Story of the Club

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.

—–

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

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.

—–

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.

—–

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

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.

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.

—–

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?]

—

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)

–

–

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