Detroit City FC fell to USL Championship side Indy Eleven, 1-0, on Tuesday night. 4,350 City supporters took in the friendly action from the terraces of Keyworth Stadium.
In the opening minutes, Indy dominated possession and kept DCFC hemmed in the defensive third. The Boys in Rouge held strong while they found their sea legs though, and by the time the halftime whistle sounded, it was an even contest flowing back and forth.
Nate Steinwascher earned himself Man of the Match honors for his goalkeeping heroics. His five saves kept City in the match throughout. Steinwascher stood tall on two separate occasions to deny point-blank shots. He also made a diving stop through traffic.
The goal Detroit conceded came in the 71st minute. Indy’s Eugene Starikov cleaned up a rebound after Steinwascher made an incredible point-blank stop. Starikov’s tally gave Indy Eleven enough to head back home with a victory.
It was a reunion of sorts for Head Coach Trevor James, who spent 2017-18 with Indy Eleven as an assistant coach and scout, during their transition into the USL Championship. Now, James finds himself in a familiar position, as DCFC prepare for the second phase of their newly elongated season. In the spirit of that preparation, James allowed Indy to continue playing with 11 men, despite a red card being issued to Indy’s Macauley King in the 47th minute for a high boot on Cyrus Saydee.
This one had a preseason feel to it for Le Rouge, who shuffled the lineup a bit again, looking to give some new players their chance to prove they belong in the matches to come this fall.
The Boys in Rouge go again this Saturday, August 17, in their first NPSL Members Cup match, against our friends from the south, Chattanooga FC. Kickoff is slated for 7:30pm. Tickets for the match are available online for only $12. Come and get yours now.
Detroit City FC Starting XI: #1 Nate Steinwascher, #5 Stephen Carroll, #8 Bakie Goodman (#22 Diego Casielles, 82’), #9 Shawn Lawson (#3 Ryan Peterson, 72’), #11 Max Todd (#20 Yazeed Matthews, 72’), #12 Tendai Jirira, #15 Jalen Crisler, #17 James Vaughan, #30 Danny Deakin (#10 Cyrus Saydee, 36’), #37 Marlon Evans (#13 Stephen Kosmala, 72’), #96 Marcello Borges (#25 Evans Frimpong, 60’)
