Bill Tuiloma (Charlotte FC | USA)
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/03/united-states/mls/nashville-mls/charlotte-mls/4004889/
Edit - a 1-1 draw. Both goals post 90 mins
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/17/united-states/mls/charlotte-mls/washington-district-of-columbia-united/4004901/
Would make a useful first Auckland ALM team captain.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/21/united-states/mls/charlotte-mls/philadelphia-union/4004914/
Edit - finishes 2-2.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/09/24/united-states/mls/fc-cincinnati/charlotte-mls/4004929/
Edit - unused sub in a 3-0 loss.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/01/united-states/mls/new-england-revolution/charlotte-mls/4004944/
Charlotte 13th, and 4 points off Finals playoff spot (teams 8th-9th) with 5 games left. Final 2 games are H&A against Messi's Inter Miami. Messi & Alba have missed the last 2 IM games.
Charlotte (14th in the East) host John Herdman's Toronto (15th). Herdman's first game in charge (well sort of).
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/05/united-states/mls/charlotte-mls/toronto-fc/4004956/
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/john-herdman-takes-over-as-coach-of-toronto-fc-but-plans-to-be-an-observer-this-week-1.6585267
Wonder if Jay Herdman recovers well from his ACL injury, Dad will bring him across the Canadian prairies to Ontario.
Edit - 3-0 win Charlotte, with BT an unused sub. He hasn't played for awhile. Charlotte may still ask him to miss the Socceroos game, as they have Inter Miami the day after, and their playoff hopes are knife edge.
A losing start to Herdman's coaching gig at Toronto.
Charlotte (13th in the East) 2 points off the playoff spots with 3 MLS games left. Those 3 games finish with a double header (H&A) against Messi's Inter Miami. The GOAT & Jordi Alba are both injured at the mo.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/08/united-states/mls/chicago-fire/charlotte-mls/4004976/
Charlotte 1 point of the playoffs (with a game in hand), Miami's season is over. Messi made his injury return off the bench for Miami today. I'm sure Billy T is crossing his fingers he gets a chance to take the field against the GOAT. Would be the first ever Kiwi to do so??
Update. Looks like next year before Billy T gets a chance to match up against Lionel.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/300985093/substitute-lionel-messi-cant-save-inter-miami-as-mls-playoff-hopes-ended-by-10-loss
Miami went 1-2-2 with Messi out of the lineup. Messi likely played his last MLS match of the season after Miami’s elimination. He also has pending World Cup qualifying commitments with Argentina.
Charlotte 1 point of the playoffs (with a game in hand), Miami's season is over. Messi made his injury return off the bench for Miami today. I'm sure Billy T is crossing his fingers he gets a chance to take the field against the GOAT. Would be the first ever Kiwi to do so??
Update. Looks like next year before Billy T gets a chance to match up against Lionel.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/300985093/substitute-lionel-messi-cant-save-inter-miami-as-mls-playoff-hopes-ended-by-10-loss
Miami went 1-2-2 with Messi out of the lineup. Messi likely played his last MLS match of the season after Miami’s elimination. He also has pending World Cup qualifying commitments with Argentina.
Basically a must win game for Charlotte to make the playoffs. Miami's season is over. Same 2 teams meet at Charlotte on the weekend, in the last round. Sadly for Billy T, sounds like Messi will skip that match as well.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/19/united-states/mls/inter-miami/charlotte-mls/4004843/
No Messi for the hosts, who have Busquets starting and Jordi Alba on the bench.
They will host Inter Miami. Last round (Sunday morning NZT) all the Eastern Conference games kick off at the same time, then all the Western Conference games kick off together 3 hours later.
https://us.soccerway.com/national/united-states/mls/2023/regular-season/r73545/
All Eastern Conference games kick off at the same time. Same 3 hours later all Western Conference matches.
Basically must win for Charlotte (12th, but only out the playoff spots on GD) to make top 9 teams in the playoffs. They host Inter Miami (14th).
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/22/united-states/mls/charlotte-mls/inter-miami/4004982/
No GOAT for Miami. So he's still missing that career highlight of never sharing a football pitch with a Kiwi. Will have to wait until MLS 2024.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2023/10/25/united-states/mls/new-york-red-bulls/charlotte-mls/4263843/
Edit - New York 3-0 up at HT, so looks like season over for Charlotte. Might as well throw Billy T on.
Him & Boxy will have to stay fit for the AWs friendlies in Europe next month. They may do that in NZ, as the US winter closes in.
Both might be having a chat to the Foley Group (if it has staff in Auckland yet) over the summer. Reckon at least one of them will be a target for the new Auckland ALM team, even if they need to pay a transfer fee to either of their MLS clubs. Though I think Mikey Boxall is now off contract with Minny, who will have a new coach for the first time in their existence in 2024.
Tuiloma had 15 starts for Charlotte (34 game season), but the last one was on 16th July (3 months ago). No goals. He scored 6 in the MLS for Portland in 2022! He'll be 29 next March.
Is his wife a Kiwi or an American? Where does he see himself living long term? There are alot of ex AWs who have made the US of A their home post football. But exciting new challenge I imagine pro football in his home town.
Is his wife a Kiwi or an American? Where does he see himself living long term? There are alot of ex AWs who have made the US of A their home post football. But exciting new challenge I imagine pro football in his home town.
Wife kiwi. Aucklanders. I think 1 more year in states and 1 year in A-league. Bill will stick around and dig in i reckon. But will eventually end up in Auckland or Welly, more likely Auckland.
Assumptions only.
America pretty good life so retirement there would be an option. But most kiwis come home
Good news for Bill Tuiloma, who was woefully misused as an attacking threat, then got moved form CB to RB, then got dropped entirely after an injury break
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) November 8, 2023
He hasn’t played a club game since July having been an unused sub in each of the last 6 games… hence his All Whites absence https://t.co/eOauEn7z6W
Tuiloma in 2021 (Portland):
— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) November 8, 2023
22 shots, 6 SOT, 1.1 shots/90, 4 direct FKs, 1.7 xG
Tuiloma in 2022 (Portland):
47 shots, 12 SOT, 1.88 shots/90, 14 direct FKs, 3.7xG (and 6 goals!)
Tuiloma in 2023 (Charlotte):
6 shots, 2 SOT, 0.4 shots/90, 2 direct FKs, 0.4 xG
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— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) November 8, 2023
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Would be a great 1st captain for Auckland FC, if the Foley group could get him on a free.
....former Aston Villa boss Dean Smith just been hired as the new head coach at Charlotte FC where hopefully he’ll start picking Bill Tuiloma and let him take free kicks again.
MLS starts next weekend.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/02/17/world/club-friendlies/charlotte-mls/nsc-minnesota-stars/4296802/
YOU HEARD THE PREZ 🚨
— Charlotte FC (@CharlotteFC) February 16, 2024
Can't. Miss. See y'all on the 24th.#ForTheCrown https://t.co/lEoiMkiuat pic.twitter.com/yLtXhGsCGz
Boxall suited up for Minny, but not Tuiloma for Charlotte.
Was injured about mid season MLS last year, but when he came back, he barely played at all. Charlotte have a new coach, so I guess he has a window to prove himself. Would release him mid contract on a free? Maybe unlikely
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2024/02/25/united-states/mls/charlotte-mls/new-york-city/4286100/