Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)

Billy T had been getting a sweet run of games while Larrys Mabiala was out injured. A three week break offered plenty of recovery time for the Frenchman which would have accelerated the call as to whether Tui’s good form was enough to keep him in the starting team once the defence was back to full strength... but that can’s been kicked down the road once more with Mabiala only fit enough for the bench against Sporting Kansas City – although he did come on for the final twenty minutes as Portland tried to shut up shop. We’ll see how that goes with a couple games coming up in the next week. Fingers crossed that Tui’s done enough to crack the starting XI full-time.

In the meantime, Tuiloma partnered Dario Zuparic in central defence against SKC and despite playing in front of an 80% capacity crowd, the biggest they’ve had at home for more than 15 months, the Timbers weren’t able to channel that raucous support into an early goal despite Jeremy Ebobisse going close. Instead they seemed to feel the pressure a bit much and SKC began to take control of the match, leading to the first goal of the game in the 28th min. Tuiloma had made a nice diving block from the initial chance but then Alan Pulido recovered the ball and evaded a tackle on the byline to cross it to Jaylin Lindsey who smacked it home after the ball snuck under the foot of a defender to reach him. A poor slice of defending by each of the fullbacks and there’s not much Tuiloma could do about that.

But the Timbers came roaring back after that wake-up call. Dairon Asprilla picked out the bottom corner after 36 minutes with a second effort at a loose ball after an attacking free kick to level the game back up. Then in first half stoppage time Marvin Loría tapped a convenient one over the line which had rebounded off the keeper, off a defender, and then back into his path. Portland had the lead. At which point it got loud.

The second half was far from vintage. SKC were the more aggressive side throughout as Portland found themselves reliant on keeper Steve Clark to bail them out several times. Eventually that’s what Mabiala found himself being summoned for. He replaced a midfielder as Portland finished with an extra defender... and also finished with three points. Holding on for the 2-1 victory.

Four wins and four defeats from eight games so far for the Timbers but all four wins have come in games that Tuiloma has started (he has five starts all up). One thing you notice about Tui at CB is that he’s really good in possession, an accurate passer who wants to progress the ball whenever possible. The Timbers also welcomed playmaker Sebastián Blanco back from an ACL injury and a nine-month recovery as a second half sub too so ‘twas good vibes all around.

And now it’s podcast time...

Up Next: Double gameweek with Houston away on Thursday at 12.30pm then a Flying Kiwis Derby against Minnesota on Sunday at 2.30pm (NZT)

Abby Erceg – North Carolina Courage (American National Women’s Soccer League)

Back from the international break and looking to cause some damage against OL Reign, the Courage made an immediate point of trying to get Lynn Williams and Jess McDonald running behind the defensive line and stretching the field. That led to several little moments however when the first goal finally arrived, in the 45th minute, it was a deep cross that did the trick. Merritt Mathias with a super teasing ball in from the right side which the keeper came for but couldn’t reach and all McDonald had to do was get her header on target, no dramas there.

Far from a one-sided affair though, Courage keeper Casey Murphy had to make a few killer stops along teh way. They were going to need a second goal to be safe... and they got one in the 78th min. It was a move that started from a long ball from Matthias, and it ended with Williams and Sam Mewis combining for the latter to score at the near post. Jess Fishlock would pull one back in the 86th with a stunning chipped finish before Abby Erceg could close her down after NCC coughed up the ball in the midfield. She saw Erceg advancing and figured: bugger it, I’ll just try my luck from here. That was it though. A 2-1 win gets them back up to sixth, not where they want to be but the recovery is on after only winning one of their first four games. Typically commanding full game performance from Abby Erceg here too.

As for OL Reign, couldn’t call this a Flying Kiwis Derby as Rosie White missed this game with an illness. Unfortunate timing for someone who has only played 45 minutes of the Reign’s first five games, hopefully she’s back to a hundy percent nice and quickly.

Away to Racing Louisville on Thursday at 11.30am then it’s old enemies Portland Thorns at home on Sunday at 11am (NZT)

Ali Riley - Orlando Pride (American National Women’s Soccer League)

Still undefeated. Six games into the season and sitting on top of the table. Though only on goal difference as they could only draw 1-1 at home against Gotham. Then again, with the way it happened they were they were lucky to get anything from the game. Great chances sprinkled throughout were wasted and then just before the break Gotham picked the ball off on halfway and slid forward with Caprice Dydasco chipping a cross to the back post which ended up going in directly for the Gotham lead at half-time.

Gotham did have more of the possession throughout, though didn’t create a heap of chances to show for that and had Orlando been better at finishing their own looks then there’d have been no dramas. But they weren’t and thus they found themselves up against a team perfectly happy to sit in and keep them out in the second half. Alex Morgan had a fine effort denied. Nothing was really happening. Ali Riley was subbed off with five minutes to go seeking an extra attacking option.

Then finally in the 90th minute of the match Marta won the ball in midfield, spread it wide, and young fullback Courtney Peterson, who is starting at left back these days with Ali Riley playing on the right, chipped it in towards the far post only for it to float in for the stunner equaliser. If that sounds familiar then yeah, it was. Very similar to the goal that Gotham scored at a similar time in the first half. 1-1 the final score, odd sorta game but there it is.

Girls Gone Veg on the watchlist now...

And some pregame media chatter, Riley’s always so good in these situations...

Up Next: Thursday at 6am away to Kansas City, then Sunday at midday in Houston (NZT)

Michael Boxall – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

Three weeks off and now it’s straight back into the MLS yarns with FC Dallas on the schedule in Texas. Plenty of time off to get a few of their battered players closer to top fitness, although a trio of fellas are still away at the Euros (Robin Lod & Jukka Raitlala for Finland as well as Jan Gregus for Slovakia). So not quite at full strength.

Minny had a couple early chances through Franco Fragapane and Adrien Hunou – the former on debut and the latter playing just his second game, both of them new imports. That strong start continued through most of the half and in the 36th minute those two newbies were influential in giving the Loons the lead. Jacori Hayes with the midfield turnover, leading to Hunou shooting from the edge of the box and Frangapane dashing in to score on the rebound, sweet as.

Hunou had another crack soon after after a defensive mistake but the Dallas keeper was sharp and the score was still 1-0 as we hit the sheds. Minnesota haven’t won away all season and they were bloody lucky not to concede straight out of the break when Bikaye Dibassy, Boxall’s CB partner, coughed the ball up in defence... which sparked a dangerous spell that Minnesota were able to survive, but eventually Ricardo Pepi did equalise in the 67th min. Smashed home an opportunistic half-volley when the ball fell to him in space in the area. It had been coming.

The Loons went to the bench with a few attacking options coming on, including star dude Bebelo Reynoso who was one of the not-fully-fit crew. That made it a more even last twenty-odd minutes as both teams stretched out for the win... no dice though. 1-1 was the way it ended as Minnesota deal with yet another draw. Michael Boxall was one of the better ones for them out there, even if there were some calls for a red card from the home team as Boxall clashed with Franco Jara late on. Jara won the free kick and claimed Boxy had stepped on him, also lashing out in the process. Both players were booked. Nothing fatal.

Up Next: Minny vs Austin on Thursday at midday, then away to Portland on Sunday at 2.30pm (NZT)

Katie Bowen – Kansas City (American National Women’s Soccer League)

It was back to the backline for Katie Bowen here as the internationals (those who actually got to play games in that window, anyway) returned for KC. That meant Bowen was at right back with a trip to Portland to face the Thorns on the cards and it didn’t take long before they were on the back foot trying to hang on against a pretty strong Portland team. They could have been 3-0 down inside quarter of an hour but instead Lindsey Horan headed wide in the first minute, Simone Charley missed an easy one in the seventh as she sent her header back towards the keeper to be saved instead of into the open goal, then in the 13th minute all-time leading international goal scorer Christine Sinclair stepped up to take a penalty after a handball... and KC keeper Abby Smith saved it.

After that frantic start, Kansas City found a little confidence and managed to settled the game down. Smith made another key stop off Charley later in the half and it looked like they’d take it into the break at even stevens. Until Smith rushed out on a long ball that sat up awkwardly in the turf in the 45+5th minute and Charley took it around her to score in the empty net. Definitely a rough bounce but also an unfortunate goalkeeping moment from the player who was otherwise Kansas City’s best in this one – and would continue to shine in the second half despite that goal.

Both teams made double changes at the half with Portland coming out sharp but unable to beat Smith again and KC hanging in there looking as good a chance of snatching a goal as ever. Katie Bowen hit the crossbar on the hour mark. Complete fluke as she was collected the one-touch return from her own throw in on the right edge and whipped it into the box but sliced it. She immediately looked disappointed at her deliver but it ended up dropping onto the bar. Kansas City couldn’t find an equaliser in the end. Bowen was subbed off in injury time. That’s their third 1-0 defeat in a row. Kansas City still without a win since the franchise relocated this season. It’s been tough.

Up Next: KC vs Orlando at 6am on Thursday, then KC vs Washington at 12.30pm on Sunday (NZT)

Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)

This Viking team is bonkers, mate. All over the place. Last week they get a fantastic 4-1 win against a team above them on the ladder and then they chase that this week by losing 3-0 to a side that started the gameweek in last place. Sandefjord really did them dirty. VFK have four wins and four defeats so far with all but two games being decided by multiple goals. It’s rocks or diamonds with this lot, again: all over the place.

Sandefjord were great value for the win too, having 10 shots on target compared to just 1. And yet it didn’t start out looking like a rout, instead it started out looking pretty bloody wild as both teams attacked in an open game. The first goal was gonna be huge in defining the course of proceedings... and in the 35th minute you can guess what happened. Quick switch to the left from Sandefjord, some slick interplay on the underlap, and a low cross to the far post where Vidar Jonsson made a shambles of his finish but it still bobbled in off his shin.

Joe Bell nearly set up an immediate leveller with a mint free kick that was nudged wide off the head of a defender but then into the second half and VFK got overrun. Kristoffer Normann Hansen would polish off a smooth move after some poor defending in the 57th and Viking didn’t have the heart for it very much longer. Bell actually put the ball in the net soon after that second goal with a gentle but perfectly placed side-footed volley from the edge of the box that caught the keeper standing static, however Runar Hove got a cheeky touch on it from an offside position so it was disallowed. The right call from the lino but a bummer all the same. He was this close...

Sandefjord then added a third in stoppage time to complete the scoring. The better team won. Full game for Bellinho in midfield but not one he’ll remember fondly.

Up Next: Sarpsborg vs VFK, 4am on Saturday (NZT)

Betsy Hassett - Stjarnan (Icelandic Úrvalsdeild Kvenna)

On the scoresheet once again, Betsy Hassett with the second goal in a slick 3-0 win over IBV. They took a 14th minute lead in a pretty tame first half as Hildigunn Ýr Benediktsdóttir got in behind the defence to score, other than that it was two mid-lower-table teams battling away... but the second half delivered all the goods. First IBV won a penalty for a handball in the 55th only for Delaney Baie Pridham to have her attempt saved. Then about a dozen minutes after that the Stars decisively doubled their lead with Hassett’s goal. Nice assist from Jasmín Erla in there too. Sweet as – that’s Hassett’s third goal of the season already in only seven games (plus she scored in a League Cup game before that too). Already as many goals as she scored in all of last year.

And a few minutes after that Benediktsdóttir got her second of the afternoon and that was the clincher. A missed penalty that could have tied it, then a couple quick Star goals and that’s a 3-0 victory instead. Stjarnan did get a late red card as Málfríður Erna Sigurðardóttir earned a second yellow. That was in the ninetieth minute though so it didn’t affect the outcome of the game in any way. Stjarnan are up to fourth on the ladder with that result with everybody having played seven times. They face the top-placed team next.

Up Next: Thursday 1 July at 7.15am away to Breidablik (NZT)

Jamie Searle – Swansea City (English Championship)

Confirmation of a move that got a mention a couple weeks ago. Jamie Searle extending at Swansea after impressing in the U23s to keep him around for another season with an option of one after that. Searle popped up with the Swans after a year in the Aston Villa system, and at 20 years old he’s already miles ahead of the curve.

Jamie Searle: “I'm really happy to have signed a new deal here at Swansea City. I've learned a lot already from my time here, and I'm looking forward to developing more and more as the season progresses. My team-mates have really helped me settle into life in Swansea, while the facilities and expertise of the coaching staff at the club speak for themselves. It's great to sign the new deal, but I'm fully aware there's a lot of hard work ahead for myself as I look to continue developing here.”

Up Next: Keeping up the good work

Jack van Luijken - Go Ahead Eagles (Dutch Eredivisie)

Another young kiwi working their way up the ranks. What we wanna see.

Up Next: Also keeping up the good work

Nikko Boxall – SJK (Finnish Veikkausliiga)

A 2-0 loss for SJK up against second-placed Inter Turku. They kept it close most of the way but were ultimately doomed by an own goal midway through the second half and then a very late clincher. The own goal would have been a super finish had he in any way meant to do that, while the second was a runaway after SJK had sent every player forward except the goalkeeper to chase an equaliser. Which on another day they might have gotten, there were some promising moments, but not this day. So it goes.

Up Next: IFK Marienhamn away on Friday at 3.30am (NZT)

Elliot Collier – Chicago Fire (American Major League Soccer)

Another stink one for the Fire. Away to Columbus Crew and they were down by a couple Gyasi Zardes goals inside 35 minutes. The first lashing home after a poor defensive header and the second one he basically dribbled it in after Derrick Etienne had beaten the offside trap then passed square to take the keeper out of the picture. In between the goals there were a couple heated moments of scrappiness but nothing that went past a yellow card (despite the usual pleas). In the second half Chicago, credit where it’s due, picked up their game quite a bit. But not by enough. Elliot Collier was subbed on in the 83rd minute and didn’t get to do much. They had 15 shots in total but absolutely none of them were on target. A 2-0 loss. Oh well. They do get to play the only team with a worse record so far this season in their next game so that’s cool.

Up Next: Midday on Thursday against FC Cincinnati and then it’s Philly at home at midday Sunday (NZT)

Lily Alfeld, Elizabeth Anton & Malia Steinmetz – Perth Glory (Australian W-League)

It’s been a little while since the W-League ended but the Perth Glory A-League side didn’t polish off their footballing activities until recently so the club prizegiving only just happened over the weekend. Which meant that the kiwi participants were already long gone – awkward for the organisers having to whip up the zoom links when Lily Alfeld and Liz Anton came up big with the awards.

Here’s Alfeld getting digs on the Players’ Player of the Year...

And here’s Anton scooping up the club’s Most Glorious Player nod (aka club Player of the Year)...

Glorious. Just a shame there was nothing left over for Malia Steinmetz who was also a key player for Perth throughout their W-League campaign. Note that that season was the first ever professional experience for all three of them. Like fish to water.

Up Next: We shall see

Greg Draper - Guilsfield FC (Welsh Cymru North)

And finally if you’ve been following the Greg Draper chat over the last couple weeks then here’s your big finale. With Drapes stepping into a coaching role with TNS but still wanting to keep on playing, and the two of those things being incompatible within the same league, he’s making the drop down a division to play for CPD Guilsfield FC while coaching TNS in the top flight.

Draper had been playing fewer minutes in recent years and with TNS failing to win either of the last two premierships they’ve decided to freshen things up... but still this is a chunky drop in levels for Draper as he prioritises his coaching career. Not sure how that’ll work in terms of whether he’ll be available to play every week or whatever. Either way, it’s a huge signing for the Guils. Safe to say their manager is stoked with proceedings...

Nathan Leonard, Guilsfuild manager: “It’s a great signing for the club, probably a once in a lifetime signing for a club of our size to be honest. We’ve been very fortunate to get Greg in and I’m sure it will give everyone at the club a huge buzz. That said it doesn’t guarantee anything in the Cymru North as its such a tough league. Our targets still haven’t changed, get as many points as quickly as we can to stay in the league then let’s see where that takes us. The top six will be hugely competitive and just looking at the fixtures there really isn’t any easy games. The signing came off from a nice chunk of luck and the fact me and Greg are good friends. He has been given a great opportunity to stay on at TNS in a full time role, which has opened the door for us as he couldn’t play in the Welsh Prem.”

Up Next: Preseason with Guilsfield, presumably

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