Tag: Bryan Carabali

Weeks 28 & 29: Uff Da

Weeks 28 & 29: Uff Da

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Summer illnesses are no fun. I was mostly spared on the illness front, but nursing everyone in the house back to health while also doing the jobs that a running a house requires left me with not much bandwith to write. So here’s a double week review (and hopefully my Dear Boys will post as normal)

Recap

Stranrear 1 – 5 Ross County (Cup)

Nothing says Scottish summer like visits to teams even smaller than County and rain on rain on rain. Simon Murray and Jordan White used their height to loom over Stranrear’s defense and capitalize on the clearest openings whenever they appeared to the tune of a hat trick for Mr. Murray. Which gave County a slightly bigger scoreline than they might have otherwise earned.

Minnesota United 1 – 1 LAFC (M)

Your mom and I went off to enjoy the match and some of the finest vegetarian vittles available. I regret to report that the samosas are to tiny for you, but was happy to see that the Loons held their own against the defending champions and arguably best team in America right now. The biggest help was Emanuel Reynoso breaking ankles and hearts. The biggest hindrance was that, once again, the previous sentence summarized the entirety of Minnesota’s strategy.

Rosenborg 2 – 1 Tromso (M)

The Trollboys have their first win under coach Svein Maalen, courtesy of some aggressive play by the attacking line of Holse, Nelson, and Saeter. (The nifty give and go of Saeter and Holse got the first goal, and our favorite Canadian attacker continued to stretch the defense). Tromso grew back into the game, and equalized, but their hero quickly was sent off and Rosenborg capitalized on their advantage with Ulrik Ytttergard Jennsen nailing the winner deep in injury time.

Emelec 0 – 0 Sporting Cristal (M-Copa)

This game happened. And while it was certainly disappointing not to score, the result was exactly what Los Bombillos needed. Romario Caicedo, Bryan Carabali and Pedro Ortiz don’t get as much press as the omnipresent Miller Bolanos, but they were vital to Emelec’s result and advancing on to the next round.

Ross County 2 – 1 Greenock Morton (Cup)

In the early stages it looked like Greenock Morton would have the opportunities to capitalize on gaffes in the County defense. But Ross Munro acquitted himself well again, and in the second half, the Staggies made the most of attacking the Jail End fans by scoring twice on Jay Henderson’s excellent volley and another bout of Simon Murray speed.

Stromsgodset 0 – 1 Rosenborg (M)

Sverre Nypan was able to flip the ball over a charging keeper to give Rosenborg another aggressive lead. But the team’s performance there after was textbook defensiveness with Erland Reitan returning to his defensive roots and Andre Hansen holding down the goal

https://youtu.be/asS9cYIF2Tk

Puebla 0 – 4 Minnesota United (US-Mex Cup)

There has been a long standing assumption that Liga MX is better than MLS. And an assumption that even subpar Mexican teams can dominate American peers. This game put that to the test. Puebla is struggling to start their season and while the Loons have looked adequate at best, they smoked Puebla here with Bongokhule Hlongwane charging down every bit of space and Emmanuel Reynoso delivering some gorgeous moments (and a free kick that rivals Leo Messi from earlier in the weekend).

FC Edinburgh 1 – 3 Ross County (Cup)

Simon Murray and Jordan White continued their strong showing, keeping their unbeaten run in the season opening Viaplay Cup going.

News & Notes

Weekly Kids Highlights

As mentioned above, y’all were sick. So the number of actual highlights was pretty slim. Alex did get a chance to go play with both Mom and Grandpa Bruce watching, but they didn’t have the same detailed reviews of Alex’s play…almost like they don’t write a blog about soccer.

Women’s World Cup-Date

It’s been a surprisingly rough start to the cup for Norway. An upset at the hands of New Zealand and a draw against Switzerland has left Norway at the bottom of Group A and needing a big win against the Philippines to advance to the next round. Mathilde Harviken has done her best to hold down the defense, but my hope for a Julie Blakstad’s emergence as a dominant attacker has been tempered. Meanwhile, Rosenborg’s keeper Lene Christensen, pitched a clean sheet for Denmark against China.

Haiti did a great job keeping a tight hold on England turning what people had predicted to be a trouncing into a narrow defeat. Jennyfer Limage had to leave in the first half with an injury, but Sherly Jeudy performed well (as ever) and Florsie Joseph had a brief appearance.

Big Changes

Nicholas Delpine’s turn at the World Cup naturally gives him some opportunities to go beyond coaching a third division French club, so he will be moving on. So to will Maxwell Konadu at Legon Cities. He kept Legon up and surviving despite plenty of struggles, but I’m definitely more bummed that Michael Otouo is also leaving the club.

Players of the Week

Originally I would have had to choose between Emmanuel Reynoso’s great footwork and passes or Simon Murray’s excellent attacking week. But with two weeks to identify great players, we can rightly applaud both.

Standings

With Aurora’s season at an end and the TrollKvinner on their World Cup break, Punjab can breathe easily. They won’t have many threats to their position until they hit the field again after the Monsoon season ends and they take the field in October.

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Punjab–b12232.242.290.94
Minnesota22691.952.461.05
Rosenborg176131.581.670.94
Legon Cities–b9781.421.251.29
Grenoble–b156171.341.161.13
Emelec7871.321.231.14
Freiburg–b127191.131.241.66
Alebrijes–b5581.111.331.39
Ross County–b64121.001.231.50
Vozdovac–b43110.830.671.65
Montana–b000———
Table Updated 7/27/23
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Thursday, July 27th

Crusaders v. Rosenborg (M–Europa Conference)

Minnesota United v. Chicago Fire (M- US-Mex Cup)

Friday, July 28th

Saturday, July 29th

Ross County v. Kelty Hearts (M-Cup)

Sunday, July 30th

Rosenborg v. Odd (M)

Monday, July 31st

Alebrijes v. Tapatio

Tuesday, August 1st

Emelec v. Defensa y Jusiticia (M-Copa Sudamericana)

Wednesday, August 2nd

Week 26: Staycation the First

Week 26: Staycation the First

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recap

Rosenborg BK 2 – 0 Asane (F)

Rosenborg combined for two goals in the first half as the center of the attack was able to connect more effectively. The team held on for the rest of the match.

Real Salt Lake 2 – 2 Minnesota United (M)

The Loons combined for two goals in the first half with Emanuel Reynoso having an immediate impact in his return to the starting line up (and strong showings by both Hasani Dotson and Jeong Sang-Bin). But team was not able to hold on for the rest of the match, giving up two goals in the last 11 minutes (plus stoppage time) to turn an excellent road win into an acceptable road draw.

Bavarian United 0 – 2 Minnesota Aurora (F)

Aurora completed their biggest road trip of the year with another win, another pair of goals for Maya Hansen and another Heartland Division title (their second in as many years)

Rosenborg 0 – 3 Sarpsborg 08 (M)

The other team from Trondheim did not seem to have much of anything in this match as they defended as best they could, and saw Sarpsborg stride forward with purpose and intensity and Rosenborg was…there.

Emelec 2 – 1 Danubio (M-Copa Sudamericana)

Los Bombillos continue to save their best showings for the continental competition (though if they keep doing so, they may not qualify for next year’s competitions). They applied tremendous pressure throughout the match and it was a particularly great game for fullbacks as Bryan Carabali got a goal and Romario Caicedo notched an assist. They will move on to the knockout stages.

News & Notes

Weekly Kids Highlights

We were on a family staycation at your grandparents this week, so Alex was out of action for his regular Sunday practice. However both boys have taken to wrestling and punching…so…

Gold Cup-Date

Several Loons players are still on international duty (heh-heh, duty sounds like doody) at the Gold Cup, North America’s big international tournament. Dayne St. Clair didn’t start for Canada, but after Milan Borjan gave up two more goals to Guadaloupe, maybe it’s time for a change between the posts.

Joseph Rosales was on the struggling side of a 4-0 drubbing by Mexico. Kemar Lawrence came on for the second half for Jamaica against the United States, but the Reggae Boyz gave up a late equalizer to fall short of an epic upset.

Transfer Time

Every team is looking to upgrade in the summer season and ours have been impressively active.

Start with the Loons, whose offense I have bemoaned a fair few times. They responded by getting Robin Lod’s teammate and Norwich’s favorite Fin Teemu Puuki. So hopefully he and Bebelo are able to get together quickly to pull the Loons back into contention.

Freiburg has continued their routine of selling high and buying low, as long as the premier league continues to offer big sums, the Griffins will keep taking them and reinvesting in the next generation. As in addition to the Austrian Adamu they grabbed a replacement goalie in old pal Florian Muller.

Vozdovac and Ross County have trended to younger academy players, but the Dragons did bring in former Red Star defender Aleksandar Lukic, and the Stags grabbed recent thistle in their sides, Kyle Turner (because he played for Partick Thistle in the playoffs just a few weeks ago…get it?) and left back Josh Reid who just missed a trip to the Premier League with Coventry City. Unfortunately the Stags also said goodbye to stalwart defender Alex Iacovitti, so there will be some shoes to fill.

RBK’s Finances

I don’t much like writing about the business side of soccer, because (1) I don’t understand it and (2) I have no idea how to work it into life lessons for you boys. But it seems relevant at this point because, apparently Rosenborg’s women’s side has suffered financially in the last year, and the Norwegian Federation is worried about their ability to stay afloat. (I’m not quite sure why they’re struggling, they’ve been consistently one of the best teams in the country, the stands at Koateng arena are usually full, but like I said…I don’t understand a lot of the business stuff.) As a result they have been docked a point in the league dropping them further behind Valerenga…but I don’t have to do that, and I won’t.

Player of the Week

Her hat trick could have been rewarded last week, but there was a bigger point to make by standing with her fellow defender. But after another clean sheet boosting the best defense in our table, Sara Horte you are our player of the week.

Standing

Emelec will get a much needed break after their Copa Sudamericana tie this week and then it’ll be a summer of Minnesota and Rosenborg! (And a summer where Punjab keeps looking over their shoulders)

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Punjab–b12232.242.290.94
Minnesota16571.892.391.14
Rosenborg156101.651.740.90
Legon Cities–b9781.421.251.29
Grenoble–b156171.341.161.13
Emelec5871.151.201.20
Freiburg–b127191.131.241.66
Alebrijes–b5581.111.331.39
Ross County–b64121.001.231.50
Vozdovac–b43110.830.671.65
Montana–b000———
Table Updated 6/22/23
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Thursday, June 29th

Green Bay Glory v. Minnesota Aurora (F)

Friday, June 30th

Saturday, July 1st

Roa v. Rosenborg BK (F)

Minnesota United v. Portland Timbers (M)

Minnesota Aurora v. Chicago City SC (F)

Sunday, July 2nd

Aalesund v. Rosenborg (M)

Monday, July 3rd

Tuesday, July 4th

Wednesday, July 5th

Plus tracking results for Gold Cup matches and the impending Women’s World Cup.

Week 22: Cue the Crying

Week 22: Cue the Crying

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recaps

Huracan 2 – 2 Emelec (M–Confederation Cup)

Emelec is in an odd spot, floundering in the league but competitive in the confederation cup. Few things show that better than making a trip to Buenos Aires and walking out with points despite an absolutely staggering gaffe to give Huracan an early goal. But they fought back with a great volley from Alejandro Cabeza on Bryan Carabali’s cross and Miller Bolanos’ late goal saved the day. But the last fifteen minutes were extra painful, especially for Cabeza who went from winning the match to being sent off after a pair of VAR checks found him both offside and aggressive with the elbows.

Valenciennes 1 – 0 Grenoble (M)

The Alpiners did a fine job of building up out of the back and connecting their attack, but couldn’t get anything across the goal line.

Frankfurt 2 – 1 Freiburg

Freiburg dropped only their second game to teams outside the top 4. Frankfurt came in motivated for a short at the Europa Conference League if they got a strong result and Leverkusen didn’t but this wasn’t enough.

Valerenga 3 – 1Rosenborg BK (F)

The top of the Toppserien turned into a less competitive match than you might expect with the Oslo side beating our girls from Trondheim, and using a five player midfield to overwhelm Rosenborg. It’s already a nine point gap between the top two teams who won’t meet again until November.

Partizan Belgrade 2 – 1 Vozdovac

The Red Dragons wrapped up their season with a predictable loss to one of the bigger Belgrade clubs. Partizan will have to settle for playoffs into the Europa Conference league, but at least Vozdovac don’t serve as a front for facists….yeah, I said it.

Minnesota 1 – 1 Real Salt Lake (M)

The Loons got some help from Real Salt Lake with an own goal only moments after Salt Lake took the lead. Again, they should feel unlucky as they had enough quality to probably score twice on their own, rather than relying on good fortune just to snatch a draw. Bongokhule Hlongwane was dangerous again, Will Trapp and Hasani Dotson boosted the midfield, and Minnesota rejoiced at the news that Emanuel Reynoso was nearing match fitness again.

Minnesota 4 – 0 Chicago Dutch Lions (F)

The Aurora came out with a fury in Chicago, pestering the goal until Kennedy Faulknor notched a gorgeous goal from a long distance shot. From there Maya Hansen and Cat Rapp continued their impressive double act to add another couple goals and put Minnesota in position to run away with their USL-W division again.

Vfl Wolfsburg 2 – 1 SC Freiburg (F)

Wolfsburg continued to be Freiburg’s bete-noir with another win at the griffin’s expense. Judith Steinert got a consolation goal, and the defense again showed some strong skills to keep things pretty close, as the Frauen of the Black Forest settled in their comfortable 6th place position.

Kilmarnock 3 – 1 Ross County

County needed a victory to ensure they’d stay up, there was pressure and intensity galore. And Kilmarnock scored. Then Alex Iacovitti committed a penalty that Kilmarnock converted. With a thoroughly deflated feeling, County did grab a consolation goal through Yan Dhanda’s penalty, but gave another one up shortly after. So, the loss was settled.

Legon Cities 1 – 0 Hearts of Oak

While Hearts of Oak has long been a dominant force in Ghanaian soccer, the upstarts of Legon have often seemed like the little brothers in the greater Accra landscape. But Legon looked great throughout the game, pushing Hearts of Oak around until Kofi Kordzi’s goal slipped through (it was probably the least likely to go in in). The “Phobians” grew into the match in the second half, but Legon’s defense held firm for their first ever win against one of the local league’s giants. (To be fair, Hearts have dropped five of their last six, so it’s maybe not that shocking, but a win is always welcome).

Le Puy Foot 1 – 1 Grenoble Foot (F)

Les Iseroises had a lot of confidence coming into play Le Puy on an excellent winning streak and facing a team who trailed in the table and had lost by two in their prior meeting. But Le Puy did well, the Grenoble side was frustrated and in the end it was only a point…a very…very painful point (see note below)

Brann 3 – 1 Rosenborg (M)

The Trollguter lost again as Carlo Holse has not been able to find the attacking vim he had in the past and Rosenborg’s anemic offense has them down in the unfamiliar territory of 11th place (the same rank as their goals for). This time, only a penalty saved them from getting blanked.

Emelec 0 – 0 Guayaquil City (M)

An unremarkable Guayaquil face off for Emelec has left the side down just one point off the absolute bottom of the table…yeesh.

Austin FC 2 – 1 Minnesota United (M)

Down in the heart of Texas, the Loons have had some strong showings and some suspect ones. They held their own against Austin and (again) could feel unlucky not to have more balls bounce their way (their expected goals were 3, their total goals were 1…that’s unfortunate. Mender Garcia did do an excellent job setting up Joseph Rosales equalizer, but for the first time in a while the defense looked taxed and unable to keep up.

Minnesota Aurora 10 – 0 RKC FC (F)

Honestly, I was a little frustrated preparing for this because I could not figure out RKC FC’s alphabet soup of a name. Turns out the team is from Racine (R) in Kenosha County (KC) and it is a football club (FC). They also have yet to win this season, and facing last year’s finalists…they were not in a good position to change that. Maya Hansen got a hat trick with the help of Cat Rapp’s assists and took over as the club’s all-time leading scorer (though that is only a two year record)

News & Notes

So…how did it go?

Last time we talked through all the permutations and possibilities. Now things are settled, and here’s where we stand

Grenoble: The men have one last game left, but are firmly grounded in the mid table. I thought the ladies were firmly placed in the mid-table, but ended up getting relegated due to a change in the French leagues set-up (see next news).

Vozdovac: The dragons were in the unusual position of knowing as soon as they landed in the top half of the table that they weren’t going to be relegated and they had no chance of topping the league. Still, it was more fun than being constantly afraid.

Freiburg: the women were settled in the mid-table, but the men had an outside chance to join the top sides going to the prestigious Champions’ League. But Eintracht Frankfurt’s victory spoiled those plans and the Griffins are going back to the Europa League (where they looked great until running in to Juventus).

Ross County: The good news, the Staggies aren’t relegated! Bad news…yet…After their loss County will have to take a two leg tie against Partick Thistle to keep their spot in the Premiership.

Wait, wait…what happened to the Grenoble ladies?

I’ll be honest, I was stumped when the Grenoble social media accounts were upset at a 1-1 draw to end the season against Le Puy. Because (silly me) I had neglected to read a memo from the French Football Federation a year ago announcing a change to the league. Instead of two divisions in Ligue 2, there will be only one next year. Grenoble was right on the cusp of qualifying for the redesigned Ligue 2…but the draw left them level with Albi Marsac…but ahead on goals…which didn’t matter as much as the fact that back in September and December they lost to Albi by a total of 3-0.

So…having a better goal difference, a similar offense, a better defense, and a run of six unbeaten…Grenoble is going down to Ligue 3 because of two games in the last calendar year.

Sometimes the rules around this game are dumb. But we can make the best of the bad situation and hope that Grenoble comes out to win Ligue 3 and jump up a level next year.

Bet Pawa Update

The impossible to expect Bet Pawa league in Ghana is two matches away from it’s conclusion and things are becoming much clearer.

Only three teams can win the title (down from 12 two weeks ago), Medeama SC is in the lead with Aduana Stars and Bechem United needing things to break their way. The relegation battle is still wild. Everyone from sixth place Berekum Chelsea down to King Faisal could still be knocked out (including the Royals of Legon). Things should be clearer after the coming weekend when King Faisal must win against the Royals to have a chance of survival, but a win for Legon might make them safe (provided one team ranked 14-16 also loses)

Player of the Week

Maya Hansen has had one heck of a run this past week. With five goals in two matches this week, she’s been vital in making Aurora the familiar indomitable selves. The question may not be: can they win, the question may be “who is going to stop them?”

Standing

Oof , that was a rough…rough…ROUGH week. There were 15 matches, and our favorite teams got 3 wins, 3 draws and 9 defeats. That’s 10 points from a possible 45. If not for Maya Hansen’s dominance and a superb showing by Legon this would have been utterly miserable.

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Punjab–b12232.242.290.94
Rosenborg10551.751.500.70
Minnesota8361.591.351.29
Grenoble155151.431.231.11
Legon Cities7771.331.191.24
Freiburg127171.191.221.67
Emelec4461.141.141.21
Alebrijes–b5581.111.331.39
Ross County54101.001.211.42
Vozdovac43100.880.651.65
Montana–b000———
Table Updated 5/25/22
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Thursday, June 1st

Stojorsdals Blink v. Rosenborg (M)

Partick Thistle v. Ross County (Premiership Playoff)

Friday, June 2nd

Grenoble v. Guingamp (M)

Saturday, June 3rd

Rosenborg BK v. Brann (F)

Barcelona SC v. Emelec (M)

Minnesota v. Toronto FC (M)

Sunday, June 4th

King Faisal v. Legon Cities

Rosenborg v. HamKam (M)

Rochester FC v. Minnesota (F)

Ross County v. Partick Thistle (Premiership Playoff)

Monday, June 5th

Tuesday, June 6th

LSK Kvinner v. Rosenborg (F)

Wednesday, June 7th

Emelec v. Guarani (M-Confederation Cup)

Minnesota v. Chicago Dutch Lions (F)

Weeks 16 Coming to a Close

Weeks 16 Coming to a Close

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recaps

Forward Madison 0 – 2 Minnesota United [Cup]

The Midwestern Bird Derby was a welcome sight on Wednesday as the Loons sent some talented players down I-94 to play in Wisconsin’s capital. It might have been a bit of a surprise for players like Adrien Hunou and Bongokuhle Hlongwane to go from Champions League to Madison, Wisconsin, but the win moves them along in the US Open Cup. Special mention to Joseph Rosales and his pair of sterling corner kicks to set up both goals.

FK Vozdovac 2 – 1 Vojvodina

The Red Dragons struck again to boost their standing in the SuperLiga Championship Group. Despite a shaky start to the game defensively they responded well after a penalty conceded and made the most of their home turf. (The second goal from Marko Mijailovic was a particularly nice piece of teamwork) A trip to Europe is likely still out of reach for the stars of the Mall Stadium, but fourth place would still be one of their best finishes in years.

Cumbaya 1 – 1 Emelec [M]

Los bombillos endured a pretty dour match until all heck-fire broke out in the last ten minutes. After some shoddy defending gave Cumbaya the lead, Alexis Zapata seemed to be fouled in the box by a three inch tall pink pixie that only the referee could see (even Zapata doesn’t feel anything until after the whistle is blown). So Cumbaya got a red card for allowing pixies on the field, and Jose Cevallos knocked home the penalty to draw a point from the game. (Seriously, watch the foul and have a laugh at the absurdity of that penalty…we cheer for Emelec…but c’mon…)

https://youtu.be/nGClmnSygcM

Le Havre 0 – 1 Grenoble [M]

It’s not over yet but Vincent Hognon’s work boosting Grenoble is close to paying off in spades. As usual Grenoble goes best when it’s defense is on point, and we’re glad to see Loic Nestor and Adrian Monfry back in good form. (Kudos too to oft omitted defender Bart Straalman and to Jordy Gaspar, who has done well in a more advanced position)

Emelec 0 – 3 Deportivo Espuce [F]

Ooof…getting a three goal whooping at home is a tough way to start your weekend. But hey it was more fun than most of the men’s match.

Golukam 2 – 0 Punjab FC

Since starting crazy strong, Punjab’s been stymied consistently. Unsurprisingly, it seems to come down to Kurtis Guthrie. When he doesn’t score, the warriors have one win, one draw and all four of their losses.

Freiburg 3 – 3 Borussia Munchengladbach [M]

‘Gladbach started quite well and things looked dark, but Freiburg came back with a vengeance in the second half. Goals from Vincenzo Grifo, Christian Günter, and Phillip Leinhart gave Freiburg a boost that seemed like it might complete an epic comeback…until a very late header split the points.

Minnesota United 3 – 0 Chicago Fire

The Loons kept the good times rolling against more of our fellow midwesterners in a game that was a lot more physical than you’d expect from the Midwest’s “passive agressive” reputation. Emmanuel Reynoso started to click after a surprisingly poor run of play and South African winger Bongokuhle Hlongwane notched two assists to push past Chicago after leaning on Dayne St. Clair to start the match..

Rosenborg BK 4 – 1 Arna-Bjornar [F]

Rosenborg may have a loss to blemish their record earlier than ever before, but they continue to click along with terrifying consistency. This time Emile Nautnes took charge in midfield and ripped two goals en route to a big win.

Ross County 0 – 2 Celtic

The Stags rarely expect to take points off the Glaswegian duopoly of Celtic and Rangers, so losing by two feels like a moral victory. Ditto Connor Randall for helping bottle up at least one side of the park.

Asante Kotoko 1 – 3 Legon Cities

The porcupines of Kotoko seem to be running away with the league, but for 90 fabulous minutes in Kumasi the Royals held their own. Hans Kwofie and Jonah Attuquaye connected on two strong crosses, to boost Legon past one of Ghana’s legendary sides.

SC Freiburg 7 – 1 SC Sand [F]

Every once in a while Hasret Kayicki reminds you that she’s a force to be reckoned with. Passing, blasting in goals, dominating the passing lanes. Sorry Sand, but this was fun.

Rosenborg 0 – 0 Molde [M]

That happened.

Emelec 1 – 0 Aucas [M]

Thank goodness Bryan Carabali scored so early. After Anibal Leguizmon was sent off shortly after the game’s only goal, Emelec had to hunker down and endure heaps of pressure. They did and kept themselves in the top tier of the league in front of the fullest stadium I’ve seen for our team since the pandemic.

Rodez 3 – 0 Grenoble [F]

It was a less than sterling performance for the ladies of the Alps on Sunday. But Rodez seems to be on a glide path to winning their section of the league, so a loss to them on the road doesn’t sting quite so much.

Mohammaden SC 2 – 2 Punjab FC

Again it came down to Kurtis Guthrie. He had multiple gilt-edged opportunities to start the match, but couldn’t seem to get past the keeper. Mohammaden’s Markus Joseph plagued the Punjabi defense, but finally Kurtiss nodded down a header to equalize (even if he missed a late breakaway tap in to win it).

News & Notes

To everything there is a season.

When calendars turn to May, leagues start to wrap up shop for the year. Trophies have already been claimed in a few major leagues, including Germany and France. But by this time next month seven leagues will wrap up. Among the story lines to watch: whether or not Ross County and Freiburg might snatch spots in European league qualification; if Freiburg can take home the national Cup competition; if Vozdovac can be the best non-top 3 team in Serbia; if both Grenobles can hold on to their spots in Ligue 2; can Punjab pull off a miracle and pip Gokulam Kerala for a spot in the Asian Cup (probably not but still); and how much space can Freiburg make for themselves in the of the Frauen Bundesliga (9 points behind 5th, 6 points ahead of 7th…truly in a league of their own).

Switching up on the Sub-Continent

Ed Engelkes

Punjab has had a solid start to their campaign, but a month ago (at the start of my surreally busy schedule) they made a change in leadership with manager Ashley Westwood leaving by mutual agreement (which I always assumes means “disagreed about spice level in the curry”). In his place comes Dutch coach Ed Engelkes who had spent some time helping to organize the club’s youth teams and has a history with the best women’s teams in Holland. Worth wondering though how Engelkes is getting on with team talisman Kurtis Guthrie (who seems to determine whether Punjab is unbeatable, or merely present).

The Straw that Stirs the Scottish Soup!

Regan Charles Cook has garnered plenty of awards, but it was especially nice to see him recognized as one of the best eleven players in all of the Scottish Premier League (all the more impressive when you see that he’s the only one who doesn’t play in Glasgow or Edinburgh to get the honor). Can he be player of the year against keeper Craig Gordon and a pair of Celtic playmakers? (I mean, we vote yes, but we’re a weird guy in Minnesota and his two kids)

Attuquaye

Player of the Week

Again, it’s hard to choose, Bongokuhle was a major asset in a pair of wins, Hasret Kayici was dominant, and Legon Cities’ attacking tandem was incredible. While it’s tempting to give it to Bongokuhle and grab a bunch of South African retweets, I’m going to tip the cap to the Ghanaian duo in particularly Jonah Attuquaye who has become exactly the leader that Legon needs as they aim to avoid a third straight relegation scrap.

Standings Update

That middle of the table gets more and more crowded, as Punjab and the Staggies slip, Legon and Rosenborg make up the slack. Meanwhile, Emelec and Grenoble ought to get their women’s teams in order to climb the ranks. Maybe Hasret Kayrici fancies a double or triple life?

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Alebrijes de Oaxaca9431.941.30.7
Minnesota5221.891.40.7
Freiburg13751.842.11.4
Rosenborg5351.641.91.2
Legon Cities7541.631.40.7
Punjab6341.621.91.6
Ross County6451.471.21.3
Emelec5641.401.61.3
FK Vozdovac4341.361.31.0
Grenoble82121.181.11.5
University of Montana–b——————
Table Updated 4/27/22
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Wednesday, April 27th

Røa v Rosenborg [F]

FK Vozdovac v. Napredak

Cimarrones v Alebrijes

Emelec v Palmeiras [Continental-M]

Thursday, April 28th

Friday, April 29th

Independents Del Valle v Emelec [F]

Saturday, April 30th

Punjab FC v Rajasthan United

Hearts v Ross County

Hoffenheim v Freiburg [M]

Grenoble v Amiens [M]

Sunday, May 1st

Rosenborg BK v. Lyn Football [F]

Legon Cities v Elmira Sharks

TSC Backa Topola v. Vozdovac

LAFC v Minnesota United

Monday, May 2nd

Tuesday, May 3rd

Churchill Brothers v. Punjab FC

Deportiva Tachira v Emelec [Continental-M]

Week 45: Sighs of Relief and Despair

Week 45: Sighs of Relief and Despair

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Scores

Minnesota United 2 – 2 Chicago Fire

The Loons left their come back pretty late (which happens when Emanuel Reynoso spends most of the match on the bench). The absence of Michael Boxall, Ike Opara and Ozzie Alonso continues to be exploited, and coach Adrian’s Heath’s choices are….interesting (that’s Minnesotan for infuriating)

Emelec 1 – 2 Union [M-South American Cup]

Despite coming in with a hefty advantage Los Bombillos bombed out of the competition. Facundo Barcelo’s second half equalizer was diminished as Union peppered keeper Pedro Ortiz with twice Emelec’s shot total.

Ross County 1 – 1 Livingston

Ollie Shaw seems to have found his shooting boots (or skull rather), scoring for the second time in two weeks. Meanwhile Ross Doohan has continued to find himself at the mercy of opponents. Doohan’s let in 7 over 4 games, but with Ross Laidlaw ceding 16 in the first 10, the Staggies might just be sunk between the goalposts (particularly with as thin the defense has been stretched by low cross after low cross).

Rosenborg BK 1 – 1 Sandviken [F]

Rosenborg remained undefeated but the only action came from an own goal off each side, so it wasn’t exactly a thriller or even particularly edifying. The team will now have one last match to try and swipe the title out from the hands of Valerenga, whose loss to Lyn has finally left the two teams equal. Any result better than the Oslo side will do it, Otherwise they’d need to win by 5 more goals than their rivals…

Grenoble 2 – 1 Le Havre [M]

In their first match back from quarantine Grenoble hit their marks with aplomb (it was probably the hot pink tops). Kevin Tapoko built a goal out of absolutely nothing with an interception, secondary assist and goal in about 10 seconds, while Willy Semedo’s winner showed a strength in attack that GF38 sorely needed.

Final Result: Joe Biden [D] 306 – 229 Donald Trump [R]

The Sunday Paper with Elections, sports and murder…

This is probably the most relieved I’ve felt in a looooooong time. And with a 5 Million vote edge translating into just a 77 electoral vote margin that felt more comfortable than it ever seemed on the day. Just for fun, here’s how Grenoble covered both the election and the victory.

RB Leipzig 3 – 0 Freiburg [M]

From one angle, Freiburg started well, only losing one of their first five matches. From the other angle Freiburg are in terrible form taking only 3 points from 6 matches. The truth may lie somewhere in between but we hope Christian Streich finds it and fast.

Cukaricki 3 – 2 FK Vozdovac

Credit where it’s due, from falling behind on an early penalty, the Red Dragons fought back to take the lead in the second half. But a fine Cukariki goal and another penalty wiped that away.

Emelec 0 – 0 CS Barcelona [F]

The quarterfinal in this year’s women’s league was an all Guayaquil affair with the local derby determining the next step towards national triumph. Las Electricas held their own earning a goal-less draw with their rivals. But with a second leg still to come, they actually have a great opportunity. A win or a draw should see them through!

SC Freiburg 2 -1 Werder Bremen [F]

After falling behind in the first four minutes, Freiburg stormed back to take the lead back before half-time and hold on from there. Sandra Starke became the first player with two goals (that probably has as much to do with the team’s recent scoreless streak as it does the lack of a dominant force like Klara Buhl).

Viking 3 – 0 Rosenborg BK [M]

Rosenborg lost for the first time in the league since the beginning of August and it wasn’t particularly close. Despite dominating the possession, they got absolutely slaughtered by Viking’s counter attack. Here’s hoping that they took the L so the ladies don’t have to.

Minnesota United 3 – 0 Dallas

We’ve raved about Emmanuel Reynoso, whose first goal was an absolute banger. But it’s worth taking some time to shout out Kevin Molino. The first high profile Loons signee, has paid his dues on the bad teams, sat on the bench to heal an injury during the last good season, and now is leading the charge into the playoffs (though having Reynoso along side him sure helped).

Alebrijes de Oaxaca 1 – 2 Atalante

Oaxaca started out on the right foot, taking the lead through Hector Reynoso Lopez. While the team held on well against the top 4 side for a full hour, a pair of late goals sank their hopes and dropped them back to the bottom of the league.

Emelec 2 – 0 Universidad Catholica [M]

Los Bombillos celebrated the Reddy Kilowatt 5 K with a pair of goals to win their second of five. (For comparison they had only won 2 of 8 to wrap up the first half of the season). Dixon Arroyo’s absurdly placed ball to Romario Caicedo who seemed to be gliding through mile 2 was pretty to watch, and Bryan Carabali hammered home a cross like a quart of chocolate milk at the end of the run. (Trust me, these running references are on point)

Elgin City 1 – 4 Ross County [Cup]

As a Premier League club County should expect to beat up on their fourth tier opponents. As a team in terrible form, nothing can be taken as a given. Fortunately Oliver Shaw (yup, him again) broke open the scoring and the Staggies never looked back). (Here’s hoping Ross Laidlaw gets a second chance soon)

News & Notes

Setting Schedules for the Spring

Both The University of Montana and Punjab FC have announced their schedules for the coming season. The only downside, their seasons won’t start until 2021. But let’s take a look.

On January 9th, India’s soccer will kick off again in Kolkata. Punjab FC will again take part, this time under the leadership of Roundglass Sports, and, judging from the Orange-ified logos, a brand new look too.

The season will be a two part process, rather like the current Scottish style. After one half of the season (a single match against each opponent), teams will be split in to two halves. The top half will play eachother for the title, the bottom half will play eachother to avoid relegation. (Sidebar: Minerva Punjab is also in training…which team we stick with…well…we shall see)

Meanwhile, in Missoula, the Grizzlies have set a very localized schedule in their quest to repeat as Big Sky champs 18 months later. While the fall season was mostly to keep in shape, before the next season, in the spring they’ll be playing for keeps.

Fans return in Dingwall

Global Energy Stadium is…partially filled!
(MSN.com)

Ross County has become one of the first sides to officially let in fans (albeit fewer than they’d hope and farther apart than they’d hoped. But still fans were back and reported being quite happy to sit in the stands again.

France Shuts Down Lower Women’s Leagues

With a spike in Coronavirus cases, particularly around Grenoble, and even within the team, a shutdown seems fair. Not fun, but fair. That it now encompasses all of the lower leagues in Women’s soccer well…that’s a bitter pill to swallow…if only there were some good wine to wash it down.

Alebrijes Confronts Racism

As if the struggles in playing well weren’t enough, Alebrijes de Oaxaca also had to deal with a conflict of a much more serious nature on Sunday. Center Back Yohan Zetuna was subjected to racist abuse by Ronaldo Gonzalez of Atlante. The two had been battling for a while (with each one earning a cuation from the ref), and while the incident is still in the “alleged” stage. We stand with Yohan as every player deserves to be welcomed on the field (wherever they’re from and wherever their field is)

Player of the Week

With equal output and effect on the match, we have no choice but to split the honors this week. Handing half of the honor to a widely-regarded star calibre talen, and half of it to a little known, just emerging young talent. So Emmanuel Bebelo Reynoso for your plethora of assists, goals, and innovation: take a bow. Oliver Shaw for your star turn at a time the Staggies need it most: take a bow too.

What’s Next

Wednesday, November 11th

6:00 LDU Portoviejo v. CS Emelec [M]

7:00 Cancun FC v. Alebrijes de Oaxaca

Thursday, November 12th

Friday, November 13th

Saturday, November 14th

9:00 Ross County v. Sterling Albion

Legon Cities FC v. Berekum Chelsea

Sunday, November 15th

6:00 Klepp v. Rosenborg BK [F]

9:00 SGS Essen v SC Freiburg [F]

2:30 CS Emelec v. Tecnico Universarito

Monday, November 16th

Tuesday, November 17th

7:05 Alebrijes v. Cimarrones