I attempted to write for the whole division last season but didn't have the time, so this season I will write the story of my team's matches.

Tuesday, March 22nd.

Young Grasshoppers outclassed by Aberdeen

The youthful Grasshoppers team was given a lesson in footballing in their preseason opener by the more experienced Aberdeen squad. In a match meant to shake off rust and prepare the team for the upcoming Youth Tournament, the 6-1 scoreline indicated the gulf between the two sides. The only bright spot on the day for a Grasshopper squad that averages just 19 years of age was 17-year-old Julius Oniah’s 90th minute goal, which assured that the home side would not be held scoreless. The young Nigerian received the ball 35 yards from goal and slalomed through 3 defenders before unleashing a shot from the edge of the box to the low right corner.

“Oniah showed a great piece of individual skill to score today and provide the fans something to smile about. Obviously, the team’s performance was poor, but it was our first game and our main goal was to get ready for the tournament in a few days.” Manager Nick said after the match. “We have a tough game against Villarreal on Thursday, and we hope to get the 3pts to start the tourney off on the right foot”.

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Nick
Kansas City

Thursday, March 24th

Grasshoppers kick off YFT with a win

Grasshoppers CZ began their youth tournament journey with a 3-2 home win over Villarreal on Thursday. After Tuesday’s disastrous start to the season, Manager Nick’s club was anxious to get back on the pitch and get on the winning track. Midfielder Tim Cahill provided the perfect start for the hosts when he got on the end of a through ball from Ivan Gentizon and slotted home from 12 yards out for a 1-0 lead in just the 9th minute. Villarreal equalized in the 20th minute through Diego Gattlen and things looked to head to the break tied at 1 before Mathias Schweinsteiger put the hosts back in front. A Julius Oniah corner kick was headed down by Ivan Gentizon to an unmarked Schweinsteiger who tapped in from close range just seconds before the half time whistle.

The second half saw the hosts come out firing, and 12 minutes later they were rewarded. Oniah, who at just 17 years old is beginning to show signs of greatness, received the ball in midfield and broke down the right wing before his cross was met by the head of Gentizon, who beat the keeper with a powerful header. A 70th minute strike from Villarreal midfielder Kebadze made for a nervy final 20minutes, but Grasshoppers CZ held on for a well-deserved 3pts.

“The boys showed great spirit today. I thought we attacked well and controlled possession for good periods of the match. I would’ve liked for our defending to be a bit sharper, but what’s important is that we secured the 3pts and got the start we wanted to this tournament.” Manager Nick told the press.

Grasshoppers travel to their first away game of the season on Saturday, when they face Kashima in the second group game of the YFT.

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Nick
Kansas City

Saturday, March 26th

Grasshoppers fall to Kashima in 7-goal thriller

Fans at Kashima Soccer Stadium were given quite the show Saturday when hosts Kashima Antlers prevailed against Grasshoppers CZ 4-3 in the second match of the YFT. Grasshoppers found themselves on the wrong side of a 1-0 scoreline just 6minutes into the game after poor defending allowed Takahiro Inaba to head home a corner from close range. American Charlie Davies leveled the score after a quarter hour when he played a quick 1-2 with João before calmly finishing from 12 yards. Inaba and Saeki each struck in a 10min span to give Kashima a 3-1 lead in the 36th. However, immediately following the kick off, Grasshopper defender Kazuya Ozaki played a long ball from his own half that found Gareth Bale in behind the defense and his left footed strike found the net from 15yards. The travelling side equalized just before halftime when Davies cross was met by João who powered his header past the helpless keeper.

The second half was much more subdued as both teams tightened up defensively. The deadlock was broken in the 66th when Makoto Inaba unleashed an unstoppable shot from 24 yards that left keeper John Burchardt with no chance. Despite some strong attacking play over the last half hour from the visiting side, Kashima held on to their lead and moved to the top of the group on 6pts, while Grasshoppers remains second with 3pts.

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Nick
Kansas City

Sunday, March 27th

Grasshoppers defeat Monaco to win YFT group

Grasshoppers CZ overcame an early deficit for a 3-2 win over visiting Monaco AS to finish first place in their group, ahead of Kashima on goals scored. Monaco struck first in the 16th minute through forward Kerzhakov, but just eight minutes later Grasshoppers had taken the lead. Defender Kazuya Ozaki managed to get on the end of Julius Oniah’s 21st minute corner for the equalizing goal, one of Oniah’s two assists on the day. Three minutes later, 16-year-old Tiago marked his debut with a fantastic square ball to Ivan Gentizon who just had to tap it in to the empty net. Monaco’s chances of a come back took a serious hit on the stroke of halftime, when Trashorras was sent off for a second bookable offense.

Both teams continued their attacking play after the break, with Grasshoppers enjoying the majority of the possession thanks to their man advantage. The home side’s constant pressure paid off when Oniah picked out João at the back post and the Brazilian’s right footed strike flew into the back of the net from 13 yards. Kerzhakov added a second for the visitors 7 minutes later, but the Grasshoppers defense saw the game out to secure their spot atop the YFT group.

“We put in a strong attacking display again today.” Manager Nick said after the game. “Oniah has shown through this tournament that he can be a creative force in the midfield, and João and Ivan [Gentizon] have been finishing the chances created for them. It’s a huge accomplishment for us to win the group, and we hope to continue playing well and make a deep run.”

Grasshoppers will find out their next opponent after the upcoming draw.

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Nick
Kansas City

Tuesday, March 29th

Grasshoppers fall in league opener, finish with 9 men

After an even first half, Grasshoppers had two players sent off in the second half and fell to Bordeaux 3-1. Bordeaux took the lead in the 20th minute before American Charlie Davies equalized after a brilliant cross from Sergio Karlen in the 40th minute. The first half finished 1-1 and by all accounts was an even affair. However, the second half turned to disaster for the visiting side. In the 53rd minute, 16-year-old Tiago was given his marching orders after a clumsy challenge earned him a second yellow card. It was a careless mistake by the youngster, and his side paid for it shortly thereafter when Bordeaux took the lead in the 60th minute. Forward Ivan Gentizon was later sent off with a quarter hour to play for his second bookable offence, and the game was put away in the 84th when Alex Tacker put the hosts up 3-1.

“It was a tough match. I thought we played well in the first half and at the break, I felt we had a good chance at getting a victory. However, we made some poor decisions and it cost us.” Manager Nick stated. “Tiago is still a young kid, he’s going to make mistakes. What’s important is that he learns from it and moves on. Today was a difficult loss to take, but we have to put it behind us.”

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Nick
Kansas City

Thursday, March 31st

Grasshoppers knocked out of cup by Bryne 2-1

Charlie Davies 3rd goal of the season was not enough to overcome a 2-0 halftime deficit as the young Grasshopper side crashed out of the cup Thursday. Bryne struck twice in the opening 40 minutes and got a superb performance from keeper Petr Pavlov to go into the break up 2-0. Grasshoppers started the second half with a nice stretch of play and 9 minutes after the intermission, Charlie Davies linked up with Gareth Bale before curling a right footed shot past the keeper to give the visiting side a glimpse of hope. However, the hosts’ defense held out and ended the Grasshopper cup run after just one round.

“We had realistic expectations going into the cup this season. We have a very young squad and this causes a disadvantage for us. However, we hoped to secure a better result today and are obviously disappointed to be out of the cup already.” A clearly upset Nick said after the game. However, one thing that wont upset the Grasshopper manager is the play of 22 year old Charlie Davies, who in 5 matches this season has already scored 3 times to go along with one assist.

“Charlie has been in great form. He has been with the club for several seasons now and is one of the leaders of group. Hopefully he can continue to play well, as everyone else benefits from his good run.”

Grasshoppers host their first home match of league play this Saturday against St Gallen.

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Nick
Kansas City

Saturday, April 2nd

Grasshoppers crushed at home by St Gallen

Grasshopper CZ suffered an embarrassing 4-1 defeat in front of their own fans at the hands of St Gallen on Saturday. Julius Oniah recorded his fourth assist of the season when he fed Ivan Gentizon who finished past the St Gallen keeper on the stroke of halftime to send the teams into the break even at 1. However, the second half was all St Gallen as they scored three times in under 25 minutes to put the game out of reach. The young Grasshoppers side was outmatched by the more experienced St Gallen squad and looked second best for the majority of the match.

“It was a poor performance by all accounts. We can play better and we should play better. Its hard to take a lot of positives from this result.” Manager Nick told reporters after the match. “All we can do now is look forward. We have an important fixture tomorrow against Cruz Azul and we will need to play a lot better if we are to get a more positive result.”

Grasshoppers host Cruz Azul in the YFT round of 32 tomorrow.

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Nick
Kansas City

Sunday, April 3rd

Karlen inspires Grasshoppers to 4-3 win over Cruz Azul

21-year-old Sergio Karlen opened his scoring for the season with a crucial hat trick to send Grasshopper CZ into the YFT round of 16. Fans at Stadion Hardturm only had to wait 12 minutes before Karlen put the hosts up with a left footed strike after a long ball from Mathias Schweinsteiger. Cruz Azul equalized 10 minutes later, but Grasshoppers struck back immediately through Ivan Gentizon. The 22 year old forward rose highest to meet Tiago’s 24th minute corner kick and beat the Cruz Azul keeper with a well-placed header. Fans barely had time to breath after Titov brought the visitors back level in the 36th when Gentizon and Karlen linked up straight off the ensuing kickoff for Karlen’s second of the day, putting the home side up 3-2. Three minutes later, Cruz Azul once again pulled level when Forestieri’s 17 yard strike found the back of the net to send the teams level into the break.

After such a frantic first half, both teams settled defensively after the break and played more cautiously. Cruz Azul held a slight advantage in possession, but it was the hosts who found the final goal. Portuguese midfielder Tiago received the ball on the edge of the box and the 16 year old chipped the ball over the Cruz Azul backline to find Karlen unmarked and his left footed finish left the keeper with no chance. Karlen’s three goals were his first of the season and Grasshoppers will be hoping that he will continue to produce after breaking his short slump.

“Sergio [Karlen] showed today why he is one of the top young strikers in the world. All forwards go through slumps, but eventually their skill comes through, and that’s what we saw with him today.” The Grasshopper manager said after the victory. “Karlen is a game changer and rightfully deserves his praise today, but the rest of the team put in a great performance as well. Tiago had his best game of the season by far, and his creativity in the midfield was crucial. I thought Mathias [Schweinsteiger] distributed very well from the backline, and Ivan [Gentizon] and Charlie [Davies] both put in solid performances.”

Grasshoppers return to league play Tuesday when they travel to Teuta Durres, and will face FC Haka at home on April 17th in the next round of the YFT.

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Nick
Kansas City

Tuesday, April 5th

Tueta Durres too much for Grasshoppers

Grasshopper CZ fell 3-1 away to Tueta Durres on Tuesday, despite Sergio Karlen’s 4th goal in 2 matches. The home side, despite having Arben Kola sent off with twenty minutes to play, enjoyed 57% of possession and led after just 12 minutes through Alf Johan Bauge. Tueta extended its lead to 3-0 just after halftime after goals from Macias and Panov. Karlen, who was been in top form of late, pulled one back for Grasshoppers in the final quarter hour when he headed home a cross from Gareth Bale. However, there would be very little action in the final 15minutes and the home side held on comfortably for a 3-1 victory.

“We came up against a very good opponent today.” Grasshoppers manager Nick said of 6th place Tueta. “They controlled the ball very well and it was difficult for us to get into the game offensively. We must keep moving forward and look to improve next match.”

Grasshoppers sit in 10th after dropping their first 3 league matches, and face Gaziantepspor in a friendly match on Thursday.

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Nick
Kansas City

Thursday, April 7th

Gaziantepspor proves too much for Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers’ exhibition trip to Turkey was a difficult one and the Swiss side fell 4-1 at Gaziantepspor. Ekubo Agu struck twice in 6 minutes to put the home team on top, and Colombian Fredy Montoya increased the lead to 3-0 in the 36th minute. Grasshoppers pulled one back through Ivan Gentizon, who tapped home a square ball from João for his 5th goal of the season. However, the hosts proved too much and Tokko rounded off the scoring in the 72nd to complete the 4-1 score line. It was a comprehensive victory for the Turkish side, who outmatched Grasshoppers at every position.

Grasshoppers return home Saturday when they host Inter Bratislava on matchday 4.

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Nick
Kansas City

Saturday, April 9th

Grasshoppers come up short

Grasshopper CZ fell 3-2 at home to Inter Bratislava Saturday thanks to a nine-minute stretch near the end of the first half that saw the visitors score 3 goals. 16-year-old Tiago put the hosts on top with his first career goal when he got on the end of Julius Oniah’s 5th minute free kick. The teams exchanged blows over the next half hour, with Bratislava controlling the majority of the possession. The floodgates were opened for the travelling side in the 33rd minute when Jarrod Forsyth found the back of the net from 12 yards. Just 3 minutes later, Bognar put Bratislava in front with a well-taken header. Things went from bad to worse for the home side when Forsyth stole the ball from Grasshopper defender Atanas Kirilov and coolly finished to give his side a 3-1 halftime advantage.

Grasshopper came out of the break as the more threatening side, and Sergio Karlen pulled one back in the 55th with a perfectly placed free kick. Karlen’s left footed strike curled over the wall and snuck just inside the near post from 25 yards out for his 5th goal of the season. The final half hour saw Bratislava play the possession game as they seemed content to withstand the Grasshopper attacks and in the end they were able to secure the 3 points.

“This was a game we wanted to win, make no mistake about it. However, I thought we played pretty well and were unlucky not to earn at least a draw.” Manager Nick told the press. “Bratislava took their chances well and we made a few mistakes at the back that hurt us. It’s an unfortunate result, but we must keep looking forward”

“I am very pleased to see Tiago get his first goal at the club. He has worked very hard this season and I think he will continue to both score and create chances.” The manager said of the young Portuguese midfielder. Nick also had praise for Sergio Karlen, who continues to find the net with regularity. "Sergio has been in incredible form for us lately. He's playing with a lot of confidence that I believe comes from him getting his first international goal at the end of last season."

Grasshoppers are on the road again Tuesday when they travel to South Africa to face Orlando Pirates.

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Nick
Kansas City

Tuesday, April 12th

Grasshoppers plummet to last place

A 3-0 loss away to Orlando Pirates saw Grasshopper CZ fall into last place on Tuesday. The visitors fell behind after just 6 minutes, and trailed 2-0 at halftime thanks to goals by Klaus Christiansen and former Grasshopper Corey Counts. The second half was no kinder on the travelling side as Adiel Ngake added a third for the South Africans before Gareth Bale saw red for a second clumsy challenge with just over 20 minutes remaining. The hosts enjoyed nearly 60% possession, and never looked threatened by the young Grasshopper squad, who despite solid outings from Sergio Karlen and Charlie Davies, were unable to get anything going offensively.

“There are not a lot of good things to be said about this performance. We know we are better than this. We are not the 12th best team in this division, I can assure you of that. We just have to play better next time.” A visibly frustrated Nick said after the game.

“I did speak to Corey [Counts] after the match. We have always been on good terms, and I am happy to see him having success, though I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t against us.”

Grasshoppers host Olympiakos Piraeus on Thursday in a friendly match.

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Nick
Kansas City

Thursday, April 14th

Five star first half sees Grasshoppers thrash Olympiakos Piraeus

Thanks to a five goal first half, Grasshopper CZ was able to shake off a disappointing week to record a 6-0 thrashing of visiting Olympiakos Piraeus. The fans at Stadion Hardturm had to wait only ten minutes to see the hosts go in front after Charlie Davies finished with a well-taken right footed effort after Julius Oniah’s pass. Brazilian youngster João broke out of his scoring slump in superb fashion when he received the ball from Davies before unleashing a right-footed shot from 22 yards that found the corner perfectly. Ivan Gentizon got in on the act with a pair of goals in just 12 minutes, the first coming from a Gareth Bale cross. Oniah finished off a stunning first half when he ran onto Svein Arne Johnsen’s long ball, rounded the keeper, and tapped into the open net.

The home side continued their dominance after the break, and João added his second of the match when he headed home Oniah’s corner kick. The assist gives Oniah 7 on the season, matching his total from last season. After João’s goal, the home side seemed content to see out the remainder of the game and spare their visitors further embarrassment. After the match, the players signed autographs and took pictures with the fans, as the morale around the club seems to have lifted instantly after a rough few weeks.

“It was a great team performance. We were solid at the back and did an excellent job controlling the tempo of the game. Charlie [Davies] and Ivan [Gentizon] put in the kind of efforts that we have come to expect from them. They are the leaders of this team and they certainly showed that today.” Manager Nick beamed after the game. “It was great to see João find the back of the net again. He has had a bit of a rough time this season, but he played fantastic today.”

“Oniah has been a great surprise this season. Don’t get me wrong, he played very well last year, but he has really elevated his game this season. For such a young player, he is very mature with his playing style. He reads the field well and does a great job of finding his teammates. I have very high hopes for him in the future.”

Grasshoppers return to league play Saturday against a restructured Kobenhavn squad and then face Haka in the Youth Friendly Tournament on Sunday.

_________________
Nick
Kansas City

Saturday, April 16th

Second half errors cost Grasshoppers

Grasshopper CZ fell 3-0 at home to Kobenhavn Saturday thanks to poor defending in the final thirty minutes. A 0-0 score line was broken in the 66th minute when Plesner took advantage of poor marking to head home a corner from Gargorov. The visitors extended their lead just 3 minutes later when defender Svein Arne Johnson misjudged a Kobenhavn cross and accidentally headed into his own net. The home sides defensive woes continued 6 minutes from time when Plesner was again left unmarked on a corner kick for his second of the match.

“We made some unacceptable mistakes today. We played a very even match until the final 30 minutes, but in the end we did not deserve to win.” An upset Nick told the press after the game.

Grasshoppers host Haka in the YFT tomorrow before returning to league play on Tuesday.

Sunday, April 17th

Grasshoppers comeback fall short as YFT run comes to an end

Grasshopper CZ lost 2-1 to FC Haka Sunday morning, ending their YFT hopes. Carlos Perez put the visitors ahead in the 20th minute and Toomas Rüütli doubled their advantage 15 minutes later. Haka’s defense was strong throughout and disrupted Grasshoppers attack and possession from the opening kick. Grasshoppers were given a lifeline in the 56th minute when Thomas Tolonen brought down Ivan Gentizon in the box and the referee correctly awarded a penalty. Charlie Davies stepped up to the spot and his right footed effort send the Haka keeper the wrong way to pull the home side within 1.

However, the Haka defense stood strong for the final half hour and Grasshoppers were unable to get an equalizing goal. Their best effort came 10 minutes from time when Gareth Bale’s low shot was pushed around the bar by Haka keeper Mark van Nistelrooy. The win sees Haka advance to the quarterfinals, while Grasshopper CZ must wait until next season to deliver manager Nick his first trophy.

“Haka are a very good side. They defended well and didn’t allow us a lot of time on the ball. After Charlie’s penalty kick I thought we might be able to find an equalizer, but it wasn’t to be today.” Manager Nick said afterwards. “I’m proud of the team’s performance today and throughout the tournament.

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Nick
Kansas City

Tuesday, April 19th

10 man Grasshoppers crushed by Buducnost

The scoreboard accurately portrayed the gap between the teams as Grasshoppers fell 4-0 to FK Buducnost on Tuesday. A pair of Michel Jirkal goals inspired the hosts to victory in front of a sold out crowd of 4000. Jirkal was joined on the score sheet by Al-Najayi and Tomashevskiy as the home side dominated every aspect of play in a wonderful performance of football masterclass. The overwhelmed Grasshopper squad was down 2-0 after just 26 minutes and never threatened to get into the game after Tiago’s 28th minute red card. It was the 16-year-old’s second red of the season and his disciplinary issues will certainly worry his manager.

“We were outplayed today, simple as that. Obviously going a man down so early is tough to come back from, but we were down 2-0 at that point anyway. We were never able to get going and can have no real complaints.” Manager Nick said, clearly frustrated by the result.

“Tiago still has a lot to learn, but he has shown this season that he is going to be something special. We have to remember that we are talking about a kid here, and mistakes are to be expected.”

Thursday, April 21st

João inspires Grasshoppers to away victory

Grasshoppers were able to secure a 3-2 away victory against Olympiakos Piraeus on Thursday thanks to a brace from João, scored in just 6 minutes. The young Brazilian leveled the game at 1 in the 33rd minute when his well-placed shot found the net after a square ball from Ivan Gentizon. Grasshoppers fell behind again in the 36th minute, but just 3 minutes later João intercepted a pass in the Olympiakos backline before rounding the keeper and finishing into the open net. The first half was played at breakneck pace and when the teams entered the locker rooms tied at 2-2, fans of both clubs were happy with what they had seen.

The second half saw play slow and both teams tightened at the back. However, with half an hour remaining, Grasshoppers’ winger Charlie Davies ran onto a through ball from Gentizon and curled his right footed effort past the keeper and into the corner of the net to give the visitors a 3-2 lead and away victory. The win, though an exhibition match, was certainly an emotional boost for a team that was hammered in their last outing, a 4-0 defeat at the hands of FK Buducnost.

“I’m very pleased with the teams performance today. We fell behind twice in the first half and did very well to come back each time.” A pleased Grasshoppper manager told the press. “I think this showed how mentally strong these players are, to not only come back from a rough game but also come from behind in this game and get the win.”

“João is a great player. He has always shown that he has an eye for goal and even though he struggled a bit at the beginning of the season he has certainly found his form now. I am confident he will continue to produce for the team.”

Saturday, April 23rd

Depleted Grasshoppers fall 3-1 to Jeanne d’Arc

Due to suspensions, Grasshoppers were forced to play with just two defenders and the makeshift backline had plenty of trouble as they fell to visiting Jeanne d’Arc. The league leaders had no trouble dealing with the Grasshopper defense and in the 9th minute the African side took the lead through Lazaridis. Helene Heu added a 33rd minute penalty after a handball by Nikolay Starkov, and Sharif Nazarov rounded off the scored just before halftime as the Senegal based squad went into the break with a 3-0 lead. Brazilian João pulled one back for Grasshoppers with 25 minutes to play, but neither side mounted a significant attack from that point on.

“Obviously we were short a few players today, but I put out a squad that I thought was capable of winning. Jeanne d’Arc leads the league for a reason, they are a very strong team and they showed that today. We just have to bounce back next match.” Manager Nick said after his sides defeat.

_________________
Nick
Kansas City

Tuesday, April 26th

Flamengo comeback tops Grasshoppers

Grasshoppers were unable to hold on to a pair of first half leads as Flamengo came from behind for a 4-2 victory Tuesday. João, returning to Brazil for the first time, opened the scoring in the 9th minute when he controlled Charlie Davies chip pass with his chest before firing a left footed shot inside the far post. The 17-year-old Brazilian now has 8 goals on the season, 6 in his last 5 appearances. Flamengo answered 5 minutes later when Pedro Alexandre headed home from 7 yards. The visiting Grasshoppers retook the lead just before the half hour mark when Tiago picked out Ivan Gentizon at the far post and the Swiss forward made no mistake with his header. Gentizon’s goal gave him 8 for the season, tying João for the team lead. Flamengo took control of the game after falling behind 2-1 and entered the break up 3-2 after goals from Everton de Souza and Pétur Heiðar Pálsson.

Grasshoppers started the second half on the offensive, with Gareth Bale and Issa Ibrahim Do Marcolino both forcing saves from Reto Kappeli. Flamengo doubled their lead on the hour mark thanks to a quick counter attack that culminated in Pétur Heiðar Pálsson’s second goal of the game. The goal seemed to take the air out of the Grasshopper sails and they were unable to threaten in the final half hour, even after Dragan Dimovski was sent off for a second yellow card in the 73rd minute. The win moves Flamengo into 4th place, while Grasshoppers remain in last.

“The first half hour was some of the best football we have played all season. We moved the ball around quickly and effectively and probably could’ve scored more than we did. I thought we deserved more from the first half and was unhappy to go into the break down a goal.” Manager Nick explained. “We started the second half very well. We had a few great chances and Kappeli made some fantastic saves. We were unlucky to not find the equalizer and when they found the fourth goal I think it really deflated us.”

“João and Ivan [Gentizon] are in incredible form right now. It gives the rest of the squad a lot of confidence to know that we have players who are finding the back of the net with regularity.”

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Nick
Kansas City