Things have slowed down considerably, as for many leagues the winter break is now in session, and for Canadians playing overseas the results matched as another weekend has gone by with few standout performances. There are still a strong group of Canucks who keep their spots in the starting eleven, continue to get minutes and whose team got the result needed, but few who made us stand up and take notice.
In Australia
Issey Nakajima-Farran made one of the boldest moves this fall, leaving a long-time familiar setting of Denmark to go compete in the ever-growing sport in Australia. Switching to perennial table-toppers Brisbane Roar seemed like a sure bet for a title, and for the first few months they delivered, continuing into a record-setting 36-game unbeaten streak that saw them well atop the A-League. Many followed this story of unusual dominance, and now the story has flipped on it’s head as Saturday saw Nakajima-Farran go all 90 minutes, but was unable to contribute in his team’s fourth straight defeat since breaking the record, losing 2-1 to the new top side in Australia, Central Coast Mariners.
In Germany
With two Canadians now back playing regularly in the Bundesliga: Marcel De Jong and Kevin McKenna, it is the divisions below that bring the most intrigue in the second half of their season as they are now on break until the third week of January.
As it stands right now, McKenna’s Koln appear safe mid-table despite a 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich, but De Jong’s Augsburg have their hands full to remain in the top flight as they sit second from the bottom. In his last two starts since returning from injury, Augsburg have earned points in both matches and will need to continue this small run of consistency if they are to move up the table. A 1-1 draw that saw De Jong go the full ninety shows his importance to their results and if they can come back after the break in positive form they stand a chance, as less than ten points separate them from seventh place Hannover 96.
It is in the 2.Bundesliga where most eyes will be in the second half of the season as Olivier Occean has proven the step up a division from last season at Kickers Offenbach has been a manageable adjustment. There was much discussion that few clubs would take a risk on a 29-year old attacker at that level, even with a prolific rate, and Greuther Futh has been repaid with ten goals from the now 30-year old Occean.
Helping them remain near the top of the 2.Bundesliga, sitting two points behind leaders Fortuna Dusseldorf and one point ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt and Paderborn, a 5-0 victory over Union Berlin Friday night has secured Greuther Furth sole possession of second place. They will not see match play until the first week of February 2012 when they take on eleventh placed Dynamo Dresden.
Here's how the rest of Canada's Internationals fared across the pond:
Issey Nakajima-Farran – Brisbane Roar (AUS):
Saturday, December 17, played all 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Central Coast Mariners.
Patrice Bernier – Lyngby (DEN):
Next match, Saturday March 3 2012 v. Midtjylland.
Simeon Jackson – Norwich City (ENG):
Saturday, December 17, did not play in a 1-1 draw with Everton.
Ethan Gage – Reading (ENG):
Saturday, December 17, did not play in a 1-0 victory against Leeds United.
David Edgar – Burnley (ENG):
Saturday, December 17, played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Jamie Peters – Ipswich Town (ENG):
Saturday, December 17, did not play in a 1-0 victory over Derby County.
Iain Hume – Preston North End (ENG):
Saturday, December 17, played 66 minutes in a 1-0 victory over MK Dons.
Paul Peschisolido – Burton Albion (ENG):
Saturday, December 17, coached in a 1-1 draw with Dagenham & Redbridge.
Gavin McCallum – Barnet (ENG):
Friday, December 16, did not play in a 2-2 draw with Cheltenham Town.
Haidar Al-Shaibani – Nimes (FRA):
Friday, December 16, did not play in a 3-3 draw with Créteil.
Kevin McKenna – FC Koln (GER):
Tuesday, December 13, subbed in at the 76th minutes in a 1-1 draw with FC Mainz.
Friday, December 16, played all 90 minutes in a 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich.
Marcel De Jong – FC Augsburg (GER):
Saturday, December 17, played all 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw with Hamburg.
Rob Friend – Eintracht Frankfurt (GER):
Monday, December 12, did not play in a 0-0 draw with Greuther Furth.
Next match, Monday December 19 v St. Pauli.
Adam Straith – Energie Cottbus (GER):
Sunday, December 18, did not play in a 1-1 draw with MSV Duisburg.
Olivier Occean – Greuther Furth (GER):
Monday, December 12, did not play in a 0-0 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Friday, December 16, played all 90 minutes in a 5-0 victory over Union Berlin.
Nik Ledgerwood – Wehen Wiesbaden (GER):
Saturday, December 17, match postponed v. Werder Bremen II.
Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault – Preuben Munster (GER):
Saturday, December 17, played 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Unterhaching.
Julian Uccello – Crotone (ITA):
Saturday, December 17, did not play in a 2-1 loss to Ascoli.
Atiba Hutchinson – PSV Eindoven (NED):
Sunday, December 18, did not play in a 5-0 victory over Heerenveen.
Andrew Ornoch – Telstar (NED):
Friday, December 16, did not play in a 2-1 victory over Emmen.
Alex Marrello – Veendam (NED):
Friday, December 16, played all 90 minutes in a 2-1 loss to Sparta Rotterdam.
Tosaint Ricketts – Timisoara (ROM):
Sunday, November 27, played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory over CSM Ramnicu Valcea.
Marcus Haber – St. Johnstone (SCO):
Saturday, December 18, played all 90 minutes in a 2-0 loss to Celtic.
Daniel Imhof – St. Gallen (SWI):
Saturday, December 3, played all 90 minutes in a 2-2 draw with Stade Nyonnais.
Mike Klukowski – Manisaspor (TUR):
Sunday, December 18, played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Genclerbirligi.
Josh Simpson – Manisaspor (TUR):
Sunday, December 18, played 60 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Genclerbirligi.
Milan Borjan – Sivasspor (TUR):
Sunday, December 18, did not play in a 1-1 draw with Istanbul BB.
|