In the last month, Alex has started at a new school. We didn’t expect to move you into a new spot so soon after returning to school, but as parents we know that we can’t control other people, only ourselves.
Surprisingly, that’s not an easy thing to keep in mind. It’s especially hard in our current cultural climate.
Let me explain.
Right now, we’re surrounded by the germs. Yes, still those germs. The ones I wrote about 18 months ago. I’ve been surrounded of late by sick colleagues and inured students and a lingering sense that it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.
Alex’s school was non-plussed, and unwilling to admit that they might be wrong about how they handle it. This made your mom quite upset. What made me frustrated was the blithe assumption that they couldn’t possibly be wrong.
The teachers at Alex’s school aren’t alone. The thoughts are echoed every where, especially in the sports world.
A top basketball player (who attended one of the country’s best colleges, Duke) refuses to be vaccinated. Same with an elite quarterback (who also attended a great school, Cal-Berkley), he frankly gets extra credit awfulness for working in a bag-full of lies about it in interviews. Soccer players around the world are no different, but there doesn’t seem to be many on our favorite teams (it’s not clear if cases in Minnesota and Ross County broke through the vaccine’s barriers or just the regular shoddy defense of both sides).
After 18 months of these germs, many, many, MANY of us are tired. Your mom and I made the choice to do whatever we could to protect you two. After all, you couldn’t get a vaccine. You couldn’t control who came around you, so we opted to do what we could: staying home, getting vaccinated, masking 99% of the places we go (grandma and grandpa do the same, which is why we feel safe being unmasked there).
Klopp (R) Loves a cuddle
The Liverpool coach, and human Gummi Bear, Jurgen Klopp said it extremely well:
“I don’t take the vaccination only to protect me, I take the vaccination to protect all the people around me. I don’t understand why that is a limitation of freedom because, if it is, then not being allowed to drink and drive is a limitation of freedom as well. I got the vaccination because I was concerned about myself but even more so about everybody around me.
But there’s one thing I can’t bring myself to do. I find that I can’t be mad at them. I can’t summon the anger or bitterness that I hear from my colleagues or my friends.
I can’t do it because I recognize that this moment, this assumption of superior knowledge, this misguided belief that running a school or excelling in athletics precludes you from being told what to do by scientific experts is not inherently bad: it’s just an inherent flaw.
Dear Boys,
Too often we get consumed with a black and white vision of the world. We often lean back on assumptions that people are inherently good , or inherently bad. If we can emphasize that we are all inherently flawed, trying our best, and worth challenging with compassion, I think we will be better able to serve one another and move forward together.
To those who insist on the image of themselves as inherently good, we see an assumption that they couldn’t have caused offense. They could not be misinformed. They must be defending their freedom against group think. Anyone who says otherwise is willfully misunderstanding their positive intent and freedom.
To those who insist on the image of our fellow citizens as inherently bad, we see an assumption that there is always malice lurking in the shadows. There’s a desire to lift up oneself and undercut others no matter the cost. There is cold, callous, and cruel calculations in every action or inaction that takes place. Anyone who says otherwise enables the worst among us.
I know that both of those are false. I know because I have spent too much of my life ping-ponging between the two views about myself. I’ve felt like a saint, nobly martyred on the altar of misunderstandings. I’ve seen myself as a vile worm, disgustingly seeking self gain at the cost of my community.
But it’s not true. I’m neither inherently good nor inherently bad. I am (like you, and your friends, family, teachers, sports heroes, and everyone else) flawed.
My flaws arise everywhere, but especially in short temper, which I know you’ve both seen more often than I would like. But I hope that you can forgive me. I hope that you understand that I try, I fail, I try again. And that you can do the same.
I hope the same for those who stamp their feet in a petulant anti-vaccine streak and those who berate the anti-vaxxers for extending our challenges. We try to do right, we fail, we try again.
Athletes try to do right for themselves. Ignoring the science to endanger teammates and fans by transmitting or catching the disease themselves, they fail. I hope they try again.
Alex’s teachers try do right for themselves and their school. Believing that it’s masks are too much trouble, assuming that the way things are now will remain consistent long into the future is a failure. I hope they try to learn again.
Your mom and I opting to do what we can to protect you feels right. If it becomes a failure, I know we will try again.
First, the big thing that happened: your grandparents went on vacation. That meant we got to play, and run, and wrestle, and tell stories, and bowl, and swim, and just about everything else. It also meant, that I did not have time to review such things as soccer highlights, or write about matches. So, here’s a recap of the last three weeks with notes about each team and how they fared starting with the two big stories from the end of July
Did Emelec win it all or get knocked out?
Manta 0 – 4 Emelec [M]
Liga de Marcas 1 – 1 Emelec [F]
Emelec 1 – 4 Deportiva Cuenca [F]
Deportiva Cuenca 0 – 1 Emelec [M]
Barcelona 3 – 0 Emelec [F]
Emelec 2 – 2 Aucus
BOTH! Let me explain
The men’s victory of Manta clinched the first stage title! Facundo Barcelo and Dixon Arroyo led the way as los bombillos celebrated their first taste of glory since 2018.
The women’s team did not fare as well, following a draw with the lowly Liga de Marcas with a pair of defeats to regional rivals that stopped them from progressing to the playoff portion of the season. [The commments on their see you next year tweet seem to be encouraging whole sale change]
— Club Sport Emelec Femenino (@ElectricasCSE) August 1, 2021
But, as the men start the second half of the season there’s still a good amount of hope that they can hoist the big trophy at year’s end, even if the draw at home to Aucus doesn’t exactly inspire dreams of a dominant campaign.
Were the Royals Relegated?
Legon Cities FC 3 – 2 Eleven Wonders
Miraculously, NO! Despite looking every bit the chaotic and relegation doomed side in the first half (when the Royals very much were looking at a season with a bloated payroll in a lower league), the Royals came back with goals from Hans Kwofie and Matthew Anim Cudjoe to save the win and jump from 16th to 11th place (it’s a little crazy in Ghana). [Though that’s only my read of the events]
Vozdavac’s Victory…and other outcomes…
Cukaricki 2 – 1 FK Vozdovac
Vozdovac 2 – 1 Proleter
Paritzan Beograd 4 – 0 Vozdovac
Serbia’s league kicked off with Vozdovac in much the same place that we lost saw them…struggling in the middle of the table. But now that the league only has 16 teams (as opposed to last year’s 20) the cushion at the bottom might not be as soft for the Red Dragons. In the duopoly of Serbia, your best hope is a tough defense…but the leaky new Vozdovac defense makes that uncertain. The highlight was surely Ivan Milosavljevic’s brace from beautiful runs to beat Proleter.
Troublesome Trolls
Rosenborg BK 0 – 2 Sandviken [F]
Tromso 1 – 3 Rosenborg [M]
FH Hafnarfjodur 0 – 2 Rosenborg [M–Europe]
Melhus 0 – 7 Rosenborg [M-Cup]
Rosenborg 4 – 1 FH Hafnarfjodur [M-Europe]
Orkla 1 -11 Rosenborg [M-Cup]
Yes, against all odds the only flaw in the ointment of Rosenborg’s recent run was the Women’s team who lost for the first time while repping the black and white in the league. Sandviken’s win gave the women something to think about for the last few weeks during the mid-season break, and hopefully they’ll be back to full strength this coming weekend.
Meanwhile the men ran roughshod over some (admittedly) lower wattage opponents, during the Eliteserien’s approximate mid-way point. Against lower level local clubs they ran up a stunning 18-1 goal difference with Dino Islamovic notching 5 between the two matches. Emil Konradsen Ceide also notched a hat trick and they head to the round of 32 without breaking a sweat.
The outlook is similarly bright in the hunt for a berth in Europe’s lowest league. Having decked their Icelandic opponents, Rosenborg is now set for a match with Slovenia’s Domzale and the winner of that is left with a pair of matches against French foes (and former home of the Loons’ Adrien Honou) Rennes. Factor in all these matches (plus the win at Tromso) and Dino Islamovic is up to 8 goals in his last 5 matches. Or enough for a blow out win against all their opponents combined. (Kudos also to Andre Hansen, Even Hovland and Adam Andersson for anchoring the overpowering defense).
Stellar Staggies Survive Sickness
Ross County 0 – 3 Dundee FC [Cup]
Bora Rangers 0 – 1 Ross County [Cup]
Ross County 4 – 1 Montrose [Cup]
Ross County 0 – 0 St. Johnstone
Yup, Ross County was not miraculously unscathed by the global pandemic and had to forfeit their second match of the cup thereby eliminating them from the competition before they ever kicked a ball. But, once they were able to run out (against lower level sides) they looked the part of a solid squad. Credit to the players for coming back from illness and getting prepped for kicking off the league with your standard issue goalless Scottish draw. (Thanks Ross Laidlaw and Alex Iacovitti for being the new powers behind County’s class, Blair Spittal for the world class goal, and YouTube User RossCounty 1929 for the highlights and pump up music..)
Loons Land Safely
Minnesota United 1 – 0 Seattle Sounders
Minnesota United 2 – 1 Portland Timbers
Los Angeles FC 2 – 2 Minnesota United
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 2 Minnesota United
With the European Cup competitors back in the fold the Loons hoped to sail into a trick series of games with some renewed energy. They succeeded.
Robin Lod has shone since I gave him up as a lousy waste of space last year and notched three goals to help the team along, but the stars are still unquestionably Emmanuel Reynoso who makes miracles happen with the ball at his feet (even while he has struggled to connect with other players on the field) and Hasani Dotson who has grown into the kind of player you just want to see on the pitch wherever possible because he’s always got something going for him. After a dismal start to the year, the Loons have gotten back into the playoff hunt (even if the Delta Variant’s resurgence has made taking either of you to a game an impossibility at present).
Good God, Grenoble!
Grenoble 0 – 4 Paris FC
Auxerre 3 – Grenoble 0
Well…that was a rough way to start off a new campaign.
Grenoble looks utterly wiped out, and the once powerful defense has been absolutely ripped from pillar to post. Brice Mableu, Loic Nestor, Jerome Mombris, and Adrien Monfry have given up 7 goals, supported none, and though it is very VERY early in the campaign, last year’s 4th place team is bottom of the barrel.
Alright Alebrijes!
Pumas Tobasco 0 – Alebrijes 0
Alebrijes 0 – 1 Cimarrones
Meanwhile, frequent strugglers Alebrijes of Oaxaca got a point…against a strong team in Pumas…on the road!! And while that came without a single goal scored, we’ll take what we can get with Alebrijes. (Especially given that they then dropped a match at home…but only by 1 goal!!)
News & Notes
Gosh Dang it Ghana!
I love Ghana. I really do. I love soccer, that should be obvious. But man, Ghanaian soccer makes it hard to love the two together.
Hashmin Musa being the hero…or not…
Here’s the latest drama: the Ghanaian police and Football Association are investigating match fixing…again. Yup, the same thing that destroyed the previous Ghanaian Premier League, threatens to destroy the new version within just two years! [A new record pace perhaps?] The dead rubber between top tier Ashanti Gold and relegated Inter Allies was always likely to end lopsidedly, but the dimwitted defense and goalkeeping that made it 5-0 were dubious. Then…came Hashmin Musa…who absolutely, no doubt, by his own admission scored own goals on purpose and pissed off his goalie to no end.
Musa claims that he was ruining the prearranged 5-0 score line…but the possibility that someone paid him even more to make it 7-0 is still out there and…because it just wouldn’t be as messed up as possible unless Legon Cities were also involved…the sudden barrage of goals to save the wealthy and high profile Royals from relegation is also coming under question. Suffice to say, there were plenty of ugly defense to help the Royals find the net, but there were also a few moments where it would have been easy to throw the game but players and referees didn’t oblige..so…[shrug emoji] So despite extended questioning and possible further destruction of the domestic game, Legon Cities is safe, for now.
Goodbye sweet prince
Best of luck Kristoffer!
The Transfer Market hulaballoo has tempered down as Ross County set their line ups through surgical masks and Vozdovac vets the team their sending out, but there’s still action, including a painful farewell.
Kristoffer Zacharaissen is too good for this humble corner of the internet where we gawk at his chiseled jaw bone and make allusions to Schitt’s Creek because we can’t really break down his game effectively. Whatever the case, he has left Rosenborg for greener pastures and greener kits joining Hungary’s Ferencvaros, a side with a shot at the top league in Europe (and a chance to be brutally repressed by Viktor Orban…so, keep your nose clean Kristoffer)
Roster Updates
A few other notes as we missed kickoffs for Grenoble, and Oaxaca and got back just in time for Freiburg.
Oaxaca
As a lower division team in the middle of a global pandemic/recession, Alebrijes did not have a lot of extra cash to throw around, so the lean mostly on loans (both in and out). While forward Ricardo Monreal is probably the biggest name to depart, there are several defenders who also left the fold (Daniel Cisneros, Oscar Torres, Yohan Zetuna, Jair Cortes, Fernando Plascencia).
The only defenders who have come in are Ernesto Reyes of Cimarrones, and youngster Adrian Vazquez on loan. Instead, Oaxaca focused on bringing in some more veteran attacking presences. Most notable: Cristian Panesso a Colombian coming in from Portugal, and Leandro Torres an Argentinian coming down from Liga MX. Local and familiar faces from the league around them, Armando Gonzalez, Lizandro Echeverria, Miguel Vallejo, and Alexis Conrado.
Grenoble
Sign this man!
After Phillipe Hirchenberger led the side quite well for 3 years, he left for Amiens and new man Maurizio Jacobacci made a big swap. Yes, Grenoble did something I never expected,and am frankly broken up about: they said farewell to leader and mastermind Jessy Bennet (more shockingly Jessy still hasn’t signed anywhere…and he’s only 26…seriously…Ross County…Legon Cities…Punjab… ANYBODY!! GET JESSY BACK!)
Willy Semedo, Kevin Tapoko, and Haroun Demba also left, but the club did net 1.5 million euros for Moussa Djitte’s move state side. (Sad but less shocking that Jessy (SERIOUSLY! I WILL PAY PART OF IT MYSELF!!). The side got a lot younger in response (without spending much of anything), bringing in Georgian Winger Giorgi Kokhreidze and two 20 something Swiss midfielders from FC Basel: Yannick Marchand and Orges Bunjaku.
Freiburg
Welcome aboard Nishan (center)
Our German reps opted against a spending spree this year…so much so that they haven’t spent a thing.
Gone are Chang-hoon Kwon (back to South Korea), greatly improved goalkeeper Florian Muller and attacker Guus Til, and up to the senior squad come six young players, none older than 21. The most intriguing players coming in are attacker Nishan Burkart (who learned the game at Man United), Noah Weishaupt (who has surged up the depth charts on the left side), and keeper/local boy made good Noah Atubolu
Freiburg and Grenoble’s women’s teams will get another month of prep kicking off August 28th (in Germany) and September 5th (in France)
Player(s) of the Week(s)
We’ll put three players on the pedestal for the past three weeks. Let’s tip the hat to Rosenborg’s attack and defense by admitting that Dino Islamovic’s attack has been ridiculously good, and that Even Hovland has done it all on both sides of the pitch. Our third award winner has to be from the new trophy winners in Ecuador: Emelec, and to keep it all balanced, midfielder and team leader Dixon Arroyo gets our nod.
Islamovic and Horvland celebrating their awards (and probably wins)
Standings Update
We had to break down to three decimal points for the first time ever! Freiburg, Ross County, and Grenoble are splitting hairs, it’s hardest for Grenoble who plummet from 4th to 9th. Meanwhile the Loons leap up to fifth and are getting closer to the top tier of teams.
While the Loons attack had been in great form coming in, the absence of an increasingly reliable backline made things shaky and the reshaped midfield struggled too. And, of course, because it was a game in Colorado, one Loon got a red card (this time Ramon Abila did the job, maybe if we get two more we’ll get a free bucket of Rocky Mountain Oysters…)
Forfar Athletic 3 – 0 Ross County [Cup]
County had to forfeit their competitive opener this year after a number of players contracted COVID-19. [See News below]
Lyn Fotball 1 – 2 Rosenborg BK [F]
Despite a late Lyn consolation goal, Rosenborg continues to roll through their opposition. The Emilies (Bragstad and Lein did the job this week), and Rosenborg will head into another top of the table clash (this time with unbeaten Sandiviken) looking to keep the streak alive. (Don’t tell anyone but this might hinge more on Rugile Rulyte continuing her great form in goal)
Rosenborg BK 1 – 0 Kristiansund [M]
Dino Islamovic returned to form with the game winner early on, and for only the third time this campaign, Andre Hansen kept a clean sheet. (Alexander Tetty helped out after moving to center back…and my befuddlement at the lack of Tetty/Zachariassen pairings continues to fuel my Rosenborg FanFic.) It was also great to see Emil Konradssen Ceide run over a number of fools en route to a flurry of chances (even if they didn’t find the net)
CS Emelec 2 – 0 Tecnico Universtario [F]
Don’t look now but las Electricas are on a streak! (Is two a streak…let’s say it is) again Kerlly Corozo found the net and the goalie stood firm (psst, Emelec, necesita cambiar la pagina de la pantilla. No se el nombre de su arquera primera)
— Club Sport Emelec Femenino (@ElectricasCSE) July 10, 2021
Elmina Sharks 2 – 0 Legon Cities FC
This was…not good. The Royals rolled over for a team at the bottom of the table in Ghana and now they face a difficult end of the campaign with relegation lurking around the corner.
News & Notes
Decision Day South of the Equator
This weekend two leagues wrap up their campaigns with our favorite clubs at different ends of the spectrum.
First the good news: Emelec remains in the driver’s seat of the Liga Pro in Ecuador. With a three point lead and one game to play, Emelec needs only a point against 11th placed Manta to seal their first half championship (and with it a guaranteed shot at the title and a trip into the big daddy of South American sports, the Copa Libertadores). There is a nightmare scenario where a loss and rival Barcelona winning would knock them to second, so it ain’t over yet.
Buckle up, it’s about to get wild (photo from ghanasoccernet.com)
Meanwhile, in Ghana, Legon Cities remains desperate to provoke a heart attack before the end of the campaign. Having dropped a winnable game away against Elmina, they now face accusations from the victorious Sharks of fielding an ineligible player Defender Mohammed Issaka multiple times. If approved by the premier league board, Legon would forfeit a bunch of matches retroactively and plunge into relegation. How did Elmina figure this out? Simple, Issaka earned two yellows as a member of the Sharks in the fall, and then one with Legon. Of course, rather than point this out immediately, Elmina waited until now…because…ya know…reasons…
Meanwhile, someone NOT waiting to make an inappropriate move is the Legon Cities board who has brought on a special assistant coach (Maxwell Konadu) who definitely isn’t about to take over for their existing head coach (Bashir Hackford). I mean, that would be silly…besides lots of teams bring on extra assistants with two matches before the end of the season. And it’s only natural for assistant coaches to not coach with the head coach because it would be “tense”. [Narrator voice: It’s not].
Add to all that fun background that anything less than a win against Eleven Wonders this Sunday would provide an opening for Liberty Professionals (cross town rivals), Ebusua Dwarves (forced to forfeit to Legon), and Elmina Sharks (remember them from two paragraphs ago?) to leap past the Royals and send them packing for the lower leagues. Woof.
[Disgruntled growl]
I mentioned a few weeks ago that Franco Frangapane was accused of using a racial slur against a dark skinned player from the Portland Timbers, the following investigation concluded that only two people (Frangapane and the aggrieved Timber) know if he did or not, and they disagree…so [Shrug Emoji] what ya gonna do? [Hint: Bench Frangapane yourself Loons, at least for a game or two]
Minnesota United FC apoya inequívocamente los principios de inclusión, igualdad y respeto, tanto en palabras como en acciones, por nuestro deporte, nuestra Liga, nuestra comunidad y nuestra sociedad. No hay lugar para el racismo, la homofobia o la misoginia en ninguna forma. https://t.co/4aniFCEYWi
You might think that with countries opening and stadiums welcoming all the fans back at once, we’ve turned the corner on the germs. But as Ross County showed this week…NOPE. An undisclosed number of player and coaches turned up positive, and while the club claims they’ll be back in action soon, we’ve not heard an update in a week. So…whee…
Dragons Fly Again
The season is due to start up in Serbia again this week, with Vozdovac taking on Cukariki. It will be a little different look for the team who said goodbye to two long term members this offseason: Marko Gajic, a reliable defender since 2017, and attacking midfielder and frequent team captain Jovan Nisic. Meanwhile they added…well…a bunch of defenders. Nemanja Cvetkovic seems to have some clear talent from his last year in the 2nd division, but it’s yet to be seen if Stefan Jarakovic or Vasilije Mijalovic can stack up to what Gajic provided. Last year’s loanee Pavle Radulovic also returns but he has big shoes to fill if he’s expected to make up what Nisic was to the team.
Vincenzo Grifo appreciation post (even though he didn’t play for Italy this tournament….we miss him)
A Couple of Trophies
A few other news organizations covered this, but Italy won the European Cup, and Argentina won the South American Cup. Congratulations to Giorgio Chialini, Vincenzo Grifo, and Lionel Messi. I can’t think of anything else I could add of service.
Player of the Week
No one really shone this week, but that just allows us to finally tip the cap to Alexander Tetty of Rosenborg who has been a massive boon to the black and white since his arrival.
Standings Update
It is a log jam in the middle of the table with Legon, Freiburg, Ross County, and Minnesota separated by 2 hundreths of a point per game (and in some cases, only by goal difference). The Staggies will kick off again soon while the Royals are about to draw the curtain on this campaign, while we’re officially half way through the year there’s still a lot to play for.
Already up 3-0 at half time a red card to Portoviejo’s Ayrton Cisneros gave Emelec all they needed to dominate the bottom team in Ecuador. Still Facundo Barcelo’s four goals, including two within two minutes may finally light up Los Bombillos attack
Cancun FC 0 – 2 Alebrijes
In a stunner, Oaxaca topped a top 4 side in the league (courtesy of Franco Arizala’s penalty following a rather suspect hand ball penalty and a deceptively fast free kick). The win gave them hope of not finishing at the bottom of the league, before the season finale on Tuesday.
Yup Rosenborg’s Women’s team lost a match for the first time in 2020. The league streak and chance for a title still hangs in the balance on their last match…whenever it may be…
St Ettiene 3 – 2 Grenoble
Mousa Kaillou Djite’s pair of goals put Grenoble in a great position. But uncharacteristic lapses from keeper Brice Mableu lost the edge on a crushing 90th minute winner.
Ross County 3 – 0 Sterling Albion [Cup]
Yup Ollie Shaw scored again, County won again. With the league slipping away, the Staggies are looking to focus on the Cup, but with most lower league sides about to bow out and the best teams yet to arrive on the scene, I’m not sure how long the run can go on.
SC Barcelona 2 – 1 CS Emelec [F]
The second leg of the playoff started well for las eléctricas. Luisa Espinoza scored again giving them both the lead and an invaluable away goal. Though they gave up an equalizer, there were plenty of reasons to hope…until…defender and team captain Bowen conceded a penalty, received a red card, and watched helplessly as the yellow rivals won it from the spot. It’s a bitter end note to the 2020 season. Here’s hoping for more next year.
Legon Cities 1 – 1 Berekum Chelsea
The Royals started on the back foot, as the did so often last season. But a Jonah Attaquye penalty and a strong defensive showing sealed a draw. (A particularly valuable draw as 7 of 9 matches ended in draws.
Klepp v. Rosenborg BK [F]
The second wave of COVID in Europe wiped out most final matches in Norway’s women’s league. no word yet on make up date, but at least the team got a fun flight out of it…?
SGS Essen 0 – 0 SC Freiburg [F]
Despite a late red card for Essen, Freiburg couldn’t notch a win.
Emelec 1 – 1 Técnico Universitario [M]
Facundo Barcelo continued his hot streak with a penalty equalizer to keep the Guayaquil blues firmly in the tables top half as the second stage reaches its midpoint.
Alebrijes 2 – 4 Cimarrones
With Franco Arizala putting them up 2 after the half, Oaxaca could be excused for getting a little confident. Giving up 4 in ten minutes at home?!?! Why?!?
The Instagram feed for Trondheim based artist @Perolavik features some deep cuts of Norwegian politics and homages to influential figures from RBK’s storied past. This week they got around to noting RBK’s bright future with caricatures of Trolljenta’s top stars.
COVID Spikes Start Cancellations Again
As the weather turns and people retreat indoors, the long awaited “second wave” of COVID-19 has begun. (To which Americans scoff and say, psssh! It’s our third wave! USA! USA! USA!)
France has cancelled all lower level women’s leagues until January. And, despite having a lower infection rate than much of the world, Norway postponed the “gold matches” to decide their end of year champions. As yet, the men’s game has only delayed international contests, but time will tell what comes next.
Meanwhile America celebrated positive signs from a new vaccine with record highs in positive cases, hospitalizations, and petulant grandstanding to risk public health. USA! USA!
Player of the Week
Facundo Barcelo’s five goals for four points in Two games is pretty flipping stellar if I say so myself. And as I write this, I do.
In a quick break before the biggest game of the season against Valerenga, the troll girls, found a way to snatch a valuable win. It took until a late corner kick for them to find the goal, courtesy of a Kristine Minde header. The squad is already set for the quarterfinal against fellow Toppserien titans, LSK in early November.
Turbine Potsdam 3- 0 SC Freiburg [W]
Meanwhile, in Germany, Freiburg was overwhelmed by Potsdam. A total team effort left the lady Griffins labored and a little lost before the weekend’s big clash against German Giants Wolfsburg.
Montrose 3 – 4 Ross County [Cup–PKs]
Ross County’s offense sprang to life only to see their defense shrivel like a sheep’s stomach in the oven. Despite racing out to a three goal lead, they were pushed to the limit until a sterling PK performance got them the win.
Mineros 1 – 0 Alebrijes de Oaxaca
Did you know that Oaxaca is home to some of the oldest structures in all of Mexico, they even excavated a mountain for a new settlement atop of what is now Mount Alban. They even used it to do astronomy. So, Alex, they have a great environment you’d love. See, losing a soccer game [again] isn’t nearly as important as that cool stuff.
SC Freiburg 1 – 1 VfL Wolfsburg [W]
Might Wolfsburg hadn’t dropped a point since late August when they fell in the Women’s Champions League Final. They’d beaten Freiburg the last three times by a combined 18-2. But one late Hasret Kayicki header was all it took to save a thrilling point for the last griffins.
After losing 3-1 to Nice last weekend a match against one of France’s biggest names might have been doomed. But a second half equalizer by Andrea Compper and a crucial penalty save by Julie Perrodin saved the point, with Perrodin’s performance serving some extra-special saves for Les Grenobloises.
Alebrijes 1 – 0 Venados
Great day in the morning Oaxaca won a game. Daniel Cisneros capitalized on a rebound to end a 394 minute goal-less streak. That was enough as Alebrijes leaned on Angel Alonso to stop Venados constant atacks, and they held on for the team’s first point in five matches. It’s a feast or famine schedule from here, with two games against struggling sides, one against a mid-table crew, and one match a piece against the top 3 teams.
Dallas v. Minnesota United
Postponed
Ross County 2 – 1 Arbroath [Cup]
Falling behind, to a lower league team, at home, isn’t ideal. But like so many other teams this week (including themselves), the Staggies were able to do what had to be done to get the win. In particular, Ross Stewart delivered both a header and a penalty winner to boost County to top of their Cup division.
News & Notes
COVID catches Loons
With all the safeties and protocols surrounding sports at the moment, you’d be forgiven for thinking the global pandemic is under control. Nope.
Minnesota United is the first of our eleven teams to have someone test positive. In fact they had two. And so their match in Dallas, their training, and all gatherings are on hold. Come on you Loons, Get Well Soon!!
Return of the Royals
With about a month until the Ghanaian premier league kicks off again, Legon Cities has returned to training for year two. The squad has a few additions, and will be playing this year on the grounds of University of Ghana (koohhhhh Ghana!)
Player of the Week
In a week where it was a matter of inches, let’s acknowledge someone who had to be inch perfect to keep their team in the clear. Sadly, with no statistics we have to base our evaluation totally on the eye test, and as our eyesight isn’t every good we’re going to play it safe and split the award between Julie Perrodin of Grenoble, and Angel Alonso of Oaxaca.
MacKenzie's Boot Room 