Returning from the international break, one would have hoped Canadians would have been chomping at the bit to return to club action. A 3-0 defeat to Australia left much to be desired, but a handful of players called up had been doing well and getting minutes domestically and one would have hoped for that to continue this past weekend. However, the likes of Milan Borjan, Julian De Guzman and Simeon Jackson were off the team sheet and players such as David Edgar, Marcel De Jong and Adam Straith have been struggling to get consistent minutes. The future will give a decent stretch before the holidays at the end of December for the above players to try and re-establish themselves.
In Scandinavia
The past season in Norway had looked like it was all but over in terms of a starting role for Lars Hirschfeld at Valerenga. Once a top shelf Eliteserien keeper, first at Rosenborg and now at Valerenga, Hirschfeld has had some very good seasons. However, the last two years have been disappointing after they finished second in 2010. The start of the 2013 season appear to look like it was turning a page on the keeper situation as U21 Gudmund Kongshavn has gotten the lion’s share of minutes, playing 25 games to Hirschfeld’s 1.
Sitting 10th in the table, Hirschfeld was given the nod for just his second game of the year, and he delivered. Away to Sogndal, Valerenga went down early in the second half, but they came back to win 2-1. With three games left in the season, despite their position in the table, Valerenga are just a game out of 7th place, and if the games fall the right way, could even into the top six.
Another player of note is in Sweden and that is keeper Kenny Stamatopoulos. An unfortunate passing of keeper Ivan Turina has mean Stamatopolous was the best option left for the team moving forward. He has had a strong year and kept AIK near the top of the table. It looks like Malmo FF might be out of reach as they only need two points to clinch the title, but AIK are in a very good position to get into the Europa League.
On Monday, Stamatopoulos did well to have a solid campaign as he kept a clean sheet at home in a 1-0 victory over Norrkoping. With two games left, one against 13th placed Brommapojkarna, but the last game of the year will be against Helsingborg and that may determine who is in the top three and plays in Europe for 2014.
Here's how the rest of Canada's Internationals did Across the Pond:
Issey Nakajima-Farran – Alki (CPR – D1):
Saturday, October 19, did not play in a 4-0 loss to Doxa.
Daniel Haber – Apollon Limassol (CPR – D1):
Saturday, October 19, subbed in at the 67th minute in a 4-0 victory over AE Kouklion.
David Edgar – Burnley (ENG - D2):
Saturday, October 19, subbed in at the 88th minute in a 1-0 victory over Ipswich Town.
Iain Hume – Preston North End (ENG – D3):
Saturday, October 19, did not play in a 2-1 victory over Gillingham.
Marcus Haber – Notts County (ENG – D3):
Friday, October 18, subbed in at the 46th minute in a 2-0 loss to Swindon Town.
Frank Jonke – Jaro (FIN – D1):
Sunday, October 20, played all 90 minutes in a 3-0 loss to VPS.
Roger Thompson – Mariehamn (FIN – D1):
Sunday, October 20, played all 90 minutes in a 3-3 draw with TPS.
Marcel De Jong – FC Augsburg (GER - D1):
Sunday, October 20, subbed in at the 69th minute in a 2-1 loss to Wolfsburg.
Simeon Jackson – Eintracht Braunschweig (GER – D1):
Saturday, October 19, did not play in a 3-2 loss to Schalke 04.
Kevin McKenna – FC Koln (GER – B2):
Monday, October 21, did not play in a 0-0 draw with 1860 Munich.
Rob Friend – 1860 Munich (GER – B2):
Monday, October 21, did not play in a 0-0 draw with FC Koln.
Olivier Occean – Kaiserslautern (GER - D1):
Sunday, October 20, played 66 minutes in a 2-2 draw with Karlsruher SC.
Andre Hainault – Aalen (GER – B2):
Friday, October 18, subbed in at the 25th minute in a 3-0 victory over Arminia Bielefeld.
Adam Straith – Wehen Wiesbaden (GER - D3):
Saturday, October 19, did not play in a 2-0 loss to Unterhaching.
Julian De Guzman – Skoda Xanthi (GRE – D1):
Sunday, October 20, did not play in a 5-1 victory over Kalloni.
Tomer Chencinski – Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR – D1):
Sunday, October 20, did not play in a 1-0 victory over Ironi Ramat Hasharon.
Roberto Stillo – Perugia (ITA – D3):
Sunday, October 20, did not play in a 1-1 draw with Benevento.
Lars Hirschfeld – Valerenga (NOR – D1):
Saturday, October 20, played all 90 minutes in a 2-1 victory over Sogndal.
Pedro Pacheco – Santa Clara (POR – D2):
Next match, Wednesday October 23 v Benfica II.
Kenny Stamatopolous – AIK (SWE – D1):
Monday, October 21, played all 90 minutes and kept a CLEAN SHEET in a 1-0 victory over Norrkopiong.
Nikolas Ledgerwood – Hammarby (SWE – D2):
Sunday, October 20, played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Degerfors.
Atiba Hutchinson – Besiktas (TUR – D1):
Monday, October 21, did not play in a 0-0 draw with Rizespor.
Milan Borjan – Sivasspor (TUR – D1):
Sunday, October 20, did not play in a 0-0 draw with Trabzonspor.
Tosaint Ricketts – Bucaspor (TUR – D2):
Saturday, October 19, played all 90 minutes in a 2-0 loss to 1461 Trabzon.
Lucas Cavallini – Nacional (URU – D1):
Sunday, October 20, did not play in a 3-0 victory over Wanderers.
ACROSS THE BORDER
Karl Ouimette heads in the winning goal to keep Montreal's playoff hopes alive in a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia.
Kofi Opare scores the winner for LA Galaxy mid-week in a 1-0 victory over Montreal.
Dwayne De Rosario – DC United:
Friday, October 18, subbed in at the 63rd minute in a 1-0 loss to Sporting KC.
Kyle Porter – DC United:
Friday, October 18, did not play in a 1-0 loss to Sporting KC.
Dejan Jakovic – DC United:
Friday, October 18, did not play in a 1-0 loss to Sporting KC.
Dejan Jakovic – DC United:
Friday, October 18, did not play in a 1-0 loss to Sporting KC.
Kofi Opare – Los Angeles Galaxy:
Wednesday, October 16, played all 90 minutes and scored A GOAL in a 1-0 victory over Montreal Impact.
Sunday, October 20, played all 90 minutes in a 0-0 draw with the San Jose Earthquakes.
Maxime Tissot – Montreal Impact:
Saturday, October 19, did not play in a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia Union.
Karl Ouimette – Montreal Impact:
Saturday, October 19, played all 90 minutes and scored A GOAL in a 2-1 victory over Philadelphia Union.
Will Johnson – Portland Timbers:
Saturday, October 19, played all 90 minutes in a 0-0 draw with Real Salt Lake.
Ashtone Morgan – Toronto FC:
Saturday, October 19, played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Chicago Fire.
Doneil Henry – Toronto FC:
Saturday, October 19, played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Chicago Fire.
Jonathan Osorio – Toronto FC:
Saturday, October 19, played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Chicago Fire.
Kyle Bekker – Toronto FC:
Saturday, October 19, played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Chicago Fire.
Russel Teibert – Vancouver Whitecaps:
Saturday, October 19, subbed in at the 61st minute in a 3-2 loss to Colorado Rapids.
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