Teams

AGF (Aarhus Gymnastikforening)
Nicknames: GF, De Hvi'e (The Whites)
Country: Denmark
Manager: Daniel Myrberg
Position last season: Nil (Promoted)

Alajuelense (L.D. Alajuelense)
Nicknames: La Liga, Manudos, Erizos, Rojinegros
Country: Costa Rica
Manager: Japie Kennis
Position last season: Nil (Promoted)

AS Jeunesse Esch (AS la Jeunesse d'Esch)
Nicknames: -
Country: Luxembourg
Manager: Amadeu Castro
Position last season: Nil (Promoted)

Cardiff City AFC (Clwb Pêl-droed Dinas Caerdydd)
Nicknames: The Bluebirds
Country: Wales
Manager: Pedro Pereira
Position last season: 3rd

Manchester United
Nicknames: The Red Devils
Country: England
Manager: Bryan Stanley
Position last season: 6th

Orgryte IS (Örgryte Idrottsällskap)
Nicknames: Sällskapet (The Society)
Country: Sweden
Manager: Andy Aertgeerts
Position last season: Nil (Promoted)

Santiago Wanderers (Club de Deportes Santiago Wanderers)
Nicknames: Caturros, porteños decano
Country: Chile
Manager: Calimero 9
Position last season: 4th

SK Slavia Praha (Sportovní Klub Slavia Praha)
Nicknames: Sešívaní (The sewn-one)
Country: Czech Republic
Manager: Peter Jankovič
Position last season: 7th

SK Slovan Bratislava (ŠK Slovan Bratislava futbal a.s.)
Nicknames: Belasí (Sky blues)
Country: Slovakia
Manager: Lubica Hlavacikova
Position last season: 8th

Trabzonspor (Trabzonspor Kulübü)
Nicknames: Bordo-Mavililer (Burgundy-Blues), Karadeniz Firtinasi (The Black Sea Storm)
Country: Turkey
Manager: Mario Rui Madeira
Position last season: Nil (Demoted)

Westerlo (Koninklijke Voetbal Club Westerlo)
Nicknames: De Kempeneers
Country: Belgium
Manager: Olivier Bouz
Position last season: 5th

Yokohama Marinos (Yokohama F. Marinos)
Nicknames: -
Country: Japan
Manager: Jatex Ko
Position last season: 2nd

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Official Results Round 1

Orgryte IS 1 - 2 Manchester United
40' Roque
80' Peña
90' Skoog

Even home advantage was little help as Orgryte were overwhelmed in the face of a strong Man U attack. Saarela was a particular disappointment in defence as the Red Devils ran riot. The scoreline was deceiving as it took a Skoog effort at the death to make the contest look closer than it was. Manager Bryan Stanley will have been happy with a solid start.

AGF 0 - 0 Santiago Wanderers

No prizes in guessing which manager was the happier of the two as the two teams ground out a stalemate in front of a bored capacity crowd. In a match where both teams were more concerned with not conceding rather than attacking the opposition goal, the Wanderers had only slightly more possession than the new boys from Denmark. Born again manager Daniel Myrberg will be doing all again to keep his team safe this season and his experience will definitely come into play again in the future.

Cardiff City AFC 2 - 1 Trabzonspor
10' Tevez
80' Koné
85' Stepanovski

Only the first game of the season and we have a shock result on the cards. Cardiff City pulled off a stunning win over the much vaunted Trabzonspor side as the Turks brought their poor form from last season into the new. Argentinian livewire Tevez was the spark as Cardiff took an early lead which threw the Trabzonspor eleven into disarray. The signs that all was not right was there for all to see as early as the 8th minute as veteran keeper Barthez got a yellow card for spilling a loose ball and then knocking Tevez down in the ensuing scramble. His team never got going after the opening goal and it was curtains when the home side added a second late in the game. The late goal might have been a lifeline but the bowed heads showed that even the Turks knew it was too little too late. Mario Rui Madeira knows that the clock is ticking and will need to perform some miracles in the near future. No such worries for his fellow countryman Pedro Pereira.

Yokohama Marinos 2 - 0 AS Jeunesse Esch
30' Kouzmanis
35' Vukojevic

All hope of a similar upset in Japan was extinguished in a 5 minute spell midway through the first half as the Japanese marauders executed a smash and grab operation to great effect. The two goal scorers were the shining lights in a superb team effort that once again showed the defensive solidity of their back four and the excellence of one of the best keepers in Division 3 football. The newly promoted Luxembourg side had no answer and things were made worse when defender Mancha was given his marching orders after a needless yellow card in the 69th minute. A mismatch and a tidy result for last year's runner up.

Alajuelense 3 - 0 SK Slovan Bratislava
03' Sánchez
33' Árnason
45' Tømmerå

The Costa Rican team's Belgian manager Japie Kennis had boldy predicted before the match that Alajuelense would go all the way, but even he must have been more than happy at the fine victory over perpetual whipping boys Slovan Bratislava. The visitors had barely escaped relegation last season, but taking nothing away from Alajuelense, it was certainly a good way to start the season. 3 goals to 1 was the score at half time and even the sending off in the second half of Árnason was to prove inconsequential as they ran out comfortable winners. Bratislava have to do some quick thinking if they want to keep afloat again this season.

Westerlo 5 - 3 SK Slavia Praha
6' De Groot
12' De Groot
42' Chester
60' Semchuk
66' Maki
70' Semchuk
85' Marino
90' Alverdi

There were goals aplenty at t kuipke as dark horses Westerlo just managed to put away Slavia Praha in a thrilling 8 goal encounter. The tie seemed just about settled as the teams went in to the break at 3 to nothing but the visitors had other ideas as evergreen Ukranian hitman Semchuk refused to throw in the towel, giving the home fans an almighty fright in the process. However, Westerlo managed to outscore their opponents and stumble over the line in the end as favourite son Luc De Groot took home the MoTM award with his quickfire double at the start of proceedings.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

3E Clubs in the Cup

1st Round (12 Participants):

Alajuelense (3E) 0 - 1 Maccabi Haifa (4Q)

Westerlo (3E) 5 - 2 Suwon Bluewings (3J)
15' Braekevelt
21' Meuleman
27' Maki
57' Saban
63' Meuleman

Yokohama Marinos (3E) 2 - 0 Sporting Cristal (4R)
45' Kłos
65' Badikyan

Manchester United (3E) 4 - 0 FC Dinamo Moskow (4X)
03' Roque
18' Koulouris
21' Roque
45' Onishi

Portadown FC (4J) 0 - 3 Cardiff City AFC (3E)
10' Ernek
60' Constantinides
75' Constantinides

Liverpool FC (3B) 1 - 1 AGF (3E) [4-3 on penalties]
30' Raschle

Santiago Wanderers (3E) 3 - 1 Wrexham AFC (4E)
78' Walker
96' Walker
102' Paskov

Palmeiras (4G) 2 - 1 Trabzonspor (3E)
84' Demir

Cruzeiro (3L) 3 - 0 Orgryte IS (3E)

SK Slavia Praha (3E) 3 - 1 CD Unión Española (4X)
12' Pérez
42' Kuka
60' Jun

AS Jeunesse Esch (3E) 1 - 3 Real Zaragoza C.F. (3K)
44' Askerblom

FC Kotayk (3J) 3 - 0 SK Slovan Bratislava (3E)

Review: So out of the 12 teams to contest the opening round of the Cup, only 6 have emerged unscathed. That's half the division still intact. Not too good, but not too shabby either. Hopefully, we won't lost the other half in the next round.

The biggest shock once again was Trabzonspor's loss to lower division opponents. The season couldn't have started in worse form for the Turks. Will it get worse before if it gets better? Alajuelense was likewise downed by a Division 4 club, but at least the league leaders have their league position to be satisfied by.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Official Results Round 2

AS Jeunesse Esch 3 - 2 Westerlo
12' Okocha
15' Langelund
28' Saban
48' Diallo
72' Gašperšić

Westerlo my have escaped last week by outscoring their opponents 5 goals to 3, but they obviously didn't learn their lesson as their defensive frailities were exposed once again. This time, De Kempeneers didn't have enough in the bag to cover the cracks as Jeunesse held on to the end for the win. Kristófersson was looking especially poor at the back for the Belgian outfit and the Luxembourg outfit were certainly under orders to make the most out of it. His opposite number Berscheid was looking equally shaky, if not worse, but the Belgians failed to capitalise on it. The home side had recalled goalkeeper Aminu Debrah after last week's debacle at Yokohama, and the captain had his hands full keeping out a last ditch Westerlo charge in the final minutes as they sought an equaliser.

Santiago Wanderers 2 - 0 Alajuelense
54' Appiah
90' Laâroussi

Aajuelense were visibly brought down to earth after topping the table before the game, falling to a defeat by a resurgent Santiago Wanderers side. Captain Appiah slid in the first goal after the break after some fine footwork from Man of the Match Laâroussi. The Tunisian then turned provider as he squared the ball to Appiah in the last minute of regulation time to put the icing on the cake. Alajuelense slip to 7th in the table after the disappointing defeat.

Manchester United 4 - 1 Cardiff City AFC
27' Koulouris
36' Peña
48' Wright-Phillips
60' Gennaris
72' Wright-Phillips

It has to be said that Manchester United look a totally different side from last season. It is still early in the season, but much has to be attributed to their new manager Bryan Stanley. Much had been said as to how he was a short term measure appointed by the board, but he might just be on his way to securing a long term contract going by his opening two matches. The Mancunians were on cruise control as they beat an equally on-form Cardiff outfit in this all-British affair. Wright-Phillips was the man of the moment as he ripped the Cardiff defence to shred with some direct running, ending the match with two goals and the MoTM award.

SK Slavia Praha 3 - 0 Orgryte IS
24' Semchuk
30' Marino
39' Salvatierra

After the thrilling loss last week to Westerlo, Slavia Praha were in no mood for a repeat, scoring all 3 goals in the first half and then defending resolutely to keep Orgryte scoreless. The only blight in a fine performance was midfield anchorman Marino's needless sending off in the 1st minute of injury time for a second yellow card. It remains to be seen if the suspension will be significant.

Trabzonspor 4 - 0 AGF
54' Maverino
60' Stepanovski
66' Charlton
78' Maverino

Trabzonspor responded with a performance to answer its critics with a fine demolition of the Danish side AGF. Manager Mario Rui Madeira had been written off in the press all week, and things seemed to be doomed from the start as influential captain Serhat Akin was sent off in the very first minute for a horrible two footed lunge. The first half was an otherwise dour affair, with the two teams battling it out half heartedly in midfield. The half time team talk seemed to have done the Turks a world of good as they charged back on the field and started taking AGF apart clinically despite their numerical disadvantage. The Aarhus defence crumbled soon after and Trabzonspor put in 4 goals to the good to win at a canter.

SK Slovan Bratislava 0 - 4 Yokohama Marinos
08' Kouzmanis
28' Dodemont
48' Vicente
56' Fierro

SK Slovan Bratislava look set to become the division's whipping boys as they fell to yet another heavy defeat to the new league leaders Yokohama. The Sky Blues looked in complete disarray and were absolutely no match for the disciplined Japanese side. The Slovaks seem set to play kids through this season and look certainties for the drop. It may be a good idea to blood kids, but one can only imagine how it feels like losing every week. Yokohama looked strong, in particular Enomoto in goal.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Leading Players

Goalscorer Charts:

Semchuk (SK Slavia Praha) 3
Peña (Manchester United) 2
Stepanovski (Trabzonspor) 2
Kouzmanis (Yokohama Marinos) 2
De Groot (Westerlo) 2
Marino (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Wright-Phillips (Manchester United) 2
Maverino (Trabzonspor) 2

Assist Charts:

Onishi (Manchester United) 3
Chester (Westerlo) 3
Ernek (Cardiff) 2
Kouzmanis (Yokohama) 2
Maki (Westerlo) 2
Slepicka (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Salvatierra (SK Slavia Praha) 2

Clean Sheet Charts:

Parada (Santiago Wanderers) 2
Enomoto (Yokohama) 2
Lobont (AGF) 1
Barthez (Trabzonspor) 1
Guchua (Alajuelense) 1
Váldez (SK Slavia Praha) 1

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Official Results Round 3

AGF 3 - 1 Manchester United
33' Ghaly
40' Peña
44' Leal dos Santos
55' Leal dos Santos

A surprise win for Danish outfit AGF as they outwitted, outplayed and outlasted their English opponents. Veteran manager Daniel Myrberg seemed to have pulled out an ace by keeping faith with forward Leal dos Santos. the 24 year old Brazilian forward had flopped in the previous two matches, failing to notch a single goal, but repaid his manager's selection with a ten minute brace to turn the match on it's head. The Red Devils had the lion's share of possession but found no way around a determined and rejuvinated Aarhus defence as the game wore on.

Cardiff City AFC 4 - 2 SK Slavia Praha
25' Constantinides
30' Nini
45' Borunsky
80' Kuka
80' Redwood
90' Tevez

There was high drama at Ninian Park as spectators were left on the edge of their seats in an emotional rollercoaster ride. The home team started brighter than their opponents as they grabbed the opening two goals in a five minute spell as the Slavia Prague defence went to sleep. Manager Peter Jankovič was not a happy hand as he stormed down the tunnel as the half time whistle blew. Heaven knows what went on down in the visitor's dressing room at half time, but it certainly worked a treat as their Number 7 took the ball straight from the kickoff, outsprinted the entire Cardiff defence before placing the ball beyond Haig. Cardiff seemed uncertain whether to hold on to their slender lead or take the initiative. Ten minutes from time, Havlicek Kuka found some space on the edge of the area and blasted home the equaliser, as the visiting fans went into raptures of delight. However, they had hardly finished equalising when the ball was in their net again, courtesy of a corner planted on the head of the towering Welsh defender Ian Redwood. Tevez then finished off any faint hopes they had with the last kick of the match.

Westerlo 3 - 1 SK Slovan Bratislava
20' Van Vlasselaer
50' Alverdi
56' Maki
90' Kozak

Normal service resumed at t kuipke as Westerlo ran out comfortable winners over basement team Slovan Bratislava. Much has been made out of the home team's suspect defence, but truth be told, the Slovakian side didn't have much to offer in the way of a challenge. The match was effectively over when Zweli Maki scored a poacher's effort early in the second half. Jan Kozak scored the visitors' lone consolation in the 90th minute, but it was just that -- scant consolation. Both sides had a player sent off each, with Safi for Westerlo and Obzera for Bratislava.

Yokohama Marinos 2 - 1 Alajuelense
44' Dumitrescu
60' Dumitrescu
90' Castillo

The scoreline looked closer than the match actually was, as the result was never in doubt. Leaders Yokohama finished off the visitors early as midfield artist Iriniel Dumitrescu gave the opposing strikers a scoring masterclass, finishing off two excellent chances that came his way. The Japanese defence was scarcely threatened apart from the last minute consolation that came as more of a fluke than any real class from Kendall Castillo. Los Rojinegros tried their best, but they were never going to match the sheer class the Mariners oozed.

Trabzonspor 1 - 0 Santiago Wanderers
18' Anzarda

Trabzonspor just edged the match with a lone goal as they beat Santiago Wanderers at home. The early season favourites are finally back on track with two wins in a row, taking over second place. With five teams on 6 points, the title race is truly on. In conclusion, Calmero 9 had every reason to feel hard done as his men failed to take advantage of their numerical superiority. The Turks went ahead early, then lost defender Dumaz in the second half. Once the second yellow card was flashed, Trabzonspor visibly closed ranks and the visitors could find no way through.

Orgryte IS 0 - 2 AS Jeunesse Esch
54' Gabriel
72' Thomas

More pain for Örgryte Idrottsällskap as they suffered yet another loss to leave them without points three games into the season. The only positive they could take from this match was that they are still above cellar dwellers Bratislava on goal difference. Sällskapet will have to find a solution, and fast if they want to stay in Division 3. Jeunesse Esch were rarely in trouble as they came away with a valuable 3 points to remain scrapping at the top half of the table. They will however, have to cope without the services of their defender Didier Garcia as he was given his marching orders in the 72nd minute.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Leading Players

Goalscorer Charts:

Peña (Manchester United) 3
Semchuk (SK Slavia Praha) 3
Leal dos Santos (AGF) 2
Tevez (Cardiff City AFC) 2
Wright-Phillips (Manchester United) 2
Marino (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Stepanovski (Trabzonspor) 2
Maverino (Trabzonspor) 2
De Groot (Westerlo) 2
Maki (Westerlo) 2
Alverdi (Westerlo) 2
Kouzmanis (Yokohama Marinos) 2
Dumitrescu (Yokohama Marinos) 2

Assist Charts:

Chester (Westerlo) 4
Onishi (Manchester United) 3
Kouzmanis (Yokohama Marinos) 3
Raschle (AGF) 2
Ernek (Cardiff City AFC) 2
Koulouris (Manchester United) 2
Slepicka (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Salvatierra (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Helcelet (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Onyewu (Trabzonspor) 2
Maki (Westerlo) 2
Macfarlane (Yokohama Marinos) 2

Clean Sheet Charts:

Parada (Santiago Wanderers) 2
Barthez (Trabzonspor) 2
Enomoto (Yokohama Marinos) 2
Lobont (AGF) 1
Guchua (Alajuelense) 1
Fall (AS Jeunesse Esch) 1
Váldez (SK Slavia Praha) 1

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Football Star #1

Player name: Jorge "Gaijin" Yamada
Age: 16
Club: Yokohama Marinos
Nationality: Japan
Position: Defender

We're at International stadium for an interview with one of the newest recruits to Yokohama's fledgling squad, Jorge Yamada. His Pan-Asian features are striking and at 6'5, he's quite a sight when he drives up to the training ground in a banged up Fiat. "My mum's," he explains with a sheepish grin, "My ride's in the workshop." His Japanese is perfect, with no hint of an accent, which is kind of at odds with how he looks. Perhaps the exotic mix helps him when picking up girls on the street. He laughs when we put it to him.

Born in Portugal to a Brazilian father and a Japanese mother, he moved back to Japan with his mother when his father left the family. He went to all the local schools, and with such an immersion in Japanese culture from a young age, it would be safe to say that Jorge was Japanese true and true, no matter what he looked on the outside.

While most of his friends were interested in baseball or manga, Jorge's Brazilian blood soon caught up with him and when he reached his teens, he was one of the best football players on the underground football circuit. By now, the scrawny kid had grown up into a towering, intimidating centre half. A no-nonsense defender, Jorge wasn't afraid to mix it with the best. Feared and respected by opposition forwards, they nicknamed him "Black Gaijin" or "Gaijin" for short.

It wasn't long before he caught the attention of scouts from the city. FC Tokyo were keen to sign terms with him, but Jorge was loathe to move to the city and leave his mother behind. So when Yokohama showed an interest in taking him on to their books, there was no hesitation.

The 16 year old defender has been given the number 46 strip for this season. He admits that the big time is a whole different ball game, but I wouldn't be surprised if he makes it one day, in the very near future.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

3E Clubs in the Cup

Ashanti Goldfields (4B) 1 - 0 Westerlo (3E)

Hibernian (4N) 1 - 0 Yokohama Marinos (3E)

Manchester United (3E) 3 - 0 Stella Club d´Adjamé (4W)
30' Roque
60' Onishi
75' Onishi

FC Chornomorets (4X) 3 - 5 Cardiff City AFC (3E)
24' Koné
56' Tevez
80' Ernek
98' Nini
110' Gennaris

Santiago Wanderers (3E) 3 - 0 Shaktar Donetsk (4I)
16' Paskov
20' Walker
48' Bernard

SK Slavia Praha (3E) 3 - 0 Once Caldas (3F)
04' Kuka
52' Borunsky
76' Kuka

Review: With such an easy choice of opponents in the second round of the cup, one could have been forgiven for believing that it was a piece of cake. 5 Div 4 teams out of 6 fixtures? No problemo. Not so as two of the stronger clubs were knocked out by lower division clubs, none more so than leaders Yokohama who paid heavily for sending out a second string side. 4 clubs remaining for Round 3. How many will still be around after that? Don't hold your breath.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Official Results Round 4

Alajuelense 0 - 3 Westerlo
18' Braekevelt
36' Meuleman
45' Alverdi

Consecutive wins for Westerlo as they climbed to the top of the table with a fine 3-0 away win at Alejandro Mojera Soto. Goalkeeper Valdenbrande was instrumental once again with an excellent clean sheet, keeping Alajuelense scoreless as his teammates enjoyed large amounts of possession.

AS Jeunesse Esch 3 - 2 Cardiff City AFC
12' Siphika
35' Law
68' Hernández
76' Zuke
77' Koné

We seem to have one high scoring game every round so far, and the occasion at De La Frontiere proved no different as both teams played out a thrilling match. Cardiff's Koné produced a stunning goal out of nothing in the second half to cut the defecit to a single goal, but it was ultimately fruitless as Jeunesse managed to eke out the win.

Santiago Wanderers 1 - 0 Yokohama Marinos
90' Paskov

Santiago finally threw off their mantle as also rans and proved themselves genuine title contenders with a brilliant 1-0 win over Yokohama. It was an ugly game which seemed to be headed for a bore draw when Paskov popped up in the penalty box and knocked the ball home, sending the home fans into raucous celebrations. Sources in the boardroom have hinted that the board of directors are quite unhappy with the result and there have been whispers that manager Ko may be removed after three seasons of underachievement.

SK Slavia Praha 3 - 0 AGF
50' Pérez
65' Semchuk
85' Semchuk

Dangerous Ukranian hitman Maxym Semchuk was once again the toast of Prague as he struck twice to complete a 3-0 rout of Danish visitors AGF. On loan striker Pérez had opened accounts shortly after the restart and Semchuk put the result beyond doubt with his 4th and 5th goals of the campaign.

Manchester United 0 - 1 Trabzonspor
36' Rosnes

Trabzonspor continued their recent good from with a tidy result away to Manchester United. Veteran Danish midfielder Sven Magne Rosnes weaved through the static Manchester defence on 36 minutes to slot home a fine splendid effort. Team mate Barthez was once again a giant in goal as he claimed another clean sheet.

SK Slovan Bratislava 0 - 1 Orgryte IS
72' Vindis

The result was up in the air in this bottom of the table clash. It could have gone either way but Bratislava found themselves on the back foot early in the second half as Maros Vidovic found himself sent to the showers for two quick yellow cards. Orgryte took advantage within 7 minutes with a high punt over the scrambling Slovakian defence and Vindis finished with aplomb past a hapless Zoltan Kanis. With three minutes to go, the visitors lost Saarela to even the odds but managed to hold on for their first points of the season.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Leading Players

Goalscorer Charts:

Semchuk (SK Slavia Praha) 5
Peña (Manchester United) 3
Alverdi (Westerlo) 3
Leal dos Santos (AGF) 2
Tevez (Cardiff City AFC) 2
Koné (Cardiff City AFC) 2
Wright-Phillips (Manchester United) 2
Marino (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Stepanovski (Trabzonspor) 2
Maverino (Trabzonspor) 2
De Groot (Westerlo) 2
Maki (Westerlo) 2
Kouzmanis (Yokohama Marinos) 2
Dumitrescu (Yokohama Marinos) 2

Assist Charts:

Chester (Westerlo) 5
Onishi (Manchester United) 3
Salvatierra (SK Slavia Praha) 3
Kouzmanis (Yokohama Marinos) 3
Raschle (AGF) 2
Ernek (Cardiff) 2
Yasemakis (Cardiff) 2
Koulouris (Manchester United) 2
Appiah (Santiago Wanderers) 2
Slepicka (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Helcelet (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Onyewu (Trabzonspor) 2
Maki (Westerlo) 2
Macfarlane (Westerlo) 2

Clean Sheet Charts:

Parada (Santiago Wanderers) 3
Barthez (Trabzonspor) 3
Váldez (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Enomoto (Yokohama Marinos) 2
Lobont (AGF) 1
Guchua (Alajuelense) 1
Fall (AS Jeunesse Esch) 1
Voulgaris (Orgryte IS) 1
Vandenbrande (Westerlo) 1

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Official Results Round 5

AGF 1 - 3 AS Jeunesse Esch
30' Michalek
48' Vilstrup
72' Gabriel
84' Gabriel

Danish side AGF thought they had the measure of AS Jeunesse Esch when Klaus Vilstrup equalised for them right after half time, but a moment of brilliance from Jeunesse forward Pavel Gabriel and one of madness from Arturo Salvador led to a 3-1 loss in front of their disgusted home fans. Even manager Daniel Myrberg must have been shocked as Mexican defender Salvador struck Jeunesse's goalkeeper Fall in an off the ball incident. As the teams jostled at a corner kick, Fall appeared to whisper something to Slavador as the latter attempted to push past him. Salvador didn't take too kindly and felled Fall with a right and the referee had no choice but to order him off the field immediately. Fall was treated for a cut above his eye but was able to continue as his teams exploited the numerical superiority to great effect in scoring another goal and sealing the win.

Trabzonspor 2 - 0 SK Slavia Praha
45' Maverino
60' Akin

Turkish delight was the order of the day as Trabzonspor took control of the match, brushing past a strangely subdued Slavia Prague. The visitors looked sluggish in possession and uninspiring in attack. Key midfielder Guillermo Marino was sent off midway through the second half, sandwiched by a pair of goals from the Turks. As Tranbzonspor started overrunning their opponents in the final ten minutes of regulation time, tempers flared and referee Theo Neumann had to flash two reds in succession as first Trabzonspor's Charlton and Slavia's Lund were given their marching orders. Trabzonspor will no doubt be delighted with their win, but might rue Charlton's suspension. As for Slavia Praha, it's back to the drawing board.

Cardiff City AFC 4 - 0 SK Slovan Bratislava
12' Tevez
20' Tevez
34' Law
62' Nini

Five games into the season and there's still no respite for cellar dwellars SK Slovan Bratislava. Cardiff made short work of the sorry Slovakian side, with Argentinian livewire Carlos Tevez once more leading by example with a quickfire brace. SK Slovan Bratislava have yet to gain a single point this season and surely youth is no excuse for such a poor showing. The players will have to step up soon or heads will roll.

Westerlo 2 - 0 Yokohama Marinos
32' Van Vlasselaer
80' Gašperšić

More woe for a pitifully awful Yokohama side as they crashed to yet another loss by an impressive Westerlo. Even numerical superiority failed to save the visitors as they let in another goal ten minutes from time. Etienne Vandenbrande might have been excellent in goal, but to be honest, the Yokohama forwards failed to test him much. Westerlo's creative force Andrew Chester was controversially sent off in the 57th minute tackle that looked worst at first glance, but if their showing after was anything to go by, they might just do okay without him in their next game. Manager Olivier Bouz must be rubbing his hands in glee at their fine start to the season.

Orgryte IS 0 - 0 Alajuelense

The scoreline might have suggested parity between the teams, but it was anything but as two red cards to the visitors in the dying minutes made no difference to the scoreline. In fact, had Andreas Ottl's shot not gone agonisingly wide, Orgryte might have still been on a total on 1 point after five games. Alajuelense's Nuno Azevedo was shown a second yellow card after missing the ball during a tackle. Team mate Þorvaldur Árnason was likewise booked for remonstrating with the referee and that proved costly as he was sent off with seconds to spare. Alajuelense manager Japie Kennis will no doubt be tearing his hair out at his side's lack of discipline as a much tougher match with Cardiff looms on Saturday.

Manchester United 0 - 0 Santiago Wanderers

"Bore draw at Old Trafford" would be the title if any newspaper was foolish enough to run this match as their feature. Man Utd knew that they were in for a tough match and with only one out and out forward, the emphasis was definitely on defense. Their success at keeping a rampant Santiago at bay was definitely in no small part a result of captain Çaglayan Uygun's fearless display in the middle of the park, clogging up the lanes and ensuring that the Santiago linkmen could find no easy way through. Santiago never really looked in any chance of losing, but they couldn't get the win either as the Manchester defence constantly stumped them.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Leading Players

Goalscorer Charts

Semchuk (SK Slavia Praha) 5
Tevez (Cardiff City AFC) 4
Gabriel (AS Jeunesse Esch) 3
Maverino (Trabzonspor) 3
Alverdi (Westerlo) 3


Assist Charts

Chester (Westerlo) 5
Ernek (Cardiff) 3
Onishi (Manchester United) 3
Salvatierra (SK Slavia Praha) 3
Kouzmanis (Yokohama Marinos) 3


Clean Sheet Charts

Parada (Santiago Wanderers) 4
Barthez (Trabzonspor) 4
Guchua (Alajuelense) 2
Voulgaris (Ogryte IS) 2
Váldez (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Enomoto (Yokohama Marinos) 2

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

3E Clubs in the Cup

OSC Lille (4G) 0 - 1 Manchester United (3E)
22' Onishi

Cardiff City AFC (3E) 2 - 1 Sable Batié (4X)
40' Yasemkis
70' Koné

Santiago Wanderers(3E) 2 - 0 F91 Dudelange (3C)
56' Paskov
72' Walker

SK Slavia Praha (3E) 2 - 3 FC Dinamo Bucaresti (4D)
45' Salvatierra
63' Helcelet

Review: A good day at the office as only Slavia Prague bows out of the competition. Then again, it's still early in the cup and the oppositions isn't exactly top class. Even Slavia have something to smile about as they can turn their attentions to the league, in which they are hovering perilously above the cutoff line. Manchester United and Santiago record comfortable wins but might rue losing important players to suspension.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Official Results Round 6

SK Slovan Bratislava 0 - 2 AGF
27' Vilstrup
66' Atanasov

No respite for a poor Slovan Bratislava outfit as they went down to a battling AGF at Tehelnй Pole. The home fans might have been trying to spur their team on wth great gusto from the fans, but they might as well have been trying to flog a dead horse as Bratislava were just apalling. Joel Leal dos Santos failed to score, but troubled the Bratislava defence greatly, managing to get an assist on the board. Defender Atanasov settled matters with the second goal but ill discipline saw him being flashed a second yellow card five minutes later. Danish manager Daniel Myrberg could be seen scowling from the bench as a visibly mortified Atanasov headed for the showers, but AGF managed to close out the match as both teams ended with 10 men.

Alajuelense 0 - 0 Cardiff City AFC

Both teams canceled each other out at this snoozefest as neither was able to get a foothold on the match. It was a scrappy affair with the referee failing to control proceedings on occasion and needing to show the yellow card on ten occasions. Things finally came to a head when Cardiff City's Alexis Yasemakis was sent off for a tussle in the last minute of regulation time. Both managers will see this as two points lost instead of one gained.

Santiago Wanderers 2 - 1 Westerlo
32' Thicot
70' Gašperšić
80' Al-Sadik

With Westerlo, you never know what to expect. And sure enough, there was an eventful match on the cards as two attacking teams met this round. Santiago looked to have been at a disadvantage as midfielder Landzaat was shown a straight red card only 22 minutes into the match but then suddenly they were ahead. Steven Thicot opened accounts for Santiago with a 20 yard screamer from a free kick after a Westerlo player had given away an innocuous looking free kick. Despite their numerical advantage, Westerlo were all at sea after letting in the goal and it seems the footballing gods decided to give them a helping hand. Referee Theo Neumann controversially sent off Santiago defender Bozsik for spitting at him after a decision had gone against the home side. Many felt that it should just have warranted a yellow card. Two men down and with most of the match still to be played, Santiago had a tough task on their hands. Amazingly, despite wave upon wave of Westerlo attacks, the teams went into the break with the scoreline intact. Santiago came out after halftime similarly defiant and seemingly determined to battle in the face of overwhelming odds as they tried to soak up relentless pressure from the visitors. This stand lasted till the 70th minute when Miro Gašperšić's shot took a hearty deflection and left the goalkeeper bamboozled. The visitors celebrated but Santiago seemed determined to give it a right go. Sure enough, a third red card for the match went the other way for once and Farhad Al-Sadik pounced to send the home fans into dreamland.

SK Slavia Praha 1 - 2 Manchester United
54' Uygun
66' Roque
80' Borunsky

Too little too late for Sešívaní as a late consolation failed to make up for two lapses in concentration earlier in the match. The Red Devils were clinical in their finishing and had several outstanding individuals on the field while Slavia Prague failed to find their rhythm till it was much too late. Reds captain Uygun was a colossus in central midfield, but Japanese defender Kawasaki took the plaudits for a stellar performance marshalling the backline.

AS Jeunesse Esch 0 - 3 Trabzonspor
10' Bernard
15' Akin
65' Akin

The Turkish side stamped their dominance over their fellow title challengers, and in the process took sole possession of the lead atop the table as they came through with a fine 3-0 win over Jeunesse. The men from Trabzon had come to De La Frontiere to play and the home team wilted under the ferocious onslaught. Captain Serhat Akin was the standout with a brace as even the injury time dismissal of influential midfielder Sven Magne Rosnes failed to take the gloss off a magnificent win. AS Jeunesse Esch was absolutely outclassed and some of it's players, particularly defenders Bercheid and Buckley will have to put their hands up and admit to terrible performances.

Yokohama Marinos 1 - 0 Orgryte IS
44' Igarashi

More unconvincing stuff from the early season favourites as Yokohama grinded out a slender win over weaker opponents. A look at the team sheet might have led some to predict a steam-rolling but it was not to be as on loan youngster Ichi Igarashi scored the loan goal of the match, then deigned to get himself sent off for a bad tackle minutes from the end. Tatsuya Enomoto was outstanding in goal, but questions will be asked as to why he was so busy in the first place.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Leading Players

Goalscorer Charts

Semchuk (SK Slavia Praha) 5
Tevez (Cardiff City AFC) 4
Gabriel (AS Jeunesse Esch) 3
Peña (Manchester United) 3
Maverino (Trabzonspor) 3
Akin (Trabzonspor) 3
Alverdi (Westerlo) 3


Assist Charts

Chester (Westerlo) 5
Kouzmanis (Yokohama Marinos) 4
Ernk (Cardiff City AFC) 3
Onishi (Manchester United) 3
Koulouris (Manchester United) 3
Appiah (Santiago Wanderers) 3
Salvatierra (SK Slavia Praha) 3


Clean Sheet Charts

Barthez (Trabzonspor) 5
Parada (Santiago Wanderers) 4
Guchua (Alajuelense) 3
Enomoto (Yokohama Marinos) 3
Lobont (AGF) 2
Voulgaris (Orgryte IS) 2
Váldez (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Vandenbrande (Westerlo) 2

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Football Star #2

Player name: Filip Perina
Age: 18
Club: SK Slavia Praha
Nationality: Czech Republic

Stay back after a regular training session at the state of the art training facilities in Eden and you might just spot a young man practising his free kicks at one end of the field.

As we approach this diligent individual, you can't help noticing the sweat dripping from his brow and the thoroughly wet training jersey. And yet he continues, aiming at the goal and letting fly from twenty yards. A miss, but that doesn't seem to slow him down.

As 18 year old Filip Perina shanks another shot over the crossbar and into the stands, he gives a weary shake of the head and turns to face us, his boyish features immediately breaking into a huge grin. It's the first time I've met this lad, but the same can't be said of Jan, the 68 year old Slavia Praha chief scout beside me.

It was Jan who first spotted Filip playing in school and convinced the then 16 year old to sign professional terms with the one of the city's two biggest sides. He's been watching him develop ever since and predicts big things for this young defender. Filip treats him as a second father, and the bearhug the old man receives is genuine.

Unlike most of his peers, Filip comes from a well to do family background. His grandfather is one of the major landholders in the area surrounding the city and his father one of the most prominent bankers in Prague. Therefore, it was no surprise that he was brought up in some of the finest schools in the city.

His grades were mediocre, but good enough to earn him a spot in the University of his choice. Which was the route his father would probably have approved. However, sport was always going to be a close competitor, and in this Filip excelled. Besides being captain of the high school football team, Filip won medals in fencing as well as hockey and still holds the schools record for the pole vault. But all that was put aside when Slavia Praha came calling. His parents disapproved at first, but it helped that his grandfather was a huge Slavia Praha fan and he got his wish soon after.

Now firmly entrenched in his club's long term vision, Filip Perina knows there's still much to improve on before he can get complacent and he knows it will take a huge effort to break into the first team.

His efforts in the reserve team did not go unnoticed as he received a surprise call up to the Czech national squad for a friendly last year and although he was an unused substitute, he swears that the experience only made him more determined to break through.

"It'll come one day," Filip nods sagely, "I'll just have to keep my head down and work hard. Then the manager will decide if I'm good enough."

This young man sure has his head screwed on straight, and we might just see him playing first team games in the near future. And Jan will probably be chuckling away in the stands as his protege soars to greater heights.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

3E Clubs in the Cup

Hibernian (4N) 1 - 2 Manchester United (3E)
20' Koulouris
55' Wright-Phillips

Santiago Wanderers (3E) 1 - 1 Cardiff City AFC (3E) [2-4 on penalties]
24' Walker (Santiago)
36' Tevez (Cardiff)

Review: Two representatives left in the 5th Round as a hard luck draw saw two 3E teams meet in the Cup. Santiago and Cardiff gave it as good as they got and the tie was ultimately decided on penalties. Meanwhile, Manchester United avenged Yokohama's earlier loss to Hibernian with a nice win away from home.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Official Results Round 7

Trabzonspor 4 - 0 SK Slovan Bratislava
04' Stepanovski
20' Maverino
50' Stepanovski
58' Zurza

There was only going to be one result as the table toppers met the cellar dwellars. It was one way traffic as a relentless Trabzonspor put Slovan Bratislava to the sword. Forward José Mariacu Maverino turned in a five star display while Florian Stepanovski was both hero and villain as he collected a red card with six minutes to go to take the gloss off a splendid brace. Goalkeeper Fabien Barthez celebrated another consecutive clean sheet and look to have forgotten his first round shocker.

Orgryte IS 1 - 2 Westerlo
07' Friberg
50' Chester
80' Chester

Orgryte IS stunned the visitors early on with a shock opener and lead going into break, leaving their stunned fans on the edge of their seats with the anticipation of a memorable upset. However, quality told over time as Andrew Chester scored two tidy goals to help Westerlo snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. De Kempeneers had a man sent off, when hardman Höskuldur Kristófersson got a straight red card for a punch in the heat of the match, but it didn't seem to affect them as they got the job done in the end. Frank Alverdi took the MoTM plaudits with hands in both Westerlo goals.

Manchester United 3 - 2 AS Jeunesse Esch
15' Roque
30' Hernández
40' Baltanov
50' Uygun
60' Roque

Portuguese midfielder Hélio Roque continued his hot run of form with two solo goals as Manchester United came away with the points against stern opposition. AS Jeunesse Esch went into the break in front after coming back from a goal down, but manager Amadeu Castro will be furious at the way his side captitulated in the end, allowing the Red Devils to gain control of the match and get a winner. Isaac Siphika had an unusually poor day in the office, but to be honest he wasn't the only one.

SK Slavia Praha 1 - 1 Santiago Wanderers
40' Borunsky
72' Abarca

SK Slavia Praha found themselves stuck in the relegation mire as a Martin Borunsky goal was not enough for them to see off Santiago Wanderers. Santiago looked to be in trouble for much of the match as the home side looked hungrier for the win, but youngster Patricio Alberto Abarca was the saviour as he scored his first senior goal of the season, latching onto a through ball from his captain and finishing with a calmness that belied his tender age. Slavia Praha withstood a late barrage from the Chileans to salvage a point that may turn out to be decisive when the season draws to a close. Santiago on the other hand, will have to find their scoring boots. Even though they have only let in an admirable three goals this season, they have only managed to score six.

AGF 2 - 3 Alajuelense
28' Castillo
36' Sánchez
48' own goal
52' Zajc
78' Pedersen

Alajuelense were odds on favourites to win this match, but made things difficult for themselves as they threatened to lose sight of the objective at periods during the game. The visitors had a healthy two goal lead heading into the break but as tensions boiled over right before the half time whistle, both teams were reduced to ten men. Things were not improved right after the restart as they shot themselves in the foot with some calamitous defending. Gatis Rinkus looked lost at sea as he bundled in an own goal after a free kick had taken a wicked deflection. However Peter Zajc calmed nerves with another goal and the late AGF consolation proved too late too little.

Cardiff City AFC 1 - 1 Yokohama Marinos
05' Demetradze
10' Gennaris

Yokohama are another team struggling to find their feet after a promising start. The pre season hype seems to have done more damage then help as they failed to pick up the win once again. Granted it was against a tough Cardiff City side, but with Trabzonspor disappearing over the horizon, they need to start winning games and fast. The main problem for the Mariners this season has been their attack. A return of ten goals after seven rounds is indeed worrying for last season's runner up. Georgi Demetradze celebrated a first team recall with an early opener but celebrations only lasted five minutes before Cardiff equalised through Tassos Gennaris. The early goals proved to be all there was to the match as both teams spent the rest of the afternoon battling for possession in a crowded midfield. Ian Redwood's temperament proved suspect again, lashing out at an oppositon player and getting a straight red card. Cardiff City's manager Pedro Pereira looked less than impressed.

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk

Leading Players

Goalscorer Charts

Semchuk (SK Slavia Praha) 5
Tevez (Cardiff City AFC) 4
Roque (Manchester United) 4
Maverino (Trabzonspor) 4
Stepanovski (Trabzonspor) 4
Gabriel (AS Jeunesse Esch) 3
Peña (Manchester United) 3
Borunsky (SK Slavia Praha) 3
Akin (Trabzonspor) 3
Alverdi (Westerlo) 3
Chester (Westerlo) 3

Assist Charts

Chester (Westerlo) 5
Koulouris (Manchester United) 4
Appiah (Santiago Wanderers) 4
Kouzmanis (Yokohama Marinos) 4
Azevedo (Alajuelense) 3
Ernek (Cardiff City AFC) 3
Zuke (AS Jeunesse Esch) 3
Onishi (Manchester United) 3
Salvatierra (SK Slavia Praha) 3
Onyewu (Trabzonspor) 3
Akin (Trabzonspor) 3
Maverino (Trabzonspor) 3

Clean Sheet Charts

Barthez (Trabzonspor) 6
Parada (Santiago Wanderers) 4
Guchua (Alajuelense) 3
Enomoto (Yokohama Marinos) 3
Lobont (AGF) 2
Voulgaris (Orgryte IS) 2
Váldez (SK Slavia Praha) 2
Vandenbrande (Westerlo) 2

_________________
Jatex Ko
Stabæk