True but Behich has also been living and playing in Turkey since 2013. I’m sure young Joey will be getting some tips. Maybe what rap lyrics would be acceptable, and which won’t be.
Been doing a bit of Facebook sleuthing and he's definitely not injured or anything of that nature, so must be being held back by the Jets still.
Couldn't find any word on confirmation of transfer or any issues which have arisen from either side, so will probably just have to wait and see when he next makes a matchday squad.
Fenerbahce up next in a couple of hours. Giresunspor with a mighty battle to get anything from that one. They've still yet to score a goal this season too.
Couple of pics from training in the past couple of days. Jowic is #19.
Fenerbahce (4th) with a 2-1 win over Giresunspor (19th or 2nd last). No Champness. Aziz Behich with 56 mins.
Good to see Champness training over there. Hopefully this likely transfer issue can be sorted out.
Today's goal, yes Giresunspor's first in 6 league games!! So you'd think Champness a high chance to get some good minutes immediately, if it's a transfer issue stopping him being involved currently.
Tyler Boyd's Rizespor are last (20th). He's yet to score.
Relegation battle & Kiwi match up of sorts in Turkey. Champness on the bench as Giresunspor (19th) host Rizespor (20th or last).
Tyler Boyd starting for Rizespor. Aziz Behich who had 2 games in the FIFA window for the Socceroos, and who would have travelled all the way back from Japan also on the bench for Giresunspor.
Can Mods please update Champness's club.
EDIT - Kiwi match up doesn't really happen. Boyd shown a straight red after 12 mins. He's had a pretty average 6 months. Loaned out again by Besiktas, seemingly out of USNMT picture, and yet to score for his new club Rizespor who are last.
From that angle all about using his pace and good dribbling skills. Same stuff he showed in that Bahrain game.
Congrats to him, and not a little ironic that against a guy who has chosen US over NZ (with the ignominy of being sent off) when he's chosen NZ over Aus.
Scenes when Graham Arnold calls him up for the Socceroos’ November qualifiers
Don't say that! Heard him mention still having a connection to family in NZ or something, so fingers crossed he doesn't have a change of heart.
Raised in Aussie though so yes always a risk, and Arnold stated his disappointment that he left their age group program. So will be on his radar, plus he has Socceroo Aziz Behich as a club mate.
Thankfully Aus will likely host Saudi in Sydney, Nov window. So in comes MacLaren & maybe likes of Nabbout. Champness you'd hope is down the target list.
Subbed on at 86 mins (for Aziz Behich), and scores Giresunspor's (up to 13th), 4th goal 4 mins latter in a 4-0 romp at a struggling Besiktas (down to 10th).
Cool experience for him. Champness will be on a big learning curve in Turkey. Hopefully works out for him. Exciting raw future.
Presumably imploding Besiktas had guy shown a straight red at 39 mins, when Giresunspor were 1-0 up.
Two Canadians I note in the Besiktas squad. Striker Cyle Larin, got both their goals in recent 2-1 win over Mexico.
Last season's Turkish champs have of course been juggling UCL games (last in a group of Ajax, Dortmund & Sporting Lisbon). They would have been on a downer after losing 1-2 midweek at home to Ajax, confirming will finish last in their pool.
Boyd's Rizespor had a 1-0 win, but remain last on GD.
Subbed on at 86 mins (for Aziz Behich), and scores Giresunspor's (up to 13th), 4th goal 4 mins latter in a 4-0 romp at a struggling Besiktas (down to 10th).
Cool experience for him. Champness will be on a big learning curve in Turkey. Hopefully works out for him. Exciting raw future.
Presumably imploding Besiktas had guy shown a straight red at 39 mins, when Giresunspor were 1-0 up.
Two Canadians I note in the Besiktas squad. Striker Cyle Larin, got both their goals in recent 2-1 win over Mexico.
Last season's Turkish champs have of course been juggling UCL games (last in a group of Ajax, Dortmund & Sporting Lisbon). They would have been on a downer after losing 1-2 midweek at home to Ajax, confirming will finish last in their pool.
Boyd's Rizespor had a 1-0 win, but remain last on GD.
He's got a pretty good goals per minutes played ratio so far this season. What's that, a couple of goals in a tick over 40 minutes on the park for Giresunspor?
Get him in the starting XI, given the chance I'm sure he'd plunder a few more.
We have absolutely no idea who the other guys are playing with Champness, so you can't just say he should be starting after a few late cameos & 2 goals.
He's raw. Pace & tricky feet, but lots of 'workons'. Hopefully he's at the right club, and Aussie Behich esp is looking after him in a whole new cultural environment, away from friends, family etc. The goals will be keeping him happy.
Giresunspor will likely be around the relegation zone all season long, so he'll also have to deal with that, which may limit his opportunities. Learning curve season, with some AWs camps adding to that. And hopefully locked into NZ soon by appearing in the planned OFC tourney. No Stensness changing allegiance! Though maybe's he's already locked in by changing youth pathways, Aus to NZ, I can't remember.
Goal highlight's 3rd & 4th goals (Champness). Bizarre one. Looks like keeper has crumpled to ground with some sort of injury & Champness has an open net. But hey not Joey's problem, and you don't get many days when you thrash a big club like Besiktas away. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BdcFgTeNtc
I see keeper was subbed off after Champness's strike.
The Besiktas keeper also had a howler with Giresunspor's first goal, running out & ball bouncing over him. Separate video I can't now find.
Okay full goal highlights here. It was 2nd goal where Besiktas goalie made his howler. Then late on bizarrely all alone crumples like he's been shot leaving Champness with an open goal for Giresunspor's 4th (90th min). Turkish football entertaining.
Also looks like Champness (only came on at 86 mins) who has a very good earlier chance but saved by the keeper. Remembering Besiktas were down a man.
For some context, Champness had only been subbed on 4 mins prior, yet already had a great chance blocked by same keeper from what I noticed in the highlights. That would have frustrated him. So the adrenaline would have been running high, playing at one of Turkey's biggest club stadiums. Plus any language barriers, and not initially knowing how badly keeper (who had made a terrible mare for the 2nd goal) was hurt https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/football/world-game/127125677/right-or-wrong-joey-champness-scores-after-goalkeeper-goes-down-injured
In a statement translated to English, a Giresunspor spokesperson said after the game that Champness and his team-mates did not know the goalkeeper was hurt until after the goal had already been scored and he could not hear the calls from the sideline not to throw the ball to his team-mate in celebration.
Fair play to score the goal. Sure the keeper goes down, but how is he supposed to know what the deal is? As far as he's concerned he's just playing to the whistle. If there is any consternation or uproar from Besiktas because of it then allow them to walk the ball in and score from the kickoff.
And in any case, it's not like the game was in the balance at that stage anyway. 🤷♂️
this reminded me of the Di Canio one from 20 years ago. keeper went down and he caught the ball instead of going for goal. difference in that one is that the keeper clearly would have got to the ball had he not gone down.
in this case it seemed to be borderline whether the keeper would have got to the ball first so I think its fair to play on. they had a good attacking opportunity and may have scored anyway
this reminded me of the Di Canio one from 20 years ago. keeper went down and he caught the ball instead of going for goal. difference in that one is that the keeper clearly would have got to the ball had he not gone down.
in this case it seemed to be borderline whether the keeper would have got to the ball first so I think its fair to play on. they had a good attacking opportunity and may have scored anyway
Also, Di Canio clearly saw the keeper get hurt (unsure Champness actually did) and he had an incentive to stop the game after shoving the ref and getting a hefty ban the previous year
Hopefully can brush off that touch of controversy from the weekend, as he earns his first start for Giresunspor (Turkish Cup) against 3rd tier Ankara Demirspor.
Grabs himself another goal in his fledgling Turkish club career.
20 minutes gone, Giresunspor 2-0 up already. Hopefully he can bag a couple more.
And yes did get a 2nd goal, in a 4-2 win. Full game, in this 4th round Turkish Cup against a 3rd tier side.
Aziz Behich unused off the bench.
Anyway from afar seems all going well for Champness, getting some sub appearances and late goals in the Super Lig, and some starts hopefully in a Cup run. Then you just keep pushing the first team regulars. Plus some AWs football a short flight away in the Middle East in 2022.