Detroit City FC is in for a busy week. Kicking off the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup as well as the National Premier Soccer League regular season gives DCFC head coach Ben Pirmann plenty to think about.
Action begins Wednesday, May 13 when DCFC travels to Pontiac, Mich., for a date with the Michigan Bucks in the club’s second-ever U.S. Open Cup appearance. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Ultimate Soccer Arenas. As the defending PDL National Champions, the Bucks will certainly give Le Rouge a run for their money. However, the Bucks have not played a single game together since last August, and DCFC already has three under its belt. Le Rouge will hope to carry momentum from Saturday’s win over the Muskegon Risers into the midweek matchup.
DCFC then makes a quick turnaround after the Open Cup to square off against AFC Cleveland at Cass Tech in their NPSL season opener. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15. In their last meeting on June 2014, Le Rouge dominated their Rust Belt Derby rivals by a score of 5-1 on the road. DCFC will hope to bring back last year’s energy, and the spirited Le Rouge faithful will surely help them in their pursuit.
This past weekend, DCFC tallied its first win of the 2015 campaign, defeating Muskegon Risers SC, 3-1. The rain poured down, but that didn’t stop 2,487 supporters from welcoming a slew of new talent to the rouge and gold side. Newcomer Javier Bautista (Ashford, IA) tallied the first two goals on the night, earning him M1 Imaging Man of the Match honors in his DCFC debut. Bautista’s goals came just 16 minutes apart, getting behind the Risers’ defenders on both, showcasing his speed. Returning for his second season, Will Mellors-Blair (Michigan) put the nail in the coffin striking an off-balance shot across the goal to give Le Rouge a two-goal cushion in the 86th minute, securing the win.
Get your tickets for DCFC’s game Friday against AFC Cleveland as well as tickets for the rest of the 2015 home schedule at https://www.detcityfc.com/tickets.
