MADISON, Wisconsin — The Detroit City FC season came to an end Friday afternoon. At Breese Stevens Field, the first leg of the Midwest semifinal between DCFC and AFC Cleveland saw the Royals hold on late for a 2-1 win.
It took a while for Le Rouge to get on the board, but immediately after Cleveland’s second goal in the 75th minute, DCFC coach Ben Pirmann subbed forward Charlie MacInnes (St. Ambrose) in for the starter Javier Bautista (Ashford). Within seconds of play resuming, MacInnes brought DCFC back into the game. A long ball from the kick off and a high bounce skipped over a pair of Royals defenders, and MacInnes followed to smash the ball into the net before the Cleveland fans had finished cheering.
MacInnes’ goal ignited Le Rouge as they began to press higher in the closing minutes. In the 91st minute, MacInnes nearly tied the game on the receiving end of a chip from Bobby Budlong (Albion), but MacInnes’ point blank volley was pushed away from the frame by the goalkeeper, and soon after the referee blew the whistle to end the match.
MacInnes’ presence on the field in the final 15 minutes earned him the M1 Imaging Center Man of the Match award.
Much like the end of the game, the first 10 minutes brought plenty of excitement. Cleveland was the more attacking side early on, moving the ball well. In the seventh minute, a quick passing segment from the Royals around the 18-yard box resulted in the first goal of the match.
Cleveland’s Antonio Manfut turned on a pass near the top of the penalty area and slung the ball inside of the left post, well out of the reach of DCFC goalkeeper Alex Bouillennec (Saginaw Valley St).
After the goal, the hectic start calmed down, but Le Rouge struggled to find any success near Cleveland’s goal. City’s forward duo of Bautista and Wade Allen (Oakland) tried to find space in the attacking third, but nobody seemed capable of making the final pass to put them in on goal.
The 2-1 defeat cuts short an otherwise very successful season for Detroit City FC, one that will not be forgotten any time soon.
