Michael Kitchen's Blog, page 5

2019 Summary – Act One

On November 15, 2018, the NPSL announced the founding of a new professional league for its growing clubs and additional professional clubs.  A Founders Cup, featuring 11 teams, would take place in the Fall of 2019, with a full-league schedule to fill 2020.  Among the 11 teams would be Detroit City FC.

That’s right.  Detroit’s going to have a professional football team, and Detroit City FC is it!

On December 10, 2018, Coach Ben Pirmann and the team parted ways amicably. During his six seasons with City, he amassed a 49-17-17 record.  Three days later, Pirmann was announced to be an assistant coach for Memphis 901 FC of the USL.  Hail Caesar!

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With Pirmann’s departure, we needed a manager.  On January 4, 2019, Trevor James was named the General Manager and Head Coach of the team.

Having retired from playing professional soccer in 1985, James worked on the coaching staff of Ipswich Town FC and Colchester United in England before working as a scout for Sir Bobby Robson for England’s National Team in preparation of the 1990 World Cup, Sporting Lisbon, FC Porto, FC Barcelona, and Newcastle.  He was Assistant Coach for the Los Angeles Galaxy from 2006-2010, serving as interim head coach twice.  He was promoted to Director of Player Development, overseeing the LA Youth Academy.  From 2010-2012 he served as Assistant Head Coach for the Portland Timbers.  From 2014-2015, he was the Director of Scouting and Assistant Technical Directior for the Chicago Fire before returning to coaching for Indy Eleven of the NASL.  In 2017, he was named Indy Eleven’s Technical Director, overseeing the transition of the club from NASL to USL.  This hire looked like a positive move toward guiding the team both on the field and through the transition to professional status.

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Becoming a professional club meant leaving behind this level of NPSL play.  The Northern Guard displayed a magnificent tifo of the players and staff – both past and present – honoring those who helped forge the way toward this achievement.

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So, how was the transition under Trevor James?

Record:  10 wins, 3 draws, 1 loss.
39 goals scored, only 6 goals against.
844 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal.
Great Lakes Division Champion

The most impressive number, to me, was that in the 14 regular season matches and 2 playoff games, there was only 54 minutes of game time where Detroit City FC was behind.  And that occurred in a single game, at home against Grand Rapids when they took the lead in the 34th minute, and we equalized in the 88th.  Yes, we lost a regular season match and the Midwest Region Final.  In the former, the game-winning goal scored by Kalamazoo FC was in the final play of the game, and in the latter, we jumped out to a 2-0 lead, only to have Cleveland SC tie the match and take the game in penalty kicks.

Pretty damn impressive as we head into the next phase of the 2019 season.

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Below are the pages from each game of the traditional NPSL season.

April 20, 2019: Michigan State University (Friendly)
May 4, 2019: at Flint City Bucks (Friendly)
May 12, 2019: at Michigan Stars (NPSL Regular Season)
May 19, 2019: Kalamazoo FC (NPSL Regular Season)
May 24, 2019: AFC Ann Arbor (NPSL Regular Season)
May 27, 2019: at FC Indiana (NPSL Regular Season)
June 2, 2019: FC Columbus (NPSL Regular Season)
June 7, 2019: FC Indiana (NPSL Regular Season)
June 9, 2019: at Grand Rapids FC (NPSL Regular Season)
June 14, 2019: Michigan Stars (NPSL Regular Season)
June 16, 2019: at Toledo Villa FC (NPSL Regular Season)
June 22, 2019: at FC Columbus (NPSL Regular Season)
June 30, 2019: Toledo Villla FC (NPSL Regular Season)
July 5, 2019:  Grand Rapids FC (NPSL Regular Season)
July 7, 2019: at AFC Ann Arbor (NPSL Regular Season)
July 10, 2019: FC Juarez (International Friendly)
July 13, 2019:  at Kalamazoo FC (NPSL Regular Season)
July 19, 2019: Minneapolis City SC (Midwest Region Semi-Final)
July 21, 2019: Cleveland SC (Midwest Region Final)

 

July 21, 2019: Cleveland SC (Midwest Region Final)

July 21, 2019

NPSL Midwest Region Final

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Detroit City FC 2, Cleveland SC 2 (2-3 PK)

Attendance: 4,568

DCFC Shawn Lawson (Tendai Jirira) 40′

DCFC Max Todd (PK) 45′

CSC Tom Beck 52′

CSC Antonio Manfut 60′

Red Card – DCFC Will Perkins 75′

Red Card – CSC Tom Beck 75′

Penalty Kicks

CSC  Michael Derezic – Goal  0-1

DCFC Max Todd – Goal 1-1

CSC Marijo Musa – Save 1-1

DCFC Seb Harris – Miss 1-1

CSC Corbin McAvinew – Goal 1-2

DCFC Moussa Gueye – Goal 2-2

CSC Daniel Koniarczyk – Save 2-2

DCFC Steven Carroll – Miss 2-2

CSC Vinnie Bell – Goal 2-3

DCFC Shawn Lawson – Miss 2-3

Cleveland.  This is not the AFC Cleveland team, that began in 2012 like us, re-branded.  That Cleveland team, which we faced three times in semi-final matches (2012, 2013, and 2015) was terminated from the NPSL due to its financial situation after the 2017 season.  A number of AFC Cleveland players sought an investor and found one who established Cleveland SC.

In their semi-final victory over the Rochester Lancers, they were brutal, earning them seven yellow cards and a red.

18′ – Antonion Manfut Yellow

31′ – Tom Beck, Yellow

37′ – Coletun Long, Yellow

40′ – Marijo Musa (keeper), Yellow (for challenge which removed Rochester Lancer player from match)

49′ – Vinnie Bell, Yellow

75′ – Michael Dare-Eh-Zitch, Yellow

99′ – Admir Sole-Yeh-Vick, Yellow

110′  – Admir Sole-Yeh-Vick, Red (ineligible for today’s final)

They come into the match having won the East Conference with an 8-win, 2-loss record with 29 goals scored and 9 conceded.

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It was a long, tense forty minutes until Shawn Lawson put City on top.

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Just before the close of the half, Max Todd was taken down in the box, which led to his penalty kick.

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A 2-0 lead going into the locker room at halftime, I was feeling very optimistic.  It felt different than the 2-0 lead we had on AFC Ann Arbor in the 2017 Midwest Region Final, though it was very similar in that the two goals were scored late in the half (35th and 45th minutes).  But this was a City team that had only six goals scored against them all season.

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However, like the 2017 Final, our opponent equalized with goals at the 52nd and 60th minutes.  Then both teams went down to ten men when City’s Will Perkins and Cleveland’s Tom Beck were shown red cards at the 75th minute.

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Unfortunately, there would be no memorable Mondi-with-the-right-foot moment this day.  Instead, Cleveland played for the draw, and in penalty kicks, City fell short.

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There is no reason for us or the team to lower our heads over this.  The season was coach Trevor James’ first at the helm.  He rooted discipline and work ethic with the flexibility to adapt the team’s strategy within a match which proved successful.  We lost only two matches – this one in penalty kicks and the home opener in the final play of the game.  We were either equal or ahead for all but 54 minutes between the 34th and 88th minute of the July 5th match against Grand Rapids.  And let’s not forget nine-plus consecutive games (844 minutes) of scoreless opponents.  If this is a preview of things to come, then we’ve got much more in the future to cheer about as Detroit City FC becomes a professional team.

City Til I Die!

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July 19, 2019: Minneapolis City SC (Midwest Region Semi-Final)

July 19, 2019

NPSL Midwest Region Semi-Final

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Detroit City FC 2, Minneapolis City FC 0

Attendance: 4,460

DCFC Shawn Lawson (Bakie Goodman) 22′

DCFC Max Todd (PK) 78′

So, this is where it gets weird.

Detroit City FC and Cleveland SC earned the bye in the first round of the playoffs.  On Tuesday, July 16th, AFC Ann Arbor hosted the Rochester Lancers and Minneapolis City FC hosted Med City FC in the first round.  Minneapolis City FC defeated Med City FC by a score of 2-0.  That wasn’t the weird part.  The match at AFC Ann Arbor was halted at the 69th minute mark due to darkness.  The match was interrupted by a couple of lightning delays, and AFC Ann Arbor plays at a stadium that does not have lights.  The next morning, it was decided that the game would be decided by a coin toss.

A coin toss?  Really?

Finally, it was decided that a neutral-site match would complete the suspended game.  The location was McConnell Family Stadium at Gannon University in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Resuming from the 69th minute, Rochester took the lead late, at the 87th minute, on a goal by Issac Kissi.  However, AFC Ann Arbor’s Yazeed Mathews equalized a minute later.  After two ten-minute extra-time periods, the match went to penalty kicks with Rochester winning 5-4.  Rochester then traveled to Detroit the next day to play Cleveland SC in the opening of the two semi-final matches.

This first semi-final was a wild one.  Rochester attacked immediately, scoring two goals in the opening seven minutes. The first from Michael Cunningham…

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The second by Rafael Godoi….

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An own goal in the 20th minute brought Cleveland closer and down a goal at the half.  Cleveland was issued four yellow cards in the first half, the most notable was to Marijo Musa, the Cleveland keeper, for a brutal out-of-the-box hit on the Rochester player, who had to be subbed off as a result of the collision.  Certainly, a red card should have been issued.

Rochester scored late, giving themselves a two-goal cushion, but after playing three matches in four nights, and Cleveland’s aggressive nature, the Lancers ran out of gas.  They gave up two goals in the final five minutes, sending the match into extra time.  Fifty-year-old head coach Doug Miller suited up and entered the match in added time to provide fresh legs.  But in the twenty minutes that followed, Vinnie Bell outscored Rochester 3-1, giving Cleveland the victory.

ROCH  Michael Cunningham 2′

ROCH  Rafael Godoi 7′

CLEVE Own Goal (Wyatt Scott) 20′

ROCH Uros Momic 81′

CLEVE Mike Derezic 85′

CLEVE Vinnie Bell 90′

CLEVE Vinnie Bell 93′

ROCH Issac Kissi 101′

CLEVE Vinnie Bell 111′

CLEVE Vinnie Bell 119′

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Meanwhile, as the Cleveland-Rochester match was wrapping up…

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City opened the scoring in the 22nd minute as Bakie Goodman slotted this pass to Shawn Lawson.

 

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It was another night of smoke and rainbows at Keyworth Stadium.

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During halftime, We the People of Detroit thanked Detroit City FC for helping raise money for them through the special edition prints sold at matches, like the one I mentioned and bought at the Toledo Villa FC game.

As expected, the match was tight.  You don’t get to the playoffs without being a decent team, and Minneapolis City FC came in with a 9-win, 2-loss, and 1-draw record, scoring 30 goals and conceding only 11.  However, a handball in the box by The Crow’s Aaron Olson set the stage for a Max Todd penalty kick.

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I had to share this. Cyrus Saydee has been with the team since its 2012 origin.  I caught this little display of his magic tonight.

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As we move on to the Midwest Region Final, we must give kudos to Minneapolis City SC for coming across the field in appreciation of the atmosphere the Northern Guard created.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 13, 2019: at Kalamazoo FC (NPSL Regular Season)

July 13, 2019

NPSL Regular Season Match

Mayor’s Riverfront Park, Kalamazoo, MI

Kalamazoo FC 1, Detroit City FC 3

Attendance: ?

DCFC Max Todd (PK) 9′

KFC  Isaia Nieves 25′

DCFC Abdoulaye Diop 72′

DCFC Tommy Buono 90′

Indulge me for a moment.  Before this afternoon’s match against Kalamazoo FC, the Michigan Typochondriacs were meeting at Kazoo Books in the morning.  I have a fascination with the typewriter, having rescued a few myself, and when two interests take place in the same location, it’s fun to partake in both.

 

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Another scorching afternoon in Kalamazoo as City wrapped up the season.  First place in the Great Lakes Division of the NPSL was ours, but a win assured us a bye in the first-round of the NPSL Midwest Region playoffs.

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Maki-vision streamed the match back home.

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It didn’t take long.  City drew a PK and in the 9th minute, Max Todd gave us the lead.

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Isaiah Nieves equalized in the 25th minute, and the teams went into halftime knotted at a goal each.

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Kalamazoo FC, a mid-table team, handed us our only defeat of the season back at our home opener.  They match up well against us, and a 3-win, 3-loss, 1-draw record against them is evidence of that.  It took until the 72nd minute, when Abdoulaye Diop scored a beauty, to give City the lead that would not be relinquished.

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Tommy Buono buried a third in the 90th, securing a playoff bye.

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2019 NPSL Great Lakes Division Champions.

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July 10, 2019: FC Juarez (International Friendly)

July 10, 2019

International Friendly

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Detroit City FC 1, FC Juarez (Liga MX) 3

Attendance: 6,901

DCFC  Shawn Lawson (Max Todd) 17′

FCJ Eder Borelli 36′

FCJ Lucas Silva 38′

FCJ Gabriel Hachen 66′

Originally, this date was scheduled for us to host Lobos BUAP, a Liga MX team from Puebla, Mexico.  However, financial issues troubled the team, having only four players on contract for the 2019-2020 season, so one month prior to the match, FC Juarez from Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua Mexico purchased the team, swapping Lobos BUAP out of Liga MX for FC Juarez.

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This is our second international friendly hosting a Liga MX team.  A year ago we hosted Club Necaxa, which was a good time.  Since that match, I have watched a few Club Necaxa matches on Univision and find the level of play better than an MLS match.  Maybe that’s why Liga MX is the most-watched football league on television in the United States.

 

 

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City started strong, looking to match the play of the Liga MX team.  In the 17th minute, Shawn Lawson scored to give us the lead.

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However, FC Juarez found their legs and scored two goals just two minutes apart from Eder Borelli (36′) and Lucas Silva (38′).

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During the first half, I shot these photos from in front of the Los Bravos fans.  They were a really fun group.

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Gabriel Hachen added a goal at the 66th minute, and FC Juarez took the win at the international friendly.  Having faced a couple tough Liga MX teams, City has only been outscored 5-2.

The only disappointment was that the FC Juarez team didn’t come over after the match.  Even though we’re at each other for 90 minutes, it’s the international friendship and community we honor with these matches, and it is always great to share in the global brotherhood of football.

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At the City Clubhouse, a memento from the match is on display.

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July 7, 2019: at AFC Ann Arbor (NPSL Regular Season)

July 7, 2019

NPSL Regular Season match

Concordia University, Ann Arbor, MI

Attendance: ???

AFC Ann Arbor 1, Detroit City FC 3

DCFC Shawn Lawson (Kervin Kenton) 17′

DCFC Shawn Lawson (Danny Deakin) 43′

DCFC Shawn Lawson (Tendai Jirjira) 90′

AFC AA William Eskay 90′

Record:  9-3-1 = 30 points   1st Place

Sunday afternoon in Ann Arbor is tree-cutting day, as the Mighty Oak became timber, and City secured a playoff spot in the Great Lakes Division.

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On this hot afternoon, the Northern Guard were secluded to a separate bleacher section.  It was so full many of us sat in the Ann Arbor section.  Perhaps the better fit would have been to seat the Ann Arbor fans in the side section and the Northern Guard in the elevated stands.

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City wasted little time putting on the pressure.  In the 17th minute, Shawn Lawson scores to give City the lead.

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As the half neared its conclusion, Shawn Lawson scored again.

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It was another tough, nail-biting match against the Mighty Oak, however the clock and City’s dominating defense held firm.  Shawn Lawson completed the hat trick as the clock hit 90 minutes.

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Will Eskay put a meaningless goal in for Ann Arbor, but none of us down in the Northern Guard section saw it because we were still celebrating Lawson’s goal and the victory which was moments away.

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Here’s an interesting statistic about this weekend.  Between this match and the Friday match against Grand Rapids, the goals scored, in order, look like this:

Grand Rapids FC = 1

Shawn Lawson = 4

AFC Ann Arbor = 1

Shawn outscored both Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor, combined.

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July 5, 2019: Grand Rapids FC (NPSL Regular Season)

July 5, 2019

NPSL Regular Season match

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Attendance: 6,807

Detroit City FC 1, Grand Rapids FC 1

GRFC Eric Conerty 34′

DCFC Shawn Lawson (Max Todd) 88′

Standings: 8-3-1 27 points, 1st place

Today was hot and humid, with a storm in the forecast.

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Standing down at this end for the first half, I was surprised at how quiet the Grand Army was.  In the previous match against Toledo Villa FC, I stood here and a single Toledo fan brought a drum and chanted solo.  He was louder than these guys.  Still, we’re able to make friends with supporters from other teams.

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The first half came to a close with Grand Rapids leading 1-0.  Here’s two interesting points about this game.  First, the goal scored by Eric Conerty of Grand Rapids FC in the 34th minute broke City’s 9 game shut-out streak, which lasted a total of 844 minutes.  But here’s the real interesting fact.  Through the 14-game NPSL regular season AND the two playoff games, the 54 minutes between Conerty’s goal and Shawn Lawson’s goal in the 88th minute were the only minutes Detroit City FC was behind in a match.  Think about that for a moment.

14 Regular Season games = 1,260 minutes.

1 Semi-final match = 90 minutes.

1 Final match = 120 minutes.

Total minutes = 1,470.

Total minutes City had the lead or the score was tied = 1,416

Total minutes City was behind = 54 minutes.

Freakin’ amazing.

 

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At the 61:31 minute mark, (at 8:51 PM) the game had to be halted due to a passing storm.  At Keyworth, storms may stop the play, but the songs continue and the rainbows appear.

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At 10:10 PM, the match resumed.  Here’s Shawn Lawson’s 88th minute goal, which concluded the only time in the 2019 NPSL season that someone had a lead against us.

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June 30, 2019: Toledo Villla FC (NPSL Regular Season)

June 30, 2019

NPSL Regular Season Match

Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Attendance: 6,892

Detroit City FC 6, Toledo Villa FC 0

PRIDERAISER TOTAL: 24 goals at $897.57 per goal!

Standings 8-2-1 = 26 pts, 1st Place.

DCFC Max Todd (Shawn Lawson) 25′

DCFC Max Todd (Bakie Goodman) 37′

DCFC Shawn Lawson (Kervin Kenton) 54

DCFC Max Todd (Bakie Goodman) 61′

DCFC Santiago Agudelo (Cyrus Saydee) 80′

DCFC Cyrus Saydee (Santiago Agudelo) 88′

Today was Prideraiser’s last day to pull more money out of the pockets of supporters and into the Ruth Ellis Center.  With 18 goals already tallied during the month, a match against Toledo Villa FC would certainly add to the staggering amount.  And City didn’t disappoint, putting six goals up on the scoreboard.

When the final penny was counted, the Northern Guard Supporters raised $26,531.69 for the Ruth Ellis Center.  And here, all you thought we did was taunt, swear, and blow smoke.

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Also this season, Detroit City FC sold limited edition screen prints on match days to support water-based efforts in Detroit and across the world.  We the People of Detroit and Viva Con Agua received the proceeds of these beautiful prints, of which only 40 of each were produced.  Today’s match was created by our own Fish.  You usually see him rounding up and directing the ball-kids for the match at Keyworth.  A locomotive moving full steam ahead, like the trains that pass by Keyworth and like the force of City’s forward movement this season.  I was thrilled to add it and a couple others during the season, to my office atmosphere.

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The beginning of this match was delayed for an unusual reason.  Our opponent from Ohio brought the wrong jerseys to the match.  We had to wear our white kits.  Not a problem, except for the fact that they had to be brought over from the Fieldhouse, which is not far from Keyworth.  However, they had not been washed.  So, during the warm-up and in the time during the delay, we had to wash and dry our kits before taking the field.

Clean uniforms for another clean sheet, making it nine straight shut-outs.

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Max Todd’s goals at the 25th and 37th minute gave City a two-goal lead going into the locker room.  At halftime, the Ruth Ellis Center provided entertainment in appreciation of the Northern Guard’s Prideraiser campaign.

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City continued to dominate in the second half under Trevor James’ instructions.

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In the 54th minute, a beautiful series of passes found their way to Shawn Lawson, making it 3-0.

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Max Todd completed the hat trick in the 61st minute.  Twenty minutes later, Santiago Agudelo made it 5-0.

Cyrus Saydee added a goal in the 88th minute, and City finished with a 6-0 victory.

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June 22, 2019: at FC Columbus (NPSL Regular Season)

June 22, 2019

NPSL Regular Season Match

Ohio Dominican University, Columbus, OH

FC Columbus 0, Detroit City FC 3

DCFC Max Todd (Shawn Lawson) 23′

DCFC Cyrus Saydee (Danny Deakin) 50′

DCFC Shawn Lawson (Danny Deakin) 57′

Record: 7-2-1 = 23 points, First Place.

Prideraiser Goals = 18

Another trip into Ohio.  This time, to the state’s capital – Columbus – to a stadium very near the airport.

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Once again, City was just dominating.  A goal in the first half by Max Todd…

…and two in the second half by Cyrus Saydee and Shawn Lawson, respectively.

It doesn’t matter who we put in net.  Hunter Morse played the first half, Owen Finnerty played the second, and City kept another clean sheet for the 8th straight match.  As for the State of Ohio, City has taken 58 out of a possible 69 points from Ohio-based teams, compiling an 18 wins, 4 draws, and 1 loss record.

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June 16, 2019: at Toledo Villa FC (NPSL Regular Season)

June 16, 2019

NPSL Regular Season

St. John’s Lyden Field, Toledo, OH

Toledo Villa FC 0, Detroit City FC 5

Attendance:  More Rouge Rovers than Villa fans

Record: 6-2-1 = 20 pts. 1st Place

Prideraiser Goal Total:  15

DCFC Tommy Buono (Danny Deakin) 11′

DCFC Seb Harris (Danny Deakin) 53′

DCFC Cyrus Saydee (Danny Deakin) 77′

DCFC Danny Deakin 80′

DCFC Shawn Lawson 84′

Red Card: Toledo Villa FC Colin McCort 61′

Red Card: DCFC Michael Pimlot 81′

This season, we had to make two trips to that four-letter word state south of Michigan – Ohio.  That meant Northern Guard Supporters bringing their scarf containing its controversial message:

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Toledo Villa FC was the new kid to the party, and it had been a bumpy ride for them.  Going into the match, their record was six losses and a draw, with four goals and twenty-two scored against them, making FC Indiana look good.

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But this was also a family affair.  Brothers Roddy and Tyler Green could, and did, see time on the pitch, opposing each other.

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The drive down on this Father’s Day was rainy.  Fortunately for the match, the rain stopped, but the sky remained gray.

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Tommy Buono gave City the early lead.

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Looks like someone drained the swamp.

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Buono’s goal carried the team into the half.

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Toledo was getting some looks.  But Seb Harris doubled the lead in the 53’rd minute.

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Toledo’s Colin McCort was shown a red card in the 61st minute.  Sixteen minutes later, Cyrus Saydee scored, giving City a 3-0 lead.  And there was much rejoicing.

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Then, in the 80th minute, Danny Deakin added a goal to his three assist afternoon.  And there was more rejoicing.

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In the 81st minute, City’s Michael Pimlot was shown a red card, leveling the playing field to ten men.  Three minutes later, Shawn Lawson closed out the scoring.

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Six straight wins.

Seven straight games without a loss.

Seven straight shutouts.

Freaking Amazing!