Following one if its most lopsided victories of the season against the first-place Indiana Fire on June 29, Detroit City FC is poised for two critical matchups this weekend. With Le Rouge now only one point behind the Fire in the Great Lakes West Conference table, a string of wins will place Le Rouge in a favorable position to grasp onto the first-place position for the remainder of the season.
The holiday weekend begins with DCFC visiting the Michigan Stars (formerly FC Sparta) on July 4 for a 10 p.m. kickoff. Just two days later, on Sunday July 6, City will return back home to host the Cincinnati Saints at 1 p.m.
Jeff Adkins (Butler) is coming off a dominant performance in the 4-0 victory over Indiana last Sunday in which he scored two goals on eight attempted shots. The match served as a bit of revenge from the previous two meetings between Indiana and DCFC after Le Rouge salvaged a 2-2 draw on June 6 before losing its first game of the season to the Fire, 2-0, on June 20.
The Michigan Stars come into Friday’s match with a 3-0-6 record, sitting in last place in the Great Lakes West Conference. The Stars haven’t played since June 15, but were able to edge out Fort Pitt Regiment, 1-0, in their most recent match.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Saints are coming off a 2-1 loss to Fort Pitt Regiment on June 29. The Saints rest in the fourth position in the Great Lakes West Conference table with a 3-0-7 record. Detroit City FC has already beaten Cincinnati by scores of 2-0 and 3-2 earlier in the season, and it recorded a 3-0 victory over the Michigan Stars on May 16.
But with the NPSL playoffs looming in less than three weeks, the importance of each match remains increasingly heightened. At the conclusion of the regular season, only the top team in each conference advances to the playoff round, in addition to one wildcard team.
The wildcard club is determined by whichever team in the Midwest Region has earned the highest points per game from wins and draws. If the season ended today, Detroit City FC would advance to the playoffs in the wildcard position.
However, DCFC is familiar with what it takes to earn a regular-season conference title, and with four matches left to be played Le Rouge holds a golden opportunity to repeat last year’s conference crown.
There are just two regular-season home matches left at Cass Technical High School, as well as one extra friendly that was rescheduled for June 23 against the Windsor Stars. Previously, DCFC had scheduled a friendly against the Columbus Crew U-20s, but that match was postponed due to inclement weather.
Don’t miss out on any of City’s playoff chase — tickets for the final two home games are for sale online at https://www.detcityfc.com.
