Tag: Romane Pilot

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.

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

Catching Up with the Kids: Grenoble

Catching Up with the Kids: Grenoble

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. Now that I’m back to teaching, I’m back to struggling. But I remain determined that I keep up with a practice that I quite enjoy: writing about sports.

So even when it’s hard, and when it takes me a while to do, I’m going to write updates about the teams I love and their struggles and successes. This time, a trip to the French Alps and Grenoble

Match Results: 14 W – 4 D – 13 L; 47 GF / GA 34

Women’s Results: 9 W – 1 D – 2 L; GF 30 / GA 7

The women of Grenoble had high hopes that they could move up into the second tier of club soccer, and they did just about everything in their power to make that happen. Jade Decilap, Claudia Fabre, Romane Pilot and Melanie Chabrier were the top leaders for the scorers, and Julie Tissino was excellent in goal to give them a chance to win every time out.

Unfortunately, the two defeats came to the two top sides in their League 3 Pool: Toulouse and Clermont. Those defeats were what left them in third place when the season came to a close. But with the season about to kick off again, hopes are high that this year is THE year for Grenoble.

Men’s Results: 4 W – 3 D – 11 L; GF 17/ GA 27

There’s simply no way to sugar coat this…the Men of Grenoble collapsed. They were vying for promotion in the first half of the season. But as soon as the calendar turned to February they simply could not buy a win. Worse, one abysmal month saw them score 1 goal and give up 8 en route to 5 straight defeats. Suddenly promotion was a fantasy and survival was in question. Vincent Hognon was dumped (understandably so) and Laurent Peyane took over…with just enough change in results to keep the team afloat. Over the summer Oswald Tanchot was given the opportunity to turn things around, and so far things have been…fine. Not good, not bad, just…fine.

Other Stories:

Really the bottoming out of the men’s side captures most of the drama of the year, but the women had to make a swap as well: elevating long standing assistant Nasreddine Behloul should provide some consistency for a strong team, but how much it pushes them to the next level will remain to be seen.

The other big story is the bittersweet departure of club icon Brice Mableu. It makes sense for one of the biggest difference makers on the club to look for a bigger stage to showcase his skills…and if Grenoble as a whole can’t go up to the top league, at least Brice can (with Saint Etienne). There were other changes too with Amine Sbai leaving for Saudi Arabia, Mathys Touraine going to Paris (FC), and Loic Nestor suffering a ligament tear that likely ends his 24-25 season before it began. Grenoble will have to do their best with a newer look.

Star Players:

The difference makers for les Femmes are the most noteworthy stars: Delicap, Fabre, Pilot and Chabrir are tried and true team leaders, just as Mableu, Nestor, and Jessy Benet have been for the men. While Mathys Touraine had a great season, he was less impressive during the downpour of defeats…but that’s true for everyone. The newest featured star is probably Julie Tissino who anchored the impressive defensive run for the women as well.

Week 6: Next Chapters

Week 6: Next Chapters

by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Results

Koln 1 – 0 Freiburg [M]

It was certainly a case of unluckiness for Freiburg against their fellow surprise side in this year’s Bundesliga. Koln got a point closer to Europe with the win, but Freiburg slipped one point closer to no luck at all. And all of it was underlined by an equalizer for the griffins that got called back by video officials after the fact.

Dundee FC 1 – 2 Ross County

The Stags superb 2022 continues apace with some superb hustle making the most out of innopportune moments in Dundee’s defense. Joseph Hungbo stole one goal off a lurking reply to as sloppy clearance, and the Straw that Stirs the Scotch, Regan Charles-Cook, came through with a driving winner to giving the highlanders all the points from a match on the road in a brutal battle with a fellow team from the bottom of the stacks.

Quevilly 1 – 0 Grenoble [M]

Quevilly had seen as shabby a run of form as les Grenobloises have had lately, but the difference was they changed their luck while Grenoble failed to make the most of their new manager’s debut. The Alpiners looked lively to be sure, but there’s still a long way to go before they can breathe comfortably again. Hopefully last week’s squad makeover will help keep them afloat in Ligue 2 this year. (Though they’ll have to do it without Adrien Monfray who broke two ribs in stoppage time.)

Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 2 Freiburg [F]

Though Freiburg were one player up for most of the match, they had to work for all the points. Well, that’s not totally true. Hasret Kayicki capitalized again, off the free kick that stemmed from the red card (seriously, Frankfurt, hair pulling on a goal chance…be better…). But it took Elena Memeti’s second half strike, and an extended spell of strong goalkeeping from Rafaela Borggrafe to secure all the points for a much needed road win.

Karela United 1 – 1 Legon Cities FC

Playing on, arguably the nicest pitch in Ghana, the Royals got a good start and, thanks to Jonah Attaquye’s consistent pursuit of extra chances, a solid goal to open the scoring. (Karela scored straight away from the restart, but it was a nice 60 seconds.)

Olympique Marseille 2 – 2 Grenoble Foot [F]

Twice the ladies of Grenoble grabbed the lead and twice, Marseille brought it back to even. Not bad for the counter-attacking system on the road against one of the bigger clubs in France. Romane Pilot got the first and Sherly Jeudy grabbed the second after entering as a substitute.

News & Notes

Grenobles Guides

With winter olympics starting again, Grenoble (who hosted the games in 1968) might be feeling wistful about a possible return to prominence. Thus the duo of news made by Men’s and Women’s teams this last week.

First came the new coach for the men’s side, Vincent Hognon, who has coached with Metz in the past, has been tapped to take on Grenoble for the rest of their campaign to stay afloat. The team that seemed to collapse after last year’s near promotion, badly needed a change: hopefully Hognon is the right man for the moment.

Then came word that the women’s coach, Nicolas Delepine, has also been named to be the head coach of Haiti’s women’s team in the run up to 2023’s Women’s World Cup in New Zealand. As an added perk, he may just be able to call on old friend/Grenoble striker Sherly Jeudy to lead the charge as they prepare to go for the gusto next weekend.

Freezing too Cold

As someone who loves soccer, and has been enthralled with the World Cup every four years for the vast majority of my life, it was very tempting to get tickets for a World Cup Qualifier a scant mile and a half from home. However, the price, and the reality that it would likely be freezing cold in Minnesota in February made me decide against it.

It was the right call.

Temperatures were well below zero. Players were unhappy (a few were even substituted for medical reasons). Fans reported miserable conditions despite a great result. Meanwhile, your mom and I watched the Great British Bake Off…so…I feel good about my life choices.

Goin’ Pro

We have our new favorite Icelandic side!

The Griz continue to churn out some superb student athletes who are becoming professional athletes. This week Mimi Eiden and Caitlin Rogers signed with Grindivik in Iceland to bring a little Big Sky to Scandanavia. Meanwhile, Taylor Hansen continues to try out with San Diego Wave FC (in scrimmages she’ll have to face off against US Women’s Team legend Alex Morgan…and vie to be a backup to Gold Medalist: Kailen Sheridan and England International Carly Telford…lucky her).

Punjab Comes Back Around

After almost 3 months of frozen fixtures, India’s Hero League will be back at the beginning of March. They’ll leave the bubble of Kolkata for the broader state of West Bengal, but the structures and expectations will remain the same (play everyone, then focus on your fellow title contenders or relegation fighters). We’re excited for soccer to be back on the sub-continent, hopefully for a full season this time.

Player of the Week

There’s a lot of things to appreciate in the past week: late comebacks, long standing perseverance, new beginnings, but we’re going to tip the cap to long standing and reliable leader for a team that we often can’t see: the ladies from Freiburg. So thank you Hasret Kayici, may this small award be solace for getting pulled down by your hair. (It was also nice to read this little profile on her)

Standings Update

For the first time in 2022 there’s no shuffling to be done. Freiburg maintains their top spot thanks to the ladies’ win while Legon misses a chance to move up. Nobody is looking dominant…yet. (That’s your cue to stun the world Vozdovac)

TeamWDLPPGGFAGAA
Freiburg3121.71.81.7
Legon Cities3221.61.60.6
Alebrijes de Oaxaca2311.51.21.0
Ross County2221.41.71.5
Grenoble0330.51.01.5
University of Montana–b——————
Rosenborg BK–b——————
Minnesota United–b——————
FK Vozdovac——————
Emelec–b——————
Punjab FC–b——————
Table Updated 2/9/22
b–Team is between seasons

What’s Next

Wednesday, February 9th

Ross County v. Livingston

Alebrijes v. Venados

Thursday, February 10th

Friday, February 11th

Saturday, February 12th

Freiburg v. Bayern Munich [F]

Freiburg v. Mainz [M]

Grenoble v. Sochaux[M]

Sunday, February 13th

Kolubara v. Vozdovac [M]

Grenoble Foot v. Thonon Evian [F]

Monday, February 14th

Legon Cities FC v. King Faisal

Tuesday, February 15th

Grenoble v. Niort [M]