The Weekend Recap is here with Assyrian refugees, the surprising teams of Peru and a league that can be played in two different continents.
(All times are in CET local time)
Amateur (Like this guy)
What? Assyriska – Syrianska (Swedish Superettan)
When? Sunday, 14:00
Where? Södertälje Fotbollsarena, Södertälje
Why? It's not very common for us to visit Western Europe, but the Assyrian derby of Sweden is an event you don’t want to miss. The Assyrian people are originally from a wide region in West Asia, and each team is recognized with different origin – Assyriska was formed by refugees from Turkey and Syrianska was formed by a mixture of immigrants from Syria and Iraq.
Key Players: As both teams are Assyrians, the key players hold the same ethnicity. In Assyriska it’s David Durmaz, the veteran defender who started his 11th season in the club. In Syrianska, you cannot miss Saman Ghoddos, the team’s top scorer at the moment, with 7 goals.
Everything for the national team: In 2014, a team of Assyrian players won the bronze medal in the CONIFA World Cup.
Professional (like this guy)
What? Universidad San Martín – Juan Aurich (Peruvian Primera División)
When? Tuesday, 03:00
Where? Estadio Alberto Gallardo, Lima
Why? After a bad performance in the Apertura, Universidad San Martín is now the most surprising team, as they are on the 3rd place with 7 points after 4 games. Meanwhile, Juan Aurich wants to qualify once again to the league finals, and they are in 2nd place with a perfect record of 9 points in 3 games.
Key Players: Universidad San Martín will rely on midfielder Joel Sánchez, who was part of the Peruvian national team that reached the 2015 Copa América third place. Juan Aurich hopes to see some goals from Luis Tejada, one of the heroes of the club's sensational title win in 2011.
Yes, sir: You probably ask yourself, who is Juan Aurich? Well, the answer is strange – the team was founded by workers from hacienda Batán Grande, which Don Juan Aurich used to own and manage.
World Class (like this guy)
What? Saint-Pauloise – AS Excelsior (Championnat de La Réunion)
When? Saturday, 18:00
Where? Stade Paul-Julius-Bénard, Saint-Paul
Why? The French overseas territory of Réunion has a very interesting league with a close race for the title. After 14 rounds, there are only 5 points between the 1st and the 5th place.
Saint-Pauloise is on 3rd place, while AS Excelsior is leading the league.
Key Players: Last summer, the Réunion national team won the luxurious gold medal in the Indian Ocean Games, with some of these clubs’ key players. Alexandre Loricourt, Saint-Pauloise’s midfielder, was the scorer of the decisive goal in the semifinals, and Gaël Payet, AS Excelsior’s defender, helped his team keep a clean sheet.
Between Europe and Africa: If one of the teams in Réunion will win the double, it can theoretically play in two continental competitions from different continents; As champions at the African CAF Champions League, and as the cup winners, they will qualify for the French Cup and the Europa League. The final remains of colonialism, anyone?