Detroit City FC took to the pitch twice this weekend. Once home and once away, Le Rouge recorded the biggest win of the year, an authoritative 6-1 triumph over the Minnesota TwinStars. Though on Sunday, Le Rouge struggled to capitalize against an in-state foe, Lansing United, falling 3-1.
Beginning action at Cass Tech in front of 3,210 supporters, Le Rouge came out firing, finding the back of the net four times in the first half. In just the sixth minute, Tyler Channell (Saginaw Valley State) finished a ball served across the box, his first goal for City. Latif Alashe (Michigan) put away the second goal of the night on a through ball from Zach Schewee (Bowling Green).
As the first half winded down, DCFC scored twice more. A creative, individual finish from William Mellors-Blair (Michigan) reached the bottom corner, and a volley from Jeff Adkins (Butler) went past the opposing goalkeeper to finish the half. Le Rouge went to the locker room with an emphatic 4-0 lead.
City didn’t slow down in the second half, when Adkins, the M1 Imaging Man of the Match, found James Murphy (Michigan) right at the goal line. Murphy tapped the pass in for the easy finish in the 54th minute.
In the 82nd minute, the TwinStars ended a potential shutout, but Le Rouge responded immediately. Murphy found Will Mellors-Blair inside the 18-yard box, where Mellors-Blair finished his second goal of the night.
Less than 48 hours later, Le Rouge were handed their first loss of the NPSL season falling to Lansing, 3-1, at Michigan State University’s DeMartin Stadium. City’s David Edwardson (Heddon F.C., England) netted Detroit’s lone goal – his first career goal – in the 44th minute, a strike from 20 yards out that flew past goalkeeper Quinn McAnaney and into the top corner of the United goal.
Lansing had an early goal, and polished off two more in the second half to break the tie and rally for the win.
Despite the loss, scoring seven goals in just two games is the sign of a potent offense and is certainly a positive takeaway from this weekend.
Le Rouge now holds a 2-1-1 NPSL record and return home Saturday, June 6, hosting the Madison 56ers. The 56ers will battle with DCFC under the floodlights at Cass Tech, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets to the match at https://www.detcityfc.com/tickets.
WEEKEND REPORT: DCFC COLLECTS ONE WIN, ONE LOSS
