Detroit City FC (NISA) vs Chattanooga FC

November 6, 2021
2021 NISA Fall Season Regular Match
Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MI

Detroit City FC 2, Chattanooga FC 0
DCFC  Stephen Carroll (Cyrus Saydee) 20′
DCFC  Yazeed Matthews 90+

ATTENDANCE:  4,721

The final home match of the year.  And what a year it has been.

• 2021 NISA Legends Cup Champion
• 2021 NISA Spring Season Champion
• 2020-21 NISA League Champion
• 2021 Midwest Premiere League East Division Champion
• 2021 UWS2 Great Lakes Conference Champion
• 2021 NISA Independent Cup Great Lakes Region Champion
• 2021 Rust Belt Derby
• 2021 NISA Fall Season Champion

The NISA schedulers must have thought these final three matches would make-or-break City; home against frenemy Chattanooga FC (and 2021 Legends Cup Final opponent), away at Los Angeles Force (our 2020-21 championship opponent), and away at the Michigan Stars.  Instead, we shut down all NISA teams from bumping us out of first place with last week’s 1-0 win over Cal United Strikers.  But this is a professional organization, and no doubt the plan is to win all three.  Because that’s what we do.

Over the years, we’ve played Chattanooga 9 times.  Three pre-season friendlies (in which both teams won a match, and there was a draw); two NPSL Members Cup matches (both won by Detroit); and four NISA matches (Detroit winning three, including the Legends Cup final in Chattanooga, and Chatta won one).  In these 9 matches, only one player from both teams has scored more than one goal.  Pato Botello-Faz has scored twice against Chattanooga – June 26, 2021 and September 4, 2021.

For the trivia lovers, who has scored a single goal in the matches between Detroit and Chattanooga?

DETROIT:

• Roddy Green
• Shawn Lawson
• Brad Centala
• Marcello Borges
• Danny Deakin
• Jalen Crisler
• Matt Lewis
• Max Todd
• Kevin Venegas
• Yazeed Matthews (who scores tonight to be the second player to have more than a single goal in this rivalry)
• Jimmy Filerman

Chattanooga

• Joaquin Bacello
• Charlie Clark
• Marcus Smarzoch
• Alun Webb
• Darwin Lom
• Zeca Ferraz
• Felipe Oliveira
• Markus Naglestad

Detroit Vipers vintage wear in the house.

CHATTANOOGA FC
Starting XI

Alec Redington – GK
Shaun Russell – D
Kaio Da Silva – D
Nick Spielman – D
James Kasak – D
Tate Robertson – D
Richard Dixon – M
Damian Rodriguez – M
Juan Hernandez – M
Markus Naglestad – F
Sean Hoffstatter – F

DETROIT CITY FC
Starting XI

Nate Steinwascher – GK
Stephen Carroll – D
Matt Lewis – D
Javan Torre Howell – D
Maxi Rodriguez – M
George Chomakov – M
James Vaughan – M
Cyrus Saydee – M
Connor Rutz – M
Darwin Espinal – F
Pato Botello-Faz – F

Chattanooga did come to play, which made the early minutes fast-paced and up-and-down the pitch.  In the 13th minute, Chattanooga almost opened the scoring.  Damian Rodriguez delivered a pinpoint cross in front of the Detroit goal to Sean Hoffstatter.  Hoffstatter headed it on frame – literally on frame, the ball rattling the crossbar.  The rebound fell to Juan Hernandez who guided it back on goal, but Matt Lewis cleared it out.  James Kasak recovered it and fired a shot at goal, but hit Hoffstatter with the shot and the ball was recovered by Detroit.

In the 20th minute, Detroit opened the scoring.  Cyrus Saydee delivered a corner kick that Stephen Carroll headed into the back of the net.

1-nil.

Michigan Special Olympics took to the pitch during halftime, and received the Northern Guard Supporter experience, as if all players were playing for Detroit City FC.

The second half provided more of the same with Detroit getting the better chances.  A foul was called on Chattanooga within their box.  A rare, indirect free kick was awarded instead of a penalty kick.  Cyrus flicked it to Pato, who put the ball in the back of the net, however it was disallowed due to an offside call.

The match concluded with Maxi Rodriguez charging in and firing a shot on goal.  It struck the goalpost and rebounded out to Yazeed Matthews who slotted it home.

2-nil

Another year at Keyworth concludes.  There’s no reason to think that they will sit back in LA or Romeo to wrap up the season.  The winning mentality and tradition built over these past couple of years in NISA has created great anticipation for 2022.