AMSTERDAM – Danny Cruz notched a goal and an assist as Bodo/Glimt vaulted out of the Tippeligaen basement with a 5-1 demolition of Rhett Bernstein's visiting Mjondalen on Sunday night.
Zarek Valentin also made his return to the Glimt line-up to work a full shift, but it was Cruz that sent the home side on its way to a sorely needed victory by contributing to each of their first half strikes. Shortly after his right-wing cross to a wide open teammate went begging for a far better finish, the Philadelphia Union loan winger led the break from a central position to pick up his second helper of the season on 19 minutes.
Cruz then bagged his second goal of the term five minutes before intermission to put Glimt ahead to stay. He raced unmarked onto a back post cross to bounce home the winning header.
Bernstein, meanwhile, was culpable on Glimt's first two tallies after the break. The Mjondalen center back was among those beaten on a corner kick just past the hour and his poor turnover in front of the away area directly led to the home side's fourth 10 minutes later.
The result lifted Glimt two spots to 14th place, while fellow risers Mjondalen slipped to 12th on their third straight loss.
Around the league, Cole Grossman worked his usual solid shift in central park as Bob Bradley's Stabaek reclaimed second place after slipping past league debutant Quentin Westberg and Sarpsborg 08 in a 1-0 road win.
The former US youth international got the call in goal for the hosts and ably responded with five saves. The 29-year-old cruelly denied Birger Meling with a fingertip stop seven minutes out of halftime. After Stabaek top gun Adama Diomande finally blistered one past the American in the 68th minute, he scrambled back well to deny the fresh Norway call-up's tricky lob to keep the game close with nine minutes left.
However, with Grossman steady in midfield, Stabaek remained unbeaten away from home in seven games across all competitions, with six wins and five clean sheets. With consecutive home defeats for the first time since last August, Sarpsborg dipped to seventh place.
Finally, the shutout run of A.J. Soares and the Viking defense ended at 351 minutes in a wild 4-3 home loss to streaking Valerenga.
Soares' lax play in holding the defensive line facilitated that sixth minute opener, but he was far from alone in having trouble in the Viking defense. The Dark Blues were down three by halftime before rallying to level matters in the 81st minute. In the end, though, Christian Grindheim's last-ditch corner kick strike sent the fifth-place hosts to their first loss in seven league matches.
Turning to the Austrian Bundesliga, Conor O'Brien and Wiener Neustadt were relegated after a 1-0 home loss to Altach.
The impending free agent worked 68 midfield minutes in what could be his final match for the club. O'Brien completed 34 of 36 passes with three clearances and a tackle before departing for an attack sub 10 minutes after the lone goal of the contest put Wiener Neustadt behind on 57 minutes.
In reality, the Blue-Whites were going down win or lose, what with ninth place FC Admira Wacker hitting a late closing day winner at SV Grödig.
