AMSTERDAM – Cole Grossman bagged a tidy insurance goal as Bob Bradley's Stabaek ran their Tippeligaen win streak to three games with a 2-0 road decision over Tromso on Thursday night.
Three minutes after Ernest Asante fired the Blue Ones ahead, Grossman (pictured above) stuck around in the box to capitalize on a the weak clearance of a corner kick. The former Real Salt Lake midfielder accepted a short feed to rip home a left-footed shot from 15 yards on the edge of halftime.
Stabaek needed no more than Grossman's second strike of the young season, closing out the win by extending their shutout run in league play to 285 minutes and the version that covers all competitions to 375 minutes. Through five rounds, Bradley has his side level on points with three other teams in second place.
Elsewhere, A.J. Soares was strong at the back in his first Viking start, a 2-1 victory at Sandefjord. By snapping a two-game slide, the visitors rose to ninth place in the table.
Zarek Valentin set up the late consolation strike and loan winger Danny Cruz made his debut as a halftime sub in Bodo/Glimt's 2-1 home loss against FK Haugesund.
In a match that saw a handful of dangerous Valentin crosses go unrewarded by finishers, Fitim Azemi finally made good on one of the right back's deliveries by nodding it home with six minutes remaining on the clock.
Cruz, meanwhile, picked up a 79th minute yellow card for griping when the referee ignored his side's handball shouts after the American's cross was pawed down in the area. With but one point on the season, Glimt stayed locked in the league basement.
It was all downhill after an early opener for Rhett Bernstein's Mjondalen, who collapsed in a 4-1 home defeat against Lillestrom.
The center back was only to blame for failing to track Fred Friday on the 49th minute winning goal, the second tally from his hat trick. Bernstein had a golden chance to tie the game when fortunate bounce sent him in alone at the other end mere moments later, but he fired too close to the keeper and was duly robbed. The loss, Mjondalen's first of the season, dipped them to eighth place.
Finally, IK Start defender Alex DeJohn worked the final 26 minutes of a 3-2 defeat away to league leaders Rosenborg.
The New Jersey native entered with the game tied 1-1, but was not at fault on either of the last two RBK goals. Now winless in three, Start fell to 10th.
