AMSTERDAM – Bob Bradley's Stabæk fell just short in a bid for the top spot in the Tippeligaen on Monday night, with Cole Grossman setting up the opener in a 3-2 home loss to derby visitors Rosenborg.
In an Oslo showdown that drew tremendous amounts of local and national build-up for a 10th-round match, the former Real Salt Lake midfielder helped the home side get the party started right after only six minutes. Stabæk top gun Adama Diomande bulled his way in alone off a fine Grossman long feed to open the scoring.
Stabæk doubled their lead on the quarter hour, but Rosenborg was able to pull level moments before intermission. They would then strike for the winner near the hour and be dropped to 10 men in the 73rd minute. Diomandé had a last-second chance to grab a share of the points, only to be robbed by the away netminder.
Bradley's second-place side saw their overall unbeaten run halted at nine and the gap with table toppers Rosenborg increased to five points.
Elsewhere, A.J. Soares and fourth-place Viking remained red-hot with a 4-0 cruise through Aalesund. Even though the visitors ceded 63% of the ball, Soares and the rest of the Dark Blues defense held AaFK to just three shots on goal. Viking not only won for the fifth time in a six-game bulletproof run, they stretched their shutout streak to 345 minutes.
The news was not so bright for Danny Cruz and Bodø/Glimt from a 3-0 defeat at Lillestrøm. The loan winger worked a quiet first half before leaving, while compatriot Zarek Valentin watched from the away dugout. With Tromsø picking up a point elsewhere, Glimt dropped back into the cellar on their first loss in three games.
Finally, Alex DeJohn performed solidly at the back as 10-man IK Start fell 2-1 to guests Sarpsborg 08. The 13th-place visitors succumbed four minutes from time to suffer their third loss in a four-game win drought.
