Ok, I’ve said it plenty of times by now: but I really struggled to keep up daily writing routines when I was teaching full time. That’s what happens to me when I spend most of the day supporting 70 other people’s writing, and the rest of it trying to be a parent.
So rather than write one post covering six months of eleven teams in action, I’m going to break it up with posts as best as I can, I’ll fill you in on how the games have gone, who has excelled and any other news and stories worth knowing.
Match Results: 0 W – 0 D – 0 L; 0 GF / 0 GA
Okay, I’m taking a bit of a cheap route to start out, especially as the Griz have yet to play a match. But they will kick off their season this week, and as the reigning Sippy Cup Winners, they have a lot to play for.
Other Stories:
While they weren’t playing any matches, the Griz continued training all spring and summer…oh and they continued going to classes and pursuing their academic goals with aplomb. The team once again bosted a 3.7 graded point average and several student athletes with a 4.0 (or perfect GPA). Sydney Haustein led the charge in the classroom and was named the Montana scholar athlete of the year before graduating alongside Kathleen Aitchinson, Charley Boone, Molly Quarrey, and Maysa Walker.
The coming season is a big one for the Griz as they will be celebrating the program’s 30 year anniversary come October. It’ll be a great opportunity to celebrate the long legacy of Montana’s premier soccer side, and they’ll follow it up by hosting the Big Sky Conference Soccer tournament and hopefully cinching another trip to the NCAA tournament.
The journey there starts with another non-conference gauntlet with the team facing former Pac-10 teams Oregon State and Washington State plus Rocky Mountain rivals Air Force, Wyoming, North Dakota, and Boise State. The Griz do start out as a pre-season favorite (per a poll of college coaches) and bring back All-American Forward (and Flathead high grad) Skyleigh Thompson for her Senior season.
Star Players:
Obviously Thompson stands out as a rising star to watch, but she’ll be following team captains Charley Boone (yeah for Graduate studies!) and Ally Henrikson. Plus, we’re obviously holding out hope for Minnesota’s own Bayliss Flynn.
The Royals did play a round of 32 match against against Koforidua Suhyen (who play near the home of my adoptive dad Braimah Dediako). Kwabena Boateng led the charge with a couple of goals and Nicholas Mensah led a defense that never looked troubled.
Up Next The Royals will have one more cup game in Februrary and we’ll see them restart the season in Karela on February 23rd
What’s the Word in ol’ Freiburg?
Record: 2 – 1- 1 GF: 6 GA: 5
Men looked good in a friendly against Frankfurt. But friendlies aren’t the same thing as competitive matches. And I’m willing to bet they would have taken 0-0 in a friendly and a win against Union Berlin…but it was not to be. Still the clean sheet should boost Noah Atubolu, and comes with another good showing by the young French wing backs Jordy Makengo and Kilian Sildillia.
Those wing backs were back at it again against Hoffenheim but when Manuel Gulde got a terribly timed red card right after Hoffenheim equalized, fear and panic could be felt widely in the crowd. This of course, is where Vincenzo Grifo saves the day by being himself, and so it was with a beautiful winner (3-2).
Grifo was good again in the next match against Freiburg but Makengo and Sidilla weren’t as effective on the same side and Atobolu had another rough outing to keep Freiburg maddeningly inconsistent losing (1-3)
Meanwhile, the big news for the women was the realization that squad leader Janina Minge is asking to leave the club at the end of the season. (This seems to be a bit of a routine for die Frauen where great players aim to go a little higher than the middle of the table…such is the way of things, I suppose.) But the team looked unphased this last weekend with a strong 2-0 win over RB Leipzig led by strong midfield control from Samantha Steuerwald.
Next: The ladies have a Pokal match against Frankfurt, plus league matches agaisnt Duisburg, Bremen. and (ugh) Bayern Munich. Meanwhile the men will balance four league games (including matches against Dortmund and Frankfurt) with the critical knockout matches for the Europa league against Lens.
Grenoble’s Games
Record: 0 – 3 – 1 GF: 5 GA: 7
Amine Sbai had a tremendous outing against Dunkerque with a pair of goals giving the men from the mountains a big lead with only 25 minutes to play. Uncharacteristically, the defense capitulated at the end of the game and could only hold on for a draw. Then the familiar winter malaise set in, and the squad managed only draws the rest of the month (1-1 against Auxerre, and 1-1 against Quevilly, due in large part to heroic penalty saves from Brice Mableu, and more Amine Sbai goals)
Meanwhile the women’s team got eaten up by AS Cannes concending three goals for a less than stellar return to the field, but Abdoulie Bamba Sanyang got the chance to play at the Africa Cup of Nations with Gambia, and team training seem to include playing on the alps…which looks like a whole heap of fun!
Up Next: January was not the boost we were hoping for in the quest for promotion, but we’ll try again in February! The women will face Lyon’s 2nd Squad, and Le Puy, while the men try to break out of their funk of draws with games against Caen, Bordeaux, Troyes and Pau.
Punjab Zindabad
Record: 0 – 2 – 1 GF: 3 GA: 4
Wilmar Jordan got off the mark a lot faster in 2024 than he did in 2023, scoring just 4 minutes into the road game at Chennaiyin in the Super Cup. But, as has been so often the case, after a red card, they were at a disadvantage even though they had a lead. And just when it looked like they might pull out a short handed victory, another goal got past Kiran Chemjong and it was another draw for the Punjabi Warriors.
The chance of a draw against local league titans Mumbai City, was much more enthralling, and indeed Luka Macjen nearly made it so with a pair of goals including one right before the end of the full 90 minutes that would have been quite an accomplishment. But in a continuing pattern, the Warriors ceded a late goal and left as unlucky losers. Their final Super Cup match was a 0-0 draw that doesn’t bear much more scrutiny.
Up Next: I hoped that Punjab could come away with two more wins in the second half of the season, and their best chances may all come in February as they face Hydrabad (the only team below them) as well as Jamshedpur and Bengaluru (two teams with similar defensive problems).
Gotta see this, Alebrijes!
Record: 0 – 1 – 1 GF: 2 GA: 5
Whatever else happens Alebrijes deserves credit for having Mortal Kombat themed season announcement.
While that post is cool and fresh and there are high hopes for new attacker Orlando Ballesteros and major needs in Pablo martinez and Alfonso Luna, much of Alebrijes’ start to their season looked…familiar. The 3-0 beating from Cancun was painfully familiar, and the 2-2 draw with goals by Julio Cesar Cruz rendered underwhelming by late conceded goals was…sigh…yeah…very familiar.
Next We cross our fingers and hope for some kind of change in the routine as Alebrijes run out five times in February…hey, that’s alliteration…it must be a good sign (he said without much real hope)
County’s Bounty
Record: 0 – 1 – 3 GF: 2 GA: 9
Ross County’s usual course of action at this time of year is to bring in a host of young talents who need some match time and use them to boost the squad’s energy. Midfielders Eli King of Cardiff, Branon Khela of Birmingham, Teddy Jenks of Forest Green, Loick Ayina of Huddersfield Town, and Keeper George Wickens of Fulham are this year’s crop of young talents. But the club’s big acquisition was left back Cameron Borthwick Jackson who, until 3 years ago, seemed to be a up-and-coming player at global powerhouse Manchester United…now he is in Dingwall, so, maybe not so up any more but still a player with oodles of potential.
That potential was sorely lacking in the Stags’ 3-0 loss to Aberdeen with Jack Baldwin getting sent off in the 90th minute. It was arguably in even shorter supply when they got dumped out of the league cup 3-0 by lower level rivals Partick Thistle. By comparison a 1-0 loss at Celtic Park was an accomplishment. (thank you for that big save George Wickens!) and the team’s most recent result of a 2-2 draw against Livingston (with some strong defense and a pair of goals from Simon Murray before another late capitulation) was positively delightful.
Next: It seems as though manager Derek Adams strategy of saying that players are really bad hasn’t inspired good play…interesting. Maybe insulting people will make them feel better as they play six times in four weeks…or…not…
Griz Biz
Record: Not in action
We watched the Griz gridiron squad play well in the first half of their national championship game, and missed the second half (which was for the best). And you got to have some extra potato chips so…really there’s a silver lining. We also got to see Skyleigh Thompson celebrate her All-American status.
Up next: Recruiting, training and warming up the next generations.
What’s in Store at Rosenborg?
Record: Not in Action
There was a lot of player movement in and out of Trondheim, but the big news is probably Steinar Lein stepping away from his role as head coach of the women’s team. He’s run the squad for five years and seen them become an absolute force, but when people need a break, they should get it. So thanks Steinar and stay well!
Rosenborg named Anna Josensdal it’s female player of the year, and also said goodbye to her in the same breath, as she makes a move to Hammarby in Sweden (where she’ll meet up with old friend Sara Kanutte Fornes). Rasmus Wiedesheim Paul also joined a Swedish H-team (Halmstad) in Sweden. Ina Birkelund joins up for the midfield from Tromso.
Next: The men have a host of friendlies against fellow Norwegian clubs, but won’t start the season until April
Minnesota a la Mode…ah
Record: Not in Action
Aurora had try outs which means, even five months from the start of the next season, there’s plenty to be excited about. Just as esciting, former Auroroa player Kelsey Kaufusi was drafted to the NWSL (the top Women’s league in America).
Meanwhile, the Loons lost another manager. After not committing to Sean McAuley, Sean McAuley wouldn’t commit to the team, leaving for a confirmed contract in Indianapolis. Meanwhile, Cameron Knowles will take over…for now…When it came to players the Loons focused on adding to the squad with defenders Derek Dodson, and Victor Eriksson, forward Jordan Adebayo-Smith, and midfielders Alejandro Bran and Moses Nyeman.
Up Next: After some regular tune up matches, the Loons hit the field against Austin FC at the end of February
Take a Sec with Emelec
Record: Not in Action
The mens team did do quite a lot of shopping for their roster. They started by resigning Pedro Ortiz to mind the net and Fernando Leon. Then there were they incomers:
Forward: Facundo Castelli,
Wingers: Maicon Solis, Juan Pablo Ruiz Gomez, Washington Corozco and Rodrigo Rivero
Midfielder: Marcelo Meli, Andres Ricahrte, Christian Erbes, and club legend Christhian Noboa…(get ready, I’m probably going to mention him as often as Miller Bolanos!)
Defenders Alexander Gonzalez, Joao Quinonez, and Gustavo Cortez,
Up Next: The Men’s team’s first season starts soon with matches against Deportivo Cuenca and Mushuc Runa.
What’s the haps at Vozdovac?
Record: Not in action
Vozdovac opened the year knowing that Borisav Burmaz was leaving the club…now headed off for the top flight of soccer in Romania with Rapid Bucharest. Meanwhile, they brought in seven new players, none of whom is older than 22.
Next: The Dragons take flight again with Red Star Belgrade and two more league matches (Napredak, and Mladost Lucani)
Players of the Month
Instead of honoring one player each week, we’ll take some time to shout out a player from each team that was in action each month. January’s honorees are
Nicholas Mensah (D) Legon Cities, Vincenzo Grifo (M) Freiburg, Samantha Steuerwald (DM) Freiburg, Amine Sbai (F) Grenoble, Claudia Fabre (F) Grenoble, Luka Macjen (F) Punjab, Julio Cesar Cruz (F) Alebrijes, George Wickens (K) Ross County
Standings
It’s early days and one match shouldn’t be taken as predictive of anything other than one match, but we’d deeply love for someone, literally anyone to play as well as Legon Cities did…or at least get fewer draws.
Ten days of parenting and teaching leaves precious little time to work up solid write ups on individual matches. So I’m officially giving up the ghost on weekly updates. I will send out one update a month (usually at the end as these are the lowest traffic posts because…nobody comes to me for scores and highlights–especially since most leagues no longer allow external sites to embed highlights). They’ll cover the results for teams and any notable news, plus the usual plaudits for players.
Recap
Griz Biz
Record: 0-0-1 GF: 0 GA: 1
The Grizzlies went unbeaten throughout the season, but arguably their hardest match came in a 2-1 win against Northern Arizona in Flagstaff, with the team capitalizing on a late opportunity to win. So when the draw lead them to face Northern Arizona…in Flagstaff…again…the gauntlet was thrown down, and as is the habit in Big Sky conference tournaments…whoever is undefeated going in…gets defeated coming out.
Despite having the best poll ranking and toughest schedule in recent history, that one loss is enough to end the Griz’s hopes for the NCAA tournament….because…well…more people will randomly tune into Ohio State than Montana (even though Montana showed they could do just as well as the Buckeyes.
Beyond that, the Griz welcomed in 8 new recruits, including Kalispell Montana’s Reagan Brisendine, celebrated four all-region players (named the best in the Western US by Soccer coaches) and (most importantly for our purposes celebrated six Academic All-District players (with great grades and play): Ava Samuelson, Sydney Haustein, Molly Quarry, Kathleen Aitchinson, Charley Boone, and Skyleigh Thompson. Cherry on top: Skyleigh Thompson was named to the first 11 in the West (not too shabby!)
Up next: I suppose we’ll have to watch a lesser sport, but hey, the men’s gridiron team play for the national championship against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits…so I suppose that will do.
It’s always a big game against fellow legends of Norwegian Soccer Molde, but Rosenborg showed up in a big way, especially sixteen year old Sverre Halseth Nypan who notched what turned out to be the winner with just ten minutes left.
After that high, the men promptly capitulated the rest of their season away: leaving only one match to be played against fellow strugglers Viking. With nothing left to play for, Rosenborg came out firing on all cylinders. Kaine Kessler scored twice and Sverre Nypan knocked in another one right at the end. With their lowest finish since 2005, RBK has plenty of work to do going forward to be ready for next year. (Likely selling Nypan for as much as they can get.)
Meanwhile the women had a chance to claim both the League and the Cup this season, coming into November in full control of their own destiny. But a surprising draw against relegation battling Asvaldnes let them fall behind rivals Valerenga. Another draw against Lillestrom sealed their fate and gifted Valerenga the League. So with two matches to play, both against the newly minted league champions it felt like a rather bitter end for the Trolljenta.
Instead they triumphed. A three nil home win made clear that the trophy might have another team’s name on it, but the best team may be someone else. To underline that fact, the women of Rosenborg went out and won the Women’s cup with a 1-0 triumph in Oslo that led to rampant celebrations all through Oslo.
Next: It’s a long cold winter before Rosenborg is back at it.
Minnesota a la Mode…ah
November/December Record: Did Not Play.
The Loons watched the postseason from home for the first time in years, and they also moved local legend (and guy who graduated from St Paul Academy High School when your mom was in 3rd grade) Manny Lagos to an advisor role with less say over soccer operations. In his place comes a Wisconsin university (Milwaukee) alumnus who has been working in English soccer (perhaps the most competitive league in the world): Khaled El-Ahmad.
El-Ahmed’s biggest decision was to pick a coach, and it seems that he punted on that call opting to retain interim coach Sean McCauley…but also keep calling him an interim manager…so…that’s confusing.
At the same time Minnesota Aurora opened up it’s try out camps for next summer, hopefully they continue to build the dominant squad we’ve all come to know and love.
On Break (But we’ll update with news as it arises)
Punjab Zindabad
November Record: 0-2-1 GF: 5 GA: 6
December Record: 1-1-2 GF: 1 GA: 2
It was a fairly frustrating month for Punjab in the Indian Super League. A road match against Mumbai City certainly didn’t evoke a lot of hope, but an early goal from Luka Macjen and a lead into the half gave me some hope. Tracking the scores while teaching, I got very excited as I watched the clock tick past sixty, seventy and eighty minutes. And then…within one minute…Mumbai City equalized…and took the lead…prolonging Punjab’s winless streak.
After that experience I was determined not to get over excited when Punjab hosted fellow low level side Hydrebad FC. But I’ll admit it, when Juan Mera broke through with his first goal in the Super League in the 80th minute, I permitted myself to be more excited…..And then…they gave up an equalizer in the eighth minute of stoppage time, and only go to a draw.
After three weeks off, I was back into blind hopefulness. But it seemed to be justified, within 30 minutes, the Shers had a 3-1 edge! Everything was firing. Rising midfield star Madih Talal was outstanding. Luka Macjen got a goal. The first win was in the air!…You can guess what happened next…Bengaluru got two goals to equalize and keep Punjab searching…seemingly endlessly for a victory.
Finally, on December 12th the team found the combination of attack and defense that was necessary to grab their first win as part of the Super League. Though they had dropped their previous match against Chennayain 1-5, this time they held on with a white knuckle grip to Mehdi Talal’s 1 goal advantage, and were able to have a long awaited celebration. The Shers defense has overcome some early struggles, but it’s reasonable to look around wondering where Chencho Geltsyen might be.
Up Next: The season resumes in 2024, and hopefully so do the winning ways.
Grenoble’s Games
Men’s Record: 5-2-2 GF: 12 GA: 9
Women’s Record: 3-0-1 GF: 11 GA: 4
Les Grenobloises have bounced back admirably in their quest to climb to the next summit on their journeys.
The men have shown plenty of quality through the first half of their season. The team could even be considered unlucky to be short two goals of what the statistics say they should have. Again they have boasted one of the best defenses in the division, and remain one stellar striking force away from controlling their own fates. If they can keep Brice Mableu and Matthys Tourraine playing at their current levels they’ll certainly have a chance to move up to Ligue 1.
The women are in much the same position, which is to say 3rd in their group. They’re just one point away from the top of their group (making the 1-0 defeat they suffered to Toulouse at the end of November a painful loss that could have vaulted them into first). Still les Iseroises own the best defense in the group and can certainly match up well with every team at this level.
I also was able to order and receive a Grenoble jersey, despite the fact that they don’t normally ship to the US. Merci a Jeramie et tous les autres personnes avec le club!
Up Next: Keep the mojo going and push on to promotion for both men and women! Les Femmes face fellow contender AS Cannes on January 21st, while the Men start the year against Dunquerke, Quevilly and…fellow contender Auxerre.
Live from Legon!
End of Year Record: 4-1-5 GF: 10 GA: 14
Cities had a rough November, losing four of five games, and also enduring a terrifying ordeal when the team bus was stopped by robbersafter a match at the start of the month against Samartex. The situation sounds terrible, and the possibility that they were betrayed by police is deeply troubling.
Next to that, results on the pitch seem to matter very little, and yet, when the calendar turned to December the Royals marched into the future with heads held high, rattling off four straight wins to come within 5 points of league leaders Samartex. Captain and talisman Nicholas Mensah earned multiple team of the week honors as the squad conceded 1 goal in 360 minutes. But in the final game of the year, they had no answer for Prince Owusu giving up four goals to one man (and wasting Kwabena Boateng’s strong outing)
Up Next Legon gets to take January (and most of Feburary) off, we’ll see them restart the season in Karela on February 23rd
Take a Sec with Emelec
Men’s Record: 2-2-0 GF: 4 GA: 1
Women’s Record: 2-0-2 GF: 23 GA: 7
While the men started off with a pair of draws in Guayquil derbies (against both Guayquil City and Barcelona), they ended well with a pair of wins to boost the team into the top half of the table (a far cry better than the 14th place they got during the spring season). The team also seems to have found an offensive attack whose name doesn’t start with an M and end with a iller Bolanos. (did it…every Emelec post this year has referenced him)
Las Electricas also made their way into the promotion playoffs for the women’s league this year: a sixteen team tournament to decide who would move up to the Superliga next year. The first round went swimmingly as the ladies beat Gualaceo by a cumulative 22-3 over two legs. The second round was not as strong: losing to Torreros by a cumulative 4-1. The loss means that they’ll continue to play in the second tier of women’s soccer in 2024, but with a regional championship under their belt, hopefully there’s more enthusiasm and confidence about getting promoted again.
Up Next: Both teams are on a holiday until their new campaigns begin, but the men’s team is already making major moves to shake up the roster and (hopefully) return to title contention.
What’s the Word in ol’ Freiburg?
Men’s Record: 5-2-4 GF: 22 GA: 15
Women’s Record: 2-1-2 GF: 7 GA: 10
Die Frauen continue to be a reliable if unremarkable mid-table team in the Women’s Bundesliga. Capable of matching up well with most teams and completely outgunned by the dominant big three of the women’s game (Wolfsburg, Munich, and Frankfurt). To wit, they notched seven goals in three games against most teams and none in the two games against Wolfsburg and Frankfurt.
The men have been a strong contender in all competitions recently, but they have had to deal with a lot of fixture congestion. Fixture congestion is a lot like sinus congestion. You may not notice at first, but eventually it limits your ability to be at your best.
Playing 11 matches in 3 competitions over 50 days means that they were playing roughly every 5 days…often twice in a week, flying between Serbia, Germany and England as needed. The men were knocked out of the DfB Pokal tournament in the second round (after reaching the semifinals or later in the past two seasons), which frankly might have made their lives a little easier.
While they couldn’t beat the Premier League’s West Ham United, they did well against other opponents Olympiakos and Backa Topala (cumulative 10-0) to finish second in their Europa League group, and advance to the knockout stage against Champions League 3rd place side Lens, but they have slipped down to 8th in the league.
Next: The ladies have a Pokal match against Frankfurt, while the men focus in on the league in January, with some winnable games that can put them back up in contention for the top spots.
County’s Bounty
November Record: 2-2-4 GF: 6 GA: 9
The Staggies roller coaster ride with Malkay McKay reached it’s unsatisfying end after the team said goodbye to the coach whose signing seemed like a coup at first…and turned into a rehabilitation project for a man with a spotty record. There were still some highlights, but a hard fought draw against Motherwell was McKay’s last shining moment from October, but a pair of ugly losses ended his run in November.
Then the team turned to prior manager Derek Adams,. who had parlayed success getting the Staggies up into a career with strong English teams. The second match of his return brought the team’s first outright win since September 2nd boosted them up the 8th place in the league. Another 3-0 win a week later had the Staggies flying like Blitzen and company.
Then…ugh…the Stags lost two in a row. Derek Adams belittled everyone involved with the club (saying that an English team in League 2 was vastly better than your current team didn’t really seem endearing) and a set of winter storms cancelled two matches. The Stags finished their year earlier today against Hearts, and after a great 2-0 start, they conceded twice in the last 20 minutes to give up the win. (Heavy Sighs)
There was one other bit of news we’d like to point out…apparently Scotland is looking at opening the door to outside investment from big club conglomorates. In the same way that Minnesota and Punjab have to face teams from “The City Group” (New York City and Mumbai City…junior partners to big bad Manchester City) there’s a chance for these groups to bring their training regimens and professionalism (and big sums of cash) to Scottish soccer. I’m not advocating for Ross County City…but Roundglass Ross County doesn’t sound too bad…nor does “The MacKenzie Football Corps–MacKFC”…if only I had billions of dollars and actual talent in organization…
Next: We’ll see if Derek Adams gets his wish of creating a team as good as Morcambe, and the Stags will get two league matches and one a fourth round match against Patrick Thistle in the league cup.
Gotta see this, Alebrijes!
Record: 0-0-1 GF: 0 GA: 3
Alebrijes lost their last match of their fall campaign 3-0 to Atalante to against doom them to missing the playoffs. They’ll get a chance to try again in the spring. It’s worth noting the last time Alebrijes missed the playoffs they rebounded to finish first in the league (and then get knocked out in the first round of the playoffs).
Next it’s the in between season before the clausura, hopefully there’s some offense to be found somewhere in Mexico.
What’s the haps at Vozdovac?
November Record: 3-2-2 GF: 14 GA: 12
The Red Dragons scuffled in November, going winless in three games. But they flew through the December skies like jolly old Saint Nicholas (if St. Nick used a team of dragons, and occasionally breathed fire/played soccer), notching 10 points over four unbeaten games.
Borisav Burmaz showed a greatly improved strike rate, and the team has deeply benefited from the arrival of Toulouse loanee/Jamaican international Junior Flemmings. We haven’t seen too many international stars playing on the rooftop stadium, so it’s a treat to watch Flemmings.
Next: Vozdovac gets to take January off, but we’ll look forward to seeing them again in February.
Players Of the Month (so far)
Keeping track of this has been helacious, so while we won’t have our full complement of 52 players of the week, we will acknowledge that the players are great and resolve to track their performances better in future.
Standings
We’ll publish the end of year standings tomorrow with the full roster of our team of the year
Author’s Note: This month I went back to teaching and running a classroom independently. And Alex went to Kindergarten for the first time. So, daily writing tasks like match recaps turned into a low priority. I have made the command decision to make the recap posts a more limited affair. Rather than 4-5 a month we’ll do three (on the 10th, 20th, and 30th of each month). In part because designing a class and grading 75 assignments a day takes significantly more out of me, and in part because it’s my writing project, and I am answerable to no one…so you’ll get my updates when I write them and you’ll like it non-existent contemporary readers. (kidding)
Also…because I just need to post things so I can move on. I’m not worrying about pictures this time…hope you can imagine things.
Recap
Griz Biz
The University of Montana spent most of it’s last two weeks looking like a force to be reckoned with. Sure there is the win over Utah Tech, and an annual smackdown of MSU Billings (continuing their unbeaten run in the Grandma Di Derby). But they also notched huge milestones for the program. Midfielder Kathleen Atchinson got two goals, but the biggest one came against Oklahoma, one of the biggest sports programs in the country…giving the Griz their first win over a top 5 Conference school. As if that weren’t enough they also welcomed THE Ohio State University (another one of those prestige programs) to Missoula, got a record attendance at South Campus Stadium, and walked away with a draw.
And then things came unglued a bit. They lost to Colorado State at home, and after opening strong against Georgia Southern seemed to go all wibbly wobbly after the first goal dropping two in a row. But regardless of results, the Griz have played well with Ashlyn Dvorak has been great in goal and Delaney Lou Schorr remains a fulcrum in attack (playing the most minutes and notching three assists) and Eliza Bentley is doing your grandma Di (a fellow Billings Senior alum) proud as a super sub. The team righted the ship with a 4-0 win over Miami of Ohio, and draws in Corvallis Oregon and Easter Washington. They might not have been favorites coming into the season, but look out Big Sky, the Griz are for real.
Up next: @ Idaho, v. Weber State, v. Idaho State
Punjab Zindabad
Punjab kicked off their first ISL campaign. They filled out the roster bringing in Wilmar Jordan Gil to join Luka Macjen up top, and Sweden Fernandes (who is not Swedish) as an outlet on the wings. The defense built up with Suresh Meitei and Mashoor Shareef in front of Shibin Raj (who may push Kiran Limbu for playing time).
The result still has them looking for a way to win at this level. Kicking off against perennial contenders Mohun Bagan led to a 3-1 defeat, but Lucka Macjen did find the net, so let’s keep our hopes up.
Their next mission? Figuring out what exactly the nickname they’ve settled on is. The translations I read said “Punjab da Sher meant Punjab Tigers (you know with the orange), but every social media thing is advocating for Lions, and the hashtag is PunjabDaJosh…or Boys of Punjab…I’m totally lost.
Up Next: @FC Goa, v. Northeast United FC
Minnesota a la Mode…ah
The Loons had a much more eventful fortnight than the score lines suggest. Tying personal bogeymen Seattle is a good accomplishment, and hanging a 3-0 drubbing on Colorado at least spurred the Rapids to change their coaching. But the real icing on the cake came just last night, after being stymied at every turn by an intense and talented New England team (also going through their own coaching crisis). The Loons took their fifteenth corner, and in desperation sent up the goalkeeper, Dayne St. Clair, to help out, a move I’ve never, ever seen work before.
So naturally, it worked this time. St. Clair got the assist and the Loons fought back to claim a valuable point.
To celebrate flying high, the Loons then instantly crashed to the ground by taking leads and then losing it against Kansas City, St Louis, San Jose and a bizarre three goal capitulation against LA Galaxy.
Up Next: @LAFC, v. LA Galaxy (Owen’s big game)
What’s in Store at Rosenborg?
Returning from the World Cup, the Trolljenta had a heck of a run. It started with a first round cup match against Stabaek which ended up requiring 30 more regular play minutes, and would have gone to Overtime if not for the very late winner by Camilla Linberg mere moments after Stabek had fought back to equalize. Oddly it was their second end of game decider, with Sara Horte (she of the National Team call up, got an equalizer in the third minute of regular stoppage time. Horte and her crew were much stronger back in league matches with 2 goals allowed over three games, while the offense pumped in 16 from 10 different scorers (three a piece for Selma Magnusdottir and Cesilie Andreassen). The last win came in the cup semi-final against LSK Kvinner, which will give the women of Trondheim a chance to win their first hardware in the black and white
The men on the other hand? Well, my early wondering if the loss to Hearts would send them reeling was answered: a big fat honking yes. Though they had a 4-0 win over Aalesund they were promptly whomped by Tromso and quickly sold off some long-standing leaders including Samuel Rogers and Carlo Holse. (Holse did get his final team goal against Aalesund, and so did the new young gun Sverre Nypan). A draw against Bodo/Glimt and another walloping against Lillestrom.
Next: The Menn face Sarpsborg 08; the Kvinner face Asane
Live from Legon!
Ghana’s Premier League will kicked off with coach Paa Kwesi Fabin in the standard role of miracle working manager, but most eyes will be on Ebenezer Armegah in his first season as the front target, and captain Nicholas Mensah anchoring the back line.
That was a help in the team’s opening match as 19 year old winger Frank Antwi got a brace to give the Royals an opening day win. (The following 1-0 loss to Accra Lions was much more familiar) The team will be full of different faces this season, but will hopefully bring all the style we’ve come to expect from the Royals ( a lot of boasting and occasional follow through).
Next v. Aduana Stars, @ Nations FC
Grenoble’s Games
The men of the alps have remained unbeaten, but they also seem to have caught Emelec’s goalless draw bug, using three of 0-0s to stay unbeaten. Brice Mableu shows no signs of stopping and the defense remains stout as ever…but boy I miss Matthais Phaeton, and his attacking prowess. The offense came alive at the end of the month with three straight 2 goal efforts to win three straight matches. Jessy Benet and Pape Meissa Ba have been superb, and might have Grenoble fighting for promotion if they keep this up.
The women started their campaign for promotion from the third division of the French women’s league with with new coach Alassane Diakhite, and they seem pretty excited (and with good reason). They opened with two wins including one against old foes Nimes Metropole and Le Puy. Melanie Charbier led the way and maybe there will be double the reason to celebrate in Grenoble
Next: Guingamp for les hommes; AS Lattes and Clermont Foot for les femmes
County’s Bounty
Following the all to predictable 2-0 loss to Rangers, County bounced back with a little win against Kilmarnock that left their fans….a little cranky…. Simon Murray continues his great form, both driving towards goal and flopping like a spawning Salmon (which made him the focus of much Killy ire), but Ross Laidlaw stood up to a late penalty awarded in spite of Killie getting a goal on the offending play…it was wierd, but that’s life on the dark side.
The Stags seemed to pay the karmic consequences in the second half of the month. After a 1-1 draw against Livvy, they were manhandled by Aberdeen both in the league and in the League Cup Quarterfinals. Add to that a loss at home (to Hearts) and we regret cheering for the floppery.
Next: @ Dundee
Take a Sec with Emelec
As the Electricas cram their season into a rapid fire round robin of games it’s worth noting some strong showings. They notched a 3-0 win versus Guayquil City and a 9-0 against LA Familia. But the real drama came against 9 Octubre, where Madeline Ladines launched a gorgeous rocket to grab a tie against the toughest team in the group. (Unfortunately in the return leg, they came up short…but still managed to earn a spot in the final…against 9 Octubre…)
As for the men…there’s predictable news and good news. The goalless streak hit 5 matches before Miller Bolanos (who else) scored. 529 minutes of demanding perfection from Pedro Ortiz, or 529minutes longer than you should ask it of anyone took its toll on Emelec’s standings. A 3-1 win over Mushuc Runa helped as did Jaime Ayovi’s ability to score while not being named Miller Bolanos…but the Bombillos dropped another to Independiente del Valle (though they did score again).
Next; Cumbaya awaits the men, while the ladies kicked off before you likely read this post.
What’s the Word in ol’ Freiburg?
Freiburg was looking their old convincing self in the 1-0 win over Werder Bremen with the inemitable Vincenzo Grifo orchestrating the show. But the wheels came fully off the wagon in 5-0 drubbing against Stuttgart. New top goalie Noah Atubola followed that with another lousy game against Dortmund and the usually steady back line seemed to break down. A reinforced back line got a win over Olympiakos in the first Europa League game and a 0-0 draw against Frankfurt (where a more confident Atubola did great). An unsurprising common denominator: Vincenzo Grifo and Rolland Sallai.
The women kicked off their season against eternal powerhouse Bayern Munich, and after opening with a great goal from Janina Minge, they got a very late equalizer from Svenja Folmli to snatch a great tie.
Next: Men v. Augsburg, West Ham and Bayern Munich; Women v. Bayern
Gotta see this, Alebrijes!
While the 5-0 was bad, Freiburg can take solace that hey didn’t give up the 7 that Alebrijes conceded to Correcaminos. Octavio Paz’s return wasn’t enough to overcome Luis Mouret’s red card. But the team was back in shape with a come back win over Venados as young Kaleth Hernandez and Julio Cesar Cruz continue their mutually beneficial partnership. Cruz remains the primary goal scorer who found the net every time Alebrijes took the field during September (including against Tlaxcala, La Paz and in the big 4-0 win over Dorados). But the best moment for Alebrijes seemed to be when a dog ran on to the field…seems about right.
Next @ Atletico Morelia
What’s the haps at Vozdovac?
For the first time in your LIFETIMES, the Dragons notched a win against the prodigious Red Star Belgrade…home to facist gangs a plenty. 3-2 over red star, take that fascist pigs! Borisav Burmaz, Mihajlo Neskovic, and Danilo Teodorovic got goals and though Red Star tried to equalize late, the Dragons took all the points!
(Yes, they lost 2-1 to totally un-prodigious Napredak…and dropped another against Spartak Subotica on a last second penalty, but we still beat the fascist pigs…so I’m calling it a win!)
Next: v. Novi Pazar, and @ Cukaricki
News & Notes
Cue More Celebrations in Spain
It’s not great when instead of a ticker tape parade, you get a fussilade of negative press coverage and force the executives to become the story instead of the players. But it’s entirely in keeping with the mess that is Spanish Soccer right now. After many uneasy conversations about whether or not you can just kiss women on the lips when you feel like it (YOU CAN’T), both the coach and the Federation President have stepped down…finally.
Mothers of Dragons?
Abby Ostrem and Makenzie Langdok have both signed for Spartak Subotica. Which makes me ask the question, is Vozdovac interested in starting a women’s side? If so, can they start scouting with Aurora and the Griz?
Players
While the routine of these posts is changing, the number of people we have gratitude for is not. So, let’s hear it for four weeks of stellar play. We’ll take this time to shout out those who scored in major results: give it up for the Griz’s Delaney Lou Schorr, Vozdovac’s Borisav Burmaz, Grenoble’s Jessey Bennet and Emelec’s Madeline Ladines.
Standings
Every team is playing! Take a deep breath, because we’ll be full bore from now until late November. Also, every team is now above 1 point per game! (Of course, no teams are above 2, but we’ll take what we get.)
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)
I never know what to say about goalless draws…good on ya for trying, I guess?
Dundee FC 0 – 5 Ross County
Well that shut me up quick. County buried their bottom of the table rivals, with Regan Charles Cook continuing to explode into form, and an absolute blast from Joseph Hungbo making all the highlight reels. It was County’s first win of the campaign, and not a moment too soon.
Vancouver Whitecaps 2 – 1 Minnesota United
The loss dropped the Loons below the playoff line during competitive season for the first time in 3 years. There’s plenty of blame to go around: Tyler Miller looks exhausted, Michael Boxall had an uncharacteristic lapse, the midfield plan of “Bebelo or bust” continues to run dry.
Alebrijes 0 – 0 Atalante
It’s rough when a goalless draw feels like an accomplishment. But…here we are.
Freiburg 3 – 1 Greuther Furth [M]
It’s not been easy for Gruether in their maiden Bundesliga campaign. They didn’t have much chance in this one, Freiburg took advantage of each mistake and cruised to a home victory behind Woo Yong Jeong, Lucas Holer, and Vincent Grifo’s great showing (both on offense and defense).
An early goal came completely undone as LSK manhandled Rosenborg in the second half. Normally reliable Goalie Andre Hansen had one of his worst matches of the year and Rosenborg has to start figuring out their plan for the final month of their campaign.
Caen 0 – 1 Grenoble [M]
Adrien Monfray managed both his usual solid defensive showing as well as a decisive goal on the cusp of half time. But this match had the clear cut benefit of a strong Grenoble game plan, blasting the box with crosses and wearing down Caen’s defense until Yoric Ravet found Monfray for the winner.
Ross County v. Hibernian
A covid outbreak in the Hibernian dressing room gave the Staggies an unscheduled break. Thank goodness
Guayaquil City 0 – 1 Emelec [M]
Guyaquil is clearly a beautiful navy blue after Emelec won another Derby match. The potent attack continues to harass all opponents, and Joao Rojas delivered a delightful goal from the set up by Alejandro Cabeza
Hearts of Oak 0 – 0 Legon Cities
A new Ghanaian season started in typical Royals fashion…with a goalless draw. However this one comes with the added perk of doing it against local rivals and regional giants Hearts of Oak. New keeper Eric Ofori Antwi made a major difference in keeping it tight.
Grenoble 4 – 0 Merignac [F]
I’ll always have a soft spot for the fighting Squirrels of Merignac, but let’s give it up for the ladies of Grenoble who utterly dominated their opponents. Andrea Compper got two more goals to boost her tally on the year, and Sherly Jeudy got another as well, while Romane Pilot got a pair of assists.
Vozdovac 1 – 1 TSC Backa Topola
Nikola Vujnovic continues to do as much as any one man CAN do to make the Dragons relevant in Serbia’s duopoly of a league (heck, even within Belgrade). He’s been in great form and blasted home another strong break away goal here. But help at either end of the pitch sure would help.
Minnesota United 2 – 1 Sporting Kansas City
While I helped you boys get ready for Halloween (or rather, while I helped Spiderman and a Dragon gather candy) the Loons wrapped up their home season. As has become tradition, they sent a dozen shots towards goal but only barely eked out a win. Franco Frangapane got the honors of inciting what will (barring a shocking turn of events) be the last Wonderwall of the year.
News & Notes
The Days are long…oh so very long…
Your mom is in the thick of concert season, my colleagues are waylaid with injuries and covid quarantines and we also have to do all the things for you boys. Knowing that if/when you read this, this time will be long gone, I hope you know that before we do anything else in the day, we marvel at the joy of just hearing you play, sing, laugh and be silly. (We would also really appreciate it if you’d save silliness for before and after we change clothes)
Yet the years are short…
It’s officially November which means many more teams are about to start their season break. Alebrijes watch will mercifully end this next week, and the Griz will either start cramming for finals or await their spot in the final tournament. The Loons need some help to make the playoffs, but Rosenborg’s two sides and Emelec will keep vying for position in our family table (more to come on that). It’s strange but true, it’s all coming together sooner than you think.
Players of the Weeks
There are many strikers in great form of late, but let’s turn the clock back and shout out Regan Charles Cook, who has been a treat to watch for Ross County and has buoyed the Staggies as they fight for their Premiership status in Scotland.
Standings Update
Rosenborg missed a great chance with Montana idle to gain ground in the race for the MacKenzie Cup, the two lackluster showings let the Griz grow their lead without even stepping on the field. Meanwhile, Grenoble’s sweep vaulted them up three spots and gave them a positive goal differential again.
We went to Lusen, Minnesota for a family vacation, and, as such, I put much of my other writing on hold to be present with you boys. But, for the odd ducks who visit this site for summaries of action from Missoula to Mohali, well, here you go with two weeks of details
Results & Recaps
Rosenborg BK 2 – 1 LSK Kvinner [F]
Klepp 0 – 3 Rosenborg BK [F]
Rosenborg 2 – 2 Valerenga [M]
Rosenborg 4 – 1 Sandefjord [M]
It was a solid showing for Rosenborg these weeks, going undefeated on both sides of the training grounds. Stefano Vecchia continued to be red hot, showing that he earned player of the month honors last month (and maybe this one too), while Rosenborg sewed up a shot at the Women’s Champions League again, so next September they’ll be playing against the likes of Milan and Bordeaux to have the right to face teams like Wolfsburg and Real Madrid (like Mary Tyler Moore…we’re gonna make it after all)
Idaho Vandals 1 – 2 Montana Grizzlies
Eastern Washington Eagles 0 – 2 Montana Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies 2 – 1 Weber State Wildcats
Montana Grizzlies 2 – 1 Idaho State Bengals
Camilla Xu’s unstoppable unstoppability came to an official end with three opponents hitting the net behind her in the Big Sky’s final bow of regular season play. But that didn’t matter much as Taylor Stoeger notched five goals over four matches and Sydney Haustein and Skyleigh Thompson rose to the occasion as play makers.
Let’s just enjoy Haustein’s volley to wrap up the regular season…shall we?
The second goal from the Grizzlies is an unassisted score from No. 3 Sydney Haustein! Keep it up Griz! pic.twitter.com/PYe7eepmoI
While the ladies improvement in form was halted abruptly by Leverkusen, the Men continued their unbeaten run. Lucas Holer has been the man on the mission of late, dishing two assists and one goal. They’re in the top 3 of the league and into the third round of the German cup, and frankly Holer’s pony tail is in my top two of possible haircuts this winter.
Ross County 2 – 3 St. Mirren
Ross County 2 – 3 Livingston
Say this for the Staggies they’ve found a new level of consistency under Malcai McKay. Though the ways they got to the end result were different (they never seemed to be in it against St. Mirren and were outdueled at the end, while they coughed up an early lead to Livingston) the Staggies were undone by the same scoreline at home. It’s been nice to try loaned keeper Ashley Maynard-Brewer at the back, but eleven ceded goals and one point in five matches might mean that Ross Laidlaw is still the best option at the back.
Vozdovac 0 – 0 Napredak
FK Radnik Surdulica 1 – 3 Vozdovac
I can find little to nothing to say about the goalless draw with Napredek, but the Dragons soared in the second half against Radnik, scoring twice within five minutes to put the game away. Again Nikola Vujnovic was the man of the hour getting the winner in a mad scramble before helping set up a prettier goal a few minutes later.
SC Bastia 0 – 0 Grenoble [M]
Montabaun 2 – 0 Grenoble [F]
Grenoble 1 – 2 Dijon [M]
It was a rough couple weeks for the Alpiners, as the men saw their winning streak dissipate, and the women dropped their second match of the season (a result that saw them slip to fifth in their division.
Austin FC 0 – 1 Minnesota United
Minnesota United 3 – 2 Philadelphia Union
Minnesota United 1 – 1 Los Angeles FC
The Loons have hit the last sprint to the playoffs in an absolute melee for the last spots in the West. The team can get hot and maybe this will be their booster pack to a cup title. They certainly showed it in their come back win against Philadelphia, but the scuffling attempts against a poor Austin team, and the sheer relief at managing a draw at home makes it feel like time’s running out. Some credit should be shared by Franco Frangapane and Robin Lod who have become more than Emanuel Reynoso’s supporting players, but a reliable tandem of their own.
Emelec 1 – 0 Orense [M]
Emelec 2 – 1 Barcelona SC [M]
The physicality of the match against Orense led to a double red card for one man on both sides, but a late Alexis Zapata goal saved the day there. But Joao Rojas double in the derby against Barcelona is one of the sweetest solutions we’ve had of late (particularly they blast of a goal he had to open it). With four matches to go in the closing campaign, Emelec just needs to keep up the showing to feel ready for the big title bout at the end of the year.
Celaya 1 – 0 Alebrijes
The Oaxacans have now slipped to the bottom of their table. And mercifully they only have three games to go until they can reassess and revise their goals…again.
News & Notes
A Subcontinent Shadow Team
The Indian I-League is still five-six weeks away, but we’re starting to feel torn about our allegiance. Round Glass Punjab is owned by a former Montanan, plays in one of our favorite parts of the country, and boasts some great international players that we can catch up on with ease…but then there’s another team.
Corbett FC actually plays very close to where I used to live (my most favorite part of the country), boasts a bunch of local players, and have Papa Tiger as their mascot. But they are hard hard to track (it honestly looks like they haven’t actually played in four years). The team was out gunned in qualifying for the I-League, but we’ll watch their progress with great interest…assuming we can…
Tournament Time
With the regular season in the books, the Grizzlies’ attention turns to tournament play, starting with the Big Sky Conference tournament in Greely in one week. Their strong record got them a first round bye, but they’ll still have to get a win in Greely against the Northern Colorado Bears to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second time this year. [Pandemics are weird man]
Here Come the Royals
Legon Cities kicks off their new season this weekend. When last we left the Royals, they had just escaped relegation, were fighting off legal challenges to their position in the top flight, and were embroiled in a messy divorce from manager Bashir Hackford. So what’s new with the sideshow that never stops?
Goalkeeper Fatua Duda is now Coach Fatua Duda. His likely replacement: Eric Ofori Antwi has arrived under a cloud of suspicion about being “induced” to leave his old club. Young Hashim Ali will try to step into the big boots left by Niger’s Victorien Adebayour. But the team’s other signees (defender Rashid Mohammed, teen forward Abdul Nassiru Hamza) boast some strong recent form of their own. So two normal stories and one perfectly Legon story to set up the season against…oh boy…Ghanaian giants and local rivals Hearts of Oak.
A Visit from the President
We don’t always get to see the best in the world, let alone hang out near them. But Megan Rapinoe, arguable the best and most influential women’s soccer player today just happened to hang out at our local soccer gathering spot (the same place Alex learned to roll pool balls, and napped during world cup time). As Rapinoe herself wrote, “… This outrageously beautiful mural from the outrageously talented @cyfione [Muralist Rock “CYFI” Martinez] to commemorate when The Gays (TM) took over the world. … I am truly honored, thank you with all my gay little heart. Spaces like these can be sacred ground for us, and this is a special one.”
We can’t ignore the superb showings of Taylor Stoeger and Lucas Holer, and fortunately, we don’t have to! With two weeks of awards to give out, let’s hear it for them both!
Standings Update
I’m running well late, so I’ll leave the standings update for next week, but the duel between the Griz and Trolls continues to pick up steam at the top of the table.
MacKenzie's Boot Room 