PONTIAC — On the road against Michigan Stars FC, an away atmosphere couldn’t have felt more like home for Detroit City FC. The grandstand at Wisner Stadium lacked a presence of Stars supporters, but was lined from one end to the other with rouge and gold fans. The DCFC faithful cheered throughout the night as they witnessed a 2-0 victory for DCFC to cap off the 2015 regular season.
DCFC opened the match with the majority of the possession, but the closest chances of the first half came for the Stars. One of the Stars’ best weapons was their long throw-in, which forced Le Rouge’s defense into many hectic scenarios. Late in the first half, a deep throw landed in a crowded 18-yard box, and two deflections had City defender Josh Rogers (Michigan State) scrambling for pair a goal-line saves, one with his head.
By the end of the first half, DCFC was feeling the pressure. But after the break, it dominated.
In the 51st minute, a long ball from Bobby Budlong (Albion) landed perfectly in space for the speedy Javier Bautista (Ashford), who slotted the ball past his opposing goalkeeper. It was Bautista’s first start of the season since City’s home-opener, having suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for the majority of the season.
Then, just six minutes later, Le Rouge earned a corner kick, and Cyrus Saydee’s (Michigan State) service found Seb Harris (Oakland) wide open on the six-yard line. Harris, having just entered the game, headed the ball home with his first touch to give Le Rouge a two-goal lead.
In the 75th minute, Bautista nearly had his second of the night. With his back to the goal, Bautista watched a low cross come his way. He dropped his shoulders and swung his legs, but his acrobatic, bicycle attempt was batted down right on the goal line by the Stars goalkeeper.
Bautista’s strong performance earned him the title of M1 Imaging Center Man of the Match on Sunday.
On the other end, City goalkeeper Alex Bouillennec (Saginaw Valley State) was heavily involved, doing everything in his power to hold onto another shutout. The tall Frenchman was called upon many times, recording nine saves. Despite the Stars’ added pressure late, Bouillennec held strong, punching out an onslaught of crosses, throw-ins and corner kicks.
When 90 minutes had passed, the DCFC players flocked to the stands to join the well-traveled supporter section, singing and cheering to another successful campaign that saw Le Rouge go 8-2-2 overall. The next stop: Madison, Wisconsin for the Midwest Region playoffs.
What’s next: Before DCFC treks to Madison, Le Rouge host one final friendly against the Windsor Stars. Wednesday, DCFC and Windsor kickoff at Cass Tech at 7:30 p.m. Get your tickets online at https://www.detcityfc.com/tickets.
