Three weeks or so after the Muir Report was released – you know the one that came about after twelve different players said they’d never play for the Football Ferns coach again? – New Zealand Football have announced that Tom Sermanni will be the new Football Ferns coach.
It was only a cup tie against a lower league team but Tyler Boyd is off the mark for the season with a goal in Vitoria’s 7-0 win over Valenciano. Old mate got the start and he cashed in.
It was a gutsy move from the top brass at Eastern Suburbs to welcome Ole Academy into their warm embrace this season. In some regards it was a dead simple decision, getting some of the best young talent in Aotearoa involved and all, but it was still brave because it meant gutting a squad that made the semi-finals last season.
They didn’t need to be fluent here. They needed instead to show that they’ve turned a corner and that the manager is having a positive influence. The Phoenix turned up and played with organisation, grinding out a result at home.
You wanted a promising young kiwi player to be given a chance with the Wellington Phoenix, well you’ve got one. Callan Elliot, according to reports, is about to be offered a much deserved contract after lasting basically the whole of preseason on a trial basis with the club.
Something odd happened this week: the Colorado Rapids won a game. While it’s long overdue and good for Tommy Smith finally breaking through after having been involved in every minute of the eight consecutive games without victory… it would’ve been nice if they didn’t do it against Michael Boxall, another kiwi comrade.
And thus it has begun. Auckland City against Team Wellington in the Charity Cup and the 2018-19 Premiership season is underway. Just the one game to get the ball rolling with both teams still trudging through a few preseason cobwebs but don’t worry too much about that, all it did was enhance the spectacle at Kiwitea Street.
The Premiership squads have been confirmed and the new season is about to begin. Better dig on in then, aye?
We’re now just ten days and counting away from the Wellington Phoenix’s first game of the new A-League season and they still haven’t signed another… oh wait, what? They have!
On Sunday afternoon the 2018-19 NZ Premiership season kicks off, Auckland City hosting Team Wellington in that Charity Cup thing they always do at the start of things which is really just a way of sneaking a game in early that they’d otherwise have to postpone when the World Club Cup comes around.
Liam Ridgewell got sent off last week for Portland in a nil-all draw at home against FC Dallas. That meant an open spot at centre-back and there’s one dude in this squad who’s made an impressive fist of stepping in as cover in that position: Billy T.
Less than three weeks out from the beginning of the new season and the Welly Nix currently have sixteen registered players. Same as they had in early August when Alex Rufer was announced as having re-signed with the club.
Today is a day of reckoning for today was the day on which the much-awaited Muir Report was finally released to the public. At 1330 hours, specifically. It arrived on NZ Football’s website with a headline reading: ‘NZF apologises to Football Ferns’, and as far as the organisation in question went, things only got darker from there.
Some stuff happened here, mate. Very curious indeed. The Whitecaps were expected to build upon 2017’s playoff appearance but instead they’re lingering on the outside of contention, playing some annoyingly defensive footy and paying the price.
Poor old Winnie hasn’t played a game since he mangled his knee in a heavy defeat against Swansea City in early March. He’s only played four competitive games in 2018.
Anthony Hudson’s Colorado Rapids were eliminated from playoff contention two weeks ago when they lost 3-0 at home to Atlanta United. Six games still to play at that point but they had no mathematical chance of making the knockout stuff.
If Abby Erceg is a household name in Aotearoa then it’s because of her role as a catalyst in exposing the inequality in New Zealand Football’s treatment of our women’s national team. If Abby Erceg is a household name in Aotearoa then it’s not because of her club career and that’s a shame.
No, your eyes do not deceive you. For the second time in three seasons Abby Erceg has lifted the NWSL championship trophy, as captain no less. A 3-0 win over Portland Thorns did the trick.
The Phoenix have never been ones to do things quickly. It took ages to appoint a new manager after Darije Kalezic parted ways with the club - even if you ignore the caretaker spell then it was still ages.
These are odd times for Flying Kiwis with Ryan Thomas and Winston Reid both out injured. Tyler Boyd is on the way up but he had a week off this time, Abby Erceg always holds down the fort but her game was postponed. Ali Riley’s injured.