Michael Kitchen's Blog, page 6
January 23, 2020
June 14, 2019: Michigan Stars (NPSL Regular Season)
June 14, 2019
NPSL Regular Season
Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI
Detroit City FC 2, Michigan Stars FC 0
Attendance: 6,872
Record 5-2-1 = 17 points, 2nd Place
PrideRaiser goal total: 10
DCFC Max Todd (Jalen Crisler) 59′
DCFC Max Todd (PK) 81′
Detroit City FC has played seven games up to this point, giving up only three goals – all them in the second match of the season. Seven clean sheets in eight matches. 540 consecutive minutes without a single ball entering the net behind our keepers.
Freakin’ amazing.
And tonight, the streak would extend another 90 minutes, as the Stars couldn’t penetrate the City defense.
[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] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error][image error] [image error] [image error]
Stars keeper, Tatenda Mkuruva, seemed to have a leg problem…all night long. This is just one of the three or four times that he went down. Thing is, most of them occurred in the first half, so it was surprising to see him still on the pitch when the teams returned from the locker room for the second half.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
It was another dominating half without either conceding or scoring a goal. Detroit Lions wide-receiver Marvin Jones Jr., supported Le Rouge from the suites.
[image error] [image error]
[image error]
Max Todd subbed in at around the 58′ mark, and his impact was almost immediate.
[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]
January 21, 2020
June 9, 2019: at Grand Rapids FC (NPSL Regular Season)
June 9, 2019
NPSL Regular Season
Houseman Field, Grand Rapids, MI
Grand Rapids FC 0, Detroit City FC 0
Attendance: a few of them, a good number of us
Record 4-2-1 = 14 points
Prideraiser Goal Total = 8
This was eerie. It was like making a hotel reservation only to arrive on a gray and misty day to find an old, empty building in a once bustling location.
Our visits to Grand Rapids FC have been…unique. In 2016, Detroit City FC suffered its worst ever league defeat at a crowded Houseman Field. Then, in 2017, we shut them down while playing in the West Michigan Whitecaps baseball stadium. Last year, it was a wild, 4-4 draw, still before a pretty decent turnout of Grand Rapids fans.
2016
[image error]
2017
[image error]
2018
But on this dreary, drizzly, Sunday matinee, there was barely anyone on the home-side of the field.
[image error]
The other oddity of these trips to Grand Rapids has centered on the keeper. In 2016, Cody Lang played his first City match after flying in from the State of Washington. In 2017, Nate Steinwascher stopped a key PK in the first half, when the match was scoreless. Last year, again we had keeper Damon Favero play his first match for City. In the two matches where we had first-time starters in net, we leaked 9 goals.
Coming into the match, City was riding a four-game undefeated streak, and four straight clean sheets with University of Michigan keeper Owen Finnerty in goal. I’ll confess. Due to our history here, I was concerned about Michigan State University keeper Hunter Morse making his City debut.
[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] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
In the 29th minute, Hunter Morse came up with a huge PK save.
[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] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error][image error]
This was a tight affair, with Morse’s PK save the highlight. Despite being a competitive team, the empty feeling of the field this afternoon gave me a wee bit of sadness for the absence of foes in the stands.
January 20, 2020
June 7, 2019: FC Indiana (NPSL Regular Season)
June 7, 2019
NPSL Regular Season
Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI
Detroit City FC 5, FC Indiana 0
Attendance: 6,910
PrideRaiser goal total: 8
Pledged amount: over $700 per goal.
DCFC Bakie Goodman (Cyrus Saydee) 6′
DCFC Shawn Lawson (Max Todd) 48′
DCFC Max Todd 56′
DCFC Cyrus Saydee (Shawn Lawson) 65′
DCFC Santiago Agudelo (Max Todd) 67′
Another beautiful evening, yet I didn’t take advantage of it. I seemed to be off my game, catching only the final goal.
It was Polish Heritage Night at Keyworth, and at halftime we had a few groups of dancers performing on the pitch.
Besides the scoreline, there was similarity in this match to our trip to Lafayette a couple weeks prior. We scored an early goal, this time in the 6th minute by Bakie Goodman, and while dominating the play, we went into the locker room at halftime with a 1-0 lead. In Indiana, we scored three goals in an 8 minute span, and tallied one in stoppage time. Tonight, we put four past Indiana’s keeper within 19 minutes, three of them within 11 minutes of each other.
The undefeated streak extended to four games (a draw and three consecutive wins), and finish the match without having conceded a goal in 360 consecutive minutes. University of Michigan keeper Owen Finnerty has kept the scoresheet clean in four-straight.
[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][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] [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]
January 5, 2020
Prologue: Detroit City FC Women’s Team & Inaugural Tryouts, January 4, 2020
History was made on September 28, 2019. During halftime of the Detroit City FC/Napa Valley 1839 FC match, Sean Mann announced Detroit City FC’s commitment to women’s soccer by establishing a team that would play in United Women’s Soccer in 2020.
By December 12, 2019, Detroit City FC named Salvatore Piraine as the women’s team’s head coach.
On January 4, 2020, sixty women registered to attend the inaugural tryouts for the women’s team. Friends, family, and the Northern Guard Supporters attended the two hours of scrimmaging on both fields at the Detroit City Fieldhouse, as Coach Salvatore Piraine and his assistants took note of potential Detroit City FC players.
[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] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
January 4, 2020
May 27, 2019: at FC Indiana (NPSL Regular Season)
May 27, 2019
NPSL Regular Season
Legacy Sports Club, Lafayette IN
FC Indiana 0, Detroit City FC 5
Attendance: More of us than them.
DCFC Moussa Gueye (Danny Deakin) 7′
DCFC Danny Deakin (Moussa Gueye) 66′
DCFC Will Perkins (Danny Deakin) 70′
DCFC Shawn Lawson (Max Todd) 74′
DCFC Daniel Wright (Max Todd) 90+
FC Indiana Anthony Dinz – Red Card 24′
Record: 2-1-1 = 7 points; 2nd Place
City road trips are usually a blast. It’s hard to answer the question, “which road trips are the best?” One that is definitely high on my list is Lafayette, IN to play FC Indiana.
I wouldn’t have said that after the first visit in 2017. Though it was one our more hilarious afternoons we’ve had as a group, I had decided to drive the 10-hour, 600-mile round trip in a single day. Since then, both in 2018 and this season, I drove in the day before and settled into a hotel room for the night, but not before visiting Von’s Books and having dinner at Khana Khazana Indian Grill. This makes the match in the cornfield all that more enjoyable.
[image error][image error][image error] [image error]
In addition, we won both previous matches, outscoring FC Indiana 14-1. I enjoy this destination.
[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]
It didn’t take long to get on the scoresheet as Moussa Gueye headed home City’s first goal of the match.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
City’s Abdoulaye Diop seemed to get under the skin of every FC Indiana player. By the 24th minute, it resulted in Anthony Dinz and another Indiana player taking Diop down, getting in a punch or two in the process. When the dust settled, Diop was shown a yellow card and Dinz left the match on a red card.
[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]
Despite the extra man, the sides went into halftime with City leading 1-0. But standing on the risers, you just knew that a flood gate would open.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
Danny Deakin scored in the 66th minute.
[image error] [image error] [image error]
Four minutes later, during the Northern Guard’s second half Tetris, Will Perkins scored.
Another four minutes later, Shawn Lawson put City up 4-0.
[image error] [image error][image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error][image error][image error] [image error]
As the match went into added time, Daniel Wright escorted the ball into the back of FC Indiana’s net with City’s fifth goal.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
Another blistering hot afternoon at the Legacy Sports Club. Another three-points for City to take home.
December 27, 2019
May 24, 2019: AFC Ann Arbor (NPSL Regular Season)
May 24, 2019
NPSL Regular Season Match
Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI
Detroit City FC 0, AFC Ann Arbor 0
Attendance: 5,908
Record: 1-1-1 = 4 pts 4th Place.
Another wacky weather day, as rain fell a couple hours before game time, but ended just before the march, giving me time to apply sunscreen.
[image error] [image error]
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
Holding off the tifo from last week to this seemed especially appropriate. Coming into this match, AFC Ann Arbor has had our number with a 4-1-1 record in NPSL regular season matches. Of course, we won the important Midwest Regional Final against them in 2017. Today, despite their on-field superiority, they faced something that, as a club, they will never have.
The Northern Guard Supporters reflected on Detroit City FC’s past, and honored the many players who wore the rouge-and-gold kit over the past seven seasons, as the club makes its transition from NPSL club to the professional ranks of American soccer. And the overwhelmingly awesome display was something AFC Ann Arbor was forced to view.
[image error]
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
I am very honored that NGS used some of my photos to create that beautiful display.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error][image error][image error]
[image error] [image error] [image error]
Excuse me, sir. He’s continuously standing on the field of play. A card, please?
[image error] [image error] [image error]
At halftime, it was our annual Special Olympics of Michigan match. Always a fantastic event.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
[image error] [image error] [image error]
This was a tough battle, as usual. Player for player, our talent matched or exceeded AFC Ann Arbor. A missed PK by City might have given us a lead, and a Jalen Crisler clearance on our goal line negated their best opportunity. A game of inches that evened out over the ninety minutes.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
[image error] [image error]
December 20, 2019
May 19, 2019: Kalamazoo FC (NPSL Regular Season)
May 19, 2019
NPSL Regular Season Match
Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI
Detroit City FC 2, Kalamazoo FC 3
Attendance: 5,254
Standings: 1-0-1 = 3 pts; 4th Place
DCFC Shawn Lawson (Kervin Kenton) 40′
KFC Giuseppe Vitale (PK) 58′
DCFC Max Todd 63′
KFC Dalton Michael 73′
KFC Elliot Miller 90+
Michigan provided its variety of weather today, beginning with hot, followed by rain, then tornado warnings, the rain becoming intermittent, concluding with sun. Due to such uncertainty, the annual home-opening tifo raising was postponed to the next match.
[image error] [image error] [image error]
[image error] [image error] [image error]
[image error] [image error]
Keyworth’s newest feature: shipping container suites at the north end of the pitch.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
This banner acknowledges a new supporter podcast, the 4:51 podcast.
[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] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
Shawn Lawson’s goal in the 40th minute carried us into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
[image error] [image error] [image error][image error][image error][image error]
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
A penalty kick was awarded to Kalamazoo FC on a foul just inside the box. Giuseppe Vitale converted it in the 58th minute. Five minutes later, Max Todd put City back in the lead…
[image error]
However, two defensive lapses in the 73rd minute and added time shifted the three points to Kalamazoo.
Overall, it was not a bad game. City dominated the first half, and things got chippy in the second. A couple of late mistakes stirred the ghosts of second-half-goals-against, quelling some of the home-opening excitement. But, we’ve also seen in the past that early losses can easily be covered in the dust of a rampant winning streak, so optimism remained high.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
[image error] [image error] [image error]
December 15, 2019
May 12, 2019: at Michigan Stars (NPSL Regular Season)
May 12, 2019
NPSL Regular Season
Ultimate Soccer Arenas, Pontiac, MI
Michigan Stars 0, Detroit City FC 1
Attendance: ?
Standings: 1-0-0 3 pts, 2nd place.
Detroit City FC Shawn Lawson (PK) 30′
They crossed the US border in 2014, formerly known as FC Windsor Spartans, to join the NPSL. They called themselves FC Sparta Michigan (we refer to them as “Sharta”), and played at Hurley Field in Berkeley. That lasted a year.
In January, 2014, Dearborn Sports Enterprise purchased them, and rebranded them Michigan Stars FC. After four uneventful seasons, winning 16 of 52 matches and finishing no higher than third place (2016), the team folded.
In 2018, a 50% share of the team was sold to George Juncaj, who will be coaching the team, with two of his sons – Steven and Robert – in the line-up.
[image error][image error]I almost didn’t take this photo. And I almost didn’t share it. This could be a reflection of Ultimate Soccer Arenas ownership/management or Michigan Stars FC ownership/managment. It does set a tone when one enters Ultimate Soccer Arenas…one that makes a person throw-up a little in the back of their throat.
This is the dome, where photos are nearly impossible to take due to the poor lightning (not even enough power to illuminate the “0” on the scoreboard). So I only have a handful of photos and a recap video for this match. When we go pro in the fall, maybe we can avoid ever having to play in this pit again.
[image error][image error][image error] [image error] [image error]
The first regular season match went well. The team looked good, especially defensively. And the Northern Guard were in fine voice. A solid rehearsal for next week’s home opener.
December 10, 2019
May 4, 2019: at Flint City Bucks (friendly)
May 4, 2019
Friendly
Atwood Stadium, Flint, MI
Flint City Bucks 1, Detroit City FC 0
Attendance: 4,736
Flint City Bucks: Umar Osman 35′
On October 30, 2018, the Michigan Bucks announced their move from Pontiac to Flint in the USL-2. To be fair, the Bucks have been a successful franchise on the field, winning five regular season titles and three North American Championships since 1995. They’ve beaten a few MLS teams in the U.S. Open Cup as well. However, they’ve been unsuccessful in creating a supporter-base, their match day attendance trickling into three-digits.
And we’ve had our fun with them, winning two of three U.S. Open Matches against them in 2016 and 2018. So, I guess this was kind of a big deal for them to have us visit as their opponent for their inaugural match.
[image error] [image error]
As expected, under the auspices of MLS-USL crowd control, we were greeted with five-pages of stadium policies, including a Patron Code of Conduct loaded with a bunch of “Do Nots”
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
Tenacity Brewing was our pre-match hydration station.
[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] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
At around the 15-minute mark, a nasty collision forced keeper Hunter Morse to leave the pitch. Max Jewett stepped in to finish out the match.
[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]
A clean tackle by Stephen Carroll, deemed a foul by the referee, set up the free kick by Umar Osman which beat Max Jewett in the 35th minute.
[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]
All-in-all, it was a really good match, with both teams getting opportunities. This wrapped up the pre-season. With two losses and a draw, and only a single goal scored, there was little concern. Just a tiny bit. On the whole, Trevor James assembled a quality cast of players to work with, and the level of play looked like an upgrade, providing a positive. With a little patience to allow the team to gel, we were ready for the season to begin. Our first test would be the following weekend, in the tin-can where these Bucks used to play, against the returning Michigan Stars.
November 30, 2019
April 20, 2019: Michigan State University (Friendly)
April 20, 2019
Friendly
The Corner Ballpark, Detroit, MI
Detroit City FC 1, Michigan State University 2
Attendance: ?
MSU Giuseppe Barone 15′
MSU Giuseppe Barone 19′
DCFC Tommy Buono (George Chomakov)
Our first match of the year was a friendly in Chattanooga on April 6, 2019. Yes, Chattanooga FC and the Chattahooligans are our best frenemies, and the trip was not only a tune-up for both teams, but to support CFC. A few of their previous owners defected and teamed up with a Utah investor to bring a USL League 1 team into Chattanooga, known as the Red Wolves. April 6th was the Red Wolves’ home opener. The friendly with our southern brethren was to show support for Chattanooga FC. I had made plans to make the drive, however a flu sidelined me earlier in the week. I’m sure the warm weather would have helped, but I would need to have survived the 9+ hour drive, each-way. Wisdom took over and I cancelled the hotel reservations.
[image error]
Instead, I went to the watch party at our new Detroit City Fieldhouse and City Clubhouse. Located at 3401 East Lafayette in Detroit, the Clubhouse is the bar/restaurant/gathering place elevated between two indoor soccer pitches at the Detroit City Fieldhouse. The facility opened on October 27th, with an alumni game on the boarded field.
[image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error][image error] [image error] [image error]
I’d highly recommend this as the go-to place when City are on the road. Great atmosphere and food – minus the smoke.
Chattanooga FC won the friendly, 1-0, on a 52nd minute laser shot by Markus Smarzoch.
Two weeks later, Detroit City FC played a friendly against Michigan State University at The Corner Ballpark in Detroit. It was chilly and, up until an hour before the match, rainy.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error][image error] [image error][image error][image error][image error]
You know if you’re wearing Detroit Vipers’ merch, I’m taking a photo!
[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]
MSU keeper Hunter Morse prevents a goal.
[image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error][image error]
Guiseppe Barone (10) scored in the 15th and 19th minutes to give MSU a 2-0 lead.
[image error]
Tommy Buono cut the City deficit in half by scoring in the 31st minute.
[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] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error] [image error]
After conceding the first two goals in the opening 20 minutes, City dominated the remainder of the first half and cut the deficit. The game tightened in the second half. Overall, it was a fun afternoon supporting Detroit City FC after the long nine months since last season’s final match.
