Even at home Oaxaca can’t seem to buy a goal. They’ve had 3 in 5 September matches.
DC United 3 – 1 Minnesota United
The Loons had put together a nice little run just in time for a ping ponging road trip. First a trip to the capitol where their reliance on Emanuel Reynoso, as a team that usually expects a goal or two (based on advanced statistics) barely managed enough to expect .25 of a goal. (Thanks to the oft overlooked Bakye Dibassy for laughing in the face of that math.)
University of Montana Grizzlies 1 – 0 Sacramento State Hornets
Rack up another text book Griz shutout. Get the one goal you need and trust your keeper to do the job (Camilla Xu clearly is targeting a new Clean Sheet Record).
Caitlin Rogers' goal leaves Montana in the lead as the first half comes to an end. Go Griz! pic.twitter.com/TpqUrNBQtY
A point-free campaign lady Griffins got a lot better with a draw against Champions League regulars Wolfsburg. Hasret Kayicki did what she does with another goal, and welcome Mia Büchele to the party with her first of the campaign. Best of all, we actually have highlights!!
Hertha BSC 1 – 2 Freiburg [M]
Meanwhile, the men folk of Freiburg continued their fine form. Christian Gunter delivered a couple of great corner kicks to set up both the opener and the winner. They are now the only unbeaten side left in the Bundesliga and sit one point back of legendary leaders Bayern Munich.
Dundee United 1 – 0 Ross County
On the other end, County has still yet to get a win this season and this was only the third game where they limited their opponents to one goal.
FK Spartak Subotica 0 – 4 Vozdovac
True story, I was helping Alex on the potty as my phone blew up with goals from Subotica.
Me: Wow the dragons are scoring a lot of goals!
Alex: well…they are dragons.
So, congrats Nikola Vujnovic and company. You’re magical beasts in fine form.
Grenoble 2 – 0 Pau [M]
The Alpiners are on a roll at the moment: unbeaten in 3 and coalescing around Yoric Ravet to spur a solid attack. Mamodou Diallo scored a stunning volley, but Ravet’s been a creative force and challenged the defense with every set piece. The right side of the midfield still looks dubious. If only there was an answer? Maybe one that starts with a J- and ends with an -essy Bennet?
Dallas 0 – 0 Minnesota United
Reynoso was back but when no one puts the biscuit in the basket against the most porous team in the Western conference … well all the creativity in the world can’t replace accuracy.
Thonon Evian 1 – 1 Grenoble Foot [F]
It was another late goal that saved the day for Grenoble, this time an 88th minute equalizer from Claudia Fabre to compensate for a first half defensive miscue.
Kristiansund 1 – 0 Rosenborg [M]
After three big wins RBK couldn’t grab another in trying circumstances. Normally reliable Adam Anderson’s first minute [FIRST MINUTE!!] red card for pulling an opposing striker to the ground. Forced the trolls to play down a man for the whole match. Kristiansund got their goal quickly and only a great game by goalie Julian Lund kept it close. So moral victories it is!
Tecnico Universitario 1 – 0 Emelec [M]
Now winless in three straight, Emelec is slipping far from their chances to sweep the seasons. They’re guaranteed a playoff spot, but they’d much rather play like Emelec 6 months ago than Emelec now…shame time travel doesn’t work.
Montana Grizzlies 0 – 0 Portland State Vikings
The Griz lost their winning streak but Camilla Xu made it 7 straight shutouts during Sunday’s game at South Campus Stadium.
Venados 1 – 1 Alebrijes
It took a last second Josue Gomez equalizer to save the Oaxacans from another defeat. Well, the last second equalizer and a whole bunch of good fortune on some too close for comfort Venados attacks. But however you save the day, we’re glad that the day is saved.
News & Notes
Hey! More World Cup Qualifiers!
The cancelling of all matches for six months has put an extra bit of pressure on World Cup qualification, so we’ve got a ton of teams racing to qualify for the tournament in Qatar next winter. So, what could have been a little distraction is instead an all hands on deck situation.
Pay. The. Refs.
A weekly reminder that Ecuador should pay their referees.
Vaccine Cards Up, Volume Down
I’ve been conflicted all year about attending soccer matches. In my dream, I can take one of you guys, laugh, play, eat something fried and/or cheesy and come home with a bonding experience. In reality, the stupid virus is still out there and the absence of masks in the stands makes me wary and your mom terrified.
To this purpose, a lot of programs have started requiring vaccine proof or a recent negative test. But our local team is not.
So, some of our fellow Minnesotans have decided to stop attending matches. Especially those that lead the chants, the cheers, and build the atmosphere. The team hasn’t really listened to prior requests, so this may be a good demonstration for you in how to make change, or at least, try to.
Player of the Week
I’m torn this week. On the one hand, Grenoble’s surge in form owes a lot to Yoric Ravet. On the other, Montana’s increasing dominance owes a lot to Camilla Xu. On a suddenly growing third hand, Nikola Vujnovic’s goals are a big help to Vozdovac’s season goals. With a couple recent shout outs to Grenoble, we’ll spread the wealth around and applaud the Freshman keeper, Camilla Xu. Congrats!
Standings Update
Rosenborg and Emelec losses dropped them farther off the pace set by the Griz. But Minnesota’s lost road trip hurts the most, dropping them from fourth to seventh. And at the foot of the table Alebrijes has slipped below 1 point per game.
Age Hareide fielded a strong side for the cup but they never got out of first gear, and Rosenborg made an exit far earlier than their dominant performances suggested they would.
Red Star Belgrade v. FK Vozdovac
Postponed. See News Below
Atletico Morelia 1 – 0 Alebrijes
Man, Oaxaca can’t build on their momentum can they? Their longest unbeaten run of the year has been two games….a pair of draws…so it was back to the struggle bus here.
Rodez 1 – 1 Grenoble [M]
Speaking of teams without an ounce of momentum, Grenoble’s defense seems just too tired to hold on at the end of games, giving up another stoppage time goal. This one came off a late foul deep in their area, and resulted in dropped points in a game they coulda shoulda won. One silver lining, it is their first road point of the campaign so…thank heaven for small mercies.
You wouldn’t know it from my incessant praising of the Griz, but there are those who felt they were a soft Conference Champion, as their final opponent in the tournament (these same Lumberjacks) were disqualified due to COVID rather than truly beaten. But Caitlin Rogers’ long distance free kick and Camilla Xu’s growing confidence in goal were enough to silence those doubters and put the Griz back atop the Big Sky again.
Avaldsnes 0 – 1 Rosenborg [F]
The Troll Ladies were a little slow to shake off the rust, but Sarah Kanutte Fornes did the job as an 81st minute substitute driving in an 87th minute goal on a textbook spin in the box. With 5 matches left, Rosenborg remain favorites for European qualification again this year…knock on all the wood.
Motherwell 2 – 1 Ross County
County’s hopes for a turn in fortunes were doused with another lightning fast goal, with Motherwell’s Callum Slattery netting a goal in the 2nd minute. Regan Charles Cook continued his strong form with an equalizer, but couldn’t get the defense to do the job.
Minnesota 2 – 0 Houston Dynamo
Again, the Loon’s attack was impressive right off the bat. Ethan Finlay scored his second in as many games, and Robin Lod made up for Emanuel Reynoso’s unusually underwhelming performance. But the midfield and defense ran out of gas in the second half, and only a great showing by Tyler Miller kept the score line comfortable.
Freiburg 3 – 0 Augsburg
The Griffins turned out the light on their old grounds in style. Lukas Kübler had a great showing after moving up to midfield from his usual right back role, but Lucas Höler was similarly strong and the whole squad played superlatively.
Grenoble 0 – 1 Olympique Marseille [F]
Les Grenobloises dropped their first points of the year…but I have no highlights so…that’s all I know.
Rosenborg 3- 1 Mondalen[M]
Stefano Holmquist’s ridonkulous form continues. In his past 5 Eliteserien games he has 7 goals, including two more at home this weekend. It’s a nice bounce back after being bumped out of the cup earlier in the week.
The Griz are back to bossing around the big sky conference. Even on a road trip with a redshirt freshman in goal, they’ve pulled off a pair of clean sheets to open conference play. This time it was Bella O’Brien knocking in a pass during your standard crash the box corner kick.
Emelec 2 – 2 Universidad Catolica
It took a late equalizer from Jose Cevallos trundling the ball in for Emelec to dodge two defeats in a row. The dropped points of the past few weeks makes a season sweep far less likely for Los Bombillos, but the team spirit should give hope that they’ll be well suited to claim the title at the end of the year.
FK Vozdovac 1 – 1 Mladost Lucani
The Dragons should be rightfully downhearted about only scraping a point against bottom of the table Lucani. But as it’s only their first draw of the season, and it was buoyed by a brilliant Milos Pantovic run, maybe there should be some pride in coming back at least a little?
News & Notes
Welcome to the Community Owen
We celebrated Owen’s baptism while your uncle Simon and I surreptitiously checked our phones for news of the North London derby. Spoiler alert: the baptism went better. And that’s even when the pastor’s “you are blessed by the water” was met with a firm “NO! I AM NOT!” (To be fair you were pretty sick Owen, nobody was getting a smile from you.)
Whatever Red Star wants….Red Star gets
This time it was a postponement for the match against Vozdovac. It was definitely because of COVID tests (among injured players) and not at all about needing a break from a schedule that called for six games in 14 days. (Narrator voice: it might have been, but they’re the dominant team in Serbia so…)
Sweet Dreams Dreisamstadion
For almost 70 years, the best of Freiburg fußball has had one home, one the banks of the Dreisam River. But the last match is now in the books, and in 20 days a new era will start at the new Europa Stadion. New is nice, and tradition is powerful. Here’s to the past and the future in Freiburg!
Player of the Week
I tried hard to spread around the awards, recognizing teams that didn’t dominate the summer lull. But we can’t pretend like Rosenborg’s best isn’t also the best in our world this week, or even the last month: Stefano Holmquist come on down!
Standings Update
The Griz got back to the top of the heap this week after their two strong road wins to kick off conference play. Meanwhile the middle of the pack got thoroughly shuffled With Minnesota climbing, Grenoble falling, and the Staggies and Dragons starting to split hairs
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
University of Montana
15
0
6
2.14
1.7
0.7
Rosenborg BK
31
4
11
2.11
2.3
1.2
Emelec
22
10
11
1.77
1.7
1.2
Minnesota United
10
7
8
1.48
1.2
1.2
Punjab FC–b
7
4
6
1.47
1.2
0.9
Grenoble
15
9
14
1.42
1.1
1.2
Freiburg
16
7
16
1.41
1.5
1.5
Legon Cities–b
11
6
11
1.39
1.2
1.0
FK Vozdovac
9
7
13
1.172
1.0
1.5
Ross County
10
5
15
1.167
1.2
1.5
Alebrijes
5
11
10
1.00
1.2
1.7
Table Updated 9/29/21 b–Team is between seasons
What’s Next
Wednesday, September 29th
Alebrijes v. Tapatio
DC United v. Minnesota United
Thursday, September 30th
Friday, October 1st
University of Montana Grizzlies v. Sacramento State Hornets
There’s ugly and then there’s this. A bare-bottomed spanking (something you boys know nothing about) gave the Loons a lot to think about before their next match against another top opponent.
California State Long Beach 0 – 1 Montana Grizzlies
This is the game plan of Chris Citowicki at work. Knowing your strength in defense, frustrate the opponent for most of the match and hit them quick before it ends. Camilla Xu continues to show up like Claire Howard between the sticks, and her long ball to start the attack gave the Griz just what they needed to knock off another top opponent.
Remember when Grenoble was close enough to Toulouse that this was a marquee match up? It was 4 months ago. Aka a long long time. This ain’t your spring time Grenoble. So we’ll do what we can.
Kevin Schade shields the draw
Mainz 0 – 0 Freiburg [M]
Mainz had the better of the match against Freiburg. To be fair, Freiburg was running a little behind without some of their most in form players (Vincenzo Grifo and Woo-Yeong Jeong), so the draw still feels worth it.
Ross County 2 – 2 Hearts
Who’d have thought that finally playing Regan Charles Cook up in the attack would pay off (for the record: all the Staggies fans for two years…all of them…the whole time). He buoyed Blair Spittal in the midfield, helping him to a first half brace. Also Ashley Maynard-Brewer made his first appearance in goal and despite the late equalizer, acquitted himself well.
Vozdovac 1 – 2 FK Radnicki 1923
While Milos Milovic netted a strong equalizer, it was a short lived draw. Radnicki got the lead back within another minute and thus the Dragons continued to slip.
Minnesota 3 – 0 LA Galaxy
I helped get you two to bed and raced over to catch the second half of the game with 19,000 close friends (and a double layered mask). It did not disappoint. I missed Emanuel Reynoso’s superb first half goals, but I did see a special appearance by Ethan Finlay who made every run more dangerous, scored a solid goal, and stopped another attack dead in its tracks, more on that later.
Sarpsborg 08 1 – 3 Rosenborg [M]
Stefano Holmquist Vecchio continued to be in great form, as Rosenborg continued to battle towards the top. Meanwhile the back line continued to control the area and refused to let Sarpsborg near the goal. So tip the cap and say a “tusen takk” to Even Hovland and Erland Dahl Reitan.
LDU Quito 3- 2 Emelec [M]
The replay of last week’s postponed game was a barnburner, the down side being that the loss dropped Emelec out of fist place. It was an impressive piece of story telling as Andersson Ordonez finished a game winning penalty after giving up an own goal in the first three minutes.
Grenoble 4 – 1 Nancy [M]
Apparently it’s also not Friday’s Grenoble, as they absolutely dominated Nancy throughout the field. (To be fair, Nancy has a scant three points in the year, so…really shoulda won it). While the back line was make shift, Loic Nestor made the most of his player of the week honors with a goal, Yoric Ravet (our first two favorite team player) got a goal, an assist and a man of the match honors.
News & Notes
Conveniently COVID
Naturally, you boys celebrated your first week back at school with that school’s first ever positive COVID test. The school was shuttered on Monday, and your mom and I made sure that you had somebody to be with (ie. us rather than your grandparents.) It’s just a little hard that this thing that has shifted all our expectations for your life and world is still complicating life 18 months after it started.
Lerkendal’s Legend Grows
With Stefano Holmquist Vecchia’s brace Rosenborg hit the Century mark for goals scored this year between both the Menner og Kvinner. So cheers to everyone who made it happen: especially Julie Blackstad, Lisa Marie Utland, and Kristoffer Zacharaissen (yes…I used this as an excuse to bring up my three favorite Norwegians).
Player of the Week
I can admit that I’m biased, but since I saw him, and I was in such a good mood watching his performance that Ethan Finlay made my night. So Ethan gets the shout out.
Standings Update
Despite a split in the week, Grenoble got the points they needed to move one thousandth of a point ahead of Punjab FC into fourth place, while the Grizzlies continue to keep Rosenborg in their sights for the top spot.
A rough year only got tougher for Oaxaca. Memories of a dominant 2019 campaign are long gone. And they must be grateful relegation is cancelled for four more years.
Montana Grizzlies 5 – 0 Texas Southern Wildcats
The Griz got back to winning ways against an admittedly weaker opponent. Taylor Hansen (2 assists, 1 goal) seems determined to dominate the game like the bicep flexing badass she is.
Freiburg was fortunate to snatch another point despite their most lackluster showing of the season. Sometimes you’re good, sometimes you’re lucky. Both are valuable.
Celtic 3 – 0 Ross County
For 65 minutes it looked like County might continue to shock the Hoops. then the dam burst, and it was your typical Scottish smack down.
Grenoble 2 – 1 Nimes [M]
Les Grenobloises are down to a smattering of last year’s core. Fortunately sometimes a smattering still does the trick (like with brown sugar on oatmeal or applause and my ego). Credit to Maumadou Diallo for being the offense this week and Loic Nestor for continuing to be a boss at the back.
Bayern Munich 4 – 0 Freiburg [F]
We’re only three weeks into the season, but the Frauen auf Freiburg have gotten no points and no offense since Hasret Kayicki’s first week goal.
Ozzie not making peace
Seattle Sounders 1 – 0 Minnesota United
I had hoped we could watch a Lions win while cleaning the house. Instead you (rightly) demanded to play outside and the Loons looked to annoyed to capitalize on their chances. Adrien Honou continues to miss golden chances, and when professional troublemaker Ozzie Alonso is the voice of calm…you’re struggling to get it together.
Radnicki Nis 1 – 0 Vozdovac
The Red Dragons lost their three game winning streak on Sunday. But as 3 of their 4 wins this year have come from the bottom four teams of the table, there’s still reason to be cautious in praising coach Pedrag Rogan’s team or dismissing this as a one off.
Rosenborg 3 – 2 Tromso [M]
The Black and white looked to be on cruise control early on with Noah Holm and Emil Ceide running riot. But Tromso equalized through a pair of hopeful long balls and defensive confuzzlement. However the second line offense provided by substitutes Stefano Vecchia and Carlo Holse continued to threaten until they connected on the headed match winner late in injury time. It wasn’t quite as triumphant as it felt early on
LDU Quito v. Emelec
Postponed…see note below
Yzeure Allier 0 – 1 Grenoble [F]
Make it two from two for les grenobloises. Again it was one goal that made the difference, but this week the honors go to Andrea Commper Banguillot. The win on the road has put the alpiners on top of their division two group, ahead of a big visit from historic side Olympique Marseille in a few weeks.
Montana Grizzlies 1 – 0 Boise State Mustangs
And that’s why you don’t schedule cupcakes. Coach Chris Citkowski was validated in his choice to put the Griz up against some of the best programs west of the Mississippi this season by notching a signature victory, better still it was young talents leading the way. Camilla Xu has stepped up in goal to be a tough nut to crack in front of goal (all this as a redshirt freshman). While true freshmen (ie kids I could have taught in quarantine last year), Bella O’Brien and Delaney Lou Schorr connected to notch the goal against one of the top teams in the Mountain West. [Hat tip to the controlling defense of upperclassmen Caitlin Rogers and Allie Larsen and to Tommy Marino for the photo we used to head this post.]
The Oaxacans got their first win of the season! [Insert trumpet noises here]. It took a bit of doing, including a fortunate flick of the head by Josue Gomez, and a last minute winner for Jaidivert Hurtardo. But a win is a win and leaping up several spots in the standings is always welcome.
News & Notes
Alex 0 – 3 Playground Kid
I’m sorry to put you on blast big A but your little playmate, Lily, absolutely worked you. She ran on to every ball in space (and yes she did scoop it up and run with it like a football while you tried to explain how to play…but toddler rules are toddler rules man). It’s rough after you owned a six year old this summer, but hey like we say: girls are good.
No pay, no play
Referee for Rights
Emelec isn’t unbeatable, but they do have odds in their favor coming in to the end of the Ecuadorian league. But even they can’t win when referees aren’t able to call the game. Since the Ecuadorian federation hasn’t paid the referees in the local league for two weeks, the “arbitros” went on a mini-strike, affecting the premier game of the weekend.
Obviously, we would like to see Emelec continue to dominate the game. But we’d rather people get paid what they are owed. Go ahead Ecuadorian refs, get what you deserve.
Loic’s Surprised face
Player of the Week
Keeping the tiny trophy of our imaginations in the Alps, let’s pay some respect to Loic Nestor who has had to step up in a major way to keep Grenoble something close to afloat, and helped deliver a vital victory this last weekend (not to mention the ones he helped with during the last campaign).
Standings Update
One great week was all Grenoble needed to leap up four spots (it helped that a few other teams slipped up on the same week, but the middle table remains a tough battle.
For the Oaxacans it’s lost two, drawn four, won bupkus. It’s been tough for them to find the net let alone the knock out punch. [Insert heavy sigh here]
Rosenborg 2 – 1 Vålerenga [F]
In need of a rebound, RBK got it against one of the other Big 4 in the Toppserien. Substitute Sarah Kanutte Fornes delivered the late winner to rally the squad for the rush to the finale.
Freiburg 0 – 1 Eintracht Frankfurt [F]
The ladies of Breigsau held on for a good long while, but couldn’t get the ball over the line.
Grenoble 1 – 0 ASPTT Albi [F]
Les grenobloises got their season off to a solid start. Sherly Jeudy notched the winner and in general the ladies of the Alps celebrated what will *hopefully* be a complete season.
Gonzaga Bulldogs 3 – 0 Montana Grizzlies
The Griz went for the gusto in Spokane, but ended up the worse for wear falling to the tough opponents (Thé Bulldogs now have 22 goals for, 2 against). It’s not been an easy start to the season for the Griz, but with conference play on the horizon, we’ll see how valuable these character building battles have been.
News & Notes
BABY!!!
Grenoble’s return to action came without long time captain Laureen Navas. But with good reason. She has une petite Bebe! A little baby with her own jersey. Start em young!
Get Ready for Chompers
Your favorite tooth brushing companion asked geography questions this week, including one about Oaxaca! It gave me a chance to show you Alebrijes (both real and soccer) and I’ll take that as a win in another rough season for our preferred Mexican side.
Player of the Week
In the interest of spreading the wealth, let’s tip a cap to Sherly Jeudy in Grenoble for starting the season right.
Standings Update
I’m not able to update this week’s standings table, but I can tell you the overall positions didn’t change, but the Griz are at risk of slipping to third.
The last glimmers of Rosenborg’s quest for Europe vanished with their loss at home to the French side. Both the men and women faltered in the past two weeks, but both came closer than any other European side.
Cal Poly Mustangs 2 – 1 Montana Grizzlies
The Griz got their first lead of the season on Sydney Haustein’s first goal (a banger too). But a late defensive miscue led to their third loss of the season (more defeats than the entirety of the spring campaign)
Hasret Kayicki got Freiburg off the mark quickly and on top of the league for 11 glorious minutes. Then the second half started with a Hoffenheim equalizer and hope faded fast.
Stuttgart 2 – 3 Freiburg [M]
Woo-Yong Jeong racked up a brace within 10 minutes to send Freiburg flying past former goalie Florian Muller. Fellow striker Carlo Holse made it three before the trouble started. Stuttgart made a good comeback before the first half ended but Freiburg shut the door in the second half to grab the win.
Sochaux 1 – 0 Grenoble [M]
Grenoble got a win last week but slid right back to losing ways this week. Loic Nestor and Adrien Monfry did well to frustrate Sochaux’s attack…but couldn’t beat back the tide.
Houston 1 – 2 Minnesota United
Adrien Honou found his scoring boots and not a moment to soon as an injury ravaged Loons team got a valuable win to end their dry spell. He didn’t knock in any beauties, but he did what needed to be done with the strong service from Ethan Finlay that made it all possible.
[Rosenborg 0 – 3 Barcelona–F Friendly]
This won’t count in our standings as a victory would have been meaningless, but it’s worth noting that this was the first time one of our teams faced one of the game’s 12 behemoths…it didn’t go well, but now RBK can reset and build up to this level.
Emelec 4 – 0 Olmedo [M]
Beating up on the bottom side put Emelec in first place for the moment, closer to claiming the league title outright. Though with 9 games to go, it’s too early to pop champagne corks in Guayaquil. Joao Rojas remains on fire, as the offense shows no sign of slowing down [they’ve scored two in 5 of the 6 games since the start of phase 2]. Emelec’s performance was about as superlative as it’s possible to be…just enjoy the highlights.
Aberdeen 1 – 1 Ross County
Regan Charles Cook hasn’t gotten his name on here nearly often enough (spotty playing time and teammates’ inconsistent finishing on his key passes hasn’t helped). A solid goal following up on a gilded opportunity gave County hope, but he was unable to haul the staggies over the line. But, frankly, we’re ok with that. (Former Minnesota United player Christian Ramirez struck the equalizer in his enthusiastic door busting style. So this is a time when everybody wins even when no one does)
Viking 2 – 1 Rosenborg [M]
Young midfielder Olaus Jaír Skansen gave a strong showing in the new transfer’s first real runout with Rosenborg. Being tasked with providing the replacement creativity for man crush Cristopher Zachariassen isn’t easy, but he showed good promise… fellow midfield newcomer Pavle Vagic…not so much.
UDG 1 – 1 Alebrijes
So…flipping…close!!!
Oaxaca had a man advantage. They got the lead from Lizandro Echeverria’s solid header with just six minutes to play….and yet…
An 88th minute hand ball from (I think) Adrian Vasquez gave the black lions a valuable penalty that turned into the equalizer and left Alebrijes on 3 points in five matches. [Insert heavy sigh]
Montana Grizzlies 4 – 0 Montana State University-Billings Yellow Jackets
The Griz got their first win of the fall. Yes, it came against a lower Division side. No, it doesn’t outweigh the frustrating narrow losses to tougher opponents. But a Jaden Griggs hat trick, and the defense’s first clean sheet, did the job. So let’s root for positive momentum heading in to next week.
The Red Dragons got a few extra days off and delivered a win over the newly promoted Kolubara to push them into a three game winning streak. The newly promoted Green-Blacks never looked terribly dangerous in attack and often appeared wrong footed in defense. Milos Pantovic carved them up with Nikola Vujnovic and Justas Lasickas providing the goals. Before you could blink Vozdovac is in 5th place
News & Notes
Taking a[n International] break
This week most men’s leagues are taking a break to squeeze in a rapid round of World Cup Qualifiers. Simultaneously, we’ll be trekking to and from Montana for farewells to some extended family. So expect few details and more family time.
The Devil’s Candy
Ronaldo’s mirror likeness
When I was a kid, the first European kit I had that most people recognized was Manchester United. An English team with a chunk of championships, a masterful manager, and ubiquitously famous players. They were easy to dislike.
The last decade has been less kind as managers burn out, famous stars flame out, and champs become chumps (especially as their cross town rivals became a dominant side) . But in the span of a few hours this week they relearned all the disgust and loathing from around the world.
How? By re-signing former star, frequent candidate for worlds best, and maddeningly perfect Physical specimen: Cristiano Ronaldo. Thanks for doing what you always do and making it easy to dislike you Man U.
Player of the Week
There were lots of scoring stars we don’t talk about much this week: Woo-Yong Jeong, Adrien Honou, Jaden Griggs. But we can’t deny that we’ve probably owed a nod to Nikola Vujnovic whose excellent form has hoisted the Red Dragons from the depths of Serbia’s league to the outskirts of the European chase.
Standings Update
Rosenborg’s grasp on the top spot slipped after a rough week and the Griz were there to claw their way back to a tie (only goal differential separates them). The same is true for Punjab and Freiburg where Chencho Gyeltshen’s offense helps keep the goal advantage
The Oaxacans continue to struggle to catch anything remotely resembling a break. Even after another Julio Cesar Cruz equalizer and a Lizandro Echeverria goal to take the lead, they couldn’t hold on. In 360 minutes this season, they’ve lead for 18 of them (5% of the season). Clearly there’s still work to be done in the back.
FC Minsk 1 – 2 Rosenborg [F-Europe]
Rosenborg got to host playoff games en route to the Women’s Champion’s League and they kicked off with a big win over FC Minsk (courtesy of your favorite tandem and mine: Julie Blakstad and Lisa-Marie Utland)
Rennes 2 – 0 Rosenborg [M-Europe]
It’s not terribly surprising that Rosenborg struggled against a team from the top tier of French football. And needing two or more goals at home is something they can manage…if they’re on point. (Sidebar: Baptiste Santamaria made his Rennes debut after leaving Freiburg last week…so, the revolving door of Rennes and our favorite teams remains).
Creighton Bluejays 2 – 1 Montana Grizzlies
The Griz had an adventure getting to Omaha (good thing they’re elite athletes, it made running across Denver Airport a little easier), but once there they gave the bigger program all the could handle. Caitlin Rogers put in an iron woman shift on the back line (going all 108 minutes), and Montana’s own Josie Windaur got her first career goal in the garnet and silver, but in the end the Griz fell on a late winner from Creighton. Still a positive start for the team looking to punch above expectations for the Big Sky Conference.
Nikola Vujnovic kept up his strong form with another goal on a stellar little run. Better still, the Dragons’ defense delivered their first clean sheet of the season.
Freiburg 2 – 1 Dortmund [M]
One of the German giants came to Breisgau and left disappointed. Freiburg got ahead early (thanks Vincenzo) and didn’t let up (that second goal…wowza…Roland Sallai did just about everything). But after epic victories, it’s important not just to talk about the goals that won it, but also the defense that made it possible. So kudos to the defensive core of Phillip Leinhart, Nico Schlotterback, and Christian Gunter for stopping a star studded offense.
Grenoble 2 – 0 Quevilly [M]
The sun lifted les grenoblois off the bottom of the table, and for the first time in forever, everybody seemed to be on point. Mableu, Nestor and Monfray held down the back while Yoric Ravet lead the line with both a goal and an assist. Plus Charles Pickel did his best Jessy Bennet. (It was so convincing that right after the game he got to leave Grenoble!)
Minnesota United 0 – 0 Sporting KC
I was very excited to watch this game with you boys. Covid’s return meant I couldn’t take you. Technology issues meant we missed the first 15 minutes. 10 minutes later you decided you wanted a snack and then forgot about the game to go play in the backyard.
We made the right choice.
Stats suggest the Loons should have scored three goals, instead they got zero. The inability to put the biscuit in the basket is starting to drive even the most loyal fans up a wall…
Levante 4 – 3 Rosenborg [F-Europe]
Rosenborg wasn’t able to launch themselves into the group stages of the women’s champion’s league despite home field advantage as Levante prevailed in an epic encounter. The Troll Jenter were chasing the game for the much of the match and this might be the first time we’ve ever seen Kristine Nostmo so wrong footed and out of her element. (It was also by far the most goals scored against the black and white in our time writing about the team). Again Blakstand and Utland delivered vital goals, but it wasn’t enough and Rosenborg will have to wait a year for a shot at the biggest stage in Europe.
Nueve de Octubre 2 – 2 Emelec [M]
It was definitely a point win for Los bombillos, who looked to be facing their second loss in 2021 Liga Pro (the last one also to Nueve). Down two goals and one player with ten minutes to go, Joao Rojas scored twice on a pair of…close…offsides calls. It was all they needed to salvage a point and keep them in 2nd place.
Ross County 2 – 4 Rangers
I try to be optimistic, but I really doubted County’s ability to keep up with Rangers. Granted, the didn’t really keep up, but they scored twice and weren’t played off their own field so…yeah, I guess…moral victory?
Rosenborg 5 – 0 Odd [M]
The troll boys handled Odd with ease, with Stefano Vecchia notching two goals, Verbjørn Hoff getting two assists and Emil Konradsen Ceide getting one of each. (That even leaves out Noah Holm’s blistering run to score) We hope they still feel fresh for the match with Rennes next week (maybe Vecchia and Ceide merit another runout together…just saying))
Montana Grizzlies 0 – 1 Portland Pilots
While the Pilots have a storied history, their recent past gave the Griz some hope, but it wasn’t to be as both back lines stood tough until a beauty of a curler beat blue haired Elizabeth Todd for a gorgeous winner. Again the Griz were tough against a high profile opponent, and Owen got to watch with me as Taylor Hansen flexed her leadership, Ava Samuelson showcased her fresh flair, and McKenzie Kilpatrick did our name proud.
News & Notes
Gre-NOOOOOOOOO-ble
The French side mired at the bottom of Ligue 2 in desperate need of some good news went and found the opposite this week by sending Charles Pickel to Portugal (immediately after his man of the match performance) and releasing captain and strong defender Jerome Mombris. The comments are a special blend of sports fan frustration and French ennui. We thank Charles and Jerome for their work, and would like to Jerome that Madagascar defenders [like his teammate/pal Romain Metanire] are welcome at Minnesota United…just saying…
The only goal in The Griz’s game this weekend was scored when we were vacuuming (well, I was vacuuming, Owen, you were running away and flopping on any soft surface you could find). The lesson is clear: never vacuum. [Another valuable lesson watching the game, be like the bros who rocked overalls, bare chests, and cowboy hats to a soccer game…that’s how we do soccer in the big MT]
Way to Advertise Women in Europe!
I knew there was some news about Rosenborg facing reigning European women’s champs Barcelona (they meet in a friendly Saturday), but in doing that research I uncovered an utterly unremarked upon entry in the local team history, namely that our favorite lady trolls vied for qualification in Europe this week. Some reviews and the kind public service provided by femfootball let us cover it, but a little too late.
Player of the Week
For 10 weeks, Emelec and Rosenborg have dominated the player of the week conversation. Even when other teams were in action their performances never quite measured up. This week there were great showings from all of Rosenborg and Joao Rojas. But there was also Nikola Vjunovic and Yoric Ravet bringing back some struggling sides. But we’ll go with Christian Gunter who both bottled up Dortmund darling Erling Haaland, delivered some delicious passes, and set a new Freiburg record for appearances en route to their win.
Standings Update
And for the first time in a long time, we have a new leader in the standings!! The pair of defeats dropped the Griz from the top to…well..very nearly the top, as Rosenborg was there to capitalize despite their own inconsistent week. It’s going to be a battle for the top as we enter the final four months of the campaign.
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
Rosenborg BK
24
4
8
2.11
2.6
1.1
University of Montana
9
0
4
2.08
1.7
0.8
Emelec
21
9
10
1.8
1.6
1.2
Punjab FC–b
7
4
6
1.471
1.2
0.9
Freiburg
14
5
13
1.469
1.6
1.5
Minnesota United
7
7
6
1.40
1.1
1.2
Legon Cities–b
11
6
11
1.39
1.2
1.0
Grenoble Foot
11
8
11
1.37
1.1
1.2
Ross County
8
2
12
1.27
1.2
1.4
FK Vozdovac
8
6
11
1.20
1.0
1.6
Alebrijes
4
9
8
1.00
1.3
2.0
Table Updated 8/24/21 b–Team is between seasons
What’s Next
Wednesday, August 25th
Thursday, August 26th
Rosenborg v. Rennes [M-Europe]
Cal Poly Mustangs v. Montana Grizzlies
Friday, August 27th
Hoffenheim v. Freiburg [F]
Saturday, August 28th
Stuttgart v. Freiburg [M]
FK Vozdovac v Kolubara
Sochaux v. Grenoble [M]
Houston v. Minnesota United
[Rosenborg v. Barcelona–F Friendly]
Sunday, August 29th
Aberdeen v. Ross County
Viking v. Rosenborg [M]
Emelec v. Olmedo
UDG v. Alebrijes
Montana Grizzlies v. Montana State University-Billings Yellow Jackets
With their second loss to Sandviken, there’s no denying it anymore: the unbeatable Rosenborg is not the best team in the Topp Serien. Hard as it is to admit, it does focus the campaign not on staying unbeaten, but on reaching the Champions league (So far, so good)
Niort 1 – 0 Grenoble [M]
Mon dieu. It’s getting grim in Grenoble, as manager Maurizio Jacobacci has yet to win a match and our Alpiners are rooted to the bottom of the table.
Minnesota United 0 – 1 Los Angeles Galaxy
Another week, another Loon’s home match I had to miss. This time there wasn’t much to see as despite a strong defense and the usual Bébelo magic, the Loons couldn’t finish their chances.
Emelec 3 – 0 CSD Macara
Despite being a man down for much of the match (why cleat someone on your run Sebastian Rodriguez…why?), Los Bombillos dominated. Jose Cevallos had become an invaluable target man (just ask Dixon Arroyo), and Facundo Barcelo offers another bolt of speed to burn the opposition. Don’t look now, but Emelec’s just two points off the lead in the league and gunning for a season sweep of trophies.
Vozdovac 3 – 2 Novi Pazar
With Nikola Vujnovic leading the way the Red Dragons got another win. None of the goals were beautifully developed, but beauty and Serbia don’t exactly go together, I mean, just watch the wrasslin’ move that took down Milos Pantovic in the second half…eeks.
Mjondalen 1 – 2 Rosenborg [M]
While Carlo Holse hasn’t been the big name on recent Rosenborg score sheets he had a great game here supported by goal scorers Anders Konradsen and Erland Dahl Reitan. It still took some doing for Rosenborg to withstand the final onslaught of attacks, but they managed to make it across the finish line.
San Jose Earthquakes 1 – 1 Minnesota United
A late night match that I wasn’t going to stay up for, the Loons started out with an uncharacteristic gaffe from Bakye Dibassy at the back. Even with the Quakes losing a man a few minutes later, Minnesota struggled to get much of anything connected (playing two games in three days can have that effect on you).
News & Notes
Here come the Griz
It’s Taylor time! The Griz will follow the lead of fifth year seniors Taylor Stoeger in the front and Taylor Hansen in the back as they seek to cement their spot at the top of our MacKenzie Cup standings. The big challenge there will be extending their competition beyond the Big Sky. While Conference games made up 9 of their 11 matches in the spring, they start out with 8 non-conference games including three against power sides like Creighton, Gonzaga, and Boise State. Even their conference schedule is less comfortable with 5 road games (including at co-favorites Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado) as opposed to 4 home matches.
Hopes for Afghanistan
After 20 years, the United States armed forces (including a few dozen of your dad’s high school classmates), have left the nation of Afghanistan. The war started shortly after your mother and I met. It continued long enough for me to teach refugees from it and future soldiers in it. And then, we left with the same people in power as when it began and the same threat to women, girls, and contrary thinkers as we had at the beginning. We hope that the people of Afghanistan are safe and secure and remember that soccer is nothing next to that.
Player of the Week
Despite the lasting Kristoffer Zachariassen sized hole in our Rosenborg hearts, Anders Konradsen’s great form has gone a long way to easing the pain.
Standings Update
The Griz get back into action this week with their lead on the line. Kicking off with the Big East’s Creighton (alma mater of a couple Loons players), is going to put them to the test right away. Meanwhile, Alebrijes slides to the bottom of the table.
The Norwegian squad welcomed the Slovenian side with a barrage of attacks with Dino Islamovic again at the point of the attack with Emil Konradsen Ceide linking beautifully. Left Back Adam Andersson continued to build up his resume on both sides of the ball notching a goal of his own and a solid spell at the back.
Stabaek 2 – 5 Rosenborg BK [F]
That was almost a stunner. Bunched up in the bottom Stabaek had two leads over RBK (1-0 and 2-1) but then they ladies of Rosenborg rose to the occasion and left no doubt, knocking in 4 goals in 15 minutes. Lisa Marie Utland’s hat trick stole the show and set up a vital match at Sandviken next week.
Grenoble 0 – 0 Guingamp [M]
When a nil-nil result is the best outcome of the season so far, you can see why Grenoble has struggled of late.
Minnesota United 2 – 0Houston Dynamo
I was really hoping to go to this, but the cold that tore through our house made it unviable. I missed out on a good one for the Loons as Emanuel Reynoso continues to make magic happen with a pair of great assists and numerous dangerous chances.
Hibernian 3 – 0 Ross County
The Staggies met a clearly better side and came out clearly the worse for it.
Wurzburger Kickers 0 – 1 Freiburg [M-Cup]
Starting off the season against a Wurzburger side that’s struggling in the fourth division didn’t ask much of the makeshift Freiburg side, but the back line showed well and Jonathan Schmid scored the winner.
Vojvodina 2 – 0 Vozdovac
The Red Dragons continue to struggle this season, as the defense continues to rattle and the attack struggles to connect.
Delfin 1 – 2 Emelec [M]
Los Bombillos seem to be finding their stride, showing strong control over Delfín. The balls were consistently flying in from the wings, but when Alejandro Cabeza got it at his feet in the area it was all they needed with a desperate Delfin unable to stop him when he was that close.
Domzale 1 – 2 Rosenborg [M-Europe]
Rosenborg had to came back to win it, but Domzale’s struggles to score in the first half made clear they wouldn’t be able to challenge RBK’s 6-1 edge. Lower wattage stars: Noah Holm and Andres Konradsen looked to have a great connection working in the second half. The continental squad hasn’t been tested yet but that will change against France’s top flight side: Rennes.
News & Notes
Blood Feud in Bergen
This weekend sees the rematch between Rosenborg and the team that ended their unbeaten run in the Toppseiren (and the current first place side) Sandviken. This time Rosenborg is on the road so the battle will be by all the more difficult, but we have hope: blind foolish hope.
El Rey de las Estrellas
While most leagues save their awards for the end of the year, the MLS likes shouting out superb players mid season to represent the league in a friendly against Mexico’s all stars. This year Reynoso was chosen to represent Minnesota (who’ve never had more than one rep despite a strong first four years in the league).
Messi’s Moving
This week the greatest player of this (maybe any) generation had to leave his life long club. Before I could write this he signed with well-financed French giants Paris Saint-Germain. He’ll make 41 Million bucks for two years, play with some superb teammates and have a chance to win the most coveted club trophy in the world. But what if….he got offers from some of our favorites.
What follows are pitches from possible landing spots for Lionel Messi
Admit it, this would be cool…
Minnesota United: come bring the CONCACAF Champions League to the US! You’ll play alongside a miniature version of yourself in Bébelo, and we’ll pay you Joe Mauer Money ($109 mil)
Emelec: the only trophy that compares with the Champions League is Copa Libertadores, which you can win with us while also avoiding partisan club fans in Argentina. We don’t have quite the same players but we’ll pay more ($75 Million)
Legon Cities: Come change the world and lead us to African Champions League Glory! You’ll probably get Asamoah Gyan to target…eventually and we’ll give you 500 Million Cedis (please don’t ask about the exchange rate)
Rosenborg BK: Why change the world when you can change history! We’ve got elite players, and with you on board we can make UEFA Inter gender teams the future of the sport! Blakstad, Utland, Messi!!! Make it happen (we’ll just give you a share of the team)
Player(s) of the Week(s)
Every little thing he does is magic, give it up for Emanuel Reynoso.
Standings Update
The Troll Teams are giving the University Of Montana very little room for error as a three win week keeps them well within reach of their second strait MacKenzie Cup.
First, the big thing that happened: your grandparents went on vacation. That meant we got to play, and run, and wrestle, and tell stories, and bowl, and swim, and just about everything else. It also meant, that I did not have time to review such things as soccer highlights, or write about matches. So, here’s a recap of the last three weeks with notes about each team and how they fared starting with the two big stories from the end of July
Did Emelec win it all or get knocked out?
Manta 0 – 4 Emelec [M]
Liga de Marcas 1 – 1 Emelec [F]
Emelec 1 – 4 Deportiva Cuenca [F]
Deportiva Cuenca 0 – 1 Emelec [M]
Barcelona 3 – 0 Emelec [F]
Emelec 2 – 2 Aucus
BOTH! Let me explain
The men’s victory of Manta clinched the first stage title! Facundo Barcelo and Dixon Arroyo led the way as los bombillos celebrated their first taste of glory since 2018.
The women’s team did not fare as well, following a draw with the lowly Liga de Marcas with a pair of defeats to regional rivals that stopped them from progressing to the playoff portion of the season. [The commments on their see you next year tweet seem to be encouraging whole sale change]
— Club Sport Emelec Femenino (@ElectricasCSE) August 1, 2021
But, as the men start the second half of the season there’s still a good amount of hope that they can hoist the big trophy at year’s end, even if the draw at home to Aucus doesn’t exactly inspire dreams of a dominant campaign.
Were the Royals Relegated?
Legon Cities FC 3 – 2 Eleven Wonders
Miraculously, NO! Despite looking every bit the chaotic and relegation doomed side in the first half (when the Royals very much were looking at a season with a bloated payroll in a lower league), the Royals came back with goals from Hans Kwofie and Matthew Anim Cudjoe to save the win and jump from 16th to 11th place (it’s a little crazy in Ghana). [Though that’s only my read of the events]
Vozdavac’s Victory…and other outcomes…
Cukaricki 2 – 1 FK Vozdovac
Vozdovac 2 – 1 Proleter
Paritzan Beograd 4 – 0 Vozdovac
Serbia’s league kicked off with Vozdovac in much the same place that we lost saw them…struggling in the middle of the table. But now that the league only has 16 teams (as opposed to last year’s 20) the cushion at the bottom might not be as soft for the Red Dragons. In the duopoly of Serbia, your best hope is a tough defense…but the leaky new Vozdovac defense makes that uncertain. The highlight was surely Ivan Milosavljevic’s brace from beautiful runs to beat Proleter.
Troublesome Trolls
Rosenborg BK 0 – 2 Sandviken [F]
Tromso 1 – 3 Rosenborg [M]
FH Hafnarfjodur 0 – 2 Rosenborg [M–Europe]
Melhus 0 – 7 Rosenborg [M-Cup]
Rosenborg 4 – 1 FH Hafnarfjodur [M-Europe]
Orkla 1 -11 Rosenborg [M-Cup]
Yes, against all odds the only flaw in the ointment of Rosenborg’s recent run was the Women’s team who lost for the first time while repping the black and white in the league. Sandviken’s win gave the women something to think about for the last few weeks during the mid-season break, and hopefully they’ll be back to full strength this coming weekend.
Meanwhile the men ran roughshod over some (admittedly) lower wattage opponents, during the Eliteserien’s approximate mid-way point. Against lower level local clubs they ran up a stunning 18-1 goal difference with Dino Islamovic notching 5 between the two matches. Emil Konradsen Ceide also notched a hat trick and they head to the round of 32 without breaking a sweat.
The outlook is similarly bright in the hunt for a berth in Europe’s lowest league. Having decked their Icelandic opponents, Rosenborg is now set for a match with Slovenia’s Domzale and the winner of that is left with a pair of matches against French foes (and former home of the Loons’ Adrien Honou) Rennes. Factor in all these matches (plus the win at Tromso) and Dino Islamovic is up to 8 goals in his last 5 matches. Or enough for a blow out win against all their opponents combined. (Kudos also to Andre Hansen, Even Hovland and Adam Andersson for anchoring the overpowering defense).
Stellar Staggies Survive Sickness
Ross County 0 – 3 Dundee FC [Cup]
Bora Rangers 0 – 1 Ross County [Cup]
Ross County 4 – 1 Montrose [Cup]
Ross County 0 – 0 St. Johnstone
Yup, Ross County was not miraculously unscathed by the global pandemic and had to forfeit their second match of the cup thereby eliminating them from the competition before they ever kicked a ball. But, once they were able to run out (against lower level sides) they looked the part of a solid squad. Credit to the players for coming back from illness and getting prepped for kicking off the league with your standard issue goalless Scottish draw. (Thanks Ross Laidlaw and Alex Iacovitti for being the new powers behind County’s class, Blair Spittal for the world class goal, and YouTube User RossCounty 1929 for the highlights and pump up music..)
Loons Land Safely
Minnesota United 1 – 0 Seattle Sounders
Minnesota United 2 – 1 Portland Timbers
Los Angeles FC 2 – 2 Minnesota United
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 2 Minnesota United
With the European Cup competitors back in the fold the Loons hoped to sail into a trick series of games with some renewed energy. They succeeded.
Robin Lod has shone since I gave him up as a lousy waste of space last year and notched three goals to help the team along, but the stars are still unquestionably Emmanuel Reynoso who makes miracles happen with the ball at his feet (even while he has struggled to connect with other players on the field) and Hasani Dotson who has grown into the kind of player you just want to see on the pitch wherever possible because he’s always got something going for him. After a dismal start to the year, the Loons have gotten back into the playoff hunt (even if the Delta Variant’s resurgence has made taking either of you to a game an impossibility at present).
Good God, Grenoble!
Grenoble 0 – 4 Paris FC
Auxerre 3 – Grenoble 0
Well…that was a rough way to start off a new campaign.
Grenoble looks utterly wiped out, and the once powerful defense has been absolutely ripped from pillar to post. Brice Mableu, Loic Nestor, Jerome Mombris, and Adrien Monfry have given up 7 goals, supported none, and though it is very VERY early in the campaign, last year’s 4th place team is bottom of the barrel.
Alright Alebrijes!
Pumas Tobasco 0 – Alebrijes 0
Alebrijes 0 – 1 Cimarrones
Meanwhile, frequent strugglers Alebrijes of Oaxaca got a point…against a strong team in Pumas…on the road!! And while that came without a single goal scored, we’ll take what we can get with Alebrijes. (Especially given that they then dropped a match at home…but only by 1 goal!!)
News & Notes
Gosh Dang it Ghana!
I love Ghana. I really do. I love soccer, that should be obvious. But man, Ghanaian soccer makes it hard to love the two together.
Hashmin Musa being the hero…or not…
Here’s the latest drama: the Ghanaian police and Football Association are investigating match fixing…again. Yup, the same thing that destroyed the previous Ghanaian Premier League, threatens to destroy the new version within just two years! [A new record pace perhaps?] The dead rubber between top tier Ashanti Gold and relegated Inter Allies was always likely to end lopsidedly, but the dimwitted defense and goalkeeping that made it 5-0 were dubious. Then…came Hashmin Musa…who absolutely, no doubt, by his own admission scored own goals on purpose and pissed off his goalie to no end.
Musa claims that he was ruining the prearranged 5-0 score line…but the possibility that someone paid him even more to make it 7-0 is still out there and…because it just wouldn’t be as messed up as possible unless Legon Cities were also involved…the sudden barrage of goals to save the wealthy and high profile Royals from relegation is also coming under question. Suffice to say, there were plenty of ugly defense to help the Royals find the net, but there were also a few moments where it would have been easy to throw the game but players and referees didn’t oblige..so…[shrug emoji] So despite extended questioning and possible further destruction of the domestic game, Legon Cities is safe, for now.
Goodbye sweet prince
Best of luck Kristoffer!
The Transfer Market hulaballoo has tempered down as Ross County set their line ups through surgical masks and Vozdovac vets the team their sending out, but there’s still action, including a painful farewell.
Kristoffer Zacharaissen is too good for this humble corner of the internet where we gawk at his chiseled jaw bone and make allusions to Schitt’s Creek because we can’t really break down his game effectively. Whatever the case, he has left Rosenborg for greener pastures and greener kits joining Hungary’s Ferencvaros, a side with a shot at the top league in Europe (and a chance to be brutally repressed by Viktor Orban…so, keep your nose clean Kristoffer)
Roster Updates
A few other notes as we missed kickoffs for Grenoble, and Oaxaca and got back just in time for Freiburg.
Oaxaca
As a lower division team in the middle of a global pandemic/recession, Alebrijes did not have a lot of extra cash to throw around, so the lean mostly on loans (both in and out). While forward Ricardo Monreal is probably the biggest name to depart, there are several defenders who also left the fold (Daniel Cisneros, Oscar Torres, Yohan Zetuna, Jair Cortes, Fernando Plascencia).
The only defenders who have come in are Ernesto Reyes of Cimarrones, and youngster Adrian Vazquez on loan. Instead, Oaxaca focused on bringing in some more veteran attacking presences. Most notable: Cristian Panesso a Colombian coming in from Portugal, and Leandro Torres an Argentinian coming down from Liga MX. Local and familiar faces from the league around them, Armando Gonzalez, Lizandro Echeverria, Miguel Vallejo, and Alexis Conrado.
Grenoble
Sign this man!
After Phillipe Hirchenberger led the side quite well for 3 years, he left for Amiens and new man Maurizio Jacobacci made a big swap. Yes, Grenoble did something I never expected,and am frankly broken up about: they said farewell to leader and mastermind Jessy Bennet (more shockingly Jessy still hasn’t signed anywhere…and he’s only 26…seriously…Ross County…Legon Cities…Punjab… ANYBODY!! GET JESSY BACK!)
Willy Semedo, Kevin Tapoko, and Haroun Demba also left, but the club did net 1.5 million euros for Moussa Djitte’s move state side. (Sad but less shocking that Jessy (SERIOUSLY! I WILL PAY PART OF IT MYSELF!!). The side got a lot younger in response (without spending much of anything), bringing in Georgian Winger Giorgi Kokhreidze and two 20 something Swiss midfielders from FC Basel: Yannick Marchand and Orges Bunjaku.
Freiburg
Welcome aboard Nishan (center)
Our German reps opted against a spending spree this year…so much so that they haven’t spent a thing.
Gone are Chang-hoon Kwon (back to South Korea), greatly improved goalkeeper Florian Muller and attacker Guus Til, and up to the senior squad come six young players, none older than 21. The most intriguing players coming in are attacker Nishan Burkart (who learned the game at Man United), Noah Weishaupt (who has surged up the depth charts on the left side), and keeper/local boy made good Noah Atubolu
Freiburg and Grenoble’s women’s teams will get another month of prep kicking off August 28th (in Germany) and September 5th (in France)
Player(s) of the Week(s)
We’ll put three players on the pedestal for the past three weeks. Let’s tip the hat to Rosenborg’s attack and defense by admitting that Dino Islamovic’s attack has been ridiculously good, and that Even Hovland has done it all on both sides of the pitch. Our third award winner has to be from the new trophy winners in Ecuador: Emelec, and to keep it all balanced, midfielder and team leader Dixon Arroyo gets our nod.
Islamovic and Horvland celebrating their awards (and probably wins)
Standings Update
We had to break down to three decimal points for the first time ever! Freiburg, Ross County, and Grenoble are splitting hairs, it’s hardest for Grenoble who plummet from 4th to 9th. Meanwhile the Loons leap up to fifth and are getting closer to the top tier of teams.
MacKenzie's Boot Room 