Season Previews

PART I: Rebel Scum   PART II: Forwards

ATTACKING MIDFIELD & WING

Any discussion of attacking midfielders must begin with Cyrus Saydee, through whom all things are possible.

He’s now the last man standing from City’s inaugural 2012 team, and he’s rapidly approaching Kaline/Yzerman/Isiah/Barry-esque legendary status, if he’s not there already. While he’s been a consistently excellent performer throughout his career, his play last season was on a different level.

Some of his Greatest Hits from 2017 (1:05 makes me feel feelings):

It continues to baffle me how no pro team has ever taken a chance on him. Admittedly, he’s a bit undersized (5’6”-ish), but there are countless numbers of players who’ve overcome that obstacle to carve out successful pro careers. There are 33 teams in USL, and I refuse to believe that none of them could use a player of Cyrus’s caliber. Their ignorance and stubbornness is our gain, but I digress.

A player who did have a pro foray in 2017, Danny Deakin rejoins the team after a season with Orlando City B.

Deakin spent 2016 with City, and was one of the better performers during that disappointing campaign. He and Saydee often teamed up to create quality scoring chances, only to have their efforts wasted by poor finishing or strikers not making good runs into the box.

Since Deakin and Saydee play similar roles as roaming attacking midfielders, any lineup with both of them should also include a strong defensive center midfielder to cover the space left open behind them.

Continue reading “Season Preview 2018: Attacking Midfielders & Wingers”

PART I: Rebel Scum

Note 1: All position previews address the roster as it currently exists.

Note 2: In the case of players who play multiple positions, I’ve listed them at their primary spot (or at least what I think it is, based on the information available).

Note 3: Official DCFC Roster page is here.

FORWARD/STRIKER

A good way to start this year’s position previews is to note that City’s leading goal scorer from 2017 is back. Shawn Lawson brought stability and production back to a position which struggled mightily in 2016, scoring 9 goals and combining well with Cyrus Saydee and Tyrone Mondi, in particular.

A well-rounded forward, Lawson is capable of beating defenders off the dribble, in the air…

…and with pure speed:

And it’s been almost four years since his goal which snapped half a dozen ankles against Fort Pitt, but here it is again, for old times’ sake:

Though his first appearance with City was all the way back in 2013, he’s still just 24 years old and is now coming into his prime. I expect him to be the starting striker at the beginning of the season, but he’s going to face much more competition than he did a year ago. If he can continue doing things like this, though, he may just hold them all off.

The foremost challenger should be Rafa Mentzingen, a fellow 9-goal scorer in 2017, albeit with Lansing United. While Lansing had some tough times, particularly in the defense of large leads, Mentzingen was a bright spot. By far the brightest spot:

Also, since this post is about soccer, I’m obligated to mention that he’s Brazilian. Not that this makes him in any way superior to other players, but you have to admit it conjures up a certain magical aura, kind of like when Don Cherry talks about hockey players who are, “Good Ol’ Ontario Boys.”

Getting back on point, if Rafa doesn’t start as a central striker, I think he may fit best in the left wing role vacated by Tyrone Mondi. His slick dribbling and pure finishing may also draw some comparisons to Will Mellors-Blair, and there’s some chance he’ll live up to that hype. No matter where he lines up, his attacking prowess and nose for goal will get him on the field right away.

Continue reading “Season Preview 2018: Forwards”

PART I: Delirium   PART II: Forwards   PART III: Attacking Mids & Wingers   PART IV: Center Midfielders   PART V: Fullbacks   PART VI: Centerbacks   PART VII: Goalkeepers   PART VIII: Team Overview

For a good rundown of the 2017 NPSL Midwest Playoff format, check out this article on Detroit City’s official website.

A brief summary:

Three Midwest divisions, top two teams from each division qualify for playoffs. Seeding is determined by points-per-game. #3 hosts #6 and #4 hosts #5 on Saturday, July 22^nd. The winners of those two matches advance to play #1 and #2 the following Friday (July 28^th), with the Midwest Championship taking place on Saturday the 29^th. Each of the final four teams can submit bids to host the regional tournament.

Midwest Region – Great Lakes West Conference

To be blunt, City has a tough schedule. There are 14 league matches this season as opposed to 12 in 2016, and the 4 match cluster in the last week of June calls to mind the brutal stretch that the team opened last season with. They are much better equipped this time around, however, and the better roster depth coupled with no Open Cup commitment should result in a much more successful season. It may take some time for the team to gel, so I don’t think they’ll finish first in the table, but I do expect them to qualify for the playoffs.

Talking to fellow blogger Robert Sherman and seeing them beat Milwaukee 3-1 in the first league match of the season, I’m sold on the quality of Ann Arbor’s squad. They’re going to be a scary team to face, and the return of Dario Suarez makes them all the more lethal.

Grand Rapids returns much of the roster that finished first in the division in the 2016 regular season, and newcomers Milwaukee won the provisional Midwest Central last year with a perfect 6-0-0 record. I see them as the other two main competitors for playoff spots.

After the top four, there should be a bit of a drop-off down to the next tier. Kalamazoo outperformed most people’s expectations last season and I think they’ll just edge out Lansing for 5^th place in the table.

Finishing up with the bottom two, Michigan Stars lost their coach (Andy Wagstaff – SVSU) and a bunch of key players, including three who are now on City’s roster (Shawn Lawson, Roddy Green, Dalton Amez). They’ll slip back down to their usual place, but FC Indiana (winless in 2016) will be this year’s divisional punching bag.

Playoffs and Beyond

Last year, City’s focus as a club revolved around beating the Michigan Bucks in the U.S. Open Cup and on Keyworth Stadium and everything surrounding its reopening. With no Open Cup commitment or stadium distraction this year, what’s first and foremost on everyone’s mind is finally winning some trophies.

While I predicted City to finish 2^nd in the regular season, I really think having a more constant roster with less turnover will result in greater cohesion and more late-season success. That being said, with last season still fresh in my mind, I can’t bring myself to predict an NPSL league title. What I will do is pick them to win the Midwest Regional Playoff Tournament and make it to the NPSL league semi-final, aka the national final four.

5 Wild Guesses

(1) City will score at least 28 goals in the regular season (an average of at least 2 per match) and allow fewer than 14 (an average of under 1 per match).

(2) City will not lose a league match at Keyworth Stadium. The toughest tests will be the first two matches – Milwaukee and Grand Rapids, and the last two – Ann Arbor and Lansing.

(3) A new home attendance record will be set, and it will be greater than 8000. The regular season average will be a healthy 6000+.

(4) This prediction didn’t work out last year so I’m taking another crack at it: Three players will score at least 5 goals in competitive matches. No City trio has ever accomplished this, and I’ll go one step further by picking Jeff Adkins, Tom Catalano, and Shawn Lawson to do it.

(5) On that note, Shawn Lawson will lead the team in goals, and Cyrus Saydee will lead in assists.