Canterbury United

Damn, that's a shame about Pendrigh but it will be interesting to see what de Vries ends up doing then

Well as Laurie Blyth used to say "we got taught a futbal lesson". What a shambles Canterbury United were. How the hell did Chang start? My lord, he was below average in the CCL. Auckland a level above us. The puppet master Riera controlled the game - hardly moved out of the centre circle. In the past we would have had someone with some skill and pace on him cutting down his time (he did not have raise a sweat). Canterbury United out-coached today (Gerdsen please take note!) - unable to change the game plan, and the team lacked passion.

Agree with everything being said about Chang and Gerdsen re yesterdays game. Also how has De Vries got multiple offers?? He was very average yesterday and in my opinion has been poor since he came in. Terris would be a much better option and better organizer at the back. However saying all that I believe the mid field didn't help the back four at all yesterday. Auckland city strikers movement into the pockets between the mid field and the back four caused all sorts of problems and created holes in the Dragons back four. They were always struggling and scrambling. Because of that once the Dragons got possession it was turned over very quickly.

Canterbury United out-coached today (Gerdsen please take note!) - unable to change the game plan, and the team lacked passion.

No shock in those facts then.  He can make me eat my beanie by winning the comp. not going to happen is it.

He wonders why top players don't want to play for his team. Why would you want to train 4 or more times a week and then have a full day tied up with a game. If you are 18 and wanting a pro club then fill yeh boots son shine, but playing for the Dragons at that age it's too late.

I love you Canterbury "fans". Only takes one week for the knives to come back out.

Agree that de Vries had an average game yesterday but in my opinion he's a very good player, ran the game against hamilton (i know, not the best opposition). Technically speaking he's got the most pro games played out of anyone in the squad from what i can tell and has played at the highest level in the USL. I don't know about where his offers are from isn't he a dual national so might hold an EU passport?

Stöde is a remote "locality" with a population of less than 600 people. That's about the size of Lawrence, or Dunsandel.

Stöde IF play in the 5th tier in Sweden. They play in one of 12 fifth-tier divisions. There are another 10 divisions in the higher tiers.

This is their home ground:

Copied from the Canterbury United Dragons facebook page (was posted yesterday afternoon)

WELCOME | The Dragon's are excited to announce our new signing, mid-fielder - Luke Tongue.

Luke joins us from the Phoenix but is a footballer returning to his roots.

Luke is a former APFA and Canterbury School of Football attendee.

Get along this Sunday as The DRAGONS will be out to turn around yesterday's loss when they take on Phoenix Reserves. KO2pm!!

Ah....so I imagine it went something like this: Pendrigh signed for a club in Sweden in August, found when he turned up that Stode was a tiny village with a team playing at sub Mainland Premier League level and got the hell out of there after a few trainings, fetching up at Canterbury United instead.

Now his agent has done some Google research about Swedish football and with the January transfer window open, found Pendrigh a club playing at a higher level than pub football.

If he's quitting Canterbury United to go back to play pub football at Stode, the boy needs some serious career advice....

Actually has his own Wikipedia page already:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luke_Tongue

Turns 19 tomorrow.

Will be playing against his former team if he plays against the Phoenix Reserves on Sunday.

Has made eight appearances for the "Wee Nix" this season. Was on the bench for them on 13th January vs. Hawkes Bay United.

https://int.soccerway.com/players/luke--tongue-/42...

14 appearances last Premiership season, 5 the season before that.

He has made one appearance for the Phoenix first team - early this season on 1 August 2017 in a round of 32 FFA Cup match against A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers FC:

https://www.theffacup.com.au/match/western-sydney-...

98th minute sub in first period of extra time, replaced Alex Rufer (he played 25 minutes).

Left-footed defender

He scored for the Wee Nix in Round Nine the week before Xmas:

Not quite like that from what I heard. He signed and spent 2.5months at Stode, where he performed well and got the chance to train with a few teams in higher levels. He has since returned going to a team in Division 1, 3rd tier, so his career is on the up in that sense

Updated table after Auckland City defeated Eastern Suburbs 2 - 0 this evening in their catch up game.

Unsure if Luke was on a pro contract as a 4 week stand down going from pro to amateur ranks.

As I understand it, it's how Phil tells it. The Swedish season had ended for 2017 when he came to Canterbury. Similar to other players who play in March-OctoberNovember leagues (US, Aus, Scandinavia) and play in NZ in between. 

Former Dragons defender from last season Felix Komolong (Papua New Guinea international) had a good year in US college soccer.

Played 8 matches (four starts) and scored 4 goals for Northern Kentucky Norse in the 2017 NCAA season. Impressive goal scoring record for a defender from only four starts !

His stats on the Northern Kentucky Norse website:

http://www.nkunorse.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=3786

(Only signed part way through their college soccer season after leaving Canterbury United)

2017: "Played in eight matches for the Norse this season, making four starts…Scored a fantastic goal against IUPUI on Sept 23 in the team’s 3-0 win…Saw action in three of the team’s eight shutouts this year…Recorded a career-high 103 minutes played against Green Bay on Nov. 3.


Prior to NKU: Graduated from Kings College in 2015…In 2017, saw time with Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) National Team in World Cup Qualifying…Played with PNG U-17 (2013), PNG U-20 (2014) and PNG U-23 (2015)…At the club level, the defender recently played with Canterbury United FC in Christchurch, New Zealand of the ASB Premiership…Komolong is the younger brother of NKU men’s soccer alum Alwin Komolong."

Follow his career on the new Yellow Fever forum thread on Oceania players playing overseas:

http://www.yellowfever.co.nz/categories/general-fo...

Hamish Watson (who scored last weekend in the upset away win vs.Waitakere) and Liam Wood (defender), two of the Wee Nix's best players from last weekend have quit to join Team Wellington.

But Alex Rufer and Sarpreet Singh join the squad from the Phoenix first team for tomorrow's match:

http://www.nzfootball.co.nz/newsarticle/58029

Squads:

Canterbury United Dragons: 1. Coey Turipa (GK), 2. Dan Terris, 3. Aaron Spain, 5. Tom Schwarz, 6. Gary Ogilvie, 7. Travis Nicklaw, 8. Luke Tongue, 10. Futa Nakamura, 12. George King, 13. Lewis Gordon (GK), 15. Andreas Wilson, 16. Cory Mitchell, 17. Stephen Hoyle, 19. Francis de Vries, 23. Sebastian Schacht, 30. Seth Clark
Coach: Willy Gerdsen

Wellington Phoenix Reserves: 1. Keegan Smith (GK), 2. Pranay Singh, 3. Jacob Williams, 4. Liam Moore, 6. Liberto Cacace, 8. Ollie Whyte, 10. Willem Ebbinge, 11. Sam Sutton, 12. Ollie Valentine, 14. Alex Rufer, 18. Sarpreet Singh, 19. Sam Philip, 23. Benjamin Waine, 46. Logan Rogerson, 51. Noah Tipene-Clegg
Coach: Chris Greenacre

Both came on for the Phoenix tonight so don't think we'll see them tomorrow.

Good come from behind 3 - 2 over Wellington Phoenix after 1 - 1 at the break - scorers - Futa Nakamura, Tom Schwarz and Dan Terris.

Other results

Tasman 1 Team Wellington 4

Hamilton Wanderers 0 Auckland City 1

Southern 1 Waitakere 0

Hawkes Bay 2 Eastern Suburbs 0

Dragons home again next Sunday at 2pm when they take on Southern United.

Updated table:

Marginally better performance than last week. I was actually very impressed with the Weenix for the first 60-65mins and thought they were the better team up until then. Willy made some changes that I think along with the Weenix making some subs, changed the game. So credit where credit is due but maybe he could have started with players in there correct positions, mainly King as a fullback. The dragons midfield looked cumbersome up until the subs, which gave them some energy to get over top of the Weenix. However the Weenix got in behind the Dragons left fullback (Spain and King) on regular occasions and could have either won it or snatched a draw. But they got the result and that is you can really ask for. I think they will just scrap into the semi but wont trouble the top two.

Yes if the Weenix could have easily won a share the points. Dan Terris scoring at one end and then blocking a couple at the other end, in the end was a deciding factor.

Turipa made a seriously good save at this near post to deny the Nix in the dying minutes

Hey everyone. Here is my piece on the recent game.

Canterbury United 3 vs Wellington Phoenix Reserves 2

Yes was a great save and I saw a great pic of it on Twitter as well. 

Nice write up.  Smart move bringing King back to left back later in the game as he could sit tighter on Rogerson who looked so dangerous.  Tom was getting pulled out of position chasing him when he was beating his man.

Back to back wins with a late penalty seeing the Dragons 2 - 1 winners over Southern United

Other results:

Hamilton finally recording a win, 2 - 1 over Waitakere

Tasman United 5 - 2 over Hawkes Bays with former Canterbury United Youth player, Lyle Matthysen scoring his debut premiership goal for Tasman two minutes after coming on after being subbed on

Eastern Suburbs crushing the WeeNix 7 -1.

Will update the table once the late game Auckland City verses Team Wellington is completed

Auckland City 0 Team Wellington 0

Canterbury United play their catch-up game against WeeNix next Sunday in Wellington

Updated table:

HT WeeNix 2 Canterbury United 1 - George King 43'

FT WeeNix 3 Canterbury United 5 - George King 43', Gary Ogilvie - pen 50' & 90 + 2, Stephen Hoyle 59', Tom Schwarz 82'

Other results

Hawkes Bays 0 Auckland City 3

Southern United 1 Team Wellington 3

Will post updated table after the late game between Eastern Suburbs and Tasman United.

Results currently see the Dragons move ahead of Eastern Suburbs with Suburbs needing a draw or better to reclaim third spot.

Any idea how the playoffs will work this year? Normally 1 v 4 and 2 v 3 isn't it? And it's home and away? Just trying to sort the calendar....

Final game saw Eastern Suburbs 3 Tasman United 0 to move Eastern back into third place on the table with the Dragon now having a game in hand over the three sides above them and Tasman who are directly behind them on the table.

Next Sunday Canterbury United away to Hamilton Wanderers at 4:35 with the game live on Sky

Updated table:

Yes 1 v 4 on 24 March with 2 v 3 on 25 March, just one off games this year, with the Grand Final on 1 April  Don't forgot if teams are level on points, forgot the goal difference it is decided on the head to head results, hence the Final being played on April Fools Day.

Ok cool, need to get 2nd then!

Yes to have a home semi

How much do the Dragons players get reimbursed for having to take time off work the next two Monday mornings?

Problems with the draw when you have two late away game kick offs on consecutive weeks.

NZF staff [Farrow and Forde] maybe not skilled enough to note a problem and get sorted out prior to the season.

Both games are on TV against Hamilton this Sunday and HBU the following Sunday. 

Oh dear, it's terrible really isn't it.

Good lord

I am not defending NZF (God forbid!) but isn't a draft draw sent out to the franchises prior to the final publication of the draw?  Perhaps there is fault on both sides, unless any Canterbury objections, if any, were over-ruled.

With the results so far this weekend - (Tasman 0 Auckland City 1, Team Wellington 4 Waitakere 1 and Southern 4  WeeNix 0) Canterbury United are certain of a play-offs spot even before they kick-off against Hamilton Wanderers at 4:35pm.

Need to keep picking up the wins to try and finish second to clinch a home semi for the play-offs in March.

Looking pretty honking v tron so far

score?