Ok, I’ve said it plenty of times by now: but I really struggled to keep up daily writing routines when I was teaching full time. That’s what happens to me when I spend most of the day supporting 70 other people’s writing, and the rest of it trying to be a parent. Now that I’m back to teaching, I’m back to struggling. But I remain determined that I keep up with a practice that I quite enjoy: writing about sports.
So even when it’s hard, and when it takes me a while to do, I’m going to write updates about the teams I love and their struggles and successes. This time, a trip to the French Alps and Grenoble
Match Results: 14 W – 4 D – 13 L; 47 GF / GA 34
Women’s Results: 9 W – 1 D – 2 L; GF 30 / GA 7
The women of Grenoble had high hopes that they could move up into the second tier of club soccer, and they did just about everything in their power to make that happen. Jade Decilap, Claudia Fabre, Romane Pilot and Melanie Chabrier were the top leaders for the scorers, and Julie Tissino was excellent in goal to give them a chance to win every time out.
Unfortunately, the two defeats came to the two top sides in their League 3 Pool: Toulouse and Clermont. Those defeats were what left them in third place when the season came to a close. But with the season about to kick off again, hopes are high that this year is THE year for Grenoble.
Men’s Results: 4 W – 3 D – 11 L; GF 17/ GA 27
There’s simply no way to sugar coat this…the Men of Grenoble collapsed. They were vying for promotion in the first half of the season. But as soon as the calendar turned to February they simply could not buy a win. Worse, one abysmal month saw them score 1 goal and give up 8 en route to 5 straight defeats. Suddenly promotion was a fantasy and survival was in question. Vincent Hognon was dumped (understandably so) and Laurent Peyane took over…with just enough change in results to keep the team afloat. Over the summer Oswald Tanchot was given the opportunity to turn things around, and so far things have been…fine. Not good, not bad, just…fine.
Other Stories:
Really the bottoming out of the men’s side captures most of the drama of the year, but the women had to make a swap as well: elevating long standing assistant Nasreddine Behloul should provide some consistency for a strong team, but how much it pushes them to the next level will remain to be seen.
The other big story is the bittersweet departure of club icon Brice Mableu. It makes sense for one of the biggest difference makers on the club to look for a bigger stage to showcase his skills…and if Grenoble as a whole can’t go up to the top league, at least Brice can (with Saint Etienne). There were other changes too with Amine Sbai leaving for Saudi Arabia, Mathys Touraine going to Paris (FC), and Loic Nestor suffering a ligament tear that likely ends his 24-25 season before it began. Grenoble will have to do their best with a newer look.
Star Players:
The difference makers for les Femmes are the most noteworthy stars: Delicap, Fabre, Pilot and Chabrir are tried and true team leaders, just as Mableu, Nestor, and Jessy Benet have been for the men. While Mathys Touraine had a great season, he was less impressive during the downpour of defeats…but that’s true for everyone. The newest featured star is probably Julie Tissino who anchored the impressive defensive run for the women as well.
The Royals did play a round of 32 match against against Koforidua Suhyen (who play near the home of my adoptive dad Braimah Dediako). Kwabena Boateng led the charge with a couple of goals and Nicholas Mensah led a defense that never looked troubled.
Up Next The Royals will have one more cup game in Februrary and we’ll see them restart the season in Karela on February 23rd
What’s the Word in ol’ Freiburg?
Record: 2 – 1- 1 GF: 6 GA: 5
Men looked good in a friendly against Frankfurt. But friendlies aren’t the same thing as competitive matches. And I’m willing to bet they would have taken 0-0 in a friendly and a win against Union Berlin…but it was not to be. Still the clean sheet should boost Noah Atubolu, and comes with another good showing by the young French wing backs Jordy Makengo and Kilian Sildillia.
Those wing backs were back at it again against Hoffenheim but when Manuel Gulde got a terribly timed red card right after Hoffenheim equalized, fear and panic could be felt widely in the crowd. This of course, is where Vincenzo Grifo saves the day by being himself, and so it was with a beautiful winner (3-2).
Grifo was good again in the next match against Freiburg but Makengo and Sidilla weren’t as effective on the same side and Atobolu had another rough outing to keep Freiburg maddeningly inconsistent losing (1-3)
Meanwhile, the big news for the women was the realization that squad leader Janina Minge is asking to leave the club at the end of the season. (This seems to be a bit of a routine for die Frauen where great players aim to go a little higher than the middle of the table…such is the way of things, I suppose.) But the team looked unphased this last weekend with a strong 2-0 win over RB Leipzig led by strong midfield control from Samantha Steuerwald.
Next: The ladies have a Pokal match against Frankfurt, plus league matches agaisnt Duisburg, Bremen. and (ugh) Bayern Munich. Meanwhile the men will balance four league games (including matches against Dortmund and Frankfurt) with the critical knockout matches for the Europa league against Lens.
Grenoble’s Games
Record: 0 – 3 – 1 GF: 5 GA: 7
Amine Sbai had a tremendous outing against Dunkerque with a pair of goals giving the men from the mountains a big lead with only 25 minutes to play. Uncharacteristically, the defense capitulated at the end of the game and could only hold on for a draw. Then the familiar winter malaise set in, and the squad managed only draws the rest of the month (1-1 against Auxerre, and 1-1 against Quevilly, due in large part to heroic penalty saves from Brice Mableu, and more Amine Sbai goals)
Meanwhile the women’s team got eaten up by AS Cannes concending three goals for a less than stellar return to the field, but Abdoulie Bamba Sanyang got the chance to play at the Africa Cup of Nations with Gambia, and team training seem to include playing on the alps…which looks like a whole heap of fun!
Up Next: January was not the boost we were hoping for in the quest for promotion, but we’ll try again in February! The women will face Lyon’s 2nd Squad, and Le Puy, while the men try to break out of their funk of draws with games against Caen, Bordeaux, Troyes and Pau.
Punjab Zindabad
Record: 0 – 2 – 1 GF: 3 GA: 4
Wilmar Jordan got off the mark a lot faster in 2024 than he did in 2023, scoring just 4 minutes into the road game at Chennaiyin in the Super Cup. But, as has been so often the case, after a red card, they were at a disadvantage even though they had a lead. And just when it looked like they might pull out a short handed victory, another goal got past Kiran Chemjong and it was another draw for the Punjabi Warriors.
The chance of a draw against local league titans Mumbai City, was much more enthralling, and indeed Luka Macjen nearly made it so with a pair of goals including one right before the end of the full 90 minutes that would have been quite an accomplishment. But in a continuing pattern, the Warriors ceded a late goal and left as unlucky losers. Their final Super Cup match was a 0-0 draw that doesn’t bear much more scrutiny.
Up Next: I hoped that Punjab could come away with two more wins in the second half of the season, and their best chances may all come in February as they face Hydrabad (the only team below them) as well as Jamshedpur and Bengaluru (two teams with similar defensive problems).
Gotta see this, Alebrijes!
Record: 0 – 1 – 1 GF: 2 GA: 5
Whatever else happens Alebrijes deserves credit for having Mortal Kombat themed season announcement.
While that post is cool and fresh and there are high hopes for new attacker Orlando Ballesteros and major needs in Pablo martinez and Alfonso Luna, much of Alebrijes’ start to their season looked…familiar. The 3-0 beating from Cancun was painfully familiar, and the 2-2 draw with goals by Julio Cesar Cruz rendered underwhelming by late conceded goals was…sigh…yeah…very familiar.
Next We cross our fingers and hope for some kind of change in the routine as Alebrijes run out five times in February…hey, that’s alliteration…it must be a good sign (he said without much real hope)
County’s Bounty
Record: 0 – 1 – 3 GF: 2 GA: 9
Ross County’s usual course of action at this time of year is to bring in a host of young talents who need some match time and use them to boost the squad’s energy. Midfielders Eli King of Cardiff, Branon Khela of Birmingham, Teddy Jenks of Forest Green, Loick Ayina of Huddersfield Town, and Keeper George Wickens of Fulham are this year’s crop of young talents. But the club’s big acquisition was left back Cameron Borthwick Jackson who, until 3 years ago, seemed to be a up-and-coming player at global powerhouse Manchester United…now he is in Dingwall, so, maybe not so up any more but still a player with oodles of potential.
That potential was sorely lacking in the Stags’ 3-0 loss to Aberdeen with Jack Baldwin getting sent off in the 90th minute. It was arguably in even shorter supply when they got dumped out of the league cup 3-0 by lower level rivals Partick Thistle. By comparison a 1-0 loss at Celtic Park was an accomplishment. (thank you for that big save George Wickens!) and the team’s most recent result of a 2-2 draw against Livingston (with some strong defense and a pair of goals from Simon Murray before another late capitulation) was positively delightful.
Next: It seems as though manager Derek Adams strategy of saying that players are really bad hasn’t inspired good play…interesting. Maybe insulting people will make them feel better as they play six times in four weeks…or…not…
Griz Biz
Record: Not in action
We watched the Griz gridiron squad play well in the first half of their national championship game, and missed the second half (which was for the best). And you got to have some extra potato chips so…really there’s a silver lining. We also got to see Skyleigh Thompson celebrate her All-American status.
Up next: Recruiting, training and warming up the next generations.
What’s in Store at Rosenborg?
Record: Not in Action
There was a lot of player movement in and out of Trondheim, but the big news is probably Steinar Lein stepping away from his role as head coach of the women’s team. He’s run the squad for five years and seen them become an absolute force, but when people need a break, they should get it. So thanks Steinar and stay well!
Rosenborg named Anna Josensdal it’s female player of the year, and also said goodbye to her in the same breath, as she makes a move to Hammarby in Sweden (where she’ll meet up with old friend Sara Kanutte Fornes). Rasmus Wiedesheim Paul also joined a Swedish H-team (Halmstad) in Sweden. Ina Birkelund joins up for the midfield from Tromso.
Next: The men have a host of friendlies against fellow Norwegian clubs, but won’t start the season until April
Minnesota a la Mode…ah
Record: Not in Action
Aurora had try outs which means, even five months from the start of the next season, there’s plenty to be excited about. Just as esciting, former Auroroa player Kelsey Kaufusi was drafted to the NWSL (the top Women’s league in America).
Meanwhile, the Loons lost another manager. After not committing to Sean McAuley, Sean McAuley wouldn’t commit to the team, leaving for a confirmed contract in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, Cameron Knowles will take over…for now…When it came to players the Loons focused on adding to the squad with defenders Derek Dodson, and Victor Eriksson, forward Jordan Adebayo-Smith, and midfielders Alejandro Bran and Moses Nyeman.
Up Next: After some regular tune up matches, the Loons hit the field against Austin FC at the end of February
Take a Sec with Emelec
Record: Not in Action
The mens team did do quite a lot of shopping for their roster. They started by resigning Pedro Ortiz to mind the net and Fernando Leon. Then there were they incomers:
Forward: Facundo Castelli,
Wingers: Maicon Solis, Juan Pablo Ruiz Gomez, Washington Corozco and Rodrigo Rivero
Midfielder: Marcelo Meli, Andres Ricahrte, Christian Erbes, and club legend Christhian Noboa…(get ready, I’m probably going to mention him as often as Miller Bolanos!)
Defenders Alexander Gonzalez, Joao Quinonez, and Gustavo Cortez,
Up Next: The Men’s team’s first season starts soon with matches against Deportivo Cuenca and Mushuc Runa.
What’s the haps at Vozdovac?
Record: Not in action
Vozdovac opened the year knowing that Borisav Burmaz was leaving the club…now headed off for the top flight of soccer in Romania with Rapid Bucharest. Meanwhile, they brought in seven new players, none of whom is older than 22.
Next: The Dragons take flight again with Red Star Belgrade and two more league matches (Napredak, and Mladost Lucani)
Players of the Month
Instead of honoring one player each week, we’ll take some time to shout out a player from each team that was in action each month. January’s honorees are
Nicholas Mensah (D) Legon Cities, Vincenzo Grifo (M) Freiburg, Samantha Steuerwald (DM) Freiburg, Amine Sbai (F) Grenoble, Claudia Fabre (F) Grenoble, Luka Macjen (F) Punjab, Julio Cesar Cruz (F) Alebrijes, George Wickens (K) Ross County
Standings
It’s early days and one match shouldn’t be taken as predictive of anything other than one match, but we’d deeply love for someone, literally anyone to play as well as Legon Cities did…or at least get fewer draws.
Ten days of parenting and teaching leaves precious little time to work up solid write ups on individual matches. So I’m officially giving up the ghost on weekly updates. I will send out one update a month (usually at the end as these are the lowest traffic posts because…nobody comes to me for scores and highlights–especially since most leagues no longer allow external sites to embed highlights). They’ll cover the results for teams and any notable news, plus the usual plaudits for players.
Recap
Griz Biz
Record: 0-0-1 GF: 0 GA: 1
The Grizzlies went unbeaten throughout the season, but arguably their hardest match came in a 2-1 win against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, with the team capitalizing on a late opportunity to win. So when the draw lead them to face Northern Arizona…in Flagstaff…again…the gauntlet was thrown down, and as is the habit in Big Sky conference tournaments…whoever is undefeated going in…gets defeated coming out.
Despite having the best poll ranking and toughest schedule in recent history, that one loss is enough to end the Griz’s hopes for the NCAA tournament….because…well…more people will randomly tune into Ohio State than Montana (even though Montana showed they could do just as well as the Buckeyes.
Beyond that, the Griz welcomed in 8 new recruits, including Kalispell Montana’s Reagan Brisendine, celebrated four all-region players (named the best in the Western US by Soccer coaches) and (most importantly for our purposes celebrated six Academic All-District players (with great grades and play): Ava Samuelson, Sydney Haustein, Molly Quarry, Kathleen Aitchinson, Charley Boone, and Skyleigh Thompson. Cherry on top: Skyleigh Thompson was named to the first 11 in the West (not too shabby!)
Up next: I suppose we’ll have to watch a lesser sport, but hey, the men’s gridiron team play for the national championship against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits…so I suppose that will do.
It’s always a big game against fellow legends of Norwegian Soccer Molde, but Rosenborg showed up in a big way, especially sixteen year old Sverre Halseth Nypan who notched what turned out to be the winner with just ten minutes left.
After that high, the men promptly capitulated the rest of their season away: leaving only one match to be played against fellow strugglers Viking. With nothing left to play for, Rosenborg came out firing on all cylinders. Kaine Kessler scored twice and Sverre Nypan knocked in another one right at the end. With their lowest finish since 2005, RBK has plenty of work to do going forward to be ready for next year. (Likely selling Nypan for as much as they can get.)
Meanwhile the women had a chance to claim both the League and the Cup this season, coming into November in full control of their own destiny. But a surprising draw against relegation battling Asvaldnes let them fall behind rivals Valerenga. Another draw against Lillestrom sealed their fate and gifted Valerenga the League. So with two matches to play, both against the newly minted league champions it felt like a rather bitter end for the Trolljenta.
Instead they triumphed. A three nil home win made clear that the trophy might have another team’s name on it, but the best team may be someone else. To underline that fact, the women of Rosenborg went out and won the Women’s cup with a 1-0 triumph in Oslo that led to rampant celebrations all through Oslo.
Next: It’s a long cold winter before Rosenborg is back at it.
Minnesota a la Mode…ah
November/December Record: Did Not Play.
The Loons watched the postseason from home for the first time in years, and they also moved local legend (and guy who graduated from St Paul Academy High School when your mom was in 3rd grade) Manny Lagos to an advisor role with less say over soccer operations. In his place comes a Wisconsin university (Milwaukee) alumnus who has been working in English soccer (perhaps the most competitive league in the world): Khaled El-Ahmad.
El-Ahmed’s biggest decision was to pick a coach, and it seems that he punted on that call opting to retain interim coach Sean McCauley…but also keep calling him an interim manager…so…that’s confusing.
At the same time Minnesota Aurora opened up it’s try out camps for next summer, hopefully they continue to build the dominant squad we’ve all come to know and love.
On Break (But we’ll update with news as it arises)
Punjab Zindabad
November Record: 0-2-1 GF: 5 GA: 6
December Record: 1-1-2 GF: 1 GA: 2
It was a fairly frustrating month for Punjab in the Indian Super League. A road match against Mumbai City certainly didn’t evoke a lot of hope, but an early goal from Luka Macjen and a lead into the half gave me some hope. Tracking the scores while teaching, I got very excited as I watched the clock tick past sixty, seventy and eighty minutes. And then…within one minute…Mumbai City equalized…and took the lead…prolonging Punjab’s winless streak.
After that experience I was determined not to get over excited when Punjab hosted fellow low level side Hydrebad FC. But I’ll admit it, when Juan Mera broke through with his first goal in the Super League in the 80th minute, I permitted myself to be more excited…..And then…they gave up an equalizer in the eighth minute of stoppage time, and only go to a draw.
After three weeks off, I was back into blind hopefulness. But it seemed to be justified, within 30 minutes, the Shers had a 3-1 edge! Everything was firing. Rising midfield star Madih Talal was outstanding. Luka Macjen got a goal. The first win was in the air!…You can guess what happened next…Bengaluru got two goals to equalize and keep Punjab searching…seemingly endlessly for a victory.
Finally, on December 12th the team found the combination of attack and defense that was necessary to grab their first win as part of the Super League. Though they had dropped their previous match against Chennayain 1-5, this time they held on with a white knuckle grip to Mehdi Talal’s 1 goal advantage, and were able to have a long awaited celebration. The Shers defense has overcome some early struggles, but it’s reasonable to look around wondering where Chencho Geltsyen might be.
Up Next: The season resumes in 2024, and hopefully so do the winning ways.
Grenoble’s Games
Men’s Record: 5-2-2 GF: 12 GA: 9
Women’s Record: 3-0-1 GF: 11 GA: 4
Les Grenobloises have bounced back admirably in their quest to climb to the next summit on their journeys.
The men have shown plenty of quality through the first half of their season. The team could even be considered unlucky to be short two goals of what the statistics say they should have. Again they have boasted one of the best defenses in the division, and remain one stellar striking force away from controlling their own fates. If they can keep Brice Mableu and Matthys Tourraine playing at their current levels they’ll certainly have a chance to move up to Ligue 1.
The women are in much the same position, which is to say 3rd in their group. They’re just one point away from the top of their group (making the 1-0 defeat they suffered to Toulouse at the end of November a painful loss that could have vaulted them into first). Still les Iseroises own the best defense in the group and can certainly match up well with every team at this level.
I also was able to order and receive a Grenoble jersey, despite the fact that they don’t normally ship to the US. Merci a Jeramie et tous les autres personnes avec le club!
Up Next: Keep the mojo going and push on to promotion for both men and women! Les Femmes face fellow contender AS Cannes on January 21st, while the Men start the year against Dunquerke, Quevilly and…fellow contender Auxerre.
Live from Legon!
End of Year Record: 4-1-5 GF: 10 GA: 14
Cities had a rough November, losing four of five games, and also enduring a terrifying ordeal when the team bus was stopped by robbersafter a match at the start of the month against Samartex. The situation sounds terrible, and the possibility that they were betrayed by police is deeply troubling.
Next to that, results on the pitch seem to matter very little, and yet, when the calendar turned to December the Royals marched into the future with heads held high, rattling off four straight wins to come within 5 points of league leaders Samartex. Captain and talisman Nicholas Mensah earned multiple team of the week honors as the squad conceded 1 goal in 360 minutes. But in the final game of the year, they had no answer for Prince Owusu giving up four goals to one man (and wasting Kwabena Boateng’s strong outing)
Up Next Legon gets to take January (and most of Feburary) off, we’ll see them restart the season in Karela on February 23rd
Take a Sec with Emelec
Men’s Record: 2-2-0 GF: 4 GA: 1
Women’s Record: 2-0-2 GF: 23 GA: 7
While the men started off with a pair of draws in Guayquil derbies (against both Guayquil City and Barcelona), they ended well with a pair of wins to boost the team into the top half of the table (a far cry better than the 14th place they got during the spring season). The team also seems to have found an offensive attack whose name doesn’t start with an M and end with a iller Bolanos. (did it…every Emelec post this year has referenced him)
Las Electricas also made their way into the promotion playoffs for the women’s league this year: a sixteen team tournament to decide who would move up to the Superliga next year. The first round went swimmingly as the ladies beat Gualaceo by a cumulative 22-3 over two legs. The second round was not as strong: losing to Torreros by a cumulative 4-1. The loss means that they’ll continue to play in the second tier of women’s soccer in 2024, but with a regional championship under their belt, hopefully there’s more enthusiasm and confidence about getting promoted again.
Up Next: Both teams are on a holiday until their new campaigns begin, but the men’s team is already making major moves to shake up the roster and (hopefully) return to title contention.
What’s the Word in ol’ Freiburg?
Men’s Record: 5-2-4 GF: 22 GA: 15
Women’s Record: 2-1-2 GF: 7 GA: 10
Die Frauen continue to be a reliable if unremarkable mid-table team in the Women’s Bundesliga. Capable of matching up well with most teams and completely outgunned by the dominant big three of the women’s game (Wolfsburg, Munich, and Frankfurt). To wit, they notched seven goals in three games against most teams and none in the two games against Wolfsburg and Frankfurt.
The men have been a strong contender in all competitions recently, but they have had to deal with a lot of fixture congestion. Fixture congestion is a lot like sinus congestion. You may not notice at first, but eventually it limits your ability to be at your best.
Playing 11 matches in 3 competitions over 50 days means that they were playing roughly every 5 days…often twice in a week, flying between Serbia, Germany and England as needed. The men were knocked out of the DfB Pokal tournament in the second round (after reaching the semifinals or later in the past two seasons), which frankly might have made their lives a little easier.
While they couldn’t beat the Premier League’s West Ham United, they did well against other opponents Olympiakos and Backa Topala (cumulative 10-0) to finish second in their Europa League group, and advance to the knockout stage against Champions League 3rd place side Lens, but they have slipped down to 8th in the league.
Next: The ladies have a Pokal match against Frankfurt, while the men focus in on the league in January, with some winnable games that can put them back up in contention for the top spots.
County’s Bounty
November Record: 2-2-4 GF: 6 GA: 9
The Staggies roller coaster ride with Malkay McKay reached it’s unsatisfying end after the team said goodbye to the coach whose signing seemed like a coup at first…and turned into a rehabilitation project for a man with a spotty record. There were still some highlights, but a hard fought draw against Motherwell was McKay’s last shining moment from October, but a pair of ugly losses ended his run in November.
Then the team turned to prior manager Derek Adams,. who had parlayed success getting the Staggies up into a career with strong English teams. The second match of his return brought the team’s first outright win since September 2nd boosted them up the 8th place in the league. Another 3-0 win a week later had the Staggies flying like Blitzen and company.
Then…ugh…the Stags lost two in a row. Derek Adams belittled everyone involved with the club (saying that an English team in League 2 was vastly better than your current team didn’t really seem endearing) and a set of winter storms cancelled two matches. The Stags finished their year earlier today against Hearts, and after a great 2-0 start, they conceded twice in the last 20 minutes to give up the win. (Heavy Sighs)
There was one other bit of news we’d like to point out…apparently Scotland is looking at opening the door to outside investment from big club conglomorates. In the same way that Minnesota and Punjab have to face teams from “The City Group” (New York City and Mumbai City…junior partners to big bad Manchester City) there’s a chance for these groups to bring their training regimens and professionalism (and big sums of cash) to Scottish soccer. I’m not advocating for Ross County City…but Roundglass Ross County doesn’t sound too bad…nor does “The MacKenzie Football Corps–MacKFC”…if only I had billions of dollars and actual talent in organization…
Next: We’ll see if Derek Adams gets his wish of creating a team as good as Morcambe, and the Stags will get two league matches and one a fourth round match against Patrick Thistle in the league cup.
Gotta see this, Alebrijes!
Record: 0-0-1 GF: 0 GA: 3
Alebrijes lost their last match of their fall campaign 3-0 to Atalante to against doom them to missing the playoffs. They’ll get a chance to try again in the spring. It’s worth noting the last time Alebrijes missed the playoffs they rebounded to finish first in the league (and then get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs).
Next it’s the in between season before the clausura, hopefully there’s some offense to be found somewhere in Mexico.
What’s the haps at Vozdovac?
November Record: 3-2-2 GF: 14 GA: 12
The Red Dragons scuffled in November, going winless in three games. But they flew through the December skies like jolly old Saint Nicholas (if St. Nick used a team of dragons, and occasionally breathed fire/played soccer), notching 10 points over four unbeaten games.
Borisav Burmaz showed a greatly improved strike rate, and the team has deeply benefited from the arrival of Toulouse loanee/Jamaican international Junior Flemmings. We haven’t seen too many international stars playing on the rooftop stadium, so it’s a treat to watch Flemmings.
Next: Vozdovac gets to take January off, but we’ll look forward to seeing them again in February.
Players Of the Month (so far)
Keeping track of this has been helacious, so while we won’t have our full complement of 52 players of the week, we will acknowledge that the players are great and resolve to track their performances better in future.
Standings
We’ll publish the end of year standings tomorrow with the full roster of our team of the year
It took a while, including all of extra time, but Rosenborg survived the Northern Irish with a late Leo Cornic goal coming after a string of intense goal mouth chances that the Trolls couldn’t seem to finish. Cornic’s final rooftop blast was great, but still needed Andre Hansen to make a critical save to seal the victory.
UDG 5 – 0 Alebrijes
Ooof. Oaxaca trailed by 4 within 30 minutes and though a raft of defensive changes stymied UDG in most of the second half, this was just ugly.
Libertad 0 – 0 Emelec (M)
The second half of Ecuadors knock out round kicked off but Los bombillos couldn’t capitalize on a Pedro Ortiz clean sheet.
Columbus Crew 3 – 3 Minnesota United (M–League Cup)
Bongokhule Hlongwane struck twice again to continue forcing the question about whether he or Lionel Messi is having a better tournament. But the Loons still needed Hasani Dotson’s long range effort to bounce off of something bizarre to get the Loons for a shout-out. That’s where Dayne St Clair saved two penalties and helped the Loons squeak through.
Celtic 4 – 2 Ross County
It only took 3 minutes for the dominant team in Scotland to take the lead, but County came back in the second half to score their most goals at Celtic since the 2020 upset shocker. Goals from Jordan White and James Brown gave the stags a valuable moral victory (though those don’t help the standings any).
Saint-Etienne 0 – 1 Grenoble
Grenoble’s golden signee, Moldovan striker Virgiliu Postolachi, had several first half chances go wanting. While Saint-Etienne had the better looks in the second half, Brice Mableu stood strong with a penalty stop as well. Finally, late on in the game Amine Sbai managed to dash down the line, feed the redoubtable Jessy Bennet who passed through an absolutely gorgeous dummy run (I couldn’t id the player) to Abdoulie Sanyang for a late winner.
FK IMT Beograd 2 – 2 Vozdovac
The Dragons got another draw with a clever bit of desperation passing from Mihajlo Neskovic leading to Bogdan Jocic’s first goal of the campaign. Some suspect defending and spotty goalkeeping gave IMT a lead but substitutes Lazar Kojic hit Borisav Burmaz on a pin-point cross to hit the equalizer.
Fk Haugesund 1 – 2 Rosenborg (M)
An early goal for Haugesund and Ulrik Jenssen’s injury gave Rosenborg a lot of doubt. But Jennsen’s replacement–Hakon Rosten–at just 18 kept up with the big guys and was in the right place on a deflected free kick to slam home the equalizer. After Haugesund was reduced to ten men, Magnus Holte was again in the right place at the right time to find the winner.
Mohun Bagan SG 2 – 0 Punjab FC (Cup)
Mohun Bagan is one of the premier teams in Indian soccer, so Punjab was unlucky to draw them for their first game in the big time. The Unluckiness continued when defender Melroy Assissi scored the first goal of the game, into the net he was helping to defend for Punjab. One game does not make or break a year, but here’s hoping it wasn’t a sampling of what will be coming.
Defensa y Jusiticia 1 – 0 Emelec (M-Copa Sudamericana)
Trailing by three goals already, Emelec had their work cut out for them, and they didn’t get it done.
Toluca 2 – 2 Minnesota United (M–League Cup)
When I was doing Owen’s bedtime, the Loons were dominant. Joseph Rosales and Bongokhule Hlongwane managed gorgeous goals. When I started watching the match, they looked great, and then it all came undone with Michael Boxall failing to clear a ball near the goal that was hammered for Toluca’s first, and then Hasani Dotson making an ill advised challenge that earned him a second red and Toluca a penalty that promptly equalized. Once they were down a man, the Loons were clearly rattled, and had to hold on with every fingernail to make it to penalties. Despite my doomsaying the Loons came out like Lions during the shoot out, with an Argentine, a Kiwi, an Ohioan, and a Korean finding the net while our Canadian keeper (Dayne St. Clair) saved one and saw another bounce off the corner.
News & Notes
Women’s World Cup-Date
Norway’s great showing against the Phillipines didn’t come with a renewed vigor. The squad bowed out to Japan with Sarah Horte getting a brief run out…I blame the lack of playing time for Blakstad and Josensdal. Denmark’s storied run came to a conclusion as well, losing by 2 to Australia.
Sorry President Rapinoe
But while some of our favorites fell away, THE favorite: the US Women were also ousted, in a major upset for the top rated side in the world and the back-to-back defending champions. Some will blame technology, but c’mon…we know what’s what.
Other Cup-Dates
As the Men’s leagues continue to copy the ladies with cups on cups on cups, we saw Emelec wrap up their run, we will see Freiburg star theirs, while Rosenborg advance to the next stage of Conference League knockouts where they will face Ross Conty’s old foe: Hearts.
Luka Macjen Back in Actjen
The Stags they have another week before their next cup tie, but Minnesota United will march on to face Nashville (this despite the fact that America thought they had won twice and my internet news feed couldn’t decide either). Punjab FC has two matches to round out their group stage, including one against the Bangladeshi Army team…so a bunch of guys trained to kill you…no pressure…and East Bengal, another ISL team, but one less imposing than Mohun Bagan.
Player of the Week
Two teams grabbed a pair of wins this week, and while there are some strong performances from Rosenborg to consider, the Loons wouldn’t have either win if it wasn’t for Dayne St. Clair. So take a bow big Dayne, you are the player of the week.
Standings
The gap is closing between Punjab and their closest rivals, but I couldn’t find it in me to give the Loons 6 points for skin of their teeth penalty wins, otherwise we’d be within 0.1 at the top of the table. Meanwhile, County’s great run in the Scottish Cup has boosted them up past Freiburg and into a dead heat with the fast fading Emelec (Miller Bolanos to Dingwall?)
Rosenborg had never lost to Stjorsdal before…but they sure lost here marking an unexpectedly early exit from the League Cup…again.
Partick Thistle 2 – 0 Ross County (Premiership Playoff)
It’s hard to imagine the first leg of Ross County’s do or die playoff game going any worse than it did. They were behind within ten minutes. Teenage defender Dylan Smith committed a foolish foul and was sent off the field (forcing the Stags to play down a man when they needed to score–and putting Smith on the bench for the return leg). Partick’s second goal was utterly predictable and the Stags left a lot for themselves to do on Sunday. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Grenoble 0 – 2 Guingamp (M)
The men of Grenoble wrapped up their season with a pretty disinterested showing at home. The defensive corps rested, Brice Mableu let in an own goal, and Amine Sbai missed a penalty.
Rosenborg BK 2 – 0 Brann (F)
It took a while for Rosenborg to find their footing in the game. But once they did they jumped in head first (sorry, that’s my overly complicated metaphor for the week). Within one minute Emilie Joramo and Synne Hansen both scored to turn the tide decisively toward Trondheim’s favorite daughters.
Barcelona SC 1 – 3 Emelec (M)
As maddeningly flat as Emelec has been this year, they do have a habit of turning up when the moment requires it. Rarely has that been more true than last weekend in the passionate feud with fellow Guayquil side Barcelona, where Emelec ran the show for most of the first sixty minutes, including a stellar penalty stop by Pedro Ortiz. But when Barcelona got a goal, Emelec came right back. Miller Bolanos converted two penalties (albeit one on a rebound) and Samuel Sosa’s stoppage time dagger to steal a win.
Minnesota United 1 – 1 Toronto FC (M)
The Loons also left it late to make their comeback against Toronto FC. With the team relying on substitute Kervin Arriaga’s blast in the 89th minute to get a point from their match, there have to be sincere hopes that the first game time for Emanuel Reynoso this year will start setting up more of an attack for the Loons…goodness knows they need it.
King Faisal 3 – 1 Legon Cities
After arguably their most high profile victory in the club’s history (finally besting Hearts of Oak), the Royals were outmanuevered and totally deflated against an on-life-support King Faisal. Ebenezer Armagah’s consolation goal won’t mean a lot if the team is relegated next weekend.
Rosenborg 4 – 0 HamKam (M)
A lackluster season for Rosenborg looks a lot better now (4-0 victories tend to have that effect). The Trolls looked great with Olaus Jair Skansen getting two goals, Erlend Dahl Reitan looking the best we’ve seen in his new midfield role with two assists, and Canadian youngster Jayden Nelson getting a goal and an assist. Now we just cross our fingers and hope this wasn’t all the offense they can muster for the month of June.
Rochester FC 0 – 1 Minnesota Aurora (F)
Several line-up shifts for Aurora resulted in an unusually low-scoring outing for them as guests as Rochester held them to just one goal. But it came from Iron-Woman Tianna Harris who has two goals, and has played every minute in defense for the still unbeaten (and unscored-on) Aurora.
Ross County 3 – 1 Partick Thistle (Premiership Playoff)
I do not recommend watching the most vital game of a team’s season in the boiling heat and oppressive crowds that flocked our neighborhood party (Grand Ol’ Day). With Thistle in front and an away goal advantage at half-time I was feeling totally doomed. And then we saw the most remarkable thing…
A suitably miraculous depiction of County’s game (from the Economist)
County came back…all the way back. Back enough to tie the game and send it to penalty kicks (as, apparently the away goal rule was conveniently chucked just in time for County’s moment of need). Yan Dandha got the first, Simon Murray the second and George Harmon’s miracle in stoppage time saved the season. But not my stress levels.
After stoppage time clangers and cringes, it went to Penalty Kicks, and though County had an early advantage, the game went through seven rounds (including goals for Dandha, Murray and Harmon) before Ross Laidlaw stopped his second pk of the shoot out and Josh Sims converted his to win the day.
LSK Kvinner 1 – 2 Rosenborg (F)
Somewhere your great-great-grandma Synne might be wondering why we’re shouting her name with such glee, but when Synne Hansen (no relation to our family…I think) scores twice more to get a win over arguably the greatest rival Rosenborg has in the Toppserien, well, Bra, Synne! Bra!!
Emelec 1 – 1 Guarani (M-Confederation Cup)
It was not ideal to drop points at home, but Emelec still had a fine showing against the Paraguayan side. Diego Garcia made a great slashing shot from outside the box to open the scoring, but the defense was caught out by a cleverly quick free kick. (Pedro Ortiz can’t beat them all)
Minnesota Aurora 6 – 1 Chicago Dutch Lions (F)
The Aurora remain unbeaten, but finally conceded a goal this season. Hannah Adler picked up the team’s second hat trick of the season, and Mariah Nguyen picked up a brace with some great footwork.
News & Notes
“STOPPING GOALS!”
Alex, in better shape than me
I got to watch Alex playing “competitive” soccer for the first time (note that in this case, “competitive” means wildly chaotic and unconventional mob ball with frequent water breaks.) He got transferred part way through the game when his first team was far ahead (they also had 5 players to the other side’s three), but Alex took it in stride and made it his mission to get between any shot and goal, he seemed to love running down the field to do exactly that. Afterwards, even though he had also given a beautiful run for the losing side’s only goal, he said he really liked stopping goals.
I can relate, as this week saw my return to the competitive pitch for the first time since I was seven. Playing against my students (25 years younger than me) I was grateful to get in the way and stop one student…just don’t ask me to head anything…another chance, another whiff.
Der Umzug
Just as I can set my calendar by the return and departure of Canadian Geese in their beautiful flying V, I can reliably expect that after the season wraps, Freiburg will have to say sincere farewells to talented players who are being picked up by more prestigious (and wealthier) clubs. This year is no different. Already in the week since the team played, goalie Mark Flekken is bound for Brentford in the Premier League where he seems likely to join Kevin Schade (already on the cusp of making his loan permanent
Ross County seems to have opted for a less is more approach with lots of blue and a little white striping though I appreciate that they did it in Gaelic. Meanwhile, I appreciate the stylish risk that Grenoble has adopted, any thing Mountainy is right up my alley.
Bet Pawa Update
Finally we have some clarity in Ghana’s Bet Pawa league as we head into the final match.
The title will either go to Medeama SC or Bechem United (if Bechem beats third place Aduana and Medeama loses a shocker to Tamale City).
But Tamale has some serious motivation of their own as they are one of seven teams facing relegation. They have the goal difference advantage (for now) but lopsided results could let both Great Olympics and King Faisal pass them up. Meanwhile, Legon faces Smartex knowing that a win will see them safely through. (Especially as they have a better goal difference than the three teams above them in the escape from doom: Accra Lions, Karela United, and Hearts of Oak–all of whom also are deseprate for a win). But a loss and Both Olympics and Tamale could pass them by.
Player of the Week
Laidlaw Rules (The Scotsman)
Unlike last week there are a great many candidates to choose from. Hanna Adler’s hat-trick, Synne Hansen’s offensive jolt, Tianna Harris’ tremendous defense, Erlend Reitan and Jadyn Nelson’s combination play, Pedro Ortiz’s saves. But we’ll go with someone who had a great game and made a crucial contribution to the context of the match: Ross Laidlaw, whose two Penalty saves rescued Ross County when they needed it most.
Standing
Well, our teams came back with aplomb, and we got to see Aurora’s continued strength pushing them closer to that 2.00 Points Per Game mark that should confirm a strong challenge to Punjab’s leadership. Rosenborg isn’t far behind, despite some frequent scuffles a few rounds with the same kind of offense could make this year’s race for the cup quite compelling. Meanwhile Grenoble and County hit the end of their seasons in some solid but not superlative settings.
Kotoko might be one of Ghana’s true giants, but Legon always seems up to the challenge. Alex Aso got the equalizer to keep Legon looking tough
Arna-Bjornar 0 – 1 Rosenborg (F)
The Trolljenta got another win but it took a late winner from Emilie Nautnes to snatch the points.
Freiburg 1 – 1 Hertha BSC (M)
The boys of Breisgau haven’t lost domestically in almost two months, but that’s come with a lot of disappointing draws, including this one to relegation battlers Hertha after Vincenzo Grifo got the lead
Vozdovac 0 – 1 Javor
The dragons dropped another home match. I’m not sure what would help make home cooking work for them but they have a long way to go to catch up with the top four sides in Serbia.
Grenoble 2 – 1 Armiens (M)
Jessy Bennet slotted home a first half penalty and nearly scored a very cheeky chip shot. Abdoulie Sanyang got the second half winner, but attention should also be paid to 22 year old Mathys Tourraine who has quickly become a vital cog in both defense and attack for Les Alpiners.
Delfin 3 – 2 Emelec (M)
It was a testy match in Ecuador with three spot kicks given (and all of them converted). Miller Bolaños left room for someone else (Alejandro Cabeza) to score, but he also left the match early due to an injury, which isn’t what you’d hope to see for the clear talisman of the team. Defender Fernando Leon drew a second yellow card to leave the team a man short and ultimately leaven enough room room for DelfĂn to keep threatening and finally snatch a late winner.
St. Louis City 0 – 1 Minnesota (M)
Both teams came into the match undefeated, but only the visitors left that way. St. Louis had control for most of the match, but when the Loons threatened, they made the most of it. Luis Amarilla smashed in the winning penalty after bottling some strong opportunities. The reinvigorated back line, especially the eternally present Michael Boxall stood tall to stop St Louis from equalizing.
Ross County 0 – 2 Celtic
Within regular time County earned a draw. But soccer also includes extra time, and that’s where Celtic scored.
Freiburg 0 – 1 Turbine Potsdam (F)
Potsdam handed the Frauen their fifth straight loss…this one turning on Meret Witje’s own goal. Ugh.
Grenoble Foot 1 – 0 Thonon Evian (F)
Good news for Freiburg the ladies of the Alps broke their own five game skid with a vital win, and one against one of the best teams in France’s second division. Goalkeeper Bolkach had an excellent game defending against Thonon’s potent attack and in a last minute counter attack Claudia Fabre picked out newcomer Florsie Joseph and Grenoble got a tremendous winner. So hey, Freiburg, there’s hope!
Bibiana Gold Stars 3 – 2 Legon Cities FC
A wild first half saw the Gold Stars take the lead, after Ebenezer Armegah and Eric Bonsu briefly gave Legon the edge. and despite their best efforts (and a reversed goal), the Royals lost and dropped firmly into the relegation zone
Bayern Munich 1 – 2 Freiburg (M-Cup)
Few teams are as dominant as Bayern Munich are in Germany, but for the third straight year Freiburg has either matched or outperformed them in the Cup.
Nicholas Hofler connected with as beautiful a goal as you will ever see to balance the books. The defensive line (especially Ginter, Gunter, and Gulde) stymied an insistent Bayern attack until they forced Bayern into more mistakes, this time with a series of fouls that allowed Lucas Holer to win it on a hand ball Penalty Kick in extra time.
To celebrate, Freiburg got to face Munich again on the weekend and will face Liepzig, the team that beat them in last year’s final, in the semi’s
Partizan Belgrade 1 – 0 Vozdovac
Partisan can be a brutal opponent. So much so that in the last 7 matches they won by an average of 3-0. So the red dragons only losing by 1 is a high water mark not seen since March of 2020.
Danubio 2 – 0 Emelec (M-South American Cup)
Danubia hasn’t been great shakes in their local Uruguayan league this year. But they had no trouble containing or attacking Emelec. The best news, Uruguayan native midfielder — had one of his best games yet for Los Bombillos.
Alebrijes 1 – 0 Cancun FC
Armando Gonzalez got an early goal off a rebound from Ernesto Reyes’ blast of a free kick. Even though Oaxaca earned 4 yellow cards in 12 minutes, and were unable to make good on several one-on-one opportunities, they withstood the pressure of Cancun.
Freiburg 0 – 1 Bayern Munich (M)
Munich got their win back in the domestic league, capitalizing on the early departure of Manuel Gulde to bedevil the back line and batter the Freiburg net to the tune of 3.5 expected goals. In that light, even losing by one is a bit of an accomplishment for Freiburg. (Not one they’re going to put in their hall of fame, but something at least)
St. Johnstone 0 – 2 Ross County
The Staggies returned to action and got a win for the first time since February! Jordan White made a major nusiance of himself and set up Simon Murray (who came on for the injured Eamonn Brophy) for the first goal on an absolute banger. Then rarely used midfielder David Cancola made the most of his moment getting one of his own on a scrambled ball into the box.
Kerala Blasters 3 – 1 Punjab FC (Cup)
Punjab’s first effort against a Super League side left a little something to be desired. Kerala was able to control the match despite Punjab rolling out a broader midfield than usual, which did slow down Kerala for the first half, until a penalty gave the Blasters the lead. A half time swap of midfielder Maheson Singh for attacker Krishnananda Khundongbam paid off with Punjab’s goal, but the more expanded midfield was easier for Kerala to get past (leading to two more goals and the win)
Laval 0 – 1 Grenoble (M)
Mathais Phaeton got the early goal thanks to a scintillating through ball from (who else) Jessy Bennet and Brice Mableu was able to shut down Laval for the rest of the match to seal a win.
Chicago Fire 2 – 1 Minnesota United
Kei Kamara took two early goals for Chicago, and by the time your mom and I tuned in after you were tucked in at last, we were at the desperate crosses situation for the Loons. Kervin Arriaga got one, but despite many fine chances and amazing efforts, Bongokhule Hlongwane couldn’t score the vital equalizer.
Aucus 2 – 1 Emelec (M)
Emelec’s struggles continued with another loss, bouyed only by Jose Cevallos’ injury time consolation goal. The team that lives by Miller Bolanos, also dies by Miller Bolanos (at least when Miller Bolanos is out of the match with an injury, but even then we will still write Miller Bolanos’ name so many times that we summon him to Minnesota).
Rosenborg 1 – 0 Viking (M)
Rosenborg started their campaign with a revenge win against the team that knocked them out of the cup (kind of like the reverse Freiburg experience). Ulrik Jennssen was a pest in defense, and Adrian Pereira celebrated his first start since August of last year with the winning goal off of a half volley in the middle of nothing.
Danilo Teodorovic scored first, but Topola came back with a vengeance. We would be upset, but any team that breaks up the Partizan/Red Star duopoly is okay in our books.
Punjab FC 0 – 2 Bengaluru FC (Cup)
Again Punjab set up in a defensive posture which…again worked for the first half, and then, when they got a little more aggressive in the second half, Bengaluru capitalized and took the lead. Huidrom Singh’s second yellow card didn’t help matters and let Bengaluru seal the win.
News & Notes
Jonah Attuquaye off to Latvia
We’ve made no mistake about it, Jonah Attuquaye is one of our all time favorite players during this project. He almost single handedly lifted up the Royals from their lowest ebbs and kept them consistently fresh when they desperately needed to be. But, all things must come to an end, and a player of Jonah’s caliber deserves a fresh challenge and opportunity. Last month (far below the radar of all the news I was following) he got that opportunity with a move to FK Auda in Latvia (which my former students say is lovely).
I truly hope he excels in Europe and maybe, in a season or so, there’s room for him in Rosenborg or Ross County.
Indian Super Cup Starts…and Ends
It was a pretty brief break for Round Glass Punjab as they spent a month celebrating their championship in the I-League, but the Super Cup provides them with a chance to prove themselves before the Super League starts next fall. They did draw a dangerous group, featuring two ISL playoff teams (Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC) and a fierce I-League rival (Sreenidi Deccan…you know…the team they were fighting for the trophy for months). We love a new competition, and we love Punjab, but the results from the first week of action made the next steps moot as the two losses show they are already eliminated…(Chenchyo Geltsyen’s absence was palpable.)
Spring Break! woo.
I love you boys. I love your mom and her family. I love travel.
This was hard.
We spent 6 days in Los Angeles, where the weather was lovely and I felt completely exhausted regardless. You guys had great fun seeing all the science and sunshine that LA could offer and playing happily with your Auntie, random kids at a scenic playground and a variety of newly adopted stuffies and Dino toys. You also did not understand time differences and insisted on waking me up at 4:30, and only going to bed at 8:30 PM…though the easy access to massive cakes and jelly beans may not have helped things.
Travelling with you is a privilege…it’s also a big responsibility. But you’re so darned cute.
BootRoom Book Review
From Madani’s Best Game by Fran Pintadara illustrated by Raquel Catalina
To save room in my backpack (and also because I’m forgetful), we didn’t bring bed time books along with us on this trip. So we turned to the thing that all humans turn to for answers these days: a smart phone. Soon enough, the St Paul library gave us access to several nice books including one appropriate for this blog Madani’s Best Game
The story of a star player in an anonymous neighborhood was a fine bit of soccer lore. It had clear pictures of the action, a great sense of the role of a team, and an appropriate level of drama building up to the final match.
But really the story was less about soccer, and more about a kid’s love for his mother. Much as you guys like a soccer story, you love to love your mom.
Players of the Weeks
Jessy Bennet must be acknowledged. The midfielder has managed to pilot les bleus to certainty and security in the second league, which has been in short supply since his departure after 2021.
Also worth noting is Ernesto Reyes, whose leadership and defense has continued to help Oaxaca out of their traditional funks.
Standings
The Super Cup did a real number on Punjab’s position atop the table. It can happen when you get twice as many defeats in one span as you had in the past three months. As a result, Rosenborg, returned to the top spot this year as both the men and women are undefeated in the league so far this young season. (The one loss was in the cup.) Meanwhile, the difficulty in getting decisive results has taken its toll on Freiburg and Vozdovac.
The Dragons staged an impressive comeback thanks in part to a great goal from youngster Mihajlo Neskovic who netted after a perfectly placed headed pass from Borisav Burmaz.
Alebrijes 4 – 0 Correcaminos
Oaxaca found their scoring shoes at last! A full 40% of their goals this term came from the second 45 minutes of play, their best showing since the first half against Dorados a little under a month ago. The best of the bunch was probably Ernesto Reyes’ volley smash, but that might leave out the sensational play of Cristian Canozales who notched the first goal and two assists on absurd little fakes that seemed to break ankles and hearts in equal measure. (We’ll post Reyes’ goal below, but enjoy Canozales’ celebration as well)
Grenoble 0 – 0 Le Havre (M)
Ordinarily I make a “and that happened” joke, but this was a pretty fraught nil-nil. Le Havre tops Ligue 2 and hadn’t lost since August. But they couldn’t get past Brice Maubleu even on a penalty chance.
Dallas 0 – 1 Minnesota United
Coming into this season there was plenty of talk about how the Loons were so dependent on Emmanuel Reynoso that the Argentine’s absence would be the death knell of any Minnesota opportunities. Enter: Mender Garcia. The Colombian rampaged around Dallas’ area, providing a trap that set up one blast and hitting the rebound even harder. He might have had a second if not for a late tackle that truly looked dangerous to me. Add in Kervin Arriaga’s free kick blasts and the Loons were showing strong shots even without their talisman.
Ross County 4 – 0 Dundee United
Eamonn Brophy hasn’t exactly set Dingwall alight since he arrived on a loan in January, but this might have changed that, as two goals, an assist, and some absolute blasted attempts made the Stags look better than they have in ages over fellow relegation battlers Dundee United.
Punjab FC 8 – 0 Sudeva FC
Not to be out done, Punjab FC utterly smoked lowly Sudeva FC featuring a Juan Mera hat trick and five other goals to boost their point total and their goal difference.
Grenoble Foot 0 -2 Nice (F)
It might have been a bit of a hangover for Nicholas Delpine and his Haitian contingent coming back to a hard grinding league match after clinching World Cup qualification.
Freiburg 1 – 1 Bayern Leverkusen (M)
The Griffins always seem to struggle against Leverkusen, and with Vincenzo Grifo’s early goal to back them, they were quite happy to hunker down and soak up the pressure. Still, Bayern worked their way back into the match and split the points.
Volta Rangers 1 – 2 Legon Cities FC (CUP)
The Royals took the early lead thanks to Adu Medier, but sloppy defending gave Volta a life line in the second half. As is the way when tournament games end in a tie, they turned to Penalty Kicks and Legon got the results they needed to advance on to the next round.
Emelec 2 – 0 Libertad (M)
Miller Bolanos returned to Emelec and swiftly notched his first assist and his first goal for Los Bombillos since February 2016 (he had gotten 42 goals across Brazil, Mexico, and China in the interim.) The cheeky heel flick and the confident goal in stride made it clear, we’re going to like this going forward.
Lyon 2 – 1 Grenoble (M-Cup)
Les Grenobloises had an uphill climb to knock out the Lions of Lyon including a number of world class players. Matthais Phaeton and Jessy Benet didn’t look intimidated, but they also didn’t run the back line, and Lyon capitalized with two first half goals that led to a rare goalkeeping substitution in the second half for Grenoble. A consolation goal for Amine Sbai gave Grenoble a small lifeline, but even biased folks like me have to acknowledge the better team won.
FK Radnik Surdulica 2 – 0 FK Vozdovac
Borisav Burmaz’s second half red card turned the tide and gave Radnik the advantage it needed to push up and get not just one, but two goals to tame the dragons.
Carl Zeiss Jena FC 0 – 4 SC Freiburg (F-Cup)
The Frauen brought their A game to Jena and spread the wealth around ensuring that three different scorers (and one very ugly own goal) notched some credit in the Quarter final victory. The team’s incisive passing and clear communication gave them a big advantage on the unsteady and unsafe hands of Jena’s defense.
Punjab FC 3 – 1 Churchill Brothers
The Warriors rolled through the toughest match remaining on their schedule. Again the dynamic attack of Macjen, Mera, and Gyeltshen was formidable. Each one netted a goal, and the win vaulted Punjab even farther up the standings.
Legon Cities 1 – 1 Tamale United
Kofi Kordzi continues to have the best form of anyone on the Royals roster, but after years with with one of the best defenses in Ghana, Legon’s suspect back line has let them down. There’s nothing wrong with getting a point in a match, but it’s also disappointing after what they wanted to get.
News & Notes
Soccer Shots Shoot-out
For the first time MacKenzie boys took the field for the first time. Okay, the field was a gym and, by Owen’s account, Alex played and he hung out on the sideline dancing around. But still! You had fun, and that alone is celebration!
Immediately after that we got bombarded with snow and over the ensuing 5 day mini-vacation you discovered lots of other ways to play together, in particular fighting mummies (me) and throwing snowballs (at me). I’m awfully proud.
I-League Update
The biggest shift in the I-League didn’t come in a Punjab match. Instead, Deccan’s loss to Mohamadan SC in an absolute wild match, created a vital opening that Punjab promptly capitalized on. The monstrous 8-0 completely erased the goal difference deficit and put them firmly in the driver seat. As if that wasn’t enough, Deccan dropped more points by only getting a draw against 10 man Aizawl FC, and another win puts Punjab up by 5 points with two matches to play.
A win against Rajasthan, and Punjab can be sure of taking home this year’s trophy…set your alarms!
Electric Loons!
Emelec and Minnesota both kicked off this week, giving us 9 of the 11 teams in action. Both teams are in an unusual position to start the year. Emelec, having spent last season outside of the top tier of challengers, they have brought in a host of veterans to bolster their claim to the crown. Meanwhile Minnesota, operating without Emmanuel Reynoso, will need to try to find a way to win without having one man run the show.
Player of the Week
Jiminy Christmas! When it rains it absolutely pours great performances. Cristian Canozales, Kervin Arriaga, Eomon Brophy. But the huge week for Punjab puts them in the pole position for the award, and while I’d like to give it to Kiran Limbu’s dominance in goal, you can’t ignore the fact that Juan Mera scored as many goals ON HIS OWN, as every other team in our competition scored TOGETHER. So, Juan Mera, take a bow, and a plethora of points!
Standings
The early going of the season can often flatter folks. Emelec and Minnesota shouldn’t get too fond of their top of the table position, just ask Vozdovac who went from the top to the bottom in a few short weeks. After all, Punjab is clearly determined to top their own league, and maybe ours too.
The Trolljenta aren’t looking to break their record for most season losses any time soon. Synne Bronstad was the hero this day getting the winning goal just five minutes after she came on as a substitute. Rosenborg has had to get creative, but the deeper the bench goes the better for everyone.
Punjab FC 0 – 2 Sreenidi Deccan
I’ve had a hard time finding recaps on this, but suffice to say, it didn’t go great for Punjab. They’re fully out of the running for hardware this year, but acquitted themselves well despite the changes in season and in management.
Freiburg 1 – 4 Union Berlin [M]
That one wasn’t even close. Despite having 71% possession and at least 2 expected goals, Freiburg got nearly nothing, while Union Berlin made the most of each of their chances against a clearly tiring Freiburg back line. Freiburg heads to their last league match needing a great showing against one of the best teams in the country.
Ross County 0 – 1 Motherwell
The Staggies also came up short in a vital game at home, but can’t count themselves quite as unlucky as Freiburg. The lost points stem from Alex Iacovitti’s foul in the box and the ensuing penalty. It was unfortunate but, so it goes.
Grenoble 1 – 1 AC Ajaccio [M]
Loris Nery put Grenoble in front early off a lightning strike of a free kick. However, Adrien Monfray’s two yellow cards (within 5 minutes of each other) put them right back in jeopardy. While Ajaccio got a goal back, Brice Mableu kept things tight at the back to snatch a point and with it safety in Ligue 2 for another year.
Minnesota United 0 – 1 Cincinnati [M]
The Loons looked poor and again required Dayne St. Clair to save the day. Romain Metanire’s absence continues to create trouble for our fullbacks, and the struggles of the offense to find a plan beyond: Reynoso does something magical, isn’t helping the offense either.
Emelec 1 – 0 Macara [F]
Las Electricas got a win again! Captain Maria Jose Colonel netted the winner late on in the match to give Emelec a boost on their way in to Mother’s Day.
Emelec 4 – 0 Mushuc Runa [M]
Sebastian Rodiguez could have had a penalty kick hat trick, but mercifully ceded the honors to Jose Cevallos at the end of the game as los bombillos plagued Mushuc every step of the way. (Alexis Zapata must have a protractor to hit the angle of goal he did…oof)
SC Freiburg 3 – 0 SGS Essen [F]
It wasn’t the well known stars who boosted Freiburg to victory, but a well rounded game can be exactly what the doctor called for. Three goals came with three combinations of scorers and play makers. I’m a little partial to Jana Vojtekova’s cross, but that’s me.
LSK Kvinner 0 – 0 Rosenborg BK [F]
Sa, det skjedde (that’s “So that happened” in Norwegian)
Stromsgodset 3 – 0 Rosenborg [M]
That also happened. The only thing to say is that Erland Dahl Reitan’s goal was nice…but into the wrong net. Rosenborg’s normally reliable performance have dropped dramatically and they now sit in 12th place. (one point above relegation area…granted it’s early but still…yikes…)
Grenoble 3 – 1 Le Puy [F]
Les alpines got a much needed dose of home cooking after two lack luster losses in a row. And with Sherly Jeudy and Claudia Fabre were phenomenal in tandem setting up and knocking home all three of the Grenoble goals, including this one just three minutes into the match
Accra Lions 1 – 0 Legon Cities
Legon is awfully close to Accra, but the Royals continue to stumble in the closest things they have to local rivalries. They have won one match against the trio of Lions, Hearts of Oak, and Olympics. Here’s hoping Liberty Professionals come back for a little extra aggression next year.
Cukaricki 0 – 0 Vozdovac
That also happened. (Side note: Milos Milovic’s red card will likely hold him back from the next match against Partizan Belgrade…I’m sure Milos is a serious professional, but I wouldn’t blame him if he wanted a break from the fascist pigs that cheer at Paritzan.)
News & Notes
Mother’s Day Mania!
We celebrated your mom the best way possible on Sunday: sweet treats and Star Wars (those were her requests which again reminds us that she is truly awesome). We also got to see the Women take center stage with all the women’s teams in action and every single one of them picking up a point.
— Club Sport Emelec Femenino (@ElectricasCSE) May 8, 2022
Champions League
Where attention is at…
I don’t really talk about the major soccer scene that much. There are other, better known websites for chronicling other, better known competitions. But suffice to say, it was fun to see a crowd of students chattering and buzzing during the biggest game of the year (so far). It also reminded me that exactly 0 learning will be done on November 21st, 22nd, 29th, and 30th (as Mexico and Ecuador are in action over those two days…and most of my students have families from there)
C is for Catchy Song
I have no further notes, just enjoy this Ross County version of a Sesame Street Classic.
It’s not all about Mothers day, but the simple fact is the men went 1-1-6 this week and the women went 3-1-0. We already wanted to recognize the awesomeness of the women but, as always, they made it easy. This week we’ll give it to Claudia Fabre who had a hand (or foot) in everything that got the ladies of Grenoble into the winner’s circle (also, if my research is to be believed she’s also a radiologist…so…wow…and possibly a big Bitcoin enthusiast).
Standings Update
It’s a great time to be a fan, as all but one team has a winning record this year, and even they (Grenoble) are in fine form lately. I can’t remember the last time Vozdovac was this high on the standings…they must be carrying the mythical flying creature flag…sorry Oaxaca.
It sure looked like Punjab was going to take their first loss of the campaign, even with two goals pulled back for offside Aizawl had shown the better style throughout the match. But then came a late red card to Aizwal’s right back and suddenly the onslaught was back on. Within 60 seconds Kurtis Guthrie (yup, him again) and defender Bikash Yumnam pulled the team from the edge of defeat to the hallowed halls of victory with a little poke from a dangerous corner kick to do the lasting damage.
Freiburg 3 – 2 Wolfsburg [M]
Vincenzo Grifo led the charge out of the gate blasting two beauties in the first half. When Wolfsburg stormed back to equalize late on, Silver Fox Nico Schlotterbeck made the difference to keep Freiburg very much in the mix for non Munich/Dortmund honors with only eight matches left to play.
Grenoble 0 – 0 Rodez [M]
The good news, Grenoble has stopped shipping goals like they were square-jawed sci-fi dudes with good chemistry (…no…no takers on the slash fiction joke…? okay moving on). The bad news the offense has also dried up. They’ve scored four times in nine matches under Vincent Hognon. (That this is a marked improvement shows just how low they had fallen prior to Hognon’s arrival…but it may not be enough improvement to save them from the drop).
Great Olympics 1 – 0 Legon Cities
Sigh…just when you hope the Royals are on the cusp of something, they go and lay an egg again…
SC Freiburg 7 – 1 FC Carl Zeiss Jena [F]
Carl Zeiss Jena may be a the foot of the women’s Bundesliga, but they had the lead for a solid half an hour in Freiburg. Then the lady griffins took charge. Seven goals from six players in about forty minutes was a heck of a showing. It may not win any trophies, but I bet it felt darn good.
Vozdovac 1 – 1 FK Spartak Subotica
The Red Dragons split their points on top of the mall in Belgrade. Milos Pantovic struck a solid rebound back into the goal to give them a surprising lead. While the defense did a good job of forcing Spartak into some ugly shots, their befuddlement on a late long ball opened it up for Spartak to waltz it in and take a point.
Grenoble Foot 3 – 3 Montabaun [F]
Perhaps les hommes de Hognon could use a conversation with Grenoble’s women’s side. Three goals marks a high point in the league for the ladies of the alps, though to be fair one of them was one of the slowest rollers I’ve ever seen. Still, points are points, and I’m not one to complain (though I would love if more than one phone could get video of the game)
NY Red Bulls 0 – 1 Minnesota United [M]
It takes a bit of effort to go into New York and come away with one point, let alone all three. But that’s what the Loons managed against the Red Bulls over the weekend. It was in no small part due to Dayne St. Clair’s showing in goal. The keeper made 8 tremendous saves (including a ball don’t lie penalty save), and though statistics suggested he coulda/shoulda given up 4, he kept the score line clear to let the single volley strike from Luis Amarilla send Minnesota home happy.
Gualaceo SC 2 – 1 Emelec
While Romario Caicedo got a late consolation goal, Los bombillos struggled with newly promoted Gualaceo. A little boost to the new comers to best one of the best sides in all Ecuador last year, but hopefully not the beginning of a trend.
Punjab FC 1 – 2 Sreenidi Deccan
Punjab lost their unbeaten run against the Andhar Pradesh side and more specifically Nigerian striker, Louis Ogana. It likely didn’t help that Kurtiss Guthrie finally had an off night for the Northwestern side and the attack was thoroughly neutralized.
Pau 0 – 1 Grenoble [M]
Don’t look now but les Grenobloises have gone three whole matches without a loss! Even though Jordy Gaspar had ten sloppy minutes to get himself banned from the next week of matches, Brice Mableu held on to enough attacks to ensure that Yoric Ravet’s penalty salvaged a crucial three points for Les Alpines who moved above the drop…phew!
News & Notes
(Omitted due to time constraints–hey, I’m writer, editor, publisher…I do what I want!)
Player of the Week
There were some solid showings this week by teams who played more than once, but you can’t ignore the elephant in the room: Freiburg Frauen dominated their match this week. And while lots of people scored goals, I couldn’t keep my eyes off 19 year old Swiss midfielder Riola Xhemaili who managed some absolutely staggering assists and key passes to set up several of the goals (playing in a line with other powerhouses like Janina Minge and Hasret Kayici doesn’t hurt either.
There will come a point in your lives boys, when you seem doing something vital from 4:30 in the morning until 10:30 at night. When that time comes, remember that you are enough just as you are, and your blog about parenting and soccer can take a break…assuming there are still blogs…and soccer…and parenting…you get the idea.
Results
Cimarrones 0 – 1 Alebrijes
Mineros 4 – 2 Alebrijes
Alebrijes 1 – 0 Celaya
Alebrijes continued their strong form. But as the defense goes, so goes the whole team, the slip against Mineros was the first time the team dropped points after scoring twice, but confirms that they’ve only lost matches after they give up two or more. Andre Alcaraz continues to be a brick wall in front of the goal, and Miguel Vallejo has done a masterful job on free kicks
Emelec 4 – 0 CSD Macara [M]
Independente del Valle 0 – 1 Emelec [M]
Emelec 2 – 2 Guyaquil City
Emelec’s return to action in Ecuador came with a trio of games against top opposition, and they didn’t disappoint. Sebastian Rodriguez has been huge so far, holding down a tight knit defense and scoring in the first two victories of the season while Alexis Zapata has shown up as a creative force for the attack. (As an added perk, rocking my Emelec jersey to school got multiple kids excited to talk about things…and then their learning!)
Hibernian 2 – 0 Ross County
Ross County 3 – 1 St. Johnstone
Motherwell 0 – 1 Ross County
Ross County 1 – 0 St. Mirren
The Staggies had an impressive showing over the last three weeks, so much so that suddenly, a team that seemed destined for demotion has hauled themselves up into the top half of the league. Again, Regan Charles Cook and Joseph Hungbo were huge for the Stags, while Alex Iacovitti and Jack Baldwin anchored a stellar showing by the back line.
Augsburg 1 – 2 Freiburg [M]
Freiburg 3 – 0 Hertha BSC [M]
Bochum 1 – 2 Freiburg [M-Cup]
RB Leipzig 1 – 1 Freiburg [M]
VfL Wolfsburg 4 – 1 SC Freiburg [F]
After a long lay off the ladies of Breigsau came back a bit rusty, but in their absence the men seem to have found a second win. Winning 3 of 4 and getting a vital draw with a fellow top six contender helps Freiburg stay close in the hunt for European places. Even better they are now just two steps away from the team’s first hardware in years with a spot in the semi-finals of DFB Pokal sealed against Hamburger SV. There were no shortage of strong performances, but we’d like to send a special tip of the cap to Nico Schlotterback’s defense and Rolland Salai’s role on the wing.
Nimes 3 – 1 Grenoble [M]
Nimes Metropole Garre 2 – 0 Grenoble Foot [F]
Grenoble 0 – 2 Toulouse [M]
Nancy 0 – 1 Grenoble [M]
Grenoble got one great win over the last three weeks. That is not a great record. But it did come with a fine showing from Brice Mableu back in goal with five saves and an assist. Now…can everybody in blue do that? (and can they do it against teams that aren’t sitting next to them on the bottom of the table?)
Vozdovac 0 – 0 Radniki Nis
FK Radnicki 1923 1 – 0 Vozdovac
Vozdovac 0 – 3 Red Star Belgrade
Mladost Lucani 2 – 4 Vozdovac
Let’s not dwell too long on the discouraging showings against Radnicki 1923 or the monsters of Red Star. A resilient draw against the better than most Radniki Nis team was nice, and the ability to show up and stick with a plan in Lucani was much appreciated. The Dragons didn’t have to do much to scorch the blue side’s defense, but the final goal by Marko Ivezic on a give and go with Stefan Hadjin was a beautiful bit of build up on a grey and dreary day.
Legon Cities 1 – 1 Hearts of Oak
Real Tamale 1 – 1 Legon Cities
Legon’s been unbeaten in their last 5 matches (though they’ve only won two of those). It’s all the more impressive as recent top choice keeper: William Essu is just 19 years old and standing up to the best shots that can be offered by much more established sides. Every year, it feels like Legon grabs a great keeper from nowhere: and here we are again. Medaase pii William!
Punjab FC 2 – 2 Churchill Brothers
Kenkre 0 – 4 Punjab FC
There was no shortage of offense for Punjab as they resumed their I-League campaign. Kurtis Guthrie has towered over the competition both literally (he’s 6’2″ in a team of 5 footers) and figuratively, scoring four goals over two matches to create a dominant attack (their eight goals outpaces every other team). Despite the slip against Churchill (a long standing local power), there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic for Punjab as they go for glory.
A couple of draws don’t tell the whole story for Minnesota United. The team has looked surprisingly organized in midfield, going beyond Emmanuel Reynoso’s usual one man show. Hasani Dotson has been on point this year (after a less consistent 2021), and the team has been well organized from front to back even though the supposed offensive juggernaut has yet to click. (To be fair, Philadelphia and Nashville are two strong opponents).
News & Notes
Mr. Poopy Butt
President Poop Butt
That has become your boys’ go to insult of late, and while I’d really rather we not have it at all, if we’re going to use it it better be directed towards this snivelling, self-righteous schmuck. Vladmir Putin has such a hard time believing that his country can still be important without forcing others to obey him that he’s put millions of people at risk to soothe his own bruised sense of self. If you need a hug Vladmir, I’m happy to oblige, but if you want to keep hurting people, well you really are, in the words of Alex, “Vladmir Poo….p Butt!”
Most Systems Go
In the time we were away a few leagues returned into action: Serbia is back to finish their current season, with Vozdovac going from an outside shot at Europe to a much more realistic shot at relegation. Punjab FC restarted their season after the long COVID Delay (like a rain delay, but with more spike proteins). And Minnesota United sent out their attacking force and defensive suggestion to the new American season.
Only the Griz (still focusing on school thank you very much) and Rosenborg (almost wrapped up with the preseason) have yet to play.
Kurtis is Cruising
Player of the Week
Okay, there are several players to recognize after several weeks of dereliction of duty. So let’s acknowledge some of the biggest difference makers for three teams who had tremendous runs over the last few weeks. Miguel Vallejo has rejuvenated Alebrijes; Nico Schlotterback has been instrumental in keeping Freiburg near the top of Germany, and Kurtis Guthrie is a one man wrecking crew in the Indian league. So Miguel, Nico and Kurtis you are our three players of the week.
Standings Update
In their short time back, Emelec and Punjab have shot to the top of our standings, while Alebrijes Oaxaca is showing a strong third, and the next three sides are separated by only 4 hundredths points per game. Strangely, two teams have the same average points/goals for and goals against per game: Minnesota (which after two matches isn’t too surprising) and Freiburg (which after 13…is a bit)
MacKenzie's Boot Room 