Below is a recap of both games...

At Cass Tech High School Friday, the narrative played out in the same fashion as it has all season, with a Detroit City FC victory. This time, though, it was a new cast who delivered a resounding 4-0 victory over Zanesville Athletic FC.

Jeff Adkins (Butler) and Austin Oldham (Butler) scored their first career goals, while Zach Myers (Saginaw Valley St.) and Knox Cameron (Michgan/Columbus Crew) added goals of their own to keep Le Rouge’s record unblemished at the midway point of their NPSL season. Goalkeeper Jeremy Clark (Michigan St.) also earned his first clean sheet of the season.

Detroit City netted the first goal of the game for the fifth time this season, but it took them a bit longer than usual. City still held the edge in quality scoring chances throughout the entire game, and the best of those came in the 22nd minute when Adkins cut through the middle and received a ball from fellow forward Wade Allen (Oakland). Adkins was unable to convert, though, as he fired the ball a couple feet wide of the left post.

But five minutes later, Nick Lewin (Michigan) sent a ball from midfield to the top of the box for Myers, who turned and beat the last defender before he struck the back of the net for a 1-0 DCFC lead.

“I think the biggest deal is just playing well early, which is what we did today,” said head coach Ben Pirmann. “I just think if you minimize the other team’s possession and the other team’s chances, were going to have more ball possession, circulation and ball retention.”

Le Rouge created 12 to 15 true scoring chances throughout the match, simply overwhelming the Zanesville defense. Cyrus Saydee (Michigan St.) and Miche’li Lipari (Oakland) were at the forefront of the attack all evening, using their blazing speed to create opportunities down the sidelines while delivering superb service through the air.

And with the referee glancing down at his watch as the seconds ticked down to halftime, Detroit City wasn’t finished peppering the Zanesville back line. In the 45th minute, it was Saydee who received a ball in the middle of the field with Adkins cutting in front of him. A perfect through ball landed at Adkins’s feet, and his shot ricocheted off a Zanesville defender and over the goal line for a two-goal advantage.

Adkins was relieved to strike his first career goal in a DCFC kit, but his father might have been even more excited than him.

“On the car ride here, my dad told me, ‘hey you know, a goal would be nice,’” Adkins said. “And I said, ‘maybe one day’. But it happened and it’s something to remember for sure.”

The second half rang to the same tune of the first stanza, as Le Rouge continued to dominate possession en route to several more scoring chances. Finally, after a 22-minute scoring drought, which seemed like an eternity the way the attack has been clicking lately, Oldham found the back of the net to give City a 3-0 lead. Oldham received a ball from Kevin Taylor (Michigan/Minnesota Thunder) inside the box, and Oldham struck one off the left post and into the net.

Just five minutes later, in the 72nd minute, it was Knox Cameron who showcased his crafty footwork and superior strength on the ball. Cameron whistled a shot right between the legs of Zanesville goalkeeper Mike Lambeck to seal a sixth-straight victory for Le Rouge.

Detroit City holds a plus 17 goal differential, good for third-best in the entire National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as of June 16th. With only three goals allowed all season, Le Rouge’s back line alongside Clark and his fellow keeper Bret Mollon (Temple) have combined for an incredible .5 Goals Against Average. Josh Rogers (Michigan St), Zach Schewee (Bowling Green St), Lewin, Zeke Harris (Michigan) and Lucas Diener (Oakland) form a backline that has proved to be the stoutest in the divison. It’s a struggle to find a word that accurately depicts how remarkable the defensive efforts have been thus far.

Le Rouge now heads into the tougher half of its schedule, with two games against second place FC Buffalo on the horizon. DCFC will also play five of its final six Great Lakes divisional games on the road.

But if there is any time for Detroit City to face stiffer competition, now would be just fine.

“We’re just so confident in everything we do,” Adkins said. “Everyone has a good vibe about it and there’s nothing between the teammates. Everyone wants to win and we’re producing.”

Consistently potent offensive production, defensive stinginess and a coach who simply outsmarts the opposition have been the ingredients for Le Rouge’s perfect start. But that’s no secret.

This season has already been truly special and if City’s play from the first half of the season comes close to that of the latter half, this squad’s ceiling will continue to stretch much higher.

SUNDAY, 6/16/13 DETROIT CITY FC 2, ERIE ADMIRALS 1.

Following the emotional victory on Friday night, Detroit City was up early and on the bus Sunday morning for a critical chance to pick up a Fathers Day road win against the Erie Admirals.

Under patchy skies and a wind that at times took on the role of a 12th man, City played the Red and Black to 90 minutes of deadlocked soccer. Only an own goal by the Admiral’s side late in stoppage time allowed Le Rouge to head back to Michigan with the full 3 points.

As was the case in the earlier match between these two teams – a 3-0 City win that was much closer than the score would suggest - Erie seemed to carry play a majority of the match, especially in the first half. The opening stanza saw the home team pepper the Detroit keeper Bret Mollon (Temple) with 13 shots, 9 of which the goalie – coming off of two consecutive shutouts – saved. The look of head coach Ben Primann’s backline took on a subtle difference, as he moved outside back Zeke Harris (Michigan) up to outside midfielder, and started Zach Schewee (Bowling Green St), and Nick Lewin (Michigan) at outside backs, with Josh Rogers (Michigan St) and Lucas Diener (Oakland) holding down the middle.

It was the kind of small decision that paid big dividends. Mere minutes into the game, Pirmann assigned Deiner to shadow the dangerous Admiral striker Karl Jones, a lanky forward that Erie loves to move their offense through. Ball after ball dropped out of the clouds meant for the foot of Jones, only to be intercepted, hurried, blocked or otherwise befuddled by the equally lanky Diener. On occasions when Jones could lay off to his speedy wingers, the result was often a mis-hit shot, a Mollon save, or some other sort of difusal on the part of captain Rogers & co. And as if the relief of seeing Jones depart the pitch after only 64 minutes was not rewarding enough, for his effort in keeping the Admirals close, Lucas Diener was later named the Core Power Man of the Match.

The second stanza saw Detroit City regain its footing and the match took on a more back and forth flow, as both teams treated the crowd to a clean but extremely aggressive and entertaining brand of soccer. In fact, watching the taller and stronger Erie squad face off against a smaller and faster City team has easily resulted in the most watchable games of the City season. Credit the officiating staff for allowing these two disciplined organizations to play their games – only 11 infractions were called over the course of the match, only 4 of those on City – and the only yellow of the game was awarded to Erie defender Kevin Keenan in the 90th minute.

As for the scoring, shortly after the departure of Jones to the Erie sideline, the fireworks began. Le Rouge struck first, as is their wont, with Zeke Harris laying off a shot from the corner of the box onto the foot of Zach Myers (Saginaw Valley St), who buried his 5th goal of the season. Harris had by this time shifted back to the outside back position, it was his team-leading forth assist.

Le Rouge faithful had a little over a minute to celebrate, however, as Erie’s Ryan Johnstone finally found a home in the back of the net for a ball that took a tour of the goalie box, stopping at every foot, shin and body it could before the Admiral midfielder stepped-up and ended Mollon’s until-then clean-season.

And so the game would unfold, 1-1 for the rest of the half. Pirmann, showing confidence in his bench, rolled out waves of players, first Shawn Claud Lawson (Oakland), Austin Oldham (Butler) and TJ VanSlooten (Michigan) spelling Lewin, Wade Allan (Oakland) and Miche’li Lipari (Oakland); then Raphael Reynolds (Oakland), Chase Jabbori (Akron) and Grant Chong (Syracuse) for Myers, Harris and Latif Alashe (Michgan). By the arrival of stoppage time, only Rogers, Diener, Schewee and David Edwardson (Spring Arbor) would remain from the starting lineup.

Yet in the end, none of the City players would compose the final line of this tale. With less than a minute remaining in extra time, and the game looking very much like a draw, an Erie infraction drew a free kick 30 yards from their goal. Oldham’s kick found the head of Chong, who managed an effort that deflected off the Admiral keeper. As the ball bounced across the goalmouth, the first body to meet it was that of Erie defender Gary O’Neil. Faced with a clearing angle that would have intimidated even the most daring pool-hall hustler, the Admiral mis-struck, and the ball exploded into the back of the net for an own goal and an extremely fortunate City outcome.

-- Jeremy Summitt/DCFC

On the whiteboard in Detroit City FC’s locker room Sunday, head coach Ben Pirmann drew an arrow from Zeke Harris’s name towards the opposing goal line. As a natural striker in an outside back position, Harris savored Pirmann’s tactical decision.

Zeke Harris

The encouragement to join the attack resulted in Harris’s first goal of the season in Detroit City’s 3-0 victory against the Erie Admirals. With the win, Le Rouge remained undefeated and in sole possession of first place in the Midwest Great Lakes division of the NPSL.

Throughout the first half, Erie (2-2-1) utilized counter attacks to put pressure on goalkeeper Bret Mollon (Temple), nearly scoring on a number of chances. But no chance was better than the one that came in the 12th minute; Mollon brilliantly shut down an Erie opportunity off of a two-on-one when he stopped Karl Jones’s point blank shot that was heading towards the top-left corner.

Mollon, in for usual starter Jeremy Clark (Michigan St.) maintained his dominance all afternoon, saving two more shots in the first half that could have easily put the Admirals on the scoreboard. He had six total saves in his second shutout of the season. Mollon was named the Core Power Man of the Match for his stellar performance.

City (5-0-0) struggled to find its offensive groove early on but even when things weren’t going their way offensively, speed on the flanks continued to be reliable source of quality chances in the final third.

“Anytime you’re facing forward and the other guy is facing an opposite direction, they have a disadvantage,” Pirmann said. “We are consistently using that situation to our advantage, so obviously we are doing the right thing there.”

And finally, in the 23rd minute, Le Rouge broke through first to swing the momentum back onto the side of the maroon and gold. From the right sideline, Zeke Harris (Michigan) put a ball over top of the Erie defense onto the sprint foot of Zach Myers (Saginaw Valley St.). Myers calmly tucked it past Erie keeper Dan Mudd into the bottom-left corner for the striker’s third goal of the season and a 1-0 City lead.

Less than 10 minutes later, Myers almost netted his second of the game when he skillfully waltzed through two defenders in the box before being robbed of a goal by Mudd. And in the 33rd minute, Miche’li Lipari (Oakland) rattled one off the right post as Le Rouge continued to find seams in the Admirals back line.

City would settle for a 1-0 advantage at halftime. While Harris expressed that no one was smiling after the first half, playing with the lead at home is something Le Rouge is familiar with.

And so is scoring goals.

Detroit City came storming out of the gate in the second stanza with more peppering of Mudd and his defense. Zach Schewee (Bowling Green St.) and Harris were primary contributors in the final third all game, and it was Harris who found the back of the net in the 53rd minute off a Lucas Diener (Oakland) cross to double the Le Rouge’s lead.

“Our outside backs can play offense and defense,” Harris said. “I think me and Schewee actually are the perfect balance of an outside back. We can go forward and then we can shut it down on defense.”

Now with the two-goal edge, City was able to dictate the tempo for the majority of the second half. Looking resoundingly more efficient in maintaining its possession-laden style of play, Le Rouge was also able to minimize any of Erie’s offensive chances the rest of the game.

Chants of ‘undefeated’ rang from the supporters section shortly after the 78th minute as Schewee came blazing down the left sideline for a two-on-one break alongside Lachlan Savage (Saginaw Valley St.). Schewee rifled a shot that bounced off the Mudd and landed at the feet of Savage who calmly drilled home the rebound for City’s third and final goal of the match.

Even though Le Rouge looked a bit uncharacteristic in the first 20 minutes, City willed its way to a much-improved second half and a fifth-straight victory behind Mollon’s fantastic composure in goal, along with the clear speed advantage on the wings from Schewee, Harris, midfielder Cyrus Saydee (Michigan St.), forward Shaun-Claude Lawson (Oakland) and Lipari. In the second half, Knox Cameron (Columbus Crew), Jeff Adkins (Butler), Grant Chong (Syracuse) and David Dwaihy (Kalamazoo College) picked up where the starters left off, deftly counterattacking behind an Admiral formation clearly setup to score.

But score they could not, Harris, Schewee and Diener were joined on the backline by stalwarts Nick Lewin (Michigan) and captain Josh Rogers (Michigan St.) to assist Mollon on his second consecutive shutout. Latif Alashe (Michigan) supplied Le Rouge with 90 minutes of confident play in the midfield, as he and David Edwardson (Spring Arbor) more than made up for the lack of 5-goal scorer Kevin Taylor (Minnesota Thunder).

But even though DCFC has been on a tear so far this season, the team is still reluctant to revel in its success just yet.

“Now that we’re undefeated, we need to take it one game at a time,” Harris said. “We have to know that there is a target on our back and everyone is going to get up for us.”

City has now tallied 16 goals in just five games, and it’s remarkable goal differential of 13 is what has Le Rouge sitting alone atop the table over second place FC Buffalo.

The next obstacle in Detroit City’s (5-0-0) path towards perfection is Zanesville Athletic FC (0-1-5), who Detroit City will host on Friday, June 14 at 7:30pm. Le Rouge topped Zanesville 2-0 just two weeks ago at Cass Tech High School.

-- Jeremy Summitt/DCFC

Kevin Taylor doesn’t think his goals have been too noteworthy.

“My goals are nothing spectacular,” Taylor said. “I'm not hitting them from outside the box or anything like that.”

Taylor’s modesty aside, calling the start of his season nothing spectacular is like calling the night’s weather conditions “a bit drizzly.”

In fact, a check of both the stat sheet and glance at Detroit City FC’s record, suggest that “extraordinary” might be a more fitting description.

Taylor (Michigan/Minnesota Thunder) netted a hat trick and added an assist in Detroit City FC’s 4 - 1 victory over FC Sparta Michigan Friday night in a driving rainstorm at Cass Tech. For the second game in a row, he was named the Core Power Man of the Match for his stellar performance, and he’s now scored five goals in three games.

“It's just finding good spaces that I can be dangerous inside the box,” Taylor said. “With the service that these guys give me, if I don't finish it then it's on me. Just putting the ball in the back of the net and seeing it go in over and over is a big confidence builder.”

In just the fourth minute, Taylor first made his presence felt. Off a throw-in from forward Adam Bedell (Detroit), Taylor corralled the ball inside the six-yard box and struck one into the bottom-right corner to give Le Rouge a quick 1-0 edge.

FC Sparta was visibly frustrated by the early deficit, which was only further intensified by its inability to create any true scoring chances. In the 12^th minute, a hard tackle earned Sparta forward Stennet Nyekanyeka a yellow card. A dozen minutes later, a tackle that sent defenseman Zeke Harris (Michigan) into a front flip added another yellow to Sparta’s resume. But like the rain that began as the players were warming up, the chippy play would never simmer down.

Two minutes after Harris was sent flying, he was again at the other end of a yellow card when Sparta’s goalkeeper, Adrian Motta, fiercely shoved Harris in the box. DCFC was awarded a penalty kick, and Taylor lined up behind the ball and for the second time in the 2013 season, calmly slid it past Motta for the two-goal advantage.

And when Taylor wasn’t finishing inside the box, he was sending others on crafty routes to follow in his offensive-minded footsteps. In the 32^nd minute, Taylor received a Sparta giveaway and immediately placed a through ball into the 18-yard box for a cutting Miche’li Lipari (Oakland) who rifled a one-timer into the right side of the net. And just like that, City took a commanding 3-0 lead into halftime.

In the next stanza, Le Rouge wasted minimal time getting on the board again. In the 54^th minute, it was Taylor completing the hat trick after he found the ball in a scrum inside the 18-yard box. He placed the ball home off a deflection with several Sparta defenders around him to extend Detroit City’s already-decisive lead.

Alongside Taylor’s offensive outburst, Le Rouge’s defense stayed rock solid in front of keeper Jeremy Clark (Michigan St.) again. The only blemish on Clark’s outing would come in the 81 ^st minute after midfielder Latif Alashe (Michigan) slid into a Sparta player in the box, giving up a penalty shot. Sparta’s Gabriel Poulino converted the ensuing penalty, but it was far too late for any chance of a Sparta comeback.

With another lopsided win, Le Rouge continues to bombard its NPSL Great Lakes divisional counterparts, now outscoring the opposition 13-3 in four games thus far. Thanks can be given to the stout defending by the back line in front of Clark — Zach Schewee (Bowling Green St.), Nick Lewin (Michigan), captain Josh Rogers (Michigan St.) and Harris, along with a stellar contribution from reserve Lucas Diener (Oakland) — who have allowed only one goal and just five shots on target in the past two fixtures.

“The back line takes pride not only in preventing goals, but also shots,” said head coach Ben Pirmann.

It’s common to say that good defense translates to good offense. But in the case of City, the opposite rings remains true. It has been the strikers that have allowed for Le Rouge’s defense to remain so stingy.

“Our four forwards did a great job of holding the ball up, which is not easy in this type of conditions, Pirmann said. “… If you can keep the ball a lot, you’re going to be able to limit the other team’s possession and chances.”  Zach Myers (Saginaw Valley St.) started up top with Bedell, but the two shared time with fellow strikers Shaun Claude Lawson (Oakland) and Wade Allen (Oakland), who’s red card in the 86^th minute proved to be one of the few unfortunate outcomes on a night that was all City.

In the midfield, helping Taylor, Alashe and Lipari control possession thru an increasingly soaked pitch,were David Edwardson (Spring Arbor), TJ VanSlooten (Michigan), Lachlan Savage (Saginaw Valley St.) and co-owner David Dwaihy (Kalamazoo College) who saw his first minutes of the season.

With another extremely balanced performance from Pirmann’s squad, City now holds an even tighter grasp on first place in the table with 12 points, while Sparta remains stagnant in third place behind FC Buffalo. Le Rouge gets some well-deserved rest before hosting the Erie Admirals on Sunday, June 9 at 1pm.

And while Pirmann, Taylor and his teammates choose to remain humble about their remarkable start, the tale told in the stats and standings is hard to ignore. Le Rouge has looked like it’s been in midseason form ever since it throttled Sparta in the season opener.  With 2 games remaining against both Buffalo and Erie, there will be tests to come. Similar showings against those rivals and it may not be so easy being modest.

- Jeremy Summitt/DCFC

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO FROM THE VICTORY.

In just its second season in the NPSL, Detroit City FC is making noise. And it’s not just coming from the rowdiest supporters’ section in the league.

The Memorial Day weekend game saw DCFC partner up with supporter group Northern Guard to promote “Hooligans for Heroes” – a charity dedicated to supporting direct programs and services to meet the needs of injured service members. (www.hooligansforheroes.com). To honor the armed forces, City took to the pitch with special camo-theme kits, and immediately after the game player tops were auctioned off.

As the auction winners returned home, they would no doubt notice the stench coming from the unwashed, game worn jerseys.

They smelled like victory.

Kevin Taylor (Michigan/Minnesota Thunder) scored his second goal in as many games and Knox Cameron (Michigan/Columbus Crew) netted his fourth goal of the season in Detroit City FC’s 2-0 victory over Zanesville Athletic FC Saturday evening at Cass Tech. Both goals were scored seven minutes into the first and second half, respectively.

Le Rouge (3-0) didn’t waste any time putting pressure on the Zanesville (0-3) back line, as a flurry of opportunities came for City within the first 15 minutes of the match. After peppering the opposing defense with numerous balls into the 18-yard box, Taylor’s goal finally came in the seventh minute off a corner sent from Miche’li Lipari (Oakland). Taylor masterfully headed the ball in the top-right corner to give Detroit City the early 1-0 advantage.

City captain Josh Rogers (Michigan St.) said striking early was all part of the agenda.

“We said if we scored early they’d start questioning themselves,” the centerback said. “Then we came out in the second half and scored again early. I think that just killed the game right there.”

While the fate of the game was not determined until much later, Detroit City clearly carried the pace from the opening kick. Shortly after Taylor’s goal, in the 13th minute, Le Rouge had two opportunities to extend its lead but failed to convert. An Adam Bedell (Detroit) breakaway was deflected wide, thanks to a kick save by Zanesville goalkeeper Alex Farrell. On the ensuing corner kick, it was a hint of déjà vu for Taylor, as he received a Lipari corner at the same spot in the box. This time, though, Taylor rattled a header off the left post and the City advantage remained at one.

Throughout the rest of the first half, the scoreboard remained the same despite Le Rouge’s enormous edge in possession and physical play from both sides. In the 27th minute, Lipari found himself on a breakaway off a crafty through ball from Bedell, but Zanesville’s Joel Craig took Lipari down from behind, earning a red card.

Playing with 10 men, Zanesville could hardly muster the ability to cross midfield. Especially against Rogers and Le Rouge’s stingy backline of Nick Lewin (Michigan), Zeke Harris (Michigan) and Zach Schewee (Bowling Green St.). While rarely challenged, goalkeeper Bret Mollon (Temple) added a save a few critical stops on crosses to earn a shutout in his first ever DCFC appearance.
Zanesville continued to show its frustration as it earned a yellow card and committed a total of 13 fouls in the first half. On the City side, they earned 10 fouls of thier own in the first half, along with a yellow card presented to Harris. The game concluded with 33 combined fouls and two yellows shown to each side (City’s second went to Schewee), along with Craig’s red card.

That physicality ultimately hindered the flow of the game, limiting City’s ability to use its superior speed and passing abilities to take advantage of more scoring opportunities.

“I told Adil (Associate Head Coach Adil Salmoni) just before halftime, we needed to be up 2-0,” Head Coach Ben Pirmann said. “That's the name of the game. You have to put your chances away. We limited them to zero chances tonight, but any other time it could have been different.”

But after the halftime break, Pirmann’s wish was soon answered. A free kick was awarded to Le Rouge because of an illegal Zanesville pass back to the goalkeeper in the 52nd minute. Cyrus Saydee (Michigan St.) took the kick that let to a series of rebounds which eventually settled in two familiar places: Knox Cameron’s foot and the back of the opposing net. Detroit City led 2-0.

Le Rouge would never relinquish the lead, or even a shot on goal until the 68th minute when goalkeeper Mollon made his only save. Credit is due to the entire starting eleven for the shutout effort; joining Core Power Man of the Match Taylor as standouts: the strength of midfielder Latif Alashe (Michigan) and the speed of forward Zach Myers (Saginaw Valley St.) were a constant source of disruption for the Zanesville attack.

As was the case in the first two matches, Pirmann maintained the pace of the game, using numerous substitutions; up front with forward Shawn Claude Lawson (Oakland), in the midfield with Lachlan Savage (Saginaw Valley St.), TJ VanSlooten (Michigan), David Edwardson (Spring Arbor) and Jeff Adkins (Butler), and along the backline with Lucas Diener (Oakland).

City has allowed just two goals in three games, while minimizing shots on goal from opposing strikers. Still, Rogers won’t accept the entire honor on his defense’s behalf.

“You have to thank the four in front of us,” Rogers said. “The midfield is incredible and they shield us very well.”

With its third straight win to open up the season, Le Rouge are sitting pretty atop first place in the divisional standings. Even though City supporters have plenty to rejoice about this holiday weekend, there is much to be done for a team that is just beginning to fire on all cylinders.

“I think we can still do a better job of playing our game, getting the ball moving and looking to scheme and work the inner passing lanes,” Pirmann said. “I think overall it's great to be 3-0 but we have a lot of work to do with over 75% of the season left.”

Detroit City will take that next step towards preserving its unblemished record this Friday, May 31, when Le Rouge will be back in action at Cass Tech High School when it hosts FC Sparta Michigan at 7:30pm.

— Jeremy Summitt/DCFC

CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO FROM THE VICTORY.

In May of 2012, most people would call you crazy for thinking a minor league soccer team in downtown Detroit could be successful.

In May of 2013, Detroit City FC fans would call you crazy for thinking you would have room to sit down in the supporter’s section.

On a beautiful Detroit evening, in an atmosphere comparable to the final home matches of the inaugural 2012 season, over 1,800 Le Rouge faithful packed into Cass Tech High School for an absolutely electric home opener in which City defeated rival AFC Cleveland, 2-1.

As was the case in their 5-1 drubbing of Sparta the previous week, the DCFC offensive attack generated many early opportunities. However, in this match Le Rouge was met by a formidable Cleveland defense that countered City’s talent and speed with physicality and tenaciousness.  The same can be said for the Detroit backline and their handling of the Cleveland strikers.  In all, the squads would muster 3 shots on goal each.  It was clear to all watching that for the two teams on the pitch, this tilt was more than a game – it was a rivalry game.

The Royals struck first.  A field-aided turnover at the top of the 18-yard box in the 13^th minute gave Cleveland forward Vinny Bell a breakaway. He dribbled to the left of goalkeeper Jeremy Clark (Michigan St.) and placed home the opportunity for an early 1-0 advantage.

Cleveland carried the confidence gained from the opening goal into the next 10 minutes of the match, controlling the majority of possession and generating sporadic chances inside the box. Centerbacks Josh Rogers (Michigan St.) and Nick Lewin (Michigan) stepped up to anchor the back line, sprawling for loose balls and continuously frustrating Royals strikers with their positioning and resolve.

Rogers especially has shown remarkable energy and awareness during the first two games, “He is a gamer,” DCFC head coach Ben Pirmann said. “He just gets it done. You just can’t take him off the field because he does too much stuff. He’s the reason why this team wins and why we’re off to a 2-0 start.”

Feeding off the strong defensive effort, Detroit City’s attack kept pushing forward and probing for opportunities. As the half wound down, midfielder Cyrus Saydee (Michigan St.) sent a ball into the box that was headed just wide of the left post by midfielder Kevin Taylor (Michigan). Just two minutes later, the next City chance was a header from forward Zach Myers (Saginaw Valley St.) that missed just high.

The consistent offensive pressure led to a golden opportunity and the defining moment of the match.  In a scramble for the ball inside the box, Myers raced to fire a shot on goal but a hard tackle quickly brought him down and City was awarded a penalty. With a coolness forged from his earlier years playing in professional leagues , Le Rouge rookie Kevin Taylor lined up and placed the ball into the right side of the net for his first goal in a Detroit City uniform to knot things up at one heading into halftime.

Taylor immediately threw his hands up in celebration, and felt right at home standing on the main stage in front of his raucous supporters. “A penalty is the easy way to get one,” Taylor chuckled. “But no, it feels great. With the fans and the atmosphere, it’s awesome.” 

Holding the momentum heading back on the pitch for the second half, Le Rouge conducted an impressive opening for the second stanza. Just three minutes in, following a dash up the sideline that is fast becoming a trademark Le Rouge tactic, right back Zeke Harris (Michigan) lofted a beautiful cross to Knox Cameron (Michigan), who converted for his third goal of the season and a 2-1 City edge.

For his efforts, the fans voted Cameron the Core Power Man of the Match.

In the ensuing minutes, Detroit City gained the possession edge as Taylor, Saydee, Spencer Thompson (Michigan St) and Latif Alashe (Michigan) remained poised and physical in the center assuring simple distribution to the wings.  On the outside, the aforementioned Harris and his left side counterpart Zach Schewee (Bowling Green St.) utilized their speed to create space and lay off balls to the central attackers. Their efforts nearly paid off when Schewee whistled a shot just inches over the crossbar that would have sent the Le Rouge faithful into a frenzy. Despite the near-miss, the stinginess of the Detroit City back line absorbed each Cleveland attack to keep the score in City’s favor until the final whistle.

And with that, Detroit City FC (2-0-0) sent its  - still winless - archrival on a four-hour journey home with plenty to think about, while Le Rouge faithful’s chants rang loud and clear past the confines of Cass Tech and on down Grand River Ave. well after the victory.

Taylor was thrilled to be a part of the comeback win, and even more so, he’s overjoyed to be a part of what DCFC continues to promote in Downtown Detroit.  “From playing pro to coming back to Michigan and trying to build a grassroots team, and get something started in Detroit, it’s great for the city, Taylor said. “You see by the support of the fans and everything that everyone is really into it. It makes it easy for us when we have an atmosphere like that.”

With the victory, Detroit City sits in first place in the Great Lakes Division of the NPSL.  FC Buffalo is also 2-0-0 but Detroit leads in goal differential. Le Rouge will take on Zanesville Athletic, a newcomer to the division, at home on May 25 at 7:30 pm.

Tickets will be $5 for general admission and season tickets will still be on sale for $35 for all remaining home games. Tickets will be available 90 minutes before the game and Cass Tech will open its gates at 6:30 pm.  El Guapo & Mac Shack food trucks will return to help satisfy fans’ hunger during the game. Cass Tech is located at I-75 and Grand River in downtown Detroit.

The match will be a special benefit for Hooligans for Heroes, a grass-roots movement that works in conjunction with the widely recognized Wounded Warrior Project to help bring aid & awareness to American heroes, on and off the field.  Hooligans for Heroes is organized by DCFC supporter group Northern Guard, and in honor of the cause and the Memorial Day Holiday, Le Rouge will take to the pitch in special camouflage kits, which will be auctioned off after the game.  For more information, see www.hooligansforheroes.com .

For the 2013 season, Detroit City FC will introduce the “Core Power Man of the Match”, which will be voted on by the fans during each home game. Throughout the game, fans will be encouraged to chose their top player of the game and tweet @DetroitCityFC with the hashtag #powerman. The winner will be honored after the game.

- Jeremy Summit/DCFC

Even before the first ball was struck, Detroit City FC’s season began in impressive fashion against FC Sparta Michigan, as hundreds of soccer starved supporters sent a message to the newest member of the Great Lakes division that sometimes, home field is not an advantage.

Then the game started, and Detroit City sent Sparta a message of its own.

Braving cold, wind and the occasional snowflake, and buoyed by at least 400 of their own supporters, Le Rouge dominated nearly every facet of the match en route to a 5-1 victory on Sunday night at Berkley’s Hurley field. For the first ten minutes, Detroit City seemed to be feeling out their opponent as Sparta endeavored to get its offense flowing. Within a few minutes of the opening kick, the suburbanites managed their first shot, which was collected effortlessly by keeper Jeremy Clark (Michigan St.). It would prove to be Sparta’s lone shot on goal of the half.

Coming to life slowly over the course of the first 15 minutes, Detroit shook off their final few winter cobwebs and commenced with the spring-cleaning. Urged on by new head coach Ben Pirmann, City transitioned into attack-mode, and the results were almost immediate. Pushing up were outside defenders Zach Schewee (Bowling Green St.) and Zeke Harris (Michigan) – on the left and right, respectively – creating havoc deep into Sparta territory. The pay off came in the 21st minute, as Schewee’s persistence allowed midfielder Cyrus Saydee (Michigan St.) to pick the pocket of a Sparta defender at the top of the box and slip a pass through to midfielder Latif Alashe (Michigan) who promptly placed the ball in the bottom left corner, past Adrian Motta (Madonna), the Sparta keeper, and giving Detroit City its first goal of the 2013 campaign and a 1-0 lead.

Just two minutes later, Schewee got things started yet again with a chip into the Sparta boxl. The ball floated past the keeper and onto the foot of forward Zach Myers (Saginaw Valley St). With only a defender in his way, Myers fired the ball into the back of the net as the Le Rouge faithful rejoiced a 2-0 edge and immediately got to thinking about words that rhyme with the name Zach.

Of the dimension added by the fleet fullback Schewee, Coach Pirmann said, “It is something we worked on throughout preseason: ball speed, circulation, bouncing it side to side and then getting the other outside back going. I thought Zeke Harris was equally as good tonight. When you’ve got two fullbacks that can go with a purpose, you can break down the other team.” Sparta would hardly gain possession of the ball in the next ten minutes, and much of the remainder of the first half, as Detroit City continued to pepper the opposition with crafty passing and numerous crosses back and forth.

Le Rouge wouldn’t score again before the halftime break, but had every bit of momentum with them heading onto the pitch for the second half. But the Zach’s would not relent, hooking up in the second half for a goal in the 56th minute when Schewee sent a pass down the left sideline to the speedy Myers. Motta wasn’t able to handle Myers’s initial strike, and the Division II Player of the Year promptly corralled the rebound and knocked the ball home for his second goal and a 3-0 City lead. “(Myers) is an incredible athlete, but he’s also incredibly coachable,” said player-owner David Dwaihy. “I think he kind of took his direction from the coach, did what he was asked and followed the game plan. He’s a finisher too so he put them in the back of the net.”Myers debut performance made him the first recipient of the first ever Core Power “Man of the Match” accolades, impressive in a game with so many City standouts.

Le Rouge would continue to strike, as they netted another goal just two minutes later. This time, it was forward Knox Cameron (Michigan, Columbus Crew) who sniped in a cross from inside the box by Harris. With a 4-0 lead by the 58th minute, Detroit City was well on its way to notching its first victory of the season.

Sparta would eventually break through on a deflection off of a corner kick for its lone goal on the second of their two shots in the game. The City defense was impenetrable in live play, but Le Rouge’s head coach Ben Pirmann was not pleased with the inadequate defending on the set play. “Obviously very disappointed to give up the set piece goal,” Pirmann said. “We knew they were good on set pieces and it was one of our coaching points of our pre-game talk and it was disappointing to give up a set-piece goal, especially late.” Despite the setback, City was not finished. With the second half coming to an end, Alashe found Cameron for the striker’s second goal in his 29 minutes on the pitch.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the first game of the season was the suggestion of the talent on display for the maroon and gold. In the middle, alongside Saydee and Alashe, returner Spencer Thompson (Michigan St) and newcomer Kevin Taylor (Michigan) started the game and by the time they gave way to Miche’li Lipari (Oakland), Lachlan Savage (Saginaw Valley St.) and Nate Norman (Notre Dame), the center of the pitch had been annexed by the city of Detroit.

Along the backline, Josh Rogers (Michigan St) provided the skill and poise that Le Rouge fans have become accustomed to while Nick Lewin (Michigan) joined Rogers at centerback, making a few well timed runs out of his own end once Lucas Diener (Oakland) came in for Harris in the 70th.

Up front, 2012 City striker Wade Allan (Oakland) started alongside Myers, and granted onlookers a hint at the potential of the possibilities in combining a veteran’s feel for the game with the SVSU striker’s athleticism; similarly, in the second half, the fluid and speedy young Shawn Lawson (Oakland) made his City debut alongside Cameron, within minutes the chemistry there was plain to see as well.

Detroit City FC will host archrival AFC Cleveland On Friday, May 17 at 7:30pm at Cass Tech, El Guapo food truck will return to help satisfy fans’ hunger during the game.

Tickets will be available 90 minutes before the game and Cass Tech will open its gates at 6:30 pm. Admission is $5. Season tickets are still available at $35 for all 8 home games.

Cass Tech is located at I-75 and Grand River in downtown Detroit.

by Jeremy Summit for DCFC

MillKing It Productions

CITY is a limited release Red IPA. The beer is well hopped with a gorgeous ruby (Rouge) color, with medium high alcohol content and a solid caramel malt backbone to assure ultimate drinkability.

"One of our primary missions at MIP is to closely connect with our local community one beer at a time. We want our beer to be part of the lives people live within our close knit community, shared with friends, family and celebrations. We can't imagine a better way to connect to our city than with our partnership with the Detroit City FC", stated Kristy Smith, President of MIP.

“In just one year, we’ve developed a large and loyal following. It was obvious early on that a significant portion of our fan base is adults who appreciate local, independent businesses and good beer.  It only made sense to partner with a top, local craft brewery like MillKing It Productions, to create a fun product like CITY for our fans and to help spread our name,” stated Detroit City FC co-owner Sean Mann.

On May 9^th, there will be a release party for CITY beer at the Harry's Bar in Detroit open to Detroit City FC season ticket holders. In the coming weeks, CITY will be available at Detroit City FC official host establishments and across the Metro Detroit region.  Detroit City FC official host establishments that will be offering CITY includes but is not limited to:

Harry's

Green Dot Stables

Slow's

Lager House

Bronx Bar

Mercury Bar

Detroit City FC is a minor league soccer team that plays in the National Premier Soccer League’s Midwest Great Lakes Conference. Started by five Detroit residents, Detroit City FC plays its home games at Cass Tech High School in front of one the largest and loudest home crowds in minor league soccer. Detroit City FC starts its second home campaign on May 17^th, when its hosts AFC Cleveland.

MillKing It Productions

MIP is a local award winning craft brewer in Royal Oak that focuses exclusively on producing authentic honest beers for the local Detroit market. The beers are hand crafted with passion and distributed to local bars, restaurants and finer beer retailers. The brewery is well known for the very popular BRIK Irish Red, AXL Pale Ale and SNO White Ale.

Detroit City FC would like to remind you that it’s important to serve and drink alcohol beverages responsibly, and that you must be 21 years of age to consume CITY or any other alcoholic beverages.

Core Power, Official Post-Game Drink of LeRouge

“We’re excited to be partnering with two quickly growing organizations, like ourselves, that produce a high quality product for their customers,” stated DCFC co-owner, Sean Mann.

Core Power will be the “Official Post-Game Drink of Detroit City FC,” and its logo will be on the back of LeRouge’s home and away jerseys. Core Power is a real milk protein drink made from fresh, lowfat, lactose-free milk and real honey, making it the perfect post workout recovery drink for an active lifestyle.

Core Power products will be available for purchase at game day concessions and the team will also be provided with Core Power product after each game to help with recovery between matches. After each game a Core Power “Man of the Match” will be announced.

MillKing It Productions, maker of BRIK and AXL beers.

Also appearing on the back of DCFC jerseys will be MillKing It Productions, the Royal Oak Brewery known for award winning beers like AXL and BRIK. MillKing It Productions (a.k.a. MIP) was founded in 2010 with a singular mission: To strip down all pretensions and preconceived notions of the craft brewing industry and create a truly memorable and focused catalog of fine beers. MIP brews a limited number of stylistically and historically accurate beers.

Stay tuned for an exciting announcement next week about our partnership with MillKing It Productions.

The 2013 jerseys will be available for pre-sales at the end of this week.

More about or sponsors at:
Core Power
MillKing It Productions

Mark your calendars: Detroit City FC will be welcoming the Columbus Crew Super 20s and the Windsor Stars back to Cass Tech this season.

DCFC supporters had a chance to see both teams last year during friendlies and we look forward to having these competitive sides back to Detroit this summer. While only exhibitions, the matches provide valuable opportunities to give our players greater exposure, more chances for our fans to enjoy the DCFC game day experience, and most importantly, get the team ready for the NPSL postseason by playing top notch opponents.

The home friendlies are set for:

Columbus Crew Super 20s, Tuesday, June 18, 7:30 pm
Windsor Stars, Wednesday, July 17, 7:30 pm

Check out the full schedule here

Columbus Crew Super 20s is a talented team boasting some of the best young players in the country. CITY dropped a 3-1 decision to this loaded squad in a tune up before the NPSL playoffs last season. The Crew side has won the national Super 20 championship two out of the last three years and went on to lose in the national final last year after its match against Detroit City FC.

Stefan St. Louis lines up a shot against the Windsor Stars, July 2012.

The Windsor Stars, our neighbors to the south, will be coming back to Cass Tech after playing to a scoreless draw last season. The Stars qualified for last season’s Canadian Soccer League playoffs, with help from LeRouge players Josh Rogers, Wade Allan, and Keith Lough, who joined them on loan after the end of the DCFC season.  There will be a return leg match in Windsor (date to be determined), as part of a partnership the ownership of both organizations hopes can grow in to a healthy non-league rivalry.

Be sure you don't miss any of the action this season. Buy your season tickets today.

More information about our opponents can be found at:
Columbus Crew Homepage
Windsor Stars Homepage

With a month to go before the start of the 2013 campaign, we’re pleased to announce the addition of six new faces to the Le Rouge squad.

“We couldn’t be happier to add these guys to the squad. They’ve each achieved great individual and team success at the collegiate level and each has the potential to be an instant contributor this summer,” stated Coach Pirmann.

"With these signings, we're confident our fans are going to witness one of the more formidable and entertaining sides in the NPSL," said team co-owner, David Dwaihy. "Even better yet, these players will give our fans the opportunity to cheer on some of the best soccer talent the state of Michigan is producing at the moment."

The latest additions to join our quest for a NPSL title:

Jeff Adkins – Adkins just finished his freshman year as a forward at Butler University where he led the Bulldogs in scoring with 5 goals and was named to the All-Atlantic 10 Rookie Team. Jeff played his high school career at Utica.

David Edwardson– A native of Newcastle, England and a junior at Spring Arbor University, Edwardson was named the 2012 Crossroads League Player of the Year, registering 6 goals with 5 assists as an attacking midfielder.

Miche’le Lipari – Lipari, a junior midfielder from Macomb, Michigan playing at Oakland University, was third in the Summit League with seven goals this season. He was an All-Summit League first team selection and ranked second on the Oakland team in goals and points.

Zach Myers – The Saginaw Valley State standout is joining us after coming off a senior campaign, under the tutelage of former DCFC Coach Cale Wassermann, where he finished with 17 goals, two assists, and 36 points. Myers earned the National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division II Player of the Year and was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year. During his junior season, Zach was named the GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year, making him the only player to hold both the GLIAC’s Defensive and Offensive POY title.

Raphael Reynolds – Reynolds is a Toronto native who established himself as a commanding presence while starting 19 games in the midfield during his freshman season at Oakland University.

TJ VanSlooten– A Grand Rapids native, TJ is coming off his sophomore season at the University of Michigan where he started in the midfield for the Wolverines during their Big Ten tournament and NCAA run.

"Signings like these are exactly why we started this organization," added co-owner Sean Mann. "From day one, we've strived for this team to provide more exposure for the region's top players and to give them an opportunity to play in front of one of the most spirited fan bases in the country."

We look forward to announcing more signings as the season approaches and the tryout process concludes.