Flying Kiwis – September 4
Burnley needed goals if they were going to qualify for the Europa League group stages. Lots of goals, at least two of them, after losing 3-1 away to Olympiacos in the first leg.
Acknowledging The Massive Challenge Facing Mark Rudan and the Wellington Phoenix
This club has dealt us some real trash in the last twelve months and that’s before even bringing up the all or nothing gamble that was Darije Kalezic, a gamble that shredded their last bit of on-field credibility and led us to this point now where Mark Rudan is having to rebuild almost from scratch.
Flying Kiwis – August 28
Chris Wood always scores in the Europa League, it’s one of the things that he does. After putting one away against Olympiacos on Thursday night in Greece, he now has a second goal in three starts (plus one appearance off the bench).
Mark Rudan’s Wellington Phoenix Project: In His Own Words
It’s not always easy to figure out what’s going on in the world of football and the Wellington Phoenix can be as perplexing as they come. Right now there’s a new manager overseeing what’ll be basically a new squad in the hope of winning enough games to earn a new licence.
Looks Like Jose Mourinho’s Third Season Syndrome’s On Its Way At Manchester United
All this talk about Jose Mourinho. Jose didn’t get the transfers he wanted, Jose’s fallen out with Paul Pogba, Jose says it’ll be a difficult season, Jose’s lost the dressing room, Jose’s picking on his players again…
Flying Kiwis – August 21
Medical all sorted, first training sessions with the new teammates completed, and Ryan Thomas was ready to face the media as an official member of PSV Eindhoven. He signs on a four year contract and will wear the number 30 jersey, same as he did with PEC Zwolle.
New Zealand’s Going to the Men’s U20 World Cup Next Year (And We Also Won A Trophy)
It was never going to be an easy task, these OFC games always have their challenges. Particularly at this age when you don’t have so much experience tackling this very unique and particular battle.
Should We Be Concerned About The Phoenix’s Kiwi Recruitment Processes?
The most refreshing thing about Mark Rudan so far has been his words. At a pivotal time in the Wellington Phoenix’s existence he showed up with steady confidence and an air of defiance.
The English Premier League Broadcast Rights Are Changing Hands in New Zealand, Yet Again
Just when everything seemed to be running smoothly, they go and move the goalposts again. But we Premier League fans in Aotearoa are pretty used to that by now.
Flying Kiwis – August 14
It’s been a year since Stefan Marinovic made his debut for the Whitecaps. Few would’ve guessed how quickly his rise would come a few months earlier… but then few who were familiar with him would have ruled it out either.
Aotearoa at the U20 WWC: Game Three vs Ghana
Look, we’re good enough to compete at this level. No doubt about that, just look at the result against France. With that comes increased expectations and while it would’ve been enough to create a few cheeky chances and battle hard in the past, this squad was good enough to be taking those chances.
Flying Kiwis: Ryan Thomas + PSV Eindhoven
It was close to a year ago that Ryan Thomas put pen to paper on a new contract with PEC Zwolle. He’d been pondering leaving after a solid season but the club was desperate to keep him.
Aotearoa at the U20 WWC: Game Two vs France
Mate, all that was missing there was a goal. The kiwi U20 women were definitely outmatched by France but they were by no means intimidated, bringing a structural masterclass to the table to hold the hosts to a 0-0 draw.
Same Old Phoenix In The FFA Cup
Up against a lower league opposition in the FFA Cup, the esteemed Bentleigh Greens, they somehow conspired to lose 1-0 despite playing against ten men for two thirds of the game.
A Much Better Version Of NZ Football’s Annual Awards Thingy
Now, I’m quite fond of a good awards ceremony. So yeah, I don’t wanna dwell on how silly it is to lump domestic players up against internationals like that’s an equal platform or whatever. Instead I’m just gonna do it better.
Flying Kiwis – August 7
It was tied 1-1 after the first leg up in Scotland but jeez it didn’t take long before Christopher Grant Wood went boom and the Clarets were up early in this one.
The Wildcard’s 2018-19 Premier League Preview
Going team by team through the lot of them ahead of the new campaign. Main men, key signings, what to watch for… all the stuff you need to know, basically.
Aotearoa at the U20 WWC: Game One vs Netherlands
First up was the Netherlands and if you were committed enough to get up in the middle of the night (putting those World Cup reps to further use) then you were treated to a team from Aotearoa that brought structure and sensibility to their game but also a positive mindset.
Another Welly Nix Thing As The Squad Begins To Come Together
The Wellington Phoenix are currently hanging out in Queensland, doing preseason stuff. They’ve got a 22-man travelling squad with six of those players being trialists and all five of the new signings are there along with one lucky academy inclusion.
Flying Kiwis – July 31
Some great news on the transfer front this week, so much to keep up with. Let’s start with Katie Rood who, after a year as a foundation player with the Juventus women’s team, has decided to seek more regular playing time elsewhere with the World Cup coming up next year.