Detroit City FC closed out its preseason schedule at Hurley Field in Berkley on Saturday afternoon with a 5-1 victory over Muskegon Risers SC.
The match began under an overcast sky, with an impending thunderstorm creating muggy conditions, but the rain held off and it turned into a wonderful afternoon all around.
Muskegon took a little while to get warmed up while City wasted no time setting the tempo.
Le Rouge enjoyed the bulk of possession early on, playing a vast majority of the first forty-five in the attacking half.
It took less than ten minutes for DCFC to strike. Excellent buildup play led to the opening tally by Zach Schewee (Bowling Green), whose hard work earned him the M1 Imaging Man of the Match honor.
In the 41st minute, Muskegon’s Daniel Luzindya banked one in off the woodwork on a brilliant strike to level the score, 1-1.
Two minutes later and just before the halftime whistle, the referee awarded City a penalty kick after a Muskegon handball in its own box. City veteran Cyrus Saydee buried the kick, giving Le Rouge a 2-1 lead going into the break.
The second half was more of the same, with City controlling the pace and the ball for the duration of the match.
Tyler Moorman (University of Detroit Mercy) and Alec Lasinski (Loyola University Chicago) both scored their first goals for Le Rouge. Then, in the 81st minute, Javi Bautista (Ashford University) capped off the scoring by volleying a pass from Lasinski into the back of the net.
“We’re still getting a little bit of the kinks out,” head coach Ben Pirmann said. “Once you keep narrowing down the squad and some more guys join in, I think the quality will keep getting a little better.
“I told the team we just gotta focus on the task at hand Wednesday night.” That, in reference to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup first round rematch against Michigan Bucks, which is the next challenge City faces before the NPSL regular season gets underway. Kickoff for the match is set for 7:30 p.m. at Oakland University.
– Mitch Gatzke / DCFC staff writer