Honestly, at this point I want to know how long Emelec can go with 0 – 0 draws?
Hearts 3 – 1 Rosenborg (M–Europa Conference)
Isak Thorvaldsson scored early to build the hopes of a Rosenborg romp, but Hearts two goals in the second half gave Hearts a decisive edge in the game, in the two-way tie, and in the race to stay alive in the European competition.
North Dakota 0 – 1 Montana Grizzlies
Delaney Lou Schorr picked up exactly where she left off as the Griz’s leading scorer netted the winner against the Eagles!
Hoffenheim 1 – 2 Freiburg (M)
The Bundesliga kicked off with a familiar feeling as Freiburg brought their best game to the table. We actually watched a bit as a family with Alex insisting that the boys from Breigsau were wearing stripes, while Owen thought they were wearing a giraffe print. Whatever he wears, Roland Sallai makes a great threat and his goal was the difference as Freiburg came away with three road points.
Airdrieonens 3 – 4 Ross County (Cup)
The Staggies are still going in the ViaPlay league Cup, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. Holding a 3-1 lead after Kyle Turner scored and assisted within 90 seconds, The Stags defense proceeded to give away the store in the last ten minutes with a penalty and a late equalizer for the lower level opponents. Fortunately, Eamonn Brophy came through with a winner in additional time to move the Stags to the last 8.
Zeleznicar Pancevo 0 – 1 Vozdovac
The Dragons got their first win of the season with a quick long ball finding Niska Vujanovic who dribbled and slashed enough to find the net for the game’s only goal.
Grenoble 0 – 0 Troyes (M)
Grenoble didn’t win but they did remain unbeaten for this campaign.
HamKam 3 – 0 Rosenborg (M)
Before the game I was fantasizing that a continued run of good form could help Rosenborg back into European places, but they were too burnt out from the game in scotland to keep up with HamKam
Photo of Eliza Bentler by Ryan Brennecke
North Dakota State 1 – 3 Montana Grizzlies
The Griz got their second win in the Peace Garden State (all the more impressive because it tripled their win total from 7 previous games there). Within 15 minutes the Griz got three goals off of four shots, as Skyleigh Thompson, Riley Carolan and Eliza Bentler all found the net.
NYCFC 0 – 2 Minnesota (M)
We were able to watch a little of this as a family too…you know, when you weren’t dive bombing your mom or playing drink coaster tricks, but we didn’t get to see a goal. While you were falling asleep Jan Gregus struck back, and then I could see Miguel Tapias and Dayne St. Clair contort their frames to avoid giving up a penalty and save an own goal before Mender Garcia got a final goal to pull away.
Cimarrones 4 – 2 Alebrijes
Julio Cesar Cruz got the first goal, but Cimarrones stormed right back and the Alebrijes dropped another.
News & Notes
We Have a Champion!
Spain became the second country to win both a Men’s and Women’s World cup. Unfortunately it seemed to validate the widely disliked and player loathed coach Jorge Vilda.
It’s an unfortunate story-line to hear developed. But, honestly, coaches don’t play the games, and their effect is often over estimated. I’m going to choose to celebrate Olga’s winning goal, Aitana Bonmati’s golden boot, and Salma Paralluelo instead of Vilda (or the louche of a leader the team is also dealing with).
Other Cup-Dates
Rosenborg’s hopes of moving on to the next round of European competition were dashed with Hearts having a great showing in Edinburgh…but again, it’s Edinburgh, hard not to have a good time there.
That didn’t take long (via USA TODAY)
Meanwhile, Ross County will stand with their fellow premier leaguers in their cup quarter finals. Next up will be Aberdeen on September 27th, four days after they play Aberdeen in the league…so familiarity will breed…something.
The Loons might not like their quarterfinal flame out against Nashville, but since the Music City Men made it to the final there’s some solace (also a little solace in the fact that Lionel Messi dominated literally EVERYONE)
The Gang’s All Here!
With the Griz back in action we can fully appreciate the game from Mount Sentinel to the Punjab plain, from the Black Forest, to the Gold Coast’s brightest star.
Player of the Week
Kyle Turner! (Via SkySports)
One of the many things I love about team sports is how substitutes can make as much of a difference for a team as the stars. When that sub helps win a game, it’s great. When he goes out and helps win another…that’s flipping awesome. So Kyle Turner’s gumption stepping up as Ross County’s midfielder merits this week’s award.
Standings
For the first time in Months a team not named Punjab is at the top of our standings (though with the wonkiness of my internet connection the bottom of the standings may not be as accurate)
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
Montana
2
0
0
3.00
2.00
0.50
Punjab
12
3
5
1.95
1.95
0.95
Minnesota
24
9
11
1.84
2.39
1.20
Rosenborg
23
7
15
1.69
1.69
1.09
Legon Cities–b
9
7
8
1.42
1.25
1.29
Grenoble
17
7
17
1.41
1.15
1.05
Emelec
8
12
9
1.24
1.72
0.97
Ross County
10
5
13
1.25
1.57
1.54
Freiburg
13
7
19
1.18
1.26
1.62
Alebrijes
6
7
9
1.14
1.27
1.45
Vozdovac
4
6
11
0.86
0.71
1.57
Table Updated 8/24/23 b–Team is between seasons
What’s Next
Thursday, August 24th
Montana Grizzlies v. MSU Billings (the Grandma Di Derby)
Punjab got a point! But they still are looking a little punchless against some toothier competition. Macjen and Mera remain the teams’ focal points, but vision is getting blurry.
Rosenborg 2 – 1 Hearts (M–Europa Conference)
Sverre Halseth Nypan managed a pair of first half assists against a familiar Scottish foe and a rowdy crew of scots on the road. Nypan pressed forward repeatedly to make the right side supremely strong for the Trolls as they hit their seventh straight match without a loss.
Mineros 1 – 1 Alebrijes
The Oaxacans continued to have their testiness translate into some difficult situations. Coach Carlos Guittierez and Esteban Escobedo were carded right before the end of the first half, which left Oaxaca with just ten men (and a worried coach). Julio Cesar Cruz got the equalizer early in the second half which was fortunate as defender Miguel Arreolo was sent packing later in the half and right after the match, goalie Octavio Paz was given a red card to carry over into the next match. So 8 Alebrijes managed to hold on to a draw against 11 Mineros…YIKES
Nashville 5 – 0 Minnesota United (M-Leagues Cup)
Speaking of Yikes…this game. (DJ Taylor was ejected after 34 minutes, and the rest of the defense was totally torched)
Ross County 2 – 0 St. Johnstone
St. Johnstone had more looks at the goal, but County had the best looks…and they didn’t miss. Despite Yan Dhanda having to leave the game after just a half-hour, his replacement Kyle Turner did a superb job and got his first goal for the Staggies on an excellent long ball. Connor Randall found the net as well to thrill the home supporters, but the defense was in fine form and kept the box in front of Ross Laidlaw neat and tidy.
Vozdovac 1 – 1 FK Radnik Surdulica
Vozdovac was fortunate to equalize on an own goal, and even more fortunate not to concede a late winner after Filip Damjanovic left with a red card in the 81st
Grenoble 2 – 0 Paris FC (M)
Mathys Touraine is rapidly becoming the latest in a long line of super strong Grenoble defenders. Like Loic Nestor and Adrien Monfray, he’s been a tremendous asset both in attack and in defense. This week that included starting a great passing combination that lead to his own volleyed finish. His work this week gave Grenoble the needed push to make them one of only three teams to reach 2-0 in the young season
Emelec 0 – 0 Orense (M)
Emelec is also undefeated in this fall’s Ecuadorian campaign even though they haven’t scored a single goal yet. Unlike the six point gap between top and bottom of the French League, Ecuador’s has every team within one game of becoming league leaders.
SV Oberachen 0 – 2 Freiburg (M-Cup)
Oberachen welcomed Freiburg for the first round in the DfB Pokal, and Freiburg never looked remotely bothered. Rolland Sallai and Christian Gunter got the goals, and the boys from Breigsau geared up to start their season in earnest.
Alebrijes 2 – 1 Celaya
Oaxaca’s run of cards on cards on cards came to an end and also lead to their first win of the campaign. It helped to have Kaleth Hernandez strike within 1 minute of kick off. Despite giving up an equalizer, Julio Cesar Cruz nailed a penalty to take the lead.
East Bengal FC 1 – 0 Punjab FC (Cup)
Roundglass Punjab got one more shot at the Durand Cup and their first big result as part of the top flight of Indian Soccer, it went about like the others. Kiran Limbu has done his best, but there’s just not enough to push them past the strong defenses of the two Bengali clubs.
Emelec 22 – 0 La Familia (F)
That isn’t a typo, Las Electricas legitimately put twenty goals past their fellow Guayaquil team and then put two more through. It was 6 in the first 18 minutes and 12 in the first half.
News & Notes
Women’s World Cup-Date
The Women’s World Cup Final is set with Spain facing England on Sunday.
It’s worth noting that Spain is here, frankly, in spite of a host of problems with their national federation. The players, who fought for a decade to have any support for their team at all, have continued to advocate for what they want and need and frankly deserve. The response of the federation was to say, “stop asking for things or we’ll stop letting you play”. It has lead to the awkward experience of watching players celebrate the greatest moments in national team history without even looking back at the coach (the representative of the dismissive system).
Meanwhile, England has a massive psychological investment in winning a world cup and proving that they can still win trophies in the game they invented. So, quite a lot of drama is afoot.
Other Cup-Dates
Likewise the men are wrapping things up in their cups as well, both Minnesota and Punjab saw this chapter of their seasons crash down around them. While that’s disappointing, there’s still a long way to go for their regular seasons, so wait and see.
Freiburg’s cup run started well, and the women’s side will see the same start soon. Rosenborg has another match up with Hearts to stay alive in Europe (Hearts having one goal on the road will make this match in Edinburgh extra important). Meanwhile, Ross County will look to stay alive in the League Cup this weekend.
Vamos Electricas!
It’s been hard to follow, but there is a competition for the Women’s Side in Emelec. They’ll play this year in the Campeonato Provincial (for Guayaquil), win the league and you’ll have a chance to move up to the top league. (It may be hard to track down player names and statistics, but we’ll do what we can.)
It will be a little easier to follow the results for the Griz soccer team when they kick off this week (and when they do, we’ll have every team on the table)
Player of the Week
Mathys Tourainne might have had the best moment of individual play, and the Electricas had a tremendous outing, but I couldn’t identify any players to award. So instead, I’ll give this week’s honor to the often named but as yet unheralded Jayden Nelson.
Standings
With their twenty two goals Emelec has suddenly gotten an extra half a goal a game which doesn’t make much difference to the points total, but does keep them ahead of Ross County. The one mover is Grenoble that sneaks up to fourth place…while Punjab’s rough Durand Cup has them much closer to the chasing pack.
It took a while, including all of extra time, but Rosenborg survived the Northern Irish with a late Leo Cornic goal coming after a string of intense goal mouth chances that the Trolls couldn’t seem to finish. Cornic’s final rooftop blast was great, but still needed Andre Hansen to make a critical save to seal the victory.
UDG 5 – 0 Alebrijes
Ooof. Oaxaca trailed by 4 within 30 minutes and though a raft of defensive changes stymied UDG in most of the second half, this was just ugly.
Libertad 0 – 0 Emelec (M)
The second half of Ecuadors knock out round kicked off but Los bombillos couldn’t capitalize on a Pedro Ortiz clean sheet.
Columbus Crew 3 – 3 Minnesota United (M–League Cup)
Bongokhule Hlongwane struck twice again to continue forcing the question about whether he or Lionel Messi is having a better tournament. But the Loons still needed Hasani Dotson’s long range effort to bounce off of something bizarre to get the Loons for a shout-out. That’s where Dayne St Clair saved two penalties and helped the Loons squeak through.
Celtic 4 – 2 Ross County
It only took 3 minutes for the dominant team in Scotland to take the lead, but County came back in the second half to score their most goals at Celtic since the 2020 upset shocker. Goals from Jordan White and James Brown gave the stags a valuable moral victory (though those don’t help the standings any).
Saint-Etienne 0 – 1 Grenoble
Grenoble’s golden signee, Moldovan striker Virgiliu Postolachi, had several first half chances go wanting. While Saint-Etienne had the better looks in the second half, Brice Mableu stood strong with a penalty stop as well. Finally, late on in the game Amine Sbai managed to dash down the line, feed the redoubtable Jessy Bennet who passed through an absolutely gorgeous dummy run (I couldn’t id the player) to Abdoulie Sanyang for a late winner.
FK IMT Beograd 2 – 2 Vozdovac
The Dragons got another draw with a clever bit of desperation passing from Mihajlo Neskovic leading to Bogdan Jocic’s first goal of the campaign. Some suspect defending and spotty goalkeeping gave IMT a lead but substitutes Lazar Kojic hit Borisav Burmaz on a pin-point cross to hit the equalizer.
Fk Haugesund 1 – 2 Rosenborg (M)
An early goal for Haugesund and Ulrik Jenssen’s injury gave Rosenborg a lot of doubt. But Jennsen’s replacement–Hakon Rosten–at just 18 kept up with the big guys and was in the right place on a deflected free kick to slam home the equalizer. After Haugesund was reduced to ten men, Magnus Holte was again in the right place at the right time to find the winner.
Mohun Bagan SG 2 – 0 Punjab FC (Cup)
Mohun Bagan is one of the premier teams in Indian soccer, so Punjab was unlucky to draw them for their first game in the big time. The Unluckiness continued when defender Melroy Assissi scored the first goal of the game, into the net he was helping to defend for Punjab. One game does not make or break a year, but here’s hoping it wasn’t a sampling of what will be coming.
Defensa y Jusiticia 1 – 0 Emelec (M-Copa Sudamericana)
Trailing by three goals already, Emelec had their work cut out for them, and they didn’t get it done.
Toluca 2 – 2 Minnesota United (M–League Cup)
When I was doing Owen’s bedtime, the Loons were dominant. Joseph Rosales and Bongokhule Hlongwane managed gorgeous goals. When I started watching the match, they looked great, and then it all came undone with Michael Boxall failing to clear a ball near the goal that was hammered for Toluca’s first, and then Hasani Dotson making an ill advised challenge that earned him a second red and Toluca a penalty that promptly equalized. Once they were down a man, the Loons were clearly rattled, and had to hold on with every fingernail to make it to penalties. Despite my doomsaying the Loons came out like Lions during the shoot out, with an Argentine, a Kiwi, an Ohioan, and a Korean finding the net while our Canadian keeper (Dayne St. Clair) saved one and saw another bounce off the corner.
News & Notes
Women’s World Cup-Date
Norway’s great showing against the Phillipines didn’t come with a renewed vigor. The squad bowed out to Japan with Sarah Horte getting a brief run out…I blame the lack of playing time for Blakstad and Josensdal. Denmark’s storied run came to a conclusion as well, losing by 2 to Australia.
Sorry President Rapinoe
But while some of our favorites fell away, THE favorite: the US Women were also ousted, in a major upset for the top rated side in the world and the back-to-back defending champions. Some will blame technology, but c’mon…we know what’s what.
Other Cup-Dates
As the Men’s leagues continue to copy the ladies with cups on cups on cups, we saw Emelec wrap up their run, we will see Freiburg star theirs, while Rosenborg advance to the next stage of Conference League knockouts where they will face Ross Conty’s old foe: Hearts.
Luka Macjen Back in Actjen
The Stags they have another week before their next cup tie, but Minnesota United will march on to face Nashville (this despite the fact that America thought they had won twice and my internet news feed couldn’t decide either). Punjab FC has two matches to round out their group stage, including one against the Bangladeshi Army team…so a bunch of guys trained to kill you…no pressure…and East Bengal, another ISL team, but one less imposing than Mohun Bagan.
Player of the Week
Two teams grabbed a pair of wins this week, and while there are some strong performances from Rosenborg to consider, the Loons wouldn’t have either win if it wasn’t for Dayne St. Clair. So take a bow big Dayne, you are the player of the week.
Standings
The gap is closing between Punjab and their closest rivals, but I couldn’t find it in me to give the Loons 6 points for skin of their teeth penalty wins, otherwise we’d be within 0.1 at the top of the table. Meanwhile, County’s great run in the Scottish Cup has boosted them up past Freiburg and into a dead heat with the fast fading Emelec (Miller Bolanos to Dingwall?)
The Northern Irish team started out well, getting the first goal, but Carlo Holse and Ole Saeter were able to return fire and put Rosenborg ahead even though they were in hostile territory. While Erland Reitan’s late own goal gave the Crusaders a draw and an even footing for the next match, Rosenborg’s two away goals means they can draw this next week and still survive for the next round.
Minnesota United 2 – 3 Chicago Fire (M- US-Mex Cup)
The Loons looked to be living their best life in their second League Cup match. After dispatching Puebla 4-0 they were holding strong against one of the hottest teams in the US (no pun intended). When Bongokhule Hlongwane found the net to take the lead, things looked great, when he scored again ten minutes later to take the lead back after a Fire penalty, I felt like we were almost unstoppable. When Chicago scored twice within the next ten minutes to take the lead and leave the Loons hoping for results to advance, I remembered that I live in Minnesota, and we can’t have nice things.
Ross County 3 – 3 Kelty Hearts (M-Cup)
Kelty gave the Staggies their most challenging game of the ViaPlay League Cup to this point. Simon Murray continued his absolutely torrid form, but a late penalty for Ross Cunningham gave Kelty a life line and they took full advantage in the penalty kicks that followed (truth to tell, I’d rather lose penalties here than in the premiership playoff that the Staggies had last June.
Vozdovac 0 – 0 Javor
The Red Dragons are back in action in Serbia! Well, action might be a bit strong given the showing against Javor, but we’re always happy to have a reason to cheer and shout for Belgrade’s best Shopping Mall Based team.
Rosenborg 3 – 2 Odd (M)
Odd came out guns blazing in this match, with two goals within the first ten minutes, leaving the normally strong Rosenborg defenders grappling with how things had gone so wrong so quickly. But Andre Hansen stood strong for the rest of the match, and the team came out reset in the second half to notch three goals with Ole Saeter heading in from a corner, and connecting from the spot. When Odd lost a player to red card, Ulrik Yttergard Jenssen was once again ready to capitalize with a chaos goal, giving RBK the win.
Alebrijes 1 – 1 Tapatio
Oaxaca has taken some time this summer to prepare for the new campaign with a new coach, a new mascot and the typically daring new jerseys. The team once again brought on a host of young players to learn the craft and only said farewell to Christian Canozales. The new look team started the campaign with a familiarly tame draw against Tapatio.
Emelec 1 – 2 Defensa y Jusiticia (M-Copa Sudamericana)
Los Bombillos grabbed an early lead against one of the most dangerous teams in Argentina. For a bit it seemed like they might be able to grab a surprising result to take into the second half of the tie…but Defensa y Justicia came storming back, getting two road goals and leaving Emelec with a lot to do during. the away tie in Argentina.
News & Notes
Weekly Kids Highlights
It was Alex’s final week playing for the Highland Groveland Recreational Area’s U-5 Sunday 5 Pm session….breeding ground of champions. Ok, that might be overselling the competition, really, but it was very fun to have both sets of grandparents, both parents and a little brother in attendance. Alex ended up on a team with a young man with an extra six inches on everyone and a real will to dominate the game, so the goals weren’t coming as usual for Big A. But he found a way to have fun, taking the lead in defense, stepping up and knocking away the ball from several opponents, and trying to get a coach to stop eating a sucker while she ran around (it wasn’t safe, said Alex).
Women’s World Cup-Date
Norway left their struggles behind them with a staggering 6 goal outburst against the Phillipines that sees them through to the next round. Unfortunately for our sake, none of the Rosenborg Kvinner factored in the match. I’m holding out hope for Julie Blakstad, super sub miracle worker in the knock-out stages.
Haiti lost both of their final games in the group stage, a heart breaking 1-0 defeat against China, and a 2-0 loss to Denmark that saw Lene Christensen stop Sherly Jeudy’s shots…bestill my heart. Denmark will advance, and Haiti will go home, but don’t take anything away from les Grenadieres, they performed better than most predicted and did their home nation proud.
Other Cup-Dates
A few more Cup related events here in the summer months. Rosenborg and Emelec are in precarious positions going into the next matchday for their continental competitions, but could both advance (or both be eliminated…who knows).
Within domestic contests, both Ross County and Minnesota United have advanced to the knock out stages. Minnesota plays old friend Christian Ramirez in Columbus, while the Staggies join ten other teams in the round of sixteen (where top four finishers Aberdeen, Hearts, Hibs, Celtic and Rangers were already waiting). The Stags will play against Airdrieonians a Lancanshire side that went unbeaten in their group matches.
And finally Punjab FC, who officially joined the Indian Super League this week, will get a taste of the level of competition by taking on Kolkata stalwarts: Mohun Bagan and East Bengal in the group round of the Durand Cup (India’s oldest soccer competition).
Players of the Week
Given the lackluster week for club teams and the enduring strength of her goalkeeping for Denmark let’s give it up for Rosenborg and Denmark’s choice in the goal: Lene Christansen.
Standings
Punjab is back and ready to try to hold on to their spot atop our standings, but there’s plenty of opportunity for the other teams to catch up now that Punjab can, you know, lose. (Due to some delays in posting, standings will be updated next week)
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
Punjab–b
12
2
3
2.24
2.29
0.94
Minnesota
22
6
9
1.95
2.46
1.05
Rosenborg
17
6
13
1.58
1.67
0.94
Legon Cities–b
9
7
8
1.42
1.25
1.29
Grenoble–b
15
6
17
1.34
1.16
1.13
Emelec
7
8
7
1.32
1.23
1.14
Freiburg–b
12
7
19
1.13
1.24
1.66
Alebrijes–b
5
5
8
1.11
1.33
1.39
Ross County–b
6
4
12
1.00
1.23
1.50
Vozdovac–b
4
3
11
0.83
0.67
1.65
Montana–b
0
0
0
—
—
—
Table Updated 7/27/23 b–Team is between seasons
What’s Next
Thursday, August 3rd
Rosenborg v. Crusaders (M–Europa Conference)
Columbus Crew v. Minnesota United (M–League Cup)
UDG v. Alebrijes
Friday, August 4th
Saturday, August 5th
Celtic v. Ross County
Saint-Etienne v. Grenoble
FK IMT Beograd v. Vozdovac
Sunday, August 6th
Fk Haugesund v. Rosenborg (M)
Libertad v. Emelec (M)
Monday, August 7th
Mohun Bagan SG v. Punjab FC (Cup)
Tuesday, August 8th
Emelec v. Defensa y Jusiticia (M-Copa Sudamericana)
Los Bombillos won! And they did it without Miller Bolanos doing everything!! And it was in a continental competition!!! Cain Jair Fara delivered a perfectly timed and placed header to show that Emelec’s reinforced defense is just as valuable as their internationally experienced striker.
Vozdovac 2 – 1 FK Radnicki
The Dragons flew back in fine form (which is especially welcome after their rocky start to the 2023 year). Bogdan Jocic had himself a game with a supremely cheeky back heel for Vozdovac’s first big chance and then a blistering shot from distance to record the first goal. Vozdovac kept the pressure up consistently to handle the match with ease.
Bayern Munchen 8 – 2 SC Freiburg (F)
This uh…this was not good…
Hearts 6 – 1 Ross County
This was also rough…I mean…oooh boy…
Rosenborg BK 0 – 1 LSK Kvinner (F)
It may not be a massive rivalry to the minds of many, but I always look at these games between Rosenborg and Lillestrom’s finest as a top tier show down in the Toppserien. The win is particularly big given that it ended Rosenborg’s winning streak and opened the door for Valerenga to jump up into first place.
Seattle Sounders 0 – 1 Minnesota (M)
It’s never easy to go into Seattle and get points from one of the most prestigious teams on the West coast. The Loons have gotten one win and one draw out of the twelve matches the two teams have held. This match was much like the others, Minnesota couldn’t seem to get things going and spent most of the match playing defense….almost successfully.
Karela United 0 – 2 Legon Cities
Michael Otou continues to be in some pretty spectacular form, with another goal ripped from an impressive distance. Kofi Kordzi put together a fabulous run to make another goal possible for Alex Aso. And Legon got a much needed win in the Royal derby
Freiburg 4 – 0 Schalke 04 (M)
I came home to do some frantic cleaning during your Sunday school, and for my time I got the reward of a big Freiburg win with Michael Gregositch being in the perfect place at the perfect time for his second goal. An excellent touch from Ritsu Doan setting up Lucas Holer and a very nice play by my new favorite name: Merlin Rohl (who at 20 years old, could have been my student when Alex was born…he wasn’t, obviously, but…oooh boy…feeling old.)
Rosenborg 1 – 1 Sandefjord (M)
While the women struggled, Rosenborg’s men rose to the occasion with a tremendously timed Carlo Holse goal that seemed to defy physics as it squirted through legs and arms and every part of the defense before hitting the net deep into injury time. (Kudos to another cheeky assist, this one from Canadian Jayden Nelson)
Musuc Runa 0 – 0 Emelec (M)
A goalless draw is hardly note worthy, but hey, Emelec extended their not losing streak!!
Grenoble Foot 4 – 0 Clermont Foot (F)
Apparently when it rains it pours for Grenoble! They grabbed their third straight win after seven winless rounds to start 2023. Could things be peaking just in time for the World Cup? (Florsie Joseph’s two goals certainly give us hope!)
Bordeaux does seem to be well on track for promotion, while Grenoble has settled in neatly into the middle of the table, and in that way this was absolutely unsurprising.
Detroit City FC 1 – 3 Minnesota United (M-Cup)
Detroit City got out to a great start and held the lead at half-time, but Minnesota came roaring back with both Luis Amarilla and recent debutant Emmanuel Iwe smashing it (the second off of a–you guessed it–cheeky assist from Franco Frangapane), and moving the team through to the fourth round of the US Open Cup.
Legon Cities 2 – 0 Accra Lions
The Royals are so hot right now, it’s basically like trying to drink Nkatekwan fresh off the boil. This time it was Kofi Kordzi and Ebenezer Armegah who got the big goals, and their three game winning streak couldn’t have come at a better time, boosting them up to tenth in the league. Though with only five points between them and the relegation spots, there’s no time to rest.
Novi Pazar 0 – 1 FK Vozdovac
Borisav Burmaz has been arguably the most integral and decisive attacker in recent Vozdovac history. Perhaps never more so than getting the stoppage time goal to give them a big win over Novi Pazar. At the same time, quietly consistent keeper Andrija Katic’s excellent defense continued to keep Vozdovac in matches that they might otherwise capitulate in.
Raya2Expansion 2 – 0 Alebrijes
And just like that Alebrijes’ season is over. (I know it surprised me too) After their single round against the other teams int he Liga de Expansion Clausura they got their playoff game against Raya2 last night, and…it was over before it really got going. Raya2 scored twice in the first half and there was not much of a path back after that. Ah well, we can always look forward to the new wild uniforms the Oaxacans debut when the 2023 Apertura opens in the summer. (Man, Mexico, I need more clarity on the beginning and end of your seasons….)
News & Notes
Vozdovac takes the top of the split
They may get to the second tier before you.
The Dragons are back in action this week, and they’re taking flight among the top tier of the Serbian league, including the Belgrade duopoly (and surprising interlopes: Cukarici, and Backa Topola). Realistically Vozdovac are 18 points out from qualifying for European action, so they’re while they get to play against the best local competition, it’s pretty clear where they’re going to land.
Ross County takes the low road
The Staggies on the other hand will have nothing but meaningful games from here on out. There’s just five games between them and a demotion to the second tier of Scottish Soccer. They’ll have to make up four points on their nearest rivals to get out of trouble with the final match of the year against fellow battlers Kilmarnock looming especially large. They only have two home matches, but given that they’ve been a better than other teams on the road this year, maybe that’s a good thing? Or maybe I’m desperate.
We Missed One
Ghana Soccernet for the Win
In the rush of trying to track games across the league we admittedly missed one: Legon Cities loss to Bibiani Gold Stars in the Ghanaian Cup. (You know this wouldn’t happen if it was easier to follow cups than leagues…looks pointedly at federations without sponsorships that raise the profile…)
Player of the Week
There were plenty of cheeky moments throughout this week, young players finding clever ways to tap the ball here and there and everywhere. But we can’t help but give the recognition to a man who has both scored, and defended like a champion while boosting his team to a strong showing of late: Legon’s Defensive Midfielder Michael Otou, c’mon down you’re the player of the week
Standings
There’s a new team at the top, a new team at the bottom, and two new teams on their breaks.
Rosenborg’s less than perfect week slipped them down a notch so Punjab could move back into our local league lead. Emelec made a big move (which is just proof that winning three helps, losing three hurts, and getting a mix of results has a mix of results). Alebrijes’ loss wrapped up their part of this season with an unconvincing showing, while Vozdovac’s pair of wins vaulted them out of the bottom position…and let Ross County fall there.
Alebrijes’ up and down form continued as, Julio Cruz made an impact within 2 minutes of coming on in the second half, but couldn’t get the win.
Ross County 0 – 1 Aberdeen
It’s been rough going for County this year, but that shouldn’t fall on the defense. Alex Iacovitti, Jack Baldwin and Keith Watson have created the strongest back line outside of Glasgow (and the dominant Old Firm). But their attack has been worse than everyone except Kilmarnock). They are 20 goals off of their total last year (and clearly miss Charles Regan Cook)
RB Leipzig 0 – 1 SC Freiburg (F-Cup)
It’s another Cup final for Freiburg, this one coming thanks to a victory over corporate rival RB Leipzig. It was a tense affair going all the way to the sixth minute of stoppage time, when Hasret Kayici (who else) got on the right end of a great volley to net the winner that sends die Frauen to the finals.
Emilie Joramo scored early for win. That should complete the defensive midfielder’s allotment for the year, but when it nets three points it was clearly well timed.
Minnesota 1 – 2 Orlando (M)
The Loons couldn’t seem to convert on their opportunities, but had great chances. On a normal day Bongokhule Hlongwane’s wild man unleashed style shoulda woulda given the Loons 2 goals. But news is rarely about what coulda happened, and as Orlando actually did get the goals that’s all that counts.
Punjab finally got some points in the cup, came against their fellow I-Leaguers, and unfortunately after they were eliminated. It is some consolation for Punjab to get a win in the Super Cup, even if it leaves them finishing bottom of their group, it came against their old rivals in Delhi. If we learned anything from this tournament, it’s that the Warriors have some work to do before the ISL campaign starts up in the fall. (I’m still not sure if coach Staikos Vergetis’ more defensive plan is the way to go to limit opponents, or if the best defense is a good offense)
Werder Bremen 1 – 2 Freiburg (M)
Bremen looked best during the first half but Lucas Holer and Roland Sallai were a great combo returning the benefits to one another to get the win.
Legon Cities 2 – 0 Kotoku Royals
Michael Otou’s brace against bottom of the table Royals was very valuable. (Teams 13-17 are all tied at 31 point, two of the five will be relegated…hopefully not our Royals)
Molde 1 – 1 Rosenborg (M)
Rosenborg’s best period of pressure led to an own goal and the required work for a draw.
Olympique Marseille 1 – 3 Grenoble Foot (F)
A win. On the road. Against a prestige club like Marseille. Wowza, when the ladies of Grenoble come back, they come all the way back! A double for Jade Decilap was instrumental in the result.
It remains the Miller Bolanos show in Emelec, as in, why can’t we do anything without Miller Bolanos? The talismanic midfielder’s absence was palpable again, as Los Bombillos had plenty of possession but couldn’t seem to do much with it after Jose Cevallos scored in the early going.
Grenoble 0 – 2 Saint-Etienne (M)
It was a good but not really outstanding effort for Grenoble in the shirt sponsor Derby. But the pictures of the game looked like a lot of fun
Alebrijes 1 – 0 Pumas Tabasco
Julio Caesar Cruz was the man of the night, scoring his sixth of the campaign on what can best be described as a goal by default and keeping Oaxaca in the thick of the mid table tussle.
Asane 0 – 3 Rosenborg (F)
In their second match of the week, the Troll ladies (which is a nickname I will keep using no matter that I’m the only one using it) continued their perfect start to the season. The veterans Cesilie Andreassen and Synne Hansen both scored
News & Notes
Blakstad’s Back in the Ice and Snow
Blog favorite Julie Blakstad‘s time in Manchester has been generally strong. She seems to score at every opportunity, but there are plenty of talents to employ at one of the world’s biggest clubs. So rather than giving her a richly deserved role, Julie has been loaned out to Swedish side BK Häcken. Obviously, we’d have preferred a return to the black and white of Trondheim, but if Julie’s happy, we’re happy.
Player of the Week
With multiple braces we could open an orthodonture clinic (ba-dum CHING!!). But the player who made us smile the most has to be Jade Decilap who has helped Grenoble’s Mesdames get back on track AND boasts far more swag than I do.
Punjab nearly got back to the top spot on their own skills with their win of Deccan, but if we’ve learned one thing in these last years it’s to NEVER bet against the women of Rosenborg. Meawhile, Emelec’s slide continues, without Miller Bolanos they seeem to be bereft…not unlike my heart
Kotoko might be one of Ghana’s true giants, but Legon always seems up to the challenge. Alex Aso got the equalizer to keep Legon looking tough
Arna-Bjornar 0 – 1 Rosenborg (F)
The Trolljenta got another win but it took a late winner from Emilie Nautnes to snatch the points.
Freiburg 1 – 1 Hertha BSC (M)
The boys of Breisgau haven’t lost domestically in almost two months, but that’s come with a lot of disappointing draws, including this one to relegation battlers Hertha after Vincenzo Grifo got the lead
Vozdovac 0 – 1 Javor
The dragons dropped another home match. I’m not sure what would help make home cooking work for them but they have a long way to go to catch up with the top four sides in Serbia.
Grenoble 2 – 1 Armiens (M)
Jessy Bennet slotted home a first half penalty and nearly scored a very cheeky chip shot. Abdoulie Sanyang got the second half winner, but attention should also be paid to 22 year old Mathys Tourraine who has quickly become a vital cog in both defense and attack for Les Alpiners.
Delfin 3 – 2 Emelec (M)
It was a testy match in Ecuador with three spot kicks given (and all of them converted). Miller Bolaños left room for someone else (Alejandro Cabeza) to score, but he also left the match early due to an injury, which isn’t what you’d hope to see for the clear talisman of the team. Defender Fernando Leon drew a second yellow card to leave the team a man short and ultimately leaven enough room room for Delfín to keep threatening and finally snatch a late winner.
St. Louis City 0 – 1 Minnesota (M)
Both teams came into the match undefeated, but only the visitors left that way. St. Louis had control for most of the match, but when the Loons threatened, they made the most of it. Luis Amarilla smashed in the winning penalty after bottling some strong opportunities. The reinvigorated back line, especially the eternally present Michael Boxall stood tall to stop St Louis from equalizing.
Ross County 0 – 2 Celtic
Within regular time County earned a draw. But soccer also includes extra time, and that’s where Celtic scored.
Freiburg 0 – 1 Turbine Potsdam (F)
Potsdam handed the Frauen their fifth straight loss…this one turning on Meret Witje’s own goal. Ugh.
Grenoble Foot 1 – 0 Thonon Evian (F)
Good news for Freiburg the ladies of the Alps broke their own five game skid with a vital win, and one against one of the best teams in France’s second division. Goalkeeper Bolkach had an excellent game defending against Thonon’s potent attack and in a last minute counter attack Claudia Fabre picked out newcomer Florsie Joseph and Grenoble got a tremendous winner. So hey, Freiburg, there’s hope!
Bibiana Gold Stars 3 – 2 Legon Cities FC
A wild first half saw the Gold Stars take the lead, after Ebenezer Armegah and Eric Bonsu briefly gave Legon the edge. and despite their best efforts (and a reversed goal), the Royals lost and dropped firmly into the relegation zone
Bayern Munich 1 – 2 Freiburg (M-Cup)
Few teams are as dominant as Bayern Munich are in Germany, but for the third straight year Freiburg has either matched or outperformed them in the Cup.
Nicholas Hofler connected with as beautiful a goal as you will ever see to balance the books. The defensive line (especially Ginter, Gunter, and Gulde) stymied an insistent Bayern attack until they forced Bayern into more mistakes, this time with a series of fouls that allowed Lucas Holer to win it on a hand ball Penalty Kick in extra time.
To celebrate, Freiburg got to face Munich again on the weekend and will face Liepzig, the team that beat them in last year’s final, in the semi’s
Partizan Belgrade 1 – 0 Vozdovac
Partisan can be a brutal opponent. So much so that in the last 7 matches they won by an average of 3-0. So the red dragons only losing by 1 is a high water mark not seen since March of 2020.
Danubio 2 – 0 Emelec (M-South American Cup)
Danubia hasn’t been great shakes in their local Uruguayan league this year. But they had no trouble containing or attacking Emelec. The best news, Uruguayan native midfielder — had one of his best games yet for Los Bombillos.
Alebrijes 1 – 0 Cancun FC
Armando Gonzalez got an early goal off a rebound from Ernesto Reyes’ blast of a free kick. Even though Oaxaca earned 4 yellow cards in 12 minutes, and were unable to make good on several one-on-one opportunities, they withstood the pressure of Cancun.
Freiburg 0 – 1 Bayern Munich (M)
Munich got their win back in the domestic league, capitalizing on the early departure of Manuel Gulde to bedevil the back line and batter the Freiburg net to the tune of 3.5 expected goals. In that light, even losing by one is a bit of an accomplishment for Freiburg. (Not one they’re going to put in their hall of fame, but something at least)
St. Johnstone 0 – 2 Ross County
The Staggies returned to action and got a win for the first time since February! Jordan White made a major nusiance of himself and set up Simon Murray (who came on for the injured Eamonn Brophy) for the first goal on an absolute banger. Then rarely used midfielder David Cancola made the most of his moment getting one of his own on a scrambled ball into the box.
Kerala Blasters 3 – 1 Punjab FC (Cup)
Punjab’s first effort against a Super League side left a little something to be desired. Kerala was able to control the match despite Punjab rolling out a broader midfield than usual, which did slow down Kerala for the first half, until a penalty gave the Blasters the lead. A half time swap of midfielder Maheson Singh for attacker Krishnananda Khundongbam paid off with Punjab’s goal, but the more expanded midfield was easier for Kerala to get past (leading to two more goals and the win)
Laval 0 – 1 Grenoble (M)
Mathais Phaeton got the early goal thanks to a scintillating through ball from (who else) Jessy Bennet and Brice Mableu was able to shut down Laval for the rest of the match to seal a win.
Chicago Fire 2 – 1 Minnesota United
Kei Kamara took two early goals for Chicago, and by the time your mom and I tuned in after you were tucked in at last, we were at the desperate crosses situation for the Loons. Kervin Arriaga got one, but despite many fine chances and amazing efforts, Bongokhule Hlongwane couldn’t score the vital equalizer.
Aucus 2 – 1 Emelec (M)
Emelec’s struggles continued with another loss, bouyed only by Jose Cevallos’ injury time consolation goal. The team that lives by Miller Bolanos, also dies by Miller Bolanos (at least when Miller Bolanos is out of the match with an injury, but even then we will still write Miller Bolanos’ name so many times that we summon him to Minnesota).
Rosenborg 1 – 0 Viking (M)
Rosenborg started their campaign with a revenge win against the team that knocked them out of the cup (kind of like the reverse Freiburg experience). Ulrik Jennssen was a pest in defense, and Adrian Pereira celebrated his first start since August of last year with the winning goal off of a half volley in the middle of nothing.
Vozdovac 1 – 3 TSC Backa Topola
Danilo Teodorovic scored first, but Topola came back with a vengeance. We would be upset, but any team that breaks up the Partizan/Red Star duopoly is okay in our books.
Punjab FC 0 – 2 Bengaluru FC (Cup)
Again Punjab set up in a defensive posture which…again worked for the first half, and then, when they got a little more aggressive in the second half, Bengaluru capitalized and took the lead. Huidrom Singh’s second yellow card didn’t help matters and let Bengaluru seal the win.
News & Notes
Jonah Attuquaye off to Latvia
We’ve made no mistake about it, Jonah Attuquaye is one of our all time favorite players during this project. He almost single handedly lifted up the Royals from their lowest ebbs and kept them consistently fresh when they desperately needed to be. But, all things must come to an end, and a player of Jonah’s caliber deserves a fresh challenge and opportunity. Last month (far below the radar of all the news I was following) he got that opportunity with a move to FK Auda in Latvia (which my former students say is lovely).
I truly hope he excels in Europe and maybe, in a season or so, there’s room for him in Rosenborg or Ross County.
Indian Super Cup Starts…and Ends
It was a pretty brief break for Round Glass Punjab as they spent a month celebrating their championship in the I-League, but the Super Cup provides them with a chance to prove themselves before the Super League starts next fall. They did draw a dangerous group, featuring two ISL playoff teams (Kerala Blasters and Bengaluru FC) and a fierce I-League rival (Sreenidi Deccan…you know…the team they were fighting for the trophy for months). We love a new competition, and we love Punjab, but the results from the first week of action made the next steps moot as the two losses show they are already eliminated…(Chenchyo Geltsyen’s absence was palpable.)
Spring Break! woo.
I love you boys. I love your mom and her family. I love travel.
This was hard.
We spent 6 days in Los Angeles, where the weather was lovely and I felt completely exhausted regardless. You guys had great fun seeing all the science and sunshine that LA could offer and playing happily with your Auntie, random kids at a scenic playground and a variety of newly adopted stuffies and Dino toys. You also did not understand time differences and insisted on waking me up at 4:30, and only going to bed at 8:30 PM…though the easy access to massive cakes and jelly beans may not have helped things.
Travelling with you is a privilege…it’s also a big responsibility. But you’re so darned cute.
BootRoom Book Review
From Madani’s Best Game by Fran Pintadara illustrated by Raquel Catalina
To save room in my backpack (and also because I’m forgetful), we didn’t bring bed time books along with us on this trip. So we turned to the thing that all humans turn to for answers these days: a smart phone. Soon enough, the St Paul library gave us access to several nice books including one appropriate for this blog Madani’s Best Game
The story of a star player in an anonymous neighborhood was a fine bit of soccer lore. It had clear pictures of the action, a great sense of the role of a team, and an appropriate level of drama building up to the final match.
But really the story was less about soccer, and more about a kid’s love for his mother. Much as you guys like a soccer story, you love to love your mom.
Players of the Weeks
Jessy Bennet must be acknowledged. The midfielder has managed to pilot les bleus to certainty and security in the second league, which has been in short supply since his departure after 2021.
Also worth noting is Ernesto Reyes, whose leadership and defense has continued to help Oaxaca out of their traditional funks.
Standings
The Super Cup did a real number on Punjab’s position atop the table. It can happen when you get twice as many defeats in one span as you had in the past three months. As a result, Rosenborg, returned to the top spot this year as both the men and women are undefeated in the league so far this young season. (The one loss was in the cup.) Meanwhile, the difficulty in getting decisive results has taken its toll on Freiburg and Vozdovac.
The Twin Cities have seen 32 years go by since one of the big sports franchises in town won a title.
There have been smaller victories: college teams that top the land, minor league titles in baseball and soccer, and a truly dominant women’s basketball team.
But ask most fans to talk about Minnesota Sports and the story they tell you is one of pain and defeat: with phrases like, “the Cuzzi Call”, or “Gary Anderson’s Wide Left”, or “Bountygate” sure to bring a rueful sigh and a wince of emotion. Heck just say “New York Yankees” and your mom and I may let loose very un-parental profanity.
Part of doing this writing project for the last three years has been to put some of those defeats into context. To write about how sports are not better or worse because you win or lose. To try to raise you boys up to accept the defeats with grace and good humor rather than embittered angst that you see in the sourest local fans.
But it’s also to appreciate the great moments for what they are: truly special.
Dear Boys,
Most years, there’s not much to cheer for as a fan. In 2020 none of our teams took a trophy. In 2021 two of them (Emelec and Montana) picked up three between them. 2022 saw another round of positive performances that never included a golden trophy. This year was only 61 days old before one of our teams won a trophy.
Chencho, Brandon, and Lallawmawma in a more desperate defensive position (view19.in)
That victory, that trophy, that triumph is undoubtedly special. We’re thrilled for the players, coaches and extra staff that work for Roundglass Punjab. It’s worth while just to sit and savor it for a moment. But it’s also a great opportunity to learn a lesson from it as well.
While Emelec ran away with their league and the Griz took one tournament title through grit and another by default. But Punjab’s triumph was less secure.
In fact, just a week before their triumph hopes were fading.
They trailed a rival (Sreenidi Deccan) by goal difference, and Punjab had arguably the harder schedule ahead. They couldn’t just win, they needed to win by wide margins AND get help if they were going to take the title. A glaring defeat to Deccan seemed to loom bigger and bigger as the matches passed.
And then, it all seemed to fall into place.
No championship is won without a clear plan and organization: chaos does not yield results with any consistency. They went unbeaten in their last ten games. Punjab had one of the most impressive attacking trios of the league. Their goalie has conceded only 1 goal in the last 540 minutes of play. Powerful offense and stingy defense…that’s a pretty easy way to win games. They built a team to do it, developed a plan for it, and executed it perfectly.
Ashish Pradan before a decisive bit of good luck. (view19.in)
At the same time, no championship is won without a sizable amount of good fortune and Punjab’s title certainly shows that too: Deccan’s 4-0 loss to 10th place Mohammadan SC was a huge boon to the cause. The availability of Chenchyo Geltshen to create a three-headed monster at the front of the attack was not expected but extremely welcome. An own goal scored by Gokulam FC accounted for a game that might have been a draw to give Punjab all three points.
Some people will tell you that it’s better to be lucky than good. Punjab is certainly good, and they might be a little luckier than most. But their victory shows an honest reality: the best results come when people make the most of the luck they get.
Success isn’t just about a plan, and it isn’t just happenstance.
Success is a combination of good planning and good fortune.
And as Minnesota sports fans know: success is truly special.
It seemed for a while like Freiburg would get a draw against one of the legendary teams of Europe in that team’s legendary stadium. But Juve did what has made them a legendary team and found a way to win. Not all hope is lost, if Freiburg wins at home (and doesn’t allow Juve to score) they can advance.
There was some joy in continental competition, as Emelec snagged another spot destined for an Ecuadorian team in the Southamerican version of the Europa league. Miller Bolanos capitalized on one of the best dummy runs you’ll ever see by Samuel Sosa. Bolanos also netted the winner after Cuenca had equalized from the penalty spot. It’s becoming a habit for him.
Grenoble 2 – 1 Annecy (M)
After some underwhelming results, Grenoble got a key victory in the battle between the best sides in the French Alps. Mathias Phaeton made the most of his start up top, finding a way to work free and clear when the ball bounced into the box. Jordy Gaspar pegged an assist and a few crucial bits of defending to help Grenoble top their regional rivals.
Minnesota 1 – 1 NY Red Bulls
Bongokuhle Hlongwane got the Loons first goal in the snowy confines of St Paul, and after New York got even after a pressurized attack at the start of the second half, Minnesota had most of the opportunities to win. But as the score line shows…they didn’t.
Radnicki Nis 2 – 3 Vozdovac
The Dragons love clean sheets. They either take one (usually against the best teams in Serbia) or they enforce one (on pretty much anybody else). This marked only the fifth time in 26 matches this season that both teams scored. Given that they’ve won three, drawn one, and lost one, maybe they could play a little more aggressively and trust that the defense will see them through, especially as Milos Krunic was superb in goal throughout the first half. Mihajlo Neskovic continued his strong form with another goal, and Niska Vujanovic notched one that was drilled so hard he got offered a carpentry job.
Punjab FC 2 – 0 TRAU
It was a triumphant homecoming for Punjab as they finished off the I-League campaign lifting the trophy that they so richly deserved. They did take a little time to trounce their opponents before the party got underway, with (who else) Luka Macjen netting twice (including once from an “I dare you” chip shot) to complete a superb 12 match unbeaten run for the Warriors. (Enjoy the highlights and do stay for the award ceremony celebration)
Freiburg 2 – 1 Hoffenheim (M)
The best of the Black Forest looked to be heading for another underwhelming result in a week full of them, when Ristu Doan slashed a volley on a low cross and snatched a late winner. Freiburg continues to linger on the outer edges of the German title picture, so hopefully whatever happens against Juventus, they’ll be playing meaningful football for the next several months.
Saint Etienne 4 – 0 Grenoble (F)
The ladies of Grenoble struggled against an undefeated Saint Etienne side, as you might expect. Franny Arpine helped solidify the win for the top team in the table with an own goal. The loss drops Grenoble to 10th place in their league, but only 4 points separate them from 6th place…so…who knows.
Berekum Chelsea 1 – 0 Legon Cities
The Royals know…that things are really bleak. Another loss for Legon sees them drop into the relegation zone for Ghana’s Premier League. A year of refocusing may not be the worst thing, but we would sorely miss some of the elite talent that would likely look to leave as soon as the final whistle blows. (Of course there are still 13 matches to go, so things can change, it just doesn’t feel very optimistic around the Royals right now.
SGS Essen 2 – 1 SC Freiburg (F)
Adding to the pessimist punch bowl, the Frauen from Freiburg lost their perfect record against lower table teams when Essen broke out at the start of the second half. Worse there was also an early departure for Hasret Kayicki and general disarray for the attack.
Viking 2 – 0 Rosenborg (M-Cup)
Yes our Norwegian friends are back in action! And they’re also immediately out of it! Truthfully, the fact that Rosenborg’s last round of the Cup came back in June 2022, raises the question of how reliable any of this is. After all, they had time to sign a prolific striker, and sell him between the two rounds.
Emelec v. Tecnico Universitario (M): Postponed
The entire Ecuadorian league was put on a pause this weekend. (See the note below for more information and some total fiction)
Alebrijes 2 – 2 UDG
The first half was pretty tame, but when the skies opened up and rain started to fall in the second, the goals poured in as well (which isn’t too surprising given how poor both team’s defenses have been this season) Alebrijes took the lead, twice. They gave it back, twice. Julio Cruz and Ernesto Reyes got the goals and Octavio Paz (not the poet) gave them back. Still a point is a help for Alebrijes.
News & Notes
More interesting reasons Emelec’s game got cancelled
Choose for yourself the reason why Ecuador’s league was cancelled this week:
The League went on a special Turtle watching expidition in the Galapagos Islands (to learn your boys favorite spanish word: Tortuga!)
A truly terrible round of farts went through every locker room and no one could be near eachother.
The tv broadcasters asked for a rescheduling for undisclosed reasons
Queen Elsa of Arandelle froze every field and the league had to call in the super hot laser blasts of Iron Man to thaw it.
One of those reasons is true (hint: it’s the boring business one), the others should amuse my children. I know which I prefer.
Speaking of TV
For the first time in…well…ever…I watched the Loons on our TV downstairs. This was made possible by the Loons league making a new and stunning deal to put all their games on a computer streaming service rather than regular TV (which your mom and I stopped having). This is a new move in sports TV, while you can get some matches for some leagues in other countries on line (as we sometimes do with Freiburg), this is a big local league wide gamble. If it pays off you boys will probably never know another way of doing it. If not…well…this will be an odd bit of trivia.
Punjab Wins all the Awards
Most movie awards this weekend went to a oddball movie that involved hot-dog fingers, body slams, and googly eyes.
Best Ensemble (From Roundglass Punjab on Twitter)
Most Indian Hero League awards went to Roundglass Punjab, who celebrated their status as the top team in the league with awards for Best Goalie (Kiran Limbu), Best Midfielder (Juan Mera), Best Coach (Staikos Vergetis). And with his two goals Luka Macjen won both the Golden Boot (for most goals scored) and the league MVP (since they’re sponsored by Hero motorcycles, they named the MVP the “League Hero” award…because they’re clever)
It’s hard to settle on a player of the week. While Punjab can rightly lay claim to another trophy, their win was more matter of fact than inspiring. Vozdovac got a great showing from their goalie to keep them in a tightly contested match, but I’m going to give the edge to Ritsu Doan who’s late goal made a huge impact on the mood around Freiburg (despite his goalless drought, he’s been so fundamental to making space for others–and for inspiring in the World Cup that I think he’s overdue for some recognition)
Ritsu Doan in action (from Kyodo Times)
Standings
Rosenborg broke the streak of starting seasons with wins, and in so doing saved Ross County from dropping to the bottom of the table (just six more months until Montana kicks off!). Meanwhile Punjab again claimed the top spot but they won’t be resting on their laurels as the Indian Super Cup will kick off in April with more drama afoot and a chance to see RoundGlass against their future Super League rivals.
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
Punjab
11
2
1
2.50
2.64
0.79
Emelec
2
0
1
2.00
1.67
1.00
Minnesota
1
1
0
2.00
1.00
0.50
Freiburg
6
3
6
1.40
1.53
1.87
Grenoble
7
4
9
1.25
1.00
1.20
Vozdovac
2
2
3
1.14
0.71
1.71
Legon Cities
2
5
4
1.00
0.82
1.09
Alebrijes
2
4
5
0.91
1.27
1.45
Ross County
2
3
5
0.90
1.10
1.10
Rosenborg
0
0
1
0.00
0.00
1.00
Montana–b
0
0
0
—
—
—
Table Updated 3/15/22 b–Team is between seasons
What’s Next
Thursday, March 16th
Freiburg v. Juventus (M-European Cup–Freiburg trails 1-0)
Armando Gonzalez gave us reason to hope that Oaxaca could be on to a winning streak, but a penalty in the 66th minute gave it all back. So let’s keep rooting for an unbeaten streak!
Eintracht Frankfurt 4 – 1 SC Freiburg (F)
Fresh off their stirring Cup performance, the ladies of Freiburg struggled to connect against Frankfurt and suffered a disappointing defeat. Hasret Kayici netted an equalizer, but the Griffins continue to struggle against anyone above them in the table: (better than most, not at the same level as the others)
Rajasthan United 0 – 4 Punjab FC
Punjab put it beyond all doubt in their game against Rajasthan (who, for some reason, played their game in Delhi?). An early own goal (originally attributed to Chenchyo Geltsen) gave way to more and more from the attacking trio: Luka Macjen and Juan Mera got their own and there was no doubt that the Warriors would win the match and take the title!
Borussia Munchen Gladbach 0 – 0 Freiburg (M)
Mark Flekken did everything he was asked to do and more, as Freiburg got a point on the road. Gladbach was a little extra physical, and even though they went down to ten men before the end of the game, Freiburg couldn’t capitalize.
Ross County 0 – 2 Motherwell
Eomonn Brophy followed his sterling showing without doing much of anything. And when center back Jack Baldwin saw red with twenty minutes to play, it was not terribly promising. Sure enough Motherwell brought forward more attack and got the goals they needed to deny the hosts any points.
Dijon 1 – 0 Grenoble
Les Alpiners also had a bit of a hangover from their cup trip to Lyon last week, giving up a first half goal to Dijon and being forced to chase the match from there.
Legon Cities 1 – 1 Real Tamale
Any point is a positive point for Legon Cities, but losing the lead that Samuel Armah gave them with just seven minutes to play stings. They now sit above relegation based only on goal difference. Last time things were this close, it took a major penalty to a relegation rival to survive. Fingernails are getting short in Legon.
Yzeure Allier 2 – 0 Grenoble Foot (F)
There was little to enjoy about Grenoble’s match against their neighbor in the standings. Several ugly errors cost them dearly as Yzeure grabbed three valuable points, and the offense seemed unable to do anything against one of Ligue Deux’s worst defenses.
Vozdovac 0 – 0 Vojvodina
This was a soccer match. It happened. And, it kind of didn’t.
Orense 2 – 1 Emelec (M)
Despite going a man up within 5 minutes, Emelec could not find a way through Orense. In fact, they ended up being out maneuvered by their opponents and coughing up all the points to a shorthanded opposition.
Raya2Expansion 1 – 1 Alebrijes
Oaxaca was first off the mark (again). Armando Gonzalez provided the first half goal (again). But the defense faltered (again). hmm…is there a Time Machine about?
Note: this match is not included in the standings posted below
News & Notes
Boys Weekend!
Your mom went out of town to a yoga retreat for the weekend, so it was boys time! We had a nice time watching superhero movies and you were mightily impressive at cleaning up the house and packing your bags for a sleepover with grandma and grandpa. Once we were there, Alex built some daring marble races out of my old train set, and Owen hit grandpa’s soft toss all over the house (which is more than he let me do). Then you finished your Soccer Shots training program and celebrated both having medals! (HUZZAH Medals!)
The Conquering Warriors
There will be much more to say about Punjab FC’s victory in the I-League (trust me I’ve been writing a piece about it to post later this month), but suffice to say it feels pretty darn good. And I just watch the team!
The victory comes with hardware for the trophy case, yes; but it also comes with the promise of more exciting days to come. First in April, Punjab will be guaranteed a spot in the Super Cup (an event kind of like the World Cup, but only for Indian club sides). Then, next fall, they’ll join the top flight of Indian soccer: the Indian Super League (as long as they prove that they can financially manage it).
Not So Luck of the Draw
Freiburg’s cup opponents are…uh…good. First, the men step into the last 16 of the Europa League against a little team named Juventus: a team with 3 Europa Leagues already (as well as 9 Champions League finals). Then, in the German Cup, they go into the quarter final against Bayern Munich (the team that has 9 straight League titles and twenty cup titles). And the ladies, well, they’ll face RB Leipzig’s women side in the Semi-final of their tournament (the same Leipzig organization that beat the men last year in the final).
But Freiburg did win the second division. When has Juventus done that?!? (Never, they play in Italy…but still, I’m looking for hope)
Player of the Week
It wasn’t a great week for almost all our teams, but when it was good it was down right great! So let’s give a nod to a great goalkeeper well worthy of being the first keeper named this year: Kiran Limbu of the Punjabi champions: this one is for you.
Standings
Emelec’s stay at the top was brief, but Minnesota is still blocking Punjab’s path to the top…for now. (There is a match at home, but having seen them play in sub-zero snowy weather before, I’m not eager to repeat that experience.) Next week we’ll see if Rosenborg continues the trend of strong starts as the men have their first match of the year in the Norwegian Cup.
Team
W
D
L
PPG
GFA
GAA
Minnesota
1
0
0
3.00
1.00
0.00
Punjab
10
2
1
2.46
2.69
0.85
Emelec
1
0
1
1.50
1.50
1.00
Freiburg
5
3
4
1.50
1.67
2.00
Grenoble
6
4
8
1.22
1.00
1.06
Legon Cities
2
5
3
1.10
0.90
1.10
Ross County
2
3
5
0.90
1.10
1.10
Alebrijes
2
2
5
0.89
1.22
1.44
Vozdovac
1
2
3
0.83
0.33
1.67
Rosenborg–b
0
0
0
—
—
—
Montana–b
0
0
0
—
—
—
Table Updated 3/8/22 b–Team is between seasons
What’s Next
Thursday, March 9th
Juventus v. Freiburg (M-European Cup)
Emelec v. Deportivo Cuenca (M-South American Copa)
MacKenzie's Boot Room 