Sarpreet Singh - União de Leiria (Portuguese Liga 2)

It has been a slow and steady build for Sarpreet Singh since he joined União de Leiria. They had to make sure he was at 100% fitness before letting him loose, meaning Singh had only got a couple of substitute appearances prior to the last international break. He then continued the ramp-up with the All Whites and it seems he decided enough was enough, it was time to let them all know. Subbed into a scoreless game against Feirense with an hour gone, Sarpreet Singh did a little bit of this...

Nothing quite like a stoppage time winner to get the fans onboard. 1-0 to UD Leiria. Coincidentally, they’re only other league win since September was the game in which Singh debuted – so they’ve won the two games he’s played and nothing else for over two months. This goal already matches Singh’s league tally for Hansa Rostock. It was also his longest appearance for the club to date (he got around 28 mins in a cup defeat to top division club Vitoria Guimaraes which was the previous mark – only three matches so far) and just look at the celebrations. He loved it. So did everyone else.

Twelve games into the season, UD Leiria sit smack-bang in the middle of the table with 15 points. With Singh beginning to find his feet though, they might just have scope to go on a little run to bring the top three within sight (two two get promoted, third-place gets a playoff). Long way yet to go, so there’s plenty of room. It feels unlikely but we are seeing something similar unfold with Elijah Just’s influence on St Pölten in the second tier of Austrian footy.

Just and Singh joined their clubs at around the same time and both were met with head-scratches about whether they ought to be at higher levels. These things are far more complicated than that though. There are tens of thousands of great footballers around the world competing for every opportunity. Frankly, it would be kinda nice to see a few more kiwi footballers getting to be big fish in medium sized ponds to balance out the medium fish in big ponds that we’re accustomed to, where one injury or one managerial change or one run of bad form can spoil the whole situation. It’s working for Just. Hopefully it works for Singh too.

Up Next: Sunday at 3am away to Benfica B (NZT)

Chris Wood - Nottingham Forest (English Premier League)

If, in some freaky movie-like scenario, you ever find yourself in a situation where your life is at stake and the only way to save yourself is to have a professional footballer score a penalty kick on your behalf... who would you choose to take it? Lionel Messi? Harry Kane? Cole Palmer? Yeah sure those would all be decent shouts. But if you really value your own safety then you’d go with the bloke who hasn’t missed a spot kick for club or country, from regular play or shootouts, since April 2016. That bloke is Chris Wood and his streak is now up to 29 in a row after converting from twelve yards against Ipswich Town.

That’s 22 in a row within games plus seven successful shootout attempts. This spans penalties taken for Leeds United, New Zealand, Burnley, NZ U23s, Newcastle United, and Nottingham Forest. It spans the Premier League, international friendlies, EFL Championship, League Cup, FA Cup, Olympic Games, the Oceania Nations Cup, and Europa League qualifying. There was a third minute success for Newcastle against Leicester City a few years ago. There was a 90th minute success for the All Whites against DR Congo. All manner of scenarios and The Woodsman remains flawless.

This was a big time kick too. Ipswich were proving a tricky opponent to break down and Wood hadn’t really been very involved in a scrappy first half. But early in the second spell that all changed when Jota Silva was given a slight clip on the heels, which he exaggerated into a swan dive (an overreaction but the foul was legit), and up stepped Chris Wood to take the penalty. No arguments these days about who those ones belong to. The goal ensued... and that goal ended up being the decisive moment in a 1-0 victory as Nottm Forest got back to winning ways following defeats against Newcastle and Arsenal.

With that goal, Wood goes level with Bryan Roy as Forest’s all-time top scorers in the EPL with 24 G’s to each of their names. He now has 9 goals from 13 games in 2024-25 and we haven’t even reached the 25 part of the season. Wood is one goal away from reaching double-figures for a sixth time in a Prem season. His best season in the Prem is 14 goals, done last season with Forest and also with Burnley in 2019-20, but he’s already talking about getting to 20 this time around. As it stands, he is third in the Golden Boot stakes behind Erling Haaland (12) and Mo Salah (11).

Nuno Espirito Santo, asked if Wood can continue this scoring for years to come (he turns 33 this month): “I believe so. I believe so. Chris is one of those players who really takes care of himself. Nutrition, rest… Chris has the ambition to keep going, so he has to take care of his body and his mind. He is perfect now. He is perfect. If he continues, then good. We are delighted. It is not only here, it is in New Zealand as well — he is going to break all the records. We are delighted for him and we are so, so grateful.”

BBC: “Who stepped up for Forest when they needed a goal? Wood, of course. The New Zealand international is now Forest's joint-leading Premier League scorer since the competition's formation in 1992 and he does not look like stopping there. Forest lacked attacking spark at Arsenal last time out but they were back to their most threatening after Wood was restored to the starting line-up. After a quiet first half, the forward came to life and was a constant menace for the Ipswich backline. He dispatched his penalty with ease despite not having a shot on goal prior to that and it gave him confidence to drive his side towards victory. A classic number nine, Wood was vital as Forest held on to their lead in the final moments with some fantastic hold-up play to give his defence some breathing space as Ipswich searched for an equaliser.”

There was another stat that he extended with this goal too: Ipswich Town are the 27th unique club that Wood has scored against in the Premier League. Liverpool are the only side he’s met more than twice and not gotten past. The record, apparently, is held by Frank Lampard who scored against 39 different clubs in Premier League action. Ipswich are also one of Wood’s many former clubs, of which there are seven on the list (he’s played for 12 English clubs overall).

The full list of teams he’s scored against in the Premier League:

Wolverhampton Wanderers, West Ham, Leicester City, Bournemouth, Brighton & Hove Albion, Tottenham Hotspur, Crystal Palace, Newcastle United, Everton, Southampton, Aston Villa, Norwich, Luton Town, Manchester United, Fulham, Brentford, Burnley, Cardiff City, Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal, Leeds United, Watford, Sheffield United, West Bromwich Albion, Huddersfield, and Ipswich Town

Up Next: Manchester City vs Nottingham Forest at 8.30am on Thursday (NZT)

Joe Bell – Viking FK (Norwegian Eliteserien)

It all came down to this: Brann vs Viking in the final round of the Eliteserien season. If Viking won then they’d earn Champions League qualifiers. If Brann won then they’d not only get UCL but they’d potentially win the whole damn thing... although they’d coughed up control of that fate by losing in the penultimate round. As it happens, Bodø/Glimt won 5-2 in their simultaneous match to claim their fourth championship in the past five years. They almost threw it away while trying to balance a league title race with their Europa League exploits but they got there in the end (though they did concede first against Lillestrom just to keep in interesting).

So neither club was to know at the time but this game effectively became a playoff for second place. Nothing changed as far as VFK were concerned... but you know how these big games often go. The first half was uneventful as the two sides cancelled each other out. That was fine for Brann (who would stay second with a draw) but not so much for Viking so they made a half-time sub and then caused a ruckus around the league when Peter Christiansen headed in from a Zlatko Tripic cross after 54 minutes. Off went the flares in the away corner...

Then it began pouring with rain as well. Very atmospheric. Very cinematic. Viking were closing in on a spot in the Champions League preliminaries and, with twenty to go, they had a huge chance to go up by two goals when the Brann keeper passed the ball directly to Lars-Joergen Salvesen... only to make amends with a fantastic leg save. Then, because life can be very cruel, Joe Bell gave away a penalty from which Niklas Castro place the ball into the bottom corner for 1-1. There wasn’t much in the foul. Bell was a touch hesitant to close down his man and left a foot planted. Sneaky clip of the shins. A gentle foul but a foul nonetheless. This time the flares were for the home side instead.

Viking did what they could. They made a few subs, they rolled the dice. However, their hopes of reclaiming the lead pretty much disappeared when Vetle Auklend was sent off for a last-man tackle (only a yellow... but he’d already been booked) with seven minutes remaining. They did hang on for the draw but that wasn’t enough. 1-1 final score. Viking miss out on UCL footy but they will still have some Conference League stuff to focus on next year.

Oh well. Joe Bell played 28 of 30 games, missing one game during the Olympics and one game for suspension. He had five yellow cards and five assists. He was outstanding for most of the year and certainly didn’t deserve to have to carry the weight of the foul that cost them a spot in the Champions League prelims. For what it’s worth, the moment has continued to gather controversy with a lot of Viking fans feeling it didn’t deserve a penalty. It is what it is. Viking dropped plenty of other games along the way that could have altered their course just as easily and they still get bronze medals and a continental opportunity.

Up Next: The offseason blues

Elijah Just - SKN St. Pölten (Austrian Erste Liga)

Eli Just has always been as good, if not better, at creating for others as he is at finishing for himself... so all these goals he’s been scoring lately were a bit out of character. We got a recalibration this week though. Up against SV Lafnitz, one of the teams down near the very bottom of the ladder (in fact, they dropped to last after this result), St Pölten were expected to win but it took them a long while to get going. Just went close after 18 mins when he worked his way into the area from the right but chose to shoot from a narrow angle rather than pulling it back and his effort was deflected off target by a defender. A couple of even better opportunities were allowed to slide by teammates. Thus it was still scoreless at the halfway stage.

And that was when Just set up the opening goal for Claudy Mbuyi a mere 23 seconds into the second half. There ya go. Silky touch from EJ and a delicious chip into the middle. Mbuyi scored again five minutes later and then there was an own goal on 67’ to complete the goodness. Another comprehensive win for the Wolves who continue on their much-improved ways since they got a kiwi baller into the line-up. They’re now up to eighth place and are only six points behind third. Promotion is unrealistic, that’d require winning the whole division and Admira Wacker are 13 points ahead of the Wolves after 15 games. But they’re building something. Don’t worry about that.

Up Next: Saturday at 6am, home against Team für Wien (NZT)

Andre De Jong – Stellenbosch (South African Premier Soccer League)

Stellenbosch made their way through two rounds of qualifying to get to CAF Confederation Cup group stage. Andre De Jong playing a significant role in both their 8-0 aggregate win over Nsingizini Hotspurs (Eswatini) and the 3-1 aggregate win over AS Vita Club (DR Congo). Sweet as. And this week the groups got underway with a trip to Mali to face Stade Malien.

Curiously, ADJ was only on the bench to begin with... but would be one of three dudes subbed on at HT. The Stellies were trailing 1-0 at that stage, conceding to a deflected long shot after fifteen minutes. This was a first ever appearance in this competition for Stellenbosch – although no the first ever appearance for Andre De Jong in the Confed Cup – he was here two years ago with AmaZulu. In fact, he even made an appearance in the CAF Champions League with that club. It wasn’t going well for the Stellies but the triple change did make a difference, giving them some energy. It’s just that breaking down the Malien defensive wall proved a task beyond their abilities. Then they conceded a penalty at the very end to lose 2-0. Bugger. Five more group games to go though, no need to panic.

Stellenbosch then recovered from the travel and disappointment to win 1-0 away to Orlando Pirates, with Devin Titus scoring the goal after 33 minutes. ADJ was back in the initial eleven for this Premiership match. And what a match it was. Pirates were yet to lose this season and had won seven games in a row across all comps but those stats are dust now after newly capped South African international Titus scored a runaway completely against the flow. Pirates bossed this entire game without finding a goal. Stellies had one clear chance and they scored from it. ADJ played 79 minutes in a victory that raises his team up to third on the ladder.

Up Next: Back in the Confed Cup to host RSB Berkane of Morocco on Monday at 2am (NZT)

Marko Stamenic – Olympiacos (Greek Super League)

Nothing but good news here. It hasn’t always been that way, Stamenic has had to stay patient and resilient for his chances at Olympiacos. It’s a tricky one when you’re loaned out by the parent club rather than recruited specifically for a need. Hasn’t necessarily been a great fit. But Stamenic ain’t one to back down from a challenge and in a 2-0 win against Crete this week he served up potentially his best effort in an Olympiacos jersey to date.

Stamenic played 71 minutes and got a yellow card (second-most minutes he’s played in a game for this club). He hadn’t gotten summoned off the bench in the 0-0 draw away to Romania’s FCSB in the Europa League a few days earlier so was given the start against OFI Crete instead, sitting deep in midfield and pulling strings. Completed 23/24 passes. Made a few tackles. Gave away a few fouls too, just to let them know about it. He did his bit in a very sturdy defensive outing while also helping things flow in attack as Olympiacos eventually ground down a dogged opponent for a couple of second half goals scored by Biancone (60’) and Chiquinho (88’).

This keeps the Red and White in first place after 13 games and what do ya know that marks the exact halfway point of the league season. So far so good for Olympiacos... who are seeking to win a record 48th Greek championship (although it’s been a couple of seasons since they last managed the feat). With eight points from five games, they’re also on course to progress to the Europa League knockouts. Plus next up they’ll try and qualify for the quarter-finals of the Greek Cup with their second leg against Kallithea. Remember that Marko Stamenic has won consecutive league and cup doubles in different countries. Could be three from three in a third nation if all goes to plan.

Up Next: Kallithea at home in the Greek Cup (leading 1-0 after the first leg) at 4.30am on Thursday; then home to Volos in the Super League at 4am on Sunday (NZT)

CJ Bott - Leicester City (English Super League)

She should be smiling... because CJB just got nominated for the Women’s 11 at FIFA’s The Best Awards. She was one of 22 defenders included on the longlist and the only kiwi of the bunch (rude to Katie Bowen but okay, fine). Not sure how they compile the list but there’s possibly a stipulation to get at least one nominee in from every confederation to spread the interest around. Dunno. It’s all hidden behind an unspecified jury of footballing stakeholders, whatever that means, but who cares? We’ll take some CJB recognition during this women’s international window.

Up Next: Manchester City vs Leicester City at 2am on Monday (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Empoli FC (Italian Serie A)

CJ Bott wasn’t the only kiwi fullback listed for the FIFA Best stuff. Libby Cacace also (somehow) snuck onto the Men’s 11 longlist. Dude’s playing backup for a mid-table Serie A team but alright, we’ll take it. The team is partly selected by a public vote so get all the way in amongst that and see if we can rig this thing.

Meanwhile in serious activities, Cacace returned to the bench for Empoli as they travelled to face AC Milan and therefore opted for a flatter defensive shape. But that wasn’t working out so well when the Azzurri found themselves 2-0 down at half-time having been almost entirely on the back foot throughout. Goals for Alvaro Morata (19’) and Tijani Reijnders (44’). Something had to change so they made two HT subs with Liberato Cacace replacing Giuseppe Pezzella for one of them.

Empoli did show signs of improvement after that, including Youssef Maleh hitting the crossbar with an ambitious deep shot. But a second goal for Reijnders on 69’ ended any possibility of a comeback. It was a pretty thorough performance from AC Milan for a 3-0 result. Empoli never even managed a shot on target. Ah but you know what? Buried underneath the outcome was another extended glimpse of Libby Cacace, who seems to be getting a lot more of them lately. After only playing 104 minutes across Empoli’s first nine matches, he’s gotten 311 minutes in their past five.

Up Next: Fiorentina vs Empoli in the Coppa Italia round of sixteen at 9am on Thursday; then it’s away to Verona in Serie A at 3am on Monday (NZT)

Matthew Garbett - NAC Breda (Dutch Eredivisie)

Following the racism scandal of last week, the KNVB have chosen not to proceed with an investigation. Both NAC Breda and Willem II were cooperating on the matter, submitting reports to the Dutch football bosses, but there just wasn’t enough evidence to prove anything one way or the other.

Willem II striker Jeremy Bokila, the victim of the abuse, hasn’t spoken in public since the post-game interview in which he made the allegations. According to one of the Dutch papers, he also isn’t responding to his messages (possibly because his messages have been flooded with hateful spam, as often sadly happens in these cases). AD.nl reported that Matthew Garbett has been “devastated” at having his name falsely linked to the incident and that he direct messaged Bokila on Instagram shortly after the game to try and clear things up. It sounds like Bokila didn’t reply – likely for the aforementioned reason. They also claimed that Garbett was asking advice of a few different people at NAC about what to do, even considering a defamation lawsuit... though he quickly backed down on that so as not to distract from the possible investigation.

Luckily for Garbs, he’s got a good club around him...

NAC general manager Remco Oversier: “Matthew has been wrongly accused as a possible perpetrator and has therefore had an emotional and difficult week, in which he has faced threats against himself and his family. Socially, racism is rightly an important issue and we must completely eliminate it. Our sympathy therefore goes to people who have to deal with this. However, we must also realize that there may be a second unnecessary victim if an allegation is incorrect. We would therefore like to use our platforms to clear Matthew's name.”

And that club has got some loyal and passionate supporters...

That was nice of them. As to the game, NAC Breda were at home against Almere City (consecutive games against former clubs of Michael Woud!) and they won 1-0. Garbett started as the right midfielder in a 4-3-3 (probably the position he’s had the most success in with NAC) as Leo Sauer’s 18th minute goal set up the victory. It was Garbs who spun out of trouble on the right then hit a raking switch over the Sauer. A defender stepped in to win the header there but the ball fell back to Clint Leemans who got it to Sauer in motion. Slicing in. Curling home. Great goal.

That was all they got... but not for a lack of effort. Garbett drilled a low shot just past the far post on 23’ after the keeper had parried a cross out his way. Later in the half, Elias Mar Omarsson claimed to have headed in a second but actually it hit his upper arm. Almere City came into the game a lot more in the second half but the home side were able to repel them, no dramas. Almere are the lowest scoring team in the division by a big distance (they have six goals, next worse is Sparta and Waalwijk with 13 each) and they never particularly threatened. Clean sheet win against the bottom team. NAC Breda are up to seventh on the ladder – granted, there’s still a large distance between themselves and the European spots.

Garbett was subbed off a little before the hour, giving the fans the chance to applaud him off the park and show even more support. It also gave Garbs the chance to acknowledge them as he walked off...

NAC coach Carl Hoefkens: “[Garbett] needed something else to focus on, so I thought he should focus on starting the game. He would only be thinking more if he was on the bench. He had a hard time during the game because it did something to him. He could barely go through a workout and had a hard time sleeping. So after fifty minutes his tank was empty. For us, and then I am talking about the player group and the technical staff, this case is closed.”

It’s been a very eventful season for Matthew Garbett, hasn’t it? And we’re not even halfway through.

Up Next: Sparta Rotterdam vs NAC Breda at 6.45am on Sunday (NZT)

James McGarry - Aberdeen (Scottish Premiership)

Wait a sec, who’s this guy!? Would you believe it, James McGarry finally made his first appearance of the Premiership season for Aberdeen and it only took until the 14th game for it to happen. He got a few minutes during the League Cup group stage back in July/August but had been stuck on the bench ever since. Unused sub after unused sub. But that wasn’t the case this week.

The match in question was Aberdeen’s third away game in the space of eight days so manager Jimmy Thelin made six changes to his side. They were also playing against last-placed Hearts so that was further reason to pinpoint this game as the one for rotation... and with regular left-back Jack MacKenzie dealing with a wee injury it was finally Jimmy McG’s time to shine. One of the consequences of which being that McGarry got to go against his old Wellington Phoenix teammate Cammy Devlin, who was in the midfield for Hearts. McGarry wasn’t the only unlikely selection either, Thelin also picked central defender Angus MacDonald who was likewise making his first league start of the season.

Jimmy Thelin, last week: “Usually when you start a new season, you want to get some parts like a core to be stable, but I think the improvement of Jimmy McGarry and Jack Milne has been really, really good and also how they have grown. It’s a lot of improvements, and when it’s time for them, I’m going to trust them 100 per cent. Jimmy is still really, really strong in attack, but has also made improvements in positional play in a four-back line. That’s really nice to see – even if they haven’t played so much, they play at training, 11 vs 11 – and they take small steps in the right direction all the time. Sometimes the opportunity or the things happen and then the dynamics change. I’m 100 per cent sure it’s going to be fine when they get the time to play.”

Good to know the coach has your back (even when he’s not been picking you). So how did McGarry go in his first minutes for three-and-a-half months? As you might expect he was pretty scratchy there to begin with. But he steadily grew into the game and so did Aberdeen, who took a 37th minute lead through Leighton Clarkson. McGarry was then involved in another good move before half-time, collecting the ball up the line and centring for his striker who laid it off to a runner. Keeper made a spectacular save on the end of that. McGarry was then booked for a foul very late in 1H stoppages. So far so good. Then he got injured.

JM had to be replaced after 59 minutes with initial concern appearing to be around his hamstring. A muscle injury after playing zero games since August? Yeah that’d make sense... although his coach poured water on that idea saying that he thought it was more of a knock and has since suggested JM should be alright for the next game. With Mackenzie already ruled out of that fixture, a midweek home game against league leaders Celtic, they’d sure hope that’s the case. But we’ll see how it goes. Within a couple of minutes of McGarry’s departure, Hearts equalised through an own goal and the game ended 1-1. Only two points from those three away games for the Dons... but they still remain in second on the standings.

Up Next: Aberdeen vs Celtic at 9am on Thursday in a top of the table clash (NZT)

Malia Steinmetz – FC Nordsjælland (Danish Kvindeliga)

Right so do you recall last week when Malia Steinmetz went off injured in the first half (getting a yellow card at the same time) but there wasn’t any news anywhere about what happened? Yeah so there’s been news since and it ain’t of the good variety...

That’ll be a season ender, sadly. Surgery and a long recovery. Gutting news for one of the Football Ferns’ best over these past two years. Steinmetz has made that midfield position her own but it’s now unlikely we see her in action again until late-2025. This is a cruel blow for FC Nordsjælland who were already stumbling and now have lost one of their key players. It won’t be a huge blow for the Ferns because they don’t have any major tournaments next year, or even any fixtures in the short term (or a coach for that matter). But it will leave a hole in the midfield with Ria Percival and Daisy Cleverley not so long retired and Kate Taylor having returned to central defence since joining Dijon FCO in France.

Taylor will probably still play midfield for NZ since Rebekah Stott and Katie Bowen are locked in at the back (and Claudia Bunge is getting back to form for Melbourne Victory)... but this will open the door for some new options. Will Annalie Longo stay on for a crack at the 2026 World Cup? How soon will Betsy Hassett and Olivia Chance return after giving birth? Grace Wisnewski has only recently returned from her own ACL injury, while Macey Fraser’s had ongoing ankle issues. Plenty of questions around that midfield... which we won’t get answered for a long time because there aren’t any games on the horizon. As you were.

Up Next: Visit to the surgeons

Max Crocombe - Burton Albion (English League One)

Given how Burton Albion have been tracking this year, perhaps we ought not to be surprised by this...

Yup, the Brewers were knocked out of the FA Cup in the second round by non-league side Tamworth. After wasting countless opportunities, they were forced into extra time... where they finally broke the deadlock through Mason Bennett on 92’. But rather than run away with the game from there, they immediately conceded (Crocs made a good save and no defender backed up him by getting to the rebound) then got taken to penalties. Could have been a Max Crocombe Saves The Day storyline if things had gone differently. He did save one of the kicks he faced... but Burton missed their first and third attempts so were behind the eight ball the whole way. 1-1 after extra time. 4-3 to Tamworth on penalties. That was embarrassing.

This was a team that battled to avoid relegation from League One last season with Max Crocombe’s performances one of the main reasons that they eventually did – hence his Player of the Season award at the club’s prizegiving. In the offseason they changed ownership and changed manager and apparently broke a British record by signing 23 new players in a single window (and getting rid of 24). But they sacked Mark Robinson in October, currently have one win from 16 league games, and just got dumped out of the FA Cup by a minnow. It’s not looking good.

There were two other FA Cup ties involving the clubs that we follow. Reading made it tough for themselves with a red card along the way but they did win 5-3 against Harborough Town after extra time. Tyler Bindon didn’t play though, they rested him on the bench (which is probably why they conceded three goals). Ben Waine did play for Mansfield Town, getting an hour up front as they won 1-0 away to Stevenage. Didn’t have much to do as Stevenage completely dominated yet a wonderful 48th minute goal from Stephen McLaughlin on the volley ensured that it was Mansfield who won and progressed. Mansfield Town will host Wigan Athletic in the third round while Reading host Burnley. Chris Wood’s Nottingham Forest are at home against Luton Town in their third rounder.

Up Next: Perhaps Burton Albion will do better away to Peterborough on Thurs at 8.45am or home to Wrexham on Sun at 4am (NZT)

Owen Parker-Price, Dom Woolridge, Harry Moss-Edge & Sean Bright – Torslanda IK (Swedish Ettan Södra)

The season finished a few weeks ago for Torslanda but they weren’t allowed to ease up just yet because the Svenska Cupen has a very weird format that spans across seasons. Back in June, Torslanda won 2-1 against fellow third-tier side Onsala BK in the first round, with Owen Parker-Price scoring twice. The second round then mostly took place around August but a few teams did postpone their fixtures due to clashes, leading to a scattering of games through October. But poor old Torslanda... these jokers had to wait until the very end of November, two months after most of the second round games and a full month beyond the next most recent of them.

The reason for that was they were drawn against Malmö. Reigning champions of Sweden. Current Europa League competitors. Literally the toughest game possible and it took until three weeks after their final Division 1 match before there was a window in which to play it. But then that’s what you want as a lower tiered team, right? Have a crack at the biggest dogs possible and see what happens. They had at least one famous fella on their side for it...

It’s unclear if Rio Ferdinand actually watched the game but the video was a nice touch. And maybe it helped because as the half-time whistle resounded it was still 0-0 and Torslanda, with all of their kiwis involved, were putting up one heck of a resistance. The walls did get breached early in the second half when Isaac Kiese Thelin scored from the penalty spot after a sloppy kick-out by the TIK fullback (53’). But pretty quickly they were back on level terms thanks to a beauty of a touch and finish from Hannes Davidsson (58’) – looks like it might have been OPP with the quick free kick over the top, a tremendous long range pass, though it’s hard to say for sure off the highlights.

Anyway, the drama continued when Daníel Gudjohnsen thought he’d won it for Malmö with a great left footed shot from the edge of the box (88’)... but he had not. That’s because, a minute into stoppage time, Parker-Price collected a corner kick that was pulled back in his direction and he curled it low into the area where it took a deflection onto the crossbar. No luck there, however Sean Bright was lurking to tumble in the afters for a stunning equaliser. Stunning more in terms of the situation and the occasion but regardless this’ll be a finish he remembers the rest of his life...

Funny thing is, Bright was the only one of the kiwi quartet who hadn’t scored this year. OPP got a bunch of them (10 goals and 5 assists across the comps) and even Harry Moss-Edge and Dom Woolridge, both usually defenders, were able to bag one each. Bright was obviously saving his for the most important moment.

That goal took matters into extra time... where the champs were too strong. Malmö scored three more goals to finish with a 5-2 victory, Gudjohnsen ending with a hat-trick. But mate they sure got a scare along the way. All four NZers played full 120 minute games, while coach Declan Edge and football director Dan Keat ought to be stoked with how their team took it to a far bigger and more resourced club. Someone better send the highlights package to superfan Rio Ferdinand.

Up Next: The offseason, for real this time

Support TNC on Patreon, Buy Me A Coffee, or with a Paid Substack if you appreciate the mahi

Also helps to whack an ad, do those likes and shares, and tell your mates about us

Keep cool but care