhus may not have created a lot but they worked hard and stayed compact and were within reach of emerging with a draw before Hyllarion Goore headed in from a deep cross in the 87th minute. They had two defenders on him too, should’ve been able to cover that. Ah well. They’ll have a better chance at points tomorrow morning when they host Egnatia of Albania (although those guys did draw 1-1 with FC Midtjylland, another Danish side, on matchday one).
Nothing in particular to say about McCowatt’s performance within that. He was good but he was quiet. Played in the midfield where he drifted out to the right quite often. He was skewed more towards the left on the weekend against FC København, where he played 74 minutes as AGF came away with a 1-1 draw. They need wins to climb up the ladder but that was a very good point away against the league leaders. Didn’t match when McCowatt scored a hat-trick at this ground last season for Silkeborg but they’ll take it.
Up Next: AGF vs Egnatia at 8am on Friday in the ECL; then AGF vs Vibord at 6am on Monday in the Superliga (NZT)
Helena Errington – FH Hafnarfjörður (Icelandic Besta Deild)
Ah... bugger. That’s the league title gone for Fhingar then. A 4-0 defeat away against Throttur (who were 4-1 up against Breiðablik last week but somehow ended up losing 5-4), combined with a 1-0 win for Breiðablik against Stjarnan, means that Breiðablik are six points clear heading into their head to head with FH in the very last game. Cannot be caught. FH needed to win to give themselves a chance of hauling in their rivals in next week’s meeting but they caught some bad luck against Throttur and it all spiralled from there once they realised that the trophy dream was gone.
Errington had an early chance sitting deep off a corner, driving that one into the side netting. She also played what looked like a killer through ball for her striker to beat the keeper and score in an empty net except it was pulled back for what must have been a very close offside call. No video ref to help them out either. They conceded from a penalty not long afterwards – one of those ones where a striker jumps in front of a clearance from the blindspot. Then the real hammer blow was when they went two down after 37 minutes. Errington was replaced after 70 minutes and then they conceded twice more at the very end (90’ and 90+3’), both from counter attacks. That’s no fun. But they will finish second by a double digit margin and have already booked Champions League qualifiers for next season.
Up Next: Breiðablik vs FH at 7am on Saturday (NZT)
Kate Taylor – Madrid CFF (Spanish Liga F)
Here’s another 4-0 defeat. First time that Madrid CFF have lost with Kate Taylor in the line-up, although it was probably overdue. They got tonked 5-1 by Espanyol in the game that Taylor missed and as fantastic as their start to the season has been, Atletico Madrid posed their toughest challenge to date and they kinda got found out. They were four down at half-time so fortunate it didn’t get worse.
Taylor had some part to play in most of the goals conceded. She was unable to halt the progress of runners as she stepped out for the first couple and unable to make a miracle block on the line for the fourth. There was another disallowed where she blocked a shot that fell to a striker who fortunately was just offside. Atletico’s goalie was red carded for a save made outside her penalty area with ten minutes to go though by then it was too late. So it goes. Madrid CFF are still fourth in the standings with a 4-1-2 record. 13 points from seven matches.
Up Next: Eibar vs Madrid CFF at 5am on Monday (NZT)
Jesse Randall – Dundee United (Scottish Premiership)
There’s a lot to like about how Jesse Randall is settling into Scottish football. His latest assist earned his team a 1-1 draw away against St Johnstone, nothing special about that result but it’s a good point away from home to keep the tally ticking over (Dundee Utd have a 3-3-3 record). It was Randall’s third assist to go with two goals. First time he’s played ninety minutes since the opening round of the season.
Five goal contributions is the most of anyone in the Dundee United squad and although there was a spell earlier where he came off the bench for a couple weeks, the only players in the squad who’ve gotten more minutes than Randall through these nine Premiership games are the goalkeeper, three defenders, and a midfielder. There’s a fair bit of competition for places at DUFC and many of the candidates are fellow A-League graduates (Daniel Bennie, Zac Sapsford, Lachlan Rose), hence there’s usually some rotation going on across the front four. And yet Randall seems to have lifted himself above that pack of late. Here’s a little more evidence of that...
Jim Goodwin, DUFC coach: “Jesse is flying. It took him a little time to settle and adapt to the style of play – but his goal contributions in a short period of time for Dundee United, let alone New Zealand, have been very good from a young player. If you look at his data across the board, he’s up near the top of the charts for attacking players and wingers. That is very pleasing. The exciting thing is I think there’s a lot more to come from him. He’s a player that’s only going to get better; his attitude and application are brilliant, and he’s a very humble individual. He just wants to improve all the time and he’s continuously working on his own game. His performance against St Mirren was excellent. We know that when we go from a low block into quick transitions – the quick counter attacks that we like – then there are not many players quicker than him in the league.”
Most Chances Created in Scottish Premiership 2026-27
Benjamin Nygren (Celtic) – 25
Jesse Randall (Dundee Utd) – 19
Djeidi Gassama (Rangers) – 19
Ryan Strain (Falkirk) - 18
Kieran Tierney (Celtic) – 16
Alex Lowry (Motherwell) – 16
Felix Passlack (Hibernian) – 16
Emmanuel Longelo (Motherwell) – 16
In other Scottish Premiership happenings, there was a 3-2 win for George Stanger and Kilmarnock against Alex Paulsen and Motherwell. Good game in which Killie scored first following a bad pass out from AP. Equally the fault of the midfielder he was trying to find, who showed for the ball but then stuttered his movement at the wrong time, though Paulsen should have seen the pressure coming from the second man behind. Motherwell scrapped back to be leading 2-1 about ten minutes into the second half... only to immediately concede again and then a third breach sent them to defeat. Both were good finishes after Motherwell completely whiffed trying to deal with bouncing balls at the back.
As for George Stanger, he was a lucky boy to avoid a red card when he stuck a late boot out from a sitting position and caught the knee of a Steelman opponent. The VAR called the ref over to the screens but he decided to settle for a yellow card and nothing more. Wasn’t any malice or force behind it. Just a late lunge for the ball from an unsighted position, having hit the ground after challenging for a header.
That makes it five consecutive losses for Motherwell. They’re still playing some lovely football under new coach Alfred Johansson but it turns out Elijah Just is a hard man to replace. One of the best examples of that is how Zimbabwean striker Tawanda Maswanhise only has one goal from 3.41 xG this season following a brilliant campaign where he scored 17 times from 14.45 xG when he had Elijah Just feeding him through balls. Better stuff for Kilmarnock, who have jumped out of last place thanks to this result. Motherwell and Killie are now equal on points with the Steelmen head on goal difference. Trending in opposite directions though.
Up Next: Dundee United vs Aberdeen at 3am on Sunday (NZT)
Marko Stamenic & Elijah Just – Swansea City (English Championship)
That’s a second defeat of the campaign for Swansea City. Lost 1-0 to West Ham United due to a 34th minute goal from Divine Mukasa, ending a run of four consecutive wins that had raised them all the way to first place. They’re still in first place... but now only by a single point ahead of the Hammers and Middlesbrough. They’ve had a lot of close games so one of them was going to go the other way at some stage and to be honest West Ham have always been expected to boss their way to the title given the Premier League quality in their squad. WHU had logged two 6-0 wins in their previous four matches (against Wrexham and Lincoln City).
There was a record crowd of over 20,000 fans in attendance at Swansea.com Stadium but the home side weren’t able to do enough with their 68% of possession. Ben Cabango hit the crossbar from close range late in the first half and then later in the game dragged one wide from a second ball in the area – stink when your two best chances fall to a central defender. Marko Stamenić started and played 75 minutes, though he did give the ball away leading to the West Ham goal. Elijah Just was brought on at the same time as Stamenić got subbed – probably for the best that EJ was protected with a lesser role in a difficult game, did seem as though coach Vitor Matos wanted to amp up the physicality in the midfield with Gonçalo Franco and Jay Fulton joining Stam in the middle three.
Marko Stamenić: “The Championship is a league where you have to respect every opponent. We have played a team who have just come down from the Premier League, and we know there's another tough test coming next week. We have some time to prepare, after three games in a week on the back of a busy international window. We will definitely go in there with full force, we are of course disappointed as a team that we were not able to get something from this game – and I take full responsibility for their goal – but the challenge now is clear and we need to prepare well and be ready to go again and perform at QPR.”
Up Next: QPR vs Swansea at 3am on Sunday (NZT)
Max Crocombe – Millwall (English Championship)
Hold up, we’ve had a positive development in the Max Crocombe situation! After losing out to Lukas Jensen in preseason, then failing his audition to be the interim number one after Jensen got injured, with new signing Filip Marschall taking over instead, Crocs was in a pretty shoddy situation. Add to that how Alex Paulsen has usurped him as the All Whites number one and it was all a bit of a bummer for him.
Then, all of a sudden, Max Crocombe got the summons at half-time of a game against Lincoln City. His team was 2-0 down and Filip Marschall had been struggling ever since banging his ankle against the stanchion trying to deal with a free kick. That happened relatively early in the game and he battled through until the break but he clearly wasn’t right. Missed the second goal through his legs. Turns out the injury is bad enough to likely require surgery... so on came Max Crocombe with a reprieve in his situation and you know what? He made a couple good saves as Millwall fought back for a 2-2 draw. Now that’s more like it.
Alex Neil, Millwall coach: “[Marschall]’s done his ligaments. He’s not going to be available anytime soon, which is disappointing. What happened was he went into the post. His ankle went onto the back rail that holds the net on and rocked it. Unfortunately, he’s damaged his ligaments. We probably need to go and get a surgical opinion on it to see the damage. To be fair to Max, he came in the second half, made two really good saves. He had one at the back post. Made a brilliant save down his right-hand side that put it past the lad at the back post. It’s an opportunity for Max to come back in, and we’ll see where we go. Lukas won’t be too long either, I don’t think, in terms of coming back.”
Right, okay. So Jensen is close to a return and limit the window that Crocombe has in which to fix his reputation. But Marschall’s going to be a long-termer so at the very least we won’t end up with a scenario where all three are fit any time soon – ensuring Crocs will at the very least remain a presence in matchday squads. And in the meantime he’s got a free run, starting with a crack at Portsmouth on the weekend. Millwall are currently twelfth on the ladder with four wins, three draw, and four defeats. Bang in the middle.
Nothing much happening elsewhere in the Champo. Tyler Bindon was stuck on the bench again as Charlton lost 2-0 against Watford. Other defenders returned to fitness during the international break so he’s fallen back in the queue. They haven’t won a game since he arrived... although now that streak’s continued without him so perhaps his turn will come around again soon. And Luke Brooke-Smith is continuing his recovery from a broken leg at Portsmouth, with the latest word being that they’re hoping he might return around the New Year period. All indications are that his recovery is progressing smoothly.
Up Next: Pompey vs Millwall at 12.30am on Sunday (NZT)
Owen Parker-Price – Örgryte IS (Swedish Allsvenskan)
It’s been a slog for Örgryte as they battle to stay in the division after being promoted. Owen Parker-Price has been one of a handful of shining lights for them but that hasn’t helped them win a lot of games. In fact when they walked out against GAIS (parent club of Kees Sims who is out on loan in Norway not playing any games at the moment), they’d gone two and a half months since their previous win. Eight games in total. Yet after falling behind 2-1 at the beginning of the second half, they romped home against their crosstown rivals with three goals in fifteen minutes between 60’-74’ and when Örgryte have a good day it always means that Owen Parker-Price has had a good day too...
That’s five assists this season for OPP despite playing mostly as a holding midfielder. All five of those assists have come within victories and the only time they’ve won without him contributing an assist was in the second game of the season when they upset defending champs Mjällby and Parker-Price was so good that Mjällby subsequently enquired about signing him.
This is not a result that lifts ÖIS out of the relegation zone... but it gets them back within range. Degerfors are two points above in the playoff place and then Kalmar are a further two points ahead. There are six rounds remaining so gonna need a few more OPP assists to salvage things from here, although the 4-2 win against GAIS shows that they’re capable and they’ll face Kalmar and then Degerfors in the last two rounds. Just gotta get enough points between now and then to make those games matter.
In the Damallsvenskan, there was an assist for Gabi Rennie albeit in a 2-1 loss for Eskilstuna United against Norrköping. They’re a long way clear of the relegation zone – there’s a nine point gap with four games to go so it’s next to impossible that they go down automatically, and they should have it in them to cover the seven points between themselves and Norrköping for the relegation playoff – however it’s still getting concerning that they’ve lost five consecutive league games. Should have held on for a draw in this one except they couldn’t clear a corner kick in stoppage time, including their goalie fumbling a chance to get it in her hands, and conceded a late winner. The highlights are stuck behind a paywall, sadly.
Up Next: Away to Djurgården at 4.30am on Sunday (NZT)
Ben Old - AS Saint-Étienne (French Ligue 2)
Oldy was on press conference duties ahead of the biggest game of the season so far for Saint-Étienne... and he’s even beginning to drop a few lines in French. Those language lessons are coming along nicely. Lots of chat in there about how he’s building back into match rhythm and confidence after his injury. Bit about how the new coach, Ian Castro, has had a positive effect upon a team that’s doing really well at the moment. And of course a mention of the goal he scored for the All Whites during the international break...
Ben Old: “I was very happy to score against Japan. It was a great experience for us as a team and against good opponents. It was great to get to a final and play Japan against 70,000. I think we did a great job, just unfortunate that we lost that game. But especially for me, it was good to get some games and improve my physical condition.”
It was the biggest game of the season so far because it was first versus second, giving ASSE the opportunity to assert themselves in that quest for promotion (and maybe a trophy too, while they’re at it). Can’t spell assert without ASSE... it wasn’t completely convincing but a 1-0 win away against Red Star got the job done. Irvin Cardona with the goal in the 13th minute while Oldy played 72 minutes and got a yellow card. Lucky not to cough up an equaliser after he misplayed a pass to his centre-back in the first half but otherwise we was nice and steady from Les Vert’s premier left-back. St-Étienne are now four points clear in first place after nine matches.
Ben Old: “It's been very interesting because when I was in New Zealand, I only ever really had one coach and then I came to St-Étienne and I've already had four coaches. It's a very different style over here in Europe and it's been difficult because coaches always like different things and have different tactics and different mindsets... Ian’s a magnificent coach. Tactically very very challenging and that’s not really something that I've ever experienced and it's challenging me, but it’s something that I'm able to grow in.”
Over in the Première Ligue Féminine, Suya Haering was subbed off at half-time of Montpellier’s 1-1 draw vs Le Havre. She was booked in only the ninth minute and was having trouble against tracking runners so the early exit might have saved her from a second yellow. That was presumably the plan because they were 1-0 up and Haering was doing some nice things going forward. They conceded without her and settled for a draw, so it goes. Next they face PSG so if that match-up was tricky then yikes. Montpellier have drawn all three games that Haering has started.
Up Next: ASSE vs Nantes at 7am on Sunday (NZT)
Katie Bowen – Fenerbahçe (Turkish Süper Ligi)
Rare one here as Fenerbahçe failed to win a domestic game. They were held to a 1-1 draw by Yüksekova, in fact it took a 78th minute equaliser from Yagmur Uraz just to save them from defeat. They’d won four straight without conceding to begin the campaign. Now they’ve slipped to third behind Besiktas and Galatasaray... granted, with a game in hand (due to their Europa Cup mahi) that’ll send them top with a win. Everyone else has dropped points at some stage too. Full game for Katie Bowen who was good except for when she didn’t manage to prevent the shot that they conceded from. Last season Fenerbahçe won the title with a 27-2-1 record and a +127 goal difference.
Up Next: Fenerbahçe vs Haymanaspor at 0:00 Sunday (NZT)
Sarpreet Singh - SC Farense (Portuguese Liga 2)
Farense are safely through to the fourth round of the Taça de Portugal following a 3-0 win against Marco 09 (who are a division beneath them). Farense took the lead in the second minute and then doubled that after quarter of an hour so they were never in any trouble whatsoever. No goals or assists for Sarpreet Singh although the third goal did come from his free kick delivery. He played 73 mins and has now started the past five matches in a row. He’s fit and he’s in favour... not too many times during his European career where those two things have been true at the same time.
Up Next: Farense vs Penafiel at 6am on Sunday (NZT)
Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eredivisie)
See now that’s why coaches get sacked. PEC Zwolle were a mess this time last week, having lost 1-0 against relegation rivals Cambuur and then said goodbye to coach Henry van der Vegt – despite captain Ryan Thomas telling media immediately after the game that the players need to be the ones to take responsibility. That’s all well and good from a leader within the squad... but that was a third defeat in a row and things were looking grim. Coach had to go.
And just to bang the final nail in that coffin, the very first game with assistants Dennis van der Ree and Maikel van der Werff assuming interim charge saw PEC Zwolle all of a sudden score a bunch of goals in a 4-1 win over Go Ahead Eagles, snapping a run of five games (and two months) since their last victory. Immediate new manager bounce without even hiring a new manager yet.
Not quite immediate, to be fair, because they were 1-0 down at half-time... but the performance had been good and it would even gooder after they levelled up two minutes into the second stanza thanks to a super finish from Sydney van Hooijdonk. Ryan Thomas was outstanding at the base of midfield. Suddenly they’re out of the relegation zone entirely (after nine games).
Up Next: Utrecht vs PEC Zwolle at 3am on Sunday (NZT)
Malia Steinmetz – FC Nordsjælland (Danish A-Liga)
Couldn’t find a winner but also didn’t concede anything. FC Midtjylland 0-0 FC Nordsjælland. Watch the highlights and it’s a mystery how that game ended scoreless but nevertheless that’s now three draws in a row for FCN. Missed a chance to gain a couple points on HB Køge, who are four points ahead at the top and also drew this week, but they’ve had some tough fixtures lately and have avoided defeat in all of them, affirming themselves in second place. Malia Steinmetz has played every minute of the last nine A-Liga matches.
It’s the opposite for FC København who did have a 3-0 win away to Osterbro in the Danish Cup. That was nice but they’ve also lost five straight in the A-Liga and are surely going to have to scrap it out in the relegation rounds soon enough. It was a 90th minute penalty that doomed them to a 2-1 loss against Odense on the weekend. Ally Green had been starting regularly though came off the bench in that match. Got a yellow card. She does have two assists this season but yeah it’s tough at a promoted team who aren’t used to the level.
Up Next: FCN vs AGF at 8am on Monday (NZT)
Moses Dyer - Phnom Penh Crown (Cambodian Premier League)
Another goal in there for Moses Dyer, albeit it was only a penalty. As we saw for the All Whites (and as he’s been showing since he was playing in Canada, frankly), Moses Dyer is a wicked penalty kick taker. This one wasn’t the panenka he pulled out in the shootout against Panama, this time it was low and easy sending the goalie the wrong way to clinch a 2-1 win for PPC away against Gangwon (South Korea) in the Asian Champions League 2. Two wins from two in ACL2 with Dyer scoring three times in total. Bit peskier that they’ve drawn all three games back in the domestic comp, the latest being a 1-1 draw against Life in which they needed a 90+9th minute equaliser just to get that much. Dyer played the second half – they tried to rest him but broke the glass in case of need at half-time.
Up Next: Army FC vs PPC at 0:00 on Sunday (NZT)
Ollie Whyte – FC Haka (Finnish Ykkösliiga)
Well, FC Haka didn’t get promoted... but Ollie Whyte has been honoured in the Ykkösliiga Team of the Season. Eight goals and six assists in 24 matches playing predominantly as an attacking midfielder can do that for you. If you count the two cup competitions then his numbers boost up to 13 goals and 8 assists in 30 games. Really strong season from Whyte, just a pity his team wasn’t able to hang in there for a top two finish. They were 12 points behind champs KTP (automatic promotion) and five points behind second-placed PK-35 Vantaa (promotion playoff), settling for third place after only winning two of their last eight fixtures. Whyte seems to have a second year on his contract so maybe next time.
Up Next: If at first you don’t succeed...
Finn McKenlay – Finn Harps (League of Ireland First Division)
Would you believe it, Finn Harps won a game! They beat Bray Wanderers 2-0 in the last game of the season to finish a very difficult season on a positive note. Finn McKenlay played the full game in midfield. Had one sneaky chance to score late in the first half when he diverted a low cross just past the near post. So that was cool. Gotta see what happens now with McKenlay because he was only contracted for the rest of this season. Made nine appearances starting the lot of them with ninety minute outings in the final four.
Up Next: Chats with the club, chats with the agent
Chris Wood – Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
On for the last five minutes plus change of a 1-0 loss against Arsenal. Didn’t really have time to do much but he did blow a great chance for an equaliser when he opted to shoot (and was blocked) rather than setting up an unmarked Arnaud Kalimuendo. NFFC have lost three games in a row during which Chris Wood has played a combined 40 minutes. Liam Delap has scored one goal from 2.18 xG in his six starts. Only 3/18 of his shots have been on target.
A bit of rotation wouldn't go astray, is all we’re saying. Coach Oliver Glasner had Chris Wood speak some to the team during finishing training during the week, hoping for some imparted wisdom, but maybe he oughta just put his most experienced striker on the field a bit more.
Oliver Glasner: “Today finishing was the main topic in training. Before the training, I just told the players what we're going to do and then I said the best one who can explain how to deal with this situation is Chris Wood because he's had, I don't know, how many years in the Premier League. He scored almost 100 goals in the Premier League, overall around 200 goals in in English football. He’s had to deal with these situations where you are in a flow and every chance is a goal and then there are moments where you miss chances. And I liked what he said to the group. He explained you must always be confident, never lose trust in yourself and there's always another one around the corner. And that's exactly how it is. I could see then players started to to smile and that's the best thing how to deal with it.”
Up Next: Ipswich vs NFFC at 8am on Sunday (NZT)
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