Aussies Abroad: Goodwin and Baccus score stunners, Metcalfe, Toure and Miller shine

Euan James \\ Photo Credits: Al Wehda, St Mirren, St Pauli, Hibernian Twitter 1698542103,1698805078

It was another massive weekend of Aussies Abroad action as Craig Goodwin and Keanu Baccus scored stunners while Connor Metcalfe, Lewis Miller and Mohamed Toure also put in impressive performances. 

Indeed, a host of Socceroos continued their positive starts in their respective leagues with Aussies playing important roles across the globe. 

Socceroos Tickets banner v Bangladesh or Maldives

Subway Socceroos

Starting in the Saudi Pro League, Craig Goodwin (cap #562) played 88 minutes and scored two goals on Sunday as his Al-Wehda side went on to lose 3-2 to an Al-Ettifaq FC side managed by Steven Gerrard boasting the likes of Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Demarai Gray.

Wijnaldum gave Al-Ettifaq the lead in the 18th minute before Goodwin equalised for Al-Wehda in the 37th minute with his signature left footed curling strike from outside the box to ensure the teams went into halftime locked at 1-1.

Six minutes after the restart, Goodwin arrived at the back post to half volley his second into the net to give Al-Wehda a 2-1 lead. With nine minutes left, Wijnaldum got Al-Ettifaq’s equalizer before Gray scored the winner in injury time. 

Goodwin has now scored five goals in six Saudi Pro League matches as Al-Wehda sit tenth in the league. 

Over to Scotland, where Keanu Baccus (cap #628) played 77 minutes and opened the scoring with a stunning top corner strike from 25 yards for St Mirren on Sunday as they eased past St Johnstone 4-0 to move seven points clear in third place.

Neither side had played a competitive game for three weeks due to the international break and the weather and it showed in a disappointing first half but Baccus kicked off the scoring ten minutes from half time before St Mirren ran away with it in the second. 

Ryan McGowan (cap #546) was also an unused substitute for St Johnstone.

Elsewhere in Scotland, new Socceroo Lewis Miller (cap #635) played 90 minutes and put in a man-of-the-match performance alongside Martin Boyle (cap #599) while James Jeggo (cap #601) also started and played 81 minutes as Hibernian FC held league leaders Celtic to a 0-0 draw on Sunday. 

The Hoops had the chance to move 10 points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership but struggled after their midweek Champions League efforts against Atletico Madrid.

Hibs, who are now without a win in their last four league games, move up to eighth while Celtic move ten points clear at the top of the Scottish Premiership.

Kye Rowles (cap #622) also played a full game while Olyroo Calem Nieuwenhof started and played 78 minutes for Heart of Midlothian FC in a 2-1 loss to Rangers on Monday. Cameron Devlin (cap #625) also came off the bench in the 61st minute.

In Scotland’s League One, Dylan McGowan (cap #590) played a full game for Hamilton Academical in a 3-0 win against Montrose as they kept pace with the top of the league on Sunday.

Over to Germany, where Connor Metcalfe (cap #611) played 83 minutes and registered his second assist of the  2. Bundesliga season as St. Pauli came from behind to beat Karlsruher 2-1 on Saturday to stay undefeated and top of the table. Jackson Irvine (cap #568) also played another 90 minutes. 

In France's Ligue 2, new Socceroo Mohamed Toure (cap #636) came off the bench in the 73rd minute to assist Paris FC's 86th minute equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Patrick Kisnorbo's Troyes FC on Sunday.

In Japan's J2 League, Mitchell Duke (cap #559) came off the bench in the 74th minute as Machida Zelvia wrapped up the title with three matches to go with a 1-0 win over Zweigen Kanazawa on Sunday.

Elsewhere in Japan, Thomas Deng (cap #598) played a full game in the J1 League as Albirex Niigata beat Kyoto Sanga 1-0 on Saturday.

Mitch Langerak (cap #566) was in goal for Nagoya Grampus on Friday in a 1-1 draw with Sagan Tosu in the J1 League. 

In the English Championship, Sammy Silvera (cap #634) came off the bench in the 71st minute in Middlesbrough's 2-0 loss to Stoke City on Sunday. Tom Glover was also on the bench.

Elsewhere in the Championship, Massimo Luongo (cap #571)  started and played 65 minutes on Sunday as Ipswich Town beat Plymouth Argyle FC 3-2. The result keeps Ipswich nine points ahead of third-placed Leeds and five points behind leaders Leicester.

Over to EFL League One, Kenny Dougall (cap #608) played another 90 minutes and scored a goal as Blackpool lost 4-2 to Subway Olyroo Nicholas Bilokapic’s Peterborough on Sunday.

Elsewhere in the league, Alexander Robertson (cap #630) played 91 minutes while fellow Aussies Kusini Yengi was an unused substitute as Portsmouth beat Reading 3-2 on Sunday to remain top of the league. 

Ashley Maynard-Brewer was in between the sticks for Charlton Athletic as they lost 2-0 to Bolton on Sunday.

In the Netherlands, Matthew Ryan (cap #555) was in goal for AZ Alkmaar took on NEC on Monday, however, the match was suspended just before full time after NEC forward Bas Dost collapsed on the field. Dost regained consciousness but was stretchered off the field. 

The match did not resume upon his departure. NEC was up 2-1 on AZ before the incident. AZ currently sit second place in the Dutch top flight, while NEC are in eighth.

Elsewhere in the Eredivisie, Garang Kuol (cap #627) played the first half for FC Volendam in a 3-1 win against Excelsior on Monday.

In Serbia, Milos Degenek (cap #585) was an unused substitute for FK Crvena Zvezda as they won 2-1 on Sunday against IMT as they remain four points off the top of the table. 

In Switzerland, Awer Mabil (cap #597) started and played 63 minutes for Grasshopper in a 3-1 loss to St Gallen on Sunday in the Swiss Super League.

Jordan Bos (cap #632) played 90 minutes for Westerlo in the Belgium Pro League as they lost 3-1 to league leaders Union Saint-Gilloise on Monday.

Jason Davidson (cap #545) came off the bench in the 83rd minute for KAS Eupen in a 2-0 win over Charleroi on Saturday while Aiden O’Neil (cap #629) came on in the 63rd minute for Standard Liege in a 3-1 loss against Gent on Monday.

Alessandro Circati (cap #637) played a full game for Parma in a 3-1 win over Ascoli on Sunday in Serie B to extend their lead to five points. 

In Norway, recent Socceroos train on Patrick Yazbek played the first half for Viking FK in a 1-0 loss against Strømsgodset Toppfotball on Monday as they slipped further away from regaining top spot in the Eliteserien.

In Austria, James Holland (cap #508) came off the bench in the 57th minute for Austria Wien as they beat SK Sturm Graz 1-0 in the Austrian Bundesliga on Monday.

Subway Olyroos

As mentioned above, Nicholas Bilokapic was in goal in Peterborough United's 4-2 win over Dougall's Blackpool on Sunday in League One.

Calem Nieuwenhof started and played 78 minutes for Heart of Midlothian FC in a 2-1 loss to Rangers on Monday.

In Poland, Louis D'Arrigo came off the bench in the 52nd minute for Lechia Gdańsk as they beat Stal Rzeszów 2-1 on Sunday to bounce back from two consecutive draws. Gdańsk sit ninth in the league after 12 matches. 

Subway Young Socceroos/U18

Adrian Segecic put in a man-of-the-match performance and scored a double for FC Dordrecht beat Den Bosch 5-1 on Saturday in the Eerste Divisie.

Keegan Jelacic came off the bench in the 73rd minute for Stabaek in Norway on Monday as they drew 2-2 with Sarpsborg.
 

Other Aussies

  • In Italy, Cristian Volpato came off the bench in the 72nd minute for Sassuolo in Serie A as they drew 1-1 with Bologna on Sunday.

  • Ryan Edwards came off the bench in the 71st minute for SD Amorebieta on Saturday in a 2-0 loss against Eldense in Spain’s second division.

  • Anthony Kalik was an unused substitute for Hajduk Split as they beat Slaven Belupo 1-0 to regain top spot in Croatia’s 1. Division on Saturday.

  • Liam Chipperfield came on in the 91st minute for FC Sion as they beat Neuchâtel Xamax FCS 1-0 on Saturday in the Swiss Challenge League.

  • John Iredale started and played 65 minutes for Wehen Wiesbaden in Germany’s 2. Bundesliga in a 1-0 win over Hansa on Sunday.

  • Over to England, where Jack Iredale was an unused substitute in League One for Bolton Wanderers in a 2-0 win against Charlton on Sunday.

  • As mentioned above, Kusini Yengi was an unused substitute as Portsmouth beat Reading 3-2 on Sunday to remain top of League One. 

  • In EFL League Two, Dean Bouzanis started in goal for Sutton United in a 2-1 win over Bradford City on Sunday.

  • Over to Asia, where Alexander Grant played 90 minutes in the K1 League play-offs for Pohang Steelers in a 1-1 draw with Jeonbuk on Saturday. 

  • In the J2 League, Stefan Mauk came off the bench at half time as Fagiano Okayama drew 1-1 with Tochigi SC on Sunday afternoon.

  • Panagiotis Armenakas started and played 101 minutes for Phoenix Rising in a 2-1 win over Orange County SC in the USL Championship quarter-finals on Sunday.