Flying Kiwis – July 23
Elijah Just & Alex Paulsen – Motherwell (Scottish Premiership)
Nobody was expecting Elijah Just to remain a Motherwell player beyond this transfer window. Not after the twelve months he’s just had, shortlisted for the Scottish Premiership Player of the Year and then scoring three goals at the World Cup where he was New Zealand’s best performer. But while his agent was speaking of “evaluating the different options available to Elijah”, Motherwell were preparing for the Europa Conference League qualifiers that Just was so instrumental in getting them to. So being the pro that he is, without a transfer yet sorted, he punctually reported for Steelmen preseason and what do ya know he scored a goal (from the penalty spot) in a friendly game against Genk. Not the first Belgians he’s scored against lately...
One day later the news broke that he was on the verge of a transfer to Swansea City. Had to delay this Flying Kiwis edition until Thursday for him to pass his medical and get unveiled now here we are. Just has linked up with the Swans in Austria where they’re doing a preseason camp (and where he previously spent some time playing for St Pölten). That means EJ swapping Alex Paulsen for Marko Stamenić... but at least EJ and AP did get that one game together. They both played the first half vs Genk, with those being Paulsen’s first minutes for the club. Already drawing praise from his new coach too...
Alfred Johansson: “Alex Paulsen, who just flies in from the other side of the planet, has one one and a half training sessions with the team and then he's contributing to two of the goals with his build-up from his feet. We knew he was good [at that], it's why we brought him.”
That’s brilliant to hear because AP’s ability with his feet is one of his greatest attributes and he didn’t get to show that off in Poland where he was stuck on a back-foot team with a leaky defence. That’s not to say that the criticism he faced was unjustified – his shot-stopping was way below what he’s capable of – but it’s an example of why that move was a bad fit for him... and why this one should be way better. His short passing composure was a highlight of his A-League years and yet he’s never played for a team that will lean into that skill more than what he’s about to have with Motherwell. For him to already have caught the coach’s eye for that reason after one game (and 1.5 training sessions) is about as encouraging as it gets.
Worth mentioning that Aston Oxborough left to join Dunfermline Athletic for an undisclosed fee on the same day so it’s now only Paulsen and Matty Connelly on the books as first team keepers. Connolly played the second half against Genk. That bloke is 23yo and has only made one Premiership appearance for the Steelmen (most of his senior starts coming in lower-league loans). The coast is clear for an AP resurgence.
Motherwell are getting a club record fee for Elijah Just of £6m plus addies to eclipse the previous record of £5m when Lennon Miller left for Udinese one year ago. Chris Wood is the only kiwi who has ever moved for a bigger fee than that (he’s almost tripled that number on three separate occasions). This for a bloke they picked up for a minimal fee one year ago... although some of that profit does go to his former club AC Horsens who have a 17% sell-on clause. Lots of change for the ‘Well... coach Jens Berthel Askou has left for Toulouse in France while Elliot Watt (Samsunspor), goalkeeper Calum Ward (QPR), and centre-back Stephen Welsh (Swansea via Celtic) have also departed having been regulars last time. Transfer window ain’t shut yet but they’ll need a whole new spine with Alex Paulsen, plus another ex-AFC lad in Jake Girdwood-Reich, tasked with filling some of those boots.
That task begins with the ECL second qualifying round games against HB of the Faroe Islands. Home and away across the next two Friday mornings NZ time. Advance through that and the draw has dished the up either HJK (Finland) or Coleraine (Northern Ireland) in the third round. There’s a playoff round beyond that for a spot in the League Phase.
Up Next: Motherwell vs HB at 6.45am on Friday in the first leg of ECL quals (NZT)
Elijah Just & Marko Stamenić - Swansea City (English Championship)
They love a kiwi at Swansea City, don’t they? Marko Stamenić was such a bargain that they’ve gone out and grabbed another one with Elijah Just having signed a three year contract (with an option for a fourth) after a fee of approximately £6m plus add-ons was agreed between Motherwell and Swansea City. They’ve given him the #8 jersey. Huge addition for the Welsh club as they seek a return to the English Premier League for the first time since 2017–18.
SCAFC coach Vitor Matos: “We're very excited to bring Elijah into the team. He can play in more than one position and his versatility will be a great fit in the side. Elijah joins us after performing well in all aspects of our recruitment process, and after a brilliant performance at the World Cup and we are very happy to have him with us.”
Sporting Director Ben Stevens: “Delighted for Elijah to join us, he will add quality to our attack with the ability to play in multiple positions. He had a phenomenal World Cup with New Zealand where he really introduced himself on to the world footballing stage after a standout season with Motherwell. We feel his profile is a strong fit for Vitor's and the club's footballing style and this as an exciting opportunity for all parties.”
Why Swansea City? Well, as cool as it would be for Just to go from European qualifier to European qualifier, that was probably only an option if he went to Celtic or Rangers. The Scottish Premiership isn’t what it once was and when players from there move to England, it tends to be to Championship or League One clubs. Another factor is that the English leagues are way more cash-rich. Celtic could have offered Champions League but Swansea City can offer a far heavier pay-cheque in a much more top-to-bottom competitive league. Not to mention the pot of gold potential for EPL promotion. Not to mention the fact that he very clearly suits the versatile inverted forward profile that the Swans have been searching for.
And, in all honesty, Just is 26 years old and only really has one relevant season of performances at this level (plus three World Cup games) along with a smaller physical frame. No reason to think he’ll struggle with that in the Championship but for him to go any higher would have required a leap of faith from any prospective buyer. Either he needs more of a backlog or more size and athleticism to convince folks he can live up to his price tag. Too many question marks for the very best teams. But then why entertain a team that’s got doubts about you anyway? Swansea City actually have a plan for him. They’re stumping up good money because they believe (correctly) that his presence improves their chances for promotion. One of his best mates is already there. The more you ponder it, the more exciting deal this deal becomes.
Swansea City finished 11th last season but were quite a lot better in the second half after Vitor Matos took over as coach. Their form from February onwards was worthy of a playoff spot... and they’ve done good business since then. Moussa Yeo has been signed for the other wing, a Mali international previously at Red Bull Salzburg. A similar fee to Just’s has been arranged for Joseph Opoku, a young Ghanaian winger from Zulte Waregem in Belgium. Stephen Welsh was picked up from Celtic to play centre-back... he was on loan at Motherwell alongside Just last season so make that two mates already on board. They did lose Ethan Galbraith to Stoke but they got a huge fee for him which has helped bulk up those wing spots and also helpfully clears more room for Stamenić to be even more of a key figure in the midfield. Plenty of reason to think Stam is in for a much bigger season this time around too.
Of course, those two aren’t our only hopes in the Championship. Remains to be seen if Tyler Bindon will be loaned back down to this level – he’s doing his best in preseason for Nottingham Forest at the moment, more on him later. But there’s still Max Crocombe at Millwall and Libby Cacace at Wrexham. On the younger side, Joe Wallis and Noah Dupont are on the fringes of West Bromwich Albion’s first team while we’re waiting on that Luke Brooke-Smith transfer to Portsmouth to happen as well.
Cacace is a fascinating one because injuries limited him to only 12 appearances in the league during his first year with Wrexham. That Wrexham side only missed out on the playoffs on the final day and as of this season they’ve expanded the playoffs so that seventh and eighth are also now involved. Wrexham should be aiming to make the cut there. They should also get a whole lot more out of Libby Cacace in his second season. Right now they’re the only team in the division yet to make a new signings (bit crazy given how busy they were last time) but Cacace might as well be a new signing. He was on the plane for the preseason tour of USA so that’s a good start.
Max Crocombe’s situation is a little more fluid. The first thing to know is that Anthony Patterson, the goalie they brought in on loan to play ahead of him in the second half of the season, has returned to Sunderland where he has two more years under contract but is very likely to be sold. Patterson is training with the Black Cats for now however he wasn’t involved in their first friendly and isn’t going to be taken on tour to the USA. Several Championship clubs are interested in him, dunno if Millwall are one of those, but for now the word is that nobody has met the asking price. Doesn’t look like he’ll be back at Millwall. But Lukas Jensen was the number one the season before last and he’s finally fit again after a difficult 18 months filled with setbacks trying to recover from an achilles injury. George Evans remains, a 21yo academy graduate. They’ve also extended the contract of veteran depth option Joel Coleman who joined at the same time as Crocombe. Probably did that to allow Evans to leave on another loan later in the picture.
That means four goalkeepers in contention barring any transfer work. Realistically it’ll be between Lukas Jensen and Max Crocombe for the starting duties and the early phase of preseason has seen Jensen given the chance to put his case forward with Max Crocombe yet to report back after the World Cup. The coach is promising that Crocs will get his opportunity too.
Alex Neill: “[Lukas Jensen] missed all of last season, and he missed the end of the season before. He was coming back just towards the end. But the difficulty you’ve got is trying to get up to speed when you’ve only got maybe six weeks or whatever of the season to go. This pre-season for him in particular is going to be very important to get himself prepared and ready for the season. We’ve got Max Crocombe to come back. We’ve got George [Evans]. We’ve got Joel Coleman. So at the moment we’ve got four goalkeepers. Lukas is right in the midst of his pre-season now, and what we’re hoping is that he goes from strength to strength but, equally, we’ve got Max coming back from the World Cup once we get back from Spain and we want to give Max every opportunity as well. Just like every position, everybody’s got an opportunity to stake their claim and it’s really up to them then.”
And regarding Luke Brooke-Smith, this was John Mousinho, coach of Portsmouth, a few days ago talking about further incoming transfers...
John Mousinho: “We are also close to a couple of others but it’s very, very slow moving, particularly with the types of transfers they are doing. Any time there is significant money involved, it becomes a lot slower.”
Up Next: There’s a Swansea City friendly vs Udinese at 11pm on Friday which could involve both NZers... Marko Stamenić hasn’t played any friendly stuff yet either having had a longer break after the World Cup (NZT)
Helena Errington – FH Hafnarfjörður (Icelandic Besta Deild)
Yeah, you know it, more of the same from FH Hafnarfjörður after a 6-1 win away against Grindavik/Njarovik. It wasn’t going great when they conceded after 11 minutes due to a deflected shot from outside the area... but the form they’re in, bad luck doesn’t last long. FH steadily upped the ante until finally Helena Errington slipped one in at the back post for the equaliser (41’) and by half-time they were leading 2-1 when a runaway from Ída Marín Hermannsdóttir (an Icelandic international in even better form than Errington) earned a penalty that she converted herself. Bit fortunate of the G/N defender not to be sent off for that but given how the second half unfolded it hardly mattered. A third goal arrived directly from a corner kick, then Errington whacked a fourth into the bottom corner from distance. Cue the knee slide. A couple more goals followed with G/N defenders failing to clear their lines on both occasions. That’ll do it.
A few days later, FH were at it again when they faced Stjarnan. This was first against third on the ladder and yet they still went ballistic with the goals again. Ída Marín Hermannsdóttir, yes her again, scored a couple of quick ones before Stjarnan replied directly from a corner kick to make it 2-1 after half an hour. Helena Errington then performed a wicked one-two and through ball combo to set up a third and soon enough it was 4-1 to FH at half-time...
Errington was subbed after an hour (alongside a couple others, game in the bag and all) and then things went a bit nuts for a final score of 7-3. Lost some control after the subs but continued to score at will. Breiðablik held serve with a win of their own so FH’s lead at the top remains two points after 12 games (there are 18 games in the first round, then another five in the championship rounds for 23 fixtures overall... meaning we’re just past halfway in the season). FH have won nine of their last ten league games and have scored at least five goals in their previous five wins – with only a 1-1 draw against Valur in the middle to spoil the dominance. They don’t keep clean sheets, only 1/12 in the league, but that’s irrelevant when you’re by far the top scoring team in the division.
As for Errington, what else is there to say that hasn’t been repeated every week for the last month? That’s three goals and four assists in her last six matches, having well and truly nailed down her spot in this team. They eased her into the team at the beginning of the season and those games aligned with the team’s slow start. When Errington has played at least 60 minutes in a Besta Dielen match, FH have a 7-1-0 record. Obviously for the team to be scoring as freely as this, she’s hardly the only one contributing... but nevertheless these are numbers that we rarely see from kiwis overseas, not even from out and out strikers. Errington is being used as a second striker or attacking midfielder where her creativity has been immense but she’s also getting plenty of touches and linking up in deeper spots too. She basically has a roaming role so she’ll pop up all over the park. Very good at winning fouls under pressure. This is the player that we saw throughout the NZ age grades, finally being given a chance to show it in the professional ranks. And challenging for a league title in the process, don’t overlook that bit.
Up Next: IBV vs FH on Thursday at 6am (NZT)
Finn Surman - Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)
Finn Surman may be the current Block Lord of Major League Soccer (and was the Clearance King in 2025 before that) but one of the reasons he’s needed to be so outrageous with his defensive contributions is that the Portland Timbers haven’t actually been very good during his time there. Surman’s rise has not run parallel to his team. Last year they stumbled into eighth in the Western Conference (W-D-L record: 11-12-11) after only winning one of their last ten matches. They did win their wildcard playoff but were dumped out in the first round, losing 4-0 to San Diego in the decisive game three. That at least gave them something to build from but they failed to even do that, winning just 4/14 games prior to the World Cup break leading to coach Phil Neville being sacked.
Surman then went and bossed it at the World Cup, scoring against Egypt, though those All Whites did have something in common with this Portland team in that they couldn’t avoid conceding silly goals along the way. Surman wasn’t immune either, a reminder that for all his promise he’s still a young defender figuring out his game at this level and probably needs to keep on rising up the ranks in order to meet that potential. There was some talk in the kiwi media about Surman being on scouting watchlists for a bunch of top clubs... that stuff happens slowly and for now he remains a Timbers player. Still five more weeks left in most European transfer windows though.
Portland has hired Martí Cifuentes to be their new head coach. He’s a Spaniard whose resume includes Leicester City, QPR and Hammarby. Good get. But that didn’t happen until after they’d taken on their biggest rivals Seattle Sounders away with an interim coach in the first game back. Could have been a nightmare... instead they shrugged off everything that’d come before with a stunning 5-1 victory. Surman blocked a shot within two minutes of kick-off, picking up where he left off, though he had a relatively quiet afternoon from then onwards. Completed most of his passes, cleared a few crosses away. Otherwise simply held the fort as the Timbers forwards and midfielders thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
That win lifts the Timbers up to 11th on the ladder roughly halfway through the season. Lots of games to come thick and fast from here – they play on Thursday and Sunday NZT coming up (home vs Dallas and Salt Lake) and then host a third game in a row when Seattle turn up for a rematch the following week. After that comes the Leagues Cup group stage where they’ll face Liga MX clubs Puebla, America, and Club Tijuana in the space of eight days. Then back at it with the MLS fixtures which run through until early November with playoffs to follow. The World Cup really roughed up the schedule – the grand final will be one week before Christmas.
They’re also changing the calendar next year with a 14-game mini-season between February-April (with playoffs) in order to align with the European seasons from 2026-27 onwards. The idea is that most teams have their own stadiums now so they don’t have any dramas clashing with the NFL season like when MLS began, plus this way they have fewer complications with transfer windows, international breaks, and their playoff schedule. Whether Finn Surman is still there for any of that is a whole other story.
Minnesota United resumed things against Sporting Kansas City this arvo (more on that next week, can’t push this thing back any further). Michael Boxall missed a lot of the season through injury but that’s no longer an issue for him. Straight back into the starting eleven for him. Minnesota had a wee slump heading into the break so they need to ramp things up again.
Boxy also found his way into the MLS’s post-World Cup advertising campaign – you can see him standing way at the back over Son Heung-min’s right shoulder when all the players (one from each team) are standing in formation at the end of the ad. Looks kinda fake (apart from Messi) but hopefully they at least paid him for his likeness.
Up Next: Portland vs Dallas at 2.30pm Thursday; Portland vs Real Salt Lake at 2.30pm Sunday (NZT)
Sarpreet Singh - SC Farense (Portuguese Liga 2)
It’s a return to the Portuguese second tier for Sarpreet Singh. He previously spent the 2024-25 season with UD Leiria where he scored four goals with three assists in 19 league appearances before splitting time between TSC in Serbia and the Wellington Phoenix in 2025-26. Then he started three games at the World Cup. Now he’s signed a two-year contract with SC Farense.
Last season was strange for Singh. It began with that out-of-the-blue move to Serbia to link up with former Wellington Phoenix coach Darije Kalezic and for a while there he was doing really well. Lots of games and a handful of goal contributions at the best level he’s played since he was with Bayern. But when Kalezic got sacked it caused a domino effect that cost him his spot. The Phoenix loan was pretty specifically aimed at keeping him match-fit for the All Whites except it had the opposite effect as he was promptly injured. Despite some serious running metres at the World Cup, it’s probably fair to say his touch was lacking a bit of match rhythm. He did what he could, the injury to Matt Garbett limited NZ’s options, but he wasn’t quite at his peak.
Meanwhile, TSC only got worse without him. They ended up being relegated and while he did have one more year under contract with them, there’s no indication that there was any transfer fee paid by Farense which suggests they either gave him an early release or perhaps his contract was voided by the drop in divisions. There was a rumour of a club in Greece chasing after him. Instead he’s opted to return to sunny coastal Portugal where he’ll link up with a club that needed to win a playoff to avoid relegation to Liga 3.
When you put it that way, this sounds like a terrible move or him. We’re trying to see these kiwi footballers, especially those who were getting big minutes at the World Cup, moving to the strongest situations possible. Liga 2 probably isn’t any better than the A-League for quality. But a step back shows that Farense were a Primeira Liga team as recently as the season before last (that 1-0 aggregate playoff win vs Belenenses saved them from consecutive relegations) and have done heaps of bouncing up and down between the top two divisions in Portugal over the past twenty years. Singh was the seventh new addition of the summer as they rebuild under manager José Faria (who took charge in February), intent on pushing for promotion. And should they manage that then the Primeira Liga is a top-10 league in Europe. So this isn’t an immediately glamorous move... but there’s plenty of method to it (along with the Portuguese climate being a whole lot nicer than Serbia or Wellington). Joining a second tier club to push for promotion is exactly what Elijah Just has also done, to be fair.
Sarpreet Singh: “Yeah look I think it’s a club with good ambition, it’s a club that should be playing in the first division. It’s a good challenge to come here, I think everyone in the club wants that goal as well. So for me it’s an opportunity to play in a team that’s wanting to be successful and push for titles.”
Up Next: Liga 2 begins with Farense vs Torreense on Sunday 9 August (NZT)
Katie Bowen - Fenerbahçe (Turkish Süper Ligi)
Inter Milan to Fenerbahçe seems like a transfer path that many men’s players would have walked before but we’ve certainly never seen it from a kiwi woman. Katie Bowen was released by Internazionale a few weeks ago after three good years in which she helped turn them from a middling team into perennial title challengers. They never quite got over that line during the Bowen Years but they have gotten pretty used to playing European footy, both in Champions League qualifiers and also the Europa Cup. Now KB is swapping those colours for these colours to join a Fenerbahçe side that absolutely knows how to lift trophies.
It was only five years ago that Fenerbahçe re-established their women’s side but they claimed the Süper Ligi title in 2025-26, finishing seven points clear in first with a 27-2-1 record and +127 goal difference. Doesn’t sound like they need any more defensive cover after only conceding nine goals in 30 games last season but perhaps it’s got something to do with claiming the lone Champions League qualification spot from Türkiye.
The second UWCL qualifying round takes place next week and Fenerbahçe were gifted a decent draw with Metalist 1925 (Ukraine), OH Leuven (Belgium), and TSC Bačka Topola (Serbia) in their group, hosted by OH Leuven. They’ll face Metalist on 5 August and three days later either the winner or loser of the other two, depending on how they go themselves. Win both games and they’re into the third qualifying round (the last one before the League Phase). Win one game, doesn’t matter which (aside from seeding purposes), and they’ll drop into the Europa Cup qualifiers to at least stay alive in European competition. Hannah Blake with Rangers is the only other NZer involved in UWCL stuff this year, barring any last-minute transfers.
There was a strong rumour that Bowen would be staying in Italy and joining Lazio, a team that’s in a similar spot now to where Inter were when she joined them. Would have been a good move that kept her in a top league... but word is they couldn’t sort out the financials. So Fenerbahçe it is. She won’t be the first kiwi to play in this competition because Maggie Jenkins had a prolific spell with ALG Spor a couple years ago, however they were an upper-mid-table team whereas Bowen is joining the defending champs. KB has signed a one-year contract.
Up Next: Metalist vs Fenerbahçe at 11pm on Weds in the UWCL (NZT)
Jesse Randall - Dundee United (Scottish Premiership)
Let’s get back to Scotland where Jesse Randall has gone straight into the thick of it for Dundee United, starting both of the last two League Cup group games and already delivering some tasty glimpses of what he’s capable of. Granted, a 3-0 win over Arbroath (second tier) and a 4-0 win over The Spartans (fourth tier) isn’t exactly equivalent to what he’ll be facing when the Premiership gets going but so far so good. Randall alternated between the right wing and left wing and was keen to show his pace at every opportunity. Clearly in great shape after the World Cup. Already combining nicely with the Aussies Zac Sapsford and Lachlan Rose, in fact he set up Rose for the second goal against Spartans and it was only down to freak circumstances that one assist was all he got from that game...
This is good stuff even accounting for the much tougher tests ahead. Massive involvement from Randall, especially in that Spartans game. He smashed one against the post from just outside the area while the game was still scoreless. Went close with a header from about seven yards out, dashing around his marker. Later in the game he tried to catch the keeper napping with a curling shot from a free kick when everything seemed set up for a cross. He stabbed that beauty of a left-footed cross for Rose to score so he didn’t go without reward and there were other narrow misses from his crosses too (including one from a corner – they’ve got him on set pieces already). You’d be a bit annoyed to only emerge with one assist from all that but it still bodes well for the future.
He wasn’t quite as prominent on debut but he did slip a clever pass through the line which would have been an assist if Zac Sapsford had been able to finish, instead his shot was muffled by the keeper before it fell to Idjessi Metsoko for an open goal. Assists are just stats. Randall helped create that chance and that’s what his new coach and fans are seeing.
Those two victories mean that Dundee United finished the group stage with three wins and a loss. Unless Montrose lose to The Spartans on the weekend then that won’t be enough to top the group. Going down 1-0 to Montrose before a few of their incoming transfers were ready, Randall included, looks like it’ll be the spoiler there. But they could yet progress as one of the top 3/8 runners-up, depending on other results. Doubt they’ll be too stressed if they don’t. The main focus will be on trying to earn a top-half finish in the Premiership... which begins in a little over a week’s time.
As mentioned last week, the clubs with European entry don’t join the League Cup until the next round and this year that includes Motherwell (Alex Paulsen). That still leaves four other NZers involved beyond Randall though:
Lawton Green debuted for Alloa Athletic but it was back to Ross Stewart between the sticks for draws against Stanraer and Falkirk (both with bonus point shootout wins). They can still get second in their group if they beat Ayr United in the last game.
Ayr United have Matthew Warbrick in their squad but he’s been an unused sub in all three matches. Perhaps they’ll unleash him against Alloa since they’ve already confirmed top spot in the group. Be rude not to.
Elgin City put up a good fight against Kilmarnock before losing 1-0 to a stoppage time goal. Oli Colloty got 15 off the bench after starting the previous to games for Elgin.
George Stanger got 37 off the bench for Killie there, then did the full ninety in a 1-0 win against Hamilton Academical (the club he began his career with). Kilmarnock have not conceded a goal after three matches and only need a point against Peterhead (third tier) to progress in the last match.
Up Next: Dundee United vs Rangers at 7am on Saturday 1 August to kick off their 2026-27 Premiership campaign (NZT)
Abby Erceg - Deportivo Toluca (Mexican Liga MX)
After 41 Liga MX appearances (with five goals playing from centre-back), Abby Erceg has said her farewells to Deportivo Toluca and Mexico. Erceg famously keeps up some insane fitness levels so there’s no reason why she needs to be thinking of retiring at 36 years of age. But we’ll see what she chooses to do.
In the meantime, she’s agreed to lead the Auckland FC Invitational team in a match against touring Chelsea at Eden Park in a couple weeks. Jenny Bindon and Kirsty Yallop are coaching and so far they’ve also confirmed Liv Chance, Liz Anton, Mack Barry, and Charlotte Lancaster as players... so it’s more of a Football Ferns invitational team than AFC beyond the colours and the branding. Genuinely not sure when Abby Erceg, probably our greatest female footballer (definitely the most successful), last played in Aotearoa. Her final Ferns appearance at home was in February 2015 in a 3-2 loss against Australia on the artificial turf at Bill McKinlay Park in Auckland. Eden Park will be a very different experience to that.
Up Next: AFC Invitational vs Chelsea at 4pm on Sunday 8 August (NZT)
Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)
Viking didn’t let last week’s slip-up become a habit. After being stumped 1-0 by Sarpsborg in their first game since the World Cup break, they were able to beat Sandefjord 2-1 to stay second on the ladder (one point behind Tromso with three fewer games played). It wasn’t a simple win though. For starters, Joe Bell was only named on the bench. Young fella Tobais Moi got another opportunity in defensive midfield instead, having filled in admirably for Bellinho while he was injured leading into the World Cup.
The Vikes took the lead within ten minutes as Zlatko Tripic converted from the penalty spot... but it was 1-1 with quarter of an hour to go when they pressed the emergency button by subbing on Bell. Pretty soon Edvin Austbø scored the winner and there you go. Only took five minutes from Bell being subbed on for the goal to arrive – not that he had anything to do with it other than perhaps his general calming influence. Extremely rare instance there of Joe Bell being left out of a Viking starting eleven for non-injury related reasons. He wasn’t at his best in the Sarpsborg game but this was mostly a case of rest and rotation with a couple games coming up in quick succession. Bell took it all in his stride, praising the competition that Tobias Moi is providing him and telling media that it’s a positive thing that it’s now possible to drop him if he doesn’t keep his performance levels high.
Sure enough he was straight back in for ninety minutes as Viking won 2-1 away to Lillestrøm this morning. Kristoffer Askildsen (31’) and Peter Christiansen (55’) with the goals before Lars Ranger (63’) got one back for the hosts. Too soon to link the highlights but yeah that’s a big win for the Vikes. Tromso didn’t play midweek so Viking have gone ahead of them into first place. Back where they belong. Bodø/Glimt won 3-0 vs HamKam which means they’re up to second, trailing VFK by one point but with an additional game played. Lillestrøm are fourth (further evidence of what a great result that was).
The other reason to be chill about Bell being rotated is what happened to Viking’s other World Cup representative. Henrik Falchener was in the Norway squad, making one appearance in the group game vs France when they rotated the team, so he went a lot deeper into the tournament than Bell did and only managed a couple of training sessions before the Sandefjord game. But he said he was good to go hence they chucked him in (at CB alongside Gianni Stensness)... only for Falchener to limp off at half-time with a muscle strain that’ll keep him out for a couple of weeks. Don’t wanna be playing silly buggers with injuries when there are Champions League qualifiers coming up in a month’s time.
Up Next: Aalesund vs Viking at 5.15am on Monday (NZT)
Owen Parker-Price - Örgryte IS (Swedish Allsvenskan)
Örgryte 0-0 Djurgården. It wasn’t a win like last week but this was another excellent result for ÖIS, holding Djurgården to a point (and a clean sheet) when a win for those guys would have lifted them from fifth to third in the standings. Örgryte only had 32% of possession but from the moment that Owen Parker-Price took the opening kickoff they were on it. Defended awesome at set piece time and, to tell the truth, probably had the better chances to win it overall. Parker-Price was superb with 33/37 passes completed, 5/5 tackles won, 5 defensive clearances, 2 interceptions, 6 recoveries... his last two games have arguably been his two best since joining the club. All of a sudden, Örgryte are only three points away from climbing out of the drop zone.
Across town there was a 2-0 loss for GAIS away to AIK. Two goals conceded in the fifteen mins after half-time. Kees Sims was an unused substitute. Dumb result for them as they prepare for a short turnaround with their first Conference League qualifier against FC Nordsjælland (Denmark) coming up on Friday. They’ve got a league game in between those two ECL legs, meaning this AIK loss was the first of four game in the space of 12 days... fingers crossed Kees Sims might get a rotational start against last-placed Halmstad in the middle of the European stuff.
Up Next: Västerås vs ÖIS at 5am on Saturday (NZT)
Tyler Bindon – Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)
Tyler Bindon checked back early for Nottingham Forest after the World Cup. Chris Wood isn’t going to link up with the lads until after his full veteran’s holiday leave, though he (and Ivory Coast rep Ibrahim Sangare) will be joining the squad at some stage during their 12-day training camp in Portugal. Bindon, on the other hand, rushed back early to be ready for day one of preseason under new coach Oliver Glasner. He didn’t have to do that but he made the effort as he seeks to earn a place in NFFC’s Premier League squad after an impressive loan stint with Sheffield United in the Championship last time.
It’s been many a year since Aotearoa’s last EPL debutant... gotta go back to Winston Reid with West Ham in 2010-11 (Chris Wood had already debuted for West Brom as a teenager before that). Thanks to Reid and Wood there has always been at least one NZer in every Prem season since then but no new ones. Matt Dibley-Dias got as far as the bench. Henry Gray has been in wider matchday squads but never made it onto a bench. Marko Stamenić and Alex Paulsen have featured in preseason but were then sold/loaned. No pressure, Tyler, but we’re long overdue.
Let’s allow ourselves to be quietly optimistic about this after Bindon made his first non-competitive appearance for the club in a friendly against Notts County over the weekend. Played the full second stanza as new boss Glasner picked two distinct elevens between the halves. Helpfully, Glasner deployed his old trusty back three in that game - more CBs on the pitch mean more CBs required in the squad, improving Bindon’s hopes. Murillo was injured so the first half back three was: Nikola Milenkovic, Jair Cunha, Morato. Second half it was: Bindon, Zach Abbott, Omar Richards. It was Bindon on the right side of that trio, usually he’s the LCB when he’s in a duo because of how comfortable his passing is but he’s filled in with some right-back duties very occasionally for the All Whites which oughta help him out.
Tyler Bindon was on the plane as the Nottm Forest crew shipped out to Portugal for preseason training camp in the days afterwards. You don’t see much of him in the Reds’ social media offerings but he’s there. Often in the background. He was also there for a 3-0 preseason win against Blackburn Rovers where he once again played the full second half within same back three as last time. Two extended runs already, that can only be a good indicator. Marko Stamenić did play some preseason stuff for NFFC last year but remember he wasn’t included in their training camp squad. For some reason he popped up again afterwards but only to fill in numbers before he got flipped to Swansea for half of what NFFC paid for him 14 months earlier. Uncharted territory but so far Bindon’s doing what he needs to do.
Omar Richards is likely to be offloaded before the season starts while Morato could potentially follow (and Bindon can easily still be loaned out again). The rumour mill claims that Ousmane Diomande of Sporting CP is soon to join NFFC, an Ivory Coast international who went to the World Cup alongside Forest midfielder Ibrahim Sangare. Of course, Bindon was at the World Cup alongside a fellow Forest player too. They’re also busy trying to find at least one additional midfielder with Elliot Anderson having gapped it to Manchester City... but that doesn’t affect Bindon or Wood. Another CB is to be expected. As long as they don’t go trying to snatch up another striker we’re cool.
Up Next: Inshallah the Premier League
Henry Gray - Ipswich Town (English Premier League)
The A-League fellas don’t ordinarily fall under the Flying Kiwis banner, that’s a whole different angle, but there’s gotta be an exception here after the Wellington Phoenix picked up Henry Gray on a season-long loan from Ipswich Town.
Gray’s professional journey began at the Nix where he played in their academy and spent a chunk of time with the first team when they were based in Sydney during the covid-affected 2021-22 season. He was 16 years old at the time, elevated after an injury to Oli Sail left the club short in the goalkeeping department, and didn’t play although he did make the bench on three occasions. Once he turned 18, he promptly signed with Ipswich Town where he has been ever since – including two promotions to the Premier League. The pattern that emerged was that he’d spend half the year with the Ipswich U21s or as an extra matchday keeper for the first team (never made a matchday squad but was often in travelling squads), and then in the second half he’d go out on loan for senior football. Each time with a progressive move up the pyramid.
There was Chelmsford City in the English sixth tier. There was Braintree Town in the English fifth tier (where he won the club’s Young Player of the Year award, this was a year before Tommy Smith joined that club). And last season he cracked the EFL as he made 18 appearances for Harrogate Town while they battled relegation. His contract option was picked up by the Ipswich Academy prior to this season... but he won’t be following the usual pattern. This time he’ll be spending a full season out on loan and it’ll be with his old mates at the Wellington Phoenix, where he’ll reunite with newly re-hired goalkeeping coach Paul Gothard and head coach Chris Greenacre (whom Gray started all three games at the last U20 World Cup playing under). And while this isn’t on the English pyramid, it’s clear that the A-League should be a step up from playing for a relegated League Two club so we can log this as another progression for HG.
Where it gets funky is what happens afterwards when his Ipswich U21s contract will have expired and he’ll either need to sign a first team deal or move onwards. All indicators suggest he’s pretty well regarded at Ipswich but they have changed coaches since last year and they do have a crowded goalkeeping cohort. Even more crowded since they announced the addition of Dutch gloveman Kayne van Oevelen from Volendam. Alternating between Championship and Premier League football tends to murky things up as the squad requirements change. Impossible to predict. In the meantime, Gray has got an A-League campaign to undertake.
Up Next: Preseason mode back in Wellington
Jack Perniskie - Milton Keynes Dons (English League One) / Stipe Ukich - NK Istra 1961 (Croatian Nogometna Liga)
How good is this? A random preseason game between a top flight Croatian team and a third-tier English team and starting up front for the former was 19yo Stipe Ukich while up front for the latter was 18yo Jack Perniskie. A pair of kiwi teenagers running into each other by sheer coincidence. Perniskie has only just arrived at MK Dons while Ukich has been with NK Istra for 18 months working up from their U19s team to their lower-league affiliate and now hoping to crack the first team. It should help his cause that Stipe pressed high to win a turnover and set up the opening goal of the game inside of five minutes.
It ended up being a 2-1 win for NK Istra. Ukich stayed on for longer but Perniskie was subbed at HT. Lots of energy from the both of them, looking to press, looking to get on the end of crosses. Predictably it was the more experienced Ukich who appeared way more ready for this level as he was able to get on the ball and create a few things too. Retained possession very tidily under pressure. Probably should’ve had another assist later on when he threaded a pass between the centre-backs in transition only for his buddy to take an airswing at the ball. By the way, NK Istra have been busy with the friendly games and Ukich followed this up with a goal against Croatian second tier side HNK Orijent where he played the full second half. Beat the offside trap to put his team ahead on the way to a 5-2 win (not that preseason results matter at all). Hugely encouraging areas.
Perniskie was a lot quieter, his main contribution being a couple tangos with the offside flag, but his mere presence is enticing having only recently joined the club straight out of the Wellington Phoenix Reserves. His only senior football has come in the Central League having never made an A-League matchday squad. He does have something in common with a different A-League club though, because overnight he got 25 minutes off the bench in a preseason friendly against Tottenham Hotspur – the last game for Spurs before they fly out to face Auckland FC. Perniskie was mostly out there against academy players but he did share the pitch with guys like Martin Dubravka and Richarlison. Would imagine he drops down into the MK Dons development squad soon enough but you never know. Let’s see how far he can take this thing.
Up Next: MK Dons have another three weeks of preseason but NK Istra begin their proper stuff in the first week of August
Luke Supyk – Gateshead FC (English National League)
A two-year contract in the English fifth tier for Luke Supyk following his release from the Wellington Phoenix Academy. That’s a better level than most academy grads who get released by the Nix end up at, definitely a spot he can launch a career from. The key for Supyk is that he turned up for his trial and promptly scored three goals in three games (against Blyth Town, Heaton Stannington, and Hebburn Town) whilst showing a bit of versatility across a couple different forward positions. That’s what a successful trial looks like.
Luke Supyk: “I'm delighted, really. Everyone's been real welcoming since I've come here. Had a few good games under the belt and, yeah, I'm just excited to get going for the season and meet all the fans. The lads have been helpful on the pitch as well, getting that connection, and then I just tried working my hardest. Obviously being a trialist, trying to earn a spot in the team. My contract ended with the Phoenix so I spoke to my agent and we thought the best decision was to come on trial over in the UK. They got in contact, said said Gateshead was keen, said it'd be a good fit. So, yeah, I came here on trial, and here we are.”
This is fifth tier in England, same as where Tommy Smith was with Braintree Town last year (radio silence from Matua Tommy since the World Cup... doesn’t look like he’ll be back with Braintree although his FIFA per diems did save that team from a transfer ban so he’ll depart a hero if so – only two players from last year’s Braintree Town squad have been back for preseason so far). Tough division to get promoted from and Gateshead were closer to the bottom than they were to the top last time. But a decent enough level to begin a career overseas at.
Zac Jones will be playing National League with AFC Fylde after they were promoted as champs. Jacob Borgnis joined Aldershot Town after graduating from the Reading U21s and looks likely to be a fixture in their midfield. Also got Matt Gould as goalkeeping coach/GK2 at Yeovil Town. Plus this division is often a landing spot for loan players later in the season and we’ve got several candidates there too.
Up Next: First game of the season is Eastleigh vs Gateshead at 2am on 9 August (NZT)
Dublin Boon & Nathan Garrow – Stellenbosch (South African Premiership)
Nathan Garrow: “I was born in Cape Town and left for New Zealand when I was a year old, where I grew up, but it’s good to return home. I always wanted to come back and it’s great to be here to try something new. I’m very excited to be part of Stellenbosch Football Club and grateful to have received my first professional opportunity. I heard about Stellenbosch through a couple of people who all spoke highly of the club in many different ways and after talking to my agent we thought it would be a good opportunity and a good club for me to develop... It’s a very different game in South Africa, very fast-paced, and the football is really exciting. I’m enjoying the change so far and will get more and more used to it with time. I’m also excited by the setup we have here and will do all I can to earn my place. I think it’s going to be a very strong year. We have good coaches and players, and I think we’re all looking forward to putting on a show for the fans this season.”
Okay, alright, that’s quite a lot of ‘South Africa is home’ talk. Playing to the crowd, maybe, but with South African media constantly talking about Nathan Garrow and Dublin Boon being eligible for Bafana Bafana that’s no frivolous thing. New Zealand does have a lot of goalkeepers though, we can probably spare one of these two if it comes to pass. Long way from that being a relevant factor right now.
We may not be so far from seeing this kiwi goalkeeping duo split up because the Boon to Orlando Pirates move that fell through a few weeks ago appears to be back on the table. Might as well make it happen – the camaraderie is neat but we don’t want them blocking each other’s path to senior football. Speaking of Orlando Pirates, they’re in preseason mode over in Spain and Andre de Jong must have been injured because he wasn’t involved in any of their friendly games until finally getting 45 minutes off the bench against Las Palmas overnight.
Up Next: Stellenbosch vs AmaZulu at 1.30am on Sunday 2 August to begin the new Premiership (NZT)
Tim Payne – Club Olimpia (Paraguayan Primera División)
Tim Payne has had his first haircut in Paraguay, people. This is getting serious!
Up Next: Possible debut with Olimpia vs Libertad on Monday at 7am, first game of the new season, though T-Payne didn’t get there in time for any preseason appearances so they may not rush him straight in (NZT)
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