Ann Arbor Downs Detroit for Second Time This Season

The Mighty Oak best Detroit City FC again, 1-0 to sweep their rival in regular season play for the second year in a row. Chris Odhiambo scored the lone goal in the 54th minute to help Ann Arbor bring back three points from Hamtramck.

“This is a good result for us and keeps us in control of our own destiny. We still have a lot of important matches coming up but we are still in a position to achieve our objectives,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

Association Football Club Ann Arbor came into Keyworth Stadium atop the Great Lakes Conference with 17 points; Detroit City FC was sitting in third with 10 points. Both teams knew this was a pivotal game.

Smoke filled the first few minutes of the game as Detroit City came out in full force to support their squad. AFC undeterred by the atmosphere came out with high energy that lasted for the full ninety minutes. There was a definite big game feel in the stadium as both teams flashed moments of danger throughout the first half, the majority of which coming from the Mighty Oak.

In the 24th minute Michael Shaikly was fouled at midfield, Captain Jack Cawley took the free kick with little hesitation, as he saw Detroit City’s keeper off his line. Cawley’s shot was on target and narrowly saved.

Azzad Liadi (AZ), The Mighty Oak Man of the Match, was all over the pitch from start to finish. AFC Ann Arbor’s offensive push came through AZ, who was relentless on the ball. At the 40th minute AZ sent a corner into the box that was met by the head of Joseph Okumu. The header took an unfortunate deflection right to the keeper's hands and the game remained scoreless. The teams went into halftime knotted at zero.

That Mighty Oak defense, which has dominated all season long, continued to make their presence known into the second half, warding off every chance Detroit City had.

The defense was rewarded in the 54th minute when Serge Gamwanya was able to put together a nice one-two sequence with AZ near midfield to open up a path down City’s sideline. AZ made the run and crossed the ball into the box where Chris Odhiambo was able to get just enough of a touch on the ball to beat Detroit City’s keeper near post. The goal was Odhiambo’s first with the team and couldn’t have come at a better time, giving The Mighty Oak a 1-0 lead.

Following the goal tensions ran high between both teams with players from each side being cautioned by the referee. In the 62nd minute Novotny was able to punch away a dangerous corner in the box.

In the last ten minutes of play, AFC continued its attack with a decent attempt from Gamwanya that was just over the top bar. Not a minute later Odhiambo looked to add to his first goal with a beautiful touch in the box. However, he was unable to get solid contact with the ball.

Detroit had a chance to tie the game in the 82nd minute with a cross that bounced around in the box. Fortunately for AFC the Detroit striker was unable to get a centering touch on the ball as it bounced off his chest and out of bounds.

The win tonight earns AFC Ann Arbor three more points to help keep AFC atop the table and marked the fifth clean sheet for The Mighty Oak in NPSL play this season. AFC Ann Arbor’s overall record improves to 6-0-2 in the Great Lakes Conference. Next, AFC Ann Arbor will host Kalamazoo FC at Skyline High School Friday, June 15 at 7pm.

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor at Detroit City FC

The memory of the 2017 Midwest Region Final is something Ann Arbor supporters will never forget. The heartbreaking game winner by Detroit City’s Tyrone Mondi came in stoppage time in dramatic fashion. Mainly because of the part we all remember the most: playing with only 10 men, down 2-0 and fighting and clawing back to level things up late in the match.

When that chapter had closed and the 2018 campaign had begun, only seven players from that roster would return, starting a new chapter in the southeast Michigan rivalry (Ann Arbor leads the all time series 3-1-2). The two sides met in Ann Arbor back on May 13th and spent all 90 minutes of regulation deadlocked at zero; until Alec Lasinski drew a foul on the left wing about thirty yards out, which set up Jake Rosen’s beauty of a ball into the box finding the leaping Martieon Watson to score the game-winning goal in stoppage time.

It was an electric atmosphere after that goal and a thrilling way to end the first NPSL match at the new home venue, Skyline High School. But the work was just beginning for AFC as it was only their second league match of the season.

Now, through seven matches in Great Lakes play, The Mighty Oak remain unbeaten (5-0-2) and atop the conference table with 17 points.

With only five NPSL regular season matches remaining, each point becomes crucial to secure first place and ensure a berth to the postseason. Take away the history between these two clubs and tomorrow’s match remains just as important because of the implications it will have on who makes the playoffs.

“I think it’s become clear that the Great Lakes is competitive this year, there’s a lot a parity and everyone across the league has dropped points. We’re still in a position where we control our own destiny, and we want to keep it that way, so that makes tomorrow’s match important,” said Rudland.

When it comes to controlling their own destiny, Rudland knows they need to improve on finishing and capitalizing on the numerous chances being created. In both draws this season, Ann Arbor has not lacked scoring chances but couldn’t find the go-ahead in either match.

“If we’re not creating chances, that comes down to our system and our approach,  and if that’s the case we need to change things tactically . I don’t think that’s the case because we are creating chances, we’re just not capitalizing on them. I think we saw that in the Kalamazoo game a few weeks back and obviously again last night vs Milwaukee. We’re talking with our finishers about focusing on the next play, staying positive and paying attention to the details so our quality can increase in front of goal. We still feel really good about all of our men and I believe that our attacking players will continue to create & capitalize for us,” added Rudland.

The Opponent

Ben Pirmann on tonight’s 1-1 draw in Columbus. #DCTID pic.twitter.com/caYV8oakcD

— Detroit City FC (@DetroitCityFC) June 9, 2018

In similar fashion to Ann Arbor, Detroit is coming off a Friday night 1-1 draw, and both teams feel as if points were left on the table. Coach Ben Pirmann expressed his concerns about starting off sluggishly and knows that if his team can bring 90 minutes of intensity and passion to the pitch that they’ll be a tough side to defeat.

Both sides have seen changes to personnel since the first meeting and are playing the second part of a two match weekend.

“I know our team has changed a bit since we saw  One another back in early May, and it looks like they have changed as well. So we have to take different personnel into consideration and look to create the right match ups,” said Rudland.

Team Sheet for Sunday, June 10th at Detroit City FC

AFC Ann Arbor Remains Unbeaten, Top of Great Lakes Conference

The second matchup this season between AFC Ann Arbor and the Milwaukee Torrent finished in a 1-1 draw, after a late stoppage goal from the Torrent. The draw extends Ann Arbor's NPSL home unbeaten streak to ten matches (last NPSL home defeat was in July 2016) and keeps them atop the Great Lakes Conference with seventeen points. 

The Mighty Oak came out in a 4-3-3 formation looking to use Laskinski, Breitmeyer and Montoya up top to force pressure and force Torrent mistakes. Both teams played a physical, possession heavy first half, with limited goal scoring chances.

Jordan Montoya had two decent chances, his first from distance and second off a cross. Both opportunities were handled by the torrent defense and goalie.

Ann Arbor's best chances on goal in the first half came in the 40’ and 41’ minute. Lasinski broke through Milwaukee’s back line but was met by the Torrents keeper who pressed off his goal line to make the save. Midfielder Ciao had has chance to put AFC on the board with a bouncing ball inside the eighteen. His shot was wide of the goal. Both teams headed into halftime tied.

Although the second half started much like the first with slow play and a focus on possession, as the game wore on, AFC found more opportunities and dictated play for much of the second half.

In the 54th minute Turnbull beat his man and made a run down the far sideline to set up a cross to a streaking Breitmeyer who found himself alone in the box. Unfortunately KB9 could not handle the bounce on the ball and his shot missed inches wide.

A few minutes later Turnbull had another cross that sailed over the box to a waiting Lasinski who was able to head the ball to the top of the six where AZ was waiting. Once again though The Mighty Oak could not get the ball in the back of the net as AZ’s shot was wide of the goal.

The Mighty Oak had another opportunity in the 70th minute after a foul was committed at the top of the Torrents box. The subsequent free kick lacked pace and was gathered by the keeper.

Continued pressure by AFC AA started to wear on the Torrents backline and in the 85th minute The Mighty Oak had another free kick just outside of the eighteen. Serge Gamwanya took the free kick looking to beat the keeper on the back post. His shot found itself over the wall and one hopped in the box before beating the outstretched hands of the Torrents keeper to give The Mighty Oak a 1-0 lead.

Just when it looked like AFC Ann Arbor would come away with three points, in the third minute into stoppage, a cross from the far side of the field from Milwaukee found itself on the foot of a Torrent player. After an initial blocked shot/cross the ball was shot in to tie the game at one apiece.

After the game Head coach Eric Rudland thought The Mighty Oak, “did create some scoring chances and got better as the game went on with the changes we made and the guys we brought on. It helped us change the match, but at the end of the day when you create chances you have to be able to put them away.”

Despite the result the draw improved The Mighty Oak’s record to 6-2-0, still having yet to lose in NPSL play. Next, Association Football Club Ann Arbor will travel to Keyworth Stadium this Sunday, June 10; to seek a regular season series sweep of their rival, Detroit City FC and remain atop the Great Lakes Conference Table.

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Milwaukee Torrent

With one less team in the Great Lakes Conference this season, The Mighty Oak will play a total of twelve league matches (compared to fourteen last year), which means they’ve reached the halfway point of the 2018 campaign.

It’s been an impressive start to say the least as the club has set multiple club records along the way earning a 5-0-1 overall record and a possible 16 of 18 points. AFC Ann Arbor started the season with 488 consecutive minutes without conceding a goal when FC Columbus barely snuck one past Mike Novotny this past Sunday.

This team has shown their depth and strength but the second half of the season will provide a new set of challenges as they’ll have to face opponents a second go-around. Teams will make adjustments based on their first contest as well as what they’ve seen potentially work for other clubs. Add in the fact that the first place team always has a target on their back and you realize the mental toughness The Mighty Oak will need to show to stay focused and determined during the second half of Great Lakes play.

“Obviously from a results standpoint we are in a good spot, however we aren't taking anything for granted. Our staff and players all have a clear understanding of how much work will be required to push through the second half of the season. From a football standpoint we still have a lot of progress to make as a unit both with and without the ball. We are trying to make progress day in and day out on the training pitch so we can stay in a position to achieve our objectives,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

Last season, Ann Arbor lost only and drew only once in matter of fourteen regular season matches, and that draw was at home against Milwaukee. The Torrent are a talented side and will be looking to steal points from the table toppers come Friday evening.

“Milwaukee have been competitive in every match this season, so we expect them to come into us with their strongest side and put a lot of energy into the match. Every match presents different situations both tactically and personnel wise, so we are planning on their shape and the players in their team to be different from back in the beginning of May,” added Coach Rudland.

The Opponent

Milwaukee is known to have its ups and downs as they often time have to adjust their lineup due to suspensions and red cards. Midfielder Drew Ruggles who was out for the first meeting between the two sides due to a red card suspension from 2017 will be in the lineup for Milwaukee come Friday, and the Torrent are a different team with him on the pitch.

As the Torrent aim to steal three road points on Friday from The Mighty Oak, they’ll aim to play a physical match and do whatever they can to throw AFCAA off of their game plan.

CLICK HERE FOR TEAM SHEET VS MILWAUKEE TORRENT

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor at FC Columbus

Association Football Club Ann Arbor is off to a strong start this season, having earned thirteen points in just five matches, as they remain atop the Great Lakes Conference table. One of the most impressive things about the run so far is that The Mighty Oak have yet to concede a single goal.

Ann Arbor will travel to Columbus on Sunday afternoon for the first meeting between the two clubs. Columbus, an expansion team in 2018, are three matches into their inaugural campaign and have surprised and impressed most teams with their athleticism and quality of play.

“Columbus has definitely earned a lot of respect in the league so far. They’ve earned some great results and proven that they are a worthy opponent. Going down to their place will be a tough road contest for us. It sounds like they have some very good individual players and collectively have strong ideas regarding their system of play,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

The Mighty Oak aren’t in this position by accident as they’ve shown their capabilities since joining the National Premier Soccer League in 2016. In the first two years, Ann Arbor finished second and first in the Great Lakes and are hoping to defend their 2017 conference title. No doubt that the success stems from the depth and quality of the players that Coach Rudland and his staff have assembled to represent AFC Ann Arbor.

That recipe has proven itself successful as The Mighty Oak have capped 30 different players in 5 league matches tallying a 4-1-0 record. But as Rudland has done in the past and will continue to do, his focus is one match a time and working on continually improving and fine tuning his team’s system.

“We have a few plans in place for Sunday, we have to check in with our man today during our recovery session to see where players are at physically. We also want to check the TITAN GPS performance data from our match last night to see how much ground each player covered and take all of those variables in the consideration and we look to pick the team for Sunday. Obviously we expect each player in the 18 to contribute just a matter of who starts the game for us and finishes the game for us,” said Rudland.

The Opponent

Columbus is coming off it’s first NPSL Great Lakes conference victory after defeating KZFC 3-1 on Memorial Day. After beginning the season with a draw at Milwaukee, Columbus traveled to Detroit for their second match of the season and were deadlocked with Le Rouge until the 86th minute before dropping the road points with a 1-0 loss.

The victory over Kalamazoo will of course give the home side some confidence tomorrow, but this early in the season, with two teams that have never played before, you just can’t be sure what to expect from FC Columbus. What we do know is everyone wants to beat The Mighty Oak and we expect FCCLB to be prepared and organized as the home side tomorrow.

Team Sheet for Sunday June 3rd

AFC Ann Arbor Partners with Jim Toy Community Center for Second Straight Year

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The Mighty Oak have teamed up with the Jim Toy Community Center for the second straight year to raise funds and amplify the message of inclusiveness.

The partnership includes proceeds from a special edition AFCAA Pride shirt as well as tickets sales from the June 29th match versus FC Indiana to benefit the Jim Toy Community Center.

Fans can pre-order their 2018 AFC Ann Arbor pride shirt and pick it up at the June 29th match or have it shipped direct on June 25th. Twenty-five percent of all sales will be donated to the Jim Toy Community Center.

Newly appointed LGBTQ liaison to the Mayor’s Office, Travis Radina, is also the President of the JTCC and a multi-year member of the AFCAA Family. Radina values this partnership for both its financial impact and beyond.

“While this partnership helps raise critical funds to carry out JTCC’s mission, the most important part of this partnership is that AFC Ann Arbor is doing its part to ensure that Ann Arbor is an inclusive community where people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity are visible and live together in equality, respect and happiness,” said Radina.

He added “The AFC Ann Arbor family has fully embraced JTCC, and that is incredibly impactful. With the team’s focus on bolstering local youth soccer and providing a family-friendly environment, AFC Ann Arbor’s unwavering support for the LGBTQ community is helping to end the stigma that still exists around queer athletes in competitive team sports, and it also sends a very clear and important message to aspiring young LGBTQ, or questioning, soccer players that they can succeed and find acceptance in the sport they love.”

To learn more about the Jim Toy Community Center, click here. Buy tickets here. 

Pre-Order Pride Shirt - Pick up at 6/29 Match // Pre-Order Pride Shirt - Ship Direct on 6/25

The Mighty Oak Remain Undefeated with 2-0 Win Over GRFC

Mike Novotny earned his fourth clean sheet in four starts for The Mighty Oak 

AFC Ann Arbor capitalized on a first half downpour to take three points in Friday's NPSL Great Lakes matchup with Grand Rapids FC and remain atop the table with 13 points.

With the weather being such a dominant factor in the first half both teams looked to send the long ball onto the forwards to create opportunities. There were flashes early on from each team down the sidelines with crosses into the box, but it wasn’t until the 23’ when AFC was able to capitalize.

An interception from Serge Gamwanya deep in Grand Rapids territory lead to a cross to Stephen Turnbull on the opposite sideline. Turnbull was then able to set up a perfectly placed centering ball to the midfielder Michael Shaikley who finished the play with a beautiful header to give the Mighty Oak the 1-0 lead.

Two minutes later Skaikley found himself in another goal scoring opportunity. This time with the assist, setting up Jordan Montoya for a rocked near post upper-ninety goal, to give AFC the 2-0 lead.

The remainder of the first half consisted of The Mighty Oak controlling much of the play. There were a few more opportunities for AFC that missed the net, but given the weather and natural grass field, the Mighty Oak were able to capitalize on the opportunities they had to go into halftime with a 2-0 lead.

Grand Rapids FC showed significant more pressure in the second half. Goalkeeper Mike Novotny was called upon multiple times to make key stops and each time he was up to the challenge.

The Mighty Oak defense, which has played solid all season, also came in clutch in the second half, warding off attempt after attempt at goal. In the 60’ Grand Rapids had possibly its best chance of the game with a hard shot blocked by an AFC defender and then a rebounded shot go off the post.

In the 74’ Montoya looked to double his luck with a driven shot that missed just wide of the net. In the end the two first half goals were all that AFC needed, as The Mighty Oak were able to weather the second half pressure from GRFC to take the win and remain undefeated in NPSL play.

"Overall the men played well tonight. We played high up the pitch in the first half and managed the match well after going up 2-0. Also, there were some really good individual performances which was great to see," added Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland. 

Now five games into the NPSL season The Mighty Oak have yet to concede a goal.

The victory marked the third straight win over Grand Rapids FC, and improved The Mighty Oak’s record to 4-1-0. Next, The Mighty Oak will look to travel to Grandview Heights High School to take on FC Columbus.

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs GRFC

Four matches into the 2018 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) season and The Mighty Oak find themselves in a similar position, atop the Great Lakes Conference standings having earned 10 points (3-1-0) without conceding a single goal so far. But The Mighty Oak will face another unbeaten team in Grand Rapids FC (2-1-0), a club that Ann Arbor has deep roots with.

“We're expecting a great game. They are on a good roll in league play and we have to respect their results and prepare to play against a top team,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

The two sides both played their inaugural season in the Great Lakes Premier League back in 2015 before the two left for the NPSL prior to the 2016 season. Over the three years they’ve met 6 times with AFCAA owning the overall record at 4-2-0 after sweeping the season series last summer to break the tie.

Regardless of results from previous years, The Mighty Oak will have to shut down Grand Rapids and continue to defend as a unit if they want another clean sheet.

“Defending is a team effort. Obviously we've had some great individual efforts to keep clean sheets, but really the defending for us starts with our front 3. When they buy into a pressing mentality that spreads through the team, allows us to close spaces quickly and play with tight lines. On the training pitch we are always stressing a front to back & back to front defensive mentality that encompasses all 11 players both mentally and tactically,” said Rudland.

AFC Ann Arbor will be without captain Matt “Frenchy” Braem and the Great Lakes Conference leading goal scorer Yuri Farkas these next two weekends as both were selected (along with Hector Morales) to compete in the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) annual World Football Cup being held in London, England this year.

The Mighty Oak have shown their depth early on and Rudland is known to build his teams around systems rather than an individual player, so Coach and his team are well prepared for the matches that lie ahead this weekend.

The Opponent

Grand Rapids began the season the same way Ann Arbor did, on the road at Milwaukee, but only left with one point as the match ended 0-0, contrary to AFC’s 4-0 road three pointer. Since then, GRFC have won 4-0 at Indiana and most recently, 2-1 over Milwaukee (this time in Grand Rapids).

Grand Rapids will look to take control early with strength in the attack being lead by familiar names like Scott Doney or even Anthony Bowie. But keep an eye out for newcomers such as Kenroy Howell formerly with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds or even Matt Whelan, one of three players originally from Ireland on GRFC.

Match Day Experience

After the release of the 2018 Great Lakes Conference schedule, The Mighty Oak were informed by their then venue, Pioneer High School, that they’d be unable to host their matches this summer as plans to get the turf resurfaced were finally moving forward.

As AFC Ann Arbor worked diligently to find a new home for the 2018 campaign, Skyline High School emerged as the best option, outside of one conflict, June 1st. They will be hosting the local high school soccer districts Friday evening, so Ann Arbor were forced to find another location.

Having already made arrangements for their US Open Cup match at EMU, the club knew it was the next best option.

“EMU has one of the best natural grass surfaces in southeast Michigan and we are grateful for the opportunity to use their facility as our home pitch again,” added Coach Rudland.

The bleacher seating is VERY limited and reserved for premium members and elders. There will be some additional benches set up and some standing room areas but fans are encouraged to bring their own chair to the match.

The match will be kickoff at 6PM at Eastern Michigan University’s Scicluna Field. For parking, directions or more information please refer to the map below. Click here to purchase tickets. 

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Team Sheet

Will be released Thursday evening

Equipment Drive and Special Kits To Benefit TMOYP & UVF on June 8th

When Ann Arbor hosts Milwaukee on Friday June 8th at 7PM at Skyline High School, the match will have a little extra meaning outside of three Great Lakes Conference points.

The June 8th match will be a fundraiser for both The Mighty Oak Youth Project and the Umhlaba Vision Foundation, two organizations with close ties to the club, one looking to make an impact locally and one doing significant good in South Africa.

The Mighty Oak Youth Project, the club’s non-profit cousin, was recently launched with the aim of making soccer more accessible to youth players in Washtenaw County. The organization also supports existing clubs through financial help, equipment donations and trainings. One of the primary initiatives set forth by The Mighty Oak Youth Project will be to provide travel soccer scholarships for local youth who can’t afford the opportunity to participate.

TMOYP will also host their inaugural donation drive and gather gently used and new soccer apparel and equipment to redistribute both locally and in South Africa. Bring your old (but good condition) cleats, shin pads, jerseys and more to the June 8th match to help so many who would benefit from these items.

Umhlaba Vision Foundation is the brainchild non-profit of Assistant Coach Boyzzz Khumalo and two childhood friends, who felt that it was imperative to try and create similar opportunities to earn an education through soccer, the way Boyzzz and so many of the UVF alum have done over the years.

Every year, Khumalo returns to South Africa in December to host an annual tournament, distribute gear and equipment to the local kids, and most importantly spread their message of education. He lives by the motto, “It’s up to us to uplift our community.”

AFC Ann Arbor will wear a special edition, one match only, light blue kit, featuring both TMOYP and UVF. The jerseys will be auctioned off to raise money to provide youth soccer scholarships within our community.

Fans will have a chance to make a difference both locally and globally, simply by attending the match. Club Chairman, Bilal Saeed is thrilled about this event.

“Our club exists to give back to our community and provide opportunities for soccer players and this match is going to allow us to make a huge positive impact in so many young lives,” he added.

To donate to The Mighty Oak Youth Project, click here. To get tickets to the June 8th match, click here.

Farkas, Braem, Morales to Play for Cascadia in CONIFA World Football Cup

The Confederation of Independent Football Associations hosts The World Football Cup every other year since 2014. This year marks the first time a North American team will be represented at the tournament, and three members of The Mighty Oak will be joining the Cascadia side for the 11-day event.

Yuri Farkas, Matthieu Braem and Hector Morales will be in London for the CONIFA sponsored tournament which runs from May 31st-June 10th. Although all three players will be missed from the lineup, Eric Rudland and his side have shown how deep this AFC Ann Arbor roster is, giving an opportunity for a number of guys to step up in the veterans absence.

Farkas, currently tied for most goals in the Midwest Region of the entire National Premier Soccer League will have a chance to show his talents on a global stage, an opportunity all three players couldn’t pass up.

Captain Matthieu “Frenchy” Braem said, “I’m definitely excited about this opportunity but we’ll be following the Ann Arbor matches closely on YouTube rooting on the boys. The three of us felt like this was an opportunity that might not come again so we’re looking forward to showcasing our talent and representing AFC Ann Arbor well.”

For the complete Cascadia roster, captained by former Seattle Sounder James Riley, click here.
For more information on the CONIFA tournament, visit them online at confia.org.

AFC Ann Arbor Advances to the Michigan Milk Cup Semi-Final

It was a sweltering 4th annual Memorial Day Classic, however the heat didn’t stop the Mighty Oak, who had a dominant performance against Oakland County FC, winning 2-1 (4-1 Aggregate) to advance to the Michigan Milk Cup Semi-Final.

AFC Ann Arbor took home a decisive win the first leg of the opening pairing, 2-0 at Oakland County FC on Friday, May 18. The Mighty Oak continued that dominance again in today’s victory.

At the start of the game Oakland County came out fighting, creating an early opportunity in the first five minutes with a ball that bounced off the post. The Mighty Oak responded with a few decent chances of their own by utilizing the play of the midfield wingers who had opportunities on long balls throughout the game.

Heat was a major factor in the matchup. The first water break came at the 20’ mark and a few more were to follow throughout the game. Despite the breaks fatigue had set in by the end for Oakland County FC, who couldn’t keep up with AFC Ann Arbor’s relentless attack.

Forward Alec Lasinski shot early and often the game, creating chances left and right. His first shot was a low driven attempt that ran just wide of the goal in the 24’.

Near the end of the first half Azzad (“AZ”) Liadi received a pass and made his cut into the box for a shot on goal, before he could get the shot off he was met by a hard tackle from an Oakland County defender, which warranted a penalty kick. Kyle Breitmeyer took the penalty shot with a bit of finesse to chip the ball into the goal as the Oakland County keeper dove the opposite way. AFC Ann Arbor headed into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

The second half started off by mirroring the first, with Oakland County failing to capitalize on an early chance and AFC responding and taking control of the play.

The Mighty Oak had numerous opportunities early on from Liadi, Lasinski and Breitmeyer. One of the chances that found its way to the back of the net was called offside. There would be two other disallowed goals from AFC by the game end due to players being in offside positions.

Alec Lasinski, undeterred by first no goal call in the 54’ continued to cause problems for the Oakland County back line and keeper. He was hungry for a goal. His efforts and The Mighty Oaks relentless pressure would pay off for AFC in the 60’ when Liadi was able to tap in a deep cross from a Lasinski , giving the Mighty Oak a 2-0 advantage.

In the 69’ a counter attack from Oakland County yielded a goal off a penalty kick to bring the score within one. In an attempt to make a play on the ball Martieon Waton fouled an Oakland County attacker in the box and was given a yellow. Oakland County as able to convert the resulting penalty kick attempt, despite a diving effort from Tito Yeminez.

From the 70’ mark until full time AFC Ann Arbor controlled the possession and pace of the game. It was evident that the heat was beginning to fatigue an already tired midfield and back line for Oakland County who conceded multiple attempts in the final twenty minutes.

With the result today The Mighty Oak win their first round pairing of the Michigan Milk Cup 4-1 on aggregate and advance to the semi-finals. Drawing for the next round of pairing will be soon. Visit MichiganMilkCup.com to learn more.

AFC Ann Arbor will be back in NPSL action Friday, June 1 at Eastern Michigan University's Scicluna Field to take on Grand Rapids FC at 6:00pm.

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs OCFC [Second Leg - Michigan Milk Cup]

The second leg of the Michigan Milk Cup falls on the 4th Annual Memorial Day Classic which is set to kickoff on Monday, May 28th at 3PM at Skyline High School. AFC Ann Arbor will host Oakland County FC in the second leg of the pairing, with a 2-0 lead heading into the home test.

If Ann Arbor holds on to advance, they will join Kalamazoo FC, Grand Rapids FC and Lansing United as semifinalists in the 2018 Milk Cup.

“Obviously the away goals vs home goals are always important in a two leg contest. So going into the match with a 2 goal aggregate is nice. However, we want to enter the match with the mentality that we need to win the game. Tactically we have a good handle on their system of play and personnel. Sometimes teams at our level do things different at home vs away, so we will be ready for any personnel or system changes they may enter the match with,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

In the first leg of the pairing on Friday May 18th at Clawson Stadium, The Mighty Oak took an early 1-0 lead thanks to Azaad “AZ” Liadi capitalizing on an opportunity on the right wing where his shot was hit with enough pace and placement to beat OCFC’s keeper. Jordan Montoya put Ann Arbor up 2-0 after poking home a loose ball in the box, which ended up being the final scoreless. A scoreless second half by both teams foreshadowed what Memorial Day’s matchup could be in the Battle of the Oak.

“In any competition we want to advance and have success. Advancing would mean that our players get an additional match, our fans have another opportunity to provide support and we would be one step closer to a championship Milk Cup match,” added Rudland.

Tickets for Monday’s Memorial Day Classic can be purchased online here.

For those unable to attend Monday’s match, be sure to subscribe to your YouTube channel and watch AFC Ann Arbor live.
 

The Opponent

Oakland County FC may have lost the first meeting 2-0 at home, but they are traveling to Ann Arbor with hopes of spoiling The Mighty Oak’s Memorial Day.

As the club has shown drastic growth off the pitch, OCFC has been making massive strides to do the same on the pitch. Bringing in a new coaching staff plus the addition of a club scout, was a strategic move to become more competitive in 2018. A result against Ann Arbor Monday would be the biggest testament to their investment in the sporting side of the club so you can expect the Purple to put up a massive fight come Monday.

Team Sheet

Click here for AFC Ann Arbor's match day roster vs Oakland County FC on May 28th. 

 

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Kalamazoo FC

The 2018 campaign is off to a hot start for The Mighty Oak as they’ve secured their position atop the Great Lakes Conference table just three matches in. AFC Ann Arbor has earned 9 points (out of a possible 9) posting a 3-0-0 record with defeats at Milwaukee, vs Detroit and at Indiana.

Ann Arbor will look to continue their impressive play as they travel to Kalamazoo Friday evening the fourth Great Lakes Conference match of the season for a 7PM kickoff.

Looking at the numbers, The Mighty Oak are off to a more than impressive start scoring 11 goals for and having yet to allow a single goal slip past the keeper in league play. Things have definitely been clicking both offensively and defensively, but Coach Eric Rudland and team are continuing to build chemistry and work hard day in and day out at training to fine tune their tactics.

Yuri Farkas leads the way tallying five goals in just three matches with the remaining six goals coming from six different scorers. This diversity in The Mighty Oak attack has kept defenders guessing where the attack will come from with wingers JP Rylah, Kyle Breitmeyer, Azaad Liadi and Chris Odhiambo all posing a serious threat for opposing defenses.

Ann Arbor’s defense has matched, if not exceeded, the offensive production of the team. Captain Matthieu “Frenchy” Braem anchors the backline with support from one of the early standouts of the season, Stanley Okumu. The Kenyan center back has shown his ability to make big plays, drop long balls to wingers feet in stride and absolutely shut down any attack coming his way.

"We talk about defending as a unit, all 11 players. So our back line and our goalkeeper have been very good for us thus far, but clean sheets really come down to a collective team effort. We’re picking good pressing moments, we’re playing with the Highline and we’re on our front foot to regain possession as quickly as possible. Our Player’s have clear indications that this is an expectation in the way that we want to play," said Head Coach Eric Rudland. 

The depth this roster has shown early should definitely worry other teams, with twenty-four players having appeared for Ann Arbor in NPSL play through three matches. With Henry Ramirez, Marc Ybarra, Caio, Jake Rosen and Michael Shaikly all putting in solid shift in the middle of the pitch, and Mike Novotny and Hunter Morse both earning clean sheets, Ann Arbor have proven their system strong being able to use so many different players so early. All great signs for The Mighty Oak.

"We believe that we have a deep roster and good positional balance, which allows us to create a rotation of players. We’re always looking at ways to keep our men sharp and performing at their maximum capacity. So with the double weekend this weekend and the following two weekends, three weekends in a row, we’re going to have to continue to rotate players to keep them fresh and sharp," added Rudland. 

Although AFC have shown many signs of brilliance early this season, any road league match is a test for the visiting side. Ann Arbor will look to steal another three points and return from Mayors Riverfront Stadium back home ready to take on Oakland County FC in the second leg of the Michigan Milk Cup on Memorial Day.

The Opponent

Kalamazoo will put up an incredible fight Friday night as they have yet to get one result against Ann Arbor in 4 tries (over 2 seasons). On top of that, a draw will keep them unbeaten in league play three matches in, something the Kalamazoo side has never done.

This past Sunday, they hosted an improved and complete Milwaukee side and went down 2-0 before storming back to tie things up and secure their fourth point of the season. Janum Sailor and Paul Liagre lead the attack for Kalamazoo who have a goal differential of plus four coming into Friday’s matchup.

“Kalamazoo has been on a run of good results. We prepare for them just as we do every other opponent. We respect them for the qualities they have, and their previous results. Also they  Will be at home, which we have to respect as well. With that said our focus has been primarily on what we need to do to get a result. How we want to play with and without the ball, and making sure that we’re working hard to get our game plan right for the match.  Our players have responded well in training this week, so we are looking forward to the away challenge tomorrow night,” said Rudland.

Note: The match will not be streamed so follow along on Twitter for updates or make the trip to Kalamazoo and join the growing traveling supporters of The Mighty Oak. Get tickets here. 

Team Sheet

Click here for the match day roster vs Kalamazoo FC 

Record Setting Outing for The Mighty Oak in 6-0 Win Over FC Indiana

The Mighty Oak traveled to Lafayette Sunday afternoon to take on FC Indiana. The third National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) match of the season for Ann Arbor faired in their favor as they earned a 6-0 result to move to 9 points and hold their position atop the Great Lakes Conference table.

Rudland and his team knew going in, with the shorter pitch and natural grass surface, exactly how they wanted to attack and they executed that plan well. Early opportunities came beginning in just the first minute when Henry Ramirez (played with FC Indiana last year) carried the ball to the touchline before cutting it back and finding Yuri Farkas open at the top of the box. Farkas rifled a shot on net only to be met by FC Indiana’s keeper.

"Today was a good team performance. At the end of the day it's about picking up points on the road. Clean sheets are always a fundamental goal for us, so to make that precedent so far in league play is good for our men," said Head Coach & Sporting Director, Eric Rudland. 

Although Farkas was unable to convert the first attempt of the match, the rest of the day marked a magical outing for the Brazilian. He opened up the scoring for AFC Ann Arbor when JP Rylah's rocket of a shot, that was somehow saved, began bouncing around in the box and Farkas was first to it hitting it with his left foot for the first goal of the match.

Farkas wasted no time for his second goal, as Chris Odhimabo beat the right back down the sideline before cutting in and finding Yuri at the top of the box to put AFC up 2-0 just one minute later. From there, The Mighty Oak pressed on and kept the ball in the final third for a good portion of the match creating numerous opportunities. 

The first four goals all came compliments of Yuri Farkas, who set an individual club record for most goals in a match. His first three goals came from run of play with the fourth from the penalty spot as he calmly converted after being taken down in the box. Farkas scored in the 14’, 15’, 50’ and 55’ minute of action to earn his club record. His outing was purely clinical, but he has his teammates to thank for helping create so many quality chances on the afternoon.

"Yuri took his chances well today no doubt, but a lot of the praise goes to the players around him as well. He had some superb set ups for each finish," added Rudland. 

Michael Shaikly scored his first goal for The Mighty Oak in the 65’ minute when he firmly stuck a rebound just inside the eighteen in the back of the net.

Alec Lasinski finished up the scoring for Ann Arbor on the afternoon when his defensive efforts on the press paid off and he was able to steal the ball from the defender and put his shot just out of the reach of the keeper for a 6-0 scoreline.

Defensively, AFCAA saw three of the four starting backline complete a full 90 minute shift to earn the club’s third clean sheet of the season, as they have yet to allow a single goal in three matches. Mike Novatany (GK) didn’t see much action on the day but was strong when called upon and was key to helping the men keep their shape and focus all match.

It was a historic day for the club on the pitch, setting three club records and tieing one:

-Most goals in a match (Team Record; previously set on June 2, 2017 at Michigan Stars 5-0)

-Largest margin of victory (Team Record; previously set on June 2, 2017 at Michigan Stars 5-0)

-Consecutive clean sheets: 3 [TIE] (Team Record; previously 3 set 5/14-5/21/17)

-Most goals in a match: Yuri Farkas- 4  (Individual Record; previously 3 - set by Kyle Breitmeyer at 2015 USASA Amateur Cup Region II Tournament)

Association Football Club is off to a great start in Great Lakes Conference play and sit atop the table with a 3-0-0 record with a plus eleven goal differential. Their next match will be on the road, as they travel to Kalamazoo, Friday May 25th for a 7PM kick.

The Mighty Oak's next home match will be Monday, May 28th for the 4th Annual Memorial Day Classic. Ann Arbor will host Oakland County FC for the second leg of the Michigan Milk Cup at Skyline HS for a 3PM kick. Get your tickets here. 

"It's another busy week ahead for the club. Tomorrow will be an off day for everyone, which will be welcome as reset our engines. Then back in for training Tuesday to amp back up in our preparations for Friday. We will be evaluating individual performances from this weekend and review our scouting reports for our upcoming opponents. That will help us plan out our training and personnel decisions," added Rudland. 

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs FC Indiana

The third season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) Great Lakes Conference is off to another great start for AFC Ann Arbor as they enter their third league match of the season this Sunday at FC Indiana. Although it is very early in the campaign, Ann Arbor are top of the table in the Great Lakes with 6 points (2-0-0). Sunday will be a great chance to pick up 3 more points for Eric Rudland and team as they complete the first double-match weekend of the season.

Coach Rudland is pleased with the effort of his men so far but continues to stay the course in terms of his approach to each match.

“Everything right now, and always, is about moving forward. So we want to build off our NPSL match outing last weekend. There were some bright spots in our last performance and plenty of things we need to improve on. We've been working in training to make progress tactically and getting players into the right spots in the team system. It's a work in progress so Sunday will be another very important step in that process,” said Rudland.

Midfielder Henry Ramirez, new to Ann Arbor for 2018, will be facing his former club, a side he is very familiar with as he lead them through their inaugural NPSL season. Henry, along with a handful of other players, arrived to training less than two weeks ago, so each training session has been an opportunity to create more chemistry between the players.

Expect to see a similar lineup to Sunday’s match vs Detroit City FC with some small potential changes.

“Sunday we expect to make a few changes personnel wise to the team who played this past week. Some changes will be make by default due to player availability and other changes will be tactical,” commented Rudland.

Ann Arbor is two matches into Great Lakes Conference play and have yet to concede a goal. The defensive efforts have been an all around team effort and the depth The Mighty Oak have in the backline should equate to continued success in stopping other teams from scoring.

The match is set for a 2PM kick (EST) and will be live streamed from FC Indiana's Facebook Page. 

The Opponent

FC Indiana are also playing a double match weekend having lost to Grand Rapids FC Friday Night, 0-4. This may cause some heavy legs for the men in red Sunday as the club is expected to play a similar roster to the one that dressed on Friday.

FC Indiana were new to the conference (and league) in 2017, so The Mighty Oak have only played the Lafayette based side twice, each of which resulted in 3 points for Ann Arbor. They can tell you one thing that stands out about the Lions home pitch. It’s short. Very short.

Knowing this going into Sunday has allowed Coach Rudland and team prepare accordingly, having spent some time in training this week addressing the adjustments that need to be made because of the lack of length.

“The pitch is very short. It changed our tactical approach last year both with and without the ball and we expect the same to be true this year. Every match is about exposing space and the opponents weaknesses so we have to look at the available pockets we have to play in, which always differ per game, and pin-point where we can have success with the ball,” added Rudland.

On top of the size, The Mighty Oak will be back on a natural grass surface tomorrow. When Rudland was asked about the back and forth between grass and turf he said, “The continual surface change actually is tough on players. We're not making excuses because we must acclimate, but turf and grass are miles apart in how they play. The pre match warm-up is critical in that players get comfortable on the surface..gauging the weight of their pass, the texture of balls flighted, and the distance of first touches. We also try to train the day before each match on a similar surface to help prepare the players both technically and mentally. For instance, this Saturday we will try to train on natural grass in preparation for Sunday. In a perfect world we would always train and play on a well manicured natural surface, but this is not the reality to football at our level so we must accommodate and remain flexible.”

Team Sheet

Click here for roster vs FC Indiana