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

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs OCFC [Michigan Milk Cup First Round]

The Mighty Oak return to action this Friday for the first of a two leg matchup with Oakland County FC in the Michigan Milk Cup first round pairing. Ann Arbor will travel to Clawson for the 7PM kick before returning to NPSL action at FC Indiana on Sunday.

AFC looks to defend their 2017 Michigan Milk Cup title but with the tournament’s revised format, they’ll have to get past OCFC first.

The tournament consists of 8 Michigan Men’s team competing in varying leagues including the Premier Development League (PDL; affiliated with USL), National Premier Soccer League (NPSL; AFCAA’s league), Michigan Premier Soccer League (Made up of men’s regional amateur clubs) and the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL).

After being split up into two pots and paired at random, the Battle of the Oak was set for Ann Arbor’s first road match against Oakland since the inaugural season in 2015 (when the two were leaguemates in the league formerly known as the Great Lakes Premier League aka GLPL).

“The Milk Cup is a unique competition meshing multiple levels of football here in Michigan. I think there is a positive buzz about the Cup and we are happy to be a part of the competition for the second year,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

Each pairing then plays a two-leg matchup with each team hosting a home match. The aggregate score of the two matches decides the winner who will move on to the semifinals knock-out round (Lansing United has already advanced after defeating Livonia City FC 9-1 in aggregate).  

The biggest challenge with competitions outside of league play always falls on the manager. The responsibility of balancing the importance of defending the club’s title while also remaining focused on Great Lakes Conference play in the NPSL.

“The Milk Cup match comes at an opportune time after being knocked out of the US Open Cup last week. This match, being outside of league play, allows us flexibility to look at the depth of our team in multiple positions. It also provides a real environment for some of our men to build up their match fitness levels and show what type of impact they can make with our club this season,” said Rudland.

Add in the fact that this weekend’s two matches are less than 48 hours apart (Friday at 7PM and Sunday at 2PM) will mean Rudland will utilize the depth of roster introducing some new members of The Mighty Oak.

“We will feature a lot of new players who will be making their debut appearance for us. It's going to be exciting for the club and for each individual player,” added Rudland.

Some familiar faces will also take the pitch Friday night including 3rd year member of The Mighty Oak and Ann Arbor native, Alec Lasinski, who has made brief, but impactful appearances in both NPSL wins for Ann Arbor this season. This past Sunday, he drew the foul that set up the free kick for the game winner in stoppage time.

Other familiar faces include Azaad “AZ” Liadi, a Saginaw Valley State University winger, who made a huge impact in Ann Arbor’s thrilling 2-1 victory in the preseason friendly against Force FC.

Another Ann Arbor native, Kenny Vasquez will feature this Friday as well, after appearances in all of the preseason friendlies.
 

The Opponent

The Battle of the Oak has a rich history for only beginning in 2015, the year both clubs were founded (and members of the GLPL). The two sides have faced each other four times with Ann Arbor’s only loss coming in Rudland’s debut for the club in the 2016 preseason friendly home opener.

Oakland County have never been an easy match for The Mighty Oak and Friday should prove to be the same as the two clubs are both hopeful to advance to the Milk Cup semifinals.

New for OCFC in 2018 is an expanded staff as former Coach, Nicolino Marana, wears a new hat, now serving as the club’s Technical Director while welcoming new Head Coach Darryl Evans.

“Expecting a hard-nosed battle - with a revamped roster and coaching staff, the intensity of the match feel a little amplified, at least on our end anyways, especially against a team that is one, if not the, premier club in the state, talent-wise.  Overall, I think it'll be a fun matchup that fans of all sorts can enjoy as a good breadth of talent will be on display,” said Morana in response to being asked what fans can expect for Friday’s match.

Launching a supporters trust in 2018 is just another step forward for the OCFC’s front office, one that has continued to grow the organization a great deal in just three short years. Being a first year competitor in the Michigan Milk Cup, this match is meaningful for the young club. .

“It's little stepping stones like these matches that will help us grow as a household name in the semi-professional scene. Our off the field product has been pretty good, it's the on the field that needs to equal it - I feel as though this is the year we make that stride,” added Morana.
 

Ticket Info

To purchase tickets for Friday’s match against Oakland County FC in Clawson, MI click here.

To purchase tickets for the second leg against OCFC in Ann Arbor on May 28th, click here.

Stream

Oakland County FC will be streaming Friday's match online at golivesportscast.com. 

Late Heroics Give Ann Arbor 1-0 Win Over Detroit

Association Football Club Ann Arbor’s home opener against rival Detroit City FC at Skyline High School didn’t disappoint. Martieon Watson headed a free kick from Jake Rosen in stoppage time to win the game, 1-0.

Last season, AFC Ann Arbor and Detroit City FC finished one and two in the final National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) Great Lakes Conference standings. This was the sixth meeting between both teams over the past two seasons, who are now quite familiar with the level of competition expected of these matchups. The Mighty Oak now holds the advantage in the series 3-2-1.

The Mighty Oak came out in a 4-3-3 formation to start in the first match at their new home, Skyline High School. In the early minutes Detroit City FC held much of the possession, with the one exception of Yuri Farkas’ chance off a counter that rolled just wide of the far post in the 4’ minute mark.

Both teams played conservatively through much of the first half with limited chances and most of the play being around midfield. AFC Ann Arbor’s back line, Breno Stapcinskas, and Joseph Okumu stopped most of the advances that Detroit had. It was evident that both teams matched up well.

At the 39’ minute of the game, the Mighty Oak had their best chance of the first half. Jp Rylah dummied the ball off a pass to let it roll past and onto the foot of Yuri Farkas making a run down the sideline. After a few one-two touches by the Mighty Oak, midfielder Michael Shaikly got the ball in the six yard box, finished with an off balance shot that curved just outside of the near corner.

The second half started out much like the first with Detroit City FC holding most of the possession early. As the second half progressed, it was evident that AFC Ann Arbor and Detroit City FC both came out of half time with a new sense of urgency to get the first goal.

Mike Novotny made numerous key saves in the second half to keep the game scoreless. In the 52’ minute, he made a kick save and was then called upon again for a series of saves between the 57’ and 59’ minute.

It was then in the 69’ minute that Mike Novotny was in need of assistance after being caught out of position high in the keepers box. That assistance came from Joseph Okumu who made a critical clear on a chip shot that was destined for the back of the net after going over the head of Mike Novotny.

Novotny wasn’t done yet though, in the 75’ minute Novotny made his biggest save of the game off a Detroit City FC free kick that found its way onto an attackers foot inside the 18. Novotny made himself as big as possible and stuffed the attempt on goal.

Much of the last twenty minutes were filled with chances from both teams. It was in stoppage time however that AFC Ann Arbor was able to capitalize. A free kick, on a foul of sub Alex Lasinski, deep in Detroit City territory Jake Rosen was able to provide Martieon "Moco" Watson with a perfectly placed ball curling towards the goal that Watson was able to head in for the winning goal.

The Mighty Oak persisted for the full 90 minutes and their efforts paid off, earning a very hard fought three points against their rival and starting the NPSL season with back-to-back victories.

The Mighty Oak return to action with two away contests next weekend. First, they'll travel to Oakland County for the first leg of the Michigan Milk Cup before heading to Indiana on Sunday to resume NPSL play against FC Indiana. 

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

Association Football Club Ann Arbor hosts Detroit City FC this Sunday at Skyline High School at 3PM for the club’s National Premier Soccer League home opener. The Mighty Oak kicked off their 2018 campaign last Saturday with a 4-0 win over Milwaukee.

Sunday’s matchup against Detroit City FC will mark the first home league match for AFC Ann Arbor played somewhere other than Pioneer High School. The move to Skyline was a result of Pioneer anticipating getting their turf resurfaced this summer and was announced in January.

Although the two clubs have only played five times over the past two seasons, the intensity of this match looks as if the two organizations share a storied past. The series knotted at 2-2-1, was evened up when DCFC won the NPSL Midwest Region Final in stoppage time, 3-2 to end The Mighty Oak’s 2018 playoff run.

Having won both regular season matches against Detroit in 2017 (2-0 home and 3-1 away) and the Great Lakes Conference Championship, The Mighty Oak know how impactful picking up three points on Sunday could be.

“Ann Arbor vs Detroit is always a great match. They are organized and have a core of players who have been together for a number of years. They may rotate some players based on the fact that they have another mid-week Open Cup match next week or they may start a similar line-up in an effort to keep their momentum. Defensively we have to pick good pressing moments, play on the front foot and stay compact. In the attack we have to find ways to build through the 1/3's and not give away the ball cheaply. At the end of the day we just want to see progress with our group so we can take the next step forward,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

Tactically, AFCAA have had to make some early season adjustments based on personnel and opponents, but Sunday will see a form traditional formation that fans are used to seeing.

Fans can also expect to see some changes to the lineup with some new players potentially seeing the pitch for the first time as a member of The Mighty Oak.

Rudland added, “We have some new players who have been with us for a few days of training who are knocking on the door to break in, so we are looking at making a few changes in the first 11. We adopted a new system over the course of last two matches, however we feel comfortable in our traditional style and system fo play as well. So we will look at our available personnel and make a decision in regards to what system of play best matches our players and the opponent.

“We are excited to kick off our home NPSL campaign on Sunday at Skyline. The venue is great and fits our club nicely. I think the surface and size of the pitch are pretty similar to Pioneer so we should settle in well,” said Rudland.

The Opponent

Detroit City is coming off a historic week as the side hosted and won (in dramatic fashion) their first US Open Cup at Keyworth Stadium. Their second USOC win over the Michigan Bucks is a testimonial to DCFC’s commitment to improve their sporting side of the club.

Last seasons addition of Klaas de Boer helped the club identify stronger talent and raise the bar enough to help them earn the Midwest Region Championship.

This season, Cale Wassermann returns to the sideline as Associate Head Coach, in a role that will help the club continue down the path of being more competitive. Wassermann and Pirmann are both assistant coaches at Michigan State and the two have a great track record of working together.

Sunday’s contest will be a true challenge for Ann Arbor as two of the best sides in the region meet for the 6th time ever.

AFCAA LIVE 

Subscribe to The Mighty Oak's YouTube channel and watch all of the AFC Ann Arbor matches live with Michael Kroodsma on the call. 

Match Day Experience

After the April 15th friendly against Carpathia was cancelled due to ice on the field, The Mighty Oak are eager to open up play at their 2018 home venue.

The Main Street Hooligans and other fans will be gathering at HOMES Brewery for pre-match festivities beginning at 1PM. Gates open at 2PM for the 3PM kickoff.  

With Sunday being Mother’s Day, we’ll also have some special giveaways just for Moms!

Ray’s Red Hots and Iorio’s will be on hand, while Skyline High School boosters will be running concessions raising money for the high school’s athletic department.

Our official youth club partner on Sunday will be Michigan Tigers FC. All Tigers players wearing their jersey will get in free.

TICKET INFO

Online Tickets- Adults $8 / Youth $5 (Ages 4-12) *Available until Noon on Sunday

At the Gate- Adults $10 / Youth $6  *Kids 1,2 and 3 are FREE

Memberships (Season Tickets)

Flex Plans

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Ocean City Nor'easters [US Open Cup First Round]

View fullsize

Association Football Club Ann Arbor officially kicked off their 2018 National Premier Soccer League campaign this past Saturday at Milwaukee, earning three points on the road with a 4-0 result over the Torrent.

The first of three matches in eight days went well but focus quickly shifted to preparing for the US Open Cup First Round opponent, Ocean City Nor’easters, who will travel to Michigan for Wednesday’s match at EMU’s Scicluna Field at 6PM.

Ann Arbor Head Coach & Sporting Director, Eric Rudland, knows better than anyone just how big this match is for the club.

View fullsize

“US Open Cup is a great platform for the club to gain recognition and for our individual players. Hosting it in our own backyard and squaring off against a top PDL side is a great opportunity that we don't take lightly. We collectively want to win the first game so we can push on to face a USL side in the second round,” he said.

Wednesday’s contest is set for 6PM at Eastern Michigan University’s Scicluna Field (see match experience details below for more info), which marks the first time The Mighty Oak have hosted a match in Ypsilanti.

“We do a lot of outreach in Ypsi and have a ton of relationships in the community including one of our favorites in the Bishop Elementary Spanish immersion program. I live down the street, graduated from EMU and care a great deal about this community so being able to play such an important match for our club at a place I love so much is extra special for me personally. And you won’t find a better natural grass surface available for rent in all of Washtenaw County so we’re grateful to Coach Scott Hall and the EMU Women’s Soccer Program to welcome us with open arms to host this match at their home pitch,” said AFC Ann Arbor Chairman, Bilal Saeed.

“Eric and his staff have done an amazing job of building a winning culture over the past couple of seasons and the players have worked hard to earn us a spot in a tournament that means so much to this sport in the US so we’re all looking forward to Wednesday to say the least,” added Saeed.

[WATCH From US Soccer]: Roots All Over The World- AFCAA Family

The Opponent

A first time opponent for The Mighty Oak, Ocean City are a team who have found some success. The PDL side known as the Nor’easters, made it to their league’s national semifinals in 2016 and they’re also no stranger to the US Open Cup. In 2017, the Nor’easters advanced to the second round before losing in PKs to Penn FC (formerly known as Harrisburg City Islanders).  

If there’s one thing the two clubs have in common, it may be in the make up of the roster. Ann Arbor’s features over half of its roster from overseas from twelve different countries while the Nor’easters are about the same in terms of domestic vs international but have players from thirteen different countries. One thing is certain: the world’s game will be well represented in Ypsilanti on Wednesday evening.

Rudland commented on the opponent adding, “They are a worthy opponent no doubt. With that said we prepare for Ocean City just like any other opponent. Our scouting department is putting together as thorough of a report as possible. Obviously they don't have a lot to go off this season yet, but we can look to matches they've played in the past and build a framework of what they might look like. Also, we can look at the individual players they have on their roster, their tendencies, weaknesses, etc from their fall college seasons. So we are going through that information to make sure both our staff and players are educated to the best of our ability. And at the end of day we know we need to be tactically flexible to find solutions during the match and display a greater desire mentally during the match to succeed. Most Open Cup matches come down to those two factors.”

TICKET INFO

Tickets- Adults $10 / Youth $6 (Ages 4-12) 

*Kids 1,2 and 3 are FREE. Fans are encouraged to purchased tickets in advance online as capacity is limited at EMU. 

Match Experience

Bleacher seating is VERY limited and will be reserved for members, who will also need to purchase individual match tickets for Wednesday’s match, as all memberships do not include the US Open Cup admission. (Don’t forget to bring your membership card with you still)

Don’t forget fans, bring your own chair or blanket to sit on if you have it. The Main Street Hooligans will be posted up on “Hill 1” with additional standing room on Hill 2. The intimate setting for Wednesday’s match will be a great experience for those in attendance. For those that can’t be sure to tune into the stream and watch the match live.

See the map below for parking info and details.

View fullsize

AFCAA LIVE

The match will be streamed by the AFC Ann Arbor media lead by Michael Kroodsma on the call available here at ussoccer.com.

Team Sheet

The official team sheet will be released on match day, Wednesday, May 9th.
Rudland gave some insight on what to expect personnel wise saying, “We have a few changes forecasted for Wednesday, but we will ultimately make decisions after our training session early this week. We need to see which players are fit for 90 minutes as you are only allowed 3 changes in Open Cup. Also we have some new players coming into the team this week that we want to evaluate in our team training environment and gauge their ability to break in. We feel good about two systems of play at the moment, so we will be working towards solidifying our system of play on the training pitch as well.”

Ann Arbor Downs Milwaukee On The Road 4-0

The Mighty Oak traveled to Milwaukee this weekend to begin their 2018 campaign to defend the Great Lakes Conference Championship. The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) opener saw both teams down key men (Milwaukee due to suspensions and Ann Arbor to injuries).

Ann Arbor came out in a 3-5-2 with Okumu, Braem and Stapcinskas towering the backline. After possessing most the early minutes of the match and finding the final third a few times, The Mighty Oak called upon Hunter Morse to make the first save of the season. At the 15’ mark, Morse denied a Torrent attack that saw a cross redirected towards the net but a huge save kept the match scoreless.

JP Rylah (played in 2016 for The Mighty Oak) created many early chances showing his speed, touch and passing ability proving a key component in the Ann Arbor attack.

All in all, AFCAA had at least five quality scoring opportunities in the first half that came up short but the attack proved to be dangerous nonetheless.

The Torrent looked to press The Mighty Oak to begin the second half but Ann Arbor’s backline and midfield Maestro, Marc Ybarra, had other plans and broke up most Milwaukee advances.

It was in the 55’ that JP Rylah flashed up the right wing carrying the ball nearly to the endline before crossing the ball low and fast into Yuri Farkas who calmly poked the opening goal home past Milwaukee’s goalkeeper.

From there, Ann Arbor continued to dominate possession and create quality chances, but three more goals were on the way.

The 74’ minute saw Marc Ybarra (University of Michigan) volley a loose ball off an Ann Arbor corner kick into the back of the net before the keeper could even react. A class goal for Ybarra’s first club goal.

Shortly after in the 85’ minute, another piece of quality came but this time in the form of a chip from KB9. A left footed chip from 20 plus yards looked effortless for Breitmeyer as he continues to add to his total as The Mighty Oak’s all-time leading scorer.

The final goal came from Marlon Freitas, a second year player, getting his first major action for the team. Featuring and scoring in his first match of the season, Freitas will have the opportunity to make an even bigger impact for AFCAA this summer.

It was an all around team effort and grind to earn three tough road points with a combination of returning players and new players made their mark on the match.

“We had some great individual performances on Saturday in Milwaukee. Our key returners were very good on the night; Yuri, Kyle, Frenchy, Jake. It was nice to get JP back in the side after not having him in 2017, he did well in a new role for us. And we had plenty of new men step up in a big way. Marc Ybarra served as the heart beat of our midfield play, we caught a glimpse of Stanley's presence in the back-line and I thought Hunter Morse came up with a huge save for us in the first half to keep the game at nil-nil. This week we expect a number of players to step up. We will have to use a handful of different players between our two matches so it's a prime opportunity for the men to prove what they can accomplish,” said Rudland.

He added, “It feels good to kick off the 2018 campaign. We are still a new group forming and have a lot of unknowns, but to pick up 3 points on the road in the first league match is a good start for our club. The groups mentality and ability to grind was good last night. We still have a ton to work out tactically and personnel wise, but we found solutions throughout the match and displayed a willingness to stay together.”

No other Great Lakes Conference matches were played this weekend, but four matches are slated for the coming one.

Association Football Club Ann Arbor return to action this Wednesday, May 9th at 6PM for first round US Open Cup action. Ann Arbor will host the Ocean City Nor’easters at Eastern Michigan University’s Scicluna Field. The winner will advance to play the Charlotte Independence in North Carolina the following Wednesday (May 16th). Tickets are available and can be purchase online here. Seating is limited so fans are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to sit on.

The Mighty Oak’s next NPSL match will be their league home opener at Skyline High School, Sunday May 13th, against Detroit City FC at 3PM. Tickets are available and can be purchased here.

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Milwaukee

View fullsize

The Mighty Oak’s campaign to defend the 2017 Great Lakes Conference Championship kicks off Saturday at Hart Park in Wisconsin. Ann Arbor will begin their National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) schedule exactly as they did in 2017, on the road against the Torrent.

Coach Rudland and team are excited for the 2018 campaign to kickoff.

“It's great to be back at it. Being on the field, training, preparing for matches and working to get better is the fun part of coaching and the best part for the players as well. Last year is last year. We now enter a new chapter with a lot of new faces in the team. Obviously everyone in the league will be gunning for us, but we have a team who is hungry to prove themselves and I sense a desire from every man to perform well day in and day out so we can achieve our club objectives,” said Rudland.

Last year’s opening match proved to be a challenge as the Torrent possesed early and created serious chances missing only the final piece. Ann Arbor battled to steal three points on the road with a 3-1 victory as Dario Suarez (now with Miami FC 2), Kyle Breitmeyer and Yuri Farkas each scored in the league opener.

Farkas and Breitmeyer are two of seven returning players that will dress this weekend with the remaining roster comprised of new faces looking to fill big shoes.

In the backline, Joseph Okumu (Kenyan U23 MNT) and Sergio Campbell (Jamaica MNT) bring a level of experience that will compliment Captain Matthieu “Frenchy” Braem’s style of play quite well. The anchors of the defense will add even more depth when new teammate Jack Cawley arrives from the UK next week.

University of Michigan standout and Ann Arbor native, Marc Ybarra, is a strong addition to The Mighty Oak’s midfield for 2018. Michigan Soccer Now says, “Ybarra is strong in the tackle and reads the game extremely well.”

"He was a mainstay in Michigan's lineup this past fall as a freshman, which speaks to his ability to step into a new environment, win a job and flourish with good players around him," added Rudland. "We expect him to do the same with us this summer."

Recently signed Azaad (AZ) Liadi, from Saginaw Valley State University, will also be joining the team after a stellar performance as a substitute trialist in Sunday’s friendly against Force FC. AZ not only assisted on the equalizer to Pat Rose but also set up the play that drew the game winning penalty with a beautiful ball to Kyle Breitmeyer before he was brought down in the box.

Although Ann Arbor went unbeaten in the preseason including a thrilling late comeback vs Force FC in the final friendly, Rudland says the men still have plenty of work to do.

“The pre-season matches have all been beneficial for different reasons. Most importantly though we've been able to introduce players into the team while also building up the fitness levels of a handful of players. Tactically we have made progress in both our attacking cohesion and our defense schemes, which are both still a work in progress, but we are in a better spot than we were 4 weeks ago,” said Rudland.

The Opponent

AFC Ann Arbor have only faced the Torrent twice, both times in 2017, but one thing was clear, points are hard earned against Milwaukee. Ann Arbor stole three points on the road and earned a tough 1-1 draw at home vs the Torrent in 2017.

“We have a decent handle on Milwaukee's system and what they have been working towards in pre-season. In regards to an in-depth report on their strengths weaknesses and tendencies a lot of that is still to be determined this early in the season. They have a few important returning players from last year, which we have good notes and thoughts on. So we will compile the information that we have and share it with our players in an effort to make sure that we all (players and staff) have a working document of what to expect,” added Rudland.

Note: Due to a red cards in the last match of 2017, Milwaukee Head Coach Andreas Davies along with Drew Ruggles, Andrew Wiedabach, Isaac Pereyra will all be ineligible to play.

WATCH: The Match will be streamed on Milwaukee Torrent's Facebook Page

Three Matches in Eight Days

NPSL play begins Saturday at Milwaukee followed by the first round US Open Cup match at Eastern Michigan University on Wednesday May 9th, before The Mighty Oak host their official home opener on Sunday May 13th vs Detroit City FC.

With three important matches in a short stretch, managing the lineup will be a challenge for Rudland but nothing he’s unprepared for.

He added, “We always forecast our available players and potential line-ups 3 matches in advance. With 3 critical matches in a week's time it's important look at the fine-line between player rest and rhythm, knowing that players need to be rotated to keep everyone at their maximum playing potential. This time of year that is easy, with new players coming into the team we can create a natural rotation of personnel to achieve the objectives of both competing and staying healthy.”

 

Team Sheet

Jersey No - Player

1 - Joe Smith

2 - Jake Rosen

3 - JP Rylah

4 - Marlon Freitas

7 - Yuri Farkas

8 - Alec Lasinski

9 - Kyle Breitmeyer

11 - Azaad Liadi

12 - Brandon Katona

13 - Kyle Bandyk

14 - Matthieu Braem

15 - Breno Stapcinskas

16 - Joseph Okumu

17 - Sergio Campbell

20 - Marc Ybarra

66 - Hunter Morse

Two Late Goals Secure Victory for AFC Ann Arbor in Saline Showcase

AFC Ann Arbor left it late, but goals from trialist Pat Rose and Kyle Breitmeyer in the final minutes earned The Mighty Oak a hard fought victory over Force FC in the 4th annual Saline Showcase.

Sunday’s match was extremely physical with both sides looking to gain the upper hand in the middle of the park. The back-and-forth nature meant that each side saw just one shot on target in the first half.

In the second half it was the visitors who took the lead. In the 63rd minute, Force FC’s striker pounced on a loose back pass and tucked the ball under Joe Smith’s right arm in the AFC goal to grab a 1-0 advantage. Ann Arbor had been dominating the match in possession and had created more attacking chances over the opening hour, but surprisingly found themselves down a goal with less than 30 minutes remaining.

As the match wore on into the closing moments, it was trialist Pat Rose who found a lifeline for the hosts. In the 88th minute after a great curling cross from the right flank, Rose dove to meet the ball and his header flew past the Force FC keeper into the top right corner to level the match at 1-1.

The referee added on several minutes of stoppage time and as the match ticked past the 90-minute mark, The Mighty Oak capitalized. Audi of Ann Arbor Man of the Match Kyle Breitmeyer connected with a long diagonal ball on the left flank. He took it in his stride and ran at the defender before being cut down in the box by the Force defender. The referee had a clear view and pointed to the spot, giving AFC a late opportunity to win the match.

Breitmeyer stepped up and powered his penalty past the Force FC keeper into the bottom right corner to secure victory for AFC in the dying moments of the match. Force FC pushed late on to trying and find an equalizer but weren’t able to muster any other chances as AFC Ann Arbor ran out 2-1 winners.

Head Coach Eric Rudland was happy with the mentality of the men to come from behind and get a victory in the final preseason match of 2018.

“To go down a goal and then come back late, I thought for our group that speaks well just from a mentality standpoint.” He said. “[It was a] good goal from Pat Rose to get us going and then obviously Kyle drawing the penalty kick at the end was great for us as a group.”

AFC Ann Arbor will be looking to build on the momentum following this win as they kick off their NPSL campaign next Saturday, May 5th, at 7:00 pm EST (6:00 pm CST) when they head to Milwaukee to take on the Milwaukee Torrent. The next home match for The Mighty Oak will be on Wednesday May 9th, at Eastern Michigan University's Scicluna Field for the U.S. Open Cup First Round Matchup against the Ocean City Nor'easters. 

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Force FC

To no one’s surprise, Kyle Breitmeyer came ready to play in last Saturday’s season opener friendly at Huron High School. The third-year member of The Mighty Oak opened up the scoring in the 11th minute before securing his bracy with a second half goal to put Ann Arbor up to 2-0. The match however ended in a 2-2 draw as SVSU notched 2 late goals after most of the starters were subbed off.

As expected in preseason, Coach Rudland was pleased with some of the performance but sees each early friendly as a stepping stone to prepare for league play which begins May 5th on the road at Milwaukee.

“I felt like we dictated play well in the first 60 minutes. Our possession oriented attack was very good at times and we did a good job of finding penetrating passes. With that said, we lacked creating dangerous ideas & execution in the final 1/3. For how much possession we had in the first 60 we should have created more opportunities to score," added Rudland.

With Force FC traveling to town for Sunday’s 4th Annual Saline Showcase, the last preseason friendly, Coach Rudland will stay the course and take the next step in the team building process saying, “We want to take the next step physically. The hope is that we can get our main guys to 70-75 minutes. We have been working to build up the fitness levels from match to match with the hopes of preparing the men to for for 90 minutes next weekend in Milwaukee. Also, We want to progress our defending schemes to pick good pressing moments & recover the back quickly. And we are hoping to make progress in the cohesion of our attack.”

This marks the first meeting between the two sides, and with both clubs competing in the Michigan Milk Cup, there is the possibility they meet again later in the summer. But Sunday’s contest will be the first chance for many to see what Force FC are about.

“Honestly we don’t know much about their personnel or who they will be suiting up for the match. At this point in the team building process we are more concerned with ourselves & the way we want to play, the manner in which we want to build our players up physically & tactical. So we are very much just looking inward in preparation for Sunday on what we need to improve in,” said Rudland in response to what fans can expect from the opponent.

THE OPPONENT

Force FC is a men’s amateur team based in Bloomfield Hills that began competing in the early to mid 2000s but began operating the youth side of things in 1995.

Head Coach, Ryan Tadajewski was a player himself for the club starting back in 2007. Now, alongside assistant coaches Matt Mandarino and Jon Evans, the club will continue it’s pursuit to be the most competitive amateur side in Michigan.

Just as The Mighty Oak did, Force FC opened up their season last Saturday as they took on Livonia City FC, another Michigan Milk Cup participant.

Lead by Colin Helmrich and Mike Leone, Tadajewski expects to use a similar line up after earning a 2-1 result in their season opening friendly, along with a few new faces.

In terms of style of play, he added, “Fans can expect a fast style of play from Force FC. It will be a hard fought game from the first minute all the way to the 90th! We hope to make this an entertaining game where this can hopefully continue as a constant friendly for years to come.”

 

MATCH DAY EXPERIENCE

With the match being held in Saline, the Main Street Hooligans along with other fans will plan on gathering at Stony Lake Brewing Co. beginning at 3PM.

The rest of the day will be centered around the Saline soccer community. At halftime, select Saline High School players along with Saline FC players will be recognized for their achievements in the game. All Saline FC players who wear their jersey will also receive free admission to Sunday’s match.

TEAM SHEET

“We are very much just looking inward in preparation for Sunday on what we need to improve in,” said Rudland.
 

Jersey No - Player

1 - Joe Smith

2 - -Kenny Vasquez

3 - Trialist (Ludvick Asigo)

4 - Liam Travers

6 - Jordan Montoya

8 - Marlon Frietas

TICKET INFO

Online Tickets- Adults $8 / Youth $5 (Ages 4-12) *Available until Noon on Sunday

At the Gate- Adults $10 / Youth $6  *Kids 1,2 and 3 are FREE

Memberships (Season Tickets)

Flex Plans

9 - Kyle Breitmeyer

10 - Drew Ducker

11 - Danny Dragoi

12 - Leonardo Abonizio

13 - Trialist (Pat Rose)

14 - Matthieu "Frenchie" Braem

15 - Breno Stapcinskas

16 - Andre Morris

17 - Sergio Campbell

18 - Trialist (Marco Bernardini)

20 - Marc Ybarra

22 - Leigh Rumbold

66 - Hunter Morse

AFC Ann Arbor Partners with Titan GPS

AFC Ann Arbor has created a unique partnership with one of the up and coming brands in the sport science and data analytics space, Titan GPS. Titan GPS offers unparalleled data accuracy and tracking precision in real time. Along with GPS Stats, Titan has integrated a synchronized HD Video and Player Readiness component to their system, blending a science, technology & emotional based holistic approach to tracking player performance.

“This is a big step for our club,” commented AFC Ann Arbor Sporting Director, Eric Rudland. “Titan GPS will not only enhance the player experience, their product will enable us to care for our athletes on a deeper level and push us forward competitively on the training and match pitch. Titan’s product is the epitome of useful information and this partnership further proves our club’s aim to provide a first class football experience.”

"We are thrilled to be the providers of advanced performance data for AFC Ann Arbor athletes and coaching staff through the Titan GPS system," said Stéphane Smith, Integrated Bionics Inc CEO.  

"Partnering with an organization committed to player excellence such as AFC Ann Arbor is a tremendous opportunity for us as a company. Driving innovation to improve athlete health and performance is our mission and relationships with forward thinking clubs like AFC Ann Arbor enable us to really push GPS sports technology in new and exciting directions," he added.

Through this unique partnership AFC Ann Arbor will have access to Titan GPS sensors throughout the entirety of the 2018 NPSL Season. The data compiled by Titan GPS will be used by AFC Ann Arbor’s Technical Staff to maintain appropriate fitness levels and monitor player performance. Furthermore, player data will be shared on a weekly basis with all of the college coaches, agents and affiliates who have players with AFC Ann Arbor for the 2018 season. This will allow the aforementioned to stay in tune with their player’s progress throughout the course of the season.

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 by local soccer fanatic, Jamey Amrine, with the goal of creating a community based club that would promote the game on a larger scale. After partnering with 8 local entrepreneurs and community members in early 2015 to form the AFC Ann Arbor Board of Directors, the club competed in the Great Lakes Premier League during its inaugural campaign. The ownership group has expanded to 15, with 2 former professional athletes in that group including Knox Cameron (Columbus Crew) and Shane Battier (Miami Heat). After a successful first year, the club made two major moves in the off-season hiring Head Coach & Sporting Director, Eric Rudland, as well as joining the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL). In the club's inaugural NPSL season, they finished second in the Great Lakes west conference, and were one of sixteen teams (out of 90 + teams) to secure a playoff berth. 2017 was monumental year as the club won it's first playoff game, first conference championship and broke 12 club records. The club’s fourth season kicks off in May as The Mighty Oak look to continue their winning ways in 2018.

About Titan GPS

Integrated Bionics, Inc, was founded in 2013 by former NASA engineers and medical professionals to bring advanced instrumentation and human performance analysis to elite sporting teams internationally.  Integrated Bionic's latest sensing platform, Titan GPS, delivers the most accurate position, velocity, acceleration tracking system in the industry. Coupled with latest in sports science and machine learning technology, Titan is enabling coaches to quantity athlete workload in unprecedented accuracy and simplicity, and efficiently use captured data to adapt training to better prepare athletes for the physical demands of competition.  Integrated Bionics looks forward to continue pushing the boundaries of what's possible with athlete tracking and performance analysis.

The Mighty Oak Draw 2-2 in Season Opener Friendly

Kyle Breitmeyer’s 2 goal performance wasn’t enough to see off Saginaw Valley State University Saturday evening as the visitors came from behind to earn a tough 2-2 draw at Huron High School. The 2018 season-opening friendly match kicked off at 7:00 pm and from the beginning it was AFC Ann Arbor with the majority of attacking opportunities.

11 minutes in, forward Kyle Breitmeyer took advantage of an attempted Saginaw clearance. Hector Morales did well to block the ball, which fell kindly for Breitmeyer. KB9 held off the approaching Cardinal defender and clipped the ball over the keeper to the back post to give AFC the lead. Though the goal came early on, it was the only real action of the first half, as both teams seemed content to sit back and feel out their opponent.

AFC Ann Arbor started the second half extremely well. Breitmeyer doubled the advantage just 2 minutes into the half and again he had his presence of mind to thank. He capitalized on a loose pass and took off running. He drove the ball past three Cardinal defenders before slamming a shot across the keeper and into the bottom left corner to make it 2-0 for AFC.

"It was a great night for Kyle. He took his chances well, and he has been a big piece of our pre-season so far. He has been training well & tonight was a good display of the work he has put in so far this pre-season," said Coach Eric Rudland. 

With many substitutions coming into the match in the second half, it was no surprise that the dynamic of the match changed. In the 56th minute and Just after the majority of the subs had come came into the match, the Cardinals grabbed a goal back.  Following a break down in play, the Cardinal attack swept down the left flank and the rolled ball across the box was eventually lifted past Joe Smith in The Mighty Oak goal.

With over half-an hour remaining, the sides both knew there was plenty of time left for this match to change. AFC shifted into a more defensive mode and looked to hit Saginaw on the counter attack. Breitmeyer came close to his hat trick, dragging his shot just wide after doing well to settle the ball in the opposition box.  

In the end though, Saginaw Valley bided their time and struck back at the death as the match rolled into stoppage time. A sweeping ball found the feet of Saginaw’s left winger and after controlling well he poked the ball past Smith to even proceedings at 2-2. The referee added several more minutes on, and The Mighty Oak earned a late corner, but in the end, the match finished all square at 2-2.

As expected in an early season friendly, Coach Rudland was pleased with the effort but saw much room for improvement adding, "Tonight was a good training exercise for the men. I felt like we dictated play well in the first 60min. Our possession oriented attack was very good at times and we did a good job of finding penetrating passes. With that said, we lacked creating dangerous ideas & execution in the final 1/3. For how much possession we had in the first 60min we should have created more opportunities to score."

The final thought from Coach summed it up, saying "We’re only two weeks into training so there’s still plenty to get accomplished."

Coach Rudland and The Mighty Oak will be working hard this week to prepare for the final friendly match of the preseason next Sunday, April 29th @ Saline High School at 5:00PM against Force FC, before NPSL league play kicks off at 7:00PM (6PM CST) on Saturday, May 5th against the Milwaukee Torrent.