What happened: Wednesday night, the Windsor Stars made the short trip across the Detroit River for the annual international friendly with Detroit City FC. In front of 3,485 supporters at Cass Tech, the Stars took control on their way to a 1-0 victory over Le Rouge, but not even a loss could spoil such a special occasion.
The final game at Cass Tech for the 2015 season meant the handing out of the Black Arrow MVP trophy as well as the last chance to see DCFC captain Josh Rogers (Michigan State) don the rouge and gold.
The postgame festivities were wild, but the beginning of the game was rather uneventful. The slow start picked up in 26th minute, when a cross from Seb Harris (Oakland) reached the far side of the Windsor penalty area, where Matt Ybarra’s (Detroit) diving header slipped just wide of the post.
Another close chance for DCFC came only three minutes later when Javier Bautista (Ashford) lunged forward for a header on an open net, but the Windsor goalkeeper Kyle Vizirakis scrambled to poke the ball out of Bautista’s path.
City was the more threatening side in the first half, putting up seven shots before halftime. Le Rouge continued to bring the pressure in the second half, and in the 50th minute, DCFC midfielder and co-owner David Dwaihy nearly finished what would’ve been the game’s opening goal, but his shot was stopped right on the goal line by a Windsor defender.
With the friendly circumstances, many players, reserves and veterans who don’t usually see time were able to, including DCFC goalkeeper Jeremy Clark, who was Le Rouge’s keeper in the club’s inaugural season. Though, soon after Clark was brought in, in the 71st minute, Windsor finally got on the board.
Midfielder Steve Ademolu sprinted with the ball down the left side of the pitch, beating out a handful of DCFC defenders to take on Clark’s goal. Ademolu’s high shot flew past Clark into the back of the net, giving the Stars a 1-0 lead.
As the clock ticked toward 90 minutes, the City faithful released all their smoke. Beneath a heavy cloud, Le Rouge earned a corner in stoppage time, and of all the players to get on the end of it, the veteran goalkeeper Clark pounded a shot into a flurry of defenders, but his attempt rebounded away from goal.
The referee whistled to end the match, but there were smiles all around. The fans and players joined together on the pitch to sing and dance in honor of a memorable season at Cass Tech. And of course, the captain gave some parting words.
“This was my last game here at Cass,” Rogers said after the game. “But I have four more left.”
Four games, the Midwest tournament and the national championship are still on the line. Josh Rogers’ career with DCFC is not over yet.
Black Arrow Award – Most Valuable Player: At halftime, the DCFC owners presented the annual Black Arrow Award for the team’s Most Valuable Player to Dave Edwardson (Madonna). As a midfielder, Edwardson shows up all over the pitch, and this year he finished the NPSL season with two goals and an assist in eight starts. He is completing his third season with the team, and he’s been a crucial piece to the puzzle for Le Rouge over the years.
What’s next: Detroit City FC heads to Madison, Wisconsin for the Midwest Region playoff. Le Rouge’s semifinal against AFC Cleveland kicks off at Friday 3:00 p.m. at Breese Stevens Field.
