Ian Hogg (Wellington Phoenix)

182 replies · 28,169 views

over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

PORTLAND, Ore. – The Portland Timbers today announced that the club has acquired New Zealand international defender Ian Hogg and has traded defender Mike Chabala to D.C. United in exchange for a natural first-round pick in the 2014 MLS Supplemental Draft. Per club and league policies, terms of the transactions were not disclosed. Timbers general manager/interim head coach Gavin Wilkinson made the announcements.

Hogg, 22, recently competed for New Zealand in the London 2012 Olympics and has four caps with the senior New Zealand National Team. Hogg has played six seasons in New Zealand’s first division, the ASB Premiership. He will be added to the roster officially upon receipt of his P-1 Visa and International Transfer Certificate.

“Ian is a young, talented left back with good athleticism and a desire to succeed,” Wilkinson said. “We have signed him through the remainder of the season and look forward to closely evaluating him as we move to next season.”

A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Hogg played in all three group-stage matches for the “Oly Whites” at the London 2012 Olympics. He made his senior international debut May 23, scoring a goal in a friendly against El Salvador, and also played in two 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers during the OFC Nations Cup in June. Hogg has been a part of the New Zealand National Team system at the U-20 and U-23 levels and also competed in the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Hogg began his career at the age of 16 with Hawke’s Bay United during the 2006-07 season. He played the past three seasons (2009-12) for Auckland City FC, helping the club to three consecutive playoff appearances, two FIFA Club World Cup appearances (2009, 2011) and back-to-back O-League titles in 2010-11 and 2011-12. Hogg was selected as Auckland City’s Young Player of the Year following the 2009-10 campaign, in which he played in 31 matches and scored two goals across all competitions.

Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer

Chabala, 28, played in 23 matches (19 starts) and recorded a goal and two assists for the Timbers since joining the club from the Houston Dynamo in a trade July 21, 2011. He played nine games for Portland in 2012. In his career, Chabala has played 70 MLS matches with Houston (2006-11) and Portland, logging 5,154 minutes, two goals and nine assists.

“We appreciate Mike’s contributions to the team and thought it was best to give him this opportunity for more playing time and a fresh start with a new club,” Wilkinson said.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Mixed reaction on the Timbers Facebook page with people questioning Gavin Wilkinson a lot. Lets hope Ian Hogg can do well for them and turn that around. Glad to see him finally get a professional gig.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Interesting move on the part of the Timbers, they sure do like the kiwis there. Considering that Lochhead's getting on a bit its great to see his replacement going pro, might even be the All Whites first choice LB very soon.

Good luck to him!

People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis. You can't trust people.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Nice to see another Kiwi join the club. Even if Hogg only gets to play for the reserve team, he will be getting regular game time which can only be a good thing.

Yellow Fever - Misery loves company

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

http://nasn.tv/portland/2012/08/timbers-sign-new-zealand-international-defender-ian-hogg/

After training, Wilkinson spoke about the Hogg signing, how it came to pass and his expectations:

“We have players in each position that fit numerous different salary cap numbers. We had the opportunity to bring in a young left back just to put him in an environment for the rest of the season and see how he does.”

“[Hogg's] a bit of a fighter, he’s got the desire to succeed and he’s hungry. He’s been at Crystal Palace on trial and we got him out of that trial as quick as this opportunity opened up. It was important for us to bring in a young left back. We’re reduced to Steven Smith. Rodney Wallace can play there. But also it gives us a chance to look at somebody at that position for next year.”

“I’ve been following [Hogg] for quite some time. It’s not something that – ok, here, sign a player just because he’s become available. He matured late, in my opinion, but he’s a very good athlete. He’s still a little bit raw. There’s no doubt that he’s not the finished product. But he’s going to be filling up a minimum wage roster spot, so there’s no risk on our behalf. It’s a semi-guaranteed contract and it gives him the opportunity to be successful. Ian is a young player that I’ve watched for several years now, and speaking to other people around him and his coaching staff, there’s no doubt in my mind that he has the right attitude to be successful.”

“We’re going through the visa process at the moment. He is still in the Olympic Village, actually. As soon as we get the visa part processed, I’ll be able to give you a date.”

Yellow Fever - Misery loves company

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Great move for Hoggy! He's gonna be stoked.

Win win for NZ as it means we have another LB in a professional setup, and also means no more pressure to sign him - so we can get Rowe when we like and actually have 3 decent Loptions at LB for the AWs

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

It sounds like this is sort of a 3 month trial, with no risk at all for the Timbers if Hogg doesn't impress them.

Yellow Fever - Misery loves company

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

It is very much a trial.

Still, great opportunity for Hogg.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

It frustrates me that clubs in other countries are willing to take chances on players that our own pro club will not. Good luck and lets hope he succeeds.

Highlights how good A-League players have it in terms of job security vs the MLS system - pretty tough gig at times when you're not a big timer.

Normo's coming home

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Even if you are a big timer, you are up for grabs, aka, Perkins being traded for Donovan Ricketts (by the timbers) not a good trade if you ask me. Rickettts to prone to njury, to old etc. Perkins was peaking with the Timbers, back bone and almost the life blood. Extraordinary keeper.

We will never fully decide who has won the football.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

james dean wrote:

It frustrates me that clubs in other countries are willing to take chances on players that our own pro club will not. Good luck and lets hope he succeeds.

Highlights how good A-League players have it in terms of job security vs the MLS system - pretty tough gig at times when you're not a big timer.

Ditto on this.

The NZ Olympic squad is supposedly the cream of NZ young talent. How many of the squad are on the books of the Phoenix, including the academy? Answer = ZERO.

After 5 years we have not recruited and retained a single young NZ player. The Academy will hopefully redress that, but you do sometimes wonder whats been going on. We continually recruite a whole bunch of useless foreign no hopers who are obviously not up to it and then dump them and start the whole process again. In the meantime overseas clubs see something in the Howieson's and Paynes and Hoggs and give them a go.

Don't we have an NZ internal scouting system or is the current management just not interested. A good recent example of this is when Rowe was released by Birmingham???? and came home. Nix management were not interested and signed Tsats as the Youth LB despite the fact the fact that most observers I talked to said Rowe looked potentially worth developing and Tsats was just plain shiite!!!!! Now it turns out that Rowe actually is quite good and Tsats has been dumped.....wasting a whole year of player development.

Lots of good rapts on the young RB Thomas. He looks like an excellent prospect in a position that is a waste land in NZ football.Is he likely to be picked up by the Nix?....I wouldn't hold my breath even though Thomas seems to have a firmer grasp on the requirements of playing RB than Downey( another Herbert waste of space recruit).

I wish Hoggy every success. The ball is now in his court( to mix sport metaphors) its all in his hands now. I hope he gets a full time gig and has a long professional career in the MLS.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

james dean wrote:

It frustrates me that clubs in other countries are willing to take chances on players that our own pro club will not. Good luck and lets hope he succeeds.

Highlights how good A-League players have it in terms of job security vs the MLS system - pretty tough gig at times when you're not a big timer.

He'll be playing reserves for them. Something which we've never had. We have the academy players now (which still isn't much of a reserve squad), but I suspect he was always pursuing other options, so wasn't really available.

I look forward to you condescending 'grown ups are talking' type response. Or perhaps you'll ignore me and post a condescending comment belittling the trophymanager forum again. Either way, it'll be fun.

Allegedly

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

So many holes in those agruments, but the weather is too nice to address them all.

So I'll just respond to the re-write of history around Rowe at this stage:

Let's start with Rowe's release occuring well after Tsatallios was signed so Tsatallios was not signed ahead of Rowe. At the time we had to finalise a squad he was not available, Tsatallios was.

Next, his having been a youth player at Birmingham is no guarantee of quality. Covered plenty of times here but how often has a player released from a youth deal by a Premier League club turned out to be nothing? Way more times than they are a success?

Rowe came to Wellington, did well for Team Wellington (where he got to play, he wouldn't have with a mid-season Phoenix transfer) and made the youth/reserves for the Phoenix. That is how it should work.

How's my driving? - Whine here

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Like others have said, there have been some mitigating factors for our lack of youth development. A lack of youth and reserve teams, not having similar budgets as UK or US teams.

Ricki is pretty conservative by nature and clearly prefers players who have A-league or other professional experience. Whether that's him not backing his own recruitment, or him preferring players that he can throw into the starting XI with less concern.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

zinidane wrote:

james dean wrote:

It frustrates me that clubs in other countries are willing to take chances on players that our own pro club will not. Good luck and lets hope he succeeds.

Highlights how good A-League players have it in terms of job security vs the MLS system - pretty tough gig at times when you're not a big timer.

Ditto on this.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

zinidane wrote:

Erm, did you completely forget about the off-season drama for last year?

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Tegal wrote:

That wasn't a piss take - I genuinely have no idea what that was all about and I was interested!!

Normo's coming home

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Hard News wrote:

Let's start with Rowe's release occuring well after Tsatallios was signed so Tsatallios was not signed ahead of Rowe. At the time we had to finalise a squad he was not available, Tsatallios was.

Dave, I have to challenge this. If the nix were interested all they needed to do was pick up the phone and see whether he was going to be available.

We signed cameron lindsay pretty much based on rep didn't we?

The tattsalios signing was one of the worst in the clubs history. Young aussie, he was crap, and he potentially kept a kiwi out of pro football

Normo's coming home

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Fair enough! To be honest,that was a low troll moment that came about through boredom. As you could probably tell.

Allegedly

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

james dean wrote:

Hard News wrote:

Let's start with Rowe's release occuring well after Tsatallios was signed so Tsatallios was not signed ahead of Rowe. At the time we had to finalise a squad he was not available, Tsatallios was.

Dave, I have to challenge this. If the nix were interested all they needed to do was pick up the phone and see whether he was going to be available.

We signed cameron lindsay pretty much based on rep didn't we?

The tattsalios signing was one of the worst in the clubs history. Young aussie, he was crap, and he potentially kept a kiwi out of pro football

Ring ring.

Hello Luke speaking?

Luke, Ricki here. Are you going to be released by Birmingham soon?

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Picking up on the second ring? Way to seem desperate luke.

Allegedly

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Apart from his AW debut performance, Hogg hasn't really shown enough to make him a 'must sign' played for the Phoenix. So I was very surprised to see Portland are willing to take a chance on him.

I do hope it works out for him, but I have my doubts. He will need to win over the fans fast, they let a popular player go to make room for him. And looking at the reactions on twitter, it seems the most common opinion expressed is that it is 'jobs for the boys' by Gavin Wilkinson.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

But hey, Dewhurst reckoned he scored the best goal you will see. Ever!

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

.... and this is why we have the academy now. Hogg was too late for that unfortunately but this is something Welnix have been really clear about addressing so the angst seems a bit misdirected.

Also, couldn't it be argued that Ricki's decision to pick and play him in the AWs was a factor in getting him a pro contract? Maybe he would got picked up after the Olympics anyway but those performances for the senior team must have helped make him look a bit more appealing to interested clubs.

Ok, I concede that none of the academy kids were in the Olympic squad but the academy is a new setup and because the Olympics is U23 its not entirely fair to say that our U21 players should be there. Ok there were some younger guys in the squad but would the Nix have been able to sign the likes of Payne or Howieson if we couldn't assure them they would get first team football and we were competing with Burnley or Blackburn? I'm not sure... Another case I want to point out is Basalaj: he had trials at Rangers and obvious reasons that fell through but he's clearly a kid with a lot of potential and he's signed up for the Nix now, but he happened to be behind 2 other good young keepers who were slightly older in terms of the Olympic team. In fact 4 standby players were named for the Olympics and 3 of them were Nix youngsters: Basalaj, Rowe, and Lindsay.

As for the argument that Thomas should be in the academy, didn't someone on another thread hint that he was offered an academy place and turned it down? I don't know the details but I'm just putting forward an explanation someone else mentioned.

Finally, Kosta and Marco were 2 of our most impressive players at the Olympics and they both started their pro careers in Wellington. It would have been great if we could have held onto them but the point is that talented kiwi youngsters have come through the Phoenix setup already!

I think its great that Hogg has been given a shot at pro football and I'm just glad to see kiwi players going pro anywhere in the world because it can only be good for New Zealand football. Its unrealistic to think that any talented kiwi youngster should come through the Nix setup or we've somehow failed in our recruiting process though.

People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis. You can't trust people.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

james dean wrote:

Hard News wrote:

Let's start with Rowe's release occuring well after Tsatallios was signed so Tsatallios was not signed ahead of Rowe. At the time we had to finalise a squad he was not available, Tsatallios was.

Dave, I have to challenge this. If the nix were interested all they needed to do was pick up the phone and see whether he was going to be available.

We signed cameron lindsay pretty much based on rep didn't we?

The tattsalios signing was one of the worst in the clubs history. Young aussie, he was crap, and he potentially kept a kiwi out of pro football

Need I remind you that at the time of Tsattalios' signing the club's future far from certain and a just-about-to-be-bankrupt owner having absolutely no cash to sign anyone even half decent. Look at the signings from that period - Pantelis, whom Adelaide wouldn't go anywhere near with his history of knee injuries, and who was pretty much looking at a career outside of football until Nix called him in to fill the squad numbers, Jimmy Downey who'd been sent packing by Sparta Rotterdam and who was wallowing in the VPL until the Nix came calling, Tsattalios who'd been away from professional football for 18 months before the Nix offered him a deal, and an ancient journeyman goalkeeper in Tony Warner. This was a case of finding players desperate enough to have maybe one more chance of being a professional footballer who'd be willing to sign with a club that might not even exist in a few months' time.

Scouting at this time? Serously? It was a mutual scraping of the bottom of the barrel for both sides in these transactions to simply just maybe survive for one more season. Then the context changed and the club's future looked more assured with the change of ownership, and Cameron Lindsay signing ensued. As you're well aware, context is everything.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

BarryZuckerkorn wrote:

Ok there were some younger guys in the squad but would the Nix have been able to sign the likes of Payne or Howieson if we couldn't assure them they would get first team football and we were competing with Burnley or Blackburn? I'm not sure... Another case I want to point out is Basalaj: he had trials at Rangers and obvious reasons that fell through but he's clearly a kid with a lot of potential and he's signed up for the Nix now, but he happened to be behind 2 other good young keepers who were slightly older in terms of the Olympic team. In fact 4 standby players were named for the Olympics and 3 of them were Nix youngsters: Basalaj, Rowe, and Lindsay.

This is another point that irks me - the Phoenix 'passed' on Tim Payne. The Nix was actually looking at signing him after the youth world cups last year, and then Blackburn came along and signed him. Absolutely nothing that could be done about that, just the nature of professional football.

Howieson is also an interesting situation - he's done well to get a professional contract at Burnley and even make a few Championship appearances, but this time last year he was one of the underwhelming players from the U17 national side who, and besides already had a trial and a scholarship deal with Burnley around the time of the U17 World Cup, at the height of the Nix off season drama. Again, considering the context and the circumstances, hardly a situation that the Phoenix should be criticised for.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Did they pass on Payne? Or were they waiting to see how the Blackburn situation developed?

Also wasn't there a bunch of kids in camp last year? None of them obviously made it to the next level (?) and may have been better off playing for a regular ASBP team.

Dead keen to see a few more Kiwi youngsters coming through the 'Nix set up in the coming years.

Regards JD and Ian Hogg- HN has been saying we already had Rowe who was really just as good or would be by the time the season rolled around?

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

It was made public by the media that the Nix wanted Tim Payne but were waiting to see what happened re: Blackburn. He signed in the UK and that was the end of it.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Yeah, that's what I meant to say but I guess didn't express it very clearly.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Whatever anyone says, tsattalios was an awful signing that can not be justified by circumstance. Downey a similar case.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

don't think anybody is trying to justify it.

Allegedly

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

I like Hogg when he goes forward, not so much his defending (case in point getting donkey flicked by the Brazilian - I'd probably retire if someone did that to me)

Founder

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

That was Tommy Smith.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Hard News wrote:

So many holes in those agruments, but the weather is too nice to address them all.

Thank you, your holiness from taking time out of your busy schedule to comment on my humble post.

You really are pompous HN.

IMO opinion YF has become elitest. There is a small group at the top who give out an air of smug superiority. Its bad enough putting up with all the "in" jokes and references. Now with the posting, any one who does not toe "the party line" often gets slapped down in a condecending and patronising way. There is a sort of "well you wouldn't have posted that....if you knew what I know....because I'm on the inside...and I get special stuff from my mates Rickie, Domey and Greenie"

These forums used to be much more egalitarian...there used to be a wide range of very diverse opinions. The opinions varied from the wierd to the wonderful but at least everyone got their say. It was often thought provoking, very entertaining and often very humourous. It used to be fun....well it aint some much fun anymore.

No need to reply to this because I won't be reading it...I'm out of here. lots of my football mates have given up on the YF Forums....I'm joining them

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Where has any of that been said? You said your bit, a few people disagreed with you. 'arden up son.

Allegedly

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Wow. Impressed that i managed to include all that 'between the lines' stuff without actuallly knowing I was doing it. I'm not sure I've ever spoken to Greenacre and my conversations with Ricki amount to a 'Hi Ricki' if I see him like 90% of the Phoenix supprter base. All I've gone on there is the public record and the timeline known to everyone who followed it.

I am however deeply honored you think my opinions are gospel and that I'm 'on the inside'.

Thanks zinidane. Bye.

How's my driving? - Whine here

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Wow, I think that was Zinidane's headbutt moment.

Slighty ironic that it should occur in a thread that should really have been focused on the good news that Hogg has signed for the Portland Timbers. That is until JD and Zinidane decided to resurrect that old chestnut "Kiwi player signs anywhere else in the world ergo the Phoenix are shit at recruitment", which quite reasonably drew some counter argument.

Oh well, I think 2nd Best put it best: "Yellow Fever Forums - Stupid People With Stupid Opinions".

(unfortunately there's no emoticon for pompous)

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Marius Lacatus wrote:

Downey a similar case.

Getting a little off topic.

I'm not sure that is true. Downey was an experienced A-League back who had been playing(ish) in Europe. We had no right back options in New Zealand football so he wasn't to me an unreasonable signing based on the evidence (unless you'd seen him play). We couldn't foresee what would happen.

Pantelis however...

Anyway. Get in Hoggy.

How's my driving? - Whine here

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

I saw Gareth Morgan in the 4 Square in Aro Valley yesterday. Just sayin'

People like Coldplay and voted for the Nazis. You can't trust people.

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over 13 years ago · edited over 13 years ago

Insider.

How's my driving? - Whine here

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