If ever a team needed a win, Detroit City FC had to win last Saturday. They had to end a three game losing streak during which they failed to score any goals. North Carolina came into Keyworth looking to lock down the third spot in the Eastern Conference. A win for the visitors would have given them a firm grip of the next best spot behind the runaway leaders Charleston and Louisville.
DCFC finally gave the home fans what they wanted. Le Rouge came away with a hard fought 2-0 win, giving them a three point cushion for a playoff spot with three games remaining. The third of four straight games at Keyworth to wrap up the home portion of the schedule took place on a sweltering October afternoon. The unusual heat had an impact on the players with several cramping up during the second half.
After three straight defeats, coach Danny Dichio made a two significant changes to the starting eleven. Carlos Herrera started in goal in place of Carlos Saldana and Isaiah LeFlore started on the left wing in place of Haruki Yamazaki. Herrera had the biggest impact on the game with a number of fine saves. However, the best save of the game came from captain Stephen Carroll with the score still 0-0. The visitors must have thought they had the lead when Pedro Dolabella’s shot from the right side of the penalty area beat Herrera. Sensing the danger as Herrera moved out to cut the angle, Carroll stepped in behind him and cleared the ball off the line.
DCFC responded to that let off and forced the issue. Ates Diouf and Jeciel Cedeno caused North Carolina problems with their tenacity, something neither has shown consistently. Just before halftime, they worked together in attack and Cedeno drew a foul for a penalty kick. He converted to give the home fans something to sing about as the teams headed off for the halftime break.
North Carolina came out in the second half and controlled more of the ball. Herrera saved from Dolabella, turning his shot around the post for a corner in the 53rd minute. Herrera then caught several balls played into the penalty area under heavy pressure from the North Carolina forwards.
It looked like this would be a one goal game right to the end until Ates Diouf gave DCFC some desperately needed breathing room. Ryan Williams launched a corner kick into the penalty area. Devon Amoo-Mensah jumped up with at least one opponent. The ball ricocheted and Diouf slipped between two defenders and in front of the goalkeeper to nod the ball into the net. One could feel the relief amid the smoke and chants that greeted Diouf and his teammates during the celebrations.
That win may be one more crucial turning point in an inconsistent season. DCFC will close out the home schedule on Saturday against Loudoun United. Loudoun is just four points ahead of DCFC, but they aren’t the team Le Rouge has to be concerned about. Ninth place Indy Eleven is just three points behind DCFC. That puts them under a lot of pressure, especially when the next game after Saturday is a trip to Charleston. DCFC lost to Loudoun 3-2 during their summer swoon in mid-June. At least four starters from that game are unlikely to be part of the game this weekend. Connor Rutz, Ben Morris, and Rhys Williams have season ending injuries and Dominic Gasso has been parked in the reserves. Again, it’s a must win game. At this point in the season, every game is.
Pochettino Gets Serious
The US national team has three more camps before the World Cup. US Soccer has stepped up the pressure by inviting qualified teams to come to the US and meet the hosts in friendly games. Last month, South Korea and Japan gave the Americans a taste of the level of play they are likely to see in the group phase of next summer’s tournament.
This month Ecuador and Australia will be the opponents. Both came through marathon qualifying tournaments to secure their spots in World Cup 2026. Much like in September, these are the types of teams the US is likely to draw for the group phase.
Mauricio Pochettino declared after the September games that his experiments have come to an end and we will see rosters that look more like what he will select at the end of May. To that end a number of Europe base players, who missed previous camps for a variety of reasons, have returned. Brendan Aaronson has won a starting job at Leeds United. He didn’t play much during the Gold Cup, but his aggressiveness fits the Pochettino mold. Weston McKennie missed the Gold Cup due to his commitments with Juventus. It looked like the Italian club didn’t want him at the beginning of the season, but he has played full matches in the UEFA Champions League and Serie A in recent weeks. Tanner Tessman has also been a major contributor to his club, Olympique Lyon, after being left out of the Gold Cup.
Antonee “Jedi” Robinson has returned after knee surgery. He hasn’t played many minutes for Fulham, so his minutes with the national team will likely be managed. There has also been a recall in defense for Miles Robinson of FC Cincinnati and Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic as Pochettino looks to fill out his pool of central defenders. Matt Freese, Matt Turner, and Patrick Schulte are the three contenders for the goalkeeper position with Freese having the edge due to his Gold Cup performances.
Ricardo Pepi and Sergino Dest have been left out. Pepi is injured again. He had to leave his last game for PSV 10 days ago after just 30 minutes with a muscular injury in his leg. Dest returned from injury and played over 70 minutes last weekend, but will be rested, giving Orlando’s Alex Freeman more time in Pochettino’s system.
Pepi’s absence will give Folarin Balogun a chance to lock down the starting striker position. Josh Sargent did not get a recall after yet another scoreless run out for the national team. He hasn’t scored for his club since the international break either. Haji Wright has continued to be hot for Coventry City, unbeaten at the top of the English Championship, and will compete with Derby County’s Patrick Agyemang for the second striker spot. Club America’s Alejandro Zendejas has been his team’s best player, much like Christian Pulisic at AC Milan. Together with Wright, they formed the attack for the US U17 team eight years ago.
Pochettino tried a three man defense against Japan during the last international break and will probably test that again at some point. Both Freeman and Columbus’ Max Arfsten are more comfortable as wingbacks and most of the central defenders play in that formation for the clubs. Pochettino has now created competition at every position. Perhaps only Pulisic and Tyler Adams, not called in for this camp because his wife is due with their second child any day, are certain of starting. The Argentine manager has also found two systems of play, one with a back four and the other with a back three, in which his team can play. The flexibility will come in handy if there are injuries or game situations that demand alterations in the formation.
After the October games against Ecuador (Friday night in Austin, TX) and Australia (Tuesday in Denver, CO), the US will host Uruguay and Paraguay in November. December’s World Cup draw will make things even more real as first three opponents come into focus. US Soccer is looking to schedule at least one, if not two big name European opponents for March. The first team looks like being Portugal with Belgium rumored as the second. These won’t be confirmed until after World Cup qualifying finishes in Europe.
For the players in camp this month, it is truly crunch time. Given that Adams, Pepi, and Dest are near certain selections if healthy, that means all three areas of the team have top level players who will want to compete for a World Cup spot. If the players in camp want to be part of the World Cup next summer, they had best be prepared to give their all.
