Stats & Analysis

Friday, June 6th, 2014 – Detroit City FC 2, Erie 2

Sunday, June 8th, 2014 – Detroit City FC vs. FC Buffalo (PPD)

It’s human nature to take things for granted, especially those that happen again and again without fail – sunrises, celebrity divorces, Detroit City home wins.

Late in the second half of Friday’s game, it appeared that City was going to overcome a slow start and do what they always do at Cass. Instead, the perennial nuisance that is the Erie Admirals Soccer Club took advantage of a bad midfield giveaway and a scrambling defense to pull even just a minute before stoppage time. The end result for them was a precious road draw, the first time that City had dropped points at home since the last game of 2012, which came against… Erie.

Despite what was their flattest performance of the season, City probably did enough to deserve a win. The goal by Shaun Lawson came off of a well-worked attack, the penalty was completely justified, and Erie generated very little from the run of play. Still, deserving and earning are two very different things and credit must go to Erie for capitalizing on their opportunities. Their first goal, scored by Andre Landell, was an excellent strike – a blast into the top corner which Bret Mollon had no chance of stopping.

The result was disappointing but far from disastrous. There is no shame in drawing with a solid team that has had your number over the years – even if the way it happened was a little deflating.

Adding in Sunday’s game at Buffalo, which was postponed due to weather and will be rescheduled, we’re left with a pretty “meh” weekend. No big wins, no shocking losses, just a point and a delay. About mid-way through the season, it’s still unclear how good this City team really is. They’re tied for first in the conference and have games in hand, but the defense has shown some cracks (1 goal allowed per-game vs. 0.67 in 2013) and the attack has been inconsistent at times (1.8 goals scored per-game vs. 2.9).

I’m probably guilty of nitpicking since there is still a lot of soccer to be played and City is in a favorable position, but there is definitely work to be done. On the positive side, the second half of the season is going to be thrilling. The conference has three competitive teams battling for one playoff spot, and the other two are showing signs of improvement. From here on out, every game will be critical, every goal will feel either like a shot of adrenaline or a kick to the chest. While this weekend was a bit of a letdown, the next five will surely make up for it.

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Random Thoughts

The Game: Erie With Myers and Mellors-Blair out, the offense predictably struggled. Still, scoring two goals should be good enough for the win on most days. Erie’s goals were not a result of them breaking down the defense, but rather taking advantage of City losing possession between defense and midfield.

Overall, the play looked a bit disjointed, probably aided by the number of fouls by both teams, some of which were actually called!

I don’t know what the answer is for the officiating issues. It seems like there are similar complaints in every league, from MLS to the Premiership. I guess we’re just going to have do deal with what we’ve got.

Standouts

I’m just going to come out and say it: Cyrus Saydee is the best player on this team. In addition to being the most technically-skilled, he looks stronger and more consistent than he did in 2012 and ‘13. Game in and game out, he controls the ball, makes good passes, and draws fouls from frustrated defenders. At just 22, he still has room to develop, and though they might be scared off by his size (5’6”), a USL Pro or NASL team would be foolish not to give a serious thought to signing him. I’m not a coach, but with both of our top two strikers out, I would love to see how he would perform in a center-attacking midfield role behind a single striker in a 4-4-1-1. Put two of Adkins/Arnone/Lipari on the wings, with Edwardson and Thompson/Alashe behind him and see what happens.

Elsewhere, Shaun Lawson got his first goal of the season – he will be a valuable player in the immediate future, and his speed will be a nice asset coming off the bench when Myers and WMB are back.

Josh Rogers Penalty Master

Via The D Zone

Attendance There have been four home games this year, and an attendance record has been set each time. 3234 is the new high number, raising the season average to 2783, which would be good for 7^th (out of 14) in USL Pro. We can probably catch up to Pittsburgh’s 2880, but Charleston’s 3921 is out of reach due to Cass Tech’s capacity.

2783 would also top the NASL’s Ottawa Fury, whose current per-game average is 2684.

PirmannWear™ If you’ve never seen a man in pink pants shouting angrily at a referee, you haven’t truly lived. I was frustrated that I couldn’t find a picture of that moment, so this one will have to do:

Danny Mudd is a very old man. Due to his advanced age, he takes a very long time to do things and is never in a hurry.

His second-half yellow card for time wasting was well overdue.

Midwest Conference Update With Indiana and Lansing both losing on Sunday (to Michigan Stars and Cincinnati respectively), they remain tied with City for the conference lead with 14 points apiece. Detroit currently has the advantage, though, with a game in hand on Indiana, and two in hand on Lansing.

Link to Standings

PSA So you’ve just found out about Detroit City FC and want to check out some games – great! You want to sit in the middle of the supporters’ section because it’s loud and crazy and fun – even better! What’s that you say? You don’t know the chants and songs? That’s fine, just ask someone around you, listen and learn, and check out the sheets and videos with the words.

Wait, you don’t want to learn them? Making noise isn’t really your thing? You just want to talk with your friends and take selfies? Well perhaps I can interest you in a seat over here whe-

Oh.

Seriously, though, you don’t have be Sergeant Scary, but at least put forth a little effort.

Buy Or Borrow A Scarf, Learn The Songs, Sing Them Loudly.

Other Articles

Press Row Sports Recap

The Roost: Rouge rising: Detroit City FC sets standard for FC Buffalo

Friday, May 23rd, 2014 – Detroit City FC 1, Lansing United 0

Sports teams love to tout “sellouts,” even though the number of tickets sold often far exceeds the number of people who actually bother to show up.

The fanfare is justified, though, when your team has been building to that point for years, coming close but never quite getting there. Detroit City’s first sellout was difficult to achieve, but hopefully, like riding a bike or going Super Saiyan (ask a nerd), it will be easy to repeat now that we know how it’s done.

As for the game itself, the words chippy, hard-fought… okay, and ugly, come to mind. A shuffled lineup and tough Lansing midfield prevented City from having the same flow and attacking sharpness they did against the Stars, and the second half was filled with late tackles from both sides – a few of which looked fairly dangerous. The 90 minutes* did provide us with one special moment, though:

In many instances, kissing the crest is a sure sign that a player is about to leave the club, but I don’t think we need to worry about that in this case. Josh Rogers is one of City’s original three players, and he’s seen its crowds grow from barely a thousand to over three times that number. Amidst all the talk of bringing a USL Pro team to Detroit, the fact of the matter is that City is already on that level when it comes to support and attendance. As of this moment, their 2633 per-game average would place them 8^th out of 14 in that league, just behind Richmond (2641/game).

It remains to be seen if these kinds of numbers will continue, but judging from recent history, it looks like a good bet. If the average creeps closer and closer to the 3000 mark, it will be time to have a serious discussion as to whether it’s more sensible to continue filling a rented house, or if it’s time to explore building one of our own.

*[Plus a good 5 or 6 minutes of stoppage time at the end of each half. Do NPSL refs get paid by the hour?]

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Random Thoughts

The Penalty Was it soft? Probably – I was surprised when it was given, but it was far from the worst I’ve ever seen. Some Lansing supporters have singled it out but let’s be clear – it happened in the 10^th minute. Your team didn’t lose because of a bad penalty call, your team lost because it didn’t respond over the course of the ensuing 80 minutes (plus at least 10 total minutes of stoppage time).

Standouts Zach Myers didn’t score but did very well otherwise. There were two or three instances where he kept the ball away from a handful of Lansing players, dribbling around each of them before passing or being hacked. This is where video footage would come in handy if it existed. Nick Lewin has now played all three positions on defense over the course of the first three games, starting this one at RB and doing pretty well. Zach Schewee got his first start of the year at LB and looked solid as usual.

The Lineup A bit of a shakeup – Edwardson at CB, Vasold (and his fantastic beard) getting the start next to Alashe in center-midfield, Shawn Lawson returning and starting up top. Always good to get a win, and even better to develop depth at the same time.

On a sidenote, we haven’t seen Zeke Harris (or Locky Savage) since the Open Cup game. I think one reason City’s offense has struggled at times this season is that with the constant shuffling of fullbacks from game-to-game, the team hasn’t been able to consistently overwhelm their opponents on the flanks the way they did last year. Something to keep an eye on.

Officiating Was probably not as bad as it seemed in the heat of the moment, but the calls were pretty inconsistent. Some fouls were given for what looked like routine tackles, and in the second half when both teams were diving in late with both feet, several weren’t called at all.

The red card was the correct call. Some have suggested that McAtee went down easily – I disagree – but it’s irrelevant because he was popped in the face. Punch to face = red card, period.

The Chant In convenient video format (c/o The Indispensible Multimedia Guru of DCFC, Michael Kitchen)

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Things that are less floppy than Matt Brown (Lansing #9) Elephant ears, clown shoes, computer disks from 1985.

Levántese, señor

PirmannWear™, Week 3

 

Sons of Ransom +1 for showing up to support your team, unlike a certain group from a certain city in a certain state to the south. -1 for throwing the smokebomb onto the field, regardless of how it came to be in your possession.

TV Bar is the worst. Blaring music made it hard for chants and songs to get going, and even made the halftime show tough to hear. And, allegedly, someone on the patio threw a rock into the supporters’ section, hitting a girl in the face.

Possible solutions:

• Knock on the door and ask them to turn their music down.
• “Accidentally” get them placed on the city’s blight removal demolition list.
• Have Dan Duggan purchase the property, thereby ensuring that nobody will show up.

Who the hell opens a bar next to a high school, anyway?

Video Recap

Up Next Away to Cincy on Friday at 7:30 – The game will be streamed live HERE

Friday, May 16^th, 2014 – Detroit City FC 3, Michigan Stars 0

The signs are everywhere: longer lines and waits at the gate, increased TV, radio, and newspaper coverage, even street musicians who typically make their living downtown have made their way to Cass. The secret is out and Detroit City no longer plays in a bubble, isolated from the mainstream sports consciousness. All that remains for the club to have truly “made it” is a snarky article from Drew Sharp criticizing Ben Pirmann’s personnel decisions or questioning the ownership’s commitment to winning a championship.

After Zach Myers’ second goal capped a flurry of scoring, it had become clear that the Michigan/Dearborn/actually Dearborn Heights Stars were no more than an FC Sparta reboot with a fresh coat of paint. The vast differences between the two clubs remain, and this “Sparta 2.0” provides nearly as stark a contrast with DCFC as its predecessor. One club builds on its successes from year-to-year, one club has a carefully crafted image and style, one club is run as a professional enterprise.

The key to City’s success is that it was treated as a first-class, big-league operation from day one. It may have seemed a little overly-ambitious at first, but so do all worthwhile ventures. Two years on, that attitude has remained constant, resulting in growth that only seems to be accelerating.

Late in the second half, with the game in hand, a spontaneous chant broke out, the main stand shouting “DC,” the supporters’ section responding with “FC.” Moments like these are what make lifelong supporters. Just a couple minutes of pure electricity on a Friday night can do more good for a club than thousands of dollars of advertising and marketing or a lifetime of free ticket giveaways to local youth teams.

With The Chant and Kevin Taylor’s goal against Adria, the first two weeks of this season have already given us two of the most memorable moments in club history. Now, with increased awareness and a few more pairs of eyes watching, this team has the chance to make an even bigger name for itself. The flip side is that the players will be under more pressure to perform, but that’s the way life is under the bright lights.

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Random Thoughts

–The Game No in-depth tactical analysis needed here – City looked like a talented, experienced team playing at home and the Stars looked like a first-year team cobbled together with pieces from Dearborn Stars, FC Sparta, and a few others playing on the road. City’s attack was sharper than against Cincy and the defensive performance was even stronger – the Stars had one real chance, forcing a clearance off the line by Zach Schewee

–Standouts Zach Myers – AllHeDoesIsScore. Will Mellors-Blair bagged a goal and got an assist; just three games into his City career, he’s already become one of the team’s main attacking threats. Chaka Daley (UM HC) found himself a good one. The Myers-WMB pairing looks better with each game and is probably the most positive on-field development this season. We knew the defense and midfield would be good, and now it appears the attack is catching up.

Honorable mention to Josh Rogers, who shadowed [name redacted] all night and never let him get into the game.

–Attendance Another game, another record. 2641 is the new number to beat, topping the previous mark of 2634 (last year’s Great Lakes Semifinal vs. Cleveland). I was pleasantly surprised by this – the trend of the past two years tended to be: good crowd for the opener, a little bit lower numbers for the next couple games, then a steady increase peaking at the end of the season. At this rate, my preseason prediction of a 1750 per game average looks a little too conservative. Mr. Duggan better hurry up and get his USL Pro team in place because we’re rapidly capturing his potential customers.

–This Week in PirmannWear ™

–The Cross-Field Chant Amazing. Let’s make this a regular thing.

–Terry Foster attended the game, and you can read his articles here and here. Good introductions to the team and supporters. Money quote from The Man in Black:

“This is all about us working together and I would rather keep it this way,” he said. “If an MLS team comes we will probably lose a couple of people but I am not going. You have to remain dedicated to the club. You fall in love with the team. You don’t fall in love with the league. I take a bullet for this team. I take a bullet for these people. I text the owner. I text players. You can’t get that with the pros. I feel that soccer people are more passionate because they have a connection with the club. Why would I give that up?”

–Video Recap

Saturday, May 10^th, 2014 – Detroit City FC 1, Cincinnati 0

Detroit City’s third season-opener lacked the high-drama of their mid-week US Open Cup debut – there were no red cards, no second-half comeback, no penalty shootout, but there was something else. It was more of a feeling than anything, a sense of familiarity not unlike being home. Those ten long months of waiting suddenly felt like only a couple and, for me at least, that “new club” feel that DCFC once had was gone. That’s not a bad thing at all, but rather, a sign that the club has taken root and now has some history behind it.

City dominated the first half but left the door open by only putting away one of their several chances. Cincinnati had more possession after half time but couldn’t find a way through – each of their three or four direct free kicks went right into the walls set up by Mollon.

I recognized the players, except for a few new faces, I knew all the songs and chants, I knew where to go and what to do and when to do it. It didn’t feel like a novelty or just a cheap way to have fun on a summer afternoon anymore, it felt like a place where you belong.

When people talk about ‘the good old days,’ they’re usually referring to something that has come and gone. We’re lucky because instead of the past, our good old days are taking place as we speak. That’s not to say it’s all downhill from here – certainly not – but beginnings only happen… at the beginning. This thing we have is special, it’s exciting, and it’s ours.

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Random Thoughts

–The Game As mentioned, City completely controlled the first half but weren’t able to put the game out of reach. Luckily, the back four which featured two players making their debuts (Seb Harris at CB and Colin McAtee at RB), and Nick Lewin playing on the left (instead of his usual CB spot) only allowed Cincy to get one or two real chances. And did I mention Cincy’s free kicks were brutal? The ones at the edge of the City penalty area never passed the wall, and the long indirect ones were all caught comfortably by Bret Mollon with no attackers near him.

–Standouts Dave Edwardson got the start at one of the center-mid spots and did very well, breaking up potential Cincy breaks and making some good passes in the final third. He is arguably the best offensive-minded CM on the team and pairs well with any of the more defensive CM’s (Alashe, Taylor, Thompson).

As mentioned in the paragraph above that begins, “As mentioned,” Harris and McAtee hit the ground running. Zach Myers: all he does is score. AHDIS?

On an unrelated note, a few of the guys who played on Wednesday looked a little tired, which is understandable. It will be nice to see what they can do with a full six days between games.

–New Players Colin Helmrich (Mid), Eliot Tarney (GK)

-Best Dressed Coach in the NPSL Is there anyone to challenge Ben Pirmann in this regard? Cardigan for the Open Cup, this for the opener:

No sweatsuits or baseball caps for this man.

–Tifo A strong tifo game is an underrated way to gain recognition for your club and supporters.

Brilliant work by those who dreamed it up, put it together, and deployed it.

–Gameday Experience The attendance of 2147 is a new club record for a regular season game, beating last year’s game against Buffalo (1895). 2147 is also more than double the attendance of the 2012 opener (1072).

The ban on f*ck didn’t seem to have much effect, though the “F*ck Ohio” chant didn’t gain much traction. On the other hand, more and more people keep showing up to games, so it doesn’t seem to be driving many away. It’s still early, so we’ll see where it goes.

Nitpick of the Year: Can we get someone from CT to take down the green pads behind each goal? They hurt the stadium aesthetic and block primo standing/photo-taking areas.

–Cincy Players: Class The Cincinnati team applauded the supporters’ section after the final whistle. If they’re not careful we might actually have to start respecting them.

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