With the 2015 regular season behind it, Detroit City FC gets one last chance to prepare for the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) Midwest Region playoffs. On Wednesday, July 22, Le Rouge host the Windsor Stars in an international friendly, with kickoff set for 7:30 p.m. at Cass Tech. This friendly, which has become a traditional fixture for DCFC after the regular season, gives head coach Ben Pirmann the chance to not only showcase the reserves’ talent, but also to give his starters some more minutes together in a game scenario.
“Guys that are playing Friday (in the semifinal) won’t play more than a half at all,” Pirmann said after Sunday’s final regular season game. “That’s going to be a big day for us in terms of preparation. It’s a good chance to try some new combinations of players because we’re dealing with a few injuries. A lot of guys are going to be playing.”
Coming into this week, DCFC returns to action after a two-game weekend, falling to the Erie Commodores, 3-2, before shutting out Michigan Stars FC, 2-0. The highlight of the first game was Will Mellors-Blair’s (Michigan) brace that gave Le Rouge a lead for a portion of the game. Mellors-Blair ended the season with 10 goals in eight NPSL appearances, putting him on the First Team All-Midwest. For both goals Friday, he was assisted by Cyrus Saydee (Michigan State), who was also given this honor.
Then Sunday, Javier Bautista’s (Ashford) return to the lineup brought back memories of his DCFC debut early this season, in which he scored two goals. While Bautista only notched one this weekend, he came very close on multiple chances. Seb Harris (Oakland) headed in the other goal in the second half off a corner kick.
With the structure of the NPSL playoffs, it is unlikely that Cass Tech sees any more DCFC action this summer; so don’t miss your chance to send off the team as they prepare for the playoffs. In addition, DCFC is encouraging supporters to bring their old soccer gear on Wednesday to help out local youth players in need through the U.S. Soccer Foundation Passback Program. Get your tickets online while they’re still available at https://www.detcityfc.com/tickets.
– Ted Janes / DCFC Staff Writer
