After being unbeatable in the league since November, Kevin McKenna’steam couldn’t have picked a worse time to lose.
Looking for promotion back to the German Bundesliga, McKenna (above, with Canada) and FC Köln lost for the first time in 16 games as they lost 3-0 to Kaiserslautern last Friday. Köln had just passed Kaiserslautern for the promotion playoff spot the week before, but Kaiserslautern move back into third with the win.
Now just four points back of Koln is Rob Friend and 1860 Munich. Friend played 67 minutes on Sunday as Munich tied Energie Cottbus 1-1. Munich are in sixth place.
At the bottom in Germany’s 2.Bundesliga, it’s yet another loss for Julian de Guzman and SSV Jahn Regensburg. They’re winless in eight games after losing 4-1 to FSV Frankfurt last Saturday. Regensburg are well adrift at the bottom of the German second flight, and are five points back of the nearest team.
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In the Netherlands, Atiba Hutchinson and PSV Eindhoven got things back on track after dropping points a week ago. They beat Willem II on Saturday with Hutchinson playing his customary 90 minutes at right back. PSV remain three points back of Ajax for first place in the Eredivisie.
In Turkey, the mixed results continue for Milan Borjan and Sivasspor after a 2-1 loss to Eskisehirspor on Sunday. They’ve been alternating wins and losses in their past seven games and have slipped to 11th in the Super Lig.
In Norway, Tosaint Ricketts picked up his first point with his new club as he came on in the 87th minute on Saturday in Sadnes Ulf’s 1-1 draw with Haugesund. Sadnes had lost their first two games in the new Eliteserien season.
Andre Hainault continues to get spot minutes after making the move over to Scotland’s Ross County. Hainault was an 87th-minute substitute on Saturday as Ross lost 4-2 to Hearts. Ross’ third loss in a row leaves them in fifth place in the Scottish Premier League standings.
In Portugal, Pedro Pacheco’s Santa Clara remain on the fringe of the promotion fight in the Liga de Honra, as they’re still six points back of the promotion spot with a 1-0 win over Maritimo II on Sunday. Pacheco started and was substituted in the 90th minute.
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In Cyprus, Mike Klukowski and APOEL got their Championship Round off on the wrong foot with a 3-0 loss to Omonia Nicosia on Saturday. Klukowski played all 90 minutes.
At the other end, Issey Nakajima-Farran was in the Alki lineup on Sunday in their 1-1 draw with Ethnikos Nachna. All Alki need is to not finish in last in the four-team Relegation Round but after the first game, all four teams have a single point.
The nightmarish start to the new Singapore S-League season continues for Sherif El-Masri and Young Lions as they lost their ninth game in a row to start the season. El-Masri scored the opening goal in the ninth minute on Friday against Woodlands Wellington, but they conceded three times to lose 3-1. El-Masri’s goal was his team’s first of the season.
Things are a bit better for Jordan Webb with Home United as they beat Balestier Khalsa 4-0 on Thursday. Webb scored in the 85th minute but was red-carded in second-half stoppage time.
In Uruguay, Lucas Cavallini’s Juventud de Las Piedras snapped a three-game losing streak as they beat Fenix 1-0 on Sunday. Cavallini came on in the 86th minute.
