SoccerBlogs

You heard me. And after a fairly hectic summer-period one imagines quite a few of the Tippeliga players could do with a rest as well, which is why it's so convenient that after this weekend the Tippeliga takes a two week holiday. Before that though there is a potentially cracking round of matches to be played, including the ultimate showdown of doom.

Well, terrific if you like your games full of goals and incidents. No so much if you like, youknow, vaguely competent defenders.

After a couple of pretty stale rounds the Tippeliga perked up a bit in round 17, with goals flying in at a fairly bonkers rate of 4,4 goals per game. Still, no matter how hard the ever-excitable TV2 tried to talk it up, it was hard for the discerning viewer to watch the weekend's highlights without being slightly troubled by the hopelessly poor defending displayed by most of the Tippeliga outfits.

Really, this has to stop now, this wonderfully stereotype-busting weather currently enjoyed in most of the country makes it virtually impossible to get anything done.

Saturday

Sandefjord (9th) Odd Grenland (3rd)

Right, the fact that this game is well underway at the time of writing renders this preview utterly pointless.

This recent bout of hot weather has made Norwegians hit the beaches like dyslexic gangsta rappers, but like busses in the Stavanger-area the Tippeliga waits for no one, and so here is a quick roundup of the latest batch of games from the top tier of Norwegian football.

By now you really must be getting tired of reading this phrase, but it continues to be the case and we're too hot to figure out a more clever way of wording it: Unless Rosenborg sell their entire midfield in the summer, they'll win the league.

Tippeliga rounds are coming thick and fast, and the market is in severe danger of being flooded. The issue is in no way helped by the fact that Rosenborg are running away with the league, while everyone else just look a bit knackered. So, with the league currently a less than entrancing event in purely sporting terms, we need some good old soap-opera to keep it interesting.

Yes, after a gaffe-tastic round 8 we have to ask. You can keep your Frank Haffey, your Fred Martin and all of your Andy Gorams, on the evidence of tonight the Norwegian goalkeepers are as dodgy as they come.Â

Starting with what should be the big dog, Rune Jarstein, assumed to be Drillo's first choice for the upcoming internationals.

You know it's been an eventful round when a goalkeeper can slap someone in the face and no one really takes any notice. Even Norwegian broadcaster TV2, who are more interested in controversies than actual football, had more interesting things to talk about this week. Erik "Myggen" Mykland made his first appearance in the Tippeliga in 13 years, Christian Bolanos recorded an early candidate for goal of the season, Rosenborg showed why their name is on the trophy this season, an 18 year-old defeated the reigning champions and Sandefjord won their first away-game at the highest level in 15 attempts.