Ok, I’ve said it plenty of times by now: but I really struggled to keep up daily writing routines when I was teaching full time. That’s what happens to me when I spend most of the day supporting 70 other people’s writing, and the rest of it trying to be a parent.
So rather than write one post covering six months of eleven teams in action, I’m going to break it up with posts as best as I can, I’ll fill you in on how the games have gone, who has excelled and any other news and stories worth knowing.
Match Results: 20 W – 8 D – 12 L ; GF: 103 GA: 49
Minnesota United: 10 W – 6 D – 11 L; GF: 40 GA: 41
The Loons have veered between world beating confidence and inexplicable distress. At the season’s start, there were some excellent showings despite upheaval in the roster and confusion on the coaching search (more on that in a little bit). But the team came together after the introduction of new manager Eric Ramsay and came into May as one of the top three teams in the Western Conference.
And then the wings fell off the high flying Loons.
That’s not fully accurate: the wings fell off the Loons and caught on fire and crumbled into ash and then got vacuumed up by a strangely aggressive cleaning crew who took them out and spat on them and called them names.
Just in case you think I’m being hyperbolic, please consider that over the first 14 games of the Loons schedule they won 8, drew 4 and only lost twice. But in June and July the Loons only won and drew 2, which means they quadrupled their loss total by dropping 9!
Minnesota Aurora: 10 W – 2 D – 1 L; GF: 63 GA: 8
To the south of St. Paul, Minnesota Aurora continued to light up their competition. They poured in 21 goals over two matches with Kenosha, and another 26 in the four matches against Chicago Dutch Lions and Bavarian United (a side out of Milwaukee).
Once again Aurora seems to be a proving ground for talented young players en route to the professional ranks as they dominate the games and share the love in racking up goals. But, once again, heartbreak awaited them in the knockout stages. Fortunately, instead of getting to the final match before the suffering began, the Minnesota side was dropped out with a sudden shocking twist of fate against Indy Eleven.
Other Stories:
There were a few shifts in personal in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Nicole Lukic, who oversaw the first two supremely successful Aurora seasons left before things got started to take over youth squad recruitment for the US Women’s National Team. The USWNT is arguably the most prestigious soccer program in the country (many World Cups/Gold Medals will do that for you), and Lukic had a tremendous run bringing in great young players to the Twin Cities, so she should be superb there, while Aurora barely missed a beat in the league with Colette Montgomery taking over.
The men’s situation was a bit more…uh…chaotic. You may recall that Sean McAuley was going to be in charge temporarily…then left to get rid of that “temporarily”. Cameron Knowles stepped up, but was still labeled as an “interim” manager even after the squad looked strong for the first few matches. Finally, the Loons landed a high profile manager from the other MUFC (Manchester United Football Club). Ramsay is young, but has a bright future…provided these summer doldrums don’t undo him.
As if coaching upheaval wasn’t already chaotic, Minnesota United had to deal with some transfer sagas as well: Kervin Arriaga has been a great defensive midfielder the last several years, and now he’ll get to try to show the same thing in Europe (albeit for Partizan Belgrade…against our pals at Vozdovac). But Kervin’s upward trajectory is nothing in comparison with the death spiral of the supremely talented Emmanuel Reynoso. From the fulcrum of the club who could demand his heart’s desire, Reynoso has spent two years preferring to hang out back home in Argentina rather than training with teammates. I don’t blame him, I’m a home body too…but when you hang out with guys who attack random teenagers with guns …uh…that’s not so cool. Ultimately Minnesota moved Reynoso to Mexico just to be rid of the discomfort…even though dropping him probably didn’t help the squad get better…but it did make the club less violent so…I’ll take it as a win.
Star Players:
Sophie French and Cat Rapp once again dominated defensive lines all throughout the uppermidwest. This year they were helped by newcomer Sage Wimes, and midfield maestros Katie Duong, Addison Weichers and Mariah Nguyen.
Adorable DSC pictures, just because.
The Loons seemed happy to give up the “hope for Reynoso to do something magical” strategy and found a good balance in their team. Tani Oluwaseyi has emerged as another goal scoring threat (even while the boys’ favorite Bongi struggles with lingering injuries). Oluwaseyi even managed to make the Canadian national team alongside permanent highlight reel goalie: Dayne St. Claire. St. Clair had help from Joseph Rosales’ very good defense in the backline and the all around creation and goal scoring accumen of Robin Lod and Hasani Dotson.
It seems that Rosenborg’s ladies have found their full stride, four goals in the first half put them far ahead, and coach Steinar Lein chose to solidify the lead after half time. Familiar attackers Anna Joesendal and Emilie Nautnes each got a goal, and back-up goalie Lene Christensen returned for the first time this season with a clean sheet.
Montreal 4 – 0 Minnesota (M)
With your mom having a girls night, we celebrated boys night with thirty minutes of soccer watching. Well, I watched and Alex asked questions and Owen bounced around slamming Anna and Elsa into everyone and everything. Sadly, Anna and Elsa had more fun than the Loons who were over run by Montreal including former Loon/Sassy Librarian Mason Toye. Michael Boxall and Miguel Tapias couldn’t do everything and Montreal’s great passes made them too dangerous to stop. But the Loons attack looked better with Emanuel Reynoso involved (though, it may lead to the return of “hero-ball-starring El Rey”…)
Legon Cities 3 – 2 Samartex
The Royals raced out to a quick lead with Ahmed Rahman and Ebenezer Armegah hitting the net before 10 minutes had passed, the Royals repeatedly taking full advantage of some shaky Samartex defending. With the advantage, Legon was able to absorb a lot of Samartex’s attacks, and when Michael Otou got the third with nine minutes to play, the Royals were safe. (It should be noted that Michael received the most Man of the Match honors in the Bet Pawa league this season: cue the slow clap).
Stabek 2 – 2 Rosenborg (M)
Rosenborg fell behind early (an inverse of Legon’s game) but kept driving forward until Jayden Nelson got the first. The second half showed Rosenborg storming the Stabek goal, but coming up empty handed until Erlend Reitan set up Carlo Holse for a last minute equalizer.
Chicago City SC 1 – 3 Minnesota Aurora (F)
The Aurora gave up another goal, but it didn’t make much difference with Kenzie Langdok, Hannah Adler and Mariah Nguyen finding the net and Tianna Harris continuing to lock down the defense en route to being one of the players of the month in the whole USL-W
Emelec 0 – 0 Gualaceo SC (M)
Yup, I got nothing to say here. I do expect that Emelec won’t be overly disappointed to have the first half of the season end on Sunday. (They’ll have one more group match in the Copa Sudamericana, and a win should get them through to the knock-out stage, but a break would not be a bad thing.)
Minnesota Aurora 5 – 0 Green Bay Glory (F)
Rolling smoke from Canadian wildfires made it unsafe to play outside on Wednesday night, but even under a dome and without the normally raucous fans the Aurora continued to run roughshod over opponents, this time with Cat Rapp notching a brace and the steady defensive line once again pitching a shutout.
News & Notes
Overbearing Parent/Coach Update
Alex Steps up
Alex had another great week at soccer. He ran up and down the field a lot, and continued to love getting in the way of shots, which was convenient because his four man team was dwarfed by a pair of 5 year olds who looked 7 so there was a lot of running to do. And again he got his team’s only goal….but that’s not as much fun as defending. The best thing though: he found several chances to cheer on his team as they ran including little Jack (from Owen’s Pre-school class)
Let’s get Messi
You may remember that I wrote about the delights of watching a World Cup final with you both and seeing one of the greatest players of this generation reach the greatest pinnacle of this sport. Well, that same legendary player has decided to write the last chapter of his story here in the United States, including in Minnesota (eventually).
Messi turned down hundreds of millions from Saudi Arabia (literally the Saudi Arabian government owns four teams…) just for playing, to instead accept hundreds of millions from American companies who will pay him for existing and thereby selling more streaming services, shoes and tickets.
The Loons won’t see him until 2024 at the earliest…assuming he’s willing to play on an icy/sweltering Minnesota pitch in the first place. I’ll continue my internal debate: go watch him, or sell the tickets for much more than they are worth.
International Update
We’ve reached the time in the year where (most) soccer players finally, mercifully, have a break.
Unless you’re really good, in which case you need to play more…but this time for your country!
We don’t have exact names of which players will be going where so here’s a brief overview of possible places to look.
North American players will be gearing up for the Gold Cup, but we’re surprisingly light on those. Dayne St. Clair will likely be hanging around Team Canada’s bench, while Samuel Rogers of Rosenborg could line up again for the US. Kervin Arriaga and Joseph Rosales will look to team up in Honduras’ midfield.
In Europe, we have more players based, but just as many hanging around. Mark Flekken the (now former) Freiburg keeper will be hoping to play in the Nations League semif-finals after start Justin Biljow was smoked by Croatia’s attack). Phillip Leinheart and Michael Gregositch will be ready to go for Austria, and Rolland Sallai will be on hand for Hungary in their Euro Tournament qualifiers, and Mathias Ginter will be the lone Freiburg representing Germany.
Finally, Asian/African teams will simply be getting their work outs in preparing for games ahead with Woo-Yeong Jeong joining South Korea, and Ritsu Doan suiting up for Japan, and Bongokhule Hlongwane aims to help South Africa.
Bet Pawa’s Final Update
And that, as they say, is that.
Medema SC held on to claim the title they were driving for. Their win over Tamale City also doomed the northerners to relegation, when Great Olympics got a big win over Nsoatreman to save their bacon…or fried plantain if you prefer. And unless I’m much mistaken Legon Cities’ 9th place finish equaled their best ever showing.
Player of the Week
As we enter the stage of the season where we only have a few teams playing each week, we’ll be able to reward some players who do extremely well and a few who had good years but weren’t able to be the best player on a given week. This week, it’s time to give an overdue shout out to Tiana Harris. As Alex continues to admire defenders, Ms. Harris is a heckuva role model.
Our Queen T is Captain of the May 2023 @USLWLeague Team of the Month! 👑
The quiet season means we’re not real likely to see much movement in the standings, but with Minnesota and Rosenborg the only two sides still clicking along after this week (sorry for my pessimism Emelec), we should still have the race to pressure Punjab in full swing.
Rosenborg had never lost to Stjorsdal before…but they sure lost here marking an unexpectedly early exit from the League Cup…again.
Partick Thistle 2 – 0 Ross County (Premiership Playoff)
It’s hard to imagine the first leg of Ross County’s do or die playoff game going any worse than it did. They were behind within ten minutes. Teenage defender Dylan Smith committed a foolish foul and was sent off the field (forcing the Stags to play down a man when they needed to score–and putting Smith on the bench for the return leg). Partick’s second goal was utterly predictable and the Stags left a lot for themselves to do on Sunday. (TO BE CONTINUED)
Grenoble 0 – 2 Guingamp (M)
The men of Grenoble wrapped up their season with a pretty disinterested showing at home. The defensive corps rested, Brice Mableu let in an own goal, and Amine Sbai missed a penalty.
Rosenborg BK 2 – 0 Brann (F)
It took a while for Rosenborg to find their footing in the game. But once they did they jumped in head first (sorry, that’s my overly complicated metaphor for the week). Within one minute Emilie Joramo and Synne Hansen both scored to turn the tide decisively toward Trondheim’s favorite daughters.
Barcelona SC 1 – 3 Emelec (M)
As maddeningly flat as Emelec has been this year, they do have a habit of turning up when the moment requires it. Rarely has that been more true than last weekend in the passionate feud with fellow Guayquil side Barcelona, where Emelec ran the show for most of the first sixty minutes, including a stellar penalty stop by Pedro Ortiz. But when Barcelona got a goal, Emelec came right back. Miller Bolanos converted two penalties (albeit one on a rebound) and Samuel Sosa’s stoppage time dagger to steal a win.
Minnesota United 1 – 1 Toronto FC (M)
The Loons also left it late to make their comeback against Toronto FC. With the team relying on substitute Kervin Arriaga’s blast in the 89th minute to get a point from their match, there have to be sincere hopes that the first game time for Emanuel Reynoso this year will start setting up more of an attack for the Loons…goodness knows they need it.
King Faisal 3 – 1 Legon Cities
After arguably their most high profile victory in the club’s history (finally besting Hearts of Oak), the Royals were outmanuevered and totally deflated against an on-life-support King Faisal. Ebenezer Armagah’s consolation goal won’t mean a lot if the team is relegated next weekend.
Rosenborg 4 – 0 HamKam (M)
A lackluster season for Rosenborg looks a lot better now (4-0 victories tend to have that effect). The Trolls looked great with Olaus Jair Skansen getting two goals, Erlend Dahl Reitan looking the best we’ve seen in his new midfield role with two assists, and Canadian youngster Jayden Nelson getting a goal and an assist. Now we just cross our fingers and hope this wasn’t all the offense they can muster for the month of June.
Rochester FC 0 – 1 Minnesota Aurora (F)
Several line-up shifts for Aurora resulted in an unusually low-scoring outing for them as guests as Rochester held them to just one goal. But it came from Iron-Woman Tianna Harris who has two goals, and has played every minute in defense for the still unbeaten (and unscored-on) Aurora.
Ross County 3 – 1 Partick Thistle (Premiership Playoff)
I do not recommend watching the most vital game of a team’s season in the boiling heat and oppressive crowds that flocked our neighborhood party (Grand Ol’ Day). With Thistle in front and an away goal advantage at half-time I was feeling totally doomed. And then we saw the most remarkable thing…
A suitably miraculous depiction of County’s game (from the Economist)
County came back…all the way back. Back enough to tie the game and send it to penalty kicks (as, apparently the away goal rule was conveniently chucked just in time for County’s moment of need). Yan Dandha got the first, Simon Murray the second and George Harmon’s miracle in stoppage time saved the season. But not my stress levels.
After stoppage time clangers and cringes, it went to Penalty Kicks, and though County had an early advantage, the game went through seven rounds (including goals for Dandha, Murray and Harmon) before Ross Laidlaw stopped his second pk of the shoot out and Josh Sims converted his to win the day.
LSK Kvinner 1 – 2 Rosenborg (F)
Somewhere your great-great-grandma Synne might be wondering why we’re shouting her name with such glee, but when Synne Hansen (no relation to our family…I think) scores twice more to get a win over arguably the greatest rival Rosenborg has in the Toppserien, well, Bra, Synne! Bra!!
Emelec 1 – 1 Guarani (M-Confederation Cup)
It was not ideal to drop points at home, but Emelec still had a fine showing against the Paraguayan side. Diego Garcia made a great slashing shot from outside the box to open the scoring, but the defense was caught out by a cleverly quick free kick. (Pedro Ortiz can’t beat them all)
Minnesota Aurora 6 – 1 Chicago Dutch Lions (F)
The Aurora remain unbeaten, but finally conceded a goal this season. Hannah Adler picked up the team’s second hat trick of the season, and Mariah Nguyen picked up a brace with some great footwork.
News & Notes
“STOPPING GOALS!”
Alex, in better shape than me
I got to watch Alex playing “competitive” soccer for the first time (note that in this case, “competitive” means wildly chaotic and unconventional mob ball with frequent water breaks.) He got transferred part way through the game when his first team was far ahead (they also had 5 players to the other side’s three), but Alex took it in stride and made it his mission to get between any shot and goal, he seemed to love running down the field to do exactly that. Afterwards, even though he had also given a beautiful run for the losing side’s only goal, he said he really liked stopping goals.
I can relate, as this week saw my return to the competitive pitch for the first time since I was seven. Playing against my students (25 years younger than me) I was grateful to get in the way and stop one student…just don’t ask me to head anything…another chance, another whiff.
Der Umzug
Just as I can set my calendar by the return and departure of Canadian Geese in their beautiful flying V, I can reliably expect that after the season wraps, Freiburg will have to say sincere farewells to talented players who are being picked up by more prestigious (and wealthier) clubs. This year is no different. Already in the week since the team played, goalie Mark Flekken is bound for Brentford in the Premier League where he seems likely to join Kevin Schade (already on the cusp of making his loan permanent
Ross County seems to have opted for a less is more approach with lots of blue and a little white striping though I appreciate that they did it in Gaelic. Meanwhile, I appreciate the stylish risk that Grenoble has adopted, any thing Mountainy is right up my alley.
Bet Pawa Update
Finally we have some clarity in Ghana’s Bet Pawa league as we head into the final match.
The title will either go to Medeama SC or Bechem United (if Bechem beats third place Aduana and Medeama loses a shocker to Tamale City).
But Tamale has some serious motivation of their own as they are one of seven teams facing relegation. They have the goal difference advantage (for now) but lopsided results could let both Great Olympics and King Faisal pass them up. Meanwhile, Legon faces Smartex knowing that a win will see them safely through. (Especially as they have a better goal difference than the three teams above them in the escape from doom: Accra Lions, Karela United, and Hearts of Oak–all of whom also are deseprate for a win). But a loss and Both Olympics and Tamale could pass them by.
Player of the Week
Laidlaw Rules (The Scotsman)
Unlike last week there are a great many candidates to choose from. Hanna Adler’s hat-trick, Synne Hansen’s offensive jolt, Tianna Harris’ tremendous defense, Erlend Reitan and Jadyn Nelson’s combination play, Pedro Ortiz’s saves. But we’ll go with someone who had a great game and made a crucial contribution to the context of the match: Ross Laidlaw, whose two Penalty saves rescued Ross County when they needed it most.
Standing
Well, our teams came back with aplomb, and we got to see Aurora’s continued strength pushing them closer to that 2.00 Points Per Game mark that should confirm a strong challenge to Punjab’s leadership. Rosenborg isn’t far behind, despite some frequent scuffles a few rounds with the same kind of offense could make this year’s race for the cup quite compelling. Meanwhile Grenoble and County hit the end of their seasons in some solid but not superlative settings.
Kotoko might be one of Ghana’s true giants, but Legon always seems up to the challenge. Alex Aso got the equalizer to keep Legon looking tough
Arna-Bjornar 0 – 1 Rosenborg (F)
The Trolljenta got another win but it took a late winner from Emilie Nautnes to snatch the points.
Freiburg 1 – 1 Hertha BSC (M)
The boys of Breisgau haven’t lost domestically in almost two months, but that’s come with a lot of disappointing draws, including this one to relegation battlers Hertha after Vincenzo Grifo got the lead
Vozdovac 0 – 1 Javor
The dragons dropped another home match. I’m not sure what would help make home cooking work for them but they have a long way to go to catch up with the top four sides in Serbia.
Grenoble 2 – 1 Armiens (M)
Jessy Bennet slotted home a first half penalty and nearly scored a very cheeky chip shot. Abdoulie Sanyang got the second half winner, but attention should also be paid to 22 year old Mathys Tourraine who has quickly become a vital cog in both defense and attack for Les Alpiners.
Delfin 3 – 2 Emelec (M)
It was a testy match in Ecuador with three spot kicks given (and all of them converted). Miller Bolaños left room for someone else (Alejandro Cabeza) to score, but he also left the match early due to an injury, which isn’t what you’d hope to see for the clear talisman of the team. Defender Fernando Leon drew a second yellow card to leave the team a man short and ultimately leaven enough room room for Delfín to keep threatening and finally snatch a late winner.
St. Louis City 0 – 1 Minnesota (M)
Both teams came into the match undefeated, but only the visitors left that way. St. Louis had control for most of the match, but when the Loons threatened, they made the most of it. Luis Amarilla smashed in the winning penalty after bottling some strong opportunities. The reinvigorated back line, especially the eternally present Michael Boxall stood tall to stop St Louis from equalizing.
Ross County 0 – 2 Celtic
Within regular time County earned a draw. But soccer also includes extra time, and that’s where Celtic scored.
Freiburg 0 – 1 Turbine Potsdam (F)
Potsdam handed the Frauen their fifth straight loss…this one turning on Meret Witje’s own goal. Ugh.
Grenoble Foot 1 – 0 Thonon Evian (F)
Good news for Freiburg the ladies of the Alps broke their own five game skid with a vital win, and one against one of the best teams in France’s second division. Goalkeeper Bolkach had an excellent game defending against Thonon’s potent attack and in a last minute counter attack Claudia Fabre picked out newcomer Florsie Joseph and Grenoble got a tremendous winner. So hey, Freiburg, there’s hope!
Bibiana Gold Stars 3 – 2 Legon Cities FC
A wild first half saw the Gold Stars take the lead, after Ebenezer Armegah and Eric Bonsu briefly gave Legon the edge. and despite their best efforts (and a reversed goal), the Royals lost and dropped firmly into the relegation zone
Bayern Munich 1 – 2 Freiburg (M-Cup)
Few teams are as dominant as Bayern Munich are in Germany, but for the third straight year Freiburg has either matched or outperformed them in the Cup.
Nicholas Hofler connected with as beautiful a goal as you will ever see to balance the books. The defensive line (especially Ginter, Gunter, and Gulde) stymied an insistent Bayern attack until they forced Bayern into more mistakes, this time with a series of fouls that allowed Lucas Holer to win it on a hand ball Penalty Kick in extra time.
To celebrate, Freiburg got to face Munich again on the weekend and will face Liepzig, the team that beat them in last year’s final, in the semi’s
Partizan Belgrade 1 – 0 Vozdovac
Partisan can be a brutal opponent. So much so that in the last 7 matches they won by an average of 3-0. So the red dragons only losing by 1 is a high water mark not seen since March of 2020.
Danubio 2 – 0 Emelec (M-South American Cup)
Danubia hasn’t been great shakes in their local Uruguayan league this year. But they had no trouble containing or attacking Emelec. The best news, Uruguayan native midfielder — had one of his best games yet for Los Bombillos.
Alebrijes 1 – 0 Cancun FC
Armando Gonzalez got an early goal off a rebound from Ernesto Reyes’ blast of a free kick. Even though Oaxaca earned 4 yellow cards in 12 minutes, and were unable to make good on several one-on-one opportunities, they withstood the pressure of Cancun.
Freiburg 0 – 1 Bayern Munich (M)
Munich got their win back in the domestic league, capitalizing on the early departure of Manuel Gulde to bedevil the back line and batter the Freiburg net to the tune of 3.5 expected goals. In that light, even losing by one is a bit of an accomplishment for Freiburg. (Not one they’re going to put in their hall of fame, but something at least)
St. Johnstone 0 – 2 Ross County
The Staggies returned to action and got a win for the first time since February! Jordan White made a major nusiance of himself and set up Simon Murray (who came on for the injured Eamonn Brophy) for the first goal on an absolute banger. Then rarely used midfielder David Cancola made the most of his moment getting one of his own on a scrambled ball into the box.
Kerala Blasters 3 – 1 Punjab FC (Cup)
Punjab’s first effort against a Super League side left a little something to be desired. Kerala was able to control the match despite Punjab rolling out a broader midfield than usual, which did slow down Kerala for the first half, until a penalty gave the Blasters the lead. A half time swap of midfielder Maheson Singh for attacker Krishnananda Khundongbam paid off with Punjab’s goal, but the more expanded midfield was easier for Kerala to get past (leading to two more goals and the win)
Laval 0 – 1 Grenoble (M)
Mathais Phaeton got the early goal thanks to a scintillating through ball from (who else) Jessy Bennet and Brice Mableu was able to shut down Laval for the rest of the match to seal a win.
Chicago Fire 2 – 1 Minnesota United
Kei Kamara took two early goals for Chicago, and by the time your mom and I tuned in after you were tucked in at last, we were at the desperate crosses situation for the Loons. Kervin Arriaga got one, but despite many fine chances and amazing efforts, Bongokhule Hlongwane couldn’t score the vital equalizer.
Aucus 2 – 1 Emelec (M)
Emelec’s struggles continued with another loss, bouyed only by Jose Cevallos’ injury time consolation goal. The team that lives by Miller Bolanos, also dies by Miller Bolanos (at least when Miller Bolanos is out of the match with an injury, but even then we will still write Miller Bolanos’ name so many times that we summon him to Minnesota).
Rosenborg 1 – 0 Viking (M)
Rosenborg started their campaign with a revenge win against the team that knocked them out of the cup (kind of like the reverse Freiburg experience). Ulrik Jennssen was a pest in defense, and Adrian Pereira celebrated his first start since August of last year with the winning goal off of a half volley in the middle of nothing.
Danilo Teodorovic scored first, but Topola came back with a vengeance. We would be upset, but any team that breaks up the Partizan/Red Star duopoly is okay in our books.
Punjab FC 0 – 2 Bengaluru FC (Cup)
Again Punjab set up in a defensive posture which…again worked for the first half, and then, when they got a little more aggressive in the second half, Bengaluru capitalized and took the lead. Huidrom Singh’s second yellow card didn’t help matters and let Bengaluru seal the win.
News & Notes
Jonah Attuquaye off to Latvia
We’ve made no mistake about it, Jonah Attuquaye is one of our all time favorite players during this project. He almost single handedly lifted up the Royals from their lowest ebbs and kept them consistently fresh when they desperately needed to be. But, all things must come to an end, and a player of Jonah’s caliber deserves a fresh challenge and opportunity. Last month (far below the radar of all the news I was following) he got that opportunity with a move to FK Auda in Latvia (which my former students say is lovely).
I truly hope he excels in Europe and maybe, in a season or so, there’s room for him in Rosenborg or Ross County.
Indian Super Cup Starts…and Ends
It was a pretty brief break for Round Glass Punjab as they spent a month celebrating their championship in the I-League, but the Super Cup provides them with a chance to prove themselves before the Super League starts next fall. They did draw a dangerous group, featuring two ISL playoff teams (Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC) and a fierce I-League rival (Sreenidi Deccan…you know…the team they were fighting for the trophy for months). We love a new competition, and we love Punjab, but the results from the first week of action made the next steps moot as the two losses show they are already eliminated…(Chenchyo Geltsyen’s absence was palpable.)
Spring Break! woo.
I love you boys. I love your mom and her family. I love travel.
This was hard.
We spent 6 days in Los Angeles, where the weather was lovely and I felt completely exhausted regardless. You guys had great fun seeing all the science and sunshine that LA could offer and playing happily with your Auntie, random kids at a scenic playground and a variety of newly adopted stuffies and Dino toys. You also did not understand time differences and insisted on waking me up at 4:30, and only going to bed at 8:30 PM…though the easy access to massive cakes and jelly beans may not have helped things.
Travelling with you is a privilege…it’s also a big responsibility. But you’re so darned cute.
BootRoom Book Review
From Madani’s Best Game by Fran Pintadara illustrated by Raquel Catalina
To save room in my backpack (and also because I’m forgetful), we didn’t bring bed time books along with us on this trip. So we turned to the thing that all humans turn to for answers these days: a smart phone. Soon enough, the St Paul library gave us access to several nice books including one appropriate for this blog Madani’s Best Game
The story of a star player in an anonymous neighborhood was a fine bit of soccer lore. It had clear pictures of the action, a great sense of the role of a team, and an appropriate level of drama building up to the final match.
But really the story was less about soccer, and more about a kid’s love for his mother. Much as you guys like a soccer story, you love to love your mom.
Players of the Weeks
Jessy Bennet must be acknowledged. The midfielder has managed to pilot les bleus to certainty and security in the second league, which has been in short supply since his departure after 2021.
Also worth noting is Ernesto Reyes, whose leadership and defense has continued to help Oaxaca out of their traditional funks.
Standings
The Super Cup did a real number on Punjab’s position atop the table. It can happen when you get twice as many defeats in one span as you had in the past three months. As a result, Rosenborg, returned to the top spot this year as both the men and women are undefeated in the league so far this young season. (The one loss was in the cup.) Meanwhile, the difficulty in getting decisive results has taken its toll on Freiburg and Vozdovac.
The Dragons staged an impressive comeback thanks in part to a great goal from youngster Mihajlo Neskovic who netted after a perfectly placed headed pass from Borisav Burmaz.
Alebrijes 4 – 0 Correcaminos
Oaxaca found their scoring shoes at last! A full 40% of their goals this term came from the second 45 minutes of play, their best showing since the first half against Dorados a little under a month ago. The best of the bunch was probably Ernesto Reyes’ volley smash, but that might leave out the sensational play of Cristian Canozales who notched the first goal and two assists on absurd little fakes that seemed to break ankles and hearts in equal measure. (We’ll post Reyes’ goal below, but enjoy Canozales’ celebration as well)
Grenoble 0 – 0 Le Havre (M)
Ordinarily I make a “and that happened” joke, but this was a pretty fraught nil-nil. Le Havre tops Ligue 2 and hadn’t lost since August. But they couldn’t get past Brice Maubleu even on a penalty chance.
Dallas 0 – 1 Minnesota United
Coming into this season there was plenty of talk about how the Loons were so dependent on Emmanuel Reynoso that the Argentine’s absence would be the death knell of any Minnesota opportunities. Enter: Mender Garcia. The Colombian rampaged around Dallas’ area, providing a trap that set up one blast and hitting the rebound even harder. He might have had a second if not for a late tackle that truly looked dangerous to me. Add in Kervin Arriaga’s free kick blasts and the Loons were showing strong shots even without their talisman.
Ross County 4 – 0 Dundee United
Eamonn Brophy hasn’t exactly set Dingwall alight since he arrived on a loan in January, but this might have changed that, as two goals, an assist, and some absolute blasted attempts made the Stags look better than they have in ages over fellow relegation battlers Dundee United.
Punjab FC 8 – 0 Sudeva FC
Not to be out done, Punjab FC utterly smoked lowly Sudeva FC featuring a Juan Mera hat trick and five other goals to boost their point total and their goal difference.
Grenoble Foot 0 -2 Nice (F)
It might have been a bit of a hangover for Nicholas Delpine and his Haitian contingent coming back to a hard grinding league match after clinching World Cup qualification.
Freiburg 1 – 1 Bayern Leverkusen (M)
The Griffins always seem to struggle against Leverkusen, and with Vincenzo Grifo’s early goal to back them, they were quite happy to hunker down and soak up the pressure. Still, Bayern worked their way back into the match and split the points.
Volta Rangers 1 – 2 Legon Cities FC (CUP)
The Royals took the early lead thanks to Adu Medier, but sloppy defending gave Volta a life line in the second half. As is the way when tournament games end in a tie, they turned to Penalty Kicks and Legon got the results they needed to advance on to the next round.
Emelec 2 – 0 Libertad (M)
Miller Bolanos returned to Emelec and swiftly notched his first assist and his first goal for Los Bombillos since February 2016 (he had gotten 42 goals across Brazil, Mexico, and China in the interim.) The cheeky heel flick and the confident goal in stride made it clear, we’re going to like this going forward.
Lyon 2 – 1 Grenoble (M-Cup)
Les Grenobloises had an uphill climb to knock out the Lions of Lyon including a number of world class players. Matthais Phaeton and Jessy Benet didn’t look intimidated, but they also didn’t run the back line, and Lyon capitalized with two first half goals that led to a rare goalkeeping substitution in the second half for Grenoble. A consolation goal for Amine Sbai gave Grenoble a small lifeline, but even biased folks like me have to acknowledge the better team won.
FK Radnik Surdulica 2 – 0 FK Vozdovac
Borisav Burmaz’s second half red card turned the tide and gave Radnik the advantage it needed to push up and get not just one, but two goals to tame the dragons.
Carl Zeiss Jena FC 0 – 4 SC Freiburg (F-Cup)
The Frauen brought their A game to Jena and spread the wealth around ensuring that three different scorers (and one very ugly own goal) notched some credit in the Quarter final victory. The team’s incisive passing and clear communication gave them a big advantage on the unsteady and unsafe hands of Jena’s defense.
Punjab FC 3 – 1 Churchill Brothers
The Warriors rolled through the toughest match remaining on their schedule. Again the dynamic attack of Macjen, Mera, and Gyeltshen was formidable. Each one netted a goal, and the win vaulted Punjab even farther up the standings.
Legon Cities 1 – 1 Tamale United
Kofi Kordzi continues to have the best form of anyone on the Royals roster, but after years with with one of the best defenses in Ghana, Legon’s suspect back line has let them down. There’s nothing wrong with getting a point in a match, but it’s also disappointing after what they wanted to get.
News & Notes
Soccer Shots Shoot-out
For the first time MacKenzie boys took the field for the first time. Okay, the field was a gym and, by Owen’s account, Alex played and he hung out on the sideline dancing around. But still! You had fun, and that alone is celebration!
Immediately after that we got bombarded with snow and over the ensuing 5 day mini-vacation you discovered lots of other ways to play together, in particular fighting mummies (me) and throwing snowballs (at me). I’m awfully proud.
I-League Update
The biggest shift in the I-League didn’t come in a Punjab match. Instead, Deccan’s loss to Mohamadan SC in an absolute wild match, created a vital opening that Punjab promptly capitalized on. The monstrous 8-0 completely erased the goal difference deficit and put them firmly in the driver seat. As if that wasn’t enough, Deccan dropped more points by only getting a draw against 10 man Aizawl FC, and another win puts Punjab up by 5 points with two matches to play.
A win against Rajasthan, and Punjab can be sure of taking home this year’s trophy…set your alarms!
Electric Loons!
Emelec and Minnesota both kicked off this week, giving us 9 of the 11 teams in action. Both teams are in an unusual position to start the year. Emelec, having spent last season outside of the top tier of challengers, they have brought in a host of veterans to bolster their claim to the crown. Meanwhile Minnesota, operating without Emmanuel Reynoso, will need to try to find a way to win without having one man run the show.
Player of the Week
Jiminy Christmas! When it rains it absolutely pours great performances. Cristian Canozales, Kervin Arriaga, Eomon Brophy. But the huge week for Punjab puts them in the pole position for the award, and while I’d like to give it to Kiran Limbu’s dominance in goal, you can’t ignore the fact that Juan Mera scored as many goals ON HIS OWN, as every other team in our competition scored TOGETHER. So, Juan Mera, take a bow, and a plethora of points!
Standings
The early going of the season can often flatter folks. Emelec and Minnesota shouldn’t get too fond of their top of the table position, just ask Vozdovac who went from the top to the bottom in a few short weeks. After all, Punjab is clearly determined to top their own league, and maybe ours too.
MacKenzie's Boot Room 