With a month of the regular season still to play, one Kiwi has already booked a berth in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) play-offs in the United States after Abby Erceg’s North Carolina Courage secured their place for a third successive season.

The Courage did so courtesy of a 1-0 win over the Houston Dash yesterday, the goal finally coming from the penalty spot with only a few minutes remaining. Skipper Erceg lined up in the heart of defence and was her usual commanding self as the league-leading Courage kept another clean sheet.

Erceg also had a personal milestone to celebrate a week earlier after making her 100th regular season career start against the Portland Thorns, in which the Courage went on the goal rampage to win 6-0. Just a few days later, the defending champions repeated the trick to outclass Orlando Pride 6-1 and take huge momentum into yesterday's clash against the Dash.

The Utah Royals’ push for the play-offs meanwhile suffered a setback after Katie Bowen was unable to prevent a 2-1 loss to the Dash over the weekend. Bowen lined up at right back in the defeat, which snapped a five-game unbeaten streak – the longest in club history.

Bowen will come up against a fellow Football Fern today when the Royals travel to Reign FC in a match that will have big implications for the post-season.

Rosie White’s Reign are level with fourth-placed Utah as the business end of the season approaches, giving the three points increased importance.

The Reign are coming in off the back of a 2-2 draw against Washington Spirit, White starting the game but being replaced at half-time by superstar Megan Rapinoe. White had a couple of chances to score before being replaced, seeing an early strike tipped onto the crossbar before directing a header off target just prior to the break.

Three straight wins for Nayler

Goalkeeper Erin Nayler and her Bordeaux team mates have started the French season in imperious form, earning three straight wins to begin the new campaign. The latest was a hard-earned 1-0 triumph over Montpellier, in which the Football Ferns custodian made several fine saves to record a clean sheet.

Elsewhere in Europe, CJ Bott is also enjoying a winning run with Vittsjö GIK, who are just four points off the top of the Swedish Damallsvenskan with only five games to play. Bott took up her regular spot at left back against KIF Örebro and helped her team keep a third consecutive clean sheet in a 1-0 victory.

In Germany, Football Ferns captain Ali Riley was an unused substitute as Bayern Munich headed to Sweden for the first leg of their Champions League tie against Göteborg. Bayern will take a 2-1 lead into the home leg but couldn’t follow up with another win on their return to domestic action, Riley again looking on from the bench in a 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen.

Singh pulls strings for Bayern

Young All Whites star Sarpreet Singh is continuing to prove a real creative force for the Bayern Munich second team, notching another assist in a 2-2 draw with Sonnenhof Großaspach. Bayern were already a goal up when Singh received the ball just inside his own half and drove forward before picking out Marcel Zylla with an inch-perfect lofted pass.

Bayern then proceeded to throw away their two-goal lead though and are now just four places off bottom spot in the 20-team German third tier.

Singh recently conducted an interview for the Bayern Munich website and spoke of his delight at progressing so well with such a famous club.

“The first two months couldn’t have gone better,” he said.

“The fact I was able to travel to the USA with the first team and was trusted to get plenty of playing time there and in the Audi Cup is amazing. All in all, I feel that I belong to both teams and have been able to get to know several sides of the club. I’m super happy.”

Over in Denmark, Marco Rojas got most of the match under his belt in a midfield role but was withdrawn with 20 minutes remaining as SønderjyskE played out a scoreless draw with AC Horsens.

Wood picks up point

Chris Wood helped Burnley earn a vital point at Brighton and Hove Albion, playing for over an hour as the Clarets salvaged a 1-1 draw against one of his old clubs with a late strike.

The Seagulls looked set to claim a win when taking a one-goal lead into injury time but Republic of Ireland international Jeff Hendrick popped up to notch a dramatic equaliser with one of the last kicks of the game.

The in-form pair of Ashley Barnes and Wood both started the match for Burnley and Brighton would have been wary of the threat of the All Whites striker, who has often proved the scourge of Albion since helping them win the League One title in 2010-11.

But the home defence largely kept Burnley’s front two quiet and Wood – who scored twice in the same fixture last year – had only one chance to find the net, side-footing wide from close range.

There is meanwhile still no sign of Winston Reid in a match day squad for West Ham United, who played out a scoreless stalemate at Aston Villa and are now eighth on the table.

In the lower divisions in England, Steven Old’s Morecambe appear set for another battle against relegation in League Two as they have picked up just six points from their opening eight games. Old took up his regular place in the middle of the Morecambe defence but couldn’t prevent a 3-0 loss to Scunthorpe United.

Clayton Lewis was not considered for selection by Scunthorpe manager Paul Hurst as he is currently with the New Zealand U-23 national team preparing for the Olympic qualifiers in Fiji this month.

In League One, young goalkeeper Nik Tzanev was an unused substitute as AFC Wimbledon fell to a 2-1 loss at table-topping Coventry City.

Historic day for Percival

Ria Percival was involved in a historic occasion for Tottenham Hotspur, captaining Spurs to a 1-0 win over Liverpool – their first ever victory in the top-flight FA Women’s Super League. It was already a landmark day for Tottenham as it was their first home fixture since being promoted to the highest division and they continued the ground-breaking moments when a first-half penalty proved enough to claim all three points.

Percival and her team mates had graced the field of one of English football’s most iconic stadiums a week earlier, making the club’s Super League debut in a 1-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in front of over 25,000 fans.

Olivia Chance meanwhile did not have to wait long to come up against her former employers, taking on Everton in one of her first matches for Bristol City. The midfielder came off the bench just before the hour but the Robins were already 2-0 down by that point and she couldn’t help turn things around as the scoreline remained that way.

Chance had made her debut a week earlier, featuring for the last 20 minutes as Bristol played out a scoreless stalemate with Brighton in front of a record crowd of over 3,000 at Ashton Gate.

Katie Rood had more to celebrate in the second-tier Championship, helping Lewes to a last-gasp 2-1 win over Coventry United. The speedy striker lined up on the left wing and proved a handful in the first half but was withdrawn on the hour with the score locked at 1-1. It looked like that’s how it would stay as the clock ticked down but Lewes found a winner with one of the last kicks of the game to secure their second win of the season and rise to fourth on the ladder.

Boxall helps with gender reveal

Michael Boxall was involved in a touching moment with a pair of Minnesota United fans after his team’s 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer (MLS), helping them discover the gender of their baby. After helping his team to the victory, the defender was asked to put his boot through a football filled with colourful powder – blue for a boy and pink for a girl. When he did so, pink powder came billowing out, revealing the couple would be having a girl.

Fellow All Whites defender Tommy Smith was involved in no such colourful exploits and did not have a win to celebrate either as the Colorado Rapids were beaten 3-2 by Toronto in an entertaining encounter.

Bill Tuiloma likewise did not have a day to remember for the Portland Timbers, being handed a start but unfortunately forcing the ball into his own net for the only goal of the game in a narrow 1-0 loss to DC United. He did however get to share the pitch with a genuine footballing legend as former Manchester United and England star Wayne Rooney was playing up front for DC

Change of scene for Brockie

A frustrating spell at Mamelodi Sundowns has come to an end for Jeremy Brockie for the moment after the former All White moved to fellow South Africa outfit Maritzburg United on loan.

Brockie turns 32 next month and will be itching to get on the pitch after being starved of action for the Sundowns this season. He will have to wait a little longer to return to the field though as Maritzburg are set to take on the Sundowns this weekend but Brockie has been denied to chance to face his parent club due to the terms of his loan agreement preventing that.

Maritzburg are coached by former South African international Eric Tinkler, who is hoping the Kiwi rediscovers his previous prolific form.

Article added: Thursday 19 September 2019