What Happened: In front of 3,561 supporters at Cass Tech on Saturday night, Detroit City FC handed the Madison 56ers their first loss of the NPSL season. The biggest crowd of the 2015 campaign received exactly what they wanted. A quintet of goals from four different scorers led Le Rouge past Madison, 5-0.
About a half hour into the match, the goal-less tie was finally broken. In the 32nd minute, James Murphy (Michigan) served a curler from the left side all the way across the 18-yard box, where Cyrus Saydee (Michigan State) collected and dribbled forward. Saydee slipped through the Madison defense and rocketed the ball inside the near post, leaving Madison goalkeeper Joe White with no chance.
Before the end of the half, DCFC tallied its second in the 40th minute. Murphy dished another cross from the left flank, and Tyler Channell (Saginaw Valley State) rose above the goalkeeper to head the ball into the goal.
Right after halftime, a big save from City goalkeeper Bret Mollon (Temple) kept the shutout in tact. Madison midfielder Andrew Whalen’s diving header came powering toward the frame, but Mollon reacted immediately for the tremendous save.
Madison came out firing in the second half, but City halted their momentum, notching the third goal of the night in the 66th minute. Will Mellors-Blair (Michigan) carried the ball down the pitch, battled with a Madison defender for an inside position, and slotted the ball home.
Mellors-Blair was at it again in the 73rd minute, racing onto a through ball from David Edwardson (Heddon FC). The forward sped through and finished for his second goal of the night.
As the match came to a close, Le Rouge kept pressing forward, and in the 90th minute, City recorded the fifth and final goal, as Matt Ybarra (Detroit) shot through a gap in the 56ers’ defense for the score. Ybarra’s tally was his first-ever for Le Rouge.
With this win, DCFC now sits atop the Midwest Region of the NPSL with a 3-1-1 record and a match in hand.
Flare from Mellors-Blair: Mellors-Blair’s pair of goals earned him the M1 Imaging Man of the Match award. He put his speed on display for both, breaking away from Madison’s defense each time. The star forward was substituted out soon after his second goal, and rightfully received a standing ovation from the Cass Tech crowd.
Dedicated to Detroit: Saturday night, DCFC wore specially designed jerseys to benefit Detroit PAL, a non-profit organization that helps children build life skills through academic, athletic, and leadership activities. The jerseys were auctioned throughout the night, and the proceeds will go to Detroit PAL’s youth soccer programs.
Looking Ahead: Detroit City FC takes to the road next weekend, traveling out to Minneapolis-Saint Paul area for a matchup against the Minnesota United Reserves. Le Rouge and United kick off at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 14. DCFC’s next home game is June 17 versus the Columbus Crew College program. Get your tickets here.
DCFC TAKES DOWN MADISON 56ERS
