Catching up with the Cup: 2025

December 30, 2025 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Disclosure

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

Moving on!

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

11th) Legon Cities

An Explanation:

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

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

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

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

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

Results

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

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

Total: W 2- D 5 – L 22; GF 20/ GA: 52

Great Players:

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

View this post on Instagram

10) Alebrijes de Oaxaca

Results

W 3 – D 4 – L 7 GF: 16/GA: 25

Great Players:

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

Quick Notes:

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

9 )Ross County

Results

W 6 – D 8 – L 11; GF: 36 /GA: 40

Great Players:

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

8) Emelec

Results

View this post on Instagram

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

Total: W 10 – D 7 – L 9; GF 31/GA: 31

Great Players

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

7) Punjab

An Explanation

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

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

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

Results

W 3 – D 2 – L 2; GF 9 /GA: 5

Great Players:

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

6) Grenoble

Results

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

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

Great Players

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

5) Freiburg

Results

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

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

Great Players

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

View this post on Instagram

4) FK Vozdovac

Results:

W 14 – D 7 – L 5; GF: 41/GA: 15

Great Players:

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

Quick Notes:

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

3) Minnesota

Results:

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

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

Great Players:

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

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

2) Montana

Results

W 13 – D 6 – L 6 GF: 38/GA: 18

Great Players:

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

Quick Notes:

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

1) Rosenborg

Results

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

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

Great Players

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

Quick Notes:

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

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

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

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

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

Team	W	D	L	PPG	GFA	GAA
Rosenborg	35	13	17	1.82	2.34	0.66
Montana	13	6	6	1.80	1.24	0.52
Minnesota	32	15	15	1.79	1.58	0.94
Vozdovac	19	6	8	1.70	1.33	0.67
Freiburg	33	16	20	1.67	1.70	1.29
Grenoble	27	15	9	1.57	1.34	1.08
Punjab	6	5	9	1.15	1.35	1.25
Emelec	18	14	29	1.11	0.90	1.51
Ross County	11	12	13	0.98	1.28	1.65
Alebrijes	4	6	18	0.64	1.04	1.96
Legon Cities	6	7	35	0.52	0.69	1.71

Table Updated 12/30/2025

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

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

Catching up with the Cup: Spring 2025

June 27, 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.)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Minnesota United FC (@mnufc)

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Superliga Femenina Ecuabet (@superligafef)

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GF38 Féminines (@gf38_feminines)

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.

Boys Talk: January ’25

January 20, 2025February 8, 2025 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

In an effort to include more of all the MacKenzie Boys and less of just this MacKenzie Boy, I’m going to try to include more soccer centric questions that Alex and Owen take turns answering.

This month: while taking the boys to soccer practices with our local club, I’ve noticed that they very much enjoy a wide assortment of games and training activities that center on animal style behavior: crab walk tackles, snake tag, snapping alligator legs, etcetera. So I decided to ask the boys one clear question:

What animal powers do you think would most help you play soccer?

Owen: Crocodile…cuz then it could just snap…or just say “…nnnnyeahh….I don’t care” and then shred the ball into pieces. Kinda like how I don’t care about scrimmages. I just like the practice and the games like “ships across the ocean”. I’d be the same way, I’d just be like, “I don’t care…I’m just gonna scratch this thing: shikkk, goodbye ball!!” I think a crocodile would be good at ships across the ocean, because there would be water. Oh yeah, and it would be good at tackles! It’ would just be like “I don’t care! Snap, and tackle them!!”)

Alex: I’d want to be a dog, but not just one dog. I’d like to be an animagus dog, like in Harry Potter, and have the power to turn into all sorts of different dogs! I could be little like our dog Sidney, or big like grandma and grandpa’s dog Gida. And for soccer…hmmm…I think I would…uh…I would want to be a big dog like gida [Ed: An Italian Spinoni] but a little more coordinated.

Papa: I definitely appreciate the boys’ perspective on this. I think my favorite animals also have a major influence on my choices as well. I’m certainly tempted to name a tiger as they’re both aggressive and stealthy, but I think my natural predilection for defensive plays leads me to pick the Bison. I like the combination of being strong enough to overpower attackers and fast enough to keep up with them. Also, I’m quite aware that the Bison’s role as my high school mascot has made playing for the team the unattained ideal of my own truncated soccer career. (Bonus point: One of my favorite players, Ghanaian midfielder Michael Essien, was nicknamed “Le Bison” for his style of play, not his connection to Great Falls High…although…if he wanted a coaching job…)

63. Inherent Parenting

November 29, 2021December 30, 2021 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

In the last month, Alex has started at a new school. We didn’t expect to move you into a new spot so soon after returning to school, but as parents we know that we can’t control other people, only ourselves.

Surprisingly, that’s not an easy thing to keep in mind. It’s especially hard in our current cultural climate.

Let me explain.

Right now, we’re surrounded by the germs. Yes, still those germs. The ones I wrote about 18 months ago. I’ve been surrounded of late by sick colleagues and inured students and a lingering sense that it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.

Alex’s school was non-plussed, and unwilling to admit that they might be wrong about how they handle it. This made your mom quite upset. What made me frustrated was the blithe assumption that they couldn’t possibly be wrong.

The teachers at Alex’s school aren’t alone. The thoughts are echoed every where, especially in the sports world.

A top basketball player (who attended one of the country’s best colleges, Duke) refuses to be vaccinated. Same with an elite quarterback (who also attended a great school, Cal-Berkley), he frankly gets extra credit awfulness for working in a bag-full of lies about it in interviews. Soccer players around the world are no different, but there doesn’t seem to be many on our favorite teams (it’s not clear if cases in Minnesota and Ross County broke through the vaccine’s barriers or just the regular shoddy defense of both sides).

After 18 months of these germs, many, many, MANY of us are tired. Your mom and I made the choice to do whatever we could to protect you two. After all, you couldn’t get a vaccine. You couldn’t control who came around you, so we opted to do what we could: staying home, getting vaccinated, masking 99% of the places we go (grandma and grandpa do the same, which is why we feel safe being unmasked there).

The Liverpool coach, and human Gummi Bear, Jurgen Klopp said it extremely well:

“I don’t take the vaccination only to protect me, I take the vaccination to protect all the people around me. I don’t understand why that is a limitation of freedom because, if it is, then not being allowed to drink and drive is a limitation of freedom as well. I got the vaccination because I was concerned about myself but even more so about everybody around me.
Jurgen Klopp (as reported in The Guardian)

But there’s one thing I can’t bring myself to do. I find that I can’t be mad at them. I can’t summon the anger or bitterness that I hear from my colleagues or my friends.

I can’t do it because I recognize that this moment, this assumption of superior knowledge, this misguided belief that running a school or excelling in athletics precludes you from being told what to do by scientific experts is not inherently bad: it’s just an inherent flaw.

Dear Boys,

Too often we get consumed with a black and white vision of the world. We often lean back on assumptions that people are inherently good , or inherently bad. If we can emphasize that we are all inherently flawed, trying our best, and worth challenging with compassion, I think we will be better able to serve one another and move forward together.

To those who insist on the image of themselves as inherently good, we see an assumption that they couldn’t have caused offense. They could not be misinformed. They must be defending their freedom against group think. Anyone who says otherwise is willfully misunderstanding their positive intent and freedom.

To those who insist on the image of our fellow citizens as inherently bad, we see an assumption that there is always malice lurking in the shadows. There’s a desire to lift up oneself and undercut others no matter the cost. There is cold, callous, and cruel calculations in every action or inaction that takes place. Anyone who says otherwise enables the worst among us.

I know that both of those are false. I know because I have spent too much of my life ping-ponging between the two views about myself. I’ve felt like a saint, nobly martyred on the altar of misunderstandings. I’ve seen myself as a vile worm, disgustingly seeking self gain at the cost of my community.

But it’s not true. I’m neither inherently good nor inherently bad. I am (like you, and your friends, family, teachers, sports heroes, and everyone else) flawed.

My flaws arise everywhere, but especially in short temper, which I know you’ve both seen more often than I would like. But I hope that you can forgive me. I hope that you understand that I try, I fail, I try again. And that you can do the same.

I hope the same for those who stamp their feet in a petulant anti-vaccine streak and those who berate the anti-vaxxers for extending our challenges. We try to do right, we fail, we try again.

Athletes try to do right for themselves. Ignoring the science to endanger teammates and fans by transmitting or catching the disease themselves, they fail. I hope they try again.

Alex’s teachers try do right for themselves and their school. Believing that it’s masks are too much trouble, assuming that the way things are now will remain consistent long into the future is a failure. I hope they try to learn again.

Your mom and I opting to do what we can to protect you feels right. If it becomes a failure, I know we will try again.

I hope that’s the lesson you take.

60. Question Expectations

August 20, 2021August 27, 2021 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Despite the unusual circumstances, I’ll always remember this summer’s Olympics as Alex’s first real sports fandom moment.

Each day you were excited to ask “can we watch some Olympics?”

Dear Boys,

It was clear as could be that you liked the Olympics. You were willing to cut back to only one Reading Rainbow a day, and your joy in sharing it with me, with mama, and with your grannies was clearly apparent. After hoping for more swimming at first, you came to enjoy whatever came your way: bike racing, sprinting, relay races, ribbon dancing, diving, it was all fun, and you were all in.

But there was a moment that you missed. A moment, I wish I could capture for you again and again.

That simple question: “can we have two golds?”

It’s such an easy question that it’s a little surprising that no one ever asked it before Mutaz Barshim. [Though, having refereed my share of disputes between you two boys, maybe not terribly surprising.]

“Can we have two golds?”

That kind of question at the height of your sport, the peak of competition, with the eyes of the world on you.

“Can we have two golds?”

I’m blown away by it, because it simply questions every expectation we have in sports. We expect competition. We expect victory and defeat. We expect winners and losers. We expect finality, a degree of absolute fact or truth: one record, one best, that’s it. Either Barshim or Gianmarco Tamberi would be gold medalist. One would be in history books forever. That’s what we expected.

“Can we have two golds?”

That’s something we don’t expect.

In this essay I will analyze how “Grocery Truck” embodies a win at all cost culture…

As Barshim says in his interview, “[Sports] is a tool for us to come together.” So, what if, instead of the expected delineation between winners and losers, what if we sought to celebrate moments where we share.

It’s certainly not easy. Even in soccer, one of the few sports where teams may share the same number of points, it’s a challenge. I can’t tell you the number of times growing up I heard friends ask “how can you like that? can’t you like…tie?” The tie was a complete unknown to us. One team won, one team lost. It might take slo-mo instant replay, but you could figure out who came first and who came last. [To paraphrase one of your preferred Little Blue Truck Books]

Soccer draws are often frustrating for fans, we often come away thinking about the two points dropped rather than the one point gained. But truth to tell, even if they coulda-shoulda-won….they could-woulda lost if something else had gone amiss. Maybe that’s why soccer players often come away from the end of a match with appreciation for the other side, swapping jerseys and exchanging pleasantries no matter how bitter the blow is.

The players understand that the game is one thing, but life is another. We fans, we citizens, we don’t always understand that.

Sadder still, we have taken the sport mentality, the thirst for victory, well beyond cheering on our local team/high jumper. Lots of people look to gloat at the failures of their rivals.

In the wake of the fall of Afghanistan and the deaths of innocent people, there are some who have seized this moment to denounce not violence, not human rights violations, but their political opponents. They don’t bother to acknowledge the suffering of people, the desperation and fear, but instead they demand we blame someone…someone other than them. At the same time, there are those who fight back. Pinning the blame back on those who are criticizing the failure. In their own way, seeking to score a win in the history books for their side, regardless of what failure is happening on the other side of the world.

It’s strange that in a serious moment of humanity we seek to push others down still further, but in a moment of fevered competition, Barshim and Tamberi chose to lift each other up.

I write these words knowing that you boys will probably never be olympians, or soccer stars, or have the fate of an armed invasion on your hands. But whatever you do, I hope you boys find new ways to question expectations.