Tag: Michael Otou

Weeks 28 & 29: Uff Da

Weeks 28 & 29: Uff Da

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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

Recap

Stranrear 1 – 5 Ross County (Cup)

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

Minnesota United 1 – 1 LAFC (M)

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

Rosenborg 2 – 1 Tromso (M)

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

Emelec 0 – 0 Sporting Cristal (M-Copa)

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

Ross County 2 – 1 Greenock Morton (Cup)

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

Stromsgodset 0 – 1 Rosenborg (M)

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

https://youtu.be/asS9cYIF2Tk

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

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

FC Edinburgh 1 – 3 Ross County (Cup)

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

News & Notes

Weekly Kids Highlights

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

Women’s World Cup-Date

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

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

Big Changes

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

Players of the Week

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

Standings

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

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

What’s Next

Thursday, July 27th

Crusaders v. Rosenborg (M–Europa Conference)

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

Friday, July 28th

Saturday, July 29th

Ross County v. Kelty Hearts (M-Cup)

Sunday, July 30th

Rosenborg v. Odd (M)

Monday, July 31st

Alebrijes v. Tapatio

Tuesday, August 1st

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

Wednesday, August 2nd

Week 24: The Quiet Season

Week 24: The Quiet Season

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recap

Rosenborg BK 4 – 0 Arna-Bjornar (F)

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.

Standing

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.

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Punjab–b12232.242.290.94
Minnesota14571.812.081.15
Rosenborg14691.661.690.90
Legon Cities–b9781.421.251.29
Grenoble–b156171.341.161.13
Emelec5861.211.161.11
Freiburg–b127191.131.241.66
Alebrijes–b5581.111.331.39
Ross County–b64121.001.231.50
Vozdovac–b43110.830.671.65
Montana–b000———
Table Updated 6/14/22
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Thursday, June 15th

Friday, June 16th

Saturday, June 17th

Minnesota Aurora v. Bavarian United (F)

Sunday, June 18th

Lyn Football v. Rosenborg (F)

Deportiva Cuenca v. Emelec

Monday, June 19th

Tuesday, June 20th

Wednesday, June 21st

Arna Bjornar v. Rosenborg (F)

RKC Soccer Club v. Minnesota (F)

Weeks 17: The Word of the Week is Cheeky

Weeks 17: The Word of the Week is Cheeky

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recaps

Emelec 1 – 0 Huracan (M-South American Cup)

Los Bombillos won! And they did it without Miller Bolanos doing everything!! And it was in a continental competition!!! Cain Jair Fara delivered a perfectly timed and placed header to show that Emelec’s reinforced defense is just as valuable as their internationally experienced striker.

Vozdovac 2 – 1 FK Radnicki

The Dragons flew back in fine form (which is especially welcome after their rocky start to the 2023 year). Bogdan Jocic had himself a game with a supremely cheeky back heel for Vozdovac’s first big chance and then a blistering shot from distance to record the first goal. Vozdovac kept the pressure up consistently to handle the match with ease.

Bayern Munchen 8 – 2 SC Freiburg (F)

This uh…this was not good…

Hearts 6 – 1 Ross County

This was also rough…I mean…oooh boy…

Rosenborg BK 0 – 1 LSK Kvinner (F)

It may not be a massive rivalry to the minds of many, but I always look at these games between Rosenborg and Lillestrom’s finest as a top tier show down in the Toppserien. The win is particularly big given that it ended Rosenborg’s winning streak and opened the door for Valerenga to jump up into first place.

Seattle Sounders 0 – 1 Minnesota (M)

It’s never easy to go into Seattle and get points from one of the most prestigious teams on the West coast. The Loons have gotten one win and one draw out of the twelve matches the two teams have held. This match was much like the others, Minnesota couldn’t seem to get things going and spent most of the match playing defense….almost successfully.

Karela United 0 – 2 Legon Cities

Michael Otou continues to be in some pretty spectacular form, with another goal ripped from an impressive distance. Kofi Kordzi put together a fabulous run to make another goal possible for Alex Aso. And Legon got a much needed win in the Royal derby

Freiburg 4 – 0 Schalke 04 (M)

I came home to do some frantic cleaning during your Sunday school, and for my time I got the reward of a big Freiburg win with Michael Gregositch being in the perfect place at the perfect time for his second goal. An excellent touch from Ritsu Doan setting up Lucas Holer and a very nice play by my new favorite name: Merlin Rohl (who at 20 years old, could have been my student when Alex was born…he wasn’t, obviously, but…oooh boy…feeling old.)

Rosenborg 1 – 1 Sandefjord (M)

While the women struggled, Rosenborg’s men rose to the occasion with a tremendously timed Carlo Holse goal that seemed to defy physics as it squirted through legs and arms and every part of the defense before hitting the net deep into injury time. (Kudos to another cheeky assist, this one from Canadian Jayden Nelson)

Musuc Runa 0 – 0 Emelec (M)

A goalless draw is hardly note worthy, but hey, Emelec extended their not losing streak!!

Grenoble Foot 4 – 0 Clermont Foot (F)

Apparently when it rains it pours for Grenoble! They grabbed their third straight win after seven winless rounds to start 2023. Could things be peaking just in time for the World Cup? (Florsie Joseph’s two goals certainly give us hope!)

Bordeaux 3 – 0 Grenoble (M)

Bordeaux does seem to be well on track for promotion, while Grenoble has settled in neatly into the middle of the table, and in that way this was absolutely unsurprising.

Detroit City FC 1 – 3 Minnesota United (M-Cup)

Detroit City got out to a great start and held the lead at half-time, but Minnesota came roaring back with both Luis Amarilla and recent debutant Emmanuel Iwe smashing it (the second off of a–you guessed it–cheeky assist from Franco Frangapane), and moving the team through to the fourth round of the US Open Cup.

Legon Cities 2 – 0 Accra Lions

The Royals are so hot right now, it’s basically like trying to drink Nkatekwan fresh off the boil. This time it was Kofi Kordzi and Ebenezer Armegah who got the big goals, and their three game winning streak couldn’t have come at a better time, boosting them up to tenth in the league. Though with only five points between them and the relegation spots, there’s no time to rest.

Novi Pazar 0 – 1 FK Vozdovac

Borisav Burmaz has been arguably the most integral and decisive attacker in recent Vozdovac history. Perhaps never more so than getting the stoppage time goal to give them a big win over Novi Pazar. At the same time, quietly consistent keeper Andrija Katic’s excellent defense continued to keep Vozdovac in matches that they might otherwise capitulate in.

Raya2Expansion 2 – 0 Alebrijes

And just like that Alebrijes’ season is over. (I know it surprised me too) After their single round against the other teams int he Liga de Expansion Clausura they got their playoff game against Raya2 last night, and…it was over before it really got going. Raya2 scored twice in the first half and there was not much of a path back after that. Ah well, we can always look forward to the new wild uniforms the Oaxacans debut when the 2023 Apertura opens in the summer. (Man, Mexico, I need more clarity on the beginning and end of your seasons….)

News & Notes

Vozdovac takes the top of the split

They may get to the second tier before you.

The Dragons are back in action this week, and they’re taking flight among the top tier of the Serbian league, including the Belgrade duopoly (and surprising interlopes: Cukarici, and Backa Topola). Realistically Vozdovac are 18 points out from qualifying for European action, so they’re while they get to play against the best local competition, it’s pretty clear where they’re going to land.

Ross County takes the low road

The Staggies on the other hand will have nothing but meaningful games from here on out. There’s just five games between them and a demotion to the second tier of Scottish Soccer. They’ll have to make up four points on their nearest rivals to get out of trouble with the final match of the year against fellow battlers Kilmarnock looming especially large. They only have two home matches, but given that they’ve been a better than other teams on the road this year, maybe that’s a good thing? Or maybe I’m desperate.

We Missed One

Ghana Soccernet for the Win

In the rush of trying to track games across the league we admittedly missed one: Legon Cities loss to Bibiani Gold Stars in the Ghanaian Cup. (You know this wouldn’t happen if it was easier to follow cups than leagues…looks pointedly at federations without sponsorships that raise the profile…)

Player of the Week

There were plenty of cheeky moments throughout this week, young players finding clever ways to tap the ball here and there and everywhere. But we can’t help but give the recognition to a man who has both scored, and defended like a champion while boosting his team to a strong showing of late: Legon’s Defensive Midfielder Michael Otou, c’mon down you’re the player of the week

Standings

There’s a new team at the top, a new team at the bottom, and two new teams on their breaks.

Rosenborg’s less than perfect week slipped them down a notch so Punjab could move back into our local league lead. Emelec made a big move (which is just proof that winning three helps, losing three hurts, and getting a mix of results has a mix of results). Alebrijes’ loss wrapped up their part of this season with an unconvincing showing, while Vozdovac’s pair of wins vaulted them out of the bottom position…and let Ross County fall there.

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Punjab–b12232.242.290.94
Rosenborg5221.891.220.44
Minnesota4231.561.221.00
Emelec4141.441.111.11
Grenoble124131.381.071.21
Legon Cities6751.381.170.94
Freiburg105121.301.261.74
Alebrijes–b5581.111.331.39
Vozdovac4271.080.771.62
Ross County3390.801.001.47
Montana–b000———
Table Updated 4/27/22
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Thursday, April 27th

Friday, April 28th

Emelec v. Independente del Valle (M)

Saturday, April 29th

Koln v. Freiburg (M)

Rosenborg BK v. Lyn Football (F)

Grenoble v. Niort (M)

Vojvodina v. Vozdovac

Sunday, April 30th (Grandma Bekka’s Birthday!)

Dreams FC v. Legon Cities

Odd v Rosenborg (M)

Minnesota v. Dallas (M)

Monday, May 1st

Tuesday, May 2nd

Avaldsnes v. Rosenborg BK (W)

Freiburg v. RB Leipzig (M-Cup)

Wednesday, May 3rd

Rosenborg v. Brann (M)

Guarani v. Emelec (M-South American Cup)

Weeks 16: Long Road to a Dad Joke

Weeks 16: Long Road to a Dad Joke

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recaps

Atletico Morelia 2 – 1 Alebrijes

Alebrijes’ up and down form continued as, Julio Cruz made an impact within 2 minutes of coming on in the second half, but couldn’t get the win.

Ross County 0 – 1 Aberdeen

It’s been rough going for County this year, but that shouldn’t fall on the defense. Alex Iacovitti, Jack Baldwin and Keith Watson have created the strongest back line outside of Glasgow (and the dominant Old Firm). But their attack has been worse than everyone except Kilmarnock). They are 20 goals off of their total last year (and clearly miss Charles Regan Cook)

RB Leipzig 0 – 1 SC Freiburg (F-Cup)

It’s another Cup final for Freiburg, this one coming thanks to a victory over corporate rival RB Leipzig. It was a tense affair going all the way to the sixth minute of stoppage time, when Hasret Kayici (who else) got on the right end of a great volley to net the winner that sends die Frauen to the finals.

Rosenborg BK 1 – 0 Roa (F)

Emilie Joramo scored early for win. That should complete the defensive midfielder’s allotment for the year, but when it nets three points it was clearly well timed.

Minnesota 1 – 2 Orlando (M)

The Loons couldn’t seem to convert on their opportunities, but had great chances. On a normal day Bongokhule Hlongwane’s wild man unleashed style shoulda woulda given the Loons 2 goals. But news is rarely about what coulda happened, and as Orlando actually did get the goals that’s all that counts.

Punjab FC 1 – 0 Sreenidi Deccan (Cup)

Punjab finally got some points in the cup, came against their fellow I-Leaguers, and unfortunately after they were eliminated. It is some consolation for Punjab to get a win in the Super Cup, even if it leaves them finishing bottom of their group, it came against their old rivals in Delhi. If we learned anything from this tournament, it’s that the Warriors have some work to do before the ISL campaign starts up in the fall. (I’m still not sure if coach Staikos Vergetis’ more defensive plan is the way to go to limit opponents, or if the best defense is a good offense)

Werder Bremen 1 – 2 Freiburg (M)

Bremen looked best during the first half but Lucas Holer and Roland Sallai were a great combo returning the benefits to one another to get the win.

Legon Cities 2 – 0 Kotoku Royals

Michael Otou’s brace against bottom of the table Royals was very valuable. (Teams 13-17 are all tied at 31 point, two of the five will be relegated…hopefully not our Royals)

Molde 1 – 1 Rosenborg (M)

Rosenborg’s best period of pressure led to an own goal and the required work for a draw.

Olympique Marseille 1 – 3 Grenoble Foot (F)

A win. On the road. Against a prestige club like Marseille. Wowza, when the ladies of Grenoble come back, they come all the way back! A double for Jade Decilap was instrumental in the result.

Emelec 1 – 2 El Nacional (M)

It remains the Miller Bolanos show in Emelec, as in, why can’t we do anything without Miller Bolanos? The talismanic midfielder’s absence was palpable again, as Los Bombillos had plenty of possession but couldn’t seem to do much with it after Jose Cevallos scored in the early going.

Grenoble 0 – 2 Saint-Etienne (M)

It was a good but not really outstanding effort for Grenoble in the shirt sponsor Derby. But the pictures of the game looked like a lot of fun

Alebrijes 1 – 0 Pumas Tabasco

Julio Caesar Cruz was the man of the night, scoring his sixth of the campaign on what can best be described as a goal by default and keeping Oaxaca in the thick of the mid table tussle.

Asane 0 – 3 Rosenborg (F)

In their second match of the week, the Troll ladies (which is a nickname I will keep using no matter that I’m the only one using it) continued their perfect start to the season. The veterans Cesilie Andreassen and Synne Hansen both scored

News & Notes

Blakstad’s Back in the Ice and Snow

Blog favorite Julie Blakstad‘s time in Manchester has been generally strong. She seems to score at every opportunity, but there are plenty of talents to employ at one of the world’s biggest clubs. So rather than giving her a richly deserved role, Julie has been loaned out to Swedish side BK Häcken. Obviously, we’d have preferred a return to the black and white of Trondheim, but if Julie’s happy, we’re happy.

Player of the Week

With multiple braces we could open an orthodonture clinic (ba-dum CHING!!). But the player who made us smile the most has to be Jade Decilap who has helped Grenoble’s Mesdames get back on track AND boasts far more swag than I do.

Standings

Punjab nearly got back to the top spot on their own skills with their win of Deccan, but if we’ve learned one thing in these last years it’s to NEVER bet against the women of Rosenborg. Meawhile, Emelec’s slide continues, without Miller Bolanos they seeem to be bereft…not unlike my heart

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Rosenborg5112.291.430.29
Punjab12232.242.290.94
Minnesota3221.571.141.00
Grenoble114121.371.001.19
Emelec3041.291.291.43
Freiburg95111.281.121.56
Legon Cities4751.181.061.06
Alebrijes5571.181.411.35
Ross County3380.861.001.14
Vozdovac2270.730.641.82
Montana–b000———
Table Updated 4/12/22
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Thursday, April 20th

Emelec v. Huracan (M-South American Cup)

Friday, April 21st

Karela United v. Legon Cities

Saturday, April 22nd

Bayern Munchen v. SC Freiburg (F)

Hearts v. Ross County

Rosenborg BK v. LSK Kvinner (F)

Seattle Sounders v. Minnesota (M)

Sunday, April 23rd

Freiburg v. Schalke 04 (M)

Legon Cities v. Kotoku Royals

Rosenborg v. Sandefjord (M)

Musuc Runa v Emelec (M)

Grenoble Foot v. Clermont Foot (F)

Monday, April 24th

Bordeaux v. Grenoble (M)

Tuesday, April 25t

Detroit City FC v. Minnesota United (M-Cup)

Wednesday, April 26th

Legon Cities v. Accra Lions

Week 12: Breakthroughs

Week 12: Breakthroughs

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recaps

Freiburg 0 – 2 Juventus (M-European Cup)

There is no joy in Freiburg, a collection of globally elite talents from one of the wealthiest clubs in European history beat them handily. Le sigh. At least we gave them a pretty good showing.

Livingston 2 – 1 Ross County

While County might feel duly frustrated that they had the best chances and came out with the worse result. But their shots were far wilder than Livvie’s and even if you have great chances if you don’t hit them toward goal it doesn’t matter. Keith Watson, Jordan White and Eamonn Brophy could all use some target practice.

Cukariki 3 – 1 Vozdovac

Borisav Burmaz’s early penalty gave some hope for a big road win, but Cukariki came back alive to stymie the Dragon’s fire

Sochaux 1 – 0 Grenoble (M)

Vincent Hognon sent out a mostly second choice side and paid the price as the reserve defenders looked overworked, and the reserve attackers couldn’t break through. They nearly held out for a draw but a late Sochaux goal sealed their fate

Emelec 1 – 0 Tecnico Universitario

They had to wait a week but Emelec got another win. And once again the man in the middle of it all was Miller Bolaños, whose penalty made all the difference.

Colorado 1 – 2 Minnesota (M)

Matches against Colorado always involve a surprising degree of drama, but this one was fun. After falling behind early in the second half, Hassani Dotson’s heads up play won a hand ball penalty that got things level. And Miguel Tapias rose up to deliver a terrific deflected header to snatch a late win!

Freiburg 0 – 1 Hoffenheim (F)

Hoffenheim crashed Freiburg’s big party in the Dreamstadion. It was particularly painful to give up the game on a 90th minute goal when the Frauen’s backline had done so much to keep the game even until then. Samantha Steuerwald, Marie Muller and Lisa Karl were excellent, but couldn’t do enough to leave with an overdue victory.

Mainz 1 – 1 Freiburg (M)

Late goals are becoming something of a problem for Freiburg. This time Ritsu Doan’s opener could well have sealed the victory, especially when five minutes of added time in the second half came. But, in a bonus 6th minute Mainz got their equalizer against an admittedly spent backline of Ginter, Gulde and Kubler, and sent Freiburg home unhappy. (A draw on the road is enough to keep them clicking along near the top of the table, but it’s another round of “what could have been).

Legon Cities 2 – 0 Aduana Stars

Be still my beating heart, the Royals won a game! And not just any game: a game against league leading Aduana Stars!! Micheal Otou got the brace, including a penalty kick, and got Legon their first win in 6 tries (and only their third win this year out of 12 tries–including one cup match)

Mineros 3 – 6 Alebrijes

This was absolutely one of the wildest games of this or any year. You know it’s a crazy time when there are two goals scored before the announcers can even look at the starting line-ups. Cristian Canozales racked up four goals (and might have gotten more if it wasn’t for a missed offside call). Announcers went so far as to call him the Colombian Mbappe and honestly…they don’t seem wrong.

News & Notes

March Madness Corner

A purple upset only you boys saw coming (from NY Times)

During this month there’s a special additional competition that’s impossible to ignore. Even if you only have time to watch one sporting event, you can’t escape March Madness and College Basketball.

Given that your grandpa was a college hoopster (in the 70s…at a tiny Minnesota school) it’s his favorite time of year, and we pass that on to you gladly. This year, in the time honored tradition, each boy (and momma) picked teams to win: Alex favored Tigers and Knights, Owen picked anyone with purple, and Kristina listened to you both. As a result, you are all doing better than the rest of the family.

Cookie, player of the month in our hearts

International Break upcoming

There will be fewer games than usual next week as most leagues take a break for international team matches. Mostly these are far flung friendlies that we’ll check in on if we’re so inclined, but there’s one special match. The US Men will play Grenada and their leader, our old friend, Regan Charles Cook. Cookie has been solid as an occasional starter and frequent sub in Belgium, so we’ll be hoping he can turn some more heads against the regional heavyweights (even if those regional heavyweights represent us).

An Overdue Addition

For a long time I’ve said that I don’t see why Major League Soccer looks only to Europe and South America for their big players. There are, I’ve reasoned, plenty of great players in Africa and Asia who could do just as well as the players from more traditional soccer nations. For proof, consider Bongokhule Hlongwane…and now his potential partner in Minnesota United’s attack South Korean Jeong Sang-Bin. (You may see his name written in another order, but as Koreans prefer to start with their family name, I’m going to respect that and repeat it here). At just 20 years old, he’s an exciting young addition to Minnesota and should offer a much needed goal scorer (knock on all the wood)

Player of the Week

This is another hard one, Michael Otou lifted Legon Cities out of the relegation scene. Cristian Canozales poured in the goals in one of the wildest games of the year. But we’re going to give it to someone who probably could have won recently, and just leave Michael and Cristian in the overdue camp for future awards. Miller Bolaños seems determined to stand above the pack in goal scoring. Luka Macjen and Juan Mera certainly haven’t made it easy for him, but if he continues to contribute all of the goals that Emelec gets, it will get a lot closer a lot faster than any of us anticipated.

Standings

We’re noticing some pretty stark separation here. Pubjab, Minnesota, and Emelec continue to dominate, but the middle of the table lags far, far behind them. Why? We have no earthly idea, so feel free to leave irrational conjectures in the comments area below!

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Punjab–b11212.502.640.79
Minnesota2102,331.330.66
Emelec3012.251.500.75
Freiburg6481.221.331.78
Grenoble74101.190.951.19
Legon Cities3541.170.921.00
Alebrijes3451.081.671.58
Vozdovac2241.000.751.88
Ross County2360.821.091.18
Rosenborg0010.000.001.00
Montana–b000———
Table Updated 3/22/22
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Thursday, March 23rd

Friday, March 24th

Alebrijes de Oaxaca v. Atletico La Paz

Saturday, March 25th

Rosenborg v. Staebek (F)

Minnesota v. Vancouver (M)

Sunday, March 26th

Bayer Leverkusen v. Freiburg (F)

Great Olympics v. Legon Cities

Toulouse FC v. Grenoble Foot (F)

Monday, March 27th

Tuesday, March 28th

Cimmarones v. Alebrijes

Wednesday, March 29th