May 22, 2016: at Kalamazoo FC

May 22, 2016
NPSL Regular Season
Mayors Riverfront Park, Kalamazoo, MI

Kalamazoo FC 3, Detroit City FC 2
KFC   Brandon Bye (Lou Plascencia) 45+’
KFC   Heiko Leinweber (Hunter Vendenboom) 47′
DCFC Cyrus Saydee (PK) 58′
DCFC TJ Stevens (Seb Harris) 61′
KFC   Brock Fitzgerald (Jay McIntosh) 73′

Attendance: ?

It was less than forty-eight hours from our big opening night at Keyworth that Le Rouge found themselves back on the road for a Sunday afternoon tussle with Kalamazoo FC. It was the sixth match in twelve days, with travel of over fifteen-hundred miles for both team and supporters. To make matters more challenging, the bus failed to show up for the team in Detroit, so the guys had to carpool out to Kalamazoo and back.

The home opener had an overwhelming effect on many of us. With the smaller contingent of Rouge Rovers, it was a breath of fresh air to be among dozens after the shock and awe of the seven-thousand-plus Friday night crowd.

Despite the travel challenges and fatigue, Le Rouge came out and played a pretty good game. They had a number of chances in the first half, however KFC scored in injury time to take a 1-0 lead into the locker room. An early goal in the second half doubled KFC’s lead, but the boys in their white kits battled back. Within three minutes, Cyrus Saydee scored on a penalty kick and TJ Stevens headed home a beautiful pass from Seb Harris on the right flank, leveling the match just after the hour mark. The miles started to show, and when Brock Fitzgerald returned the lead to the home team at the 73rd minute, Le Rouge just couldn’t connect in the final seventeen minutes of the match.