Detroit City FC tied their first away match of the season, 2-2, against Michigan Stars FC Sunday afternoon at Hurley Field in Berkley, Mich.
Although City was up 2-0 at the break, the Stars were able to fight their way back and equalize the score in the 90th minute. Both teams earned a point for the draw.
The weekend concluded for DCFC with two draws and two points. Though getting one point in each game, Head Coach Ben Pirmann was disappointed in being unable to finish strong enough for the win and all three points.
“Sounds probably like a record player, but I still think it’s two points dropped,” Pirmann said. “Obviously when you’re up two goals at halftime, you can’t give that away. They’re a good team, there’s no doubt about it.”
Both teams were off to the races to begin the match, with a yellow card coming in the 4th minute on a hard challenge from Michigan’s Danilo Markovic. This setup Le Rouge’s first goal off a set piece from 20 yards out in the 5th minute, which Captain David Edwardson was able to score far post. Derrick Otim hit the set piece, which Kervin Kenton headed to Edwardson for the goal to make it 1-0 City.
The two sides went back and forth with chances. In the 17th minute, City’s Cyrus Saydee missed a shot off a nice pass from Edwardson. Moments later. Star’s Leo Paiva missed a wonderful chance over the crossbar, much to the pleasure of Goalie Colin Miller, who made his City debut.
The Stars controlled a good amount of the possession through the first 30 minutes, but it was City who struck next. In the 30th minute, Adam Spinks scored off a beautiful shot from far out to give Le Rouge a 2-0 lead. Saydee assisted on the goal, which floated perfectly into the top left corner.
The first half ended with some chippy play. In the 36th minute, Star’s midfielder Christian Dragoi drew a yellow card for taking down Tommy Catalano. Then, in the 39th minute, City’s Owain Hoskins was issued a yellow card. The score remained 2-0 at halftime.
Though Detroit handled more possession in the second half, it was Austin Ricci who broke through for the Stars in the 60th minute to cut the lead to 2-1.
The Stars threatened again in the 70th minute with a nice half volley off a corner. Miller was ready, though, with a brilliant save to keep the score 2-1.
The key difference in the match came in the 85th minute when DCFC was awarded a penalty kick for a Stars’ handball in the box. Saydee took the shot, but was denied by Stars’ goalkeeper
Seb Harris made his 2017 league debut in the 89th minute when he subbed in for Spinks.
Soon after the missed penalty kick, Michigan’s Kyle Thomson delivered the equalizer in the 90th minute, leveling the score 2-2.
Pirmann noted how important the missed penalty was, but said the team just wasn’t able to finish strongly on defense.
“Then you miss the penalty, and that leaves it in fifty-fifty at the end of the game,” Pirmann said. “I had to make four substitutions that I didn’t want to. Our backline in the first half, which only gave up one shot, we had to sub two of those guys out. Then we had to sub out our holding midfield. I thought we fought hard on Friday night to get back into it after blowing some stuff, but then tonight we didn’t finish it out.”
When asked about both Stars goals, Pirmann said his players got caught and were unable to close down space as a team.
“We got a little disjointed,” Pirmann said. “The first goal, we literally worked on that stuff all week. When the ball’s on the weakside, the outside back tucks in. I think we got caught, I don’t know if it was offside or not. Then at the end of the game, we didn’t close down the service and the guy got in. We just have to be sharper on that, whether it’s individual defending or it’s closing down spaces as a team.”
Le Rouge move to 0-0-2 (W-L-T) in league play, while the Stars start off their season 0-0-1.
City’s next match is away against AFC Ann Arbor next Sunday, May 21st, at 1 p.m.
City Starting XI: 0 Miller, 2 Hoskins, 3 Glass, 10 Saydee, 13 Goodman, 16 Spinks, 18 Edwardson, 26 Catalano, 33 Otim, 44 Kenton, 45 Tyler
Stars Starting XI: 1 Mwembia, 2 Shaw, 3 Higgins, 5 Wetunga, 6 Dragoi, 7 Pimlott, 9 Ricci, 11 Charles, 15 Thompson, 17 Paiva, 26 Markovic
