Michael Kitchen's Blog, page 2

September 25, 2020: New York Cosmos vs Chattanooga FC

September 25, 2020

2020 NISA Fall Tournament

Group Stage, Game Seven

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

New York Cosmos 0, Chattanooga FC 0

Yellow Cards:

Juan Hernandez (CFC) 11′

Mattia Cella (NYC) 24′

Kyle Carr (CFC) 33′

Brian Bement (CRC) 47′

Giuseppe Barone (NYC) 50′

David Koloko (CFC) 64′

Ryan Marcano (CRC) 80′

Chattanooga won its opening match against the Los Angeles Force, and after losing 2-0 to Cal United, the Cosmos were in a must-win situation to keep their hopes of advancing alive. This had the promise of being a good match.

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Chattanooga made four changes to the starting line up from the Los Angeles Force match.  In were Cameron Woodfin, David Koloko, Kyle Carr, and Brian Bement for Richard Dixon, Darwin Lom, Jowayne Laidley, and Sean Hoffstatter.

STARTING XI

Chattanooga FC

Alec Redington – Keeper

Wilfred Williams – Defender

Nick Speilman – Defender

Shaun Russell – Defender

Cameron Woodfin – Defender

David Koloko – Defender

Juan Hernandez – Midfielder

Kyle Carr – Midfielder

Ian McGrath – Midfielder

Jose Ferraz – Forward

Brian Bement – Forward

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The Cosmos made three changes to the starting eleven from their match against Cal United.  Charlie Ledula, Leandro Geo Alves, and Aly Hassan made way for Giuseppe Barone, Beldi Bardic, and Issac Acuna.

STARTING XI

New York Cosmos

Jesse Corke – Keeper

Pedro Galvao – Defender

Matt Lewis – Defender

Ansi Agolli – Defender

Konrad Plewa – Defender

Danny Szetela – Midfielder

Mattia Cella – Midfielder

Giuseppe Barone – Midfielder

Bledi Bardic – Forward

Shavon John-Brown – Forward

Isaac Acuna – Forward

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Both teams generated chances, and the referee dealt out cards as if working a shift at the Motor City Casino.  Chattanooga subbed in Ryan Marcano for Wilfred Williams to begin the second half.  Darwin Lom replaced Ian McGrath in the 64th, Erik Panzer for Shaun Russell in the 74th, and Christopher Marshall for Cameron Woodfin in the 81st minute.  For the Cosmos, John Denis entered the match for Giuseppe Barone in the 61st minute, Charlie Ledula for Bledi Bardic in the 70th, and Aly Hassan for Isaac Acuna in the 88th.  However, no one could find the back of the net, resulting in a nil-nil draw.  Fortunately, the game provided some action to shoot on this beautiful Friday evening.   [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]

The draw put Chattanooga on top of the group and pulled the Cosmos out of the basement.

Chattanooga FC 1-1-0 4 pts +2 goal differential

Cal United Strikers 1-0-0 3 pts +2 goal differential

New York Cosmos 0-1-1 1 pts -2 goal differential

Chattanooga FC 0-0-1 0 pts -2 goal differential

All the games of the tournament can be found .

September 24, 2020: New Amsterdam FC vs Michigan Stars

September 24, 2020

2020 NISA Fall Tournament

Group Stage, Game Six

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Michigan Stars 2, New Amsterdam FC 2

NAFC Danny Vincete (Oluremi Williams) 35′

MICH Gonnie Ben-Tal (Kyle Nuel) 45′

NAFC Michael Bello (Danny Vincete) 63′

MICH Steven Juncaj (PK) 77′

Yellow Cards:

Alexander Satrustegui (MICH) 20′

Oluremi Williams (NAFC) 37′

Danny Vincete (NAFC) 46′

Zaire Bartley (NAFC) 75′

Michael Nastu (NAFC) 94′

Steven Juncaj (MICH) 96′

Red Cards:

Alexander Satrustegui (MICH) 22′ (second yellow card)

Remi Tazifor 53′

Wow.  After an exciting match of skillful soccer between Oakland Roots and Detroit City FC, the nightcap descended into chaos.  With Independent Cup, Fall Season, and the first match of Group A, New Amsterdam FC had 6 losses and 2 draws, and was outscored 26-3.  And cards make regular appearances both because of the team’s physical style of play and ability to agitate their opponents.  After Michigan’s victory over Detroit City FC, the Stars seemed to be the favorites in this one.  But never underestimate the Stars from, well, being the Stars.

Only one change in the starting eleven for the Michigan Stars from their match against DCFC.  Brian Vang started tonight in place of Zachary Reynolds.

STARTING XI

Michigan Stars

Tatenda Mkuruva – Keeper

Joseph Aidoo – Defender

Kyle Nuel – Defender

Andres Chalbaud – Defender

Devon Amoo-Mensah – Defender

Zachary Reynolds – Defender

James Abraham – Midfielder

Brian Vang – Midfielder

Steven Juncaj – Midfielder

Alexander Satrustegui – Midfielder

Gonnie Ben-Tal – Forward

Tomas Bernedo – Forward

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Mahamed Keita and Michael Natsu get the start ahead of Aldo Munez and Michael Bello who started for New Amsterdam FC against the Oakland Roots.

STARTING XI

New Amsterdam FC

Mahamed Keita – Keeper

Jesus Alvarez Riesco – Defender

Oluremi Williams – Defender

Danny Vicente – Defender

Tobi Esche – Defender

Tommy Yorston – Midfielder

Evin Nadaner – Midfielder

Cordt Flaetgen – Midfielder

Danny Bedoya – Midfielder

Michael Natsu – Midfielder

Mahmoud Keita – Forward

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Twenty minutes in, Alexander Satrustegui was cautioned.  Not heeding the warning, two minutes later he drew his second yellow card, putting the Stars down to ten men.

Without the usual crowd noise, a lot of what’s on the field can be heard.  There seemed to be disagreement within the New Amsterdam team on the field.  Maybe that’s the Bronx way of communication.  One player offered suggestions about a play and the teammate turned around and said, “Shut the f#%k up.”  Shortly after, New Amsterdam took the lead when Oluremi Williams stripped the ball from Brian Vang, and sent it to a wide open Daniel Vicente for a goal in the 35th minute.  As the NAFC player came to celebrate with his teammate, the guy who didn’t want to hear it from him earlier avoided him completely.

Despite being down a man, the Stars persisted.  Remy Tazifor subbed in for Brian Vang in the 41st minute.  In the waning seconds of the half, Gonnie Ben-Tal scored on a header in the box from a cross delivered by Kyle Nuel to draw even when the halftime whistle blew.

As the second half began, New Amsterdam made a line-up change by replacing Tommy Yorston with Zaire Bartley.  The aggressive play continued.  Daniel Vicente was yellow carded in the 46th minute.  Temperatures rose after a nasty tackle by Remy Tazifor which earned him a straight red card, taking the Stars down to nine men on the pitch.

Michael Bello, who came into the game as a sub for Oluremi Williams in the 58th minute, received a slick pass from Danny Vicente, and fired it past the Stars’ keeper to give New Amsterdam a 2-1 lead.  But the lead would be conceded when a penalty kick was awarded to the Stars, and Steve Juncaj converted it.

The Stars subbed Tomas Bernedo in the 68th minute for Tekodah Lobsiger.

This was a feisty affair.

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I did not stick around after the final whistle, however sources reported that Stars owner, George Juncaj became visibly and verbally upset with the New Amsterdam team, to the point of removing his suit jacket, ready to come to blows with someone.  It was also heard by witnesses that Juncaj said something to the effect that he’d stick their heads in toilets.  All this occurred after the referees were off the pitch and the television cameras had shut down for the night.

As Group A finished the night, all four teams were still eligible to make the semi-finals depending on Sunday night’s results, when Oakland Roots play Michigan Stars and Detroit City FC take on New Amsterdam FC.

Michigan Stars 1-1-0 = 4 pts, 2 goal differential

Oakland Roots 1-0-1 = 3 pts, 2 goal differential.

Detroit City FC 1-0-1 = 3 pts, -1 goal differential

New Amsterdam 0-1-1 – 1 pt., -3 goal differential.

The full tournament can be found .

September 24, 2020: Detroit City FC vs Oakland Roots (NISA Fall Tournament)

September 24, 2020

2020 NISA Fall Tournament

Group Stage, Game Five

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Detroit City FC 2, Oakland Roots 1

OAK Matt Fondy (Diego Casillas) 45′

DCFC Yazeed Matthews (Jimmy Filerman) 54′

DCFC Shawn Claud-Lawson (Tendai Jirira) 80′

Yellow Cards:

Michael Kafari (DCFC) 36′

Ariel Mbumba (OAK) 39′

Jimmy Filerman (DCFC) 64′

Coming into the second match of the group stage, Oakland’s victory over New Amsterdam FC provided them with the good start they needed.  However, to use the cliche, this was a must-win for Detroit City FC to stay in the battle for a spot in the semi-finals.

 

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Detroit City FC made four line-up changes from their loss to the Stars.  Jean Antoine, Jimmy Filerman, Michael Kafari, and Ibrahim Conteh started tonight’s match in place of Parker Siegfried, Brandon Clegg, George Chomakov, and Connor Rutz.

STARTING XI

Detroit City FC

Jean Antoine – Keeper

Jimmy Filerman – Defender

Steve Carroll – Defender

Tendai Jirira – Defender

Michael Kafari – Defender

Kevin Vengas – Defender

Bakie Goodman – Midfielder

Cyrus Saydee – Midfielder

Ibrahim Conteh – Midfielder

Max Todd – Forward

Yazeed Matthews – Forward

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For Oakland, ten of the starting eleven were starters in their victory over New Amsterdam FC, switching Angel Heredia in for Yohannas Harish.

STARTING XI

Oakland Roots

Christian Herrera – Keeper

Nana Attakora – Defender

Robert Hines II – Defender

David Abidor – Defender

Tarn Wier – Midfielder

Peter Pearson – Midfielder

Diego Casillas – Midfielder

Ariel Mbumba – Midfielder

Angel Heredia – Midfielder

Matt Fondy – Forward

Jack McInerney – Forward

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City and Roots, having never played each other, went through a feeling out period early in the match.  Then, they settled into their games and right at the end of the first half, Oakland’s Matt Fondy scored to give the Roots a 1-0 lead.

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In the 53rd minute, Oakland inserted Nelson Blanco, removing defender Robert Hines.  But it was Detroit with the offensive threat and goal by Yazeed Matthews, deflecting Jimmy Filerman’s shot past Christian Herrera in the 54th minute.

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Detroit kept on the pressure.  In the 68th minute, Manuel Gonzalez replaced Ariel Mbumba, then eight minutes later, David Navarro replaced Matt Fondy for Oakland.  In the 78th minute, City made a double substitution, bringing Jimmy Filerman and Max Todd off and inserting Sebastian Cappozucchi and City’s all-time leading goal scorer, Shawn Claud Lawson into the match.   Two minutes later, Tendai Jirira made a run down the left side and delivered a perfect ball into the box for #9 to back-heel into the Roots goal for the game-winner.

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George Chomakov subbed in for Ibrahim Conteh in the 87th minute and Cyrus Saydee made way for Connor Rutz in the 90th minute for City, as they closed out the 2-1 victory.

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The Group A standings looked like this after the match.

Oakland Roots 1-0-1 = 3 points, +2 goal differential

Michigan Stars 1-0-0 = 3 points, +2 goal differential

Detroit City FC 1-0-1 = 3 points, -1 goal differential.

New Amsterdam FC 0-0-1 = 0 points, -3 goal differential.

The other matches of the tournament can be found .

September 22, 2020: Chattanooga FC vs Los Angeles Force (NISA 2020 Fall Tournament)

September 21, 2020

2020 NISA Fall Tournament

Group Stage, Match Four

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Los Angeles Force 0, Chattanooga FC 2

CFC Sean Hoffstatter (Kyle Carr) 45′

CFC  Darwin Lom 63′

Yellow Cards:

Ryan Marcano (CFC) 51′

Brian Bement (CFC) 90+’

Red Cards:

Abraham Torres (LA) 9′

Our frenemies, Chattanooga, won the Eastern Conference for seeding in the tournament.  Los Angeles was the #4 seed in Group B.

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STARTING XI

Los Angeles Force

Hugo Gomez – Keeper

Jonatan Valle – Defender

Gregory Salazar – Defender

Abraham Torres – Defender

Quinton Carey – Defender

Josue Espana – Midfielder

Jimmy Villalobos – Midfielder

Cyro Reis de Oliveria – Midfielder

Paolo Cardozo – Midfielder

Danny Trejo – Forward

Christian Gordillo – Forward

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STARTING XI

Chattanooga FC

Alec Redington – Keeper

Wilfred Williams – Defender

Richard Dixon – Defender

Nick Spielman – Defender

Shaun Russell – Defender

Darwin Lom – Midfielder

Juan Hernandez – Midfielder

Jowayne Laidley – Midfielder

Sean Hoffstatter – Midfielder

Ian McGrath – Midfielder

Jose Ferraz – Forward

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It didn’t take long for LA to put themselves in a hole, as Abraham Torres’ elbow to the face of Jose Ferraz earned him a straight red card in the 9th minute.  This gave Chattanooga FC a man advantage for the remainder of the match.

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Even though they were down a man, Danny Trejo just kept coming at the CFC goal, trying to give his team a lead on the scoreboard.

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In the embers of the first half, Kyle Carr, who, with Kyle Marcano, subbed in for Richard Dixon and Jowayne Laidley in the 28th minute, delivered a corner kick that Sean Hoffstatter’s head directed into the net to give Chattanooga FC a 1-0 lead at halftime.

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As the second half began, Brian Bement subbed in for the goal scorer, Sean Hoffstatter.

In the 60th minute, again on a corner kick, CFC capitalized and doubled the lead.

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Los Angeles kept working and earned a penalty kick in the 78th minute.  CFC keeper, Alec Redington made the save, however it was adjudicated by the referee that he came off his line too early.  On the second attempt, Danny Trejo hit the crossbar.

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After Day One of the Group A matches, it was tied at the top and at the bottom.

Cal United 1-0-0 3 pts, +2 goal differential

Chattanooga 1-0-0 3 pts, +2 goal differential

LA Force 0-0-1 0 pts, -2 goal differential

NY Cosmos 0-0-1 0 pts, -2 goal differential

For all the matches in the tournament, go .

September 22, 2020: Cal United Strikers vs New York Cosmos (NISA Fall 2020 Tournament)

September 22, 2020

2020 NISA Fall Tournament

Group Stage, Match Three

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Cal United Strikers FC 2, New York Cosmos 0

CAL  Shane Kaemerle 40′

CAL  Christian Thierjung (Michael Bryant) 61′

Yellow Cards:  Michael Bryant (Cal United) 64′

The second day of the tournament featured Group B matches on another gorgeous autumn day.

I didn’t know what to expect from this match.  The New York Cosmos might have been the favorites, but never having seen the Cal United Strikers in action, it was difficult to predict.

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STARTING XI

Cal United Strikers

Steven Barrera – Keeper

Xavier Fuerte – Defender

Michael Bryant – Defender

Chris Klute – Defender

Aydan Bowers – Defender

Kevin Garcia-Lopez – Defender

Duncan Capriotti – Midfielder

Christian Thierjung – Midfielder

Shane Kaemerle – Midfielder

Shinya Kadono – Midfielder

Abraham Villon – Forward

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STARTING XI

New York Cosmos

Jesse Corke – Keeper

Pedro Galvao – Defender

Matt Lewis – Defender

Ansi Agolli – Defender

Konrad Plewa – Defender

Danny Szetela – Midfielder

Mattia Cella – Midfielder

Charlie Ledula – Midfielder

Leandro Geo Alves – Forward

Aly Hassan – Forward

Shavon John-Brown – Forward

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Cal United and the Cosmos kept pace with each other during the opening half.  Then, in the 39th minute, the first goal was scored by the Strikers’ Shane Kaemerle.  A great start for Cal United’s sixteen-year-old midfielder.  The Strikers took the one-goal lead into halftime.

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Coach Don Ebert made two substitutions as the second half began, bringing in Evan Waldrep and Tony Lopez for Duncan Capriotti and the goal-scorer Shane Kaemerle.

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The Cosmos subbed out Charlie Ledula in the 56th minute for Darwin Espinal.  Five minutes later, Michael Bryant sent a long pass to Christian Thierjung, who sprinted in alone to double Cal United’s lead.

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Despite pushing forward and substituting John Denis for Leandro Geo Alves in the 66th minute and Giuseppe Barone for Danny Szetela in the 81st minute, the Cosmos couldn’t find the net, and the Strikers kept countering.  Cal United’s Abraham Villon was also subbed out for Omar Nuno in the 81st minute.

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Cal United took the first three points in Group B from a strong effort.  The second match of the night would feature the Los Angeles Force and Chattanooga FC.

All the matches of the tournament can be found .

September 21, 2020: Oakland Roots vs New Amsterdam FC

September 21, 2020

2020 NISA Fall Tournament

Group Stage, Match Two

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

New Amsterdam FC 0, Oakland Roots 3

Roots Matt Fondy (Jack McInerney) 32′

Roots Jack McInerney (Diego Casillas) 65′

Roots Nelson Blanco (Matt Fondy) 75′

Yellow Cards:

Tommy Yorston (NAFC) 45′

Michael Bello (NAFC) 45′

Nelson Blanco (OAK) 52′

Diego Casillas (OAK) 55′

Daniel Vicente (NAFC) 67′

Evin Nadaner (NAFC) 69′

Unfortunately, the Oakland Roots will no longer be in NISA, for they announced on September 17, 2020 that they would be moving to USL League Two for the 2021 season.  Which is too bad because the team’s focus on racial and gender justice within the Oakland community and the independent and community-based emphasis of NISA and its members seems an appropriate fit.  Many of the players replaced their names with messages on their jerseys such as:

Equality Justice (Tarn Wier)
Demouria Hogg Youth Uprising (Matt Fondy)
No To Racism (Ariel Mbumba)
Education Reform Equality (David Abidor)
Miles Hall Boy (Robert Hines II)
Breonna Taylor/Trayvon Martin (Nelson Blanco)
Igualadad Oakland Genesis (Nana Attakora)
Ahmaud Arbery Suspicious (Peter Pearson)
Respect Justice (Daniel Navarro)

 

STARTING XI

OAKLAND ROOTS

Christian Herrera – Keeper

Nana Attakora – Defender

Robert Hines II – Defender

Tarn Wier – Defender

David Abidor – Defender

Peter Pearson – Midfielder

Diego Casillas – Midfielder

Ariel Mbumba – Midfielder

Yohannes Harish – Midfielder

Matt Fondy – Forward

Jack McInerney – Forward

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STARTING XI

New Amsterdam FC

Aldo Munez – Keeper

Jesus Alvarez Riesco – Defender

Martin Williams – Defender

Danny Vicente – Defender

Tobi Esche – Defender

Tommy Yorston – Midfielder

Evin Nadaner – Midfielder

Cordt Flaetgen – Midfielder

Danny Bedoya – Midfielder

Michael Bello – Midfielder

Mahmoud Keita – Forward

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New Amsterdam FC brought their New York attitude to the match.  This skirmish took place in the first half when NAFC Tommy Yorston snuck a punch into the face of the Oakland player.  A couple of yellow cards resulted.  In all, six yellow cards were shown during the match – 4 to New Amsterdam, 2 to Oakland.

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Matt Fondy scored in the 32nd minute, giving Oakland a 1-0 lead that held to half time.  To begin the second half, the Roots subbed Nelson Blanco in for Yohannes Harish.  Carlton McKenzie subbed in for Tommy Yorston for New Amsterdam.

One very noticeable observation was the tremendous height of Roots’ keeper Christian Herrera.

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The Roots added goals by Jack McInerney (65′) and Nelson Blanco (75′), and dominated the team from the Bronx.  Second half subs included Manuel Gonzalez in for Peter Pearson (57′), Angel Heredia in for Tarn Weir (74′), and Johnny Rodriguez in for Matt Fondy (81′) for Oakland.  Yusuf Mikaheel came in for Mahmoud Keita (89′) for New Amsterdam.

After the opening day, Group A looked like this:

Oakland Roots 1-0-0 = 3 points, +3 goal differential

Michigan Stars 1-0-0 = 3 points, +2 goal differential

Detroit City FC 0-0-1 = 0 points, -2 goal differential.

New Amsterdam FC 0-0-1 = 0 points, -3 goal differential.

The next day, Group B began.  For every match of the tournament, go .

September 21, 2020: Detroit City FC vs Michigan Stars (NISA Fall Tournament)

Detroit City FC traveled to New York and played to a scoreless draw against the Cosmos on September 9th, to close out the shortened Fall Season in preparation for 2020 NISA Fall Tournament.  The remaining fixtures of the abbreviated season looked like this:

September 6, 2020:  LA Force 0, Oakland Roots 2

September 12, 2020:  New Amsterdam FC 0, Michigan Stars 3

September 12, 2020:  Chattanooga FC 2, New York Cosmos 1

September 13, 2020:  Cal United Strikers FC 1, Oakland Roots 1

September 16, 2020:  Chattanooga FC 3, New Amsterdam FC 0

September 16, 2020:  LA Force 0, Cal United Strikers FC 0

The final standings:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Chattanooga FC 3-0-1 = 9 points

Michigan Stars FC 2-2-0 = 8 points

NY Cosmos 1-2-1 = 5 points

Detroit City FC 1-2-1 = 5 points

New Amsterdam FC 0-0-4 = 0 points

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Oakland Roots 1-1-0 = 4 points

Cal United Strikers FC 0-2-0 = 2 points

LA Force 0-1-1 = 1 point

For the NISA Fall Tournament, the teams were placed into two groups based on the results above, with each team within each group to play each other once.

GROUP A

Oakland Roots

Michigan Stars

Detroit City FC

New Amsterdam FC

GROUP B

Chattanooga FC

Cal United Strikers FC

New York Cosmos

Los Angeles Force

The tournament was set up in a bubble environment, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the teams staying at a hotel, with one floor for each team.

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September 21, 2020

2020 NISA Fall Tournament

Group Stage, Match One

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Detroit City FC 0, Michigan Stars 2

Stars Gonnie Ben-Tal (Steven Juncaj) 52′

Stars Tomas Bernedo (Kyle Nuel) 58′

Yellow Cards:

Brandon Clegg (DCFC) 44′

Brian Yang (MICH) 82′

The Tournament began with the Group A matches, leading off with Detroit City FC vs Michigan Stars.  It was a beautiful, sunny September evening in the upper 70’s.  City added Brandon Clegg to the roster, and Max Todd, Cyrus Saydee, and Bakie Goodman returned to the team.

To keep the bubble environment neutral, the Northern Guard Supporters’ banners and Smokey the Bot were not permitted.

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Starting XI

Detroit City FC

Parker Siegfried – Keeper

Stephen Carroll – Defender

Brandon Clegg – Defender

Tendai Jirira – Defender

Kevin Venegas – Defender

George Chomakov – Midfielder

Bakie Goodman – Midfielder

Cyrus Saydee – Midfielder

Connor Rutz – Midfielder

Yazeed Matthews – Forward

Max Todd – Forward

 

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STARTING XI

Michigan Stars

Tatenda Mkuruva – Keeper

Joseph Aidoo – Defender

Andres Chalbaud – Defender

Zachary Reynolds – Defender

James Abraham – Defender

Devon Amoo-Mensah – Defender

Steven Juncaj – Midfielder

Kyle Nuel – Midfielder

Alexander Satrustegui – Midfielder

Gonnie Ben-Tal – Forward

Tomas Bernedo – Forward

It was a tense affair, with City trying to control possession and the Stars trying to prevent it with their pressing.  Here, early on, the Stars come close, but George Chomakov clears the line.

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Scoreless at the half, the team huddled at the center circle to discuss 2nd half strategy.

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The Stars scored on two set pieces, just six minutes apart.  City had a little more than thirty minutes to make it up.  After subbing Michael Kafari for Cyrus Saydee (60th minute) and Shawn Claud-Lawson for Max Todd (65th minute), City generated some chances, but the ball couldn’t find its way into the back of the net (despite the Stars’ straw-man keeper who collapsed when Shawn Claud Lawson breathed on him).  Ryan Peterson came in for Yazeed Matthews in the 85th minute.

The Stars made four subs during the match: Tekodah Lobsiger for Steven Juncaj (60′), Remy Tazifor and Brian Vang for Tomas Bernedo and Zachary Reynolds (77′), and Cameron Schneider for Kyle Nuel (81′).

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Certainly not the start we were looking for, however there were two more games to play to earn a semi-final position in the Group.

The second-half of the double-header was Oakland Roots vs New Amsterdam FC.  The NISA Tournament page with all the matches can be found .

2020 NISA Fall Tournament

After the brief Fall Season in which both Eastern Conference and Western Conference teams played each team within their conference once, the standings looked like this:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Chattanooga FC 3-0-1 = 9 points

Michigan Stars FC 2-2-0 = 8 points

NY Cosmos 1-2-1 = 5 points

Detroit City FC 1-2-1 = 5 points

New Amsterdam FC 0-0-4 = 0 points

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Oakland Roots 1-1-0 = 4 points

Cal United Strikers FC 0-2-0 = 2 points

LA Force 0-1-1 = 1 point

For the NISA Fall Tournament, the teams were placed into two groups based on the results above, with each team within each group to play each other once.

GROUP A

Oakland Roots

Michigan Stars

Detroit City FC

New Amsterdam FC

GROUP B

Chattanooga FC

Cal United Strikers FC

New York Cosmos

Los Angeles Force

The tournament was set in a bubble environment, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with the teams staying at a hotel, with one floor for each team.  The schedule was set, and the matches began on September 21, 2020 at historic Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, MI.

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A few former MLS players saw action in this tournament.

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September 21, 2020: Michigan Stars 2 vs Detroit City FC 0
September 21, 2020:  Oakland Roots 3 vs New Amsterdam FC 0
September 22, 2020:  Cal United Strikers 2 vs New York Cosmos 0


September 22, 2020: Chattanooga FC 2 vs Los Angeles Force 0

Group A Standings

Oakland Roots 1-0-0  3 pts +3 goal differential
Michigan Stars 1-0-0  3 pts  +2 goal differential
Detroit City FC  0-0-1 0 pts  -2 goal differential
New Amsterdam FC 0-0-1 0 points -3 goal differential

Group B Standings

Cal United Strikers 1-0-0 3 pts +2 goal differential
Chattanooga FC 1-0-0 3 pts +2 goal differential
Los Angeles Force 0-0-1 0 pts -2 goal differential
New York Cosmos 0-0-1 0 pts -2 goal differential



September 24, 2020: Oakland Roots 1 vs Detroit City FC 2
September 24, 2020: Michigan Stars 2 vs New Amsterdam FC 2
September 25, 2020: Chattanooga FC 0 vs New York Cosmos 0


September 25, 2020:  Cal United Strikers 2 vs Los Angeles Force 3

Group A Standings

Michigan Stars 1-1-0  4 pts  +2 goal differential
Oakland Roots 1-0-1  3 pts +2 goal differential
Detroit City FC  1-0-1 3 pts  -1 goal differential
New Amsterdam FC 0-1-1 1 points -3 goal differential

Group B Standings

Chattanooga FC 1-1-0 4 pts +2 goal differential
Cal United Strikers 1-0-1 3 pts +1 goal differential
Los Angeles Force 1-0-1 3 pts -1 goal differential
New York Cosmos 0-1-1 1 pts -2 goal differential



September 27, 2020: Oakland Roots 1 vs Michigan Stars 0
September 27, 2020: Detroit City FC 4 vs New Amsterdam FC 2
September 28, 2020: Chattanooga FC 1 vs Cal United Strikers 1


September 28, 2020: New York Cosmos 1 vs Los Angeles Force 2

Group A Standings

Oakland Roots 2-0-1  6 pts +3 goal differential
Detroit City FC  2-0-1 6 pts  +1 goal differential
Michigan Stars 1-1-1  4 pts  +1 goal differential
New Amsterdam FC 0-1-2 1 points -5 goal differential

Oakland Roots and Detroit City FC advance.

Group B Standings

Los Angeles Force 2-0-1 6 pts 0 goal differential
Chattanooga FC 1-2-0 5 pts +2 goal differential
Cal United Strikers 1-1-1 4 pts +1 goal differential
New York Cosmos 0-1-2 1 pts -3 goal differential

Los Angeles Force and Chattanooga FC advance.

September 30, 2020:  Oakland Roots 3, Chattanooga FC 2
September 30, 2020:  Detroit City FC 1, Los Angeles Force 0



October 2, 2020:  Detroit City FC 2, Oakland Roots 1

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Tournament Stats

Detroit City FC versus each team in NISA competitions.

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On August 15, 2019, Chattanooga FC, Detroit City FC, and Oakland Roots SC were accepted as members of the National Independent Soccer Association (NISA).

On January 27, 2020, NISA announced its spring schedule for the eight teams in the association, with each team playing 14 games (a home-and-home series with each team), to run from February 28th to June 13th.

The February 28th opening day featured 1904 FC visiting Stumptown Athletic, Cal United Strikers FC hosting Michigan Stars, our frenemies Chattanooga FC, flew out to California to play the Oakland Roots, and Detroit City FC played its first pro match in LA against Los Angeles Force.  Supporters packed the Detroit City Clubhouse to watch the live-stream of the match, which Detroit City FC won, 2-0, on goals by Matt Lewis and Roddy Green.

Then the pandemic hit.

Detroit City FC’s first home game as a Men’s professional team was to be March 21st, against Oakland Roots.  However, due to the pandemic, NISA suspended the season for 30 days on March 12th.  Eight days later, in compliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, NISA suspended the season until May 10th.  On April 27th, NISA officially cancelled the Spring/Summer season.

This page is to show the record of Detroit City FC against each team in a NISA competition.

Overall NISA Record

Games:  7

Wins: 4

Draws: 2

Losses: 1

Goals for:  11

Goals against: 2

Chattanooga FC

Games: 1

Wins: 0

Draws: 0

Losses: 1

Goals for: 0

Goals against: 2

08/15/20: Detroit City FC 0, Chattanooga FC 2

Cleveland SC

Games: 1

Wins: 1

Draws: 0

Losses: 0

Goals for: 3

Goals against: 0

07/31/20: Detroit City FC 3, Cleveland SC 0

FC Buffalo

Games: 1

Wins: 1

Draws: 0

Losses: 0

Goals for: 3

Goals against: 0

08/01/20: Detroit City FC 3, FC Buffalo 0

Los Angeles Force

Games: 1

Wins: 1

Draws: 1

Losses: 0

Goals for: 2

Goals against: 0

02/28/20: Los Angeles Force 0, Detroit City FC 2

Michigan Stars FC

Games: 1

Wins: 0

Draws: 1

Losses: 0

Goals for: 0

Goals against: 0

08/22/20: Michigan Stars FC 0, Detroit City FC 0

New Amsterdam FC

Games: 1

Wins: 1

Draws: 0

Losses: 0

Goals for: 3

Goals against: 0

09/05/20:  Detroit City FC 3, New Amsterdam FC 0

New York Cosmos

Games: 1

Wins: 0

Draws: 1

Losses: 0

Goals for: 0

Goals against: 0

09/09/20: New York Cosmos 0, Detroit City FC 0

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September 5, 2020: New Amsterdam FC (NISA Fall Season)

September 5, 2020

NISA Fall Season

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Detroit City FC 3, New Amsterdam FC 0

Attendance: 1 (Smokey the Bot)

DCFC Connor Rutz 7′

DCFC Shawn Claud Lawson 11′

DCFC Connor Rutz (Elijah Rice) 61′

NAFC – Mahmoud Keita (red card) 40′

DCFC – Elijah Rice (red card) 72′

NAFC – Oluremi Williams (red card) 82′

Where we left off after the Chattanooga FC match, the NISA Fall League standings looked like this for the East (with no matches played in the West).

Michigan Stars: 1-1-0 = 4 pts

Chattanooga FC: 1-0-1 = 3 pts

New York Cosmos: 0-1-0 = 1 pt

Detroit City FC: 0-0-1 = 0 pts

New Amsterdam FC: 0-0-0 = 0 pts

Our next match was August 22, 2020 in Pontiac against the Michigan Stars.  Having attended these road matches against the Stars in the past, I’d purchase a ticket for the game and shoot from the stands with the Northern Guard Supporters.  However, with no fans allowed, I sought a media pass for this one.  Of course, the lack of contact information on the Michigan Stars website, coupled with an unanswered response after using their generic online contact form, I didn’t attend the 0-0 draw at Ultimate Soccer Arenas.  But looking at the broadcast feed, maybe they didn’t want too much evidence of the ‘fans’ they allowed in to watch the match, contrary to the State of Michigan COVID-19 restrictions of small gatherings with social distancing.

The night before the Michigan Stars match, the New York Cosmos defeated New Amsterdam FC by a 3-1 score.  Detroit was to head to New York to face the Cosmos on August 29th.

The day after the City-Stars match, Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back by a police officer in Kenosha, WI.  This act was another example of the need for America to face its racism disease.  On Wednesday, the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA walked out of their playoff game against the Orlando Magic, in response to and support of Jacob Blake.  Orlando chose not to accept the forfeit and walked out as well.  The players of the other two NBA games and the WNBA games, walked out.  Other sports teams followed.

The next day, Detroit City FC issued the following statement:

In response to the shooting of Jacob Blake and the continued devaluation of Black lives, the players of Detroit City FC have made the decision to not play Saturday’s match against the New York Cosmos.

The DCFC organization wholeheartedly supports this decision.

The need to address social injustice and racism supersedes sports at this moment.

In lieu of the match at the New York Cosmos, Detroit City FC – led by the players – is developing a call to action for Saturday evening.

New Amsterdam FC made the same decision for their match in Chattanooga.  Both matches were postponed.

The players’ statement aired at 7:00 PM, Saturday’s match time.

 

Before tonight’s match, the standings were:

Michigan Stars: 1-2-0 = 5 pts

New York Cosmos: 1-1-0 = 4 pts

Chattanooga FC: 1-0-1 = 3 pts

Detroit City FC: 0-1-1 = 1 pts

New Amsterdam FC: 0-0-1 = 0 pts

 

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STARTING XI

Nate Steinwascher – Keeper

Tendai Jirira – Defender

Stephen Carroll – Defender

Michael Kafari – Defender

James Filerman – Midfielder

Ibrahim Conteh – Midfielder

George Chomakov – Midfielder

Kevin Venegas – Midfielder

Evans Frimpong – Forward

Connor Rutz – Forward

Shawn Claud Lawson – Forward

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The first thirty-seconds of the match, everyone took a knee for racial justice.

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In the 7th minute, Connor Rutz opened the scoring.

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Four minutes later, Shawn Claud Lawson doubles the lead.

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Five minutes before the close of the first half, Mahmoud Keita earned his second yellow card (which could have been a straight red) with a nasty tackle on George Chomakov, sending Keita to the showers early, and giving City an 11-10 man advantage.

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At the 61st minute, Elijah Rice pushes through a ball to Connor Rutz to score his second of the match.

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The match continued its chippy attitude.  Elijah Rice was shown a straight red card in 72nd minute, and Oluremi Williams of New Amsterdam was carded in the 82nd minute after a high kick to the chest of Ibrahim Conteh.

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Smokey the Bot launched a massive amount of smoke in the final minutes, sending New Amsterdam FC home smelling of sulfur.

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The 3-0 victory moves City up the table ahead of the rescheduled New York Cosmos match to come on Wednesday, September 9th.

Michigan Stars: 1-2-0 = 5 pts

New York Cosmos: 1-1-0 = 4 pts

Detroit City FC: 1-1-1 = 4 pts

Chattanooga FC: 1-0-1 = 3 pts

New Amsterdam FC: 0-0-2 = 0 pts