Stefan Marinovic (TSV Grünwald | Germany)

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/125296203/israeli-premier-league-club-announces-signing-of-wellington-phoenix-goalkeeper

Back to the 'Kiwis Overseas' thread in due course. He'll be happy that Israel is pretty much top of the Covid vaccine stats.

Wonder if Hemed was yes involved at all in the signing? Is an unusual destination for a non Jewish Kiwi.

coochiee

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/a-league/125296203/israeli-premier-league-club-announces-signing-of-wellington-phoenix-goalkeeper

Back to the 'Kiwis Overseas' thread in due course. He'll be happy that Israel is pretty much top of the Covid vaccine stats.

Wonder if Hemed was yes involved at all in the signing? Is an unusual destination for a non Jewish Kiwi.

What’s stranger is that it’s a tiny club in Israel. They’ve been in the lower leagues for quite some time and 4 years ago were in the third division. They were a “big” club in the 70s and 80s but nothing since. If he went to Maccabi Haifa, Hapoel Tel Aviv or Hapeol Beer Sheva it would have made sense but not to Nof Hagalil!

I wouldn’t mind betting that his stocks aren’t really that high. Where has he really excelled and maintained the #1 spot at the club?

Napier Phoenix

I wouldn’t mind betting that his stocks aren’t really that high. Where has he really excelled and maintained the #1 spot at the club?

The very definition of 'dodgy keeper'.

Napier Phoenix

I wouldn’t mind betting that his stocks aren’t really that high. Where has he really excelled and maintained the #1 spot at the club?

He’s played as a first choice for a team in the MLS playoffs at Vancouver, and was one of the best keepers in the league last season, and was fairly unlucky to have lost his spot to Sail, not to mention he’s played at the Confederations Cup, and against various teams with the AWs. MLS would be better than most European leagues, and I reckon he’s better than Lawrence Thomas (ex Victory keeper), for example, who went to SønderjyskE, who are top 6 in Denmark, so this new team I’d have thought would be below his station honestly. He also has an EU (Croatian) passport to make signing in Continental Europe easier, and speaks (I think) fluent German.

That's some quality yarn spinning. 

Putting its sharkty politicial issues to one side, I would put Israel up there with New Zealand in terms of a place to live. Absolutely amazing country in terms of  beauty and scenery. Saying that the town he is going to looks hell on earth, an unattractive Jewish township overlooking Nazerth.
Wellington on a bad day would be paradise compared to that

Don't think personally the Promised Land holds a candle to NZ's varied scenic beauty. I just remember heat, dryness, dust and more June heat. But yes with lots of fascinating landmarks & history. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Each to their own.

Putting it's sharkty politics front & centre, one thing it definitely ain't is dull. Something that some people can level at Welly & NZ as a whole, to be fair. Maybe big Stef is just searching for some more excitement in his life. Got his pilot's licence after all. Though the opportunities to get airborne over there may currently be limited!

carlind

Napier Phoenix

I wouldn’t mind betting that his stocks aren’t really that high. Where has he really excelled and maintained the #1 spot at the club?

He’s played as a first choice for a team in the MLS playoffs at Vancouver, and was one of the best keepers in the league last season, and was fairly unlucky to have lost his spot to Sail, not to mention he’s played at the Confederations Cup, and against various teams with the AWs. MLS would be better than most European leagues, and I reckon he’s better than Lawrence Thomas (ex Victory keeper), for example, who went to SønderjyskE, who are top 6 in Denmark, so this new team I’d have thought would be below his station honestly. He also has an EU (Croatian) passport to make signing in Continental Europe easier, and speaks (I think) fluent German.

I don't think you've grasped what I actually said. I did say maintained and even the examples you gave show he hasn't done that. I wouldn't think a decent club is going to look at his record and make a substantial offer to him. Maybe another season as #1 at the Nix this year would have elevated his stocks for the market. What is his recent history? dropped from the A League, a very poor debut and then dropped at Bristol, dropped at Vancouver..... I'm not belittling him as a player only pointing out his market appeal.

I've always thought he was a middling A League keeper at best and nothing more and he has always been prone to gaffs at his near post (which helped him getting dropped from the Nix, cost the AWs etc) but for the good of the AWs it's better our No.2 keeper is playing in a half decent competition.  

This might just be a stepping stone to a better club or is his actual level.  Only time will tell. 

Anyways all the best for the future Stef.

AucklandPhoenix

Putting its sharkty politicial issues to one side, I would put Israel up there with New Zealand in terms of a place to live. Absolutely amazing country in terms of  beauty and scenery. Saying that the town he is going to looks hell on earth, an unattractive Jewish township overlooking Nazerth.
Wellington on a bad day would be paradise compared to that

Most of the players from that club live in the Haifa/Netanya area which is about an hour drive to Tiberius. Haifa ain’t a bad spot!

a severe amount of revisionist thinking here

From this week's Flying Kiwis.

“Goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic has signed with the team for next season with an option for another season through agent Idan Ben Abu (ISCOUT) a representative of the global CAABase. The 29-year-old Croatian-heritage goalkeeper stands at a height of 1.92m and has been capped in 24 games for the New Zealand team. This season completes his second season at Wellington Phoenix in the Australian A-League (along with Tomer Hemed). Prior to that he was in Bristol City from the English Championship and even played 2 seasons in the MLS in a Vancouver uniform.”

Look, when you’re the incumbent national team goalie and you lose your starting place at club level, then the club re-sign the guy that’s starting ahead of you, who is also a candidate for the national team (alongside several other dudes including a guy likely to be starting at the Olympics in a few weeks who plays professionally in the Netherlands and the Olympics head coach is the same guy who is in charge of the main national team), then you probably need to find another club where you can play more regularly. Stefan Marinovic is off contract with the Welly Nix at the end of this season. The Phoenix are yet to announce anything themselves – rather big final week of the season taking precedence there – but here we are over in Israel where Hapoel Nof HaGalil have jumped the gun on the deal.

Hapoel Nof HaGalil had been playing in the second tier of Israeli footy but they topped that division with 57 points from 30 games and then went undefeated through their seven promotion-round matches to with the Liga Leumit title and earn top flight status for next time. That promotion has been a long time coming, they’ve had some close calls over the years but have only actually had one spell in the top flight in the early 00s. But now they’re back and they’re calling upon some recommendations in order to stay there.  

Time for a move back to the Overseas Players thread.

Shalom Stef.

Thanks Stefan! You were a beast and had Ollie Sail playing on one arm to hang on to his contract. 
Best of luck overseas. Hope you find a club with a good fit and get your fitness and beast mode back in action. 

Was superb last season, can’t fault him at all. Really made the loss of kurto barely register. Wish him all the luck up there

Makes his competitive debut in Israel via cup comp - Toto Cup Ligat Al. Hapoel Nof HaGalil with a 1-2 loss to Bnei Sakhnin.
https://www.flashscore.com/match/QPfy0cKa/#match-summary/lineups

Can Mods please move Marinovic to Overseas Player thread.

In goal for a 1-1 draw against Kiryat Shmona in Toto Cup Ligat Al. 

Kiryat Shmona club where Dylan De Jong spent some time.

In goal for a 1-2 loss to Hapoel Haifa in Toto Cup Ligat Al. 

In goal for a 3-2 loss at Hapoel Hadera in Toto Cup Ligat Al.

League starts in 2 weeks.

On the bench as Hapoel Nof HaGalil lose on pens to Beitar Jerusalem (0-0 after NT) in Toto Cup Ligat Al.

League starts this weekend.

coochiee

On the bench as Hapoel Nof HaGalil lose on pens to Beitar Jerusalem (0-0 after NT) in Toto Cup Ligat Al.

League starts this weekend.

Demoted to backup already? Or a case of seeing what the other guy can do?

YoungHeart

coochiee

On the bench as Hapoel Nof HaGalil lose on pens to Beitar Jerusalem (0-0 after NT) in Toto Cup Ligat Al.

League starts this weekend.

Demoted to backup already? Or a case of seeing what the other guy can do?

Playing the reserve keeper in a preseason tournament in a 13th/14th place playoff isn't anything to worry about!

mrsmiis

YoungHeart

coochiee

On the bench as Hapoel Nof HaGalil lose on pens to Beitar Jerusalem (0-0 after NT) in Toto Cup Ligat Al.

League starts this weekend.

Demoted to backup already? Or a case of seeing what the other guy can do?

Playing the reserve keeper in a preseason tournament in a 13th/14th place playoff isn't anything to worry about!

Hence the question.
Although the other joker did manage to keep a clean sheet. 

Will be interesting to see how he gets on over there for sure.

From Flying Kiwis. Highlights of recent 2-3 loss to  Hapoel Hadera.
https://youtu.be/Ea_m568VQP0

In goal as Hapoel Nof HaGalil start their Israeli league season with a 0-0 draw against Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem.

In goal for a 3-1 win at Maccabi Netanya.

Hapoel Nof HaGalil actually 2nd on the table, after two rounds.

In goal for a 2-0 win over last placed Ashdod.
3 rounds in and Hapoel Nof HaGalil remain 1st.

In goal for a 1-0 loss at Kiryat Shmona (8th).
Hapoel Nof HaGalil down to 3rd.

In goal for a 1-1 draw with Hapoel Tel Aviv (4th).
Hapoel Nof HaGalil (3rd) with a late 95th min equaliser.

In goal for a 3-1 loss at top of the table Hapoel Haifa.
Hapoel Nof HaGalil 5th.

In goal as Hapoel Nof HaGalil (9th) go down 4-0 at Maccabi Petah Tikva (6th).
Last 2 goals were pens.

In goal yesterday as Hapoel Nof HaGalil (7th) beat Beitar Jerusalem (11th), 1-0.
Beitar Jerusalem 85 mins with 10 men.

In goal as Hapoel Nof HaGalil (7th) draw 0-0 at Hapoel Hadera (5th).