Tag: Minnesota United

Catching up with the Cup: 2025

Catching up with the Cup: 2025

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Disclosure

Once again, attempts to keep up on these tactical components did not go well. As I work on direct, specific, and simple apologies: I’m sorry.

Moving on!

Here are the final standings for this year’s MacKenzie Cup from 11th to 1st

11th) Legon Cities

An Explanation:

Legon faced one of the most chaotic seasons in the 6 years of this project, and I should try to explain why:

I try not to write much about owners. The wealthy and powerful already get more than enough attention, and, having been a Minnesota Twins fan, I know that obsessing over the whims of multi-millionaires is an exercise in futility.

But, the owner of Legon Cities requires a little attention.

Richard Attipoe bought Wa All-Stars after a title winning campaign and moved them to Legon, connecting them with a bunch of Accra celebrities to capture attention, followers, and ticket sales. Not so much to win matches. After battling against relegation for several years, the Royals finally fell to the second division last spring. In response, Mr. Attipoe went out and bought a newly promoted team (Eleven Wonders) and moved THEM to Legon, giving them the same kit and asking to call them the New Legon Cities (despite the old Legon Cities still playing in the second division).

So, which is Legon Cities? The Premier League Legon Cities (aka 11 Wonders in some new laundry), or the Original Legon Cities (wallowing in the second division)? I asked Legon Cities directly and a facebook fan group…but haven’t heard anything yet…so…I’m going to count both of them as best I can.

Results

Premier League: W 1 – D 3 – L 12; GF: 9/GA: 23

Division 1: W 1 – D 2 – L 10; GF: 11/GA: 29

Total: W 2- D 5 – L 22; GF 20/ GA: 52

Great Players:

Midfielder Matthew Amponseh (who has more goals in half as many minutes as the other strikers on the moribund Royals/Wonders side).

Quick Notes:

After opening their Division 1 campaign with all three points, the Division 1 Royals only have two more from the following 12.

Things are a little better for the Eleven Wonders who have won and drawn within their last five games…but they also haven’t done much of anything else and remain the poorest performers (both in goals for and goals against) and sit well adrift of the rest of the league.

10) Alebrijes de Oaxaca

Results

W 3 – D 4 – L 7 GF: 16/GA: 25

Great Players:

Julio Cesar Cruz (Forward), Sergio Meza (Wing), Hector Mascorro (CM), Fernando Morales (CB)

Quick Notes:

New season…same Alebrijes. The goals are in short supply with Julio Cesar Cruz trying to carry the whole load while Fernando Morales tries to anchor a defense that can’t make up for a lower than average attack. The team benefitted from Hector Mascorro taking a more aggressive role in the defense to stop attacks before they start. But there’s a lot more to do before Alebrijes rejoins the top contenders.

9 )Ross County

Results

W 6 – D 8 – L 11; GF: 36 /GA: 40

Great Players:

Akil Wright (WB), Ronan Hale (ST/W), Trevor Carson (GK),

Quick Notes:

A blugenoning of Edinburgh City wasn’t enough to save a League Cup campaign. (They had been successful in recent years, with a few trips to the knockout stages, but a particularly bitter defeat to highland rival Partick Thistle ended that hope). But the Staggies have done quite well in other cup competitions, handling their business in both the League Cup and the Challenge Cup.

However, things have been far less impressive within the league. Four of the Stags six wins came in cups and tournaments, but only two have come in the league. While the other relegated side (St. Johnstone) looks likely to return to the premier league, County is facing another relegation five points away from the automatic trap door (this after they shoved another manager, Tony Docherty, down their own trap door)

8) Emelec

Results

Masculino: W 10 – D 4 – L 8; GF 29/GA: 28
Feminina: W 0 – D 3 – L 1 ; GF 2 /GA: 3

Total: W 10 – D 7 – L 9; GF 31/GA: 31

Great Players

Romario Caicedo (FB), Pedro Ortiz (GK), Facundo Castelli (ST), Jose Cevallos (CM), Jesus Castillo (FB)

Quick Notes:

A good run of form in July helped the men’s team climb up the table, but what kept them going strong was a new running partner for Romario Caicedo. Jesus Castillo’s ability to advance down the field gave the team a boost in attack, even while they continued to struggle in converting goals. The ultimate outcome put Emelec solidly in the middle of the table.

Throughout the summer, Las Femininas seemed to be getting their feet underneath them in the Superliga. After a rocky beginning, the steady run of draws (while not inspiring) was a good sign and demonstrated how consistently the defense has played. Over the season the women ranked 8th in goals allowed, but 10th in offense and 10th place is where they finished. If they had a league average offense their goal difference would have put them around 6th or 7th. The club stayed afloat, and now has a clear objective going into next season…if only there were some team full of excellent amateur attacking players Emelec could contact (cou*AURORA*gh!)

7) Punjab

An Explanation

Punjab FC did not start their season in September, but no one else did either. It appears that India’s top soccer league is on the brink of collapse thanks to everybody’s favorite reason: corporate conflicts.

An answer everyone who has been in India recognizes as “yes…or no…I don’t really want to say”

In basic summary: the regular league sponsors felt they didn’t get enough return on their ten years of investment, and the football federation didn’t have a backup in place. Without the money, the league couldn’t start and no one could agree on who could foot the bill. A new corporate entity? The Indian Government? The clubs themselves? We’re currently about to enter month four of a freeze on the league, and one club (Odisha FC) has already shuttered their doors for the year. Some have suggested the league can start up again in February playing in a few closely situated stadia…so is that the plan? Will it happen…?

Results

W 3 – D 2 – L 2; GF 9 /GA: 5

Great Players:

Pramveer (D), Ninthoi Meethi (W), Ricky Shambong (MF), Samir Zjelkovic (D)

Quick Notes:

The summer challenge of the Durand Cup was not what the Lions had in mind for their new rebrand (seriously…we’re an orange side…why are we not the Tigers?) A scramble in the late second half helped them scrape a win in extra time over Karbi Anglong Morning Star, and they didn’t score again: tying with the Indo-Tibetan Police team (having lived near that border, I can vouch for it being excellent for altitude training), and then a defeat to Bodoland FC knocked them out. After making the knockouts last year, this was disappointing. But the two goal scorers are each just 18 (including center back Pramveer), so that’s a plus for the youth movement.

Then came the awkward confrontation between tournament organizers, the government, and clubs themselves, and Punjab could only take the field for the Super Cup in November. There they looked much more like the dangerous side they had been in the I-League, with two 3-0 wins in the group stages and a strong defense propelling them through a shootout to the semi-finals.

6) Grenoble

Results

Femmes: W 5 – D 1 – L 6; GF: 14/GA: 16
Hommes: W 5 – D 7 – L 6 GF: 20/GA: 22

Total: W 10 – D 8 – L 12 GF: 34 /GA: 38

Great Players

Hommes: Jessy Benet (MF), Theo Valls (MF), Stone Muzalimoja Mambo (CB), Clement Vidal (CB), Mamadou Diop (GK)
Femmes: Laurine Baga (MF), Candice Charbonnier (MF)

Quick Notes:

The first season in Ligue 2 for the women of Grenoble has seen their steady and reliable performance put them in a reliable position to stay up for another season. No one has been setting the league on fire, but Laurine Baga and Candice Charbonnier have continued their strong leadership.

The men are similarly treading water. Over the past five years, no full-time manager has been able to string together a campaign where they get more than 1.5 points per match (that would be winning a majority of their games). In a quest to shake things up, Franck Rizetto tried talismanic captain Jessy Benet as a center back…but then moved him back to midfield immediately netting 3 chances and an assist…so maybe Jessy isn’t the problem. Since then it has been the traditional defensive showcase for les Alpinerres including possibly my new favorite name in the whole of football: Stone Mambo! (Mr. Muzalimoja if you’re an attacker).

5) Freiburg

Results

Herren: W 12 – D 7- L 5; GF 36 /GA: 30
Frauen: W 8 – D 2 – L 6; GF: 32/GA: 25

Total: W 20 – D -9 – L 11; GF: 68/GA: 55

Great Players

Vincenzo Grifo (MF); Matthias Ginter (D); Noah Atubolu (GK); Johan Manzambi (DM)
Lisa Karl (LB), Luca Emily Birkholz (F), Nia Zenk (RB), Leela Egli (W)

Quick Notes:

The Herren have been busy with three competitions running at once: the ever challenging Bundesliga has thrown up a number of strong teams and they’ve only been able a mid-table performance thus far (with an equal number of wins, draws, losses, and goals for and against). But they continue to charge through the German cup (or Pokal) and look like a major threat in the Europa league. The long standing defensive stalwarts continue to carry the squad along, but Noah Atubolu continues to come into his own and at just 20, young Johan Manzambi is proving extremely versatile around the field.

Die Frauen have had another strong if unremarkable campaign firmly in the second-tier of the women’s league in Germany. Alongside the usual suspects have been a horde of talented young women 22 and under. Luca Birkholz has been great up top, while the wings have been the domain of Nia Zenk and Leela Egli (both of whom play with and off of Lisa Karl perfectly). With just 5 points between 8th place and the Europa League position, there’s a lot still to decide for the Griffins.

4) FK Vozdovac

Results:

W 14 – D 7 – L 5; GF: 41/GA: 15

Great Players:

Lukasin Braunovic (MF); Adonjia Ouanda (RW); Nenad Lukic (CF)

Quick Notes:

Vozdovac has put together their best finish in our MacKenzie Cup competition ever! They set the tone early on with a dominant 7-0 win against FAP, and have continued their upwards trend, sitting in one of the end-of-season championship playoff positions. While Nenad Lukic is in great form as a veteran goal scorer, it’s the young combination of Braunovic and Ouanda who has given the dragons reason to hope of a return to the top flight again.

3) Minnesota

Results:

Loons: W 13 – D 8 – L 10; GF: 43 /GA: 35
Aurora: W 3 – D 0 – L 1 ; GF 5 /GA: 1

Total: W 16 – D 8 – L 11 ; GF: 48/ GA: 36

Great Players:

Tani Oluwaseyi (F); Dayne St. Clair (GK), Robin Lod (MF), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (FB); Anthony Markakis (FB); Carlos Harvey (CB), Adrian Pereya (MF)
Mariah Nguyen (MF) ; Sage Wimes (F)

Quick Notes:

Once again Aurora celebrated an unbeaten regular season, and once again they stormed into the playoffs with sky high expectations. Unfortunately, once again, the winner-take-all mentality of the single-elimination playoffs sent them home before the title could be claimed.

Meanwhile, the vaunted Loons defense came in for some harder times during the summer swoon. Part of that may have had to do with goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair fighting for Canada in the North American Gold Cup, but continued struggles after it derailed a promising League Cup campaign.

The fall saw the team sputter a bit on its way to the playoffs, while it technically had a shot at the top seed until the last three games, it was practically treading water until the final fury against red hot Seattle Sounders (long the Loons bete noir). But two nervy penalty shoot out wins saw the Loons into the second round agains top seeded San Diego, where everything came undone. There’s plenty of bright spots to savor for the team, but there’s a big transition coming as they try to move forward without striker Tani Oluwaseyi (currently seeing time in the Champions’ League), and goal keeper Dayne St. Clair (bound for a partnership with Lionel Messi in Miami (as well as talismans Hasani Dotson and–possibly–Robin Lod).

2) Montana

Results

W 13 – D 6 – L 6 GF: 38/GA: 18

Great Players:

Chloe Seelhoff (MF), Maddie Ditta, Regan Brisendine (MF), Mia Parkhurst, Ashlyn Dvorak (GK)

Quick Notes:

The most dominant team in the MacKenzie Cup competition, and back-to-back winners of the Big Sky/Big Sippy Cup, had an injury plagued season that led to one of their least dominant showings in recent memory. With a mix-matched team, coach Chris Citowicki relied on role players stepping up in big moments and a frenetic home atmosphere during the final playoff push to book the team on another trip to the big dance. The Griz ran into a motivated Washington Huskies side who controlled the flow and put lots of pressure on Ashlyn Dvorak before the Griz broke. It was the first year I didn’t expect a tournament upset for the Griz, but the incredible performance to win the Big Sky crown in front of Montana’s largest ever soccer crowd was worth it!

1) Rosenborg

Results

Menner: W 10 – D 5 – L 9; GF 42 /GA: 13
Kvinner: W 10 – D 2 – L 4; GF 27 /GA: 15

Total: W 20 – D 7 – L 11; GF: 69/ GA: 28

Great Players

Marius Broholm (W), Adrien Periera (LB), Ole Kristiansen Saetnes (CM) Thomas Nemcick (CB); Rebecka Holum (W), Celine Emile Nergard (ST), Oline Brekke Fulgem (CM), Syne Austen (D)

Quick Notes:

The wait for a trophy (beyond the sippy cup) in Trondheim continues.

Once again the women put up a strong showing in the league and the cup (with ANOTHER appearance in the final), but any mis-step is enough to throw the team’s chances for a loop. With a strong creative corps, the big question is if they can work out an equally forceful defense (without having defenders flee for other squads).

Likewise the Men had some truly great moments, but they were often overshadowed by a continual two steps forward-one step back approach to the game. Without Sverre Halseth Nypan (decamped for Manchester) the offense grew a little better rounded, but more inconsistent.

While it’s clear the team would prefer to win a trophy that isn’t completely imaginary, we are happy to welcome them back to the top of our trifling table for their first Sippy Cup in 3 years, allowing them to equal the Griz for the most Sippy Cups in MacKenzie Family History.

Alongside the final trophy, here are the final standings for all you number lovers out there.

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Rosenborg3513171.822.340.66
Montana13661.801.240.52
Minnesota3215151.791.580.94
Vozdovac19681.701.330.67
Freiburg3316201.671.701.29
Grenoble271591.571.341.08
Punjab6591.151.351.25
Emelec1814291.110.901.51
Ross County1112130.981.281.65
Alebrijes46180.641.041.96
Legon Cities67350.520.691.71
Table Updated 12/30/2025

And here’s this year’s Best XI featuring many players taking a final bow before they head off to bigger clubs, and the indomitable midfield of Vincenzo Grifo and Jessy Benet

Will a new team take the title in 2026? Can the Loons and Aurora finally break through? Is Vozdovac on the cusp of an epic run? Will something radically alter the fortunes of Ross County, Alebrijes and the purgatory of Punjab? Can Richard Appoie just buy every Ghanaian team until it’s Legon Cities v. Legon Cities for ever?

Catching up with the Cup: Spring 2025

Catching up with the Cup: Spring 2025

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Disclosure

Okay, so I started with 11 teams that I would write about because it seemed a good way to keep me writing consistently.

For 3 years, I kept up with that pretty well. But in the last two it’s been an absolute non-starter. Knowing that there are LOTS of other places to find scores and analysis, I’m willing to let go of the weekly or even monthly writing…but I really don’t want to forget about the joy of following teams and finding things to learn about and love.

So! Here’s my new model for the MacKenzie Cup: I’ll summarize team records and name a few great players while trying to keep myself to 1-2 sentences and I’ll post about it at key moments in the season to wit

1 post in May/June to cover the end of the European seasons (and start of the others); 1 post in August/September to cover the summer season and changes; 1 post in December to recap the year and crown the champion! So, with that! Here’s the spring summary for our Favorite XIs. (All results from 2/11/2025-6/27/2025)

Minnesota

Results:

Loons: W 9 – D 6- L 4 GF: 31/GA: 21;
Aurora: W 9 – D 2- L 0; GF 27/GA: 4

Total: W 16 – D 7 – L 4; GF: 50/ GA: 22

Great Players:

Tani Oluwaseyi (F); Dayne St. Clair (GK), Robin Lod (MF), Bongokuhle Hlongwane (FB);
Cat Rapp (F–5 goals); Charley Boone (D mastermind); Natalie Tavana (M)

Quick Notes:

The Loons have quietly turned into a premier team in the Western Conference by virtue of hard nosed defense led by Canada’s national goalkeeper: Dayne St. Clair, and the dynamic trio of Jaoquin Pereyra, Tani Oluwaseyi (another Canuck), and Kelvin Yeboah. While the Loons are doing America’s Canada proud, Aurora have been no slouches topping their table again with a ridonkulous goal differential led by Cat Rapp but anchored by one of our favorite Grizz now favorite Aurora Charley Boone! (There have been lots of great moments, but you can’t top our favorite player scoring an amazing goal and celebrating with his baby brother visiting from South Africa.)

Montana

Quick Notes:

The Griz focused on their school work this spring (as per usual) but had fun in training and was recognized as one of 10 programs in the nation (out of 1830 total) to win the United Soccer Coaches Team Pinnacle Award. It honors teams with a 75% winning percentage, superb academics (3.62 GPA) and excellent ethics (ie not drawing cards and penalties). Only 3 teams (men and womens) in the top Collegiate division (560 teams) won the award…the other women’s team? Fancy Pants Braniacs and National Championship contender: Stanford.

Oaxaca

Results

W 1 – D 2 – L 7 GF: 11/GA: 23

Great Players:

Hector Mascorra (MF); Edson Santos (LB)

Quick Notes:

I genuinely don’t know what has happened to Oaxaca of late. The consistent shellacking they received this spring is slightly impressive just in terms of its consistency. At this point there has to be some major changes made to funding or team building or literally everything to see the team change before the next campaign kicks off.

Emelec

Results

Masculino: W 4 – D 6 – L 7; GF 12 /GA: 21
Feminino: W 4 – D 1 – L 13; GF 12/GA: 40

Total: W 8 – D 7- L 20; GF 24/GA: 61

Great Players

Romario Caicedo (FB), Pedro Ortiz (GK), Facundo Castelli (ST)
Melanie Orbia (AM), Kiara Contreras (ST), Domenica Castillo (MF)

Quick Notes:

Halfway through their season, Emelec’s men are once again struggling to meet the expectations of the club and its fans. They seem anchored among the bottom four of the table, though a fortunate return to form for Keeper Pedro Ortiz has them hopeful of righting the ship if they can ever get the attack working beyond Facundo Castelli. Meanwhile, the women’s step up to the Superiga Feminina has brought challenges on both sides of the ball, but the teamwork and dedication has remained steady. Melanie Orbia seems to be the least intimidated of the newly minted top division players with several of the vital goals, she’ll need to be on her game to keep them out of relegation danger.

Legon

Results

W 2 – D 2 – L 11; GF 9 /GA: 27

Great Players

Frank Akoto (CB), Mohammed Alidu (CM)

Quick Notes:

After dodging the drop for the whole time we’ve covered them, the bell tolled for Legon at the end of this season. A dismal run of form sealed an already shaky season, and now that the team is poised to lose their midfield core (Alidu) and other vital players to local rivals Hearts of Oak (including returning legend Jonah Attaquaye) while also being hit with a transfer ban and possible point penalty for unpaid wages means the squad is in a dire situation and some have suggested moving the team back to Wa.

FK Vozdovac

Results:

6/23 (between seasons): W 5 – D 9 – L 3; GF: 16 /GA: 14

Great Players:

Bogdan Petrovic (F), Milan Kolarevic (LW), Mihajlo Milosavic (AM), Danilo Knezivic (DM), Nikola Jankovic (RB)

Quick Notes:

Having dropped into the second division last season, the Red Dragons needed to rediscover their confidence, and it certainly helped to have Bogdan Petrovic lead the charge with 13 goals (good for 2nd place in the league’s golden boot race). But as effective as Petrovic was, the team seemed most effective when Mihajlo Milosavic and Danilo Knezivic were at their best (their decisive loss to Macva that sealed a spot outside of promotion did not have Knezivic in the side…just saying).

Freiburg

Results

Herren: W 6 – D 4 – L 4; GF 21 /GA: 18
Frauen: W 5 – D 3 – L 1; GF 14 /GA: 9

Total: W 11 – D 7 – L 5; GF: 45/GA: 27

Great Players

Vincenzo Grifo (MF); Ritsu Doan (W), Noah Atubolu (GK);
Cora Zicai (W), Selina Vobian (W), Lisa Karl (LB)

Quick Notes:

Freiburg was in the hunt for a Champions’ League spot until the final day of the season when a loss to Frankfurt allowed (Alex’s favorite) Dortmund to slip in tot he final spot. Still it was a great first season for Julian Schuster taking over the reigns from Christian Streich…unfortunately some of the most superb showings of the season may be headed out the door as bigger clubs come knocking (notably Frankfurt for Ritsu Doan and AC Milan for Noah Atubolu). Meanwhile the Frauen had an excellent run of form in the spring, going unbeaten for over two months as the left flank of Lisa Karl and Cora Zicai handled everything they were asked to do and more. The ladies of the black forest are still trying to crack the top three of the league, but they continue to show formidable reserve.

Rosenborg

Results

(6/26) Menner: W 10 – D 5 – L 2; GF 38 /GA: 15
(6/26) Kvinner: W 13 – D 1 – L 3; GF 45 /GA: 15

Total: W 20 – D 6 – L 5; GF: 83/ GA: 30

Great Players

Marius Broholm (W), Adrien Periera (LB), Thomas Nemcick (CB), Sverre Halseth Nypan (CM); Rebecka Holum (W), Celine Emile Nergard (ST), Oline Brekke Fulgem (CM)

Quick Notes:

Reports of the men’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. After a few years of wandering in the wilderness, they are back in the European qualification spots, and owe it largely to a youth movement that may be about to bear even bigger dividends in selling top talents to major clubs around the world (the big buzz isi Sverre Halseth Nypan going to learn from Norwegian giant Erling Haaland in Manchester), but the team’s real strength this season has been the defense which has locked down opponents for the second fewest goals (the leader has played three fewer games).

While the youth took over the men’s team, the women’s side has relied on some more practiced hands…or feet. Striking tandem: Rebecka Holum and Celine Emile Nergard have been a great one-two punch for the Trolljenta with Oline Brekke Fulgem serving as the primary driver of the midfield engine. Sadly, the top two teams (Brann and Valerenga) appear to have run away from the rest of the division, so despite a great showing the long quest for a league championship looks likely to continue into next season. (*Note: I wrote this hoping to reverse jinx the team and put them in line for a trophy…but now that I’ve said that…oh never mind)

Ross County

Results

W 3 – D 3 – L 9; GF 16 /GA: 23

Great Players:

Jordan Amissah (GK), Kacper Lopata (CB), Akil Wright (WB)

Quick Notes:

It must be said that County had been playing with fire for several years now and they finally got burnt to the ground, dropping out of the Premiership in their third trip to the playoffs. They didn’t win a game after March, and while the defense was able to keep them competitive, the absolute disappearance of the attack doomed their hopes of staying in the top tier. Of course, the last time they dropped down they popped right back up again as the top team in the Championship…so here’s hoping to another quick return.

Grenoble

Results

Women: W 9 – D 2 – L 1 GF: 23/GA: 7
Men: W 4 – D 3 – L 5 GF: 17/GA: 17

Total: W 13- D 5 – L 6 GF: 40/GA 24

Great Players

Women: Julie Tissino (GK), Romane Pilot (DF), Elsa Domenjoud (DF), Laurine Baga (MF), Melanie Chabrier (F)
Men: Jessy Bennet (MF), Theo Valls (MF), Shaq Delop (WB), Allain Tchaptchet (CB)

Quick Notes:

The big headline belongs to the ladies of the Alps who captured their long deserved Division 3 Trophy and celebrated with an even more well earned party! The promotion was pegged to the defense as Julie Tissino allowed only 14 goals, 11 fewer than their next closest competitor (with credit also due to captain Elsa Domenjoud and veteran defender Romane Pilot), while Laurine Baga ran the offense in midfield.

Once again, the men’s team had a change in management (though I remain uncontacted…hint), but ever present in the teams consistently competent production was Jessy Bennet, this time bolstered by a defensive duo of Allain Tchaptchet (handling everything in the air) and Shaquil Delos (handling most of the attacks form the wings).

Punjab

Results

W 2 – D 1 – L 4; GF 12 /GA: 10

Great Players:

Ezequiel Vidal (W), Nikhil Prabhu (CM/CB), Tekcham Singh (LB)

Quick Notes:

The Lions of Punjab (via Delhi) had a rough go of their last few matches this season. A three match losing streak, struggling without Luka Macjen or Filip Mrzljak, saw them fall out of the playoff spots and settle in a tenth position. They showed good work in the Super Cup with Ezequiel Vidal helping them to the quarter finals where they fell to eventual Cup Winner FC Goa.

Year 5

Year 5

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The time has come again, to crown this year’s winner of the MacKenzie Cup (it’s a sippy cup…because it started when you were little kids, and I still like the joke)

Final Standings

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Montana12522.161.530.53
Minnesota2610151.732.331.25
Rosenborg377251.711.681.16
Grenoble2610221.521.601.12
Emelec1713131.491.210.93
Punjab135121.471.671.77
Freiburg2515271.341.491.70
Ross County1310201.1401.302.00
Legon Cities125191.1390.891.11
Vozdovac1311211.111.041.18
Alebrijes68140.931.041.93
Table Updated 12/30/24

You can read all about the end of the campaign and some general thoughts in the December recap post.

While the Griz walked away with a regular season title, and las Electricas of Emelec won their tournament and a promotion to the top tier of women’s soccer in Ecuador, several usually strong sides came back down to earth a bit. The Rosenborg Kvinner underwent a lousy end of their campaign to finish lower than they have since we started. Minnesota Aurora were knocked out earlier in the playoffs than ever before. Grenoble, Punjab, and Freiburg all went from table topping to solidly mid-table.

Hardest to watch were the teams that struggled the most. Emelec’s men side finishing last in the league, Alebrijes and Legon Cities suffering long losing streaks. And Vozdovac got demoted out of the top flight in Serbia.

Players of the Year

The best XI of the year features four returning starters. Vincenzo Grifo is fully on the road to being enshrined in the hall of fame of our minds, and for the second year in a row, Cat Rapp joins him in the midfield. Luka Macjen’s love of playing in Punjab could put him in the same spot in a few years, and Mathys Touraine was again the best corner back of the year (though his moving on to Paris may reopen a spot for Jessy Benet to return to the squad full time).

Newer players may not be here for long, The Griz are limited by graduation limits, so Charley Boone is done after this. Froya Dorsin is already off for Paris and Sverre Nypan Halseth may be in any number of bigger profile stadia within the next month or two. Likewise it’s hard to see struggling teams like Legon and Ross County hold on to strong defenders like Frank Akoto and Ryan Leak. But Kerly Corozo becomes the first Electricas player to crack the starting XI and may find a spot on the wing for many years to come.

The bench includes Alison Ochoa as another representative of las Electricas and Claudia Fabre from Grenoble hopefully creating a Charley’s Angels trio with Luka playing Bosworth. (Yes I’m making 50 year old pop culture references despite the fact that I’m only 40…) Minnesota adds in two more midfielders with Mariah Nguyen and Bongi alongside the Freiburg Frauen and defensive midfielder Samantha Steuerwald. Our Defensive bench is made up of the best of the bad lot with cellar dwelling Emelec, Oaxaca and Vozdovac each offering one body…but Dayne St. Clair should be able to handle them.

Nobel FC Most Enjoyable Outstanding Writer

The MEOW, as befits our cat-crazed house, goes to this year’s highest rated Nobel FC subject: Jean Paul Sartre. I do feel that I should note that Jaroslav Seifert and Han Kang were surprising treats. But Sartre’s vision and imagination (plus raging ego) gave him the highest rating so far (a number matched in video games by this year’s FIFA Player of the Year: Vinicius Jr.)

What’s Next

I will continue to ask people to comment, and they will continue to ignore me.

But hopefully in the coming year, I’ll be able to give more voice to my sons so that this truly becomes a space for all the MacKenzie Boys and not just me.

MacKenzie Cup: End of the year…

MacKenzie Cup: End of the year…

by scruffyrube ♥ 1 Comment

As we come to the end of 2024, it’s time to reveal the big winner of the season competition. Counting down from 11th place to 1st! (True, you could also just look at the image that headlines this post, but the joy is in the details as they say)

11th: Alebrijes–Between Seasons

Alebrijes had a rough 2024, and they chose to end it by dishing out the roughest endings to some reliable goalkeeper and my favorite namesake: Octavio Paz. They’ll be back in action in January with some new faces and, hopefully, a new beginning.

January: HOME v. Mineros, AWAY v. Cancun,

10th Vozdovac– 3 W – 0 D – 0 L; GF: 4/ GA: 0

After a rough start, Ivan Kurtusic did put together a pretty great December with 3 wins from 3 matches and 3 clean sheets to boot! (Granted they were facing two of the lowest teams in the division, but wins are wins and the Dragons are in no position to complain). Midfielder Vukasin Braunovic saved the day with a stoppage time header from Milan Kolarevic against Sloboda Urizce, then notched another against Traya, and while Braunovic orchestrated the attack, Nenad Filipovic continued to reel off clean sheets

Kurtusic’s reward for this excellent showing: the exit door, as Dejan Djuricic took over as coach and has a month to help the squad prepare before they return to the field.

January: On Break

9th Legon Cities–0 W – 0 D- 3 L; GF: 0/ GA: 6

A turn around in December could have put the Royals in position to get my annual jersey purchase. But that was not what happened. Three ugly losses kept them frozen at the bottom of the table on a scant 11 points and built the losing streak to 4 in a row. Worse, they haven’t scored a goal in 412 minutes (that’s over 6 hours…I could barely go 6 hours without plantains when I was in Ghana, and I wasn’t even paid to make them). The lousy strike system sank Cities to the worst offense of our top 11.

January: AWAY v. Hearts of Oak, HOME v. Dreams FC and Bibiani Gold Stars

8th Ross County–1 W – 1 D-4 L; GF: 7/GA: 15

The Staggies were always going to struggle in two matches against the Glasgow Duopoly, and a combined 8-0 certainly fit the brief. Goalkeeper/Aptonym Ross Laidlaw’s first half exit against Celtic only compounded the difficulty. With the top half slipping away, Don Cowie’s men seemed to buckle under the pressure, coughing up points against more manageable opponents in Hibs and St. Mirren without finding a consistent line of attack amid injuries (though it was nice to give up a goal to our old Dark Arts Instructor: Alex Iacovitti).

But the Stags turned a corner against Dundee FC with a great showing by midfielder Noah Chilvers who racked up a goal and an assist, while Don Cowie brought in the right substitutes who chipped in another two goals in a rare romp. While Hearts first flash seemed to undercut hopes of another win, the Staggies stormed back with a highly unlikely (but welcome) pair of last minute goals in a complete muckfest of a rainy highland night, that led to a thrilling draw. The stags are still a long way from the title picture, but they seem ready to put it in a lot of effort to avoid the relegation playoffs this year.

January: AWAY v Aberdeen and Kilmarnock, HOME v. Celtic, Livingston (Cup), Hibernian (ON BURNS DAY!)

7th Freiburg–3 W – 1 D – 3 L; GF: 12/GA: 14

M: 2 W – 1 D- 2 L; GF: 9/GA: 12

Freiburg’s inconsistent form has dropped them out of the top tier in the Bundesliga and into the meaty middle. 2 Wins are the difference between 3rd and 11th, so there’s plenty of competition to come, now without any additional distractions after the Breigsau Boys lost their Cup chances to Beilefeld.

Again they looked strong in matches against their fellow rivals in the meaty middle, with standout performances from Michael Gregoritsch in midfield and attack, and some excellent outings from Mathias Ginter and the two Lukas-es: as both Holer and Kubler bagged doubles in the league victories. But the 5-1 shellacking from last year’s champions in Leverkusen show that there’s still a ways to go.

January: HOME v Holstein Kiel, AWAY v. Frankfurt & Stuttgart, HOME v. Bayern Munich.

F: 1 W – 0 D – 1 L; GF: 3/GA: 2

Shekiera Martinez shone against Werder Bremen as the dynamic and scintillating scorer that invited West Ham to sign her away from Germany last summer (before promptly sending her back on loan). However, those spoilsports in Leverkusen rained on the Freiburg parade again to keep the squad on the outer fringes of European ambitions. We’ll see if things are better at home in die Frauen’s first match of the new year.

January: HOME v Bayer Leverkusen

Other News: It’s a little underwhelming to win something even when you lose…but Freiburg will be the next jersey buy as we hit 8 of 11 in the new year.

6th Punjab– 1 W – 0 D – 3 L; GF: 4/GA: 9

The Shers were hit a bit of a stumble at the beginning of the month, starting with an injury to center midfielder Filip Mrzljak. After that, the team lost leads and matches in back to back to back games. The toughest pill to swallow was probably giving up four against a lower table side in East Bengal including a rare clunker for goal keeper Ravi Kumar. Losing the lead to top of the Table Mohun Bagan was more predictable, but equally frustrating. As if dropping in their own league wasn’t enough, Punjab also fell from 4th to 6th in ours

Key Players: Despite the rough showing we should appreciate Ravi Kumar’s strong work at the back, and the Lion King himself: Luka Macjen) have focused the squad in the absence of Mrzljak.

January: HOME v. Kerala Blasters, AWAY v Northeast United FC, HOME v Mumbai City, HOME v Jamshedpur

5th Emelec–W 2 – D 0 – L 2; GF: 7/GA: 5

M: W 0 – D 0 – L 1; GF: 1/GA: 2

I have yet to find evidence of Emelec ever finishing in last place for even a half of the season. But that’s what happened this fall, as the team managed a paltry 9 points with 3 wins, 3 draws, and 3 lost points from not paying their debts. Fortunately, the Electrics did well enough in the Spring to avoid relegation.

F: W 2 – D 0 – L 1; GF: 6/GA 3

I was a little worried about the semi-final tie against Aucus, and the first leg proved me right with a 3-2 defeat in Quito. In the second leg at home, Alison Ochoa got the winner and Carol Suarez added one for safety to send the Electricas through to the final.

Against Orense, the final was a lot of tension, staying scoreless until the final 20 minutes. Sindy Medina normally puts in her shift in the midfield supporting everyone else, but this year she was the one who broke the deadlock. When Kerly Corozco added her own, as everyone could have predicted, the trophy was in the bag.

It was a well-earned title for Las Electricas and, as usual we’re thrilled to see them thrilled. Now, in addition to the trophy, comes the squad’s return to the women’s top league.

4th Grenoble–3 W – 0 D – 3 L; GF: 15/GA: 9

Men–1 W – 0 D – 3 L; GF: 7 /GA: 8

The defensive mentality that has served GF 38 for several years seems to have cracked in full over the past two months. A strong September has slipped into distant memory as the alpiners have one win in their last ten matches (that win over 4th tier side Isetres may not hold up to very close scrutiny). Beset by injuries, they have increasingly struggled to find a cohesive corps in defense, with Gaetan Paquiez, Loris Mouyokolo and goal keeper Mamadou Diop having rough outings. There seems to be a little hope as Shaquil Delos and Theo Valls seem to have started building a more consistent spine. But the offense remains Pape Meissa Ba or bust.

January: HOME v. Bastia, AWAY v. Caen, HOME v. Martigues, AWAY v Caen

Women 2 W – 0 D -0 L; GF: 8/GA: 1

Grenoble continues to look every inch the division 2 team, but as long as Lyon remains impregnable, Grenoble will have to hold out, wait and hope. December saw long standing team leaders Candice Charbonet and Roman Pilot, but equally strong were Laurine Braga and Nehla Sadiki, who each hit the net twice. The good form comes at a fine time as 2025 kicks off with a top of the table clash against Olympique Lyon at home.

January: HOME v. Olympique Lyon B, HOME v. Clermont

3rd Rosenborg–1 W – 0 D – 0 L; GF: 4/GA: 0

In the last game of their season, the men of Rosenborg racked up an impressive 4-0 victory over Kristiansund that showcased the youthful talents of the squad, with a special shout out to left back Ulrik Yttergard Jennsen with multiple assists.

The good news for RBK is that their final result gave them the points they needed to clinch a spot in European competitions next year, just in time to compensate for Kvinner’s coming up short this season.

2nd Minnesota–Between Seasons

The Loons and Aurora are both off, as you ought to be in the winter in Minnesota. But they put in a great shift this year with the usual plethora of Aurora goals, and a big improvement for the Loons defense that got them into the playoffs.

The only major bit of news was the announcement that Allianz Field will host Lionel Messi and Inter Miami in the Spring.

1st Montana Grizzlies–Between Seasons

The Griz aren’t even allowed to practice so they can focus on the whole “final exams” thing, but the made some time to celebrate the graduation of several student athletes. The future isn’t all about the next big game, it’s also about the next chapter for the human beings who have interests on and off the field. So cheers to you December Grads! And double cheers to you Back-to-Back MacKenzie Cup Winners!

FINAL STANDINGS

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Montana12522.161.530.53
Minnesota2610151.732.331.25
Rosenborg377251.711.681.16
Grenoble2610221.521.601.12
Emelec1713131.491.210.93
Punjab135121.471.671.77
Freiburg2515271.341.491.70
Ross County1310201.1401.302.00
Legon Cities125191.1390.891.11
Vozdovac1311211.111.041.18
Alebrijes68140.931.041.93
Table Updated 12/30/24

MacKenzie Cup: My First Test…

MacKenzie Cup: My First Test…

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Original introduction as written on October 10th: I’ve promised to do this so let’s see how it pans out.

November 24th…Not great Ben…not great

Montana Grizzlies–5 W – 3 D – 0 L; GF: 10/GA: 2

The Griz were once again dominant throughout the season. As the team celebrated 30 years of being the biggest squad in Big Sky Country, they went undefeated throughout the regular season.

It looked like we could be approaching the Big Sky Tournament like a coronation in Missoula. But after a first round bye, the team ran into the stubborn Sacramento State Hornets (one of three teams to hold the Griz to a point during the regular season) and after rising to the occasion all year long Bayliss Finn was unable to stem the tide and the Griz got upset.

It’s hard to say that an undefeated regular season championship, the first ever appearance in the national rankings was a failure, but it certainly didn’t end how the Griz wanted it to. Bring on 2025!

Key Players from the Season: Ava Samuelson and Charley Boone wrapped up incredible careers in the garnet and silver with All-Conference honors. The defensive core of Boone, Maddie Ditta and Minnesota’s own contribution to the Griz: Bayliss Finn played a big part in that as well. C’mon Aurora, give the girl a start already!

Other news: The Griz also welcomed in their newest crop of recruits on official signing day. In addition to their expanding power base in the Pacific Northwest, the team continues to be a magnet for great goalies, with Jillian Miliffe of Florida and Tayla Adams of Australia stepping up to become Bayliss’ heir apparent. But perhaps best of all Liv Thorne-Thomson will carry the local born and bred banner going from Hellgate high school (the prettiest high school in all of Montana) to the U.

Ross County–2 W – 2 D-3 L; GF: 5/GA: 10

The Staggies were able to take the lead against Celtic, which is notable simply in its rarity. Of course they gave it back which is a much more common occurrence. But the Staggies were able to ratchet up the defensive pressure and held on to a scoreless run of over 240 minutes. But by making Dingwall a fortress where only the best of the best can sneak victories, they have been able to hold on to the top six. But the next month is going to feature a host of challenges. Here’s hoping we feel as good at the start of 2025.

December: AWAY v Celtic; HOME v. Rangers; AWAY v. Hibs; HOME v. St. Mirren, AWAY v Dundee; HOME v Hearts

Key Players from the Season: The defensive dynamics at play with Ryan Leak and Akil Wright (as well as our favorite namesake, goalie Ross Laidlaw) have gone a long way to helping County run their defensive streak as long as they did. The offense has struggled to keep pace, but Irishman Ronan Hale has become a reliable force up top.

Other News: Glasgow has been the center of Scottish Football forever, but Edinburgh remains the place I’d most like to live. Sadly, the two teams in Edinburgh have been floundering so sticking with our Staggies makes it worth it.

Legon Cities–W 3 – D 1- L 4; GF: 8/ GA: 11

The losses kept piling up, with late consolation goals from Mohamed Alidu not doing much in the way of consoling. There was a strong three match run at home with three unbeaten games including a win against the legendary Asante Kotko. But once again, the squad is staring down the discouraging possibility of a long hard slog stuck among the relegation scrap.

December: home v Bechem United, Away v Nations FC, Home v Aduana Stars

Key Players: Frank Akoto continues to be a strong contender for our favorite tireless workhorse, but we are certainly grateful for Rahim Yaya Abdul who has been excellent in the dying seconds to keep the squad afloat.

Other News: Legon is still in the hunt for this year’s celebratory birthday kit, but will need a perfect December to pip the other contenders, who conveniently are next on this list…

Freiburg–5 W – 1 D – 6 L; GF: 12/GA: 16

M: 3 W – 2 D- 2 L; GF: 8/GA: 5

The men’s side has not been as torrid as they were to kick off the campaign, but they are certainly still in the running for the top of the table. With Bayern Munich enjoying having the prolific striker Harry Kane, but hating the ancient curse to never win a trophy that landed on Kane’s broad shoulders, there’s plenty of opportunities afoot. (The one down side, is that Alex has fully adopted Dortmund as his German team and relished them hanging a defeat on my buddies from the Black Forest)

December: HOME v M’gladbach, AWAY v Arminia Beilefeld (1/8 Final–Cup), Hoffenheim, HOME v Wolfsburg, AWAY v. Leverkusen

F: 3 W – 1 D – 3 L; GF: 11/GA: 13

Cora Zicai’s brace against Potsdam laid the ground work for one of the team’s two wins and at just 19 there’s plenty of hope that it’s just the beginning for her. It heps that she has Selina Vobien providing a maestro’s rate of assists in the attack. But questions abound in the defense where Die Frauen have lost winning opportunities time and again in the last two months. (Though beating Bayern felt really good)

December: AWAY v Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen

Key Players: In addition to the rising starlets of Zicai and Vorbein, Freiburg has continued to appreciate a sterling men’s backline this time with Lucas Kubler, Mathias Ginter, Christian Gunter and Phillip Leinhart. (Oh and, as ever, Vincenzo Grifo is our grizzled Italian king)

Other News: Freiburg is in the lead for this year’s birthday kit, but will need a strong run in for me to make them my annual gift to myself. (That’s certainly not the most important news, but I’ve run out of Christian Streich content to savor)

Minnesota–2 W – 2 D – 1 L; GF: 8/GA: 8

The Loons wrapped up the regular season with some big showings on the road, drawing in Salt Lake City, with Dayne doing what he needs to do, and Michael Boxall standing tall despite being spat upon by Real Salt Lake’s Brayan Vera. Then we saw Hasani Dotson continue to move from a talented kid to a reliable component of team history with another win in Vancouver. With the defense dominant, the Loons banked a spot in th eplayoffs with Sang Bin Jeong hitting the net twice in the season finale. And the Loons entered the playoffs with one goal allowed in their last 500 minutes of play during the regular season.

The defense held their form throughout the first round playoff series against Salt Lake City. A pair of shootouts tested the nerves of everyone…everyone except Dayne St. Clair, who went full Vince Carter celebration in denying the last chances for Salt Lake.

We went in to the Quarterfinal against Los Angeles Galaxy full of hope…and it ended in about 90 seconds when the Galaxy pumped in the first of 6 goals. Despite some sterling shots from Kelvin Yeboah and your standard issue Michael Boxall hard nosed defense, the Galaxy crushed our dreams.

Other News: Despite the ending, the Loons had a great season and look every bit like a potential contender going forward. With the retirement of local fan favorites Clint Irwin and Zarek Valentin, and the end of Franco Frangapane’s contract we’ll need some help in midfield and defense (though not in the commentary booth where Valentin is a treat). A few additions here and there could well boost them towards the top of the Western Conference. And maybe we could just ignore the existence of Los Angeles for a year?

Punjab– 2 W – 0 D – 3 L; GF: 8/GA: 7

After a long Monsoon related layoff, the Shers of Punjab were back in action with the Slavic spine continuing to drive the team forward. Still, the wings are inconsistent and that was exploited by the best teams in the ISL to give Punjab their worst run of form in a year and dropping the squad to the middle of the table. The playoffs are still within reach, but dreams of hardware may be put on hold again.

Key Players: Nikhil Prabhu, Tekcham Singh and Khaiminthan Lhungdim (whose injury at the end of October has stung) lead the local stars while the aforementioned Slavic spine (Defender Ivan Novoselec, Midfielder Filip Mrzljak, and the Lion King himself: Luka Macjen) have focused the suqad.

December: HOME v. Mohammedan, AWAY v. Jamshedpur, & East Bengal FC HOME v. Mohun Bagan

Rosenborg–5 W – 1 D – 6 L; GF: 8/GA: 5

M: 3 W- 1 D – 1 L; GF: 8/GA: 5

Rosenborg has been out of the title conversation for a while, not finishing within 15 points of the champions since they last won the title in 2018. But this year saw the team come together nicely and will feature their closest finish to the top since that title run (even though they’ll end up in 4th or 6th place). With the Ceide twins, 19 year old Marius Broholm, 21 year old keeper Edvard Tangvik and wunderkid Sverre Halseth Nypan they truly could be up for a run at the top of the league (or they could be up for several millions of dollars if they let Nypan go join one of European’s circling giants like Man United, Chelsea, AC Milan or *Hope for Alex* Borussia Dortmund).

December: AWAY v. Kristiansund

W: 2 W -0 D – 5 L; GF 4/GA: 11

We’ve never seen things go this wrong for Rosenborg’s women side. The four straight league defeats that kicked off October were the most since May 2018. Since June they lost 10 of their last 16 league matches back to June. From a possible 48 points, they grabbed 16. By contrast, the 16 before that (including the end of the 2023 season) saw them lose twice and take 36 points from 48 possible. The reason for it? Maybe Rugile Ruyte is showing some human fallibility, maybe Emilie Nautnes is missing needed support in attack. Or maybe we just really really miss Sarah Horte.

Other News: Speaking of Sara, she did win another trophy this year…over Rosenborg in the Cup final….oof. And while the youth movement sounds great for Rosenborg, one part of it: Edvard Tagseth will be checking out and heading to Nashville where he may face off against the Loons.

Vozdovac– 2 W – 4 D – 3 L; GF: 6/ GA: 9

After running their losing streak to four games, the Dragons fired manager Dejan Celar and then pulled out a 2-1 win against Grafica and a 1-0 win versus FK Radiniki. Those results went a long way to resolving some tension for the club. After all if you fire a manager and keep losing you have to wonder what the point was.

Unfortunately for Vozdovac, the new head man, Ivan Kurtusic did not actually get to enjoy a longer winning streak as the team has managed only one goal in their last 5 matches en route to 3 ties and two losses. On top of that, they fell in the Serbian cup on penalty kicks and now sit 8th in the second division.

December: AWAY v. Sloboda Urizce, HOME v. Traya, AWAY v. Sloven Ruma

Key Players: I would say captain Nemanja Vidic at Centerback, but that would merely be click bait as the legendary national team player/international defensive standard is no relation to Vozdovac’s employee. Bogdan Petrovic seems to be the team’s only source of offence, and despite the poor record you have to acknowledge that goalkeeper Nenad Filipovic has kept clean sheets in half of his games…without which this could be a lot lot worse.

Grenoble–4 W – 2 D – 4 L; GF: 3/GA: 6

Men–1 W – 2 D – 3 L; GF: 3 /GA: 6

Jessy Benet is going to be my new go to symbol for the god Atlas as he’s been trying desperately to carry the team on his back. It’s been made harder as Papa Meissa Ba doesn’t seem to have much help up top, and the defense looks to spread thin as Loic Nestor’s legendary career winds down.

October: HOME v. Amiens, AWAY v. Red Star Paris

Women 3 W – 0 D -1 L; GF: 9/GA: 4

I’m a little worried about the women’s side. Not because their play has been lacking–far from it; they’ve been cruising towards second place behind legendary Olympique Lyon’s second team and have a good chance of being in the promotion conversation this year. No, I’m more worried about the team’s struggles to find a social media manager…I need my content Grenoble! ALLONS-Y!

December: AWAY v. Nimes, HOME v. Clermont

Alebrijes–W 0 – D 0 – L 5; GF: 3/GA: 13

It may be hard to remember, but Alebrijes were unbeaten in September. That broke once the calendar turned to October as Armando Gonzalez couldn’t lead a comeback against Tlaxcala. But things looked up again when Orlando Ballesteros opened the scoring against Celaya. But when he was removed due to injury the opponents hammered away with 5 unanswered. And from there things only got worse with three more defeats in a row left Alebrijes at the bottom of the table.

Emelec–W 3 – D 5 – L 4; GF: 16/GA: 16

M: W 0 – D 3 – L 2; GF: 4/GA 8

It has been a forgettable season for los Bombillos. They’ve struggled, often turned up winless weeks on end, and currently sit at the bottom of the Fall Season table. With one match to play, they will certainly finish lower than they have done in the 12 years of records that I could find. The team has been fortunate to find a strong showing from Washington Corozo (though sadly, it would be better if I could find any evidence that he was related to Electricas star: Kerly Corozo.

December: AWAY v. Libertad

F: W 3 – D 2 – L 1; GF: 12/GA 8

Las Electricas were unsure about the end of their campaign, a 1-1 Draw v. Atletico JBG left them in the top two but they felt like real underdogs facing Los Buhos for the regional title. They showed their mettle, coming back from down 2-0 at half time to equalize, but a late winner for the Owls ended the season without a repeat as champions.

However, it did allow them to make their way back into the promotion playoffs, and so far it has gone very well for them. Kerly Orozco found the net four times in the first leg and Melany Orobio hit it twice in the second leg to advance easily past CD Oriental 7-2 overall.

The quarter finals against Nusta FC allowed Melany Orobio to again score in a 2-2 draw away, before she delivered an assist on the winner at home, sending las Electricas to the semifinals where the dangerous Aucus (fresh from a 17-1 quarterfinal round win) awaits.

December: HOME/AWAY v. Aucus, [If possible–championship]

Other News: Just to underline how rarely we have things clearly communicated about Ecuador’s women’s league, I have yet to track down what on earth has happened to Los Buhos, who beat Emelec to the local title…then fell behind to their first round opponent Xportos. But they didn’t play when other teams did, and now have just continued not to play leaving Xportos, Buhos, San Miguel and now Orense (the teams awaiting on the other side of the bracket) waiting around for something to happen.

August-September: The Full Slate Returns

August-September: The Full Slate Returns

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Okay, as promised/sworn/I’m going to update team performance each month.

Seriously.

I mean it this time.

For real!

Okay, fine, I’m going to TRY to update team performance each month.

With that, please stop laughing at my attempts to hold myself to a schedule and let’s get started.

Montana Grizzlies–7 W – 2 D – 2 L; GF: 19/GA: 8

It seems like most of college soccer has come to realise just how reliable the Griz are. They’ve consistently been a top ten team among western schools, and even got a vote to be one of the five best teams in the country.

The squad did slip twice, on the road against Washington State, and again in Fresno, but in general they’ve been clinical with Skyleugh Thompson’s leadership. Jen Estes, Eva Samuelson and Chloe Seelhoff have all taken big strides.

Arguably our favorite development has been seeing two team favourite Bayliss Finn take over in goal and rise to the occasion with three clean sheets, including the conference opener versus the North Arizona Lumberjanes.

October: away v. Northern Colorado, Home v Idaho and Eastern Washington, Away v Sacramento State, Home v Portland State. away v Idaho State and Weber State.

Other news: Because the purpose of American education is to make a lot of money, there are several falling dominoes that have opened up among bigger conferences (with more difficult games, greater national attention, and, yes, more money). Recent foes Washington State and Oregon State are looking for new conference members, while the Griz would be a long shot for that, Boise State (another Griz victim) already moved which may leave an opening in their old conference…more to come.

Ross County–1 W – 2 D-2 L; GF: 6/GA: 11

When the Stags ran out after our recap they suffered a brutal 6-0 drubbing v. Rangers. Conor Randall held his own, but everyone else looked overwhelmed.

From there, the play dramatically improved. The team as a whole did well against Aberdeen, but a missed penalty by Ronan Hale and a late goal for the Dons left them heart broken. They snapped out of the funk with a strong 2-0 win over Dundee FC (sorry Brian Cox.) Akil Wright notched his first goal and Jordan White convereted penalty. Next came a gutsy come back draw against St Johnston in front of the home faithful. Courtesy of Alex Samuel and Akil Wright, and then a 60 minute lead against Hearts in Edinburgh…only to be undone in stoppage time.

October: Home v. Celtic, Away v St Johnstone, Home v Kilmarnock and Hibs.

Other News: Our old Stag Ross Stewart has become made the climb all the way up to the English Premier League (playing for Southhampton). While a few Freiburgers have made it, Stewart took a long way.

Legon Cities–W 0 – D 1- L 3; GF: 1/ GA: 3

It has been a rough go for the Royals. Outside of brief hope of draws, most of their time has been spent chasing games that are out of their reach. After 5 years in the top flight, the team has never finished more than six points clear of danger…this year is setting up to be too much to overcome.

October: Away v Nsoatreman, home v Kotoko, Away v Berekum Chelsea, Home v Accra Lions

Other News: Legon’s preparation for the year was limited by a paucity of new faces. Six players joined the team, but none of them got preseason practice with the team. Only three players: Joseph Amoah, Ishmael Amoah, and Foster Twum have seen a lot of time on the field. Ishmael and keeper Kwame Aziz have been team of the week, but that’s about it.

Freiburg–6 W – 1 D – 3 L; GF: 18/GA: 12

M: 3 W – 0 D- 2 L; GF: 8/GA: 5

A Lead off win v. Stuttgart put Breigsau Boys on top of the table after the first match day, but Bayern brought them crashing back to earth. Still, the squad’s veteran core continues to provide much needed balance. Vincenzo Grifo and Ritsu Doan look impressively driven and thoroughly capable of running the show. New tip of the spear striker Chukwubuike Adamu has also looked impressive. While a frustrating defeat to fellow hippy haven St. Pauli might leave us questioning VAR, the truth is Freiburg looks solid to start the year.

October: Away v Werder Bremen, Home v Augsburg, Away v Liepzig (boo), Cup tie (Round 2) v Hamburger

F: 3 W – 1 D – 1 L; GF: 10/GA: 7

A couple of penalties made the 2-3 defeat against big bad Bayern Leverkusen look a little closer than it probably was. But a solid Pokal win v. Nurnberg, another against Hoffenheim, a draw versus Carl Zeiss Jena and another win in Koln set things back on the right track.

In addition to Samantha Steuerwald being a steadying figure in defense, Greta Stegman’s development as a left back, and winger Selina Vobian’s incisive attacks have given Freiburg a new look to frustrate opponents.

October: HOME v. Turbine Potsdam, AWAY v. Eintracht Frankfurt, HOME v. RB Leipzig (boo again)

Other News: It’s a good thing that some of the newer members of Freiburg’s women’s team have stepped up because the team is most certainly in a state of flux. Reliable winger Janina Minge moved on to Wolfsburg, and, at 32 and injured Hasret Kayici may be nearing an end to her strong career.

Minnesota–4 W – 0 D – 2 L; GF: 8/GA: 7

I’m a little worried that I’m not helping the cause here.

We were able to go to a couple of matches in the last month, first taking Owen to see the Loons play Seattle…which we lost. Then going on a date with your mom to see the Loons play Cincinatti…which we lost.

Perhaps my incessant support is bothering them? The team did win three times on the road and saw Bongokuhle Hlongwane return to excellent form and welcoming in new striker Kelvin Yeboah who has been lethal from close range. But the Loons last home game…which I DID NOT attend…was only the teams second clean sheet since April. Despite Dayne St. Clair doing his best, it raises questions about how to improve the defensive unit. (Looks quietly to the side hoping that he doesn’t have to criticize Defender/Dad Michael Boxall)

October: AWAY v. Salt Lake, and Vancouver, HOME v. St. Louis City…and then…maybe….Playoffs?

Other News: After a dismal summer, the team seems to have been rejuvenated, not least due to the arrival of Yeboah, and another talented Argentinian midfielder in Joaquin Pereyra. Though hopefully, that won’t come to mirror the last talented Argentinian midfielder situation (death star at Emmanuel Reynoso). It was pretty big spending by the Loons, but all on prime age players.

Punjab– 3 W – 0 D – 0 L; GF: 6/GA: 2

The team started the season on a high, opening with their first win against Kerala Blasters, but felt that deflated by word that talismanic striker Luka Macjen would be out for six to eight weeks following a…questionable challenge in the penalty box that led to two fractures in his jaw.

Rahul KP v. Luka’s jaw…

But if anything, the pain seems to have spurred the Warriors on to stay the course until the captain can rejoint hem. To wit: they went on to win games without Luka (a very rare occurrence the last three years.) They’ve gotten contributions from all over the front line, including Luka’s fellow Slav, Filip Mrzljak, as well as Indian nationals and Leon Augustine. Combine that with a stalwart backline and you have a team that’s a serious contender for the league title.

October: AWAY v. Bengaluru, HOME v. Chennaiyin

Rosenborg–9/2 on

M: 2 – 1 – 0; GF: 6/GA: 1

Draw v. Lillestrom, meh…good match for RB Adrien Pereira, assisting on equalizer and winning 7/9 ground duels. But the team turned up the heat with a convincing thumping of FK Huagesund and a less convincing win over Sandefjord. But they all count, and they all get sweeter when you have the Konradssen Ceide twins (Emil and Mikkel) making beautiful music together!

October: A long lay off and then HOME v. Brann, and AWAY v. Bodo/Glimt

W: 2 W -1 D – 2 L

There were some lofty highs for the Kvinner this last month or so. To start with, they beat Mighty Athletico Madrid in the Champions League!!! (To be fair, we’re still counting it as a 2-2 draw, and they required Penalties to advance, but it’s still a pretty big scalp to score!) Little heralded Andrine Tomter gave them the lead in extra time, and though Madrid equalized, Rugile Ruylte showed up big during penalty kicks to push them on to the next round!!

Unfortunately, the spent squad gave up an early goal to Arsenal and couldn’t get enough possession to swing the game, back, so just a little bit after their triumph, they were out of European competitions.

But there was another high to follow, as a clear 3-0 win against Arna-Bjorner served notice that they might still have a chance to finish near the top of the table this season too! And then Koboltn came out and beat them against strong possession leaving them to make up ground quickly if they want to get back to the big time.

Then again, perhaps their big time will be at the end of November again. As a 3-1 win over Roa in the KvinnerKup Semi final set up a rematch of last year’s final against Valerenga.

October: HOME v. Lyn and LSK Kvinner, AWAY v. Stabaek

Other News: I said in their catch up post that Froya Brennskag Dorsin, had really taken off. I was excited to watch more of her, and her showings during the Champion’s League matches were exciting. But, Paris St. Germain, they of much greater resources, snatched her up. Fingers crossed for the next Rosenborg product to be a European sensation…

Vozdovac– 1 W – 0 D – 3 L; GF: 5/ GA: 7

Remember when I recapped Vozdovac’s campaign and pointed out that they actually now had a good opportunity to dominate a lower division and earn promotion quickly?

Yeah…about that…The whole dominating thing is a lot easier when you…you know…beat opponents.

They did do that to begin with, a 3-0 win over Dubocica Leskovac boosted them up the standings further with Milan Kolarevic getting his third goal of the year, and supersub Djordje Belic getting his second. But then came a defat against Smederevo, and then another defeat (this one at league leading Macva), and another to fellow demoted side FK Radnik Surdulica.

The dragons are still in the top half of the league…but it’s getting dark early on the Mall roof top.

October: AWAY v. Borcac Cacak, HOME v. Grafica, AWAY v. Radniki Sremska, HOME v. Vrsac

Grenoble–5 W – 1 D – 1 L; GF: 14/GA: 4

Men–3 W – 0 D – 1 L; GF: 10 /GA: 3

Pape Meissa Ba has led the charge for Grenoble this month, with three goals over the team’s two wins. despite the set back against AC Ajaccio, the team came right back out to dominate Clermont Foot en route to a 3-0 win (including Ba scoring AGAIN and Jessy Benet running the show as we all love to see).

Women 2 W – 1 D – 0 L; GF: 4/GA: 1

While I’m always a little conflicted about beating our friendly rivals the squirrels of Albi Marssac, les alpineres, have continued to do exactly what they always do so well: attack together, defend consistently, and celebrate like crazy after the match. The one thing that seems different this year is that they now have highlight reels!

Alebrijes–W 0 – D 2 – L 0; GF: 3/GA: 3

The Alebrijes turn around continued with two draws, running their record to four undefeated (though giving up a two goal lead, including one late equalizer at home might be a bit of a stinger).

Emelec–W 1 – D 0 – L 1; GF: 3/GA: 2

M: W 1 – D 0 – L 1; GF: 3/GA 2

Emelec’s record isn’t too shabby, but dropping points against a team in the bottom 2 (Cumbaya) does not help their cause. Also, failure to pay their debts lost them three additional points when they needed it most. Juan Pablo Ruiz notched another goal to make up for some of the injuries that have sucked the life out of Los Bomibillos offense.

F: W 1 – D 1 – L 0; GF: 4/GA 0

Despite only just kicking off, Las Electricas picked up where they left off in the Guyaquil women’s league: undefeated! While the owls of Buhos ULVR were able to stymie the strong attack of the Emelec furies, the team still looks every bit as potent as it was last year in its march to the title.

Catching Up with the Kids: Minnesota

Catching Up with the Kids: Minnesota

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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.

This Is Why You Stay to the End

This Is Why You Stay to the End

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

This year, after a long, cold winter, the promise of spring began to bud as the American soccer season opened.

Sorry…I meant to say after an indeterminable and clearly climate changed winter, the weather felt exactly the same as the American soccer season opened.

And this year, I went with Alex.

Dear Boys,

It was not a great game. The Loons, fortunate winners the previous week, faced the reigning champions: The Columbus Crew. Our team was shorthanded, with several players working up to fitness, and we were limited to a temporary set of tactics from their caretaker manager. So it wasn’t surprising that the local eleven seemed stuck in the first half. The biggest cheer for most of the game came when former Loon Christian Ramirez made his first appearance at Allianz Field and was welcomed warmly by the long time fans…making a competitive match feel rather friendly.

It was great to see him return, to celebrate a player who was widely loved in the community. But he also clearly added a bit of danger to the Columbus. And then…the champions took the lead. The Loons quickly look deflated, but the sun was shining and our fries were salty so Alex and I stayed on to watch the end of the match.

That’s when we got our reward:

The stadium erupted, our section erupted, we screamed like we’d won even though it was only a draw. “This,” I shouted over the chaos, “is why you stay until the end.”

It’s a kind of perseverance, enduring the long slog of a game, or a season for the sake of one magical moment. It’s a passive perseverance, not the kind of spiritual struggle of long-standing activists, or the physical slog athletes go through. But fandom might be the best training wheel version of perseverance that we have.

There are always opportunities to walk away. Fans can leave the stadium. We can turn off the games. We can ignore the sports pages. And honestly, there’s nothing inherently wrong with it. Stepping away from things can protect you from injury or harm.

But perseverance can be rewarded with moments that offer real catharsis.

The Loons, against the odds continued trying to find the goal, despite the various limitations that could have justified a defeat.

Christian Ramirez had innumerable opportunities to step away from the game. When he didn’t get a professional opportunity on his first attempt. When he was hung out to dry by the Loons prior manager (who never seemed to appreciate the talent on the sideline). When his trip to Europe was undermined by managerial upheaval. When his family grew and his career path was uncertain.

But he has a League Championship medal and he received a rapturous ovation from fans who saw him start and have admired him even after he left us behind.

However the story ends, if you stick around till the end you can appreciate it all the more. Whether it ends with one point in the standings, a hero’s return, or just celebrating with your kid/dad. These are special moments, and they’re made all the more special if you persevere to see them through. If it’s this fun to watch others persevere, just wait till you get to do it yourself.

Year 4

Year 4

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

The time has come again, to crown this year’s winner of the MacKenzie Cup (it’s a sippy cup…because you’re little kids, and I like the joke)

Final Standings

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Montana13332.211.580.47
Rosenborg3612211.741.841.17
Minnesota2813161.702.161.30
Grenoble3512221.631.470.99
Punjab138111.471.501.06
Emelec1817151.422.020.96
Legon Cities1610151.411.151.27
Freiburg2613311.301.411.64
Ross County1410211.161.331.53
Vozdovac1010151.141.031.25
Alebrijes89151.031.251.84
Table Updated 12/30/23
b–Team is between seasons

None of our favorite teams won any hardware this year, but while no one hit the heights of last year, there was some impressive consistency up and down the table. Again the Grizzlies take the cup, meaning this hallowed chalice firmly belongs to northern teams with incredible women’s sides (that’s your cue Aurora).

Beyond what has become a fairly familiar top three, Grenoble emerged with strong showings from both men and women to claim fourth place while Punjab rounded out the top half of the table thanks to their dominance of the I-League (giving up the lead in the table after the jumped up to the bigger pond of the Superleague)

Emelec is our pivot team this year, smack dab in the center as befits a year with both some great moments, and some lousy ones. They’re followed by the frustratingly incosistent Legon Cities and Freiburg (whose great fall of 2022 faded hard and fast in 2023).

At the foot of the table, Ross County could not find any confidence in their campaigns, barely squeaking their way through matches to keep themselves afloat in Scotland. Vozdovac continues to show good runs to start the year and difficulties keeping up at the end of it. But Alebrijes’ scuffles and eventual collapse out of the playoffs earned them their second wooden spoon in our history.

Beyond the great showings of the clubs in general this year, we have to point out that our favorite teams won four trophies this year! The I-League trophy made Roundglass Punjab the first team to be promoted a division on our watch, but the Electricas win in the Campeonato Regional gave them a good chance too. And the most consistently strong sides: the Griz and the Trolljenta each took home hardware, though not as much as they might have hoped (Montana won the league, but not the tournament…ending their season early, Rosenborg lost the league, but won the cup…ending their season in confetti).

Players of the Year

We saw a lot of turnover among our best XI line up. But that’s to be expected when five starters play well enough to be transferred to other teams and bigger salaries, and three players graduate from their club/school teams. But while plenty of things change, one thing that stays inviolable is Vincenzo Grifo. There’s the sun in the morning, the moon at night, and Vincenzo Grifo putting in a shift in between.

Around Grifo we’re bringing in an all American-based midfield, with Cat Rapp pairing for the attack and Delaney Lou Schorr is taking on the wing position which I will still refer to as the Julie-Blakstad-Endowed-Chair for Wingers. Finally we’re adding in the player who has brought out a new found love and interest for both Alex and Owen, Bongokhule Hlongwane who paired a great year on the field with infectious positivity off of it.

That attack will be targeting goal machines Maya Hansen and Luka Macjen, two new comers who helped their teams to epic unbeaten runs. And they’ll be backed up behind them with some aggressive wingbacks in Mathys Tourraine of Grenoble and Ava Samuelson of Montana.

The defensive anchors are Nicholas Mensah for Legon Cities who helped to keep the Royals in plenty of games they might have otherwise capitulated for, Sarah Horte who paired a great league season with a strong showing at the women’s World Cup, and old stand by Pedro Ortiz of Emelec, who kept the most clean sheets in an otherwise unheralded campaign.

We had so much attacking depth that we have several players out of position on our bench, Janina Minge of Freiburg and Borisav Burmaz of Vozdovac are strictly up top players, but Cinthia Bone of Emelec, and Jayden Nelson of Rosenborg are being played as flexible wingers who can sub in for any of the outside players.

Grenoble puts two players on our midfield bench with Jade Decilap and Jessy Bennet earning the nods, and while Ernesto Reyes gets the obligatory spot for Alebrijes, we were left with just one defensive spot on the bench, so with apologies to Tianna Harris and Michael Boxall, we went with Anna Josensdal of Rosenborg (again a defensive midfielder being asked to play out of position). Finally, our reserve keeper is the only Ross County player to make the squad this year in Ross Laidlaw (the penalty saves Ross, we are eternally in your debt)

Nobel FC Most Enjoyable Outstanding Writer

A new award (the MEOW, as our house of cat lovers should appreciate) this year will go to the Nobel FC subject that I rated most highly. This year, I’m giving the nod to William Golding, whose work was familiar, but whose breadth of creativity was truly impressive. In addition to this award, I bought another of his books to read in the new year.

What’s Next

Less will be more this next year. I will write one essay a month (as ever), I will write one club news recap a month (though that’s already been tested), and one Nobel FC every two months.

I will say what I have said seemingly every post this year: if you have any thoughts I would love to hear them. (The highlight of this year is definitely the excellent journalist Manny Djazmi tweeting a link to this blog.) This is a project for my sons, the oldest of whom is now sounding out simple sentences and easy readers, but it will still be a while before they can read all this. So if you ARE reading this, then please: comment below and let’s share ideas.

End of 2023 Recap: I literally cannot even.

End of 2023 Recap: I literally cannot even.

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Ten days of parenting and teaching leaves precious little time to work up solid write ups on individual matches. So I’m officially giving up the ghost on weekly updates. I will send out one update a month (usually at the end as these are the lowest traffic posts because…nobody comes to me for scores and highlights–especially since most leagues no longer allow external sites to embed highlights). They’ll cover the results for teams and any notable news, plus the usual plaudits for players.

Recap

Griz Biz

Record: 0-0-1 GF: 0 GA: 1

The Grizzlies went unbeaten throughout the season, but arguably their hardest match came in a 2-1 win against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, with the team capitalizing on a late opportunity to win. So when the draw lead them to face Northern Arizona…in Flagstaff…again…the gauntlet was thrown down, and as is the habit in Big Sky conference tournaments…whoever is undefeated going in…gets defeated coming out.

Despite having the best poll ranking and toughest schedule in recent history, that one loss is enough to end the Griz’s hopes for the NCAA tournament….because…well…more people will randomly tune into Ohio State than Montana (even though Montana showed they could do just as well as the Buckeyes.

Beyond that, the Griz welcomed in 8 new recruits, including Kalispell Montana’s Reagan Brisendine, celebrated four all-region players (named the best in the Western US by Soccer coaches) and (most importantly for our purposes celebrated six Academic All-District players (with great grades and play): Ava Samuelson, Sydney Haustein, Molly Quarry, Kathleen Aitchinson, Charley Boone, and Skyleigh Thompson. Cherry on top: Skyleigh Thompson was named to the first 11 in the West (not too shabby!)

Up next: I suppose we’ll have to watch a lesser sport, but hey, the men’s gridiron team play for the national championship against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits…so I suppose that will do.

What’s in Store at Rosenborg?

Men’s November/December Record: 2-0-2 GF: 11 GA: 8

Women’s November Record: 2-2-0 GF: 6 GA: 2

It’s always a big game against fellow legends of Norwegian Soccer Molde, but Rosenborg showed up in a big way, especially sixteen year old Sverre Halseth Nypan who notched what turned out to be the winner with just ten minutes left.

After that high, the men promptly capitulated the rest of their season away: leaving only one match to be played against fellow strugglers Viking. With nothing left to play for, Rosenborg came out firing on all cylinders. Kaine Kessler scored twice and Sverre Nypan knocked in another one right at the end. With their lowest finish since 2005, RBK has plenty of work to do going forward to be ready for next year. (Likely selling Nypan for as much as they can get.)

Meanwhile the women had a chance to claim both the League and the Cup this season, coming into November in full control of their own destiny. But a surprising draw against relegation battling Asvaldnes let them fall behind rivals Valerenga. Another draw against Lillestrom sealed their fate and gifted Valerenga the League. So with two matches to play, both against the newly minted league champions it felt like a rather bitter end for the Trolljenta.

Instead they triumphed. A three nil home win made clear that the trophy might have another team’s name on it, but the best team may be someone else. To underline that fact, the women of Rosenborg went out and won the Women’s cup with a 1-0 triumph in Oslo that led to rampant celebrations all through Oslo.

Next: It’s a long cold winter before Rosenborg is back at it.

Minnesota a la Mode…ah

November/December Record: Did Not Play.

The Loons watched the postseason from home for the first time in years, and they also moved local legend (and guy who graduated from St Paul Academy High School when your mom was in 3rd grade) Manny Lagos to an advisor role with less say over soccer operations. In his place comes a Wisconsin university (Milwaukee) alumnus who has been working in English soccer (perhaps the most competitive league in the world): Khaled El-Ahmad.

El-Ahmed’s biggest decision was to pick a coach, and it seems that he punted on that call opting to retain interim coach Sean McCauley…but also keep calling him an interim manager…so…that’s confusing.

At the same time Minnesota Aurora opened up it’s try out camps for next summer, hopefully they continue to build the dominant squad we’ve all come to know and love.

On Break (But we’ll update with news as it arises)

Punjab Zindabad

November Record: 0-2-1 GF: 5 GA: 6

December Record: 1-1-2 GF: 1 GA: 2

It was a fairly frustrating month for Punjab in the Indian Super League. A road match against Mumbai City certainly didn’t evoke a lot of hope, but an early goal from Luka Macjen and a lead into the half gave me some hope. Tracking the scores while teaching, I got very excited as I watched the clock tick past sixty, seventy and eighty minutes. And then…within one minute…Mumbai City equalized…and took the lead…prolonging Punjab’s winless streak.

After that experience I was determined not to get over excited when Punjab hosted fellow low level side Hydrebad FC. But I’ll admit it, when Juan Mera broke through with his first goal in the Super League in the 80th minute, I permitted myself to be more excited…..And then…they gave up an equalizer in the eighth minute of stoppage time, and only go to a draw.

After three weeks off, I was back into blind hopefulness. But it seemed to be justified, within 30 minutes, the Shers had a 3-1 edge! Everything was firing. Rising midfield star Madih Talal was outstanding. Luka Macjen got a goal. The first win was in the air!…You can guess what happened next…Bengaluru got two goals to equalize and keep Punjab searching…seemingly endlessly for a victory.

Finally, on December 12th the team found the combination of attack and defense that was necessary to grab their first win as part of the Super League. Though they had dropped their previous match against Chennayain 1-5, this time they held on with a white knuckle grip to Mehdi Talal’s 1 goal advantage, and were able to have a long awaited celebration. The Shers defense has overcome some early struggles, but it’s reasonable to look around wondering where Chencho Geltsyen might be.

Up Next: The season resumes in 2024, and hopefully so do the winning ways.

Grenoble’s Games

Men’s Record: 5-2-2 GF: 12 GA: 9

Women’s Record: 3-0-1 GF: 11 GA: 4

Les Grenobloises have bounced back admirably in their quest to climb to the next summit on their journeys.

The men have shown plenty of quality through the first half of their season. The team could even be considered unlucky to be short two goals of what the statistics say they should have. Again they have boasted one of the best defenses in the division, and remain one stellar striking force away from controlling their own fates. If they can keep Brice Mableu and Matthys Tourraine playing at their current levels they’ll certainly have a chance to move up to Ligue 1.

The women are in much the same position, which is to say 3rd in their group. They’re just one point away from the top of their group (making the 1-0 defeat they suffered to Toulouse at the end of November a painful loss that could have vaulted them into first). Still les Iseroises own the best defense in the group and can certainly match up well with every team at this level.

I also was able to order and receive a Grenoble jersey, despite the fact that they don’t normally ship to the US. Merci a Jeramie et tous les autres personnes avec le club!

Up Next: Keep the mojo going and push on to promotion for both men and women! Les Femmes face fellow contender AS Cannes on January 21st, while the Men start the year against Dunquerke, Quevilly and…fellow contender Auxerre.

Live from Legon!

End of Year Record: 4-1-5 GF: 10 GA: 14

Cities had a rough November, losing four of five games, and also enduring a terrifying ordeal when the team bus was stopped by robbers after a match at the start of the month against Samartex. The situation sounds terrible, and the possibility that they were betrayed by police is deeply troubling.

Next to that, results on the pitch seem to matter very little, and yet, when the calendar turned to December the Royals marched into the future with heads held high, rattling off four straight wins to come within 5 points of league leaders Samartex. Captain and talisman Nicholas Mensah earned multiple team of the week honors as the squad conceded 1 goal in 360 minutes. But in the final game of the year, they had no answer for Prince Owusu giving up four goals to one man (and wasting Kwabena Boateng’s strong outing)

Up Next Legon gets to take January (and most of Feburary) off, we’ll see them restart the season in Karela on February 23rd

Take a Sec with Emelec

Men’s Record: 2-2-0 GF: 4 GA: 1

Women’s Record: 2-0-2 GF: 23 GA: 7

While the men started off with a pair of draws in Guayquil derbies (against both Guayquil City and Barcelona), they ended well with a pair of wins to boost the team into the top half of the table (a far cry better than the 14th place they got during the spring season). The team also seems to have found an offensive attack whose name doesn’t start with an M and end with a iller Bolanos. (did it…every Emelec post this year has referenced him)

Las Electricas also made their way into the promotion playoffs for the women’s league this year: a sixteen team tournament to decide who would move up to the Superliga next year. The first round went swimmingly as the ladies beat Gualaceo by a cumulative 22-3 over two legs. The second round was not as strong: losing to Torreros by a cumulative 4-1. The loss means that they’ll continue to play in the second tier of women’s soccer in 2024, but with a regional championship under their belt, hopefully there’s more enthusiasm and confidence about getting promoted again.

Up Next: Both teams are on a holiday until their new campaigns begin, but the men’s team is already making major moves to shake up the roster and (hopefully) return to title contention.

What’s the Word in ol’ Freiburg?

Men’s Record: 5-2-4 GF: 22 GA: 15

Women’s Record: 2-1-2 GF: 7 GA: 10

Die Frauen continue to be a reliable if unremarkable mid-table team in the Women’s Bundesliga. Capable of matching up well with most teams and completely outgunned by the dominant big three of the women’s game (Wolfsburg, Munich, and Frankfurt). To wit, they notched seven goals in three games against most teams and none in the two games against Wolfsburg and Frankfurt.

The men have been a strong contender in all competitions recently, but they have had to deal with a lot of fixture congestion. Fixture congestion is a lot like sinus congestion. You may not notice at first, but eventually it limits your ability to be at your best.

Playing 11 matches in 3 competitions over 50 days means that they were playing roughly every 5 days…often twice in a week, flying between Serbia, Germany and England as needed. The men were knocked out of the DfB Pokal tournament in the second round (after reaching the semifinals or later in the past two seasons), which frankly might have made their lives a little easier.

While they couldn’t beat the Premier League’s West Ham United, they did well against other opponents Olympiakos and Backa Topala (cumulative 10-0) to finish second in their Europa League group, and advance to the knockout stage against Champions League 3rd place side Lens, but they have slipped down to 8th in the league.

Next: The ladies have a Pokal match against Frankfurt, while the men focus in on the league in January, with some winnable games that can put them back up in contention for the top spots.

County’s Bounty

November Record: 2-2-4 GF: 6 GA: 9

The Staggies roller coaster ride with Malkay McKay reached it’s unsatisfying end after the team said goodbye to the coach whose signing seemed like a coup at first…and turned into a rehabilitation project for a man with a spotty record. There were still some highlights, but a hard fought draw against Motherwell was McKay’s last shining moment from October, but a pair of ugly losses ended his run in November.

Then the team turned to prior manager Derek Adams,. who had parlayed success getting the Staggies up into a career with strong English teams. The second match of his return brought the team’s first outright win since September 2nd boosted them up the 8th place in the league. Another 3-0 win a week later had the Staggies flying like Blitzen and company.

Then…ugh…the Stags lost two in a row. Derek Adams belittled everyone involved with the club (saying that an English team in League 2 was vastly better than your current team didn’t really seem endearing) and a set of winter storms cancelled two matches. The Stags finished their year earlier today against Hearts, and after a great 2-0 start, they conceded twice in the last 20 minutes to give up the win. (Heavy Sighs)

There was one other bit of news we’d like to point out…apparently Scotland is looking at opening the door to outside investment from big club conglomorates. In the same way that Minnesota and Punjab have to face teams from “The City Group” (New York City and Mumbai City…junior partners to big bad Manchester City) there’s a chance for these groups to bring their training regimens and professionalism (and big sums of cash) to Scottish soccer. I’m not advocating for Ross County City…but Roundglass Ross County doesn’t sound too bad…nor does “The MacKenzie Football Corps–MacKFC”…if only I had billions of dollars and actual talent in organization…

Next: We’ll see if Derek Adams gets his wish of creating a team as good as Morcambe, and the Stags will get two league matches and one a fourth round match against Patrick Thistle in the league cup.

Gotta see this, Alebrijes!

Record: 0-0-1 GF: 0 GA: 3

Alebrijes lost their last match of their fall campaign 3-0 to Atalante to against doom them to missing the playoffs. They’ll get a chance to try again in the spring. It’s worth noting the last time Alebrijes missed the playoffs they rebounded to finish first in the league (and then get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs).

Next it’s the in between season before the clausura, hopefully there’s some offense to be found somewhere in Mexico.

What’s the haps at Vozdovac?

November Record: 3-2-2 GF: 14 GA: 12

The Red Dragons scuffled in November, going winless in three games. But they flew through the December skies like jolly old Saint Nicholas (if St. Nick used a team of dragons, and occasionally breathed fire/played soccer), notching 10 points over four unbeaten games.

Borisav Burmaz showed a greatly improved strike rate, and the team has deeply benefited from the arrival of Toulouse loanee/Jamaican international Junior Flemmings. We haven’t seen too many international stars playing on the rooftop stadium, so it’s a treat to watch Flemmings.

Next: Vozdovac gets to take January off, but we’ll look forward to seeing them again in February.

Players Of the Month (so far)

Keeping track of this has been helacious, so while we won’t have our full complement of 52 players of the week, we will acknowledge that the players are great and resolve to track their performances better in future.

Standings

We’ll publish the end of year standings tomorrow with the full roster of our team of the year

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Montana13322.231.670.44
Rosenborg3210191.741.801.16
Minnesota–b2813161.702.161.30
Punjab12581.641.681.04
Grenoble2513191.541.400.98
Legon Cities129101.451.191.23
Emelec1415131.361.760.95
Freiburg1910251.241.301.67
Ross County128171.191.461.62
Alebrijes–b89141.061.291.81
Vozdovac78131.040.791.43
Table Updated 10/31/23
b–Team is between seasons