Noah Billingsley (Christchurch United | NZ)

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coochiee wrote:

Named on the bench for Minnesota as they host Chicago. So could make his MLS debut.

Musa also on the bench for MU, and Collier likewise for the Fire.

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2020/11/05/united...

Boxall snr absent, which is a a shame otherwise could have had 4 Kiwis across the 2 match days squads. Though Boxall missing maybe is why Billingsley has cracked his first MLS squad.

Finished 2-2. 

Billingsley stayed on the bench for MU, but Musa bought on at 85 mins (score 2-2).

Collier came on at 70 mins (Fire up 2-1).

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/11/04/highligh...

Minnesota 6th in the West

Chicago 10th in the East. Now need to win their final game (New York City) to gtee a playoff spot. Though if the 3 teams below them by 1-2 points, don't win their last games, Fire should still make it without a win.

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Again on the bench with Musa, as Minnesota (5th in the West) host Dallas (4th).

I think winner will secure a home playoff.

Boxall snr missing again. Would be a big blow for MU if he missed the playoffs (top 8).

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coochiee wrote:

Again on the bench with Musa, as Minnesota (5th in the West) host Dallas (4th).

I think winner will secure a home playoff.

Boxall snr missing again. Would be a big blow for MU if he missed the playoffs (top 8).

Billingsley makes his MLS debut. Comes on with Musa at 85 mins, in a 3-0 win. Same score when they both came on.

So MU finish regular season 4th in the West, and Dallas 6th.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/11/08/highligh...

No playoff draw as yet that I can see, but looks like Conference quarters first. So Minnesota to host Rapids (5th)?? 

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Nice photo from this week's Flying Kiwis.

"– Billingsley becoming the 20th New Zealander to play MLS football."

"Billingsley got a few tidy touches, diverted a couple crosses, almost gave away a penalty muscling up against an FC Dallas attacker. Musa won a couple sneaky tackles in midfield though also managed to pick up a yellow card for one that he mistimed. But they might need to use this as a dress rehearsal because the Loons do have a few players jetting away for international duty next week and there’s a decent chance they’ll therefore be short a few of them thanks to quarantine upon their returns when the first round of the playoffs commence."

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https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/nz-teams/12...

Good ole Kiwi humour.

"The whole year I’ve had my friends back home in New Zealand letting me know that we’ve played the same amount of MLS games so it’s nice to be able to be able to go one up on them."

And sounds like he's had a tough first year as a pro. So well done on his MLS debut. That AWs RB spot is really up for grabs, and he could end up a front runner if he does well at Minnesota.

“After being in lockdown and having Covid for a collective of two or three months I was quite unfit when I first went to Vegas so it was awesome to get my fitness back, get nine or 10 games in and get me back to where I was at the start of the year to get in the running for playing a game in the MLS.”

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He joins All Whites Deklan Wynne and James Musa at Phoenix, which gives a possibility of back four featuring 3 New Zealanders, and at a decent level too, as Phoenix are one of, if not, the best teams in the USL. Should hopefully become a regular there and propel himself into the mix for an All Whites right back spot which has no clear takers at the moment, as he has the athletic ability which is so important to attacking full backs in the modern game.

Interestingly, Phoenix are owned by, among others, former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba who played for Phoenix in his final season as a professional, rock band Fall Out Boy member Pete Wentz, former MLB pitcher and current Texas Rangers executive Brandon McCarthy and elite DJ/music producer Diplo.
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Club song I'm guessing?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hDZbroaQDc

Probably a good move for Billingsley. He needs playing time, and Minnesota now one of the better MLS sides so his chances there may have been limited.

Makes it easy for Hay now, tracking 3 Kiwi prospects at one USL club. I presume he fills his days watching videos of NZ players overseas.

Mods please update his club to Phoenix Rising.

MLS starts this weekend. Boxall snr & MU travel to Seattle. Portland & Tuiloma up the road in Vancouver, Collier's Chicago host New England.
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coochiee wrote:
Makes it easy for Hay now, tracking 3 Kiwi prospects at one USL club. I presume he fills his days watching videos of NZ players overseas.
Helpful for you as well!
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From this week's Flying Kiwis. Sounds like Hunter Ashworth & Oscar Ramsay, are no longer in the USL?

Noah Billingsley: “When I learned I was going to Phoenix Rising, I was ecstatic. It’s such a good club with a rich history. I knew the football would be great because I played against Phoenix three times last year and got smashed every time. It’s strange coming from such a small country and having two other guys from Wellington here already. We get along great with everyone. James [Musa] and Deklyn [Wynne] are great guys. Having them here to settle me in has been fantastic... I’m quite physical. I like to run a lot and work hard. I played striker my whole career and then transitioned to right back my senior year at UC Santa Barbara. I was drafted as a right back, but I still have some things to learn on the defensive side. I do feel that it helps that I’ve played striker as well.”

After a 2020 stacked with kiwi men in the USA leagues, which didn’t always correlate with those guys getting minutes on the park (as Deklan Wynne can certainly attest – he didn’t play a single proper game last year), there’s been a culling in 2021. Just the three guys left at MLS teams (Michael Boxall, Bill Tuiloma & Elliot Collier) while aside from this USL trio the only others as it stands are Kyle Adams and Max Mata both at Real Monarchs. The USL kicks off in a couple more weeks.

Up Next: Phoenix Rising vs San Diego Loyal at 2pm on 1 May, first game of the new season (NZT)
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coochiee
From this week's Flying Kiwis. Sounds like Hunter Ashworth & Oscar Ramsay, are no longer in the USL?

Noah Billingsley: “When I learned I was going to Phoenix Rising, I was ecstatic. It’s such a good club with a rich history. I knew the football would be great because I played against Phoenix three times last year and got smashed every time. It’s strange coming from such a small country and having two other guys from Wellington here already. We get along great with everyone. James [Musa] and Deklyn [Wynne] are great guys. Having them here to settle me in has been fantastic... I’m quite physical. I like to run a lot and work hard. I played striker my whole career and then transitioned to right back my senior year at UC Santa Barbara. I was drafted as a right back, but I still have some things to learn on the defensive side. I do feel that it helps that I’ve played striker as well.”

After a 2020 stacked with kiwi men in the USA leagues, which didn’t always correlate with those guys getting minutes on the park (as Deklan Wynne can certainly attest – he didn’t play a single proper game last year), there’s been a culling in 2021. Just the three guys left at MLS teams (Michael Boxall, Bill Tuiloma & Elliot Collier) while aside from this USL trio the only others as it stands are Kyle Adams and Max Mata both at Real Monarchs. The USL kicks off in a couple more weeks.

Up Next: Phoenix Rising vs San Diego Loyal at 2pm on 1 May, first game of the new season (NZT)

I don’t know where Hunter Ashworth is but yes Oscar Ramsey has come back to Auckland and plays for North Shore United in the Northern League now
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Off the bench at 63 mins (score 2-0) to make his debut for the Rising in a 3-0 win over Oakland Roots (new USL team I think).
Full game Musa.
No Deklan Wynne in match day squad.
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Gets a start against his old USL team, Las Vegas Lights. Musa also a starter. Still no Deklan Wynne.
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Billingsley subbed off at HT, with Rising up 2-1.
Finished a 5-1 rout. Full game Musa.

Appiah without the pace
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This week on Kiwi Football Fix, Goran heads Stateside again to catch up with All Whites defender Noah Billingsley. The pair discuss the Kiwi connection at Phoenix Rising, his MLS debut for Minnesota United, getting Covid-19, understanding his heart condition, and living through the Black Lives Matter movement.
https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/sky-sport-presents/episode-26-noah-billingsley-1SVPOkjWnlu/
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Subbed on at 85 mins in a 2-1 loss at San Diego Loyal. Same score when he came on, and picked up a yellow late in the 96th min. Full game Musa.

No Hunter Ashworth for San Diego, or Wynne for the Rising.

Phoenix stay top of their USL Conference, San Diego 4th.

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Unused sub as Phoenix (1st Western Pacific Conference) draw 2-2 at his old USL club Las Vegas Lights (6th). Full game & a yellow Musa.

Shame Billingsley hasn't really kicked on this season, after promising signs last year at Minnesota. Hopefully finishes season well.
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From Flying Kiwis. Unfortunately released by Minnesota to join Unattached FC.

MNUFC.com: “Minnesota United announced roster updates following the conclusion of the 2021 Major League Soccer season. Michael Boxall, Hassani Dotson, Chase Gasper and Dayne St. Clair all received new contracts that will start in 2022. Bakaye Dibassy, Fred Emmings, Franco Fragapane, Niko Hansen, Jacori Hayes, Adrien Hunou, Aziel Jackson, Robin Lod, Tyler Miller, Emanuel Reynoso, Joseph Rosales, and Patrick Weah are already guaranteed for the 2022 season. Contract options were picked up for Nabilai Kibunguchy, Justin McMaster, Romain Metanire, Callum Montgomery, DJ Taylor and Wil Trapp. MNUFC declined contract options for Fanendo Adi, Juan Agudelo, Noah Billingsley, Jan Gregus, Brent Kallman, Jukka Raitala and Adrian Zendejas. Osvaldo Alonso and Ethan Finlay are free agents.”

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Never any doubt that Boxall would be back but a shame to see Noah Billingsley released on the back of what was obviously a stink situation out on loan where Phoenix Rising just didn’t give him much of a chance. Only got 130 minutes all year. Minny really liked him when they drafted him too. Ah well. So it goes. Elliot Collier was also released by Chicago Red Stars at the conclusion of their season. Bill Tuiloma should be safe at Portland though.

Also the scene below the MLS is gonna look quite different next season with the introduction of the MLS Next Pro division which is effectively a reserve/academy league. 21 MLS clubs have signed up for year one including Minnesota United – who have announced they’ll be coached by kiwi Cameron Knowles, who has been serving as a video analyst for MNUFC after coaching the Portland Timbers reserves for nine years (including helping get Bill Tuiloma his start with that club). Might make the USL kinda reduntant."
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Anyone know what he is up to? 

A few in the States of recent times seem to have given up on pro football/returned to College (Colvey, Raimbault, Ronan Wynne, Ashworth off top of my head). Whatever happened to Stuart Holthusen who got drafted briefly few years back? Pro football slog not for everyone
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coochiee
Anyone know what he is up to? 

A few in the States of recent times seem to have given up on pro football/returned to College (Colvey, Raimbault, Ronan Wynne, Ashworth off top of my head). Whatever happened to Stuart Holthusen who got drafted briefly few years back? Pro football slog not for everyone
 
I don’t know what Billingsley is up to, but looking it up, seems Holthusen went back to University of Akron, where he played before the draft, and did an MBA, and went into the corporate world.

Bit of a blast from the past reading his name just then, he was a seventh former at Westlake when I was third, and he played in a pretty decent first 11. Guys like Sam Brotherton, Moses Dyer, a third form Callum McCowatt, plus a couple other guys who played U17s but didn’t kick on. Deklan Wynne was also there the year before that. Missed out on the national title though, think Moses Dyer blew his knee or something and that cost them.
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Impressive alumini from one school. Holthusen, Brotherton, Dyer & Wynne all in the 2015 NZ U20 WC squad. Holthusen scored the goal in 1-2 loss to Portugal in quarter final. Something to tell folks as he moves through the corporate world!

I note as an aside Sail & Tzanev played 2 games each as the keepers in that tourney.
https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2015/06/11/world/u20-world-cup/portugal-youth/new-zealand-u20/2036025/

Anyway hopefully Billingsley (also a member of that 2015 team) is trying to resurrect his career, but seems strange he hasn't popped up somewhere already. Especially given the high number of pro USL teams, plus the MLS Next Pro where Zwetsloot is playing.

Nelson's Cory Brown another he seems to have chucked in pro football?? Presuming he's somewhere in the US these days as well.
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