For a team that was forced to cram an entire World Cup cycle into a single year and which now immediately turns its focus towards the Olympics next year... that’s a lot of change. But then the World Cup had its disappointments, as we all know.
Away to SV Meppen and Sarpreet’s footprints were on this one as early as the 21st minute before he curled in a picture perfect free kick delivery from the left side of the penalty area right onto Timo Kern’s head and Kern made it 1-0. Assist number five for Sarpreet Singh since he joined BM2.
The wait is over. The 2019-20 ISPS Handa Premiership is underway. Can’t you hear that gentle dripping of perspiration on a rock-hard dirt surface? Summer football is here, baby.
No, the Wellington Phoenix didn’t lose because of a shocking refereeing decision. But it sure doesn’t help when a team which has struggled to score goals this season, without a point from their opening three games, away to the top team on the ladder, goes from 2-1 down to 3-1 down in a circumstance like that.
Will Team Welly keep pace at the very top of the table again? Any of the next crew of WeeNix prospects gonna push for A-League honours this season? Who’s gonna score the goals for Tasman? What happened to all of those missing Canterbury Utd fellas? Will Southern crack the top four?
Seven out of ten managers have changed, the champs have lost ten of their eleven starters from the grand final, nobody’s going to the Club World Cup this year, and amidst all this chaos is all kicks off again this weekend.
There it is. Back to back NWSL championships for Abby Erceg as captain and her third in four seasons overall. Just gotta rock back in your chair and throw them hands up for one of Aotearoa’s finest.
Sooner or later it all gets real. And it tends to happen quicker than anyone’s prepared for. The Wellington Phoenix lost their first two games but any sense of panic was offset by the progress that this team in transition was showing, however a third loss, 2-1 at home to Perth Glory, really ramps the pressure up.
We’re less than two weeks out from another delightful summer season of kiwi Premiership football and that means we’re probably about a day short of that date from getting those beautiful complete squad lists... but more than ever before the clubs (well, most of them) have been getting in on the fun and announcing new signings as things have gone along.
It was a perfect little representation of what Wood offers as a striker. Brought down the ball on his chest, laid it out wide to Dwight McNeil, drifted into the penalty area looking for the cross, and then timed a perfect late run to the far post to win what was quite honestly a brilliant header into the top of the goal. After ten games without a goal the Woodsman now has four in his last four.
The theme of that opening game was that the Wellington Phoenix are a work in progress, so it stands to reason that their second game, away to the defending champions, has to be viewed in that light as well. But it looks like the work is working.
We don’t to worry about that missing import striker anymore because a big old beautiful #PhoenixAnnouncement came along on Thursday arvo (with a quality bit of suspenseful promo work) and Gary Hooper is our fella.
What a way to start. The kiwi crew at Bayern Munich, Ali Riley and Sarpreet Singh, showing a few more kiwis what’s up – the NZ Men’s Sevens team, who had popped by the city for the Oktoberfest Sevens, a preseason tournament ahead of the 2018-19 World Series.
Against Western United they looked like the team that they were expected to be, with endearing positives and concerning negatives all more or less in the anticipated places. They played some very good football but struggled to create the clear-cut chances they needed to win. Or even to draw.
Not only are they bringing in a new manager but basically three-quarters of the squad are new as well which is mental to think about – especially since there was similar player turnover when Mark Rudan took over as well. Two fresh starts in two years… Alex Rufer must feel like a grizzled veteran at this point.
Qualifying for major tournaments through the Oceania region is a rather fortunate situation for New Zealand Football to be in, opening up so many of our youth teams to the opportunity to test themselves against some of the world’s best. And a couple times lately that test has been graded a majestic pass mark – thinking specifically of the U17 women and U20 men over the last 12 months or so.
With five minutes to go in a routine 4-1 win over VVV-Venlo, something substantial happened. It was just before they scored the fourth goal but the win was already in the bag and coach Mark van Bommel made his third and final substitution, replacing midfielder Erick Gutiérrez with some guy called Ryan Thomas.
After the world’s longest offseason, the new A-League season finally begins in less than two weeks, and with it comes an eleventh franchise, an expansion team, the dastardly and nefarious Western United.
Big Shaq moods at this time of the year? That can only mean one thing: the Loons are going to the playoffs. For the first time in franchise history they’ll be playing postseason footy following a 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City.
Ask and ye shall receive! No need for pessimism here because the 2019-20 ISPS Handa Premiership draw has been released with plenty of time to spare, 83 games across five and a half months before we crown a new national champion.