Story of the Club

Tuesday, June 27^th, 2017 – Detroit City FC 2 FC Indiana 0
Friday, June 29^th, 2017 – Detroit City FC 3 Michigan Stars 1

The most compelling stories are those in which the characters grow and develop, ending up as different people than when you first encountered them. In years past, Detroit City’s play was fairly constant from the beginning of the season to the end. For example, in 2013 they started off hot and stayed that way until an abrupt playoff exit, and in 2016 they were never really able to shake off a sluggish start, finishing with a 1-1-2 record in the month of July.

That 2016 season began with six matches over the course of twelve days, two of them 120 minute + penalty affairs in the U.S. Open Cup. By winning just one of their four league matches in that stretch, City wound up in a hole from which they were unable to dig themselves out.

Fast-forwarding to the present, four matches in eight days is a similarly brutal gauntlet, no matter who the competition is. In anaylzing this part of the schedule at the beginning of the season, 8 or 9 points seemed like a good outcome, but taking all 12 is a fantastic result. Ben Pirmann’s roster management and rotation was flawless, especially taking into account the injuries and departures of key players such as Louis Dargent, Aaron Franco, and Spencer Glass.

2017 has been a tumultuous season, but clearly one of improvement. Early on City looked confused and unsure of themselves and at the end of May they were looking up at nearly everyone:

Beginning with the Glentoran friendly, though, the team seemed to come together and good things started happening. They now look hungry, determined, and unflappable. Goals conceded are no longer confidence-shattering disasters but opportunities to re-focus and respond with renewed intensity. The emergence of the lethal Lawson/Rice/Mondi/Saydee attack may get the most attention, but it’s the scrappy ball-winning in midfield and the dogged defense that have really turned the season around. By fighting and clawing their way to an undefeated June, City has pulled itself from 13 points back from 1^st place to just 2.

Dynamic characters can be memorable, but they don’t become truly legendary in a vacuum; they must first overcome an antagonist. And who better to play that role than the only club to have beaten City this year, AFC Ann Arbor? Friday will be the biggest league match since Lansing came to Cass in 2015, hopefully with a similar result. Fittingly, a home-and-home with United looms to complete the arc.

We often criticize the NPSL schedule makers for weird start times or cramming too many fixtures into too small a window (Exhibit A: This past week), but here they’ve done a great job. Wittingly or not, the final two weeks will be laden with drama. A thrilling season now reaches its climax.

Continue reading “Storytelling 101”

Friday, June 23^rd, 2017 – Detroit City FC FC 2 Kalamazoo FC 1
Sunday, June 25rd, 2017 – Milwaukee Torrent 1 Detroit City FC 2

As I write this I’m still recovering from Sunday-Monday’s 21 hour round-trip to Milwaukee. Being awake for one full day doesn’t just happen naturally – it’s something you have to make a conscious effort to do. And then, trying to explain it to someone who’s not in-the-know can be almost just as draining. I’ve written this post as a handy reference that I, or anyone else, can use the next time such an explanation is required.

Let’s start off with the basic question one would ask: “Why would you spend an entire day (or more) and travel hundreds of miles to watch an amateur soccer team?”

Reason #1: Chasing Moments

I’ve talked about this in some past posts, but the Cliffs Notes* version is that we go because we crave seeing moments of greatness live and in person. It’s one thing to watch it happen on a stream or as a video highlight, but seeing the buildup, payoff, and aftermath with your own eyes is far superior.

Reason #2: The Overall Experience

Aside from the actual soccer, the experience of traveling to new places while making friends and memories along the way is a reward in and of itself. I can’t help but shake my head when I see people who refuse to give DCFC a chance because it’s “beneath them” and who will only be satisfied by an MLS club. They’re sitting around waiting for something that may never even happen and missing out on potential lifelong relationships and memories in the process. For me personally, one of the worst feelings is that life is passing me by and I’m stuck on the proverbial hamster wheel. This happens more often than I’d like, but I know a sure way to get out of the rut is to break up the usual routine with a road trip. A little sleep deprivation is a small price to pay. It also means a great deal to the ones actualy playing on the field:

Reason #3: Sheer Ridiculousness and Laughable Absurdity

Home matches and in-state road trips have their share of weird, crazy moments, but nothing compares to what happens when state lines are crossed. From DCFC owners tossing beers over the fence to supporters at Cleveland (2012), to the high school-aged official/firetrucks/angry mom (Minn. Utd./Cincinnati/Fort Pitt – 2015), to being threatened with arrest by a toothless man – Indiana, three weeks ago, hilarity is somehow amplified outside of Michigan. It’s these little dashes of spice that add to already memorable trips and make them go down into legend.

The bus ride to and from Milwaukee was its own continuous stream of nonsensical amusement, but if I had to pick one out from the match itself it would have to be this guy:

He just showed up to do his weekly sprint workout and had no idea what was going on at the stadium that day, or even that a soccer team played in his town.

Bigger leagues may be more prestigious, they may have world-class players, and their games may be on TV, but I don’t care. I’ll take 13 hours on a bus, 3 points, and confused workout dudes.

*I always thought it was “Cliff Notes”, not “Cliffs Notes.” Mandela Effect?

Continue reading “Dumb, Stupid, Awesome Fun”

Sunday, June 11^th, 2017 – Kalamazoo FC 0 Detroit City FC 1

On Sunday afternoon I played a rec-league soccer game in surface-of-Venus-esque heat. It went very poorly, both for me individually and my team collectively. After the final whistle, coated in a wonderful mixture of sweat, sunscreen, and dirt, I immediately hopped in my car and drove to Kalamazoo, making it there just prior to kickoff.

I don’t tell you this to show off my purity and virtue as a supporter (okay, maybe just a teeny bit), but to paint a picture of my peculiar mental state. I’m slightly obsessed with soccer, and though I wish I could say it’s a completely healthy obsession, the fact that I risked potential dehydration, heat illness, and wicked sunburn says otherwise.

So why did I do it? Why do any of us go to such lengths for this club? Is it because soccer fans are freakin’ nuts? Partially. Is it because City supporters have become sort of an extended family centered around something that gives us pride in our community? That’s a big reason, but I think there’s another – something more fundamental that we’re not fully aware of until we stop to consider it.

In a piece earlier this year, Sean Spence wrote the following, a message from supporters to players:

At a base, subconscious level, I believe we follow City home and away to bear witness to the moments that result in immortalization – the things we talk about years after the fact, those little details that become pieces of lore. We’re junkies for the extraordinary and the absurd.

While the win over Kalamazoo didn’t produce a Firetruck or Lansing-breaking moment, it provided further evidence of a team that is coming together and looking ever more dangerous. Scoring a highlight-reel goal or faking out a local municipal service are both legitimate ways to be remembered, but so is working your tail off for the full match in rec-player-wilting conditions – the proverbial 90’ in 90°.

String a few more of those together and your name just may go down in history.

Continue reading “To Live Forever”

Friday, June 2^nd, 2017 – Detroit City FC 3 Grand Rapids FC 1
Sunday, June 4^th, 2017 – FC Indiana 1 Detroit City FC 3

Just two weeks ago, Detroit City was reeling after a humbling 2-0 loss to Ann Arbor. The 0-2-1 (W-D-L) start obviously wasn’t fun, but what made it even worse was that the performances simply felt like a continuation of last season’s lackluster play – one disappointing season bleeding over into another. While there appeared to be plenty of talent on the roster, it took until this past weekend for it to finally start shining through. There’s been noticeable improvement in several areas, but what’s stood out most is the revamped midfield. Three players in particular have caught my eye, all of whom have just recently made their debuts.

Tyrone Mondi

In this year’s season preview I wrote the following about Mondi:

Early returns point toward helicopter – an attack helicopter with twin .50-cals and laser-guided rockets. Aside from his deceptive speed and skill on the ball, what’s most impressive is how in sync with his teammates he looks after after such a short time. He recorded an assist in each of his first two starts this weekend and combined well with Cyrus Saydee and Spencer Glass in the final third to consistently create chances. In spite of his newness to the team and the number of other quality players at the winger position he looks to have carved out a starting role for himself. He should remain there as City moves into the middle part of league play.

Louis Dargent

When Louis Dargent was added to the roster just before the season, I incorrectly assumed he’d be a depth player – someone to fill in as needed and see time as a defensive specialist due to his height and heading ability. I was clearly wrong in this regard* and I’m perfectly happy to admit it.

He’s turned out to be a revelation at center midfield. In addition to his aforementioned aerial ability, he’s surprisingly technical and good with the ball at his feet for someone his size (6’4”). Not only is he defensively sound and good at winning the ball, he’s shown that he’s also an asset going forward:

Like Mondi, Dargent has cemented his place as a key player and automatic starter. I don’t know what the story is with Coastal Carolina, but in supplying City with both Dargent and Kervin Kenton, it’s proven itself as a gold mine for under-the-radar talent.

*In my defense there’s next to nothing about him on the Internet, other than his college bio and a Top Drawer Soccer page.

Aaron Franco

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a City player become a team leader in such a short time as Aaron Franco. Case in point, when Dave Edwardson was subbed out on Sunday against Indiana, it was none other than Franco who received the captain’s armband. That’s quite an accomplishment for someone who was playing in just his second league match with the club and third overall.

He may not stand out as much as the playmaker Mondi or the towering redhead Dargent, but what Franco does is just as important to the team’s success. By sitting in the spot between the centerbacks and the rest of the midfield, he’s able to gather the ball and distribute it forward, greatly aiding City’s ability to play out of the back. It was subtle but noticeable that the team was less reliant on long balls this weekend, and a lot of that had to do with his style of play.

Oh, and by the way, Cyrus Saydee, Bakie Goodman, Jeff Adkins, and Dave Edwardson (among others) are still here too. This has the makings of the best midfield in club history, and whatever success City experiences this summer will be due in no small way to this group.

Continue reading “The Middle Way”