The three-straight wins could not go to a fourth in Kalamazoo, however the clean sheet streak continued as Kalamazoo and AFC Ann Arbor battled to an exciting 0-0 draw. Through four games, the Mighty Oak have taken ten points and remain atop the NPSL in a matchday which sees six of seven teams in action.
What Happened (A Brief Version):
Unfortunately, with no stream available and my inability to make the trip over to Kalamazoo, I had no way of viewing the match myself. However, special thanks to @AFCAnnArbor and @KZFC_Official for the live-Tweets from the game. The game story seemed to be that while AFC dominated in terms of shots and generally possession, Both keepers made key stops, which seems of key relevance as Mike Novotny and the stellar AFC Ann Arbor back line celebrate yet another NPSL clean sheet. With the 0-0, both teams defending ability was up to par, but chances were created. It was noted that even at the dying embers of the game, chances were available for the likes of Lasinski and Breitmeyer, but it just wasn't either teams luck to land that winning blow and thus both had to settle for a share of the points.
What Does This Mean:
As I cannot provide the in-depth analysis I would like on this evening's affair, I feel as though this is a nice time to assess the season as of now. As we have it, Milwaukee are ahead 3-0 as of time of writing (UPDATE: they have indeed claimed all three points over FC Indiana) and Detroit City FC were able to snag a late winner against FC Columbus. Your current league table stands as follows:
1. AFC Ann Arbor: 10 points - 4 matches played
2. Milwaukee Torrent: 6 points - 5 matches played
3. Kalamazoo FC: 5 points - 3 matches played
4. Grand Rapids FC: 4 points - 2 matches played
5. Detroit City FC: 3 points - 2 matches played
6. FC Columbus: 1 point - 2 matches played
7. FC Indiana: 0 points - 4 matches played
Obviously, more matches played as of now will make sides stand out, but AFC have mostly been clinical and stand out on top as having been the most solid of the teams. With Ann Arbor hosting a Milk Cup match on Memorial Day as well, each team will play one additional game giving the Mighty Oak another chance to see the league unfold underneath them and allowing them to take stock on what they have to do to seal a divisional title.
Milwaukee Torrent have been very good since suffering heavy defeat to AFC in the Mighty Oak's season opener. They will travel to Grand Rapids on Sunday in what will likely be an important match in the shape of the Great Lakes Division. A win for Grand Rapids has them within striking distance of AFC for the title while putting them in control of their own destiny for at least second place. A Milwaukee victory sees them into a mid-week NPSL bout in Ann Arbor with perhaps the most momentum out of any team in the division and makes for an important match on the first of June.
Meanwhile, Detroit City's holding off of Columbus is vital as it gives them a victory to build off of, as well as a boost as they head to Indiana on Sunday in hopes to deny FC Indiana of their first point (or points) of the season. As the season begins to unfold, it seems that perhaps Milwaukee was better than first indicated when Ann Arbor dominated their meeting in Wisconsin, and thus will make for a more interesting division race. What is clear, though, is that with their multiple dominant victories, the Mighty Oak have already put their season's destiny in their own hands.
Final Thoughts:
All-in-all, AFC will be disappointed the winning streak cannot continue, but it seemed that both teams had quality chances despite Ann Arbor's more hefty amount of these chances. The defending remains something to build on as AFC's schedule remains packed with the two previously mentioned matches (Oakland County FC on May 28th and Grand Rapids FC on June 1st). With control of the Milk Cup tie, the opportunity to give key players a breather before the important league match against GRFC seems possible. What is certain is that we are in for an exciting week to come.
Again, big thanks to AFC Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo FC for their live-Tweeting of the game. This recap literally would not have been possible without it. Apologies for the back-to-back abridged actual game tactical recaps, we should be back on track with Monday night's game. Follow me @RMABTweets for all my coverage on Twitter.
What Happened (A Brief Version):
Unfortunately, with no stream available and my inability to make the trip over to Kalamazoo, I had no way of viewing the match myself. However, special thanks to @AFCAnnArbor and @KZFC_Official for the live-Tweets from the game. The game story seemed to be that while AFC dominated in terms of shots and generally possession, Both keepers made key stops, which seems of key relevance as Mike Novotny and the stellar AFC Ann Arbor back line celebrate yet another NPSL clean sheet. With the 0-0, both teams defending ability was up to par, but chances were created. It was noted that even at the dying embers of the game, chances were available for the likes of Lasinski and Breitmeyer, but it just wasn't either teams luck to land that winning blow and thus both had to settle for a share of the points.
What Does This Mean:
As I cannot provide the in-depth analysis I would like on this evening's affair, I feel as though this is a nice time to assess the season as of now. As we have it, Milwaukee are ahead 3-0 as of time of writing (UPDATE: they have indeed claimed all three points over FC Indiana) and Detroit City FC were able to snag a late winner against FC Columbus. Your current league table stands as follows:
1. AFC Ann Arbor: 10 points - 4 matches played
2. Milwaukee Torrent: 6 points - 5 matches played
3. Kalamazoo FC: 5 points - 3 matches played
4. Grand Rapids FC: 4 points - 2 matches played
5. Detroit City FC: 3 points - 2 matches played
6. FC Columbus: 1 point - 2 matches played
7. FC Indiana: 0 points - 4 matches played
Obviously, more matches played as of now will make sides stand out, but AFC have mostly been clinical and stand out on top as having been the most solid of the teams. With Ann Arbor hosting a Milk Cup match on Memorial Day as well, each team will play one additional game giving the Mighty Oak another chance to see the league unfold underneath them and allowing them to take stock on what they have to do to seal a divisional title.
Milwaukee Torrent have been very good since suffering heavy defeat to AFC in the Mighty Oak's season opener. They will travel to Grand Rapids on Sunday in what will likely be an important match in the shape of the Great Lakes Division. A win for Grand Rapids has them within striking distance of AFC for the title while putting them in control of their own destiny for at least second place. A Milwaukee victory sees them into a mid-week NPSL bout in Ann Arbor with perhaps the most momentum out of any team in the division and makes for an important match on the first of June.
Meanwhile, Detroit City's holding off of Columbus is vital as it gives them a victory to build off of, as well as a boost as they head to Indiana on Sunday in hopes to deny FC Indiana of their first point (or points) of the season. As the season begins to unfold, it seems that perhaps Milwaukee was better than first indicated when Ann Arbor dominated their meeting in Wisconsin, and thus will make for a more interesting division race. What is clear, though, is that with their multiple dominant victories, the Mighty Oak have already put their season's destiny in their own hands.
Final Thoughts:
All-in-all, AFC will be disappointed the winning streak cannot continue, but it seemed that both teams had quality chances despite Ann Arbor's more hefty amount of these chances. The defending remains something to build on as AFC's schedule remains packed with the two previously mentioned matches (Oakland County FC on May 28th and Grand Rapids FC on June 1st). With control of the Milk Cup tie, the opportunity to give key players a breather before the important league match against GRFC seems possible. What is certain is that we are in for an exciting week to come.
Again, big thanks to AFC Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo FC for their live-Tweeting of the game. This recap literally would not have been possible without it. Apologies for the back-to-back abridged actual game tactical recaps, we should be back on track with Monday night's game. Follow me @RMABTweets for all my coverage on Twitter.
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