Star striker Lucas Meek and fellow American import Charles Ostrem will be suspended for their next Central League game after the pair were sent off in Western Suburbs’ 5-1 win against Stop Out.
Left back Ostrem (24) was given a straight red card after a tackle in the 27th minute, when the game was scoreless.
Despite being reduced to 10 men, Wests went into the half-time break with a 2-0 lead.
Wests’ forward Meek (25) — who scored 10 goals in the first six rounds — joined Ostrem in the changing sheds when he copped two yellow cards in quick succession, leaving his side to play the last half hour with nine men.
Stop Out could not take advantage and lost 5-1 to remain the only side without a win in the Central League.
Wests are second on the table, behind defending champions Wellington Olympic on goal difference. Napier City Rovers are also on 15 points after beating previous leaders Miramar Rangers 3-2 at the weekend.
Meek and Ostrem, in their first seasons with Wests, get an automatic one-game suspension and will miss Saturday’s fixture at North Wellington.
Meek moved to New Zealand for the 2024 season from MLS club Inter Miami, the Florida club part-owned by David Beckham and whose marquee player is Lionel Messi.
He featured for the reserve side in the MLS Next Pro but was signed on a short-term deal with the first team in 2023.
Before joining Inter Miami, Meek played five seasons for the University of Washington’s Huskies, scoring 26 goals and making 21 assists in his 68 appearances.
Meek made an immediate impact upon his arrival in New Zealand, scoring four goals against Island Bay United in his Central League debut.
Ostrem joined Wests from Chicago Fire where he was a regular starter for the club’s reserve team, making 45 appearances in the MLS Next Pro.
Results
READ MORE: Catching up after the weekend? Here are the top results and all on one page … >>>>
Game played on Sunday May 5, 2024
Western Suburbs 5 (Cameron Mackenzie 45′, Connor Wilson 45’+4′, Thomas Scott 46′, Alifeleti Peini 78′, Flynn Cave 88′)
Stop Out 1 (Graham Craven 72′)
Games played on Saturday May 4, 2024
Miramar Rangers 2 (Sam Mason-Smith 32′ pen, Nico Bobadilla 38′)
Napier City Rovers 3 (Oscar Faulds 2′, Cameron Emerson 5′, Jack Albertini 15′)
Waterside Karori 2 (Jack Parker 36′ pen, 40′)
Wellington Phoenix Reserves 1 (Jack Perniskie 61′)
Petone 2 (Jamaya Shearer 12′, Jack O’Connor 31′)
North Wellington 1 (Henry Sinclair 87′)
Island Bay United 1 (Jeremy Sutton 24′)
Wellington Olympic 6 (Jesse Randall 9′, 68′, Tor Davenport Petersen 21′, Hamish Watson 22′, Ben Mata 71′ pen, Isa Prins 85′)
Golden Boot
11 — Oscar Faulds (Napier City Rovers)
10 — Lucas Meek (Western Suburbs)
7 — Hamish Watson (Wellington Olympic)
6 — Sam Mason-Smith (Miramar Rangers)
5 — Jesse Randall (Wellington Olympic), Nicolás Bobadilla (Miramar Rangers)
Fixtures
Game to be played on Wednesday May 8, 2024
Wellington Phoenix Reserves v Island Bay United
Martin Luckie Park, Berhampore, 7pm
Games to be played on Saturday May 11, 2024
Stop Out v Wellington Phoenix Reserves
Hutt Park, Lower Hutt, 2.30pm
Waterside Karori v Island Bay United
Karori Park, Karori, 2.30pm
Wellington Olympic v Miramar Rangers
Wakefield Park, Island Bay, 3.45pm
North Wellington v Western Suburbs
Alex Moore Park, Johnsonville, 4pm
Napier City Rovers v Petone
Bluewater Stadium, Napier, 1pm
More football stories
