The Norwegian squad welcomed the Slovenian side with a barrage of attacks with Dino Islamovic again at the point of the attack with Emil Konradsen Ceide linking beautifully. Left Back Adam Andersson continued to build up his resume on both sides of the ball notching a goal of his own and a solid spell at the back.
Stabaek 2 – 5 Rosenborg BK [F]
That was almost a stunner. Bunched up in the bottom Stabaek had two leads over RBK (1-0 and 2-1) but then they ladies of Rosenborg rose to the occasion and left no doubt, knocking in 4 goals in 15 minutes. Lisa Marie Utland’s hat trick stole the show and set up a vital match at Sandviken next week.
Grenoble 0 – 0 Guingamp [M]
When a nil-nil result is the best outcome of the season so far, you can see why Grenoble has struggled of late.
Minnesota United 2 – 0Houston Dynamo
I was really hoping to go to this, but the cold that tore through our house made it unviable. I missed out on a good one for the Loons as Emanuel Reynoso continues to make magic happen with a pair of great assists and numerous dangerous chances.
Hibernian 3 – 0 Ross County
The Staggies met a clearly better side and came out clearly the worse for it.
Wurzburger Kickers 0 – 1 Freiburg [M-Cup]
Starting off the season against a Wurzburger side that’s struggling in the fourth division didn’t ask much of the makeshift Freiburg side, but the back line showed well and Jonathan Schmid scored the winner.
Vojvodina 2 – 0 Vozdovac
The Red Dragons continue to struggle this season, as the defense continues to rattle and the attack struggles to connect.
Delfin 1 – 2 Emelec [M]
Los Bombillos seem to be finding their stride, showing strong control over Delfín. The balls were consistently flying in from the wings, but when Alejandro Cabeza got it at his feet in the area it was all they needed with a desperate Delfin unable to stop him when he was that close.
Domzale 1 – 2 Rosenborg [M-Europe]
Rosenborg had to came back to win it, but Domzale’s struggles to score in the first half made clear they wouldn’t be able to challenge RBK’s 6-1 edge. Lower wattage stars: Noah Holm and Andres Konradsen looked to have a great connection working in the second half. The continental squad hasn’t been tested yet but that will change against France’s top flight side: Rennes.
News & Notes
Blood Feud in Bergen
This weekend sees the rematch between Rosenborg and the team that ended their unbeaten run in the Toppseiren (and the current first place side) Sandviken. This time Rosenborg is on the road so the battle will be by all the more difficult, but we have hope: blind foolish hope.
El Rey de las Estrellas
While most leagues save their awards for the end of the year, the MLS likes shouting out superb players mid season to represent the league in a friendly against Mexico’s all stars. This year Reynoso was chosen to represent Minnesota (who’ve never had more than one rep despite a strong first four years in the league).
Messi’s Moving
This week the greatest player of this (maybe any) generation had to leave his life long club. Before I could write this he signed with well-financed French giants Paris Saint-Germain. He’ll make 41 Million bucks for two years, play with some superb teammates and have a chance to win the most coveted club trophy in the world. But what if….he got offers from some of our favorites.
What follows are pitches from possible landing spots for Lionel Messi
Admit it, this would be cool…
Minnesota United: come bring the CONCACAF Champions League to the US! You’ll play alongside a miniature version of yourself in Bébelo, and we’ll pay you Joe Mauer Money ($109 mil)
Emelec: the only trophy that compares with the Champions League is Copa Libertadores, which you can win with us while also avoiding partisan club fans in Argentina. We don’t have quite the same players but we’ll pay more ($75 Million)
Legon Cities: Come change the world and lead us to African Champions League Glory! You’ll probably get Asamoah Gyan to target…eventually and we’ll give you 500 Million Cedis (please don’t ask about the exchange rate)
Rosenborg BK: Why change the world when you can change history! We’ve got elite players, and with you on board we can make UEFA Inter gender teams the future of the sport! Blakstad, Utland, Messi!!! Make it happen (we’ll just give you a share of the team)
Player(s) of the Week(s)
Every little thing he does is magic, give it up for Emanuel Reynoso.
Standings Update
The Troll Teams are giving the University Of Montana very little room for error as a three win week keeps them well within reach of their second strait MacKenzie Cup.
First, the big thing that happened: your grandparents went on vacation. That meant we got to play, and run, and wrestle, and tell stories, and bowl, and swim, and just about everything else. It also meant, that I did not have time to review such things as soccer highlights, or write about matches. So, here’s a recap of the last three weeks with notes about each team and how they fared starting with the two big stories from the end of July
Did Emelec win it all or get knocked out?
Manta 0 – 4 Emelec [M]
Liga de Marcas 1 – 1 Emelec [F]
Emelec 1 – 4 Deportiva Cuenca [F]
Deportiva Cuenca 0 – 1 Emelec [M]
Barcelona 3 – 0 Emelec [F]
Emelec 2 – 2 Aucus
BOTH! Let me explain
The men’s victory of Manta clinched the first stage title! Facundo Barcelo and Dixon Arroyo led the way as los bombillos celebrated their first taste of glory since 2018.
The women’s team did not fare as well, following a draw with the lowly Liga de Marcas with a pair of defeats to regional rivals that stopped them from progressing to the playoff portion of the season. [The commments on their see you next year tweet seem to be encouraging whole sale change]
— Club Sport Emelec Femenino (@ElectricasCSE) August 1, 2021
But, as the men start the second half of the season there’s still a good amount of hope that they can hoist the big trophy at year’s end, even if the draw at home to Aucus doesn’t exactly inspire dreams of a dominant campaign.
Were the Royals Relegated?
Legon Cities FC 3 – 2 Eleven Wonders
Miraculously, NO! Despite looking every bit the chaotic and relegation doomed side in the first half (when the Royals very much were looking at a season with a bloated payroll in a lower league), the Royals came back with goals from Hans Kwofie and Matthew Anim Cudjoe to save the win and jump from 16th to 11th place (it’s a little crazy in Ghana). [Though that’s only my read of the events]
Vozdavac’s Victory…and other outcomes…
Cukaricki 2 – 1 FK Vozdovac
Vozdovac 2 – 1 Proleter
Paritzan Beograd 4 – 0 Vozdovac
Serbia’s league kicked off with Vozdovac in much the same place that we lost saw them…struggling in the middle of the table. But now that the league only has 16 teams (as opposed to last year’s 20) the cushion at the bottom might not be as soft for the Red Dragons. In the duopoly of Serbia, your best hope is a tough defense…but the leaky new Vozdovac defense makes that uncertain. The highlight was surely Ivan Milosavljevic’s brace from beautiful runs to beat Proleter.
Troublesome Trolls
Rosenborg BK 0 – 2 Sandviken [F]
Tromso 1 – 3 Rosenborg [M]
FH Hafnarfjodur 0 – 2 Rosenborg [M–Europe]
Melhus 0 – 7 Rosenborg [M-Cup]
Rosenborg 4 – 1 FH Hafnarfjodur [M-Europe]
Orkla 1 -11 Rosenborg [M-Cup]
Yes, against all odds the only flaw in the ointment of Rosenborg’s recent run was the Women’s team who lost for the first time while repping the black and white in the league. Sandviken’s win gave the women something to think about for the last few weeks during the mid-season break, and hopefully they’ll be back to full strength this coming weekend.
Meanwhile the men ran roughshod over some (admittedly) lower wattage opponents, during the Eliteserien’s approximate mid-way point. Against lower level local clubs they ran up a stunning 18-1 goal difference with Dino Islamovic notching 5 between the two matches. Emil Konradsen Ceide also notched a hat trick and they head to the round of 32 without breaking a sweat.
The outlook is similarly bright in the hunt for a berth in Europe’s lowest league. Having decked their Icelandic opponents, Rosenborg is now set for a match with Slovenia’s Domzale and the winner of that is left with a pair of matches against French foes (and former home of the Loons’ Adrien Honou) Rennes. Factor in all these matches (plus the win at Tromso) and Dino Islamovic is up to 8 goals in his last 5 matches. Or enough for a blow out win against all their opponents combined. (Kudos also to Andre Hansen, Even Hovland and Adam Andersson for anchoring the overpowering defense).
Stellar Staggies Survive Sickness
Ross County 0 – 3 Dundee FC [Cup]
Bora Rangers 0 – 1 Ross County [Cup]
Ross County 4 – 1 Montrose [Cup]
Ross County 0 – 0 St. Johnstone
Yup, Ross County was not miraculously unscathed by the global pandemic and had to forfeit their second match of the cup thereby eliminating them from the competition before they ever kicked a ball. But, once they were able to run out (against lower level sides) they looked the part of a solid squad. Credit to the players for coming back from illness and getting prepped for kicking off the league with your standard issue goalless Scottish draw. (Thanks Ross Laidlaw and Alex Iacovitti for being the new powers behind County’s class, Blair Spittal for the world class goal, and YouTube User RossCounty 1929 for the highlights and pump up music..)
Loons Land Safely
Minnesota United 1 – 0 Seattle Sounders
Minnesota United 2 – 1 Portland Timbers
Los Angeles FC 2 – 2 Minnesota United
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 2 Minnesota United
With the European Cup competitors back in the fold the Loons hoped to sail into a trick series of games with some renewed energy. They succeeded.
Robin Lod has shone since I gave him up as a lousy waste of space last year and notched three goals to help the team along, but the stars are still unquestionably Emmanuel Reynoso who makes miracles happen with the ball at his feet (even while he has struggled to connect with other players on the field) and Hasani Dotson who has grown into the kind of player you just want to see on the pitch wherever possible because he’s always got something going for him. After a dismal start to the year, the Loons have gotten back into the playoff hunt (even if the Delta Variant’s resurgence has made taking either of you to a game an impossibility at present).
Good God, Grenoble!
Grenoble 0 – 4 Paris FC
Auxerre 3 – Grenoble 0
Well…that was a rough way to start off a new campaign.
Grenoble looks utterly wiped out, and the once powerful defense has been absolutely ripped from pillar to post. Brice Mableu, Loic Nestor, Jerome Mombris, and Adrien Monfry have given up 7 goals, supported none, and though it is very VERY early in the campaign, last year’s 4th place team is bottom of the barrel.
Alright Alebrijes!
Pumas Tobasco 0 – Alebrijes 0
Alebrijes 0 – 1 Cimarrones
Meanwhile, frequent strugglers Alebrijes of Oaxaca got a point…against a strong team in Pumas…on the road!! And while that came without a single goal scored, we’ll take what we can get with Alebrijes. (Especially given that they then dropped a match at home…but only by 1 goal!!)
News & Notes
Gosh Dang it Ghana!
I love Ghana. I really do. I love soccer, that should be obvious. But man, Ghanaian soccer makes it hard to love the two together.
Hashmin Musa being the hero…or not…
Here’s the latest drama: the Ghanaian police and Football Association are investigating match fixing…again. Yup, the same thing that destroyed the previous Ghanaian Premier League, threatens to destroy the new version within just two years! [A new record pace perhaps?] The dead rubber between top tier Ashanti Gold and relegated Inter Allies was always likely to end lopsidedly, but the dimwitted defense and goalkeeping that made it 5-0 were dubious. Then…came Hashmin Musa…who absolutely, no doubt, by his own admission scored own goals on purpose and pissed off his goalie to no end.
Musa claims that he was ruining the prearranged 5-0 score line…but the possibility that someone paid him even more to make it 7-0 is still out there and…because it just wouldn’t be as messed up as possible unless Legon Cities were also involved…the sudden barrage of goals to save the wealthy and high profile Royals from relegation is also coming under question. Suffice to say, there were plenty of ugly defense to help the Royals find the net, but there were also a few moments where it would have been easy to throw the game but players and referees didn’t oblige..so…[shrug emoji] So despite extended questioning and possible further destruction of the domestic game, Legon Cities is safe, for now.
Goodbye sweet prince
Best of luck Kristoffer!
The Transfer Market hulaballoo has tempered down as Ross County set their line ups through surgical masks and Vozdovac vets the team their sending out, but there’s still action, including a painful farewell.
Kristoffer Zacharaissen is too good for this humble corner of the internet where we gawk at his chiseled jaw bone and make allusions to Schitt’s Creek because we can’t really break down his game effectively. Whatever the case, he has left Rosenborg for greener pastures and greener kits joining Hungary’s Ferencvaros, a side with a shot at the top league in Europe (and a chance to be brutally repressed by Viktor Orban…so, keep your nose clean Kristoffer)
Roster Updates
A few other notes as we missed kickoffs for Grenoble, and Oaxaca and got back just in time for Freiburg.
Oaxaca
As a lower division team in the middle of a global pandemic/recession, Alebrijes did not have a lot of extra cash to throw around, so the lean mostly on loans (both in and out). While forward Ricardo Monreal is probably the biggest name to depart, there are several defenders who also left the fold (Daniel Cisneros, Oscar Torres, Yohan Zetuna, Jair Cortes, Fernando Plascencia).
The only defenders who have come in are Ernesto Reyes of Cimarrones, and youngster Adrian Vazquez on loan. Instead, Oaxaca focused on bringing in some more veteran attacking presences. Most notable: Cristian Panesso a Colombian coming in from Portugal, and Leandro Torres an Argentinian coming down from Liga MX. Local and familiar faces from the league around them, Armando Gonzalez, Lizandro Echeverria, Miguel Vallejo, and Alexis Conrado.
Grenoble
Sign this man!
After Phillipe Hirchenberger led the side quite well for 3 years, he left for Amiens and new man Maurizio Jacobacci made a big swap. Yes, Grenoble did something I never expected,and am frankly broken up about: they said farewell to leader and mastermind Jessy Bennet (more shockingly Jessy still hasn’t signed anywhere…and he’s only 26…seriously…Ross County…Legon Cities…Punjab… ANYBODY!! GET JESSY BACK!)
Willy Semedo, Kevin Tapoko, and Haroun Demba also left, but the club did net 1.5 million euros for Moussa Djitte’s move state side. (Sad but less shocking that Jessy (SERIOUSLY! I WILL PAY PART OF IT MYSELF!!). The side got a lot younger in response (without spending much of anything), bringing in Georgian Winger Giorgi Kokhreidze and two 20 something Swiss midfielders from FC Basel: Yannick Marchand and Orges Bunjaku.
Freiburg
Welcome aboard Nishan (center)
Our German reps opted against a spending spree this year…so much so that they haven’t spent a thing.
Gone are Chang-hoon Kwon (back to South Korea), greatly improved goalkeeper Florian Muller and attacker Guus Til, and up to the senior squad come six young players, none older than 21. The most intriguing players coming in are attacker Nishan Burkart (who learned the game at Man United), Noah Weishaupt (who has surged up the depth charts on the left side), and keeper/local boy made good Noah Atubolu
Freiburg and Grenoble’s women’s teams will get another month of prep kicking off August 28th (in Germany) and September 5th (in France)
Player(s) of the Week(s)
We’ll put three players on the pedestal for the past three weeks. Let’s tip the hat to Rosenborg’s attack and defense by admitting that Dino Islamovic’s attack has been ridiculously good, and that Even Hovland has done it all on both sides of the pitch. Our third award winner has to be from the new trophy winners in Ecuador: Emelec, and to keep it all balanced, midfielder and team leader Dixon Arroyo gets our nod.
Islamovic and Horvland celebrating their awards (and probably wins)
Standings Update
We had to break down to three decimal points for the first time ever! Freiburg, Ross County, and Grenoble are splitting hairs, it’s hardest for Grenoble who plummet from 4th to 9th. Meanwhile the Loons leap up to fifth and are getting closer to the top tier of teams.
There’s nothing quite like waking up to an alarm and seeing a swath of updates about a match half way around the world. It was a wild one in the second round of India’s Hero League. Chencho Gyeltshen roared out of the gate with a first half brace to give Punjab a confident 2-0 lead (and a front runner for coolest celebration with the see/speak/hear no evil style). Rupert Nogrum added a third off Gyeltshen’s golden run before the whistle to make it 3-1. In the span of 5 minutes it all came undone as Denny Antwi and an own goal knocked in 3 goals in quick succession to unravel Punjab’s hard work. (It was especially hard after Kiran Chjempong stymied so many so many Kerala attacks, and Ashray Bhardwaj got away with a couple late tackles)
Toulouse 2 – 0 Grenoble [M]
The season’s second half continues to be a struggle for the Alpine side. This week, without talisman Jessy Bennet or most of the stalwart defense they let two goals slipped and fell further behind 2nd place Toulouse for automatic promotion.
Ross County 4 – 1 Aberdeen
The Staggies came out in a new formation with Jermaine Hylton up top and a more aggressive midfield. Sure enough it paid off with two early goals courtesy of Ollie Shaw and Charlie Lakin and two more late goals from Shaw and Hylton. The defensive line did some stout work and the offense capitalized on every opportunity they saw. A pretty great result against the #3 team in the league.
Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Freiburg [M]
Any trip to the Teutonic titans is likely to end in tears, but Nils Petersen almost got an unlikely result. A second half goal equalized once, and a late crossbar rattler nearly did again. sure it was still a defeat, but against Bayern a near tie is something to build on.
Aduana Stars 2 – 1 Legon Cities
After 767 minutes this season, Legon got a goal from open play. Francis Addo got on the end of a long ball when the keeper was MILES out of position and finished it. It wasn’t exactly a mark of talent, more just capitalizing on a MAJOR OPPONENT ERROR. But at this stage, we’ll take it. Oh, the Royals still lost.
Punjab FC 0 – 1 Churchill Brothers
Punjab reverted to a much more defensive style for this match up (shoring up the defense after seeping four goals will do that for you). While the team did vastly improve their defense, and held the opponents goalless for 85 minutes. Once again, a late winner broke their hearts.
Alebrijes 0 – 1 CD Tepatitlan de Morelos
Alebrijes is back in action at home in Oaxaca, but the results remain depressingly consistent. Once again, Oaxaca saw the home side drop a match and slide down the table
News & Notes
New Impeachment High Score
Until this week the most times any President had been impeached was 1, and the most votes any President received for his removal from his own party was 5. Wednesday Donald Trump doubled those scores! He’s been impeached twice and got 10 people to vote against him!
While most teams are fine tuning in the middle of the season, others are gearing up for bigger transformations before the next season begins. Most clearly, Rosenborg who has picked up more Swedish style than a newly married couple at Ikea. First they bolstered the defense with Adam Andersson and Jonathan Augustinsson to battle for the left back spot vacated by Pa Konate. They also brought on 12 goal man Stefano Holmquist Vecchia from Sweden and brought up Ole Christian Saeter who recently racked up a hat-trick to win promotion for Ranheim.
Player of the Week
Jermaine Hylton gave us a like for his last player of the week performance. For that alone, it’s tempting to award him this again. Most of the Staggies could get a nod given their strong showing, but when it’s that much of a team effort it doesn’t feel right to single out one person. So, despite doing it in a losing effort, the sterling individual performance of Chenchyo Gyeltshen gets the nod this week.
CG7 Hears No Evil (Photo from I-League)
Standings Update
Only Alebrijes dour opener lifts Grenoble off the foot of the table (see what I did there?) while Ross County rockets up to second place.
MacKenzie's Boot Room 