It’s been two months to regret and forget for Detroit City FC’s men’s team. They haven’t won a league game since the April 19 win over Rhode Island and don’t have a win in any competition since beating Pittsburgh in the Jagermeister League Cup on April 26. They have the worst record in the USL Championship over the last five games. Only their excellent start to the season has kept them above the playoff line and in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. However, the chasing pack is closing in.
Last Saturday, they closed out a set of games that saw them play seven of eight in the league on the road. DCFC also fell heavily in two different cup competitions away from home to make it nine of ten on the road and no wins of any kind. The 3-2 loss at Loudon United had a few positives for the club, though. They did generate some excellent scoring chances. Even before Ben Morris’ crisp finish gave Le Rouge a lead, Alex Villanueva had rattled to the goalpost. Also, midfielder Abdoulaye Diop returned to the field after a lengthy absence.
Loudon United went into the game undefeated at home, with a draw as the only blemish on their excellent record at sparsely attended Segra Field. Less than 1,500 turned out to see one of the better teams in the league. Twenty year old veteran Abdullatif Aboukoura sparked the home side with two well-taken goals. His finishing certainly looked to be in another class, but DCFC’s defending left a lot to be desired. Nobody attempted to stop Aboukoura’s equalizer after 38 minutes. Then, just before the halftime whistle, the entire DCFC defense backed off a Loudon counter, giving Aboukoura time to settle and easily hit a volley past Carlos Saldana.
Michael Bryant did tie the score early in the second half, but a turnover exposed the back line shortly thereafter. Ryan Williams got caught in possession and Loudon swept forward. Zach Ryan finished off the quick strike to restore Loudon’s lead and condemn DCFC to yet another defeat.
The schedule for the second half of the season will be more friendly to Detroit City. They will play 11 of the last 17 games at Keyworth Stadium, starting on Saturday afternoon with a game against Miami FC. This is where and when the season has to turnaround for Le Rouge. Miami is in ninth place, just four points behind Detroit City. They have to put some more space between themselves and the teams trying to get into the playoffs. If the collapse continues, the club may have to look at making radical changes to both the playing and coaching staffs in an attempt to right the ship.
While the DCFC men have been dropping in the USL Championship, the women have taken control of their own destiny in the USL W League. They have a big showdown on Saturday evening against Ann Arbor FC, the only team to defeat them this season. Beating Ann Arbor would put the DCFC women on course to claim a playoff spot from the Great Lakes division. Coach David Dwaihy has brought the team back from losing in Ann Arbor on the first night of the season with an unbeaten run that Danny Dichio and the men would love to have. The ladies have four wins and a draw since, with a midweek game against Midwest United to get through before the big showdown on Saturday.
The women made a run to the national semifinals last year and are hoping to repeat that success this summer. Hannan Crum leads the team with four goals and midfielder Kate Childers has two. Allison LaPoint has started in goal five times so far for a strong defensive group that has only conceded three times in six games total. If they can keep their strongest team available through the regular season and playoffs, the women could make another push towards a national title.
USA Finally Wins a Game
Days after being booed off the field in Nashville, the United States men’s national team opened the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a comfortable 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago. While the win certainly felt good for the players and their beleaguered coach, it will take much more than a win over a group of lower division players to erase the stench of the 4-0 loss to Switzerland. The defeat gave the USA a four-game home losing streak for the first time since the 1980’s.
Of course, Mauricio Pochettino can point to the dozen or so regular players who are missing this summer’s games for various reasons, but that doesn’t excuse the lack of effort or organization his team showed against the Swiss. Not a single American even touched a Swiss player until Quinn Sullivan took a yellow card after forty minutes. By then, the damage had been done. Boos started after the third goal, continued on the fourth, and resonated even louder at halftime and the end of the game. The people sent a message, loud and clear.
This Gold Cup has become even more important after the fan reaction. Pundits across the various networks and online have pointed towards apathy. The team doesn’t inspire or demand attention. The absent top players have become complacent, knowing that the drop off in talent means their places aren’t under threat. They aren’t hungry. Christian Pulisic’s absence has been especially grating, especially after he claimed he wanted to play the friendly games and then take a vacation. Pochettino really needed his roster for the whole month and rightly declined the offer. Other players have a hard time staying fit. Tyler Adams missed the T&T game with turf toe. Folarin Balogun has lost much of the past year to injury.
Pochettino now has to deliver with the players he has. Malik Tillman of PSV Eindhoven has a chance to show he can transfer his club form to the national team. He had two goals against T&T, but will have to show he can handle tougher teams, starting with Saudi Arabia Thursday night. Goalkeeper Matt Freese can stake a serious claim to the starting job giving Matt Turner’s lack of playing time and poor showing against Switzerland. Diego Luna has the intensity and drive to succeed in an attacking role, but will he hold up under the expected physical play in international football. The Aaronson brothers, Brendan and Paxten, will also have to show they can deal with the rough and tumble of CONCACAF opponents.
This US Gold Cup team has plenty of holes. The fullbacks lack experience at this level and are suspect at best. Given the absences of Pulisic and Tim Weah, somebody will have to offer a threat from wide areas. The striker position is up for grabs. Patrick Agyemang of Charlotte FC scored and accidental goal against T&T and demonstrated his strength against defenders. He also has a poor first touch and struggles to get his long legs untangled at times. Haji Wright came off the bench and scored a nice goal. He might start against the Saudis to see what he can offer.
International managers rarely have their first choice eleven players all fit and available at the same time. Pochettino probably has fewer than six on the Gold Cup roster. This will be a test of his skill and mettle. The games will become more difficult with Saudi Arabia and Haiti to finish the group phase. Mexico and Canada await deeper into the elimination rounds. The US has struggled mightily for the last year, but with less than a year until the World Cup starts they have to come together and improve. Falling flat next summer is not an option.
Mexico also won their opening Gold Cup game, but were far less convincing than the USA. They struggled to hold off a game challenge from the Dominican Republic. Javier Aguirre’s team eventually won 3-2, but didn’t look solid doing it. The Dominicans had plenty of chances for a late equalizer as the Mexican looked a little surprised by the way they were pushed all the way to the end. Canada, who might actually be the favorite in this Gold Cup, will get their campaign under way against Honduras this week. Canada is the only country to have won the Gold Cup other than the US and Mexico. Their lone triumph came as a shock in 2000. Twenty-five years later, they may finally be able to push on from that.
