Flying Kiwis – November 4
Katie Bowen – Fenerbahçe (Turkish Süper Ligi)
Fenerbahçe bounced back from that unlikely 1-1 draw against Yüksekova a couple weeks ago by emphatically taking care of Haymanaspor with a 5-0 victory... but that was only the precursor to their recent activities. The main event was a trip to Spain to face Real Sociedad in the first leg of thier Europa Cup round of sixteen tie. It was a task that required a more defensive approach against a very good team from one of the very best leagues on the planet. Real Sociedad’s overall Liga F form hasn’t been great as they’ve balanced the domestic with the continental but they beat Barcelona 2-1 a couple games back which broke a 48-game unbeaten streak for the reigning Spanish and Champions League champions. Barca’s first competitive defeat since November 2025... against Real Sociedad.
Some luck was going to be required for Katie Bowen and Fenerbahçe. KB lined up on the left edge of a back three as they sat much deeper than they ordinarily would (remember this is a team that won the Turkish league last season with a +127 goal difference) yet with speed going forward that kept them in with a chance of sneaking something. Fenerbahçe were actually the first team to put the ball in the net, albeit disallowed for an offside. And the conservative approach did a good job of restricting Sociedad to long shots and low percentage stuff. Alas, it didn’t last. Sociedad ramped it up in the second half and finally broke through on 58’ when Intza Eguiguren headed home from a corner kick. Six minutes later, Ainhoa Marín finished off a second at the back stick. It was a pretty important goal because Fenerbahçe wouldn’t have been too upset had they taken a single-goal deficit back to Istanbul for the second leg.
Even still, a 2-0 defeat still isn’t entirely out of the realms of recovery. You never know. They will have to do it without their Brazilian midfielder Maria Alves, who was red carded with ten mins to go – stumbling over when trying to cover a pass in behind so she shoved the runner over instead. Last defender. Ref didn’t have a choice. Speaking of cards, Katie Bowen got a yellow one earlier in the second half, while it was still 0-0, and she got it for a very funny reason: dragging an injured player back onto the pitch by her legs so that the game had to stop for treatment. In fairness, someone in the dugout was yelling at the injured player to “come on the field!” so Bowen was merely following instructions.
There were a couple other kiwis involved in qualifying for the Europa Cup (Helena Errington with FH, Hannah Blake with Rangers, and Rebekah Trewhitt with Spartak Subotica) though only Bowen made it to the competition proper. This is her second Europa Cup experience having also qualified for the inaugural version last season with Inter Milan. They lost 1-0 over two legs to eventual champs BK Häcken (Sweden). Grace Wisnewski also featured four times for Nordsjælland as they made it to the quarters before losing heavily to Eintracht Frankfurt... same club that knocked Errington’s FH out in this year’s qualifying... and also the same team that Fenerbahçe are likely to face in the next round if they overturn this deficit (Frankfurt won 2-0 away to PSV in their first leg). Malia Steinmetz was still injured for FCN at that time so Bowen and Wisnewski are NZ’s only reps in the second tier UEFA women’s competition.
Fenerbahçe then returned to domestics where they faced Giresun Sanayispor and were being held 0-0 at half-time... only to utterly blitz them the rest of the way for an 8-0 victory. Bowen (along with several others) was rested for that match. They did have to make a few HT subs to get the job done but a central defender was not required in such circumstances so KB will be fresh for a couple of massive games upcoming. Fenerbahçe are only third in the Süper Ligi at the moment, though that’s because they’ve postponed a few games due to European stuff. They’re two points behind leaders Galatasaray with two games in hand. They face them next and then it’s the second leg against Real Sociedad. Lesssgo.
Up Next: Fenerbahçe vs Galatasaray at 1am on Sunday, then Fenerbahçe vs Real Sociedad in the Europa Cup the following Thursday at 6am (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
Viking have got a slight break in the Champions League schedule at the moment which has allowed them to temporarily put their full focus upon defending their Eliteserien title. A couple weeks ago, Viking and Bodø/Glimt were dead even in the standings from points all the way down to goals scored. B/G then edged ahead with a bigger win in the subsequent round, two weeks before an absolutely critical head to head meeting between the two title contenders. That clash happened on the weekend but this is a double Flying Kiwis roundup so before that there was another round, coming shortly after Viking had lost 3-1 vs Aston Villa and B/G had lost 4-3 vs Napoli in a pair of UCL away fixtures. Both teams had three days off between those matches and their next domestic ones.
Viking played a day later on both occasions hence Bodø/Glimt were up first and what do ya know they lost 1-0 to Vålerenga. Bossed the game at home but weren’t able to convert any of their 26 shots and ended up losing to a 66th minute effort from Lucas Haren. The following day, Viking hosted Tromsø and they cruised it. Leading 3-0 at half-time (goals from Christiansen 18’, Heggheim 31’ & Botheim 45+2’) and comfortable enough that they subbed off both Joe Bell and Gianni Stensness at the break. Each were already on yellow cards so no reason to risk anything with the biggest game of the 2026 Eliteserien to follow. Viking did concede a very late consolation but the 3-1 win was more than good enough.
That put them three points clear with six games to go... but they’re now back level again after Bodø/Glimt won 3-2 in the head to head. Terrible start for Viking who had to defend two corners within the opening ninety seconds and then a minute later had a separate defensive stand where they blocked about three shots in a row before finally, in the fourth minute, conceding via an own goal from the next assault. Ten minutes later it was 2-0 to B/G after a header came off the crossbar and straight back to the bloke who slotted it over the line.
Viking being Viking, they fought back with goals from Kristoffer Haugen (32’) and Erik Botheim (39’)... but then a deflected goal off the boot of Henrik Falchener (who’d also scored the own goal – one of their very best players who was the subject of very large transfer bids from Wrexham and Southampton which VFK rejected to keep him on board for the Champions League run). Turned all the scoring in this game happened in the opening forty-five. Viking had a penalty taken away by VAR. They went super aggressive with their attacking options, including subbing Joe Bell after 66 mins. But try as they might they couldn’t find a third goal.
And so not only are Viking and Bodø/Glimt level on points again... but also on goal difference. Viking remain very slightly ahead thanks to having scored an additional three goals. They don’t play each other again so it’s all going to come down to how drastically each of them can thump the rest of the division. Both Viking and B/G have already qualified for Champions League entry again next term and they’ll also both be balancing this year’s UCL fixtures with the following schedules (which includes a couple of common opponents – such as third-placed Molde)...
Viking Remaining Eliteserien Games:
KFUM Olso (H) - 10th
Tromsø (A) - 6th
Vålerenga (H) - 8th
Molde (A) - 3rd
HamKam (H) - 13th
Bodø/Glimt Remaining Eliteserien Games:
Tromsø (A) - 6th
Molde (A) - 3rd
KFUM Oslo (H) - 10th
Aalesund (A) - 14th
Sarpsborg (H) - 9th
Up Next: Viking vs Sabah at 9am on Thursday in the UCL; then Viking vs KFUM at 5am on Monday (NZT)
Jacqui Hand – FC Basel (Swiss Super League)
FC Basel have made it to the quarters of the Swiss Cup... although only just. It took a thrilling 4-3 win against Aarau to get the job done, scoring to go ahead on 76’, conceding an equaliser on 85’, and then bagging the winner on 90’. Full game for Hand. She wasn’t amongst the goals on this particular day, however she was credited with one of the assists. Then she did this in the following Super League game...
And she did it in the derby against FC Zürich, no less. Brilliant strike from JH for first Super League goal of the campaign (she did score in the previous round of the cup). Pristine Jacqui Hand things there, dribbling at pace angling in from the left wing before ripping a shot with her right boot. Hand’s goal was balanced out by a Kim Dubs equaliser on 72’ but Basel immediately retook the lead thanks to a long shot from Mai Hirata (74’), helped by some questionable goalkeeping, to claim a 2-1 victory. Full game for the kiwi winger. They badly needed that result having gone five previous games without a league win. Lifts them up to fifth in the standings after 10 rounds with three more to go before the winter break.
Up Next: YB Frauen vs Basel at 7am on Saturday (NZT)
Lara Colpi – FC Thun Berner-Oberland (Swiss Ligue B)
There was no such cup run for Lara Colpi’s FC Thun, who got thrashed 5-1 by Grasshoppers in their round of sixteen match. Colpi usually starts in league games so the fact that she was left on the bench suggested they didn’t expect to cause an upset against a team in the division above them. Colpi was subbed on after 62 minutes with her team already 4-0 down and having recieved a red card... so it was 1-1 while she was out there.
However, while that result may have been a bit pesky, Thun’s league form has been supreme. They immediately bounced back with a 4-1 win against FC Ostermundigen in the Berner Derby. Fell behind early from a counter attack but Lara Colpi equalised in first half stoppages and they rolled it from there. Both kiwi women in Switzerland scored this week!
This was a typical result for Thun. They’ve have won eight of their ten victories by margins of three goals or more. They’ve gone 10-1-0 overall to sit top of the table by seven points, the only blemish on their record being a 1-1 draw against FFV Basel. This was Colpi’s fourth goal from those eleven league matches. This game marks the exact halfway stage in their season (11/22 games played) so all is well as the team seeks immediate promotion back up to the Super League - Colpi signed a two-year contract extension back in May so she’ll be sticking around should they see it through for a top flight return.
Up Next: YB Frauen vs Basel at 7am on Saturday (NZT)
Max Crocombe – Millwall (English Championship)
Injuries to both Lukas Jensen and Filip Marschall have given Max Crocombe another lifeline between the sticks for Millwall... but this one isn’t really going any better than the last one. We’ve got three games to get to from the past fortnight and in the first of those, Millwall lost 2-1 to Portsmouth with Crocs conceding twice from the three shots on target that he faced. Wasn’t to blame for either goal (unlike the Pompey goalie who passed one straight to the feet of a pressing Millwall player for their goal), in fact he was royally stitched up for the first as he covered his near post for a low free kick on a narrow angle only for a defender to jump in front of him and slice in an own goal. Wasn’t happy about it either. Aussie/Scottish striker Lyndon Dykes was the culprit.
The second goal was a follow-up where the initial shot was blocked and yet another Pompey player managed to react quicker and get to the ball before any of the three Millwall defenders who were closest. Not his fault... it did absolutely nothing to restore his damaged reputation with the fanbase after some very subpar performances earlier in the term.
The next game was much better as Millwall won 4-1 against Derby County after scoring three times in the opening 17 minutes. Practically game over from that point already. Millwall didn’t have to take any further risks and thus Crocombe barely had to make a save... other than an excellent one-handed stop, against the momentum of his movement, early in the second half which gathered cheers from the home fans. But he did spoil the clean sheet by conceding in the 87th minute when he parried a long shot back out in front of him and none of his defenders reacted in time. Those fellas were at fault too but Crocs has gotta parry that to the sides somehow. Even on a happy day there was still some downbuzz to be found.
It was all downbuzz as Millwall got thumped 3-0 by Birmingham this morning. First goal was a deflection (from an attacking player) that Crocombe didn’t even move for, not even one minute into the match. Second goal came from a fella dribbling into the area, beating two tacklers before thumping low past Crocs’ dive. Third one beat him low at the near post from the edge of the area. All three were scored inside the initial half hour. Birmingham are setting themselves up as one of the promotion challengers so it was a tough contest but nevertheless that makes it five defeats from eight starts for Crocombe this season. Whatever magic he possessed last term, it has since escaped him.
Max Crocombe has conceded 19 goals in 765 minutes, working out to a goal every 40 minutes. That’s 19 goals from 42 shots on target faced for a save percentage of just 54.8% - among the worst in the division after having been one of the very best for that stat last season. 19 goals from 10.93 xGOT. His Goals Prevented tally is at -5.72 which is dead last in the Championship. Sorry to say it but these are shocking numbers. Lukas Jensen is expected back at some stage soon while Filip Marschall has had the boost that he won’t require surgery on his injured ankle so Crocs doesn’t have much time to salvage this.
Up Next: West Brom vs Millwall at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Marko Stamenic & Elijah Just – Swansea City (English Championship)
Right, okay, now this is where we have to rush through a few things and we’re rushing through them because they sucked. It was a horror show for Swansea City who failed to bounce back after losing to West Ham... in fact they had their worst display of the season in a 5-0 loss to QPR. They were three down after only 15 minutes. The backline was the main problem but nobody had a good game. Elijah Just was subbed at half-time, Marko Stamenić was subbed shortly after the hour. Both created early chances after turning the ball over high up the field but nothing came of those and the game soon got out of control. Swansea dropped to second in the standings due to that result.
The good news is that they rebounded fantastically with a 4-0 win over Blackburn Rovers. The bad news is that Marko Stamenić missed that game through illness and Elijah Just was an unused substitute (for the first time at Swansea City – having played at least quarter of an hour in every other game). Nothing to say about that game if neither of the NZers were even on the pitch.
They then had a midweeker away to Portsmouth where Stamenić returned to the eleven while Elijah Just was subbed on at half-time with the Swans down 1-0. It got better from then onwards and they seemed to have snuck a draw after Zan Vipotnik scored from the penalty spot with five to go... until a mistake at the back from Ben Cabango, unable to deal with his marker while competing for a long ball, allowed Pompey to retake the lead in added time and they bagged a third at the very, very end. 3-1 to Portsmouth... that’s three defeats from four for Swansea City. They’ve dropped to fourth having been top of the pops a couple week ago.
Tyler Bindon went four games in a row without featuring for Charlton after other defenders returned to fitness during the international break. They recalled him for a game against league leaders Middlesbrough and he got booked early for a late challenge, lasting 81 minutes in a 3-0 defeat. They subbed him as they gambled for goals and then immediately conceded the third instead (which serves them right). Bindon then returned to the bench for a 1-0 defeat against Bolton. This is a troubling situation because the Addicks have gone 11 games without a win – they haven’t won since before Bindon arrived on loan. They were booed off the pitch after the Bolton defeat, an ignominy that Bindon was at least spared. The coach Nathan Jones was very enthusiastic about bringing Bindon into the squad and if he gets dumped then, well, we saw what that can look like last season when Chris Wilder’s return at Sheffield United led to Bindon getting stuck on the bench for a couple months (before he eventually earned his stripes).
Liberato Cacace and Luke Brooke-Smith remain on the long-ish term injury list. At last word, they were shipping Cacace off to London to figure out what’s gone awry with his calf muscles ever since he moved to Wrexham. They know what’s wrong with LBS at Portsmouth: significant ligament damage, a fractured fibula, and a dislocated ankle. But he’s well on track with his recovery and the club are targeting a return in January.
Ben Sheaf on Libby Cacace: “The lads are all behind Libby. He's had a real tough sort of year-and-a-bit, I guess, but we all know what he's capable of and his ability when he's fit and firing, he's a top player. It's just one of those things, it's hard to put a finger on exactly what it could be but I've had my fair share of injuries and he's had his calf issues, so I've tried to help him as much as I can. But sometimes you don't want to focus too much on the injury, you want to focus on the person and don't want to highlight too much of what's going on in the body because that could just cause more tension and stress. Me and the lads have tried to kind of help him as much as we can in that sense.”
Matt Garbett’s injury recovery took a minor detour when he missed a game for Peterborough after taking a knock to the knee. But that was only surface damage so he returned a few days later with 33 mins off the bench in the 2-0 EFL Cup defeat against Bradford City and has since also been subbed on at half-time of a 2-0 loss against Luton Town. Results are slipping a little for Posh after the initial Robbie Savage booster and Garbett still hasn’t played more than 45 minutes in a game since his recovery – although that won’t stop him from travelling home for All Whites duty next week. Ben Waine won’t be on that plane because he had been battling a heel injury at Port Vale... until he stopped battling it and started resting it, missing the past three weeks of action.
There’s also been some stink news with Matt Dibley-Dias. He was forced off after only 34 minutes of a 1-0 loss for Newport County against Cheltenham, ending an encouraging run of fitness and strong performances. Dibs had started eight league games in a row prior to that and at that point in time ranked in the top 20% of League Two midfielders for Duels Won, Aerial Duels Won, Fouls Won, Tackles, Blocked Shots, and xG against while on the pitch (those are all based on his per90 numbers). Not yet clear the extent of his injury but it’s a hamstring and the last update was that they were waiting for the results of his scans. It was also a hamstring injury that prevented him from making an All Whites debut back in 2024 and ended up requiring surgery.
Hayden Mullins, Newport coach: “Dibley-Dias has had a scan, and we're waiting to see the results of that, so he won't be ready for the weekend [vs Chesterfield]”
The injury curse has even spread down to the non-leagues, where Zac Jones has missed his first ever league games for AFC Fylde. Jones had made 59 consecutive starts for AFC Fylde across the National League North last season and then, following promotion, in the National League this season. But now he’s injured. They’ve signed a 19yo youngster from Everton on loan to provide some extra cover in his absence.
Up Next: Birmingham vs Swansea City at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Olivia Page – Huddersfield Town (English National League North)
Good to see, good to see. Not only is Page now finally getting big minutes as a senior pro – having never been a first eleven player at Sheffield United or Newcastle Jets before this – she’s doing it for a winning team too. Huddersfield Town did get knocked out of the FA Cup in their most recent game, losing 2-1 against Middlesbrough, but they’ve been on a roll in the National League North. The Terriers are third on the ladder, just three points behind a promotion playoff spot (granted there has been a slight wobble more recently with only one win from their last four). Grace Bartlett has also had a great start to her time at Peterborough. She didn’t join until after her U20 World Cup so has only played four league games but Posh have taken 10 points from those matches to rise up to fifth.
It’s been a split fortnight for those in the division above, going between WSL2 games and League Cup group games. Sunderland lost 3-1 to Ipswich Town in the league. They scored very early and it was 1-1 when Tess Laplacette was red carded for a foul as the last defender and it got away from them after that. Katie Kitching played 69 minutes with a yellow. First defeat of the WSL2 campaign for Sunderland... though they did bounce back with a 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the League Cup to keep themselves in a good spot to make the knockouts. Kitching was subbed shortly after they scored their 64th minute winner. Good game from her except that she wasted quite a few chances to break that deadlock earlier, including hitting the woodwork.
Watford had a 4-2 win against struggling Durham with Grace Neville playing the full game in the back three, collecting a yellow card along the way. Even at this relatively early stage that was a crucial win which buys them some breathing room above the relegation zone. Watford then lost 4-1 to Ipswich in the League Cup but Neville didn’t play, probably since she’s on loan from Ipswich and they usually include a clause in the deal to prevent you from embarrassing your parent club.
Over at Southampton, Alina Santos sat on the bench as the Saints conceded an 88th min equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Leicester City but when they played that same team again the following game in the League Cup, Santos had her best outing yet in a 1-1 draw... albeit they did concede another late equaliser there as well, before losing the bonus point shootout 4-3 (Leicester missed one kick but it was off target so no saves for Santos). She’s now played three times for the Saints and all of those have come in the League Cup. Got sent off on debut but has looked much steadier with each subsequent appearance.
Up Next: Huddersfield vs West Brom at 3am on Monday (NZT)
Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)
This season has been a mess for Minnesota United with their kiwi coach and captain duo not exactly leading them to glory thus far. Michael Boxall spent a lot of the season dealing with a hip issue (he mentioned recently that it was “essentially a stress fracture” and that he’s only now getting back to 100%) before dashing off to the World Cup in the middle of things. Cam Knowles has been unable to inspire consistent victories at any stage of the season.
They did bounce back to winning ways a couple weeks ago, which was great, but that came with Michael Boxall dropping to the bench. Crazy game because the Loons were 2-0 down at home after ten minutes against St Louis but they rallied in the second half and won it thanks to Marcus Caldeira’s goal on 86 mins. Boxall was subbed on during added time to help ice a victory that ended a shocking eight-game run that has seen them tumble down to the fringes of the playoff hunt. Boxall remained on the bench for the trip to Houston that followed, no reason to change a winning combination (a winning combination that has included a switch from a back three to a back four). That match ended 0-0 and Boxy got a little longer in what was his 299th appearance for Minnesota Utd across all competitions, having been brought on after 73 mins when Jefferson Díaz pulled up sore and had to be replaced.
Diaz recovered fine to play ninety in the next match – a 3-1 comeback win in which the Loons scored thrice in the last twenty minutes to keep those slim playoff dreams going for at least a few more days – so Boxy was only required as a closer substitute deep into stoppage time. A very unspectacular way to mark 300 appearances for the club but you get the feeling that he’d prefer it that way. Milestone out of the way with, hardly any spotlight on him personally, and an important victory for the team... even if he didn’t have much to do with it.
He had nothing to do with the 3-1 win over LAFC that has kept them the Loons in playoff contention heading into the final round of the season – where they must win and also hope for a few other things to go their way to make the playoffs... but they’re still a chance heading into Decision Day. Boxall was an unused substitute in that penultimate fixture. Three wins and a draw in the last four to spark a very late resurgence yet the devil’s bargain is that it’s largely come at the expense of Boxy, who has only gotten 19 combined minutes in those matches.
This leads us into a curious situation because, being 38 years of age with an expiring contract and finishing this season outside the first eleven, it’s only natural to wonder about whether these may be the last few weeks we see of Boxy as a professional footballer. But that won’t be the case if he gets his way – Boxy was asked about his future last week and his position is clear: he wants to keep playing.
Michael Boxall: “There has been some conversation. I would like to stay. I think they would like me to stay. Obviously, I think I can still perform close to what I’m capable of. I’m just about fully recovered from the injury now. Played through that for a few months, just niggled for far longer than I thought it would have.”
By the way, second on the MNUFC appearances list is Will Trapp with 203. Boxall’s nearly 100 games clear. Keep in mind that there’s a half-next year so that they can move the calendar to align with the European seasons (for transfer purposes, mostly). Portland Timbers legend Diego Chara has said he’ll play the half-season before retiring. That’s another possibility for Boxy, you never know.
Up Next: Minnesota United vs San Jose at 1pm on Sunday on Decision Day (NZT)
Finn Surman - Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
In other news...
The initial talk was that Finn Surman would miss 4-6 weeks with the MLC sprain that he suffered right before he was supposed to fly out and join the All Whites in Japan. Within two weeks, he was back into solo training as part of his rehab (without any strapping or bandages on the knee). After three weeks he was a limited participant, taking part in the lighter aspects of the sessions with his coach saying that he was “progressing well”. By four weeks he was a full participant... and when the next game came around he was there on the bench, available if needed.
They didn’t push him in that game (a 3-2 win vs Charlotte to keep their playoff hopes alive) but they did give him some time off the bench in the 3-2 win away to St Louis that followed. He was the sixth substitute used (one was a concussion sub) and he replaced two-goal striker Kristoffer Velde in the 83rd minute as they tried to close things out. The Timbers did concede the second during the time that Surman was out there. They also picked up multiple yellow cards for time wasting including for centre-back Kamal Miller, for whom it was a second booking and thus a red. He was likely to be the guy to make way for Finn Surman anyway, now that Canadian international Joel Waterman has gotten settled since being traded for in September, but that red card meant he was suspended as the Timbers hosted Houston in their penultimate game.
Therefore Finn Surman returned to the starting line-up and it was like he’d never been away as Portland won 3-1 for their third W on the trot, raising them into the play-in positions with one game to spare. Surman captained the team. Didn’t block any shots but even after his injury he’s still miles ahead in that stat and what he did instead was he made four defensive clearances, three recoveries, completed 64/66 pass attempts... and probably should have scored a goal, missing a great chance with his head from a stoppage time corner. They were already ahead at that stage so no worries.
What’s more, they gave him a belt afterwards...
2026 Supporters’ Player of the Year. 2025 Supporters’ Player of the Year. They bloody love him... although with this being the last home game of Portland’s regular season there’s a chance he’s played in front of those Timbers fans for the last time. Depends on whether they can get the job done this weekend to qualify for postseason footy... and it also depends on whether a club in Europe stumps up a transfer fee in January. Otherwise he might return for the Sprint Season, who knows. But we all know he’s destined for even bigger things.
Despite some rough recent form, LAFC have enough points on the board to have already confirmed at least some form of postseason qualification, sitting sixth at the moment. Tyler Boyd barely plays though. Got decent minutes early on as they were balancing MLS with other competitions (particularly the Champions Cup) but has only started one of their last nine. One goal and two assists in 848 minutes overall in MLS. But he has gotten on the pitch in 27/33 games so at least he’s hanging around.
Up Next: Austin vs Portland at 1pm on Sunday (NZT)
Suya Haering – Montpellier (French Première Ligue)
Spare a thought for Montpellier who just had the toughest fortnight of their season, having to face PSG and Lyonnes back to back. They did quite well in the PSG game, only losing 1-0 despite being on the back foot the entire way. Conceded after 22 minutes when Polish international Paulina Dudek made an overlapping run into the area and slipped her finish into the back of the net... but other than that Montpellier were pretty sharp, limiting PSG to only five shots on target despite 75% possession. And they did that with Suya Haering playing 76 minutes as the left wing-back. Not a lot of winging on this particular day, much more of the backing, although she did try to get forward where possible and actually had one of Montpellier’s two shots (a hopeful effort from distance that went wide of the target).
Then served a full ninety in the same position against the might of Lyonnes. This one started amazingly with Ella Palis putting Montpellier ahead in the sixth minute (with assistance from a goalkeeping howler)... before a red card for Celia Chabod (her second yellow in the space of fifteen mins) meant that Montpellier were left trying to defend that narrow lead against a continental force with only ten women on the pitch for the last hour of the match. They lasted until the 50th minute, whereupon Lyonnes scored three quick ones, all involving varying degrees of subpar goalkeeping. Bouchra Kharafi made it 3-2 against the run of play with quarter of an hour left, another shocker from the other goalie, but then Lyonnes added a couple more. 5-2 was the final score. Obviously this was a difficult outing for Suya Haering having to defend against that lot, although the first half was pretty awesome. Heck of an experience to come up against a side with the likes of Ada Hegerberg, Wendie Renard, Korbin Schrader, Lily Yohannes, and Marie-Antoinette Katoto all involved (among many others).
Suya Haering has started the last five games in a row for Montpellier. She’s competing in one of the top leagues in the world, just went directly up against two Champions League opponents, is playing under a very renowned French coach (Patrice Lair previously coached Lyonnes to UWCL glory... and most recently was Abby Erceg’s boss at Toluca). These are hugely encouraging things for a 21yo kiwi defender.
And regardless of how these last couple of results went, Montpellier had drawn three league games in a row prior to those tricky fixtures and were 5-1 victors against Toulouse in week one. So don’t expect a top four finish like Kate Taylor had with Dijon two seasons ago but also don’t expect this team to be doomed for relegation either. They’ve got another tough one against third-placed Paris next but after that will come a few very winnable match-ups where we might get to see Haering able to stretch her legs a little more in the other half of the field.
Over in the Men’s Ligue 2, Ben Old and Saint-Etienne had been grinding out narrow clean sheet victories of late to build up their lead atop the standings. However, the coach opted to rotate a couple fellas for the latest fixture – including Ben Old – and that backfired as they were beaten 3-0 away against Guingamp. Old was subbed on as part of a triple change at half-time. They were only one down at the time but they promptly conceded an absolute screamer of a second, crazy dipping strike from distance, and then the third followed near the end via another delicious finish this time lobbing the keeper after running in behind through Old’s inside channel.
Oh well. ASSE remain first despite this result although the margin has closed to one point with Montpellier chasing after them. Both of ASSE’s defeats this season have come in games where Ben Old didn’t start. After recovering from an ankle injury in preseason, he very quickly resumed his big minutes at left-back... possibly a factor in why he’s been rested from the upcoming All Whites tour. No dramas there, it’s a good time for rotation and Oldy is a busy fellow at the moment. There are no days off when you’re competing for a title and promotion (as they just got reminded).
Up Next: Paris vs Montpellier at 7am on Saturday (NZT)
Alex Paulsen – Motherwell (Scottish Premiership)
Finally another win for Motherwell. It was getting pretty worrying when that 1-0 loss to Rangers in early September (where Alex Paulsen made a blunder for the goal but then also made three or four superb saves to keep his team in the contest) ended up sparking a six-game losing streak in the Premiership for the Steelmen. They snapped that last week with a 2-2 draw against St Johnston but even that felt like a loss after they conceded in the 90+3rd minute. Fortunately, blessedly, relievedly, they saw it through to the final whistle for a 1-0 win aganst St Mirren in the most recent effort.
Wasn’t pretty but it didn’t have to be. A more confident team would have won by three or four goals such were the chances that they created... and blew. In the end it took a long ball from Alex Paulsen to spark something that counted. Sneaky handball on the end of his deep drive and the VAR decided it was worth a penalty. Lukas Fadinger converted from the spot in the 82nd minute. AP only had one very easy save to make although his distribution was a big part of how Motherwell played, completing 50 passes in his own half at 100% accuracy. Bit more erratic with his long balls, as is usually the case, though already mentioned that one of those led to the penalty that won them the game.
Third clean sheet of the Premiership season for Paulsen and the first since early September in a 3-0 win over Jesse Randall’s Dundee United (who got an early red card in that game)... as coincidence would have it, that’s who Motherwell are playing next. Dundee Utd’s most recent was a 2-2 draw against Celtic so they’re humming at the moment, having gone six unbeaten since that Motherwell loss. Randall has played at least 70 minutes in all six of those games. He’s played the most minutes of any of the Dundee Utd forward rotation and his five goal contributions (2G/3A) are the most in the team.
Won’t dwell on George Stanger and Kilmarnock. They beat Motherwell 3-2 a few weeks ago but since then have gone down 3-0 to Falkirk, 3-1 to Dundee, and drawn 2-2 with St Johnstone. Stanger scored an own goal in the Falkirk defeat... as did his CB partner Cathal McCarthy. McCarthy’s was first, sticking a knee on a cross that he couldn’t control. Stanger’s was the third goal and had he meant it, it would have been an insane finish. Back of the heel, flicked it top corner on the volley. He did also earn the penalty for Killie’s goal in the Dundee defeat though. You can see the own goal below at the 2:50 mark...
Up Next: Dundee United vs Motherwell at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Kate Taylor – Madrid CFF (Spanish Liga F)
Back to winning ways after a minor skid where Madrid CFF had a 2-2 draw against Athletic Club, a 4-0 loss to Atletico Madrid, and a 2-2 draw with Eibar. But a 2-1 win over Deportivo lifts them up to third again, rallying from 1-0 down at the break to win it thanks to Mariana Silva’s 82nd minute goal (after Emilie Holt had tapped in an equaliser in literally the first minute of the second half). Kate Taylor missed one game early in the season and has otherwise played every single minute in central defence.
Up Next: The big one... Barcelona vs Madrid CFF at 4am on Monday (NZT)
Ally Green - FC København / Malia Steinmetz – FC Nordsjælland (Danish A-Liga)
Well, not many would have seen that coming. Relegation battlers FCK with a 2-1 victory against an FCN team that’d been in great touch lately. Nordsjælland should have scored a couple times prior to falling behind after 64 minutes... and they shouldn’t have even conceded then except that Malia Steinmetz took an airswing with her attempted clearance. An early ball forward from Ally Green then claimed an assist for the second goal which again should have been cleared but for an FCN defender making a mess of it. At least it wasn’t Steinmetz this time. Goal contribution for Greeny though. Full game for Steinmetz while Green was subbed right at the very end. To give you an indication of what an upset this was, the last time they met was a 9-1 win for Nordsjælland.
Glancing around a few other Scandinavian spots, FH were thumped 6-2 by Breidablik in their last game of the season. This game could have been a title decider but was made meaningless by FH’s defeat the week prior. Helena Errington was rotated to the bench for that, playing half an hour to conclude her campaign (it was 5-1 when she was subbed on). She finishes with seven goals and nine assists in the Icelandic Besta Deilden. Equal second most assists in the division. Gotta wait and see what happens next because she was technically on loan at FH from American club Sporting Jacksonville (who never gave her a single USL Super League appearance last year).
Gabi Rennie did her bit for Eskilstuna Utd, playing the full game at right wing-back as they won 2-1 against Brommapojkarna – a victory that pretty much guarantees that Eskilstuna will remain in the Swedish top flight for another season following their promotion last year. That win snapped a five-game losing streak. Rennie has started 18/23 league games this year and appeared in all but one fixture.
Up Next: Kolding vs FCK at 1am on Sunday; FCN vs Aarhus at 11.30pm on Sunday (NZT)
Callum McCowatt – AGF (Danish Superliga)
Callum McCowatt’s second Europa Conference League appearance didn’t last long: AGF had a defender red carded for a last-man foul in just the third minute of the match against Egnatia (Albania) and McCowatt was subbed off ten minutes later in a tactical move, sacrificing the new signing to reinforce the backline. Ended up being a 1-1 draw. McCowatt did then play 77 minutes in a valuable 2-1 win over Viborg back in the domestic stuff. After that they won 2-1 against Roskilde, rallying from a goal down in the last 25 minutes to progress to the last eight of the Danish Cup, although CM was only subbed on for the last fifteen after they’d already taken the lead. Then he played 88 minutes against Brøndby where they lost 2-0.
That Brøndby defeat put a halt on what was growing to be a decent run of form for AGF, much needed after the horrible start they’d made to their title defence. Two wins and a draw against the league leaders (at the time) along with a draw in the Conference League and a progress in the Danish Cup. Finally getting a bit of consistency out there again... no surprises that it’s happens since McCowatt arrived. Three goals and two assists in 11 matches for AGF thus far. All bar one of those goals have come in the cup run so we’re still waiting for him to fully announce himself to his new fans in a Superliga match but as you can see from the results he’s definitely improved them.
No sign of Dalton Wilkins for Sønderjyske after he went off injured a couple weeks ago. The fact that there’s been no major update is hopefully good news, ideally it’s only a strain and he’ll be back soon... because Sonders keep losing whenever he doesn’t play. Seven points from his three starts and just one point from the other 10 Superliga games without him in the walk-on eleven. Even adjusted for time on the pitch the same trends are true:
Sønderjyske with Dalton Wilkins on the pitch:
219 MINS | 5 GF (2.05 G/90) | 5 GA (2.05 GA/90)
Sønderjyske without Dalton Wilkins on the pitch:
951 MINS | 12 GF (1.13 G/90) | 25 GA (2.37 GA/90)
Owen Parker-Price was a bright spark within Örgryte scrapping back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Djurgården recently... they’ve continued to battle well in the couple of games since but while 2-1 defeats vs Mjällby and Elfsborg may have come with encouraging performances, what they really need is points on the board and they’re running out of time for those. Only three more games in which to save themselves from relegation.
If they can do what Ryan Thomas’ PEC Zwolle have done in their last three league games then they’ll go alright. Since sacking their coach, Zwolle have had a 4-1 win against Go Ahead Eagles, a 1-1 draw against Utrecht (in which they conceded in the last minute, so it should have been another win), and then a 1-0 win over ADO Den Haag. They did get knocked out of the KNVB Cup in the middle of that run but that’s no drama, it’ll help them focus on the Eredivisie.
Up Next: AGF vs Braga in the Conference League at 6.45am on Friday (NZT)
Nathan Garrow – Stellenbosch (South African Premiership)
A professional debut for Nathan Garrow, keeping a clean sheet in a 2-0 win away against Durban City in the Telkom Knockout. Fine work from the former Auckland City gloveman who moved over to South Africa at the start of the season where he replaced another New Zealand, Dublin Boon, as the reserve team goalkeeper (with future first team ambitions) for Stellenbosch.
Boon was the reserves goalie for Stellenbosch for all of last season without going further than one bench appearance in the last game of the season... so Garrow has kinda jumped the queue to have made his own debut so soon. Boon is still waiting for his even if he has gotten big enough raps over his potential to have transferred to Orlando Pirates a few months ago (where he’s playing reserves for them too). Garrow came in as one kiwi with South African heritage to replace another kiwi with South African. Garrow does have a lot more senior experience from his Auckland City days though, particularly his performances at the Club World Cup. So he was ready to go... and has been the back-up keeper on the bench for every Premiership game this campaign, sitting behind club captain Sage Stephens.
Also if you’re wondering about Andre de Jong... he’s still injured and hasn’t been part of a matchday squad all season. However he was healthy enough to walk the runway at South African Fashion Week recently, as part of a collaboration between the event and his club where Pirates unveiled their new third-kit.
Up Next: Stellies vs AmaZulu in the Knockout Cup quarters at 5am on Monday (NZT)
Joe Wallis & Noah Dupont – West Bromwich Albion (English Championship)
Speaking of goalkeepers on the rise...
The “post-match incident” for the other bloke was for his reaction to a bit of aggro from some fans. Strange circumstance but it gave another former Auckland City gloveman a chance to do something. Short-term loan with Chester in the National League North (English sixth tier). This is his first loan experience since joining West Brom two years ago, where he’s yet to make a senior debut for the club although has sat on the bench in the Championship on several occasions.
Chester coach Phil Parkinson: “We like to extend our gratitude to West Bromwich Albion and Joe for facilitating the loan in these circumstances. It has been really difficult to find a suitable replacement for Luke due to the short length of his ban, and Joe is a really high quality goalkeeper. I feel Luke’s punishment is extremely harsh and unjust. Players suffer abuse every game, and in a high-octane moment Luke has reacted to a group of fans behind the goal. It’s a shame that football’s going that way, but Luke will now have to suffer the consequences.”
This was only a very short loan. Wallis came in and kept goal in a 3-1 defeat against South Shields and then Luke Hewitson returned from suspension and Wallis went back to WBA. He’s already played another U21s game for the Baggies since then – wearing the gloves in a 1-0 loss vs Truro City in the National League Cup (a group stage/cup competition for non-league teams that also includes some higher up academy sides like WBA... Premier League U21s have the EFL Trophy against lower league teams and WBA are effectively a level below that). Wallis has played a couple times in that competition and has started 3/3 games for the Baggies in the Premier League Cup, which is the U21s cup.
Often joining him in those games is his former NZ U20s teammate Noah Dupont, who has captained that WBA U21s team on multiple occasions this season. Scored in a Premier League cup game in September against Coventry U21s and has an assist in a Premier League 2 game (the U21s league) - not bad for a central defender. But he wasn’t involved in Wallis’ return because it’s been one in and one out...
Month-long loan to Salisbury in the National League South... same division where Wallis just played, except he was in the northern conference. Much longer move though. Unlike Wallis, Dupont was born and raised in England and has been in the West Brom system since he was six years old. He’s still only 19 and is contracted through until the end of this season with WBA, which could easily be extended. As could this loan move – these deals often get expanded if the initial month goes well. Dupont made his debut for Salisbury in a 2-1 win over Tonbridge Angel, getting a full game in central defence. Salisbury are only two points behind the leaders in the division so he’s at a good team too.
Up Next: Salisbury vs Sholing in the FA Cup first round at 4am on Sunday (NZT)
Stipe Ukich - NK Istra 1961 (Croatian Nogometna Liga)
The cup games are where Stipe Ukich has been given the most room to shine this season and he’s delivered on both occasions. In the league, he’s an occasional substitute who has gotten minutes in 4/12 games thus far. But in the cup, he’s been in both starting line-ups – scoring in the 5-0 win against Zagorec and getting an assist, as well as his first ninety minute game as a pro, in the 3-0 win over Neretva Metkovic. Convenient match-ups in both cases as part of a rotated team but that’s how a youngster makes their mark. Take the opportunities as they come and you’ll get more of them. So far so good. This latest cup win takes Istra into the quarter-finals.
Up Next: Istra 1962 vs Rijeka at 6am on Sunday (NZT)
Rebekah Trewhitt – ŽFK Spartak Subotica (Serbian Super Liga)
Recognise anyone in that team photo? Rebekah Trewhitt had a pretty strong season with Lewes in the English third tier last season upon leaving the Wellington Phoenix Academy. Scored a few goals, got plenty of minutes. That’s the same level as Olivia Page and Grace Bartlett are at now and they’ll no doubt be fascinated to see that Trewhit has managed to leverage that experience into a gig with one of the top teams in Serbia.
She debuted for Spartak in a Europa Cup qualifier against Brøndby in late August and then got ninety minutes in the second leg in Denmark. They lost 9-1 on aggregate but still. Since then she’s mostly been on the bench, only playing 45 minutes across the team’s first seven Super Liga games... until starting and playing full nineties in the past two: a 3-0 win against Milutinac and a 1-1 draw vs TSC. Looks like they’ve been using her as a right-back which is probably her best position.
Spartak were the dominant team in Serbia for a long time, with 13 consecutive championships up until Crvena zvezda tipped them over these past three years. It looks like Red Star will probably win it again since they’re already six points clear after nine games (they’ve already scored an astonishing 64 goals). But Spartak will surely find themselves in the top four when the league splits and should back themselves as the best of the rest. They’re in second place on goal difference at the moment. Plus they’ve got Rebekah Trewhitt in their ranks now.
Up Next: Mašinac vs Spartak at 0:00 on Monday (NZT)
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