State of the Club 2019

Previously:   SOTC 2014   SOTC 2015   SOTC 2016   SOTC 2017

I didn’t do a SOTC piece in 2018, but while I was on my vision quest, I had ample opportunity to reflect on City’s past and contemplate its future. With the massive changes that have gone on at the club over the past several months, now seems like a good time for another look at the big picture.

On the field, 2018 was largely a disappointment. The similarities between last season and 2016 are striking:

• Open Cup win over the Bucks via PK shootout, followed by a valiant-but-just-not-quite-enough effort on the road against a professional team.
• Beatdowns of the weakest teams in the division; struggles with the competent ones.
• Roster with plenty of individual talent on paper that never came together and clicked as a unit.

While the high-profile friendlies against St. Pauli, Club Necaxa, and Frosinone helped to draw more attention to City and raise its profile, they seemed to overshadow the competitive part of the season. While it’s doubtful any player would admit to it, there has to be some difficulty in putting forth the same level of effort and intensity against Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids as you would in a hyped-up match against a professional foreign side.

On a more positive note, with the MLS to Detroit bid now in a vegetative state, the way is now open for City to continue growing in a market without any direct competition. Over the past couple of years, there were whispers that the MLS bid was scaring potential investors away from DCFC. Hopefully the current situation will help to change their attitudes. And while MLS may still come to town one day, every year that goes by allows City to continue expanding and sinking its roots a little deeper.

The most notable current example of this is the recently-opened Detroit City Fieldhouse. In addition to providing the club with a new year-round source of income, it also serves to further exposure of the DCFC brand. In the best case scenario, it will hopefully operate as sort of a benevolent indoctrination center for the many youth players who come through its doors.

In that same vein, City made another announcement this past weekend that shows the long-term vision that ownership has for the club. By taking on Canton Celtic and Genesee Celtic as youth affiliates, DCFC has further embedded itself in Metro Detroit youth soccer, and is now one step closer to a full-fledged academy setup.

After three years of steady improvements, 2019 will finally see Keyworth Stadium become a fully armed and operational battlestation. The last section of seating in need of renovation – the southeast corner – will be completed and open when the season begins. Much more importantly, the raggedy-ass carpet masquerading as a playing surface is finally being replaced. It sounds as though new artificial turf will be installed, and while I’d much prefer natural grass for aesthetic and quality-of-play reasons, I’m totally fine with turf if it makes more sense from a financial and maintenance standpoint. On top of that, the most modern turf fields are of far higher quality and play better than the bouncy ball-causing ones from 10+ years ago.

Finally, after an excruciating wait and numerous dashed hopes, City will play at the professional level beginning in the fall. This probably would’ve happened in 2017 or 2018 if the NASL hadn’t been smothered with a pillow by the USSF, but, alas, it’s finally come to fruition. Starting a brand new league is a risk, but one that’s absolutely necessary if the club is to continue growing and not stagnate in the shallow waters of the NPSL. I’ve repeatedly targeted 2020 as the year by which I hoped City would be playing professionally, and it’s both satisfying and exciting that it’s finally come true.

Leading City into this strange land will be new head coach Trevor James, of whom I must confess knowing very little about, other than what was outlined in his official hiring announcement. I do like the fact that he knows the American soccer landscape, having been deeply involved with multiple professional clubs in the U.S. for well over a decade, and has loads of experience with player recruitment and youth development. At this level it’s probably more important to have a skilled roster builder than a tactical wizard, but with his pedigree I feel pretty confident that he’s no slouch in that area, either. With City now entering its eighth season, there is a nice pool of former and current players who could form the core of a professional roster, several of whom have already signed on. James’ toughest task for the NPSL summer season may be trying to blend the current college players with those who are trying to impress him enough to win a pro contract for the fall. It could work just fine, but there’s also the possibility it could lead to problems with team cohesion.

This has easily been the most eventful offseason in City’s history, and there are still three months left to go. While the results of individual matches over the past few seasons have ebbed and flowed, the club has always maintained a steady, upward trajectory, and I see no evidence to suggest that it’s slowing down. In fact, it only appears to be accelerating. The next two years may turn out to be more tumultuous than the past seven combined, but in a good way.

DCFC brass have consistently labeled their club, “Detroit’s Soccer Team,” and for a ragtag startup vying for attention in a city saturated with big league sports, it’s always seemed somewhat of a speculative mantra; something you boast and repeat to yourself in the hope that you can will it to be so. It may have been just what was needed, though. That ambition is now closer than ever to becoming a reality.