Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)

It’s the Woodsman! 84th minute against the defending champs, popping up at the far post for a gentle tap-in that was celebrated all throughout Nottingham and perhaps even more so in North London. Chris Wood’s first goal for Nottingham Forest... and also his first ever goal against Manchester City – coming in his 11th appearance. Only against Liverpool has he played more often without ever scoring (12 games). He’s also yet to score against Chelsea but has now ticked off the rest of the so-called big six clubs.

Chris Wood had started against Fulham last week but he didn’t play very well. Lasted 63 minutes before he was subbed off and it was a lot like his previous Forest appearances. Minimal touches, not much impact. A willingness to use him as a target man but not enough numbers around him nor good enough service into him. Brennan Johnson did slide a square ball towards Wood that was deflected slightly beyond his reach but that was about his only notable moment. Fulham won it 2-0 so there’s not much else to say. Wood offers this Forest team a different way of playing but they haven’t figured out how that works yet, Wood included.

So it wasn’t a shocker that he was on the bench for the Man City game. Although that doesn’t necessarily mean he was dropped. Forest knew they were up against it and therefore set up without a typical striker hoping to keep men behind the ball until they could escape on the break. Johnson did have a couple runaways in the first half but nothing that led to a goal. Meanwhile City did what they usually do and knocked the ball around with increasing purpose eventually leading to a ripper of a Bernardo Silva goal in the 41st minute of the match.

From there they might have strolled to a three or four goal win. Had they put a few more chances away then they would have but Erling Haaland wasn’t quite at it whereas Keylor Navas absolutely was. Forest dug their heels in. They held tight at 1-0, riding their luck with City’s finishing but always making sure that nothing came easy, then with a dozen mins remaining they changed the tone. On came Chris Wood in place of an injured Serge Aurier. Fullback off, striker on. Five minutes later the strategy had worked to perfection.

The City Ground crowd (that’s Forest’s home stadium btw) went nuts with the goal. Amazing atmosphere. Forest then held on for the 1-1 draw and Chris Wood and company were cheered off the park. His first few games were pretty dull but this was what they signed him for. Right place, right time, huge goal. What a moment to kickstart his Nottingham Forest career.

While we’re at it...

Three games? That’s not a lot of games. Makes you wonder why Nottm Forest didn’t just sign him outright in the first place. It was always suggested that the loan-to-buy was a foregone conclusion... gotta assume that Forest just wanted to spread out the transfers. Get him in now but kick the payment can down the road until the summer given that they’d already signed about a hundred players since getting promoted.

Morale of the story: Chris Wood has now been sold for £15m or more on three separate occasions in his career. The top three transfer fees ever paid for a New Zealander were all for Chris Wood.

Up Next: Away to West Ham, one of Woodsy’s favourite opponents, on Sunday at 4am (NZT)

Sarpreet Singh - SSV Jahn Regensburg (German Bundesliga 2)

That didn’t take long, did it? Sarpreet Singh has played four games since his registration finally went through for his second Regensburg loan. One was a late sub nudge. The other three were starts and he’s already got a goal and an assist. He was out of action for long enough, he’s not wasting any time now that he’s back.

You know what this Regensburg team are like though. A 1-0 lead from the 16th minute onwards was never going to be a safe one unless they could find (at least) a second. Which they didn’t, so eventually one of Hannover’s many chances stuck. An 88th minute equaliser for Cedric Teuchert. In fairness it was an incredible left-footed volley from outside the area striking perfectly through a half-clearance after a corner kick but that’s no consolation to SSV Jahn who had to settle for a 1-1 draw and still have not won a game since the league resumed.

On the plus side, the point does at least get them off the bottom of the ladder as well as snapping their losing streak. It’s looking a lot like Sarpreet Singh might be entering Obi-Wan Kenobi levels of ‘only hope’ for this club... good thing he’s fit and sharp again.

Up Next: Karlsruher vs Jahn Regensburg on Saturday at 6.30am (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Empoli (Italian Serie A)

Opportunities arise in the most unexpected of ways. Libby Cacace has spent the overwhelming bulk of this season on the bench in between occasional turns to stretch his legs for Empoli. He had one of those turns a couple weeks ago when Fabiano Parisi picked up a one-game suspension for yellow card accumulation. He probably didn’t anticipate the next chance coming around so soon but football is a funny game like that.

We’re talking about Empoli vs Spezia, and the latter had a corner kick about eighteen minutes into the match. In-swinger from the right, glanced off a head and towards goal... where Parisi was able to clear it off the line in what initially looked like a great bit of defending. But it wasn’t. He’d actually punched it away with his right hand.

Whether Parisi meant it or not was debatable but the fact was he prevented a goal with an outstretched hand and once VAR had a look at it (at the behest of a couple Spezia blokes, one of whom seemed to give away a hard free kick just to stop the game so he could keep pleading his case) there was no choice but to award a penalty and to give Parisi a red card.

Cacace wasn’t subbed on immediately. Probably still warming up as they faced the penalty, from which Daniele Verde was denied as Guglielmo Vicario made a brilliant save. However there was encroachment for the follow-up and it was deemed that the spot kick had to be retaken. Verde scored at the second attempt (by which time we were into the 25th minute). Cacace was then brought on in place of the unlucky Tomasso Baldanzi before the kickoff was taken. His fifth appearance of the term.

Five minutes later they were 2-0 down when Verde smashed in an utter screamer of a strike from range. No stopping that one, not even from the in-form Vicario. Great minutes for Cacace but his team were down two goals and playing with ten men. One hour left to try and salvage something.

They didn’t make any inroads over the rest of the first half despite some promising moments. Cacace was able to get further forward than we’ve been used to this season and at one stage swung in a mint cross, albeit with nobody there on the end of it (sacrificing a playmaker to bring LC on didn’t help the whole numbers in the box aspect). But then a couple mins into the second half came another turning point: a second yellow card for Spezia’s Salvatore Esposito... who injured himself hacking into his challenge and it was only after he’d been helped back to his feet by the physio that the cards emerged. Unlucky bruh.

From that point onwards, ten versus ten, Empoli finally took control. Cacace tried his luck from distance taking down a half-clearance and launching one on the half-volley from about thirty metres out but it flew comfortably over the crossbar. Empoli made a double change to bolster the attack. Lots of urgency, quick restarts and early crosses. Cacace also did just enough to get a shoulder on Kelvin Amian Adou as he dashed away on the counter, Cacace’s pressure helping guide the shot wide with twenty to play.

That proved crucial because about twenty seconds later Empoli scored themselves. Nicolo Cambiaghi with the stuttered finish from a cut-back. 2-1 with 19 minutes plus stoppage time remaining. They’d need all that stoppage time... because in the 94th minute the ball fell for Liberato Cacace on the edge of the area. Libby lined it up and his shot was blocked. However it deflected over to Emanuel Vignato to slam in a banger of a late equaliser. Can’t call it an assist for Cacace but it’s the next best thing.

2-2 was the final score. Highlights here. Further good news from that game, for us anyway, was that Parisi had to serve a one-game suspension as a result of the reddie. Therefore what do ya know as the team wandered out to face Fiorentina away on Monday morning NZT there was Libby Cacace taking his place at left back for appearance six of the 2022-23 campaign. The only change in the line-up from the previous fixture.

How’d that one go for him? Yeah not bad. Fiorentina are in a similar spot on the ladder to Empoli so it was a competitive meeting between the pair. Empoli scored first in the 28th min as Cambiaghi made it two goals in two games (although he later went off injured) converting after his team had won the ball high up on the press. That goal did come somewhat against the run of play though and Fiorentina very quickly had the ball in the net themselves... though an offside ruled that one out. Before the half was through Empoli also had one of their own disallowed for offside.

Onwards it remained at 1-0 to Empoli until with five mins left they got a taste of their own medicine courtesy of a late concession. Cacace had been unable to keep a cross from being dinked over at the by-line yet that was partly because it was sliced onto the top of the crossbar. Alas it stayed in play for Arthur Cabral to nod in from close range. 1-1 was the way it finished.

Felt like Empoli sat too deep on their lead. They were in a good position there but allowed Fiorentina to continue to attack them (shot counts ended 27 to 5) and eventually got busted for it. As such there wasn’t enough Cacace in an attacking sense, didn’t even attempt a cross, though defensively he was sound. Blocked a couple shots. Made some clearances. Won a few tackles. Dependable in possession. He did get a yellow card in there about an hour in for leaving a leg in late in a close-down tackle but no dramas there. Annoyingly, Parisi will be back for the next match... which is against his boyhood club Napoli. Still, ‘twas another solid effort in the top tier of Italian footy looking anything but out of place.

Paolo Zanetti, Empoli manager: “Cacace has already performed well last week, he's a player we're betting on. Parisi won't stay with us forever. Cacace is certainly part of Empoli's future. He's an important player who will demonstrate his value.”

Up Next: Home against Napoli on Sunday at 6am (NZT)

CJ Bott - Leicester City (English Super League)

Imagine that. Surely it’s only a matter of time until CJB smashes something into the top corner, she’s been in that good form for Leicester City lately. Last week’s game against Liverpool wasn’t one in which Bott was the overwhelming standout but it was another high level showing that adds to her recent mahi.

And to her club’s recent work as well. LCFC resumed in 2023 staring firmly at probable relegation but under new manager Willie Kirk they’ve absolutely flipped their fortunes around. A fantastic win against Brighton last month (in which Bott was Player of the Day) gave them hope after nine straight WSL defeats and then following a close defeat against Man City and some various cup pursuits they had this game against Liverpool looking like one they could absolutely target for more points. Sure enough that’s exactly what they did.

The Foxes caused Liverpool dramas with their energetic swarming style. That earned them an early corner, and from that corner Courtney Nevin went low to Hannah Cain in motion and Cain slammed her team into the lead inside eight minutes. It was soon after that when Bott’s missile was tipped onto the bar (via a slight deflection) however a second goal never would arrive for Leicester City on this particular day.

Luckily they didn’t need one. The Reds mustered one almighty scramble in the second half which seemed to involve about three missed sitters. Missy Bo Kearns also hit the post for Liverpool near the end. Other than that Janina Leipzig was brilliant again in goal for Leicester while Bott and company were excellent at the back. That 1-0 scoreline lasted all the way until the final whistle to give the Foxes three more valuable points. They’re now, incredibly, only one point off safety.

Bott also got a yellow card in stoppage time for kicking the ball away after a free kick had already been awarded against her team. Kinda harsh, to be honest. Not that it really mattered.

Up Next: Manchester United vs Leicester City, Monday at 1.30am (NZT)

Rebekah Stott - Brighton & Hove Albion (English Super League)

Safe to say that this one didn’t go as planned for Stotty and Brighton...

Just eight days after drawing 1-1 away against the same opponents, they were beaten 6-2 by Aston Villa at home. And this after taking the lead in the third minute - a slick header from a corner by Julia Olme... unfortunately it all went to custard after that.

Aston Villa scored five times in the first half. Villa played fast and they played creatively as new signings Lucy Staniforth and Jordan Nobbs both pulled strings in midfield (each also scoring goals – in fact Nobbs went on to get a hatty). Rachel Daly and Kirsty Hanson also got amongst the festivities. A penalty for Danielle Carter early second half did at least give Brighton a second goal but none of this was good.

This was only Stott’s second WSL appearance since returning to the club. She was subbed off with about quarter of an hour remaining, no need to leave her out there for the rest of that so soon after her return (Stotty then went on to be ruled out of the current Ferns tour with a minor knock, presumably precautionary, after travelling to be with the squad). Stott won a few interceptions stepping up, she moved the ball well in possession. But her defensive unit was too easily dragged out of shape by an admittedly in-form Villa side and it absolutely doomed them.

Note that there was no Anna Leat again for Villa. She’s still absent with the same injury that also ruled her out of the Ferns tour. A small back complaint. The suggestion is that she should be good to go after the international break.

Up Next: Monday at 3am against Coventry in the fifth round of the FA Cup (NZT)

Max Crocombe - Grimsby Town (English League Two)

Didn’t matter that Grimsby Town sit two divisions below Luton Town in the English Football League. They’d already wobbled them once by forcing a replay thanks to a 2-2 result away from home. Then in that replay... they gave them a shock for the ages with an incredible 3-0 victory.

Harry Clifton scored after nine minutes to give Grimsby the unexpected lead against a team sitting 60 players above them. He’d scored the equaliser in the initial tie and he slammed in the opener here. Then things went from good to great as Danilo Orsi whipped one in on the half-volley after 27 mins and when Danny Amos scored from a free kick deep into stoppage time, GTFC were in utter dreamland.

Luton Town made a couple subs at the half to spark things up and they definitely gave it a swing in the remainder of the match. But there was simply no way past Max Crocombe. Sturdy as it gets from the kiwi keeper. There was a point-blanker with his foot while it was still 2-0 that really stood out. He also managed to get out of this one without a time-wasting yellow card unlike the first match. A magnificent victory which sends Grimsby Town into the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since the 1995-96 season.

In that fifth round (involving the last sixteen teams) they have been drawn... away to Premier League club Southampton. Away to Man City or Man United might have been a more glamorous return (or even home where they could haul in a sell-out crowd) but can’t be greedy with it. They’re the lowest ranked team remaining in the competition so any tie is going to be legendary. And you know what? Southampton are dead last in the Prem having just sacked a second manager this season... they’re only four places ahead of Luton Town in the overall EFL ladder. You never know what might happen.

Their League Two games since then have been nothing special. Chased that FA Cup heroism with a 1-0 loss at home to Colchester (no Tommy Smith – although Smithy did return from injury this past weekend) and then a 2-1 loss away to Gillingham. But they returned to winning ways in beating Northampton 2-1 away most recently. Crocombe made five saves as Grimsby came from a goal down at half-time to win via a 91st minute Anthony Driscoll-Glennon goal.

Up Next: Grimsby Town vs Harrogate on Wednesday at 8.45am; Grimsby Town vs Leyton Orient on Sunday at 4am (NZT)

Nando Pijnaker & Max Mata – Sligo Rovers (League of Ireland Premier Division)

First fixture of the new season and there were starts (and complete games) for both Nando Pijnaker and Max Mata as Sligo Rovers took on Shamrock Rovers in the Irish rain. That’s a tough match against the defending champs and traditional dominators of the local scene first up... but maybe it was a good thing to catch them early before the wheels get churning.

Didn’t look to be the case as Shamrock immediately came out controlling the ball and creating chances but then Max Mata almost pounced on the break, running down a channel onto a long ball then unleashing a dipping volley which was excellently saved in the 12th minute. Nando had a header off target from a corner kick not so long afterwards too. Alas, Graham Burke then slammed in a wonderful opener for Shamrock in the 17th minute and we were where everyone sorta expected us to be.

Regardless, you couldn’t deny that Sligo were hanging in there. Had a couple decent penalty shouts turned down around the edge of the box. Pijnaker and mates were able to keep the champs from putting them under excessive pressure. Then came a massive moment as Shamrock defender Roberto Lopes lashed out at the face of a Sligo forward. Nothing much in it but you can’t be doing that all the same. Red card emerged. Shamrock down to ten. Sligo with licence to really go for an equaliser now.

On came a bunch of attacking subs, changes which also had the consequence of Nando Pijnaker being passed the captain’s armband for the latter stages. Pijanker was a little sloppy in possession at times, overplaying things amidst the frantic quest for a goal, but he also pinged some lovely passes amongst all that and his defensive work was top notch. Meanwhile Mata worked his socks off as the centre-forward. The club lost last season’s top scorer Aidan Keena to Cheltenham Town in the offseason while top central defender Garry Buckley remains injured long-term so both these lads are in a position to be pretty prominent in their second seasons for the club.

In the end Sligo Rovers did get that goal they were after. Lukas Browning scored a belter volleying in from the edge of the area in the fourth minute of five added-on. Pijnaker had to squeeze himself out of the way of the shot to avoid interfering from an offside position. Cracker of a strike. A deserved point. 1-1 the final score. Sligo Rovers up and running for the new campaign.

There you go... and now here you go some more. Both Max Mata and Nando Pijnaker got nods in the inaugural LOI Team of the Week. Fine start to proceedings. Begin as you mean to go on.

Up Next: UCD vs Sligo Rovers, Saturday at 8.45am (NZT)

Bill Tuiloma – Charlotte FC (American Major League Soccer)

We’ve got a trade to report, folks.

Bill Tuiloma has been flipped from the Portland Timbers where he’d played the entirety of his MLS career to date. He joined the Timbers in 2017 via their reserve team and went on to make 107 MLS appearances for the club as well as five more in the playoffs. He scored 10 goals all up, six of those in his breakout attacking season of 2022 – when he all of a sudden became an absolute menace from set pieces, both taking them and also getting on the end of them (a trait which has carried on into All Whites duty too).

But the Timbers weren’t necessarily looking at him as a starter this year (wanting to elevate backup Zack McGraw) and with salary cap considerations at play they chose to flip him over to Charlotte FC instead. In exchange they’ll bank up to $900k in general allocation money... which isn’t a transfer fee, it’s better described as salary cap room. $500k this season, $300k next season, and another $100k in 2025 if Tuiloma conditional upon whether he hits “certain performance metrics”. It’s a lot of GAM to gather in one go. More than Aussie international Brad Smith got when he was traded by Seattle last week. Portland also retains a 15% sell-on fee if he leaves Major League Soccer.

Timbers general manager Ned Grabavoy: “It has been enjoyable to watch Bill’s development and maturation during his time with the Portland Timbers. This was not an easy decision for us as a club—Bill is a great player with tremendous character. This move is a reflection of our challenges to keep a majority of our roster intact over the course of many seasons. We are grateful for Bill’s contributions to the club, and we are all wishing him nothing but the best with this new opportunity.”

Tuiloma was a fan favourite in Portland and a favourite within the dressing room. This is a pretty drastic change for him... but it’s worth it if it means he’s now got first choice starter status – and it’s hard to think that’s not the plan given how much Charlotte gave up to get him.

Charlotte FC Sporting Director Zoran Krneta: “We are excited to welcome Bill to Charlotte FC as we keep adding strong pieces to a competitive roster for 2023 and beyond. He is a defender who adds valuable experience to the team with over 100 appearances across five full seasons in MLS, as well as significant time with the New Zealand national team. Bill is a player that is used to winning in Major League Soccer and has been an important member on a perennial playoff contender. We look forward to adding his leadership in the locker room to continue building a winning culture here in the Carolinas.”

Charlotte are the second youngest franchise in the comp and as such there are shades of the Abby Erceg to Louisville move here. Same as that one, it seems like the emphasis is to bring a high-culture experienced central defender to a recent expansion side. Last season was Charlotte’s first as an MLS team. They took 42 points from 34 games and missed out on the playoffs. The target this term is postseason footy, something Tuiloma knows a lot about having twice gone all the way to the MLS Cup Final with the Timbers (granted he was an unused sub both times, with the Timbers also losing both times).

Up Next: Preseason is just getting underway in the USA

Alex Greive - St Mirren (Scottish Premiership)

AG’s been getting a mean run of starts lately, thanks in large part to a season-ending injury suffered by English striker Jonah Ayunga who is going to need surgery on his knee. Gutting for that bloke, never a good sight, though still gotta be said that Greive stood to benefit most from it. Five of his eight SPL starts this season have come since the new year and that trend continued when he was named up front alongside Curtis Main for a Scottish Cup tie that was about as tough as tough gets in that country: away to Celtic.

Doesn’t really need saying that Celtic were up for this one with a place in the quarters on the line. St Mirren were immediately put under pressure. The Hoops hit the post from one of those cross/shot ones. They also had key striker Kyogo Furuhashi leave injured but even still it was shaping up like a long afternoon for the Buddies. Sure enough, Celtic took the lead on 16’ as Aaron Mooy slipped a square ball in for Daizen Maeda to finish smoothly.

And yet there was very nearly a magical equaliser and it was Alex Greive who would have supplied it. Hard running into the area onto a loose ball that he controlled in stride then chopped back inside his marker to smash a shot towards the target. He might’ve had the keeper beaten... but Cameron Carter-Vickers threw a big head towards the ball to deflect it off target.

Later on Greive ran in behind towards a pass lifted over the top and while he avoided contact with the out-rushing Joe Hart he also seemed to hurt himself in the process. Went down clutching at his ankle with a grimace. That proved to be the end of his day. Subbed off injured after 41 minutes.

Celtic went on to win it 5-1. Wasn’t as bad as that sounds, it was still 1-0 with about quarter of an hour to go but then Richard Taylor was sent off for blocking a shot with his hand in the six yard box. Reo Hatate scored from the penalty and Celtic ran rampant from there. St Mirren did get a Mark O’Hara consolation penalty of their own, at least. But that’s the end of their cup run this season.

As for the extent of Greive’s injury... it doesn’t sound good mate. His manager Stephen Robinson spoke to the press a few days later and that was the first thing he addressed, stating that scans had come back and it sounds like the bloke could be out for “a length of time”...

Wouldn’t expect to see him for the All Whites next month and it’s an even bigger blow to St Mirren in the wake of Ayunga’s injury. Two of their regular strikers out indefinitely. St Mirren are currently fifth out of twelve teams, right on the cusp of that top six/bottom six split (although that’s still several weeks away). Only one point off the last Europa Conference League qualifying spot though. Plenty to play for.

Up Next: Rehabilitation (NZT)

Ryan Thomas – PEC Zwolle (Dutch Eerste Divisie)

Continuing on with the injury corner, here’s an update on Ryan Thomas after he limped off with a hamstring injury a few games back: it’s not as bad as first feared. So that’s nice. Here’s what RT had to say after the Jong Ajax game in which he was subbed off after twenty minutes. Sounds like a precautionary move as much as anything, playing it safe after a long term absence from footy.

Ryan Thomas: “I haven't played in a long time and I think it has been a bit too much in recent weeks. I had some problems with that in recent days, I hoped it would go away once I was warm. It got worse during the game and I didn't want to take any chances. Maybe it was too fast to start today.”

He hasn’t featured in either of the two games since then. The first of those saw Zwolle return to winning ways in emphatic fashion, beating Jong AZ 4-1 to have them sitting ten points clear at the top of the ladder. There was a chance that Thommo might return for the next game against ADO Den Haag but that was never really worth the risk so they went without him... and lost 3-1 in an upset. Conceded twice in the first 11 minutes and never quite recovered. Luckily for them, Heracles dropped more points themselves drawing 1-1 with Willem II so PEC Zwolle do retain a six point lead at the top after 25 games.

Up Next: Tuesday at 8am, MVV vs Zwolle (NZT)

Katie Rood - Heart of Midlothian (Scottish Premier League)

That is some kind of goal right there. Scottish Cup footy against Partick Thistle. Rood didn’t start the game but was subbed on after 77 mins with the scores level after Clare Docherty (60’) had cancelled out the half-time lead Hearts had held thanks to Georgia Timms (38’). Hearts had probably shaded things to that point but a second goal had proved sneaky to find despite plenty of chances. Rood was involved in a few of those with some clever passing as well as forcing a very good save with a shot on the swivel.

None of that achieved what they were after and so extra time was required. And it was there, ten minutes into the first spell, that Roodie sliced past her marker down by the left wing corner flag and then chopped back inside to unleash a magical finish right into the top far corner of the net. Outstanding goal. Worthy of deciding a cup tie on its own... but just to be sure Hearts went on to add two more goals in a hurry. Cailin Michie (104’) and Ciara Grant (120’) with additional strikes as Hearts claimed a place in the quarters with a 4-1 victory. Catch them match highlights – including the reverse angle of that Rood goal.

Up Next: After the international break it’s Hearts vs Hibs at 2.10am on Monday 27 February (NZT)

Meikayla Moore – Glasgow City (Scottish Premier League)

Nice and breezy 5-0 win over Aberdeen in the Scottish Cup booking a place in the quarters along with all the rest of the kiwis and their respective clubs. They scored early through Priscilla Chinchilla in the sixth minute and then killed things off with a flurry of goals in the second half. Moore was subbed on in the 73rd min just before they scored the fourth goal. Then it was onwards to the international break.

Not a lot else went on amongst the rest of the Scots-based crew (apart from the aforementioned Katie Rood golazo). Olivia Chance played the first half of a 3-0 win away to Spartans in a midweek fixture. Subbed off at the break with the score still 0-0. Looked like a formational switch as striker Jacynta Galabadaarachchi replaced her... and then scored four mins into her spell. Chance then didn’t play at all in an easy 5-0 cup win away to Boroughmuir Thistle and may well have already been on a plane back to Aotearoa for Footy Ferns duty by then.

As for Vic Esson, no Ferns duty for her as she picked up an untimely injury. Dunno what the deal was but she wasn’t in Rangers’ cup squad as they beat Rossvale 13-0 in a walkover of a thrashing. They’ve got Hibernian in the quarters so it gets tougher from here. Anyway, Esson and Jenna Fife have a swapsies deal going in with the gloves at Rangers and when one plays the other is always on the bench. Didn’t happen here and they had to call up a 16 year old to sit on the bench. Soon afterwards Vic Esson was also ruled out of the upcoming Ferns games against Portugal and Argentina. So that’s where we’re at there as we hit the international window.

Up Next: Aberdeen vs Glasgow City, Monday at 5am... debatable if Moore will be back in time for full participation there though (NZT)

Joe Bell – Brøndby IF (Danish Superliga)

It’s been a shambles of a season for Brøndby so far. They only won five of their seventeen games prior to the winter break then they sacked their manager around that time (holding out as long as they could for a beloved boss who’d won them the title a couple years ago). Tell you what though, since then they’ve looked different prospect. Gotta take all friendly games with a grain of salt (if not the entire shaker of it) but they swept through the Atlantic Cup and their various other practice matches during the break. Not only that but Joe Bell was once again a prominent figure having lost his spot in the team late last year.

So it was that as BIF took on Horsens in the resumption of the Danish Superliga for both teams... Joe Bell was named in central midfield for Brøndby and Elijah Just also got the start for ACH. Happy days. Granted it wasn’t the most memorable day at the office for either. The match worked out a lot better for Bell than it did for Just but even then there was one major slide: an own goal from Bellinho. One of those ones where a cut-back was whipped into his shins as he dangled a leg out (to keep Eli Just from getting onto it) and the unlucky deflection went against his name.

It had been 1-0 at the time thanks to a thumper goal from Nicolai Vallys. This goal levelled things up after 40 mins and then five mins later Moses Opondo put Horsens into a half-time lead. Diving header from an angled cross by Lubambo Musonda after Just had laid the ball back from the wing.

However the second half went in the complete other direction as BIF turned the screws. Two quick goals for Daniel Wass (54’) and Ohi Omoijuanfro (56’) restored their lead and then around that hour mark we saw both Bell and Just replaced. Brøndby went on to win the game 5-2 with Vallys scoring twice more for his hat-trick. With that they leap above Horsens in the standings and thanks to the convoluted middle ground in the Supeliga this season they’re somehow only two points off Midtjylland in fourth... whom they play next. Quiet game from Just although there were moments of flash in there. Bell was able to be much more assertive in a fluid midfield trio.

Elsewhere you’ll be stoked to know that Marko Stamenic still got about eight minutes off the bench for FC København even after his impending free transfer to Serbia was made known during the winter break. Came on to help ice a 3-0 victory against Silkeborg, two superb goals getting them going before a defensive error allowed them to score a third. Quiet but tidy from Stamenic at the end. FCK continue on with the resurgent form that they’d found before the break – despite their terrible start they’re up to third on the ladder only six points behind leaders Nordsjælland.

Up Next: Midtjylland vs BIF on Tuesday at 7am (NZT)

Callum McCowatt - FC Helsingør (Danish Division 1)

Meanwhile down a division, Callum McCowatt was on target for his third of the season as FC Helsingør also got back underway again. First league game since a 4-1 loss to Fredericia back in mid-November... sadly despite that well-taken strike from CMC things went exactly the same way at home to HB Køge.

McCowatt’s goal was an equaliser after 33 minutes. Levelled things up a dozen mins after Joachim Rothmann had finished sharply from a tricky angle for HBK. Good reward in a game where both teams had big chances. Liam Jordan missed a couple for FCH which came back to haunt them on 67 mins when Leo Walta sent the visitors into a lead that they probably deserved overall. McCowatt was subbed soon after (72 mins). Then Køge scored twice more on the way to a 4-1 result. Highlights here if you’re curious.

This was a dangerous result for Helsingør, who sit sixth in the division, right on the cut-off for the championship rounds. HBK are seventh and there’s now only a four point gap between them with four more rounds remaining before the split. They’re also only four points off third though... and eight back on second place so a quick turnaround and they might still push for promotion. Won’t be happening with form like this though. Good goal from Call, at least. More of that and they’ve got a hope.

Up Next: Away to Nykøbing on Sunday at 3am (NZT)

Marco Rojas – Colo-Colo (Chilean Primera División)

Great run, great cross, great assist from Marco Rojas in Colo-Colo’s latest. Marco had been out of the team for a couple games after the Supercopa defeat, presumably an injury, but he returned last week for quarter of an hour in a 1-0 win over Nublense (88th minute winner scored by Dario Lezcano) and was then back amongst the starters for this match against Everton (no, no that Everton).

They even played him as a central number ten, pretty sure that’s the first time that’s happened from the start of a game. That meant plenty of drifting left and right to spark things for his team, culminating in his fine work for that assist. Leandro Benegas was the goal-scorer. His header went in off the post with 44 minutes gone.

But Colo-Colo have been surprisingly inconsistent so far this year and they weren’t able to capitalise on the half-time lead. In fact they conceded within three minutes of the restart as Alejandro Henriquez slammed in a cross/shot from wide outside the area. CC went close to hitting back as a Rojas corner kick was headed on target towards the top corner but for the keeper to scrape it away. Then Rojas was subbed with twenty to go and soon afterwards Max Falcon was sent off for kicking the ball at an opponent on the ground after the whistle had gone. VAR didn’t like it. Colo-Colo finished with ten men and weren’t able to find a winner.

1-1 was the final score, points dropped. But a good performance from Marco Rojas as he gets going in his first full season in Chile. Remember he helped set up their goal in the Supercopa in his other start.

Up Next: Colo-Colo vs Coquimbo on Monday at 12.30pm (NZT)

Matthew Garbett – Torino (Italian Serie A)

Took a wee while for Matt Garbett to get underway with NAC Breda. A 2-1 loss to Den Haag, then another 2-1 loss this time to Heerenveen in the KNVB Cup, followed by a 2-0 win over De Graafschap all passed by without Garbs involvement. It was understood he had a “minor injury”, nothing to worry about.

Thus he finally popped up on a teamsheet this morning, named on the bench for the game against Utrecht. NAC took a fourth minute lead through Tijs Velthuis but were then 2-1 down at the half so on came Matty Garbett as part of a triple change. There’s that debut we’d been waiting for. Unfortunately Breda went on to lose 4-1 so it wasn’t too flash. Garbett played in the midfield. Got some decent touches looking to get on the ball and then take some chances with his passing. As a result he did get credited with three key passes... though his passing accuracy was pretty average. Put a shift in defensively too. Something to built upon.

Up Next: Saturday at 8am against Dordrecht (NZT)

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