Cup Catch Up: April ’26

April 27, 2026April 28, 2026 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Dear Kids,

I spend a lot of time trying to find valuable lessons within soccer for you all, but this time I’m going to try something different. On a recent walk to see the Loons play we began discussing tactics, and Alex realized that his love of soccer mirrors his love of a real hobby (and fictional sport) Bey Blades. I’ll let his words take it from here:

Alex: “I think there are a couple things you can do, if you’re a beyblade or a soccer team. You can be an attack type where you go all out for goal and try to knock the other team out with big shots. You could be a defensive type where you just try to stop the attacks and then surprise them with a goal of your own. You could be a stamina type where you try to outlast your opponent and just let them get tired out…then, in soccer, you can get it in the goal. Or you could be a balance type and do all of them.”

Dear Kids,

Me: “I think balance sounds good.”

Alex: “Yeah, but also you’re just good at each thing and not great at any of them. That can make it easier for teams that do any of the other things to get you.

Me: “I see, what style do you think the Loons are?”

Alex: “Probably a defensive or balance type…but it’s harder to do without Dayne.”

Me: “What style do you like best?”

Alex: “Definitely attack type! They’re the most exciting…but I can see why you’d do something else if you really want to win the game.“

So there you have it. It’s a very solid broad strokes game theory…and I’m happy to say congratulations Dayne St. Clair…you are the Obsidian Shell of soccer…or Obsidian Shell is the you of Beyblades…either way, good company.

Results & Notable Players

Part 1: The Hard Times

If April is the cruelest month, then our teams in Legon seem to be trapped in an endless April from which there is no escape. Chris Junior Narh’s attempted jail breaks from the back line of the Royals to knock in two goals (half of the whole club’s total), only mustered a few points and left the team still anchored to the bottom of the table.

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Premier Team: W # – D # – L 1 ; GF: 1 / GA: 5

Divison 1 Team: W 1 – D # – L 3 ; GF: 3 / GA: 9

Meanwhile other troubles have befallen Alebrijes mostly of the between season lull variety. Once again the Oaxacans were limited in attack and exposed in defense until they finished their spring season well shy of the playoffs. Israel Garcia and Julio Cruz did help the team get the most points in two years (four campaigns), so we can only hope this is a step in the right direction.

W 1 – D 0 – L 2 ; GF: 4 / GA: 5

But in the Alps there seem to be nothing but missteps for Grenoble, particularly as the Men slide perilously close to the relegation zone. The usually stout defensive line seems to be well shy of its full strength with Gaetean Paquiez and Loris Mouyokolo the most steadfast defenders, but they can’t stop it all. Nor can Jessy Benet be the only functioning piston in the offensive engine (though goodness knows he will try). The silver lining is that the Women’s side has secured a spot in the second division again next year, again, like Alebrijes, looking to make slow and steady progress towards the ultimate goal. Their recent 4-0 win over Nice was (don’tdoit, don’tdoit, don’tdoit, don’tdadjokeinwriting) nice! (sigh…I’m not proud of myself) Kudos to Melanie Chabrier on her double (and sorry to put you in such proximity to such bad writing.

Hommes: W # – D 3 – L 1 ; GF: 5 / GA: 6

Femmes: W 1 – D 1- L # ; GF: 4 / GA: 0

Part II. Hanging Tough

It’s hard to acknowledge that you often have to take the good with the bad, and should expect both for moments of triumph and hours of disappointment. So it is with our next set of teams.

Ross County came in at the bottom of the league, and they’re still there with only one game to play, but a few vital results (including a 4-0 thumping of Greenock Morton) have given them a lifeline if they can only grab it (while their rivals stumble) Alex Iacovitti’s big winner against Ayr and Ryan Duncan’s tremendous game has lifted their spirits…but they may come crashing down again on Friday. Unfortunately, their good showing has come at the same time that the Lasses slip (two straight losses by a total of 8-0).

Lads: W 2 – D 0 – L 2; GF: 6 / GA: 6

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Lasses: W 0 – D 0 – L 2; GF: 0/ GA: 8

It’s been a similarly mixed bag for Emelec with the men’s squad stepping up through a superb resurgence of Goalkeeper Pedro Ortiz. He’s had to be excellent while the defense leaks attacks, but there may be hope ahead with 16 year old Luis Fragozo becoming a regular and netting the winner against LDU Quito at the end of the month. If Ortiz is winding down his career, perhaps he can spend some time with the Electricas, who shipped a total of 15 goals over their three defeats in the month (cue jokes about the power going out for Emelec)

Masculinos: W 2 – D 1 – L 3; GF 4/GA: 8

Femininas: W 0 – D 0 – L 3; GF 1/GA: 15

The final club I want to talk about it in this bracket is Rosenborg. It was baffling to find them at the bottom of the March table, but it was the only place for them after failing to garner a win during the opening weeks’ of the Norwegian seasons. They now have wins to their names…but are still playing catch up: a rare place for the most decorated men’s side and most consistent women’s team in the country. Eivor Ulvand ran the show from the striker spot to help the women beat Honefoss, but they squandered that same momentum against Aalesund. Meanwhile, Ole Kristian Selnaes has been an immediate impact player for the men after missing the first few games….unfortunately he’s only one of eleven, so there’s still more to do.

Kvinner W 1 – D # – L 1; GF 2/GA: 1

Menner: W 1 – D 2 – L 1; GF: 3/GA: 4

Part II. Flying

Then there are the teams that are on strong runs of form and looking for all the world like, you know, professional soccer teams. You could make a case that Freiburg have actually just been solid, but the fact that Julian Schuster shepherded his team to two cup semis (both Europa League and the Pokal) can’t be ignored. The offense beyond Vincenzo Grifo is developing nicely as Igor Manatovic has been clinical, Yuito Suzuki is a lightning bolt and Johan Manzambi is poised for a massive breakout. Plus I’m growing especially fond of Jan Niklas Beste’s cult figure status as Europa League whisperer. (The women were largely idle this month)

Herren: W 4 – D 0 – L 3 ; GF: 12/ GA: 11

Frauen: W 0 – D 0 – L 1 ; GF: 1/ GA: 4

Meanwhile, the team that topped our table last month (Punjab) have continued to show plenty of strength, thanks in large part to the stoutest defense in all of the subcontinent. Despite saying farewell to club legend Luka Macjen, Nigerian Nsungusi Effiong is quickly writing his own name in the history booksz. But defense remains the hallmark of the Indian team members with Bijoy Vargehse and Khaimintang Lhungdim forming the strongest part of the line while benefitting greatly from two way player Manglengthang Kipgen.

W 2 – D 0 – L 1; GF: 8 / GA: 4

Closer to home, Minnesota clearly made a big bet on bringing in a South American sensation to capture the hearts and minds of cold midwesterners. The trick is, it isn’t Golden Ball winning James Rodriguez, but veteran winger Thomas Chancalay (though to be fair veteran of Los Loon like stalwart defender Nicholas Romero and leader creator Jaoquin Pereya have been impressive contenders too).

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I was a little wary when James finally started and played a majority of a game against LAFC last weekend, but he showed staggering array of skills for a man older and less comfortable than most of the more consistent players. Try as he might, he just could not get a goal or carry teammates into a position to deliver the same. The bigger question now is can the team find some way to fill up the pitch with all their most talented players? (And please…give Bongi some more playing time)

W 4 – D 1 – L 1 ; GF: 7/ GA: 3

The final team to talk about is the one with the most at stake: FK Vozdovac. After a tepid run in after the winter break, you might have seen a clear limp in the Dragon’s gait as they began the Championship Round (against the other top 6 teams). That was certainly apparent in an opening loss to Loznica. With only four matches left and no room for error, they came out like a house on fire during the last week of April. It started with a thumping of Jedinstvo Ob (5-1) and was shortly followed with a drubbing of Zemun (3-0). Jasin Rasljanin came away with three goals over those two games and Nenad Lukic with two more. It’s unclear to me if the promoted teams are the top 2 from this set of 5 matches, or for the season as a whole. But either way, a match Friday against Macva Saba (their direct competition for promotion) will be seismic.

W 3 – D 0 – L 1; GF: 10/ GA: 3

Looking Ahead

It’s getting down to squeaky bum time, so let’s consider the leagues that will wrap up before our next post.

In Ghana, it’s all over but the crying, each and every Legon player is doomed to the drop.

Things are pulse-pounding in Scotland, as County needs a win on the final day and an Airdreones loss or draw to sneak out of the trap door and buy themselves another bit of life (A super big win against a stout Raith Rovers and they could even slip past Greenock Morton to avoid the playoffs for relegation.)

Vozdovac has two games left to seal their return to the top flight, but they’ll be playing against some heavy hitters and has to face two teams they haven’t beaten this season. Freiburg has a lot to do in a short span of time, but they might want to get a move on if they want to make it to Europe (either by passing Frankfurt for a top 7 spot, or by winning the Europa League and going up to the Champions League). And then there’s the wildness of India’s pell mell competition, where Punjab who have to go out and play 5 matches in three weeks.

Grenoble needs at least one result to save themselves from the drop. With multiple teams withdrawn or in forfeit mode I think the Electricas should be okay…but I have no certainy about the final out comes.

While 9 teams will be done for the summer soon, Minnesota Aurora kicks off their season in the middle of May

Standings

A very rare occurrence where the Loons and the Dragons have the exact same standings.

Team	W	D	L	PPG	GFA	GAA
Punjab	4	2	2	1.75	1.88	0.88
Vozdovac	5	3	3	1.64	1.27	0.55
Minnesota	5	3	3	1.64	1.00	1.27
Freiburg	13	4	16	1.30	1.18	1.55
Grenoble	7	12	7	1.27	1.08	1.12
Ross County	9	5	15	1.10	1.07	1.38
Alebrijes	4	4	7	1.07	1.33	1.93
Emelec	5	2	10	1.00	0.71	2.06
Rosenborg	2	4	5	0.91	0.82	1.36
Legon Cities	4	1	21	0.50	0.85	2.73
Montana–b	0	0	0	—	—	—

Table Updated 4/27/26
b–Team is between seasons

Cup Catch Up: January ’26

January 26, 2026January 26, 2026 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Dear Kids,

Things are hard.

Truthfully they’re always hard.

I started writing these notes to you when Owen was still small enough to fit in the crook of my arm, and Alex’s favorite activity was chasing the vacuum cleaner, and while that seemed simple…handling both of you (and a vacuum cleaner)…navigating a pandemic was not.

Dear Kids,

It has stayed hard.

Through murder, unrest, insurrection, division, deceit, venality, corruption, and now an armed invasion again (and that’s just in our country…never mind the terror, invasion, and war crimes abroad), things are hard, have been hard, and will likely remain hard.

When everything is hard, it is so easy to get discouraged, to get mean, to get angry and cold (especially in Minnesota in January), which is why I take heart from the little things.

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Ross County is in a hard place. They are struggling to get points of any kind. They have conceded more goals than any other team in their division this year, and they look likely to be demoted for the second straight year.

Alex wants to stop ICE with ice and bologna.

So Alex Iacovitti didn’t need to do this. He could have just let the ball go past again…let the team lose 2-0 instead of 1-0. But he did what he could, he threw himself into the situation and managed to help. Iacovitti’s play is sweet…and a very tiny glimmer of the energy and effort that we and our neighbors are throwing at the situation in Minnesota now.

As federally endorsed officials attempt to detain and expel other Minnesota residents, we have seen senseless brutality and violence. But, I also see breathtaking effort, love and care when your mom and so many others stand in the freezing cold to keep kids safe on their way into your school. I see it in your aunt and uncle fundraising and gathering groceries for other families in their day care. I even see it in the two of you making posters to protest and tease the officials who are imposing their interests on our community.

I don’t know if Alex Iacovitti would be with us in lending help and support to the people in need. But I know that I love living and working with a bunch of people who would, no matter how bad things are, rush back to try to clear an attack away.

Results

Freiburg

Herren: W 3- D 1- L 1; GF: 7/GA:6

Frauen: W 0 – D 0 – L 1; GF 0/GA: 1

Grenoble:

Hommes: W 0 – D 1 – L 2; GF: 2/ GA: 6

Femmes: W 2 – D 0 – L 1; GF 4/GA: 3

Legon Cities:

Premier Team: W 1- D 0 – L 3; GF 4/GA: 7

Divison 1 Team: W 2- D 0 – L 2; GF: 6/GA: 10

Ross County

Lads: W 2 – D 0 – L 2; GF 3/GA: 3

Lasses: W 0 – D 0 – L1; GF 1/ GA: 2

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Alebrijes

W 0 – D 1 – L 1; GF: 1/GA: 4

Notable Players

Freiburg leads the charge out of the gate in our 2026 season, with Vincenzo Grifo (big shock) being a talisman in attack; Goalie Noah Atubolu stopping both Hamburg and Koln; Matthias Ginter and Christian Gunter offer goal opportunities in the defense (attack and pk to fight back).

Grenoble sits second with a big pair of goals of the bench getting the ladies in to the round of sixteen before the bowed out to Strasbourg. But we’ll also tip a cap to Claudia Fabre who got the winner against Guingamp and Gaetan Paquiez who saved the day in defense before sending in two assists to steal a point against Pau.

Ross County’s Alex Iacovitti has already gotten his flowers, but we’ll also shout out Jay Henderson whose two goals gave the Stags their first win in the league since October. And honorary mentions to the last teams on our list including Rauf Muna with two goals to get the Wonder Royals their first points in six attempts, and Jair Cortes delivering a late equalizer against Cancun.

Looking Ahead

The biggest item on my horizon is finding out if your uncles and I will be attending a World Cup match in Philadelphia this summer. But we’ll also watch as each of these teams builds into fuller form and Minnesota United kicks off their new season with a change in veterans, goalies, and even coaches, while Punjab (maybe) kicks off (maybe) on Valentine’s Day (unless something weird happens…which with Indian soccer…it will)

Standings

Team	W	D	L	PPG	GFA	GAA
Freiburg	4	1	2	1.86	1.00	1.00
Grenoble	3	1	2	1.67	1.00	1.50
Ross County	2	0	3	1.20	0.80	1.00
Legon Cities	3	0	5	1.25	1.00	2.13
Alebrijes	0	1	1	0.50	0.50	2.00
Emelec–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Montana–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Rosenborg–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Minnesota–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Vozdovac–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Punjab–b	0	0	0	—	—	—

Table Updated 1/26/26
b–Team is between seasons
x–Team is finished playing for 2025

MacKenzie Cup: February ’25

February 26, 2025 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Let’s get at it again, with a short month (made shorter by my late post last time) there’s less to cover, but more to enjoy

Between Season Squads:

Rosenborg, Montana (and Legon Cities)

Legon Cities was schecduled to face Karela United, but the match was cancelled so there’s nothing new to report for the Royals.

Meanwhile, there was another round of expected rest for the snowier portions of our soccer world. The Loons fled for sunny California to train and then kick off their season. Rosenborg made their way to Portugal and had a fun time training with others in a mini-tournament. Meanwhile the Griz focused on classwork and enjoying their new bubble training dome.

Rosenborg will hit the ground running in the next month, but most matches will happen while we’re on spring break, thus after our next update goes to “print”

LEGON March: HOME v. Nsoatreman, AWAY v. Asante Kotoko, HOME v. Berekum Chelsea, AWAY v. Accra Lions

ROSENBORG March: (W): AWAY v. Brann

Alebrijes de Oaxaca– 1 W – 0 D – 1 L; GF: 3/GA: 2

Oaxaca came into the month struggling heavily, winless in the year. Heck they were winless since September. So it was a bit of a surprise to see that they got their first win in 12 tries against a top of the table side in Atalante (2-0). Perhaps Atalante overlooked Alebrijes, but whatever the reason, Midfielder Fernando Morelos notched a brace. And the squad celebrated (deservedly).

Things looked to be breaking their way again in the next match as the Oaxacans were a man up after just 11 minutes following a Venados red card. But…the squad somehow managed to give up two goals to their opponents and only scored a consolation goal AFTER they also got a red card. (1-2 L)

March: HOME v. Correcaminos, AWAY v. Jaibos, and UDG, HOME v. Tlaxcala

Punjab– 0 W – 0 D – 2 L; GF: 2/GA: 5

After getting used to Punjab De Sher reliably topping our table and challenging everyone, it’s become a little dispiriting to see them face consistent struggles. Another late defeat (2-1), this time in Chennai stung again as it undid another solid outing from Nikhil Prabhu and Ravi Kumar. Moreover, it looked like with a range of injuries the often reliable Luka Macjen and Filip Marzjlak were forced to share time rather than dominate as a duo.

With those limitations firmly in place the ensuing defeat to East Bengal (3-1) was largely predictable. As coach Panagiotis Dilmperis tries to McGyver together an attack from the remnants of what was a potent attack at the start of the year, another second choice defense really didn’t help things.

The only solace is that there is no relegation from the ISL, but it’s hard knowing that the recent ~~dip~~ collapse in form turned a season that started with Punjab competing for the top of the table has left them outside of the playoff spot with 8 points to make up in three matches. That would require three wins and quite a lot of help from 5 teams head of them in the standings. Having just bottled winnable games (given season-long form) in Chennai and Bengal, they can only hope things go better on the road against bottom of the table Hydrabad and Mohammedan.

March: HOME v. FC Goa, AWAY v. Hydrabad and Mohammedan SC

Freiburg–3 W – 0 D – 0 L; GF: 8/GA: 0

F: 1 W – 0 D – 0 L; GF: 2/GA: 0

The match against Carl Zeiss Jena was postponed, so the only match for die Frauen was their against Koln. In addition to Cora Zica continuing to be a strong attacker, 17-year-old center back Maj Schneider celebrated her first ever start with a goal and a clean sheet!

March: AWAY v Turbine Potsdam, HOME v. Eintracht Frankfurt

M: 2 W – 0 D- 0 L; GF: 6/GA: 0

Freiburg needed help from an Own Goal to win against St. Pauli (1-0) after Vincenzo Grifo surprisingly missed a penalty. Kilian Sidilla had the best outing of a great defensive group that stopped their opponents from ever getting their offense clicking, with the ~~law firm~~ back line of Ginter, Gunter and Leinhart holding strong as well.

Eren Dikcii and Ristu Doan on their
way to the polls!

With things moving along nicely, Freiburg absolutely trounced Werder Bremen 5-0 in their biggest offensive outpouring since November of 2023! Vincenzo Grifo (please contain your shock) and Ritsu Doan each knocked in two goals and Noah Atabolu stopped his fourth consecutive penalty to seal the clean sheet in a resounding win.

As an added cherry on top, Freiburg’s efforts to get out the vote in German elections remain a gold standard helping increase the voting to 86% turn out! YAY VOTING! YAY FREIBURG!

March: AWAY v. Augsburg, HOME v. Leipzig, AWAY v. Mainz,

Ross County– 2 W – 0 D – 0 L; GF: 6 /GA: 1

Ronan Hale has quietly become a superb striker ranking 2nd in the Scottish Goal Scorers race this season (in the non-Old Firm division). He was back at it again against Motherwell, notching two goals in the first half to grab all three points on the road (3-0).

Back on home turf in Dingwall, the Staggies picked up another big win (3-1) versus Dundee FC, with Akil Wright continuing to be an absolute terror down the right side and Kacper Lopata anchoring the defense (and even chipping in an assist this match as well)

March: AWAY v. St. Johnstone, HOME v. Kilmarnock, AWAY v. Hearts

Grenoble– 1 W – 2 D – 0 L; GF: 6 /GA: 3

Women 0 W – 1 D – 0 L; GF: 1 /GA: 1

Les femmes only managed to take a point from their home match against Colomiers (1-1), and while that small slip shouldn’t be a huge affair, it feels a little like one. After all, there’s already very little margin for error in the quest to top the table, so this was less than ideal.

March: AWAY v. Chasseau Decines, and Le Puy; HOME v. Montpelier II, AWAY v. Monaco

Men–1 W – 1 D – 0 L; GF: 5 /GA: 2

After Frederic Geugen’s brief tenure as an interim manager, Grenoble brought in Franck Rizzetto. But while Rizetto came in, Pape Meissa Ba (aka Grenoble’s largest attacking piece) completed his move to the Bundesliga. It could have been a fraught moment, but instead Grenoble managed one of their best offensive outings this season notching 4 goals for the first time since September in a win against Amiens (4-1). Help came from all over the pitch including the invigorated defensive midfielder Theo Valls, and outright defenders Loris Mouyokolo and Shaquil Delos. The ensuing home tie against Guingamp was a less inspiring 1-1 draw, but it did include a Jessy Benet goal, so really who needs to complain?

March: AWAY v Pau, HOME v. AC Ajaccio, AWAY v. Clermont Foot

Vozdovac–1 W – 1 D – 2 L; GF: 1/GA: 0

The best start for a team kicking off their 2025 undoubtedly went to Vozdovac as the Red Dragons got points in both their matches. Winning 1-0 at home v. Dubocia with a goal from Mihajlo Milosavic was a great start. They may well have wanted more points from their tie against Smederevo (0-0) but you should never look askance at points on the road. And the outing also allowed goalie Nenad Filipovic to post his 5th straight clean sheet giving him 458 minutes without allowing a goal! Well done Nenad!

March: HOME v Macva, AWAY v. Worker, HOME v. Borac, AWAY v Grafica, HOME v. Radniki, AWAY v. Vrsac

Emelec–0 W – 0 D – 2 L; GF: 0 /GA: 6

After what can only be described as a lousy end of their previous season, hopes were high that Los Bombillos would start fresh and return to the traditional powerhouse role that saw them become one of Ecuador’s greatest clubs.

…Or they could lose 4-0 to Universidad and 2-0 to Delfin.

They did the second one.

Worse, the defeats have left Emelec’s men side winless since September, and with Alebrijes winning (finally) they now have the longest losing streak of all our teams. Good luck to new coach Jorge Celico…you clearly need it.

March: HOME v. Macara; AWAY v. Vinotinto; HOME v. LDU

Minnesota– 0 W – 0 D – 1 L; GF: 0 /GA: 1

The Loons kicked off their season in Los Angeles as a dark horse contender for the Western Conference title against the most obvious of bright horses: LAFC. But the squad held their own for most of the match. Good pressure and strong passing showed Bongi and Kelvin Yeboah to be ready to continue on right as they had last season, and Dayne St. Clair was tough as always. But against the well-funded and expertly drilled Angels there’s little room for error and the Loons paid the price with a 1-0 defeat.

March: HOME v. Montreal, AWAY v. San Jose and Kansas City, HOME v. LA Galaxy

STANDINGS

(See the standings page for full updates)

Tune in for our next recap: March 26th right before we hit the sunny streets of Orlando!

Year 5

December 31, 2024December 31, 2024 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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

Final Standings

Team	W	D	L	PPG	GFA	GAA
Montana	12	5	2	2.16	1.53	0.53
Minnesota	26	10	15	1.73	2.33	1.25
Rosenborg	37	7	25	1.71	1.68	1.16
Grenoble	26	10	22	1.52	1.60	1.12
Emelec	17	13	13	1.49	1.21	0.93
Punjab	13	5	12	1.47	1.67	1.77
Freiburg	25	15	27	1.34	1.49	1.70
Ross County	13	10	20	1.140	1.30	2.00
Legon Cities	12	5	19	1.139	0.89	1.11
Vozdovac	13	11	21	1.11	1.04	1.18
Alebrijes	6	8	14	0.93	1.04	1.93

Table Updated 12/30/24

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

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

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

Players of the Year

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

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

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

Nobel FC Most Enjoyable Outstanding Writer

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

What’s Next

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

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

Catching Up with the Kids: Freiburg

August 23, 2024August 23, 2024 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Ok, I’ve said it plenty of times by now: but I really struggled to keep up daily writing routines when I was teaching full time. Case in point, I’ve sat down to write about teams half a dozen times during this week of back to school business, but with meetings, plannings and trainings, it’s only now, on Friday night, that I’m actually taking time to write.

With the Bundesliga about to kick off tomorrow, it seemed the ideal time to take a beat and check up on our friends in Freiburg

Match Results: 8 W – 9 D – 15 L; GF 46/ GA 59

Herren: 6 W – 6 D – 8 L; GF 34/GA 36

After years of over achieving and being the sweetest little club in Europe, Freiburg ran smack dab into the buzzsaw that is incessant competition of the high achieving behemoth clubs of Europe. Without an oil magnate or soft drink bottler to buy up fringe players, the Boys of Briegsau were run ragged by the demands of another run in the Europa league. Once again, they faced their bogey team of West Ham United, and, after winning 1-0 at home they were pounded 5-0 in London. Exhausted and worn out they still had the chance to make another run for Europe, but they didn’t have the legs to make it happen. Winning only once in the last two months, they slipped to tenth as they said goodbye to their local legend.

Frauen: 2 W – 3 D – 7 L; GF 12 / GA 23

While the men were struggling down the stretch, the women were…struggling down the stretch. From their usual position just outside the top tier, the Babes of Breigsau lost 6 straight matches to plummet down to the bottom half of the table, finishing 9th overall (yes one spot better than the guys, but also only out of 12 teams, while the men were part of 20).

Star Players:

As ever the standbys of Freiburg’s formidable teams were there: Vincenzo Grifo, Janina Minge, and Hasret Kayici remain stalwarts attacking, scoring, leading. This year their co-stars were a little more varied.

On the defensive side of the ball, Samantha Steuerwald is becoming the women’s defensive dynamo but Marie Mueller played so well in the last part of 2023 as to earn a move to legendary American team The Portland Thorns. Meanwhile Matthias Gunther was clearly valuable, especially as the men’s long slide to struggle coincides with his exit to an injury.

But it was also deeply gratifying to see Ritsu Doan (who we also grew to adore when he was playing for Japan at the World Cup) take the next step up with Freiburg as the most frequent target for Vincenzo Grifo. Ultimately, he couldn’t engineer enough offense to single handedly keep the foxes/griffins in Europe, but he did his darndest.

Year 5, January

January 31, 2024January 31, 2024 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recap

Live from Legon!

Record: 1 – 0 – 0 GF: 4 GA: 0

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.

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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).

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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.

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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!

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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.

Team	W	D	L	PPG	GFA	GAA
Legon Cities	1	0	0	3.00	4.00	1.00
Freiburg	2	1	1	1.50	1.50	1.25
Grenoble	0	3	1	0.75	1.25	1.75
Punjab	0	2	1	0.66	1.00	1.33
Alebrijes	0	1	1	0.50	1.00	2.00
Ross County	0	1	3	0.25	0.50	2.25
Montana–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Rosenborg–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Minnesota–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Emelec–b	0	0	0	—	—	—
Vozdovac–b	0	0	0	—	—	—

Table Updated 1/30/24
b–Team is between seasons

Year 4

December 31, 2023 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

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

Final Standings

Team	W	D	L	PPG	GFA	GAA
Montana	13	3	3	2.21	1.58	0.47
Rosenborg	36	12	21	1.74	1.84	1.17
Minnesota	28	13	16	1.70	2.16	1.30
Grenoble	35	12	22	1.63	1.47	0.99
Punjab	13	8	11	1.47	1.50	1.06
Emelec	18	17	15	1.42	2.02	0.96
Legon Cities	16	10	15	1.41	1.15	1.27
Freiburg	26	13	31	1.30	1.41	1.64
Ross County	14	10	21	1.16	1.33	1.53
Vozdovac	10	10	15	1.14	1.03	1.25
Alebrijes	8	9	15	1.03	1.25	1.84

Table Updated 12/30/23
b–Team is between seasons

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

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

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

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

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

Players of the Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nobel FC Most Enjoyable Outstanding Writer

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

What’s Next

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

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

October (Part 2): Before the Sugar Rush

October 31, 2023November 3, 2023 by scruffyrube ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

Recap

Griz Biz

Returning home after an impressive road trip, the Griz didn’t let up with a decisive 2-0 win against Sacramento State that sealed another Big Sky Regular Season title. The regular season finale was an appropriate celebration of senior night and appropriate send offs from Delaney Lou Schorr who got the winning goal (1-0) and Ashlynn Dvorak who tied Camilla Xu’s record for shutouts in a season. (While the Griz were undefeated during the regular season, No Big Sky team has gone undefeated through the playoffs…so the pressure is still on the Griz to qualify for the NCAAs).

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Up next: Nov 3rd (v. either Portland State or Idaho State), Nov 5th (Big Sky Championship, if they qualify)

What’s in Store at Rosenborg?

For the first time since June 18th the Kvinner were beaten, this time by Brann (0-2). The loss stung as it dropped them out of first place with only three matches left in the campaign. If they win their next two (not a sure thing with a desperate Avaldnes and old rival Lillestrom) the final two against Valerenga may end up deciding two trophies (the League in the first match and the Cup in the second).

On the other hand, the men were able to hold on to a 1-1 draw against Stabaek courtesy of an excellent penalty save by young keeper Sander Tangvik. The diving stop at the end of the first half was only one ample of his excellent defense to help his team hold on. They turned up with one of their best performances of the season, with Emil Frederiksen and Jayden Nelson offering a tremendous tandem to hit the net twice en route to a 3-1 win over Valerenga (featuring another Sander Tangvik penalty save)

Next: The Menn face Molde; the Kvinner face Asvaldnes

Minnesota a la Mode…ah

The Loons dreams of another playoff trip were dashed by Johnny Russell as the nicest rivalry in sports gave Kansas City what they needed to advance, but sent Minnesota home for a long cold winter (with sizeable changes afoot) (1-3).

Punjab Zindabad

Ravi Kumar saved the day again with Punjab’s first clean sheet of the campaign to mark a draw with Jamshedpur (0-0). Unfortunately, that goalless draw was the high point, as Chennaiyin FC steamrolled the Shers for a 1-5 scoreline. Luka Macjen, Juan Mera, and Brandon Vanlalremdika have struggled to connect and create in attack at the Super League level, so here’s hoping they can sort it out soon.

Up Next: @ Mumbai City, v Hyderabad FC (battle to stay off the bottom of the table)

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

Grenoble’s Games

It was a wild one in Grenoble with a thrilling back and forth featuring beautiful goals in the run of play, clever volleys off set pieces and a raucous home crowd rendered silent when the visitors went ahead near the death. Then Armine Sbai saved the unbeaten run for the men against Valenciennes by tapping home an injury time scorcher that was deflected equalizer and the night was complete (3-3). Pape Meissa Ba did everything he could do to keep the streak going with two great goals at Pau, but an uncharacteristic defensive collapse from the backline let in two late goals and gave Pau the win to hand Les Alpiners their first defeat this season.

The women were outworked by the narrowest of margins in their two matches, both against Olympique Valence. First they were bested 2-1 in the league, and then they fell to Valence on penalty kicks (0-0; 5-4 on kicks). It’s disappointing as Valence has not been in great form, but Grenoble remains tied for the lead in Poule B of Division 3

Next: AC Ajaccio for les hommes; our old friends the squirrels of Merignac Arlac for les femmes