by Saturday, April 19th, 2014 – Detroit City FC 1, Saginaw Valley St. 0
Friendlies are typically geared towards evaluating individual players, but it’s always good to win games and continue building of a culture of success. Although the 2014 DCFC roster is mostly set, Saturday provided a bit of new information.
- Returns – One of DCFC’s few needs heading into the season is depth at striker. Getting Stefan St. Louis back not only bolsters the position, but gives the team another starter-quality player. Back from injury, Spencer Thompson looked his usual self, playing with intensity and challenging for every ball. Kevin Taylor returning further strengthens the absurdly deep center midfield.
- Defensive Options – New centerback Seb Harris brings size (6’3”) and experience to the back line. He previously played two separate stints with the Michigan Bucks, spending the time in between at Northampton Town in England’s League Two. I was eager to see Moustafa Bazzi, but he played the second half at right back instead of on the wing as expected. It will be interesting to see if this a permanent move, or just a one-time experiment.
- Goalkeeper – Playing the entire game, Jason Wise looked solid in goal. He had one bobble on a late chance but recovered well and should provide good competition for Bret Mollon. Wise was the starting GK on SVSU’s 2012-13 team that finished as D-II national runners-up.
- MOTM – Zach Myers got the only goal, but Wade Allan had the best all-around performance. He looked active and dangerous and did well bringing teammates into the attack. He also made the best play of the game, a beautiful cross-field diagonal lob just over the head of an SVSU defender that hit a sprinting Myers in stride, resulting in an excellent chance.
DCFC’s final tryout is Saturday, May 3rd. With the roster almost complete, the emphasis will most likely be on filling a last few areas, such as 3rd GK, and uncovering one or two hidden gems that could make positive contributions.
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Other random thoughts:
- Attendance – The official number was 1,499, triple the attendance of last year’s season opener against FC Sparta at the same location, and this was for a friendly against a local college. To put it in further perspective, 1,499 > 1,484 – DCFC’s average home attendance for the 2013 regular season. The Lesson: show up early this season, sellouts are going to happen.
- Songs and Chants – I’m a big proponent of songs and chants that are ours, i.e. no other club uses them. The debut of Dirty Old Town went well, and its singing will only improve as more people learn the words and the tempo gets figured out. Honorable mention: the YES! chant – possibly the simplest chant ever invented, was a welcome addition.
- Anthem – Know how the two sides of the stadium are always out of sync during the National Anthem because of that speed of sound thing? One solution:
