Stats & Analysis | Boys In Rouge

A Look at Keyworth Stadium

October 6, 2014March 20, 2016

We’re currently in the “dead zone” of the NPSL offseason – more than two months have passed since Chattanooga fell to the Red Bulls U-23’s in this year’s title game, and there are still several weeks to go before everyone’s favorite time of the year when expansion talk heats up.

There is, however, a bit of news that involves Detroit City FC, and it comes via the latest edition of the Hamtramck Review:

I’d never heard of Keyworth Stadium until I read this article, but with its emergence as a potential future home for DCFC, I naturally decided to do some research.

Background information from Detroitpix:

Keyworth was named after Dr. Maurice R. Keyworth, [Hamtramck] Superintendent of Schools in 1923. Work on the stadium began in May, 1935. FDR was there for the opening ceremony on October 15, 1936, because it was the first WPA project completed in the Detroit area.

The stadium is located on Roosevelt Street in Hamtramck and is currently used (I think) for local schools’ football and soccer games.

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Pros

Capacity is listed at 7000, double that of Cass. This would obviously provide room for attendance growth, and it’s of a “not TOO big” size where we could reasonably envision filling it one day in the not-too-distant future.

Field Size Going by Google Earth, the current soccer lines on the field measure 120 x 65 yards. This would be an improvement over Cass Tech’s narrow field (roughly 110 x 55), but would remain a bit short of the professional standard. For comparison: Anfield (110 x 74), Old Trafford (115 x 74), Camp Nou (116 x 77), Sporting Park (120 x 75).

Aesthetics There is no track around the field, which is a huge plus for the potential atmosphere. The stadium’s age, its concrete terraces, and its non-corporate name also give it a lot of character and a bit of old-timey mystique. Also, the “Dirty Old Town” factor is especially high – train tracks run along the south side of the stadium, and this is what sits across them:

I don’t know what they make, or more likely made there, but when I hear that gas works wall line, that’s about what I envision.

No TV Bar Self-explanatory.

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Cons

Location Here is where Keyworth sits relative to Cass Tech:

In my opinion, the location is far from ideal. Part of what makes DCFC special is its “heart of the city” vibe. Q.E.D.:

I should also point out that Keyworth is technically not in the city of Detroit. Playing in Hamtramck would not be nearly as bad as playing in Pontiac or Auburn Hills, but it would still be a minus in my book.

Cost & Ownership $1 million! for the field replacement alone. Add in probable upgrades to the locker rooms, bathrooms, and concessions (not to mention possible structural restoration), and the price tag gets even higher. It would likely be cheaper than building a new stadium from scratch, but at the end of day, after all that investment, the school district would still retain ownership.

Logistics The big issues are that the stadium is a bit of a drive from any major freeways, and that there doesn’t appear to be a lot of parking since it sits in a residential neighborhood. On the plus side, there do appear to be a few bars within reasonable marching distance – New Dodge Lounge, Painted Lady, and Motor City Sports Bar are all located on nearby Campau Avenue.

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Verdict

With DCFC on the verge of outgrowing Cass Tech, if they haven’t already, it’s great to see ownership being proactive in the search for a new venue. Taking all available information into consideration, I don’t think Keyworth Stadium is the right fit. The size is perfect, and the old-school look and feel are great, but I think the high cost, non-ownership, and less-than-ideal location outweigh the potential benefits.

My feeling is that since the improvements to Keyworth would cost well in excess of $1 million and the club would only be a tenant when all is said and done, it would be better to spend that money on a venue that could be available for purchase or on a site with the potential for new construction.

On the other hand, it may be the strategy of DCFC ownership to make an immediate investment to enable growth while keeping away from a long-term commitment. By renting Keyworth, they would avoid the burdens of paying for maintenance and upkeep, permanent security, and property taxes, among other costs. If all goes well and the crowds and revenue continue to grow over the next several seasons, they would then be free to explore the possibility of new stadium construction without having to offload their current one.

The potential move to Hamtramck is only in the preliminary stages, and a lot could happen in the next year or two that it would take to make the stadium ready for play. I’m sure other options have been and will be explored, and I’ll be following all the developments as they come.

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Attendance Numbers - Stats & Analysis

Number Crunchin’: 2014 Attendance

August 4, 2014March 20, 2016

by Andrew 0 Comments

One of the most popular pieces that I’ve posted on BIR is my compilation and analysis of Detroit City’s attendance numbers for its first two seasons. Now, with year three in the books, it’s time for an update.

Sources are as follows:

Detroit City FC attendance numbers are announced at games and posted to the club’s official Twitter account.

Numbers for other leagues and teams are gathered from Doherty Soccer and kenn.com.

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To recap:

And now for this year:

Notes:

Including friendly, regular season, and playoff games, Detroit City played 10 times at home in 2013 and 8 times in 2014. Despite this, total attendance rose by 7108 this year, a jump of 45%.
This year’s regular season average of 2857 nearly doubled last year’s average of 1484 (an increase of 92.5%).
2012’s single game record of 1743 was topped 4 times in 2013. 2013’s single game record of 2634 was topped 6 times in 2014, with a high of 3398.
This year’s lowest attendance, 2147, was still higher than every single friendly and regular season game in both 2012 and 2013.
Over the course of three years and 26 home games, City has drawn a total of 48884
fans.

Would you like a graph showing game-by-game attendance over a three-year period? Of course you would.

How do we measure up?

If Detroit City FC competed in the following leagues, their 2014 regular season average attendance of 2857 would put them:

2^nd (out of 65) in the PDL

6^th (out of 15) in USL Pro

10^th (out of 11) in NASL, going by the spring season numbers.

What does it all mean?

Based solely on attendance, Detroit City is operating at a third division level while playing in the fourth. If you took the club and plopped it down into USL Pro without making any other changes, it would immediately outdraw more than half the teams in the league.

Before this season started, I made what I thought were some reasonable predictions: an average attendance of 1750, and at least one crowd of over 3000. These turned out to be far too conservative as the increases from 2013 to 2014 easily outpaced the growth from 2012 to 2013.

The good news is that the club’s popularity is growing exponentially; the bad news is that we’ve effectively outgrown Cass Tech.

At this year’s final regular season game, 400 people were reportedly turned away since the stadium was at capacity. At $10 per ticket, that’s $4000 lost due to lack of seating. If DCFC remains at Cass in 2015, using simple extrapolation, the club would stand to lose nearly $30,000, if not more. Luckily, I’m not the only one who’s aware of this problem.

If Cass can somehow be temporarily expanded, or if a larger appropriate venue can be found, I have little doubt that next year’s attendance could creep up into the 3500-4000 range. I won’t make any predictions just yet since the stadium situation is in flux, but it’s clear that support for the club is only accelerating and we haven’t even come close to touching our ceiling.

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Stats & Analysis - Story of the Club

Magic and Dreams

July 15, 2014March 20, 2016

by Andrew 0 Comments

Friday, July 11th, 2014 – Detroit City FC 3, Fort Pitt 1

Sunday, July 13th, 2014 – Detroit City FC 2, Lansing 2

Magic and dreams are finished in football.

– Carlos Alberto Parreira

When Parreira uttered that sentence, he was lamenting what he saw as soccer’s shift away from beauty (o jogo bonito) to a more pragmatic, results-oriented style. While this may appear to be just another entry in the endless debate between Playing Well and Winning at Any Cost, I take it a bit differently. To me, it means: No matter what heights you have achieved in this game, it will always bring you back down to earth. It may take months, it may take years, but it will happen.

In this instance, the time period in which the comedown happened to our club was just a single weekend. After Sunday, I was all set to write a deep, dark, brooding piece, full of depression and despair, until I realized that’s not how I felt at all. Sure, it was disappointing to see the playoff berth and a chance for a title slip away, but the attitudes of the team and its supporters cancelled out any negative emotions I may have been feeling.

Coming on the back of Friday’s thrilling comeback against Fort Pitt, City again responded to one-goal deficits, not once but twice, while those singing for them kept it up well past the final whistle. When all was said and done, the only proper thing to feel was pride. Most American soccer clubs below MLS have very little staying power, and those that possess the combination of a competitive team and a strong supporter base are few and far between.

This campaign ended sooner than we would’ve liked, but we’ve hit the jackpot in every other respect. We have a core base of players that love what they’re a part of, evidenced by their returning year after year. Our fanbase has grown to the point where talk of moving to a new venue is no longer a pipe dream but a practical concern. And, perhaps most importantly, we have something that is genuinely exciting and has us constantly imagining what the future might bring. Magic and dreams are not finished in football. It’s one of the few places they truly exist.

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Random Thoughts

On Pitt:

The Game The first half was poor as City generated very little offense, attempting long ball after long ball that was easily dealt with by the Pitt centerbacks.

The second half was the best 45 minutes of soccer that City played all year. The passes were shorter, simpler, and much more effective, resulting in more possession and higher quality chances. The first and third goals were the products of high pressure and hustle, coldly punishing the keeper for his mistakes. The one in between was a piece of individual brilliance, bringing us to…

Standouts Each week I keep proclaiming a Goal of the Year favorite, from Zach Myers’ long blast at Cincinnati to Jeff Adkins’ perfect free kick, to WMB’s toe rocket. Those were all fine efforts but Shawn Lawson has them beat.

FF to 1:47, then rewind it and watch it several more times for full effect (Alashe and Van Slooten goals are at 1:11 and 2:10, respectively)

Alex Isaevski bounced back from his red card against the Stars and had a good game at left back. Nick Lewin did equally well on the right side, and his improvement in that position from the beginning of the season is noticeable – he looks much more comfortable and gets forward with more regularity.

Side Note: These are really nice highlights from several different angles, and I’m assuming they were clipped from a larger portion of footage. It would be super cool if those in possession of said footage posted it for everyone to see. We now have ten months to wait for the new season and I wouldn’t mind re-watching some games here or there. They would also provide ample material for supporter-made hype videos.

Attendance Going out with a bang; 3398 is the new high water mark, and is apparently Cass Tech’s maximum capacity:

The regular season average finishes at 2857, nearly doubling that of a year ago (1484) and completely obliterating my preseason prediction of 1750.

I’ll have more about this in a future post, but it looks as though finding a larger venue may be on the owners’ plates a year or two earlier than expected. If Cass remains the home field next season, they stand to lose a good chunk of cash due to having to turn people away. The demand has risen, now the supply must follow.

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On Lansing:

The Game was the season in a nutshell: City controlled possession and looked the better team for good portions of the game, but were killed by defensive lapses. Lansing’s first goal was far too easy – the cross was allowed to be sent in instead of being closed down, and Matt Brown, the only Lansing player in the box, slipped between Rogers and Lamb for the header. City responded by effectively moving down the flanks to create some good chances, but the finishing and final balls in the attacking third were lacking for most of the day. Lansing’s second goal came off of a well-executed counterattack and ended up being all they needed.

Standouts Zach Schewee and Alex Isaevski rampaged down the left side all day, beating defenders one-on-one and sending in some quality crosses and passes. If both return next year, the left back position will be one of the strongest on the team.

The Field Absolutely beautiful, great to see the team play when allowed the space of a full-sized pitch. If and when they move to/build a new stadium, seating capacity is obviously the first concern, but the playing surface should be right up there with it.

“Shut Up Rudland!”

Things that fall less often than Matt Brown Regimes in the Middle East, Facebook stock prices, Asimo.

Seriously, dude, you’re one of the best players in the Midwest, you don’t need to try and draw a foul every time someone touches you. Just play.

Lansing Time to take off the supporter hat for a minute to say this: Lansing is a great addition to the NPSL and the league needs more teams like them, i.e. clubs in moderate-sized cities where they are the main draw in town and have committed owners with strong business plans who run them professionally. Not every team will be on the level of DCFC or Chattanooga, but the league would do well with more Lansings and Buffalos and fewer Zanesvilles and Pensacolas.

That doesn’t mean we have to like them, though.

Up Next

The annual matchup with the hosers who have the queen on their money. Word on the street is that it won’t be as bizarre as the one last year.

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Stats & Analysis - Story of the Club

The Difference Between Us

July 8, 2014March 20, 2016

by Andrew 0 Comments

Friday, July 4th, 2014 – Detroit City FC 1, Michigan Stars 2

Sunday, July 6th, 2014 – Detroit City FC 2, Cincinnati 0

In discussions concerning sports, one of the biggest clichés is the concept of class. Fans like to toss the term about, using it to supposedly prove the integrity and moral superiority of their team while simultaneously exposing the degeneracy of their opponents. Usually it goes something like this (with poorer spelling and more cursing): “Our players are brave and hard-working, yours are a bunch of thugs. Our coach is an upstanding man of principle, yours is a dirty cheater. Our fans are passionate and well-behaved, yours are vulgar, violent lowlifes.” Most of the time, these are just expressions of frustration in the wake of a loss, but once in a while, they are legitimate gripes. Exhibit A, Exhibit B, Exhibit C.

Sports sometimes have the effect of bringing out the worst in people, but they also have the unique ability to bring out the best. In less than a 48-hour span this weekend, this contrast was on full display. I’m referring, of course, to the post-game antics on Friday and the tribute to a fallen referee two days later.

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Little needs to be said about the actions of the Stars’ staff. Their actions speak for themselves.

BrwhJ1eCEAALPk1.jpg large — Whatever you do, The Duke will capture it forever.

Taunting and banter between supporters, even between supporters and players, happens all the time – for better or worse, it’s just a part of the culture that exists. It’s a bit different, though, when employees of a club physically threaten supporters. I’m not going to sit here and act OUTRAGED! or OFFENDED!, but I will say this: When an owner of the opposing club has to try to get your employees to control themselves, it reveals what kind of organization you truly have. If, at some future date, Detroit City returns to your stadium, which just so happens to be within walking distance of my home, I will not be in attendance.

—–

I’ve written many times that one of the keys to Detroit City’s success is its connection to the community; since it has partnered with local businesses and charities from the very beginning, it feels much bigger and more significant that a mere stand-alone, minor-league operation. The play on the field and the atmosphere in the stands also contribute to this “big-time” feel, and the moving display in remembrance of John Bieniewicz was yet another high point, perhaps the highest of all.

The term class may be overused, but this is one instance in which it is perfectly applicable. I never met the man and, until a week ago, I had never heard of him either. Now I know his name and his story by heart.

The game we love has an ugly side to it, and it contributed to his untimely passing, but there is also a beautiful side, which made him known to many and ensured that he will never be forgotten.

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Random Thoughts

On the Stars:

The Game Despite playing with 10 men for roughly 75 minutes, City ended up with the greater share of shots and quality chances. There was at least one buildup in each half which looked certain to result in a goal, only to see a Stars defender block the shot as it headed for the goal. City’s heavy pressure in the second half resulted in a penalty, numerous corners, and a shot that hit the crossbar.

Credit must go to the Stars, who looked like a much better team than the one that opened the season with a 3-0 loss at Cass. Stefan St. Louis played well, getting a goal and assist and drawing the attention of multiple defenders several times, which opened up space for his teammates. The most obvious example of this was when he got around two City defenders and passed back across the box to Ade Adeniyi for the second goal of the game.

Officiating The red card to Alex Isaevski was obviously the big talking point in this one. The play happened right in front of the section where NGS was standing, and my initial thought was, “Hopefully that will only be a yellow.” A straight red may have been harsh, considering Isaevski didn’t actually make contact with Ardit Dushkaj, but it was a silly challenge – sliding in late with both feet – that gave the referee the opportunity to make the call.

Isaevski’s challenge looked like the result of over-enthusiasm rather than any ill-intent. At just 19, he’s recently broken into the first team and seems like a promising young player. He’ll surely learn from that moment moving forward.

The referee and his linesman didn’t do themselves any favors from that point on, showing inconsistency in foul calls and blowing several offside decisions. On the whole, the officiating this season has been brutal. The relatively uneventful games are the exception to the rule and I can’t remember it being so consistently bad from game to game in 2012 or 2013. I keep telling myself that these are isolated incidents, but here we are with the regular season winding down and it hasn’t gotten any better from the debacle in the Open Cup.

I have no idea what the solution is, I just wish that with all the money and effort US Soccer is putting into the improvement of youth player development in this country, they could spend a little on the training and support of officials as well.

Standouts It wasn’t any individual that really stood out, but the team as a whole. They were shaken up when they went down to 10 men, allowing two goals just a few minutes apart, but they settled down, battled for the entire game and probably deserved a point for their efforts. Just wasn’t their day.

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On Cincy:

The Game A workmanlike performance. The attack looked dangerous despite only scoring twice, and the defense only allowed two or three good chances all game. At this point it’s just about…points, specifically earning them and getting into the playoffs, and after dropping the game on Friday, beating the worst team in the conference at home was an absolute must.

Standouts Jeff Adkins picked up right where he left off, scoring the opening goal and using his speed to create problems for the defense all day. Will Mellors-Blair had a goal and an assist, the former a rocket struck with his right toe as the ball was coming across his body from the left. Great technique and a GOTY nominee.

At one point City had Adkins, WMB, and Shawn Lawson all on the field – pure speed. It will be interesting to see if it was just a coincidence or if Pirmann will deploy that combination again in certain situations.

Speaking of Pirmann

10390279_10152121897245826_3418575584112424739_n — Michael Kitchen

Webster’s defines bravery as Wearing a blue shirt on a hot summer day.

Okay, it doesn’t, but it should. No sweatstains here.

Danny Dragoi (#14 with the bald head) was captain of the Michigan Stars earlier this season. He left the team after coach Sam Piraine was fired. Chomakov…Dragoi… You guys should hide your current captain. Somewhere safe, somewhere no one would think to look, somewhere no one goes. Got it! You could hide him in your stands. Nobody will ever notice.

Attendance Last year, 2612 would’ve been a great accomplishment, and it shows how far we’ve come that that number feels like a bit of a letdown. The season average drops a tad down to 2767. Come out on Friday and help us to further embarrass all the teams from higher divisions that we are more popular than.

ICYMI

More coverage of the tribute from MLive.

Rust Belt Derby will be decided on Wednesday. City will retain the trophy if they can avoid a large defeat (apparently by 5+ goals), but how bout we just win the game anyway?

Conference Races Current Standings

Great Lakes West: City’s loss to the Stars means they will have to work a little harder to earn a trip to the playoffs. The current standings (as of 7/8) look like this: Lansing (24 pts., 12 GP), Detroit (23 pts., 11 GP), Indiana (21 pts., 12 GP). City must play 3 games in 5 days, while Lansing and Indy play Fri/Sun. sets. Lansing hosts Indy and Detroit – the final game of the season may be for the conference title.

Great Lakes East: Buffalo is mathematically out and Erie still has a shot but it’s basically down to Fort Pitt (20 pts., 12 GP) and Cleveland (18 pts., 12 GP). They play each other on Wednesday, and Cleveland must get at least a point to stay alive.

Central: Quad City fell to the Minnesota United Reserves over the weekend, narrowing the gap between them to just 3 points. QC only needs a point against lowly Eau Claire to clinch first place.

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Stats & Analysis

2014 Midseason Report

June 23, 2014March 20, 2016

by Andrew 0 Comments

In the past week, Detroit City FC turned in its best and worst performances of the season, a 5-1 win over Cleveland, and a 2-0 defeat to Indiana, both on the road. The most important game of the year to this point will come on Sunday the 29^th when Indiana makes the return trip to Cass Tech. With the second half of the season just underway, now is the time to make a midterm assessment of the team and a look ahead to the final stretch.

2014 Midseason Grades

Forward/Striker: B+

The team as a whole hasn’t scored as many goals as it had at this time last season (17 through the first 8 games vs. 25 in 2013), but the strikers have been fairly productive. Zach Myers and Will Mellors-Blair have 4 goals apiece and Shawn Lawson has looked dangerous since his return a couple of weeks ago. Wade Allan’s playing time has suffered as a result of WMB’s emergence, but he’s still made contributions, chipping in with 2 assists.

The critique is that the attack has been inconsistent at times, most noticeably when both Myers and Mellors-Blair have been unavailable. And, with the defense showing some vulnerability, there is now more pressure on the strikers to increase their production.

Wide Midfield/Wing: A

Cyrus Saydee is playing the best soccer of his life, starting all 8 games and leading the team with 4 assists. Tyler Arnone has been excellent from day one, and Jeff Adkins has been a key piece to the attack. With how well he’s played, it’s mindboggling how he hasn’t registered a goal or assist. Miche’le Lipari has only made two appearances, but is always a good option when available.

Much of City’s offense is generated by the wide players, whether from crosses or beating defenders to get into the box. This group has been the team’s best and needs to continue its excellent play going forward.

Center Midfield: B+

The center midfielders have not stood out as much as their counterparts on the wings, but have been strong all the same. Dave Edwardson has grown into probably the best of the bunch, and Latif Alashe and Spencer Thompson have shown their usual defensive bite. Kevin Taylor’s absence has kept this position from being as deep and dominant as it was in 2013, but Zach Vasold and Locky Savage have proved to be solid options coming off the bench.

Controlling possession in each game should be a goal moving forward. If a little more of the offense can run through the middle, it will balance City’s attack and put more pressure on opposing defenses.

Fullback: B

Injuries and absences have hurt the fullbacks more than any other position. Ryan Thelen looked like a potential starter at left back before he went down in the Open Cup, Zeke Harris has not played this season due to other commitments, and now Colin McAtee’s departure has left a gaping hole at right back. Nick Lewin, who has played at every spot on the back line this year, is the likely replacement, with Zach Schewee now re-entrenched on the left.

The upside to this situation is that it should stop the shuffling of players in these positions from game-to-game, but the downside is that depth is almost nonexistent. In the event of an injury or rotation of Lewin and/or Schewee, the replacement would likely mean someone playing out of position.

Centerback: B

After three shutouts to start the season, City has gone five games without one, allowing 9 goals over the span. It would be foolish and incorrect to assign blame to one player or position, but it’s clear that the back line has been in flux for most of the season. Josh Rogers has looked his usual self, and it’s essential that someone steps up to seize the spot next to him. Seb Harris and Michael Lamb haven’t been poor, but neither have looked dominant either. The emergence of either of them would go a long way to solving some of the current defensive issues.

With fullback sorting itself out through attrition, centerback is clearly the most important position to address over the next several weeks. If City is going to get to the playoffs and make a deep run, team defending as a whole must improve. This starts with the center of the defense.

Goalkeeper: A-

Aside from one dodgy moment which allowed Erie to equalize and earn a draw, Bret Mollon has been every bit as good as he was in his first season. Eliott Tarney has emerged as the #2, starting both games against Indiana, as well as the weather-shortened one at Buffalo. City allowed 2 goals in each of his starts against the Fire, but since I was not one of the few dozen people who witnessed these games, I can’t say which goals (if any) were on him. I will reserve judgment until I see him play a few games with my own eyes.

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Midseason MVP – Cyrus Saydee (LW): Thoroughly discussed in this post and the previous one – he’s the team’s best player, the most consistent, and hasn’t missed a game.

Unsung Hero – Colin McAtee (RB): It’s too bad he’s headed back home to California because he was playing well enough to have effectively locked down the starting spot at right back. Losing him hurts, and it will hurt worse if a suitable replacement cannot be found.

Breakout Player – Will Mellors-Blair (ST): My preseason pick of Tyler Arnone for breakout player has looked like a good one, but WMB edges him out for this spot. Where Arnone is the reigning Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, Mellors-Blair has come out of nowhere and established himself as one of City’s top two strikers (Zach Myers obviously the other).

—–

Midwest Division Roundup

Link to Current Standings

Great Lakes West

As I write, Indiana and Lansing have just drawn 1-1, so the current standings look like this:

1. Indiana Fire – 18 pts., 10 games played

2. Detroit City FC – 17 pts., 8 games played

3. Lansing United – 15 pts., 9 games played

Indiana has been much better than expected, probably due to their affiliation with the Chicago Fire which came just a week prior to the start of the season, and Lansing has overcome some early struggles to put itself into contention. I’ll go ahead and make this prediction: whichever of the top three teams finishes second in the conference will earn an invite to the Midwest Division Playoffs (the three conference winners get automatic spots, the last goes to the second place team with the highest average points per game).

City controls its destiny, and a win on Sunday would be a huge step forward in the conference race. The remaining schedule looks like this:

July 4^th – @ Michigan Stars

July 6^th – Cincinnati

July 9^th – @ FC Buffalo

July 11^th – Fort Pitt

July 13^th – @ Lansing United

The only long road trip is to Buffalo, a game that will likely decide the 2014 Rust Belt Derby.
While technically on the road, July 4^th will be a de facto home game – this, along with the two actual home games are must wins against weaker opponents.
It would be highly desirable to have the conference wrapped up before the finale at Lansing, a quickly improving side that is also in the hunt for the title.

Great Lakes East

Although half of the season is gone, this conference is too close to call. Buffalo appears to be the top team, with Cleveland close behind. Erie and Fort Pitt trail, but neither is out of contention yet.

Central

Elsewhere, Quad City looks like the class of the Central Conference; they are 1 point ahead of Madison with two games in hand.

Eau Claire Aris gets the nod for worst team in the Midwest, scoring 4 and conceding 28 in their five games, all losses.

Overview

While we’re all still reeling a bit from City’s first regular-season loss in nearly two calendar years, the team is still just a point back with two games in hand, and there is plenty of time for issues to be addressed and for form to improve. A home win over Indiana would put City firmly in the driver’s seat for the conference’s automatic playoff spot, and the remainder of the schedule is manageable. This is a good team, and over the course of the next month or so, we’re going to find out exactly how good they really are.

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