For almost two months we didn’t see Libby Cacace in action at all. Even before that he was in and out of the team amidst recurring muscle injuries – the first time in his entire career that he’d been stuck with injuries, probably in part due to his lack of a preseason.

There aren’t many All Whites (or Football Ferns either, for that matter), who can claim to have had a better 2025 than Elijah Just. In fact, you can stretch that out to the last 18 months... and there’s no end in sight.

Less than six minutes into the match and Tyler Bindon had scored his first Championship goal. Leapt about three metres into the air to whallop home a header from a corner kick. Superb stuff.

Three weeks ago, Ben Waine was in the footballing wilderness. He was so far out of the frame at Port Vale that he hadn’t even made a matchday squad since late-August, with the exception of getting unused-subbed in an early FA Cup tie against non-league Maldon/Tiptree

Five losses in a row for Swansea City meant they more from anyone who could spare it, so more was what Marko Stamenic provided...

There were some sweaty moments for Viking FK down the home stretch of this title challenge but when it came to the final round, needing simply to win to claim the club’s first Norwegian championship since 1991, it was never in doubt.

Joe Bell’s international break came and went without damage, in fact he was even rested for New Zealand’s game against Ecuador to keep him fresh. Now the business of winning the Norwegian Eliteserien could resume.

There isn’t a story in the Flying Kiwis realms more significant than this one at the moment. Joe Bell’s Viking FK side are now just two wins away from lifting the Norwegian championship – something the club hasn’t done for 34 years

Gabi Rennie was straight back from Footy Ferns action (earning her first caps in over a year) and immediately chipping in with another goal (and also an assist) as Eskilstuna United cruised to another victory.

For all his brilliant start to life as a Motherwell player, Elijah Just hadn’t actually scored for Motherwell yet. He’s third in the Scottish Premiership with three assists and he’d had several close calls for goals of his own

The one thing that’s been missing since Ali Riley returned from that long-term injury was... well, the most important bit: the actual return. She’d made it as far as the bench after getting back into full training but hadn’t actually been subbed on in a game

As far as Grace Wisnewski goes, this goal was just another bright spot in a season full of them. She’s quickly become a first eleven player, putting in reliable shifts in a few different midfield roles…

Things have happened very quickly during the Ange Postecoglou reign at Nottingham Forest. Initially there was all this chatter about how Chris Wood simply didn’t fit the vibrant, energetic style of play that Big Ange was going to bring to the table…

Patience is a virtue but Milly Clegg’s wait for a goal in the NSL must have been grinding at her thoughts. It hasn’t been easy for her. She’s been in and out of the Halifax Tides starting team lately, often picked out wide…

For Silkeborg to get a draw away against Danish heavyweights FC København was a big deal. For them to get a draw away against FCK with Callum McCowatt scoring a hat-trick? That’s unfiltered history right there.

There so many kiwi transfers over the past few months that it’s going to take some time for everything to fall into place. It usually does when players move clubs.

While most of the blokes were busy with an international window, a bunch more women’s seasons got underway. Who cares about the WSL… but WSL 2? Yeah that’s where the action’s at.

The UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifiers reached their second round last week which is when everything gets interesting and we had two kiwi representatives vying for progression to the playoff stage

The Portland Timbers had three debutants in their starting line-up away against San Diego FC with summer signings Kristoffer Velde, Felipe Carballo, and Matias Rojas all involved... but the real headline was 21-year-old Finn Surman being given the captain’s armband

To think that there were people out there genuinely panicking about Nottingham Forest’s lack of preseason goals, completely overlooking the inevitability of The Woodsman in their presence.