A draw could be seen as either a glass half empty or a glass half full result. For Detroit City, last weekend’s nationally televised draw against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds will be seen within the club as a positive turn. They didn’t lose. They didn’t concede any goals, or really much in the way of clear cut opportunities. One of three key injured players returned to play some minutes as a second half substitute. They had a full house in excess of 7,200 fans packing Keyworth Stadium. Perhaps most significantly, they didn’t lose any ground in the standings to three teams they could possibly catch.
DCFC showed more effort and determination against Pittsburgh than they did in two poor defeats against Oakland and Hartford. The back three fought fiercely in every duel. Shane Wiedt in particular imposed himself on the Pittsburgh forwards, clearing every aerial attack that came his way. With Jay Chapman and Ryan Williams in front of him as a shield, very little got through to Carlos Saldana.
Pittsburgh’s most threatening opportunity came when Saldana tried a quick punt from the edge of his penalty area, but hit an opponent on the back. The ball fell to another Pittsburgh player whose rushed attempt floated harmlessly over the empty net. It was a bad mistake that could have ruined an overall strong effort.
While coach Danny Dichio will certainly take the positives out of this game and try to build on them, DCFC only forced one difficult save from the Riverhounds goalkeeper. In the seventeenth minute Darrin Smith broke free on the right and crossed for Ates Diouf. Diouf met the ball on the volley, but Pittsburgh’s Eric Dick sprung to his left and palmed the ball away. Numerous free kicks and corner kicks failed to cause Dick any further stress as he collected anything that came his way.
No goals and only one serious effort on goal will not win many games. DCFC’s small attacking players have great difficulty battling with the big central defenders. They haven’t been able to link up with the midfield on through balls into channels either side of the center backs on a regular basis. The wing players haven’t done enough to create chances either. The return of Rhys Williams to full fitness can help with that. His arrival during the last quarter of the match boosted the team’s energy level. The wide players won’t find much joy hitting high crosses into the penalty area for short forwards who won’t win the challenges. Smith would benefit from playing under a big forward who can take up space and knock down crosses.
Abdoulaye Diop has the ability to be more of a driving force in midfield, carrying the ball through the middle, drawing defenders, and either winning free kicks or passing to unmarked players on the move. He has to combine with Ryan Williams to control the rhythm of games. Chapman and Ryan Williams are similar, lacking in pace but smart with the ball. This team desperately needs a player who can take control of the game and take them forward.
The 0-0 draw kept Detroit City in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, but significantly only six points behind North Carolina in third. Prior to bearing down on the third spot, DCFC must negotiate a last chance gasp to advance in the Jagermeister Cup. USL League One Westchester SC will be at Keyworth on Saturday night. The visitors have no chance of advancing, but DCFC does have a slim possibility. Le Rouge has to win in regulation and score a few goals, a rare occurrence this year. If, Rhode Island would do DCFC a favor and beat Hartford in regulation play, DCFC could then have a chance to get to the quarterfinals as a wild card. It’s a long shot, but stranger things have happened.
