Community Rallies for Juneteenth Weekend Activities

By Ryan Makuch

It was a massively busy weekend for AFC Ann Arbor. In addition to a trifecta of home matches, two for the men, and one for the women, there were also community celebrations on all three days. In case you may have missed any of these special events put on in conjunction with our partners, we spoke to those on-site each day to elaborate on the events and the importance of bringing the community together for moments like this.

Friday – Formula 734’s Halftime Performance

Live music at community events is nothing new, but this was indeed a first for The Mighty Oak. Formula 734 is a collective of young people working together to make music. Made possible by Washtenaw My Brother’s Keeper, and a project helmed by Jamall Bufford, the group is preparing to release their second album, as well as a documentary that is already premiering at independent film festivals around the nation. 

But on Friday they were at Hornet Stadium, on the deck at the south end of the stadium, performing for the AFCAA crowd in attendance.

Bufford explained this, saying, “A couple of months ago Bilal [Saeed, Club Chair] reached out and said, ‘Hey can we get Formula 734 to perform at halftime of a game? I said for sure … we wanted to try and do it during the Juneneeth weekend, and we settled on Friday the 18th.”

Hosting the performance on that Friday meant that Bufford and the rest of the Formula 734 performers got to see an intense and physical showdown between The Mighty Oak and the Flint City Bucks. And, believe it or not, the match itself is what Bufford found himself enjoying most on the day.

Talking about his favorite part of the afternoon, Bufford said, “Seeing them react to the game, how physical the game it was, and a couple of them want to go back! I had other obligations, so I had to leave early, but a couple of young guys really did not leave, so they were like ‘Can we come back?!’

But, as a whole, Bufford saw the entire performance as a rousing success. “The young men did a great job,” Bufford said, beaming with pride. 

Bufford would continue, “I think the crowd received it well. We got some great footage from Andres as well, with his drone, and we were also able to capture some additional footage that we’ll be using for our documentation of Volume 2 as well. I thought it was great, the weather was great! It all went well.”

Mansa RR, Vanni, and AnimeKing were the performing representatives from Formula 734, with Lewy Seifer unable to attend, and DJ TJ serving as the DJ. Of those young men, Bufford noted that Mansa RR (real name Reese) had a real enthusiasm for the match. “He was super excited about the game,” Bufford noted, and he was leading the charge for Formula 734’s return back to Hornet Stadium to take in another match from The Mighty Oak.

Saturday – CLR Academy Kick-Off

CLR Academy has become a flagship program of the summer for the AFC Ann Arbor Family as a collective. And on Saturday, the 2022 summer officially began with CLR Academy being hosted at two of its four locations, featuring plenty of food, friends, and fun. The Academy took place at Sycamore Meadows first, the initial spot of the Academy, before moving on to Park Ridge in the Southside of Ypsilanti in the afternoon. 

Justin Harper, CLR Director, and Bufford, who serves as the WMBK Director for CLR Academy, have both put countless hours into the preparation for the expansion of CLR Academy. With three new locations this summer, the hope is to continue to assist in putting on engaging and fun programming for the residents of our community who may be overlooked.

Bufford had some time to reflect on a project that (like Formula 734) he called his “baby” and seemed overjoyed at the growth that the project had undergone in such a short period of time.

Harper also was exuberant over the day’s activities, with both settings having their own distinct feel. At Sycamore Meadows, Harper noted, “It’s a community getting together and having fun together, the vibe was more of an ‘I’ll get to know you, you get to know me again’ type of launch.” 

On the Southside, attendance was more sparse given the lack of initial local knowledge, but, as Harper notes, there was an event near them at The Magic Square, which, “Gave us a chance to engage with people from the community, and so we were able to chat about the things we had going on, and advertise for the programs we were doing and will be doing all summer.”

AFCAA players were on-site for both sessions, and Blake Corum also made an appearance at Sycamore Meadows, where he has previously appeared and spent time with the kids. Harper said that this also served as an opportunity for The Mighty Oak’s men and women to simply play and act like big kids. 

Harper would elaborate on the enthusiasm of the players: “Just bonding with the kids and building the relationships with them, and I can tell from the attitude that they had was very high-energy.”

Harper’s final thought on the matter was this. He would say, as a statement of intent for the summer, “I just really hopeful of bringing the community together, having as many people come every weekend as possible, building that bond amongst peers and staff, and working on the strongholds of relationships and continuing to have them grow.”

So far, that can be considered a success after the first weekend. 

Sunday – The Fitness House’s Juneneeth Wellness Fair

The weekend’s off-field activities would conclude on Sunday, Juneteenth, with The Fitness House’s annual Wellness Fair. This year’s Wellness Fair would be The Fitness House’s second annual, and it serves as an extension of Brian Young’s mission with The Fitness House.

Young’s intent with the Juneteenth Wellness Fair starts around the holiday of Juneteenth itself. “Once I had the idea to do the Wellness Fair, the next question was ‘okay, what’s a good time to do it?’”, said, Young. 

Young thought about centering it around the 4th of July, or around Thanksgiving, but then, “For me, I and my wife have decided, over the years, to reinvent and reassess our holidays, and our traditions, and what they mean to us. And Juneteenth, it’s not the most important, [but] it’s one of the most important for us. Being a Black family, and acknowledging that date in history, is huge because, without the official end to slavery, I and my family wouldn’t be in this position.”

The event itself being a Wellness Fair also highlights one of Young’s most important principles, fostering a healthy, active, lifestyle, even from a young age. Young noted his delight at seeing plenty of kids running around and enjoying themselves at what he also noted was an event designed to be kid-friendly.

A father of three himself, Young noted that it’s vital to “show your kids the experience of fitness, and making it something so that when they grow up they don’t think of fitness as a chore.” 

It wasn’t just children enjoying themselves, but many of Young’s clients also attended and made the fitness challenges ones remember. Young notes that the sled push gets very competitive, and this year the winning sled pushee pushed over 900 pounds on the sled, up from 790 pounds by last year’s winner. 

The sled push, as well as other more doable activities for some of the younger attendees, like push-up and wall-sit challenges, were an essential part of the day, as well. “For us, it’s fitness, it’s health, it’s wellness, so we’re not necessarily gonna have rides and attractions … we’re gonna make it wellness related,” Young said, about the events at the fair.

More important than the flashy rides that other “fairs” may entail, Young centered his event around that fitness message, while also wanting to raise more awareness for the holiday of Juneteenth, as well as make connections between the community and other local businesses. 

Young said in that regard, “I also want to use our platform to highlight other businesses that may not have a storefront or following or are new businesses.” He would add, “My idea was to have them come out and provide some of their services to people so that people can learn about them.”

A jam-packed weekend only further shows the strength of our AFCAA Family, and our Washtenaw County community. Formula 734, CLR Academy, and The Fitness House are all just a few of the groups making a crucial difference in our community, and The Mighty Oak are proud to support them in the work that they do.

AFC Ann Arbor Women Take Point Home from Louisville

By Ryan Makuch

The AFC Ann Arbor women’s team earned a crucial point in a hard-fought 0-0 draw in against Racing Louisville on Wednesday, June 22. The two sides continue to jockey for playoff positioning, with The Mighty Oak behind Racing Louisville by three points with two matches to play.

The first portion of the first half required AFCAA to defend well in their own half. Kendall Robertson, who saved a penalty kick on Monday against Midwest United, was relied on to make several key saves, including in the 20th and 25th minutes. 

Lina Berrah had the most significant positive of the attack in the first half, but her well-struck 17th-minute shot was directly at the keeper. Louisville continued to press forward, but the match remained level at 0-0 at the conclusion of the half.

The second half saw AFCAA build more into the game. Just after a quarter-hour had passed of the second half, AFC had a flurry of opportunities that seemed to be one of their most complete portions of the match, capped off by another pair of Berrah opportunities in the 63rd and 65th minutes. 

The match remained open as the players battled the heat and the desire to earn all three points. Luana Grabias and Angeline Kieh had two more excellent chances in the final ten minutes, but both of their toe-poke attempts on goal after closing down defenders went just wide. 

Louisville saw their final chance of the match, a short-range free kick near the goal-line, sail over the bar, and ultimately it would conclude at 0-0, both sides earning a point in this match between two sides that have known finished on level terms twice this season.

The AFCAA women are back in action on Saturday, June 25, at 7 PM, at Kalamazoo FC, in a match that serves as both USL W League action and the Michigan Milk Cup semi-final bout for the side.

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

Match Week Preview: Men Take On Oakland County and Kalamazoo, Women Visit Racing Louisville and Kalamazoo

By Jinseong Kim

This week, AFC Ann Arbor are on the road for four consecutive away matches. The women travel down to Kentucky to take on Racing Louisville FC on Wed., June 22, before switching their focus to Kalamazoo FC away on Sat., June 25. The men, on the other hand, go on their second Oakland County road trip of the season on Fri., June 24, and follow the women’s footsteps for a Kalamazoo FC away day on Sun., June 26. 

The men had an undefeated match week against Flint City Bucks and Midwest United. Against a strong, well-equipped Bucks, the men managed to earn a point at Hornet Stadium thanks to Shion Soga’s late penalty which leveled the game 1-1. The following match last Sunday ended in a thrilling 4-1 victory over Midwest. Luke Benford, Curt Calov, Yushi Nagao and Jonas Bickus were the goalscorers, and the men gave a superb Father’s Day gift to the audience. 

The men’s side have positive memories of Oakland County FC, but the total opposite of KZFC. The last two encounters between AFCAA and OCFC ended in The Mighty Oak’s tremendous 5-0 win, both home and away. But OCFC bounced back in June and became a totally different team. In a total of six games in the month, OCFC recorded four wins, one loss, and one draw, placing them only three points behind AFCAA, the table leader, albeit, with two extra games played. 

Kalamazoo FC are the total opposite to OCFC. To The Mighty Oak supporters, KZFC are remembered by the notorious 1-2 loss in Saline. But since then, they have recorded five matches without a win - two losses and three draws - since the encounter. KZFC is placed second in the table, having also played two more games than AFCAA. 

Women recorded one win and two losses in the past week. Tumbling 1-2 against Detroit City FC and 1-3 to Midwest United in two away games, the women’s side managed to beat Flint City AFC 3-0 at home. Last week was a week for debutants, as Agatha Nimene, Marcella Helena, Danae Moriarty, and Shakira O’Malley seized their opportunity to present themselves in The Mighty Oak shirt.

It’s the women’s second encounter against Racing Louisville and Kalamazoo FC. AFCAA and Louisville drew 2-all in Hornet Stadium and this remains as one of the most thrilling games of this year. Racing played two games after the trip to Saline, thumping Midwest United 3-2 and falling behind 1-3 to Indy Eleven. Racing sit second in the table, three points ahead of third-placed AFC Ann Arbor.

The initial Kalamazoo game that took place on May 22 was the women’s home opener, and the first home win to the women. AFCAA topped the visitors 3-0 thanks to Lina Berrah’s brace and an own goal. KZFC have only collected one win (with three losses) in a total of four games since then, and they sit sixth in the Great Lakes Division. 

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

AFCAA Men Topple Midwest United 4-1 in Romp, Women Stumble in Grand Rapids

By Jinseong Kim

AFC Ann Arbor had another back-to-back matchday on June 19 and 20 respectively, this time against Grand Rapids-based Midwest United. The men produced a huge 4-1 victory on a sunny Father’s Day encounter in Saline. The women, meanwhile, fell, 3-1, in Grand Rapids. 

Men

As it has been throughout the season, the AFCAA men never hesitated to push forward to attack immediately. The outcome was an early lead from Luke Benford. The Canton native, who managed to start in line-up for the first time at home, received a chest pass from Jonas Bickus, another first-time starter in Saline. He then sprinted past multiple defenders and tipped over the goalie. 

The clock read approximately 47 seconds at the time the ball crossed the line, which makes it not only the second earliest goal of the season but of the club's history. The earliest came in only about a month ago, on May 28, when Luana Grabias from the women's team netted an early lead against Indy Eleven in only 37 seconds.

AFCAA held the most possession after the first and tested the goalkeeper with a shot and free kick from Curt Calov, but it was Midwest who found the net next. In the 18th minute, Jonathan Stout danced around defenders on the far left wing, and aimed for the top right corner from the left edge of the box. The ball struck to where Jonathan Gomes couldn’t reach, a well-hit finish.

A one-all scoreline only lasted for twelve minutes thanks to an effort from Curt Calov, AFCAA’s designated free kick taker for the match. Following a foul on Daisuke Otsuka near the 28-yard mark, Calov and Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi stood around the ball for a kick. Calov was the one who put the foot on, and comfortably converted with his right-footed attempt.

Unlike the back-and-forth first half, the latter 45 minutes was total domination by The Mighty Oak, starting off with several promising early chances. Daisuke Otsuka almost found the back of the net in the 47th minute but his header went over the bar. In the 51st minute, the Japanese was on the verge of scoring the third again as he controlled the ball inside the six-yard box. But it was blocked and cleared by Midwest defense.

AFCAA finally extended the lead to three in the 66th minute from a great play by two substitutes, Sean Kerrigan and Yushi Nagao. Kerrigan earned a penalty on the left wing with his fantastic footwork. Nagao then stepped forward to finish the spot kick, comfortably converting to the top left corner. 

The fourth came in a three-minute gap between the third, and it was Jonas Bickus, who assisted the initial goal from Luke Benford and would eventually be selected as the Man of the Match. Receiving a delivery from Luke Benford on the right end, Bickus, like his idol Zlatan Ibrahimovic, placed a brilliant header that would go on the back of the net. 

After the fourth, the men controlled the rest of the game in the way they wanted. Outnumbering Midwest United in shots and possession, The Mighty Oak only allowed one shot in the second half and consistently tested Midwest United. The attacking-minded approach proved why the attack is often called the best defense. 

Women 

The AFCAA women didn’t start off as they planned in Grand Rapids. Midwest United went for several long range shots in early minutes which was a sign for their first in the 18th minute, as one of their long range efforts finally made its way home into The Mighty Oak’s net.

Midwest doubled their lead in the 62nd minute with a well-struck shot in front of the box. The host made it three-nil in the 73rd minute from a spot kick. Robertson got the direction right, but it slipped past her.

The last five minutes of the game was something that The Mighty Oak can smile about. It started off from Ann Arbor’s defensive end, as Kendall Robertson saved and collected another penalty conceded in the 88th minute. Approximately two minutes later, Camila Pescatore got a late goal from the penalty arc, receiving a well-fed pass from Chloe Ricketts who beat defenders on the left wing with a good run. It was Pescatore’s first goal for AFCAA, and Ricketts’s second assist of the season. 

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

Women Win, Men Draw, on Back-to-Back Flint Matchdays

By Jinseong Kim

In the back-to-back Flint City men’s and women’s matches at Hornet Stadium on June 17 and 18, AFC Ann Arbor, the men’s and women’s sides combined collected four of the available six points from their opposition. The women created a fashionable three-nil victory over Flint City AFC on a chilly Friday, the 18th. The day before, the men managed to grab a hard-fought late 1-1 draw against Flint City Bucks on the 17th.

Women

Flint started off stronger in the early first half, but Stefane Rosa made some vital saves that kept the scoresheet clean. The Brazilian made two consecutive saves in the 4th and 5th minute, with first action coming from the corner and second from the long range. Rosa easily caught the header on the first occasion, and tipped the shot over the goal a minute after.

AFCAA forwards started to give pressure on Flint defense with Tatiana Mason’s floating strike in the 11th minute. Her effort aimed for the top right corner, but it surpassed the net and would go out of play. It was a sign of things to come ahead of the host’s first goal that would be seen in the 19th minute. Debutant Marcella Helena provided a high cross inside the box, and Lina Berrah was able to head it in, beating a defender in the air.

Ann Arbor’s hunt for the second continued right away, and they were only an inch away from fruition. The Brazilian combination of Marcella Helena and Luana Grabias in the 26th minute was the highlight of the remaining first half. Helena found Grabias running down the right wing and fed a through ball to the winger. Grabias faced a one-on-one chance but it was saved by Flint goalkeeper Kayla Shuk. The forwards tried for several long range shots throughout the remainder of the first half but all went off the target.

It was an unexpected second-half start for either team as AFCAA’s Brooklyn Whitehead and Flint’s Lexy Smith were both shown a red card around the 58th minute mark. Following the foul on Whitehead, two players were involved in a conflict involving physical action. Flint pushed forward after the touchstone moment of the half to that point, but Stefane Rosa prevented all the threat.

What brought the game back to The Mighty Oak was from none other than Chloe Ricketts’s tremendous dribble in the 74th minute. Reclaiming possession back with a great pressing on the 27-yard mark in their own half, Ricketts made an unbelievable 70-yard sprint. The 15-year-old wasn’t in the middle of wide space; she had to face the pressure from two defenders instantaneously. But Ricketts was able to overcome the press, dribble past four opponents, and finish the action by herself. The effort was less than a centimeter wide, however, Ricketts’ run ignited the entire Mighty Oak side. 

The outcome came in only after two minutes. It was Marcella Helena and Lina Berrah duo again who found the net, but this time, it was the other way around. Berrah held the ball up on the front and flicked to Helena rushing to the box. After beating two defenders with a cheeky touch, Helena found the left bottom, registering her first goal for AFCAA.

The icing on the cake was placed by Lina Berrah in the 87th minute. Receiving Tatiana Mason’s pass on the left wing, the Women’s Player of the Month for May finished with her left foot. It was not only the third for the host, but a finishing action of the game and a brace for the Swiss national.

Thanks to the win, AFCAA women maintained the unbeaten run at Hornet Stadium, seeing three wins and two draws in a total of five games. The Mighty Oak also avenged a 2-4 loss against Flint on May 7, which was the season opener and women’s first game in the USL W League. In an individual level, Lina Berrah now has six goals on the season – good for a tie for the most goals on the club level this season (Shion Soga of the men also has six) and Berrah stands alone as the women’s top scorer for this season.

Men

The men struggled to find a breakthrough in the first half against a very disciplined Bucks side. AFCAA attackers attempted to strike some long range efforts but failed to hit the target. The most promising chance came in place at the end of the first half. Sean Kerrigan fed a through ball from the right wing to Yushi Nagao cutting inside the box, but the one-on-one effort from the Japanese was blocked by the goalkeeper.

It was also up to debutant Jonathan Gomes to make some crucial saves in net for The Mighty Oak. In the first half alone, he had five saves, all varying degrees of comfort, but multiple coming in very sharply and with significant pace on them.

He was part of a defensive effort that, especially up the spine, with David Garcia and Jackson Kasanzu at center back, dominated the run of play and ensured that any Flint attacks would be dealt with in a sufficient manner.

The second half went in a similar fashion with the attack moving back and forth until the 81st minute, when the Bucks broke the deadlock. Substitute Brajdi Cekrezi aimed for the near corner, and it went past Jonathan Gomes who had been crucial in the goal. 

A late goal conceded didn’t let the men down on their feet as they kept pushing forward for the equalizer. The effort profited with a late goal right in the stoppage time. The Mighty Oak earned a penalty off a handball in the box at the brink of the final whistle. Shion Soga comfortably converted a penalty he earned by sending the goalkeeper the wrong way. Marking his sixth goal of the season, Soga became the 4th most goalscorer of all time in men’s history, joining Yazeed Matthews and Kyle Breitmeyer in a tie for that spot.

Gameday Diary: Deja Vu and Something New

By Ryan Makuch

They say you support your teams “win, lose, or draw”. AFC Ann Arbor fans got a sampling …

Wait, this one sounds familiar.

Oh, yeah.

It’s hard not to feel deju vu, especially when you consider the circumstances around the double matchday that just took place, with results exactly mirroring the one prior, even the start times were the same!

But now we set to brace for something else entirely different, and if you’ve looked at the AFCAA schedule, you know exactly what I’m referring to–a busy stretch that picks up this weekend, starting with games on four consecutive days, and a mid-week trip to Louisville.

This weekend was the final whistle-stop before an ‘all-aboard’ full-steam-ahead conclusion to June, with the mid-week away day serving as one last chance to get off the ride before we really pick up steam.

Still on the bandwagon? Good! Let’s jump in.

June 10 – (Another) Double Matchday

For the third time this season, and for the second involving a home match, both the men’s and the women’s sides at almost the exact same times, necessitating a two-screen for anyone choosing to follow along with the club.

And yet again it seemed like the weather wouldn’t take a break at the home venue, as almost out of nowhere before the match it began to pour rain … and pour … and pour. Anyone outside helping zip tie up the flags of the members of the AFCAA Family got tremendously soaked.

The weather in Grand Rapids, on the other hand, looked perfect for soccer, and at 7 PM, as it still came down in buckets in Washtenaw County, on the west side of the state kick-off went underway as per normal. 

It was a match that, talking about deja vu, was remarkably similar to the season opener. AFCAA had to lean on Rob Spradlin, the first of those times being on a rare free-kick inside the box that is not a penalty. It was Spradlin making the save in the 13th minute to keep the match level, and this would not be his only save of the day, as he had to step up several to keep a shutout for 87 minutes before a Midwest United consolation goal.

Those first 30 minutes of the match, like the opener against Oakland County FC, were very tricky for the side. But two diagonal balls from another league-match debutant, Nick Stone, unlocked the Midwest United defense and led to goals.

The first long ball was to Junior Nare, who finished brilliantly, cutting inside from the wing to finish past the keeper with a nice strike. In the 38th minute, it was Tomas Casas’s turn to benefit from a perfectly-struck ball, and Casas replicated Nare’s goal ten minutes earlier with his own cut inside and sweet finish. 

The first half was the well-timed jabs that rattled the side playing host to them on the evening. The second half was the vicious KO. And it only took a minute to really seal the deal. Nare played provider with a nice move to make some space, and it only took a short pass to Yushi Nagao, who did the rest with another excellent finish.

That was the goal that allowed AFCAA to be completely secure within itself in the run of play. Luke Benford subbed on in the 65th minute, and for the second time this season, he provided a lift off the bench with a goal, wait, make it two! 

Benford’s two goals came in rapid-fire success, just four minutes separating the two. The first was the end result of a well-delivered Malcolm Young, which required a skillful right-footed finish at the near post of the keeper and a defender right on his back. Nagao earned an assist for himself with an excellent bit of play for the second goal, feeding Benford for another quality finish.

It was five goals, drawn out over a full game, but the five almost felt like it happened nonchalantly. The loss of the clean sheet only served as a brief pause to the celebrations, the end result was a 5-1 victory to continue the high-flying, goal-scoring, times for the men.

While this was going down, kicking off at 7:30, we saw a truly riveting game of soccer between The Mighty Oak and national powerhouse Racing Lousiville FC.

Celebrating Pride Night at the game meant that yours truly got free reign on the aux, so I put considerable effort into this playlist, marking perhaps the only time Phoebe Bridgers’s ‘Motion Sickness’ has ever been played before a sporting event.

It was another measuring stick showdown against one of the top two teams in the division, and it delivered in spades in entertainment, as well as stress for all parties involved.

Much of the first half was spent staying organized and united as a collective in defense. Claire Cahalan helped greatly in controlling the midfield, and she had the closest chance for The Mighty Oak, a long-range effort from her went just a touch wide.

But Louisville got their goal in the 41st minute off of a set piece. It was a dangerous ball that just seemed destined to cause trouble, and it certainly did, putting Lousiville up at the break.

Louisville had the lead for roughly 30 seconds in the second half. Luana Grabias made sure that would not last. Holder of the AFCAA record for fastest goal scored, Grabias continues to prove herself as someone who can help get a goal, or create one, with serious speed. 

Using a move that is quickly becoming her trademark, Grabias pressured the center back after some other well-structured pressing from teammates Angeline Kieh and Lina Berrah. The defender took a heavy touch, and Grabias was there to immediately pounce, and finish off the press with a sweet finish.

To cap the move, Grabias jumped up to celebration with the crowd, where her girlfriend awaited her at the fence separating the field and the stands. A big hug and kiss were caught by Arbor Broadcasting, and it was a moment that many fans and members of the club felt deeply moved by. Especially on Pride Night at the match, it was an excellent gesture of love. 

It is those personal moments that players share with us publicly that make seasons special. And this is absolutely going to go down in AFCAA lore as one of them. 

Fans had even more to cheer about in the 74th minute thanks to the boot of Brooklyn Whitehead. Whitehead has just graduated high school, she is another one of those young Mighty Oak players that feel too good to be that young. And yet, here is Whitehead, receiving a ball over the top, taking a touch, going through two defenders, gliding past with ease, and finishing with a pinpoint accurate finish.

Whitehead’s goal in the season opener at Flint was a sign of things to come for the striker. The performances of the Toledo soccer commit have continued to get better, and her ability to relentlessly press the opposition offers a valuable option to lead the attack.

Unfortunately, it was a gut-punch of a 90th minute equalizer that ensured the AFCAA women wouldn’t leave home with all three points. Regardless of that, though, it was another inspired performance from a side determined to prove themselves.

June 15: Hamtramck, MI

Up until this point here in Michigan, the weather has certainly been on par for Michigan’s summer, but it wasn’t until Wednesday, June the 15th, that we really got the heat and sun together in unison to really bear down from above and make it dangerously hot.

So, naturally, it was the perfect day for an away day to Keyworth Stadium, squarely in the heart of the residential neighborhood of Hamtramck. Hamtramck is a beautiful town, a gem of metro Detroit, and, in fact, an enclave city of Detroit, making it what I would call the heart of Detroit.

The only city in the entire United States with a Muslim-majority population, Hamtramck, in November 2021, also elected an entirely Muslim city council and mayor; an incredible touchstone moment for a beautiful and diverse city that represents that positive and loving local sentiment that is so important for us all. It’s a really excellent community, and it’s one that I enjoy getting to as much as I can.

In the all-important decision of ‘what food do I want at the game’, the Balkan House’s incredible doner sandwich won out, and boy am I glad it did. While it was tempting to get a kielbasa, if I wanted to return to my Polish roots in Hamtramck, I think I’d have to go directly to the source.

The heat was sapping, even in the shade of the media tent. As the game's name in the stands was to beat the heat, the match on the field started for The Mighty Oak, who relied on the keeper to keep them around throughout the half. Stefane Rosa’s biggest save of the half was a brilliant stop on a one-on-one opportunity where, seeing the whites of the attackers' eyes, Rosa made a great low save to keep AFCAA in the match, already down a goal at that point.

Unfortunately, in the 42nd minute, the DCFC lead was doubled. Rosa couldn’t do a single thing about the effort that managed to sneak past her as a result of her being screened like a hockey goalie in front of the net. 

Halftime was a welcome regrouping moment for the side. I heard a dog barking from the neighborhood located approximately 300 yards to my left. A well-timed train earned one of the biggest cheers of the night from the crowd. The sun also finally started to go down.

Propelled by a renewed energetic spirit after the break in the cool AC of the locker room, The Mighty Oak got off to a quick start in a time of the match that has seemed to become their sweet spot. To kick things off immediately, Chloe Ricketts made what is fast becoming her signature stepover move, absolutely shredding the right-back in the process, and getting a shot off on target, but saved.

It took another ten minutes of pressing the right buttons, but AFCAA got on the board in the 57th minute thanks to an excellent finish from center back Ashley Zugay, finishing her forward run with a tap-in finish in the box.

The move was started, though, by Luana Grabias, who, for the third time this season and in her second game in a row, has now picked the pocket of a defender with the ball, like this was basketball and she was a point guard stealing the ball at mid-court, and contributed to the finish – either via goal or assist. Grabias’s pressing has been a lynchpin of the side, and in her first full 90 with The Mighty Oak she impressed throughout.

AFCAA continued to prod, and the women would strike the crossbar twice on free kicks, once from Grabias in the 70th minute, and again from Angeline Kieh in the 81st minute. Those were perhaps the best chances after that goal, but this is not horseshoes, and close does not count.

It was a difficult defeat to swallow, but in the 75th minute, Jinseong Kim, Media Extraordinaire (official title) nudged me and pointed over to the traveling support. Bearded Brian now had a legion of kiddos joining in on the COYMO chant, adding an extra sense of vim and vigor to the group. Eventually, they would join in on the drumming, and, of course, they cheered enthusiastically for the players on the pitch through the final whistle. 

Memory-creating moments like that are what makes this club special to me. Regardless of the results on the field, the love does not evaporate, and there are always a few friendly voices to pick you up at the end of the day.

Some of those newest, youngest, and loudest fans can be seen in the stands as the AFCAA women cool down post-match.

Did you like this? Read some more!

Matchday Diary: Week One

Matchday Diary: Week Two

Matchday Diary: Week Three

Matchday Diary: Week Four

Matchday Diary: Week Five

Match Week Preview: Five Games in Six Days for The Mighty Oak

By Jinseong Kim

It will be a festive week for all of The Mighty Oak’s supporters as AFC Ann Arbor prepare for five league matches in the next six days. Kicking off with the women’s Detroit City FC away game on Wednesday, June 15, The team will welcome home fans to Hornet Stadium for triple home games from June 17 to 19. AFCAA women wrap up the match week on Monday, June 20.

Women

After a hard-fought 2-2 draw against national giant Racing Louisville FC in Saline, AFCAA women climbed up to 8th of the USL W League Power Rankings Week 6. Continuing the unbeaten run over their last five games - three wins and two draws - The Mighty Oak are sitting third on the division table, behind Indy Eleven and Racing Louisville.

The women take on in-state foes DCFC, Flint City AFC, and Midwest United on June 15, 18 and 20, respectively. The team will travel along the road for the DCFC and Midwest game, and host Flint in Saline. It isn’t the first encounter between AFCAA and the first two. The dramatic 1-0 win over DCFC two weeks ago still remains as one of the best memories this summer so far, and AFCAA look to repeat the same. 

Flint, on the other hand, are the only side that have defeated The Mighty Oak’s women thus far. Despite the 2-4 loss, the short-handed Ann Arbor, with only 14 players being available in the squad, produced various positive memories. Chloe Ricketts’ ‘Goal of the Month’, the Main Street Hooligans on the stands, and many other memories at the chilly Atwood Stadium nourished the current positive atmosphere around the team.

It is AFCAA women’s first meeting with Midwest United in three years. It dates back to 2019 when Midwest competed in the United Women’s Soccer under the Grand Rapids FC brand. Midwest (then-GRFC) were the last opponent of the season, as The Mighty Oak fell 0-2 at Houseman Field. 

Men

Producing the third five-goal thriller of the season in Grand Rapids, the men eye to mark the fifth, and potentially sixth win in the upcoming match week. Currently third in the table behind Kalamazoo FC and Flint City Bucks, AFCAA men could climb up to the top with up to 18 points in the seasonal bag. 

The men take on Flint City Bucks and Midwest United on June 17 and 19, both at Hornet Stadium. Bucks, the most successful team in the USL League Two with four trophies in their cabinet, are currently one point ahead of AFCAA. Flint City are the only unbeaten team in the Great Lakes Division with the 4-0-1 record. It’s the very first time for the men to play against the Bucks in league competition. 

After a 1-5 loss against AFCAA, Midwest managed to grab a draw against the conference leader Kalamazoo FC 2-2, ending their point drought over the last three games. Midwest record a 1-5-1 season run, and they are yet to win in any of their away matches this summer.

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

Club Statement on Racial Abuse in Men's Match in Grand Rapids

During our men’s match against Midwest United FC yesterday, one of our players was subjected to racially abusive language from an unidentified fan. The player reported this incident to the referee immediately who then communicated to the fourth official who notified someone working on behalf of the home team. Our club Chair, Bilal Saeed, has been in communication with Louis Stephens, Midwest United FC GM who has been instrumental in helping us look for ways to prevent this from happening again, while also holding the party involved responsible. We will continue to work with Louis and Midwest United FC to ensure all is done to identify the individual(s) responsible.

The referee report from yesterday’s match failed to mention the racial incident that occurred which is a major obstacle in tackling racism within sport. If this is not required by US Soccer or the league, we strongly believe it should be, as it will help us account for and address these issues accordingly. Even though the racial abuse came from a fan, it was directed at a player who was on the pitch at the time.

As the founding club of Anti Racist Soccer Club, AFC Ann Arbor’s ten point plan clearly states our commitment to foster an environment where players are comfortable to speak up about these issues while proactively trying to eradicate racist language and abuse through anti-racist practices. We stand firmly behind our player, we are thankful for Louis Stephen’s leadership and we hope that both the league and referees become active in anti-racist practices to prevent further incidents of racial abuse from occurring.

Men Log Five Goals in Win Over Midwest United; Women Battle Racing Louisville to Draw

By Jinseong Kim

AFC Ann Arbor had their third double matchday of the season on Friday, June 10, as the women hosted Racing Louisville FC in Saline and men encountered Midwest United FC in Grand Rapids. The men came back home with three points in their pocket after a thrilling 5-1 victory, while the women proudly earned a point with a 2-all scoreline against the division powerhouse.

Men at Midwest United 

The first 25 minutes of action at Midwest United FC Complex was rather rigid, with few notable actions took place. An indirect free kick for the hosts inside the box was the threat closest to the goal but it was nicely saved by Rob Spradlin, who had a stellar day with several excellent saves. Defending AFCAA’s net for the first time, Spradlin, a Huron High alumni, executed his first action to perfection, and the crisis was averted. 

Just minutes later, it was Junior Nare who broke the deadlock at the 28th minute mark. Nick Stone provided a long ball to Nare on the left flank, and the South African struck it to the top right corner after dribbling past defenders. The second came two minutes later, in a very similar fashion. Stone at the back repeated the long range pass to the player on the right, and Tomas Casas happened to be the beneficiary. Casas, like Nare, danced around the defenders and struck the ball well into the net.

The start of the second half was an indication of how the rest would progress in the way AFCAA wanted. Only a minute after the restart, Yushi Nagao joined Nare and Casas on the scoresheet by converting Nare’s pass to a well-struck right-footed effort in front of the box. 

Luke Benford became the late hero of the game in the last 20 minutes. In the 71st minute, Benfored booted in Malcolm Young’s well-whipped cross from the right flank, sending it to the point where the goalie couldn’t get his hands on. 

Four minutes later, Benford completed a brace thanks to help from the goalscorer Nagao, which widened the deficit to five. Midwest later scored a consolation goal in the 87th minute but it was never a threat for The Mighty Oak, who ended as comfortable 5-1 victors.

Women v. Racing Louisville

Like the men's game, not many chances took place in the first half. Some long range shots from Angeline Kieh and Claire Cahalan were the best of the bunch, but it was not enough to break the deadlock just yet. The stalemate was skewed to the visitors four minutes before the half. Emily Madril sent the free kick into AFCAA’s box, which found Sarah Hernandez who connected on a well-headed goal.

But Ann Arbor gave an immediate response only 20 seconds after the restart. Luana Grabias, who scored the earliest goal in AFCAA history against Indy Eleven, did it again. Pressing the defense and causing the mistake, Grabias gained possession the ball and easily beat the goalkeeper.

The Mighty Oak made a dramatic comeback in the 74th minute with a goal-of-the-month worthy effort from Brooklyn Whitehead. Receiving a pass from Lina Berra on the left flank, the substitute drove tens of yards forward all by herself and overcame the pressure from three defenders around her. The confident move and joyful finish brought the game back to AFCAA’s favor, and it was a perfect self-celebration for Whitehead, who recently enjoyed her graduation from Holly Springs High. 

Unfortunately, The Mighty Oak allowed Louisville to end the game in level at the very last minute of the match. Allison Schlegel headed a cross from the right, and it found Emily Madril running to the box. Olivia Brannon almost got her feet on, but Madril completed an early shot in a fifty-fifty situation. 

The AFCAA women have now maintained their unbeaten record in the last five games, this result now coming against very disciplined Racing Louisville. 

The women are back in action next Wednesday, June 15 away at Keyworth Stadium against Detroit City FC, while the men are back home on Friday, June 17 hosting Flint City Bucks. 

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

Shion Soga and Lina Berrah Earn Diaza Player of the Month Honors for May

By Jinseong Kim and Ryan Makuch

AFC Ann Arbor are pleased to present the Diaza Men’s and Women’s Player of the Month Awards to Shion Soga of the men, and Lina Berrah of the women.

During the first month of the season, Soga was named as the men’s top scorer with five goals in four matches, which means the Japanese has scored more than one goal per match on average. Recording 218 minutes of playing time in the first four games, Soga netted the opponent’s goal approximately every 43 minutes. 

Soga in the 5-0 season opening victory over Oakland County FC, in which he scored two goals.

Not only by his outstanding goal-producing attributes, Soga can also be praised by his sights and passes that comfortably find attackers up front. Soga has registered two assists in four games, which makes him the joint top assisted player of the men’s squad along with Curt Calov. 

Soga’s performance was outstanding enough to be noticed by the USL League Two board. In their ‘Top Prospects’ report, published on May 31, Soga was ranked #38 out of 50 players. He was the only player from The Mighty Oak and one of the three players from the Great Lakes Division to be named in the list. 

On discussing his thoughts on being selected as the men’s player of the month, Soga expressed how grateful it is to be named as the inaugural player of the month of the season. He also emphasized that the entire club members, including staff and fans, were important and influential in his standout performance.

“I'm so thankful to the entire team because everyone including coaches, teammates, staff, and fans brings their passion and effort together to build AFCAA even stronger. I also had fun playing with this team. I think this is one of the reasons I was able to perform well.”

Soga’s journey with AFC Ann Arbor kicked off in the best possible scenario. In the season home opener against Oakland County FC, which took place on May 8, Soga scored a brace and made an assist to AFCAA’s fourth from Sean Kerrigan. He quickly became a matchday hero and was later named the man of the match. 

Recalling his past month, Soga admitted that the home opener remains the best memory. He pointed out that the 5-0 win over OCFC at Hornet Stadium set the confident atmosphere that prevails throughout the team. “The best moment was winning the first game against OCFC. The result was good as a team and personally as well, this game became a base of our confidence [throughout the season].”

AFCAA’s men are now heading to a packed mid-June, and Soga was ready to take the challenge. He demanded consistent hard work from the team, as well as eyeing to develop himself. “Getting better every day as a team and personally, the result will come if we keep the high intensity, effort, and be passionate.”

For the women’s squad, winger Lina Berrah earned Player of the Month honors as a reward for her tremendous month of May in the blues of AFCAA.

In the month of May, Berrah logged three goals, including a brace against Kalamazoo FC at home, and an assist, as she helped the AFCAA women to earning seven points out of those first four matches. While this occurred in the month of June, Berrah has continued to dazzle the AFC faithful as her 80th minute goal against Detroit City FC ensured a positive start to this second month of the season.

Berrah has played the primary goal-scorer role here in this extremely mighty attack. Spearheading the side from either wing, but usually the left, Berrah has found plenty of joy getting forward and linking up with her teammates–either her fellow attackers or her same-sided full-back partner.

Berrah racing down the wing in AFCAA’s 6/1 victory over Detroit City FC, in which she logged the lone goal.

Berrah beamed when we spoke to her following practice ahead of the 6/10 double matchday for the club. Berrah’s practice form has been as sensational as her game form, as she slotted in a pair of goals in just under ten minutes in an openplay scrimmage, including a lazer of a shot that she finished near post past the keeper, who had no shot of stopping it. 

“It’s been very good to play the game with the team, to travel to games, and especially when we win a lot of games at home, and I hope we’ll continue winning because the fans are amazing,” Berrah said, summarizing her first month with the club. 

Indeed, it hasn’t mattered whether it’s been home or away, Berrah has excelled. Whether it was her two goals in front of the home crowd, or what turned out to be a game-winner against Cincinnati Dutch Lions in a 3-1 victory on the road, Berrah has been one of several players to rise to the occasion and help along the side.

Berrah has taken to the AFCAA play style like a fish to water, and she has also enjoyed her time off-the-pitch. Discussing the city of Ann Arbor, Berrah said, “I love the city! It’s not too big, but there are still a lot of things to do–and the people are so nice.”

AFCAA congratulate Shion and Lina on an excellent May, and we look forward to seeing them continue to don the colors of The Mighty Oak throughout the rest of the summer.

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

Match Preview: Women Host Racing Louisville, Men to Grand Rapids

By Jinseong Kim

After a ten-day break, AFC Ann Arbor are back in action this Friday, June 10. The men’s team travels west to Grand Rapids to battle Midwest United for the first time of the season. The women’s side, on the other hand, is eyeing to extend their unbeaten home run against the division powerhouse Racing Louisville FC at Saline’s Hornet Stadium.

Tickets for the women’s match, starting at 7:30 PM in Saline are available online.

The AFC Ann Arbor women grabbed a historic and well-earned 1-0 victory over state rival Detroit City FC thanks to the Diaza Women’s Player of the Month winner Lina Berrah’s game-winning goal. It was not only a win for The Mighty Oak but a farewell party for Jayde Riviere and Tracy Akiror who left for international duty. AFCAA hasn’t lost a single match in their last four (three wins and one draw), and the women are eyeing to keep the positive momentum going. 

Three weeks ago, the men’s squad was able to reproduce a massive 5-0 victory on an away day against Oakland County FC. Scorers in the home opener, Shion Soga, David Garcia, and Tomas Casas were able to find the back of the net, and they were also joined by Yushi Nagao and Junior Nare on the scoresheet. The result has sent The Mighty Oak to the third of the table, only one point behind the second-placed Flint City Bucks and a four-point gap between Kalamazoo FC, who played two more games than AFC. 

The Opponents

Midwest United FC is a newly competing USL League Two franchise based in Grand Rapids. Founded in 2016 as the sister team to Grand Rapids FC, who engaged in many memorable battles with The Mighty Oak in the NPSL, the club expanded to feature a men’s side in 2022 after the dissolution of Grand Rapids FC, who had previously also taken part in USL League Two play. Midwest United currently resides in fifth place in the table, having snagged three points from a total of five games (1-4-0).

Racing Louisville FC, the sister club of the USL Championship franchise Louisville City FC, are competing in the National Women’s Soccer League, the top-most tier of the U.S. women’s soccer pyramid. Earlier this year, they announced the expansion of the pre-professional squad participating in the USL W League consisting mostly of collegiate players. Racing Louisville are currently ranked sixth in Week 4 of USL W League Power Rankings, holding a seasonal record of 3-1-1.

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

Catching Up with the Coaching Staff

By Ryan Makuch

With a month of experience under their collective belts, we reached out to chat with every assistant coach to hear from them about what they have seen and how they have felt to this point.

The men’s staff is headed by Rod Asllani in his first year as head coach. Previously, Asllani served as an assistant coach on the men’s staff under current club Sporting Director Eric Rudland (then Men’s Head Coach) as the team romped to a postseason appearance in each season Asllani (and Rudland) took part in.

Dan Trosper

Trosper on the sidelines of The Mighty Oak’s home opening 5-0 victory over Oakland County FC.

Trosper has been applying his coaching trade for well over 20 years. “The reputation that was built by Eric as a coach and now a sporting director is huge. I’ve also known Rod for a while now as a friend and peer,” said Trosper, in regards to what appealed to him most about linking up with AFCAA. He hailed the club’s determination to do right for its players, saying, “It’s a professional environment looking to create the best pathway for players to become professionals as they grow in their careers.” Trosper also has enjoyed the atmosphere in conjunction with the playing challenges, saying, “It’s a constant puzzle to learn each player’s playing discipline, and what we would like them to grow into. Include this, with the way we envision our possession-based philosophy being played. It’s an awesome challenge that has great supporters behind it.”

Thus far in the season, Trosper has most enjoyed “learning the qualities that each player brings to each session.” “Watching them grow in each session and work on becoming professionals is inspiring,” he would say. He has also enjoyed the working relationship that the coaches have had together. “We are all different types of people with cultural backgrounds, educational backgrounds, and playing backgrounds.” 

Kenny Vasquez

Vasquez in action with The Mighty Oak in 2018.

Vasquez is a man that those who have followed The Mighty Oak will already know, having donned the colors of AFCAA on the pitch previously. Vasquez featured in the side throughout the 2018 season, making appearances in the NPSL and Michigan Milk Cup. “I was already very familiar with this particular AFCAA staff, people who share similar passions and drive for not only soccer but the Mighty Oak community as a whole,” he said. “Seeing the quality from the players that came as each week passed only confirmed to me that the club has maintained a firm and passionate philosophy to the game, as well as kept an eye out for talent that would build up and keep to such a philosophy.”

Vasquez has enjoyed learning from his coaching peers as well as those players that he is coaching. “The opportunity to expand my utility and wisdom as a coach is something of a continuing study for me, and is a practice that I think can be nurtured greatly here,” he shared. He also noted the appreciation for seeing the diversity of backgrounds within the squad. “It's always great for the soul of a team to have equal parts passion, dedication, and chemistry at the forefront of each and every training, event, and game,” he would say. “I see that with this group and makes for quite the promising season!”

Lucian Popescu

Popsecu, pictured here, has over a decade of top-level high-school head-coaching experience, and is charged with leading this year’s batch of men’s keepers.

Popescu serves primarily as the goalkeeper’s coach on the men’s staff. Popescu also has over ten years of experience as a head coach for Michigan high school powerhouse Greenhills. Popescu summed up his experiences thus far beautifully: “During a long coaching career every new season, including the one at AFCAA, I have always enjoyed the process to build the team step by step, teach the specific game model, know each individual player, learn the players' strengths, work with the coaching staff on a daily basis to refine our way of play, overcome the challenges, learn from our mistakes, and celebrate our success. I am fortunate indeed to have a job like this.”

Popescu cited familiarity with the club’s successes and his knowledge of Men’s Sporting Director Rudland (for over 20 years) and Men’s Head Coach Asllani in more recent years as driving factors for his joining the club. “I think that the passion for the beautiful sport of football of all the members of the organization and the competence of the coaching staff are important parts of the success at AFC Ann Arbor,” he said.

“At this level, where most of our players have dreams to play professional football, I love to be able to help them and watch them reach their dreams, achieve their goals, and put together all their individual talent into a fantastic team that plays the beautiful game of football and makes our fans happy,” he eloquently stated.

The women’s staff is headed by first-year head coach Boyzzz Khumalo. Khumalo was also a part of that staff with Asllani for the AFCAA men’s team. 

Victor Plase

Plase, pictured here, has a wealth of experience as several age levels, both as a head coach and an assistant.

Plase has years of experience as a head coach on the men’s and women’s high school levels, as well as over a myriad of age ranges at the academy level. Plase has enjoyed working with and getting to know the athletes as an individual while interacting with them on a more personal level. He would also share that the togetherness of AFCAA is what was the primary alluring factor for him, in addition to the collective love of community within the club.

Plase has also been appreciative of the skill level of the side, saying, “I’ve enjoyed the competitive levels of training we are able to create for the athletes, and them receiving it well.” He also shared in his joy working alongside this staff, saying, “I’ve also enjoyed working with this coaching staff to constantly pick each other’s brains and learn from one another. And of course, working with Boyzzz to see how his brain works day to day has been nothing but brilliant!”

Adrian Motta

Motta in action with AFCAA in a 2017 contest.

Motta is another former AFC Ann Arbor player that has returned to coach the next generation of The Mighty Oak. Motta, himself a former goalkeeper, has been tasked also with the role of goalkeeper’s coach for this season’s side. Motta spent 2017 with The Mighty Oak and was also named an assistant coach ahead of the ill-fated 2020 season. Motta has thoroughly enjoyed his time thus far with the club, saying, “I think every day about how grateful I am to have this opportunity.”

Motta has also enjoyed what he calls a “mutual understanding” with the entire organization. “We all want to get the most out of every moment we are here,” he would say. “Players, staff, and fans give everything they possess to the club when they are present–the players especially.” Motta expressed how impressed he was with the quality of the side, and he has enjoyed the expectations that have been often self-imposed by the players themselves to maintain that high level. “[It] keeps the level high and pushes us as a staff to stay sharp, he would say.

This season’s women’s staff also features Olivia Brannon in a player-coach role. Brannon is the first woman to serve as a coach for The Mighty Oak, and she is also the first-ever player coach in AFCAA history to play a full 90 minutes in any match.

In her player-coach individual announcement, Brannon had this (and more that you can view via the link above) to say: “Since this is my first season with AFCAA and in the league, I want to continue to learn and grow as a player and coach. I want the best outcome for our team and to help each woman in achieving their personal goals. And, of course, I want to win.” 

Not just a mentor to her teammates with AFCAA, dozens of Brannon’s (not pictured) youth players came out to show support for their coach, who also just so happens to be a player, too!

Since we last spoke to Brannon, she has established herself as an integral part of The Mighty Oak’s defensive effort. Brannon currently sits fourth in minutes played over the season, this in spite of missing a full 90 minutes against Indy Eleven. Brannon returned to the side to play a key role in the 1-0 victory over Detroit City FC, three points earned thanks to a late winner from Lina Berrah.

Throughout this first month of the season, it is quite evident that the spirit of The Mighty Oak is being helped along by both of these coaching staff, through their hard work on and off the pitch.

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

Off the 'Beaton' Path, Zion Chases Two Dreams

By Ryan Makuch

Zion Beaton has had a different summer than most his age, even when you factor in the average USL League Two athlete. Many players are returning home to their roots for the summer to play for a team in an area they grew up in, like Beaton. Unlike most, however, Beaton has had a thrilling summer on and off the field as he prepares for his next life step: medical school. 

A graduate from the program of Public Health at Wright State in Ohio, Beaton, who hails from Belleville here in southeast Michigan, now looks to pursue a passion that he has held since middle school while juggling playing the sport he fell in love with at the age of three. 

Beaton’s story on the field starts earlier than the passion for medicine, but they both intertwine. Beaton began playing the sport that was always around him at an extremely early age. “It was the first sport I started playing,” Beaton would say, before adding, “I don’t necessarily think I developed a passion for it at three years old, but I definitely enjoyed what I was doing.”

At around the age of 11, Beaton suffered a crushing blow as a young athlete: a torn meniscus. However, instead of this bringing him down, Beaton found fascination with the entire process. “From my original diagnosis and consultation to the operation day and the experience I had with that, and then through my rehabilitation and that whole process in getting me into proper shape to return to the field, it all intrigued me.”

This fascination with medicine did not come out of nowhere. Beaton found interest in the core sciences through elementary school, also sharing that he was an avid fan of Animal Planet growing up, and natural biological phenomena intrigued him greatly. The decision to pursue medicine as a career was firmly planted in middle school for Beaton, and since then he has been off and running.

As a freshman in high school, Beaton, an attendee of Belleville, made the soccer team as a freshman. As a 13 (going on 14)-year-old playing against kids up to the age of legal adulthood at 18, this was a huge step up for Beaton, who had up to that point only played with kids his age at his youth club. 

But Beaton passed his high school test with flying colors, scoring 24 goals and notching 23 assists as a senior, and heading off to Duquesne to study Athletic Training and play soccer. 

Of course, as with all journeys in life, none are ever really straight lines. Beaton, in discussing balancing both crucial passions in his life, said, “The balance was always there, and as soon as able to realize that I could do both at a higher level, it just naturally happened. The difficulty came after high school.”

Studying athletic training made it physically impossible for Beaton to be present for all required soccer team activities, with required classes and training sessions overlapping on many weekdays. With these conflicting interests in Pennsylvania, Beaton decided to transfer to Wright State and pursue his dreams there.

Beaton switched to the Public Health major at Wright State, and over his three years in college, he logged eight goals, including four as a senior, and he would earn his degree in December 2021. It’s a major that Beaton notes have huge benefits, especially in the wake of COVID. “I have a lot of practical uses now for it,” he said. 

Shortly after graduation, Beaton began his preparation for the MCAT, the standardized test for admittance into medical school. Starting in February, Beaton began a regular routine that those who have studied for the daunting exam know very well–studying regularly for 3-6 hours in a day, and taking lengthy practice exams in the days and weeks leading up to test day.

For Beaton, test day just so happened to be in the middle of the season, on May 19th. Beaton would say that the easing in process of studying for the MCAT while playing for AFCAA was not particularly troubling given his previous experiences with maintaining excellent standards amidst rigorous demands, but, as he noted, “It took a little bit of focus and dedication. I actually put my Xbox under my bed so I wouldn’t play video games,” Beaton added with a laugh.

Beaton’s test date has come and gone, and his primary medicine-centric focus is now on his hospital volunteer work. Beaton currently works at the DMC through Wayne State in a research assistantship role that includes people ranging from undergrads to people in his shoes, looking for high-level experience before their medical school careers begin. 

“It is definitely more of clinical, emergency medicine, route, and I’m just getting started with my onboarding process, but I’m working hand-in-hand with physicians and nurses in the emergency medical unit in the DMC,” Beaton would share. “I think it definitely contributes to any experience that I will get in medical school, just as far as a patient care aspect. I’m getting ample experience with consent laws and being able to communicate with all different types of people about health information that is pertinent and helpful to them. And I’m also doing something that I think is really important in helping lower negative health statistics in the urban community, which, to me, is definitely a good purpose to serve.”

This is a summer years in the making for Beaton, who shared that he has wanted to play with the club for at least the past two seasons, both of which were canceled by AFCAA due to the COVID pandemic. Now that he’s here, Beaton has thoroughly enjoyed his time sharing in the community atmosphere of The Mighty Oak. 

“Initially coming in, you want to gauge the atmosphere not just of the players, but of the coaching staff and the whole community, and everywhere there’s always a positive attitude or I’m always reached with great conversation or a smile, and it definitely feels like an at-home environment,” Beaton shared, while also emphasizing the importance of the international diversity that AFCAA has within the squad. 

Beaton imparted some words of wisdom as well, sharing in the value of hard times, saying, “Obviously, everything’s not perfect, and as we grow and learn as individuals and as a group, there have been one or two bumps in the road, but nothing that I think has been detrimental to the team, and now as we continue to push forward into probably the meatiest part of our season, I think everybody is on board to put in a lot of work as we play two or three games a week.” 

Not just content with excelling in dual-careers of sport and medicine, Beaton is also a testament to his community, and his commitment to doing right by it makes him a valuable leader on and off the pitch for AFC Ann Arbor as a club.

About AFC Ann Arbor

Association Football Club Ann Arbor (AFC Ann Arbor) was founded in 2014 and competes in USL2 (men’s) and USLW (women’s) national amateur leagues. We are a community-based club, focused on equity, justice, and anti-racism. We consider all of our stakeholders, including supporters, players, staff, and ownership to be part of the #AFCAAFamily. Come On You Mighty Oak!

Matchday Diary: June Begins with a Victory

By Ryan Makuch

As the old saying goes, sometimes you create your own luck. 

The Mighty Oak did that, and then some, en route to their third consecutive match at home without defeat to start this summer season. 

And it’s that scoreline against Detroit City FC again, 1-0, a scoreline that many fans will be familiar with for games like this, and this. But for the first time, it’s the women that have toppled their local rivals, in mid-week action.

This is the Matchday Diary, where we talk about the games as they were, after they happened, to learn more about the game, our club, and our community. 

Wednesday, June 1, Saline, MI

The start of Pride Month is always an exciting time to support AFC Ann Arbor. For one, it simply means that June is here, and the heart of the schedule is coming just around the corner. But more specifically to the actual spirit of the month, the Main Street Hooligans Prideraiser campaign kicks off. 

Alongside plenty of other independent supporter groups, including fellow Anti-Racist Soccer Coalition member Lansing Common, Prideraiser serves as an opportunity to give back while celebrating goals, with a system of pledging money for each goal scored this month.

Yet again, the club’s independent supporters’ group has stepped up to serve our community in crucial ways. Throughout this season, the Main Street Hooligans have also taken to supporting Black-owned businesses, buying wings, pizza, cheesecake, fried plantains, you name it, and generously giving them out to all who ask.

This year’s organization is Ozone House, a non-profit agency based here in Ann Arbor that assists high-risk, runaway, or homeless LGBTQ+ youth, a population that can often be invisible given the sheer difficulties and trauma that many of these young people face.

Olivia Brannon’s loyal fans showed their support during warmups with a handmade sign.

Prideraiser is one of my favorite things about local soccer. It’s a bunch of supporters working together to boost the profile of some great organizations throughout the entire country, and at time of writing, Ozone House will be receiving $106.56 per goal this month, a testament to the generosity of the supporters of this club, and once again, a testament specifically to the organizational ability and good hearts of the Hooligans.

Your club is represented by your fans, and this writer thinks that AFC Ann Arbor are extremely fortunate to have a fanbase that understands and loves the ethos of the club. 

One of the great local derbies of Michigan soccer, AFC Ann Arbor and Detroit City FC are no strangers to one another as organizations. Playing on the field since the pair’s men’s teams joined the NPSL in 2016, for the first time since the club’s pause on-field as a result of COVID, the two sides were back on opposing sides of the field.

It was yet another wet day – hadn’t there been enough rain at AFC Ann Arbor games for one season? – but eventually, like after all storms, there was a golden sky to come.

Women’s co-captain and assistant coach Olivia Brannon was the most popular player on this evening, as dozens of youth players that she coaches were there to serve as ‘mascots’ to accompany the team onto the field, and cheer along from the stands throughout the match.

The match kicked off, and it entered rather quickly into a feeling-out process of sorts. Chances came for both sides, but even these early chances took close to 20 minutes to make their way into the game. A compact side, DCFC looked well-drilled early, and they broke forward with some regularity.

Their first question asked of the AFCAA backline was in the 20th minute when off of a set piece. Camila Pescatore, a name who would feature plenty throughout this match, and the eventual Woman of the Match honoree, was tasked with clearing the ball off of the line, sweeping it away from danger.

That seemed to wake The Mighty Oak up. Three minutes later, Pescatore was the provider, sending in an excellent cross into the box, falling perfectly to the boot of Angeline Kieh, in between two defenders. Kieh’s effort went over the net, but it was the first proper shot from the bow of AFCAA.

Throughout the first half, I thought the two sides’ approaches to build-up was interesting. Both teams used long passes over the top to try and create space. However, while DCFC struggled to get enough support for these lofted over-the-top balls to trouble the AFCAA back line, The Mighty Oak had several perfectly-hit balls that caused plenty of trouble.

Tracy Akiror, in her final match in the blue of The Mighty Oak, performed as well as she has all season, making life very difficult for DCFC’s midfielders and back line.

One of my favorites was in the 35th minute. Tracy Akiror, who played another superb game in midfield, sent one driving pass out towards Lina Berrah on the right wing. The pass was long and always a bit ambitious, but Berrah’s pace meant that if it weren’t for the keeper making a toe-poke clearance to give AFCAA a throw in a good area, she would have beaten the left back with her speed, and potentially asked a question or two of the keeper with a shot on target.

At the end of the first half is where the fireworks in the half took place, as Detroit City hit the post not once, but twice. The first time was almost a bit of unluckiness. A weak effort off a corner kick was never likely to trouble Stefane Pereira in net, but it rolled off the post and back to the feet of a DCFC player, who hit the crossbar. 

It was up to Brannon and the rest of the defense to calmly clear it out of harm’s way, and it was crisis averted, but it was a dangerous chance and the hard work on the defensive end is what really kept The Mighty Oak level at the half.

Tatiana Mason had a nice chance in first half stoppage time saved well, and shortly after that opportunity the whistle blew on a fascinating first half. 

There was work to be done to raise the intensity, but an added jolt came from an off-pitch source.

At the start of the second half, men’s players including Sean Kerrigan, Jonas Bickus, Tomas Casas, and Yushi Nagao made their way down to the Main Street Hooligans to join on the fun.

To this point, the crowds had been dueling, with the Detroit City FC traveling support, located on the opposite side of the field, trying their best to match the enthusiasm of the home support. But with the added boost of those men’s players, the balance of the ‘battle of the bands’ in the stands had swayed for good.

And The Mighty Oak rewarded their home support early and often in the second half. Not even a minute into the half, it was Ricketts who seemed to effortlessly glide not past but through two defenders to get a shot on target. Five minutes later it was Jayde Riviere picking out Lina Berrah with a ball that I can only describe as absurd. Berrah took an extra touch, which allowed the DCFC keeper the opportunity to get out and make a claim on the ball, but it was clear that the energy was on the home team’s side.

Jayde Riviere’s final match with AFC Ann Arbor was a doozy, as she dominated play on the right wing, both in attack and defense.

Things began to really pick up here. The AFCAA attack began to come in more frequent waves, with increasing doses of creativity. Jayde Riviere made an excellent inverted run with the ball, allowing Ricketts to make an overlap run that was so good that it didn’t even lead to anything and yet I still think it’s worth addressing. 

There is a level of footballing IQ that this team, as a collective, has, and it’s bits of quality like that which really showcase it.

AFCAA continued to dominate possession and the biggest of chances, and in the 80th minute, they were finally rewarded for their play. 

Pescatore had some sparkling passes this match, but the one she gets credited with an assist for is a short pass to her roommate this summer, Berrah. Berrah took one, two, three, three-and-a-half, dribbles, and cut inside on her right foot. Her effort, which was set to be on target, struck a DCFC defender about five yards away from her, and the deflection nestled it into the net. 

It was a lucky break that these women had created for themselves, but they had indeed created it.

Pescatore’s assist-providing pass wasn’t one of the most challenging ones she had to dish out that evening, but her part in the build-up also included a 35-yard run starting deep in AFCAA defensive ground, and ending about 30 yards away from the DCFC net, improving The Mighty Oak’s positioning greatly. Likewise, it was a lucky deflection that gave Berrah the goal, but her cut inside was excellent, freezing the two right-sided defenders.

The celebrations were muted on the field, Berrah and her teammates strolled over to the sidelines to pose for photos as if they were at the mall posing for a family photo, but not in the crowd. 

The job was not yet done, but it might as well have been. With AFCAA pushing forward, DCFC had been sapped of attacking energy. The final ten minutes were seen out without much disturbance, and then the party could begin.

The post-match celebrations commenced at Pizza House, where the stars of the show were Tracy Akiror and Jayde Riviere, the two women set to leave AFCAA prematurely due to national team commitments (re: they’re just too good). Both women gave moving speeches, and it only feels right to commemorate them here.

Just a fraction of the 2022 AFCAA Family.

Riviere, the other co-captain, alongside Brannon, is set to prepare for World Cup qualifiers with the Canadian National Team. If you watched Riviere play at all this season, you simply know how good she is. Whether it’s delivering a cross or long pass on a dime to an attacker, or if she is needed to slide over and cut out a counter attack, or if it’s simply beating another player with her speed to a loose ball, Riviere is a joy to watch. Humble (Riviere thanked the club for letting her join the side) and supremely calm on and off the pitch, Riviere is a special player and it’s with joy that we send her to our neighbors up north for her national team duties.

Akiror will finish her time with AFCAA as the second-leading minutes-getter in the side, and having logged a goal off a penalty kick to give The Mighty Oak a 2-0 lead over Indy Eleven. Settling brilliantly into the midfield, especially over these past three games, Akiror provided a creative outlet from the midfield while also playing a valuable role in the press. Akiror will return to her home nation of Uganda, whom she serves as team captain for, ahead of the 2022 African Cup of Nations. 

In her speech, Akiror said something so important that it strikes at the heart of how we should treat people as a whole. Paraphrasing her words, Akiror noted how that in the United States, people like her that come from oceans away, or that are Black or Brown or of a different race or creed, can be boxed into that specific ‘in-group’ and addressed only through that lens. 

Akiror’s emphasis that this was the furthest thing from the case here is a testament to the community that has been fostered within and around this club–where everyone is welcome and everyone’s voice is valued.

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Matchday Diary: Week One

Matchday Diary: Week Two

Matchday Diary: Week Three

Matchday Diary: Week Four

Matchday Diary: May Concludes with Action-Packed Weekend

By Ryan Makuch

They say you support your teams “win, lose, or draw”. AFC Ann Arbor fans got a sampling of all three this weekend. 

They also say that variety is the spice of life. And what better way to get a full range of the palate of soccer than to sample all its delectable results!

This is the Matchday Diary, where we talk about the games as they were, after they happened, to learn more about the game, our club, and our community. 

It was another double USL matchday for the men and women on Saturday, this immediately coming after the kick-off to the Michigan Milk Cup for the men on Friday. Another busy weekend; we’re burning daylight here, let’s dive in.

Friday, May 27, Ann Arbor/Saline, MI

It was 3:36 PM when I felt the first raindrop of the afternoon. It was on my pre-match walk in Forest Hill Cemetary, identifying the birds of the cemetery with the Merlin app from The Cornell Lab–I’d just heard a red-bellied woodpecker. 

I dutifully checked the weather radar, which would soon become a favorite hobby amongst patrons of the Milk Cup match itself, as my newly identified woodpecker friend began to drill into the cedar tree behind me. The radar looked gloomy, but not exactly alarming just yet. 

As the sky threatened with rain overhead, the show had to go on, in more ways than one.

The cancellation of the previous weekend’s USL League Two match with Oakland County FC meant it would need to made up the day immediately following the Michigan Milk Cup quarter-final match with Inter Detroit. 

This fact was apparent close to two hours prior to the start of the match, as the side who would prepare to do battle with Oakland County FC were put through their paces before the match with a half-makeshift training session. 

With it being the Michigan Milk Cup, of course, the milk was a big hit amongst patrons and players alike. As I myself went to grab strawberry milk, I saw that Ellie Ferguson had already had the same thought as me in indulging in what simply has to be the best flavor of milk.

The milk on ice was much needed for the humid day, one in which you could tell that it would rain, it would just be a matter of when. At the start of the match, though, it was a lovely evening without much threat from the elements. 

Head Coach Rod Asllani gave an AFCAA debut to six of his starting eleven, while also featuring a slew of players looking to capitalize on the added matchtime. 

The match narrative itself is a collection of sucker punches. 

But is it really a sucker punch if they look you in the eyes while doing it?

Of Inter Detroit’s three goals, one came from a penalty, immediately following one saved at the opposite end in a chaotic sequence of play, and the other two came directly off restarts in play in the second half: Inter scored on their opening move in the second half and their opening move immediately following the half-hour weather delay.

Ahh yes, that weather delay. 

In the 83rd minute, The Mighty Oak finally found their breakthrough. Laith Al-Hiyafi had been dangerous the entire match, with two separate shots curled just inches away from the net. As AFCAA continued to push forward, and as both the Main Street Hooligans and the men’s team’s players sitting in the stands to help rally their teammates began to amp up the intensity, Al-Hiyafi sent an excellent cross into the box for someone, anyone, in blue to latch onto.

It just so happened that Jonathan Robinson was making a run into the box, and he was able to latch onto the end of that divine ball from Al-Hiyafi, and all it took was a tap-in.

The game was back on.

For next to no time at all. 

The first sign of danger came from the south, a flash of what I figured was heat lightning not too far in the distance, but still out of reach enough that it seemed like it would not cause too much trouble. Then came the second flash, directly in the eyesight of the referees, too big and near to ignore. 

For the second time in the same week, AFC Ann Arbor had scored a goal, gotten all the momentum back on their side, and then get forced to slam on the brakes due to a lengthy stoppage. 

It was still yet to rain at this point. The Ann Arbor Weather Shield may have opened itself up a bit too much to allow the lightning to sneak in, but at least it was doing its job when it came to the rain.

This was categorically changed by the monumental downpour that began about ten minutes into the delay and simply refused to relent until the match ended. 

Raining cats and dogs may be doing the quantity of water descending from the sky an injustice. An instant shower awaited those who dared leave the friendly confines of their cars (or the press box), but that could not stop the Main Street Hooligans, who dutifully returned to their cheering posts once it became clear that the storm itself had passed, and all that remained was a little water.

Brian Hinz, noted Hooligan, opted against a shirt, drawing a smile or two from the players on the field getting subbed off, Brian directly in their line of vision. Though his shirt was dry for him for the end of the match, so maybe that was the move?

As already mentioned, AFCAA would concede on the first move of the restart, another effective near-set play from Inter Detroit to seal a 3-1 Michigan Milk Cup quarter-final victory.

After the match, there was no sense in crying over spilled milk, especially when there was so much of it still to enjoy.

A full trough’s worth of milk remained on the field post-match, the rain scuttering plans of a dual-team photo post-match between the two clubs connected by the community, and a bit of dairy. 

This was the men’s team’s cue to clean up, taking copious, almost comical, quantities of milk for their apartments and their teammate. Players and fans alike took armfuls of the milk, bottles falling to the ground as every last milk was taken.

Saturday, May 28, Ann Arbor/Royal Oak, MI

The men had an immediate chance for redemption for the week’s earlier falls. The women had their first opportunity to size up a side ranked #1 in the USL W League Power Rankings. For the second time this season, though, these matches occurred near-simultaneously, the men kicking off a half-hour earlier in Royal Oak than the women. 

Although the two matches shared only kick-off time in common, both resulted in points claimed for The Mighty Oak.

The men ran roughshod over their opposition, and started the goals early and often, with an increase in scoring production in the final ten minutes of the match. 

David Garcia (left) and Curt Calov (right), two men who had excellent evenings in Royal Oak, show some love for the camera.

Yushi Nagao got the scoring started quickly in the 7th minute with a long-range, pinpoint accurate, finish off of a rebounded shot/save. The second would come late in the first half, with Junior Nare executing an impeccable finish of his own. 

The assist was provided by Curt Calov, the Syracuse midfielder who doled out a pair of assists in this romping. Calov almost instantly attracted buzz for his performances in training, and he quickly has assured those around the club that, yes, those performances can translate over. 

The second half saw a renewed vigor from OCFC to try and push forward to make it a proper game, and perhaps do what Lansing City was able to do earlier in the season, and push for a quick-fire double. It was up to Lance McGrane and his entire defense, anchored at the spine by Man of the Match David Garcia and Tanzanian wonderkid Jackson Kasanzu, to ensure that the clean sheet could be held. 

The last ten minutes were where the fireworks started. Garcia found the back of the net in the 81st minute thanks to a direct free kick. The captain of the men found his second goal of the season to make it 3-0 and clinch the three points. But this would not be the end, as The Mighty Oak continued to push forward and boost their goal differential. 

The fourth would come in the 86th minute through substitute Shion Soga’s boot. The fifth would be provided by Soga, who found Tomas Casas off of a dead ball situation to make it 5-0.

Soga’s impact on this AFCAA side has been meaningful and vital since he stepped on the field. Soga’s fifth goal in four games has already shot him up the club’s goal-scorer leaderboards. Soga joins rarified air in becoming just the ninth person in club history to score five goals in the AFCAA league career, joining the likes of Yuri Farkas (12, top) and Dario Suarez (11, second), among others. 

12 men have provided either a goal or assist in any match this season. Five have multiple goal contributions already. The club has scored 14 goals this season, and it sure is starting to feel like the side is learning who they are, what they have, and how they can mesh together as one team.

Meanwhile, 50 miles southwest in Saline, just a few moments after 7:30, the women kicked off their day with the first touch of the ball from the center circle.

30 seconds later, the AFCAA women had found the back of the net.

It was a potent first punch that packed a wallop. An excellently-executed team maneuver finished with Lina Berrah cutting the ball back in front of the net for Luana Grabias to simply direct the ball safely into the net.

1-0, not even a full minute on the board. 

The goalscorer Grabias had the simplest of finishes to deal with here, but for the just-38 minutes she was on the pitch, her skill was apparent. With a surfeit of skill moves and tricks to her advantage, the Indy Eleven defense simply could not touch her. Strong and skilled on the ball, Grabias has made a home on the wing for The Mighty Oak.

Her counterpart on the wing, Lina Berrah, has also opened her AFCAA account on a flyer. Three goals through the first three games (including two against Kalamazoo FC in the second-most recent match) and now an assist in her fourth underscore the value that the Swiss winger has for this side.

It remained 1-0 heading into the half, and that was thanks in large part to an unbelievably cool and composed half from The Mighty Oak. Indy Eleven pressed high up the field, but the press rarely fazed AFCAA to a serious degree, especially in the first half with the squad’s collective gas tank at full.

Tracy Akiror celebrates her lead-doubling spot kick.

The second half got off to a similarly exciting start, though it took approximately six and a half minutes longer than the first half for AFCAA to find the back of the net. Angeline Kieh, who was spectacular yet again, was fouled in the box, drawing a penalty, and seeing Tracy Akiror convert to double the lead in the 52nd minute. 

The penalty feels very much like a joyous reward for Akiror, who has quickly cemented herself as a staple in the midfield. Akiror has found joy next to Claire Cahalan in a two-woman industrious midfield that relentlessly harangues the opposition. All throughout the match Akiror, the Uganda Women’s National Team captain pressed high up the field on Indy’s defenders. Equally as impressive was her positioning in getting back, making sure no gaps could be found through the center of the park.

The other half of that duo, Cahalan, is the only woman to play all 360 minutes available this season. Akiror is second on the team, having missed just eight minutes this season. Only Tatiana Mason has played over 300 minutes this season–these three women forming a crucial midfield triangle that allows Mason to connect the heart of the park with the dangerous three-pronged attack in Kieh, Berrah, and Grabias/Chloe Ricketts, who shone yet again having come on for Grabias in the first half due to injury. 

It’s a midfield that, by its very nature, has to take a beating in order to inflict punishment. Cahalan is exactly the player that AFCAA needs, a tough, technical, defensively-minded midfielder to continue stirring the pot and stay calm against the pressing opposition.

Indy Eleven continued to send crashing waves of attack against the AFCAA defensive barrier. The guile and experience of Indy at the intense tempo of the match meant that over six minutes, from the 76th to the 82nd, the 2-0 AFCAA lead was brought back to level terms, 2-2, where the match would stay when the referee blew her final whistle. 

Rising to the occasion seemed to be the theme on Saturday. For the men, a bounceback was in order. For the women, it was a measuring stick to see how they stood against one of the top teams in the country. These tests were both passed with high marks.

Monday, May 30, Epilogue

It has been a full month of AFC Ann Arbor soccer. And it’s been a really, really, really eventful month, to put it lightly. 

Mixed together with the season that has been one million miles per hour since its start, the state of the world, and specifically, the United States, May 2022 has been chaotic to the point where it is truly just impossible to ignore. 

I can’t help but think about a quote from this year’s Cannes Film Festival, James Gray, director of Ad Astra, and 2022 Cannes debutant, Armageddon Time (a generational look into the American Dream of the 1980s) said something that I haven’t been able to stop thinking about in his post-film press conference at the festival.

What happened? How’d we get here? How’d we get here to where there are two people who own everything, there’s a bunch of authoritarians trying to take over the planet, how’d we get here? It didn’t happen by accident? … The market is God. You say to someone under 20 ‘You’re a sellout’ they think it means you have no more tickets left. So where does that leave us? The whole point is to inspire creativity.

This quote not only has nothing to do with soccer, but I don’t even think it has anything to do with this piece. And yet, I can’t stop thinking about it in direct correlation to this piece, as I sit here, typing this epilogue, trying to work through a heavy dose of writer’s block. 

It has been a very long year already, with an intensity level to it that has almost ensured that the COVID health crisis will be the seminal touchpoint moment in this generation’s history.

I bring this all up now to say that we exist, in our world of sport, in the greater landscape of the social sphere. AFC Ann Arbor, as a club, has always been hyper-aware of that, but now, more than ever, have I felt that on an individual level.

Every single person, from the Head Coach to the most casual of casual fans, makes up this patchwork of AFC Ann Arbor. It is a group, a community, that has its strengths placed in the similarities and the differences of those that love it. 

The beauty of the local community is something that feels almost lost in a world where globalization is chugging along at unseen speeds thanks to the technological advances of the past two decades. And when Gray asks about how we got here, that loss of the local feels like an important note to highlight in that discussion.

The local has always been on display with AFCAA, and the “local” often extends to those international players that come to play. Whether you are from Kenya, Ireland, or right down the street in Saline, you do not have to be from here to be local, and you do not have to be physically local to still be part of this local community—hence the ‘AFCAA Family’. 

Myself, Jackson, and The Chairman.

I’ll leave you with a brief tale of Jackson Kasanzu. Kasanzu is 19 years old, he turned 19 last month. Like everyone’s favorite Kenyan Joseph Okumu, he has taken a massive leap of faith to come here and prove himself in a new country in a city that’s completely foreign to him in just about every aspect. Unlike Okumu, who made the move with Chris Odhiambo in 2018, Kasanzu does not have the luxury of someone to share in the similar feelings of his specific journey that has brought him here.

And yet, here he is, doing something immensely challenging for himself and the betterment of those around him. 

Jackson and I have a limited verbal repertoire, but his smile says more, in a language everyone can recognize, than I ever could in this diary.

He is AFC Ann Arbor. 

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Matchday Diary: Week One

Matchday Diary: Week Two

Matchday Diary: Week Three