Great Lakes Champions. Two in a row. It feels good for AFC fans wherever they may be. For the Mighty Oak though, this is just the beginning. They now have a bye to win and a Michigan Milk Cup to win.
What Happened:
Action was near immediate in this match. In the sixth minute, AZ Liadi was taken down head over heels just outside the box. The challenge was tough, but understandably the tackler was not carded so early in the match, however, #7 in red, Bailey, saw yellow for what I believe would officially be classified as dissent. The Serge Gamwanya free kick hit the wall and went out for a corner, but Bailey continued to talk and in the ninth minute Bailey saw a second yellow and was sent off to the approval of the Mighty Oak faithful from both the main stand and the Main Street Hooligans alike.
Nearly right after this, Yuri Farkas, back in the starting eleven, slotted Michael Shaikly through on goal but while he beat the keeper his shot went just a touch wide. This started off a nice stretch for AFC with Columbus a man down as Marc Ybarra also had a nice hit go wide and Stephen Turnbull had an opportunity to shoot in the box but it was difficult and he skied it. Things took a shift in the 29th minute when a long throw and some miscommunication from the two center-backs, Jack Cawley and Breno, and keeper Nick Barry saw the second ball off the throw-in bounce around free but cleared out by Breno. From here we saw Columbus sustain plenty of pressure and pressing while frustrating AFC, with the culmination being yet more miscommunication and a cross from Demani Camara missing its intended target, but forcing a fingertip save from Barry off the post and eventually cleared. The halftime whistle blew and Columbus certainly didn't seem like they had a man down.
The second half started quickly in the first minute or so, but tapered off heavily. But in the 60th minute, Ann Arbor saw their captain and heart of the defense in Cawley go down hard in a very scary moment. He would be subbed off for Moco Watson, and play would resume. Keep this substitution in mind. We saw plenty of injuries as Camara went down a few minutes later as well, and another Columbus player needed attention for cramping up in the heat. The last ten minutes picked up though and were all AFC. Kyle Breitmeyer sent in a whipping cross. Alec Lasinski went just wide with his left. Lasinski again was just a touch offside. But a hectic last two minutes kicked off with Stephen Turnbull getting fouled in almost the same spot that the free kick was won for the winner against Detroit City. The magic didn't come on that free kick, nor the first corner, but third deadball was the charm and despite initially being flagged offside, Moco Watson headed home his second winning goal of the season and gave AFC the championship.
How Did This Happen:
The goal was of course the moment of the game. The last action of the game. Another winner from Moco at home. An overturned call. It doesn't get much more dramatic than that. But let's talk about the overturning of the call and the interpretation of the offside rule. Moco Watson was obviously not offside when he headed the ball, but Kyle Breitmeyer was when he swung and missed at the header. Watson's header was going in regardless of whether or not Columbus' keeper was distracted in my opinion, and from viewing it live and watching replays it is clear that Breitmeyer did not get a touch on it. At this point, it is the referee's discretion whether or not the player makes a clear or obvious action to impact the opponent from playing the ball and in this case, the referee felt that Breitmeyer's half-attempt was not enough to impede the goalie from making a save. I felt that this referee made a tough call to the best of her ability after calling a strong game the entire match, and as she felt strongly enough to overrule the linesman, I'm very much inclined to say that sort of confidence is enough to believe that the right call was indeed made.
Aside from this, the big focus on the match had to have been on Columbus going a man down almost immediately in the match putting them in a tough spot the rest of the evening. It was very impressive to watch the side play with just ten men as their two center-backs put in a fantastic shift stopping any attacks from Ann Arbor while their ten-man side still contained plenty of pace to track back. Even without the pacey Ezra Armstrong on the wing, a player like Camara really is outstanding for that Columbus team as he frees up every other attacker. Columbus also had the midfield ability to hold play up after halting an AFC attack to allow numbers to go forward before pushing the ball ahead. That said, despite some Ann Arbor shakiness at the back, none of their attacks looking truly menacing going forward and those that did came primarily from the miscommunications of the Mighty Oak. Perhaps with eleven men this would have turned out different. But mistakes made in the past cannot be retroactively changed, and FC Columbus will have to live with that 'what if'.
This was a game where, to be fair, Ann Arbor did not turn in one of their finest performances. One of the things I noticed with a more bird's-eye-view of the game from the stands was that there were indeed pockets of space throughout the field that were not attacked. One of the things I was hoping to see the Mighty Oak do in the second half was build more through the midfield with their more possession based game they are known for, and they did a great job of that as they grew more into the game. They had to weather quite a bit of pressure from a Columbus side who pressured them early when they had the ball, but seemed to wear down a bit in the second half. Ann Arbor didn't have to be perfect tonight to get the win. Sometimes you just have to win ugly, and that's a trait within good teams. This match, both Detroit City matches, even the home bout against Grand Rapids to a lesser extent: you can win a match in many ways. Nicking a goal or two off your opponent is one way. And it doesn't mean you don't get all three points.
What would I like to see from Ann Arbor as we now have a cup final and match against FC Indiana needed for the potential of a playoff bye? Three basic things related both to physical and mental strength will be important for the entire squad:
1. One-game at a time focus: This one is a gimme I'd say. All the players are surely thrilled to have won the division as are the fans, but it's still important to remember that there's a big non-league match with Lansing United and one final NPSL match with FC Indiana. You'd love to see two victories to carry over some good momentum into the national postseason.
2. Continued stellar man management: You also don't want to wear out your first-choice eleven the week before the biggest matches of the season. This is why a playoff bye is so important. Getting a bye means you have a whole two weeks off before playing back-to-back matches. That's a whole week of prep for your Midwest semi-final opponent plus the added time to prepare for the other two just in case. I will be on the lookout for some key players to be getting plenty of rest before the NPSL playoffs and also players like Breno and Zach Beuscher to continue to get minutes with the first-team.
3. Level-heads: This certainly ties in with the first point. Winning the division back-to-back times is a massive cause for celebration. But at the same time, you cannot allow yourself to tune out to the remaining matches too much. If you slip up too much, your focus for not just the games you relax on but the big NPSL playoff matches as well will be weaker than normal.
I cannot imagine any of these three things will be a concern and are all a mere formality, but it's always nice to seem them as a list as a sort of reminder perhaps of what the players are being reminded of as the squad prepare for the last stretch of the season.
What's Next:
But for AFC, now that the division and postseason are wrapped up, focus can shift to getting a bye for the first round, but AFC will need a bit of help. As it stands, if all three division leaders get maximum points, Minneapolis City SC would get the first spot based on points-per-game in the region while Erie Commodores and AFC Ann Arbor would be tied for that second spot. Erie also just scored four goals on FC Buffalo this evening to stretch their goal differential to +5 over Ann Arbor with a game in hand on them. The obvious hope is for Minneapolis to drop points to second-place Duluth and/or Erie drop points to second-place Cleveland. If either will happen is a different story but we will see by game time on July 7th whether or not Ann Arbor will need to utterly run up the score on Indiana. Whatever happens though, the fact remains that AFC are the first, and currently only, team to claim back-to-back NPSL Great Lakes Championships. That is something to cheer about.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for live coverage of AFC Ann Arbor as well as Michigan basketball and Liverpool FC. I'm also discussing the World Cup plenty on Twitter and on my blog as well, so make sure to catch that out!
What Happened:
Action was near immediate in this match. In the sixth minute, AZ Liadi was taken down head over heels just outside the box. The challenge was tough, but understandably the tackler was not carded so early in the match, however, #7 in red, Bailey, saw yellow for what I believe would officially be classified as dissent. The Serge Gamwanya free kick hit the wall and went out for a corner, but Bailey continued to talk and in the ninth minute Bailey saw a second yellow and was sent off to the approval of the Mighty Oak faithful from both the main stand and the Main Street Hooligans alike.
Nearly right after this, Yuri Farkas, back in the starting eleven, slotted Michael Shaikly through on goal but while he beat the keeper his shot went just a touch wide. This started off a nice stretch for AFC with Columbus a man down as Marc Ybarra also had a nice hit go wide and Stephen Turnbull had an opportunity to shoot in the box but it was difficult and he skied it. Things took a shift in the 29th minute when a long throw and some miscommunication from the two center-backs, Jack Cawley and Breno, and keeper Nick Barry saw the second ball off the throw-in bounce around free but cleared out by Breno. From here we saw Columbus sustain plenty of pressure and pressing while frustrating AFC, with the culmination being yet more miscommunication and a cross from Demani Camara missing its intended target, but forcing a fingertip save from Barry off the post and eventually cleared. The halftime whistle blew and Columbus certainly didn't seem like they had a man down.
The second half started quickly in the first minute or so, but tapered off heavily. But in the 60th minute, Ann Arbor saw their captain and heart of the defense in Cawley go down hard in a very scary moment. He would be subbed off for Moco Watson, and play would resume. Keep this substitution in mind. We saw plenty of injuries as Camara went down a few minutes later as well, and another Columbus player needed attention for cramping up in the heat. The last ten minutes picked up though and were all AFC. Kyle Breitmeyer sent in a whipping cross. Alec Lasinski went just wide with his left. Lasinski again was just a touch offside. But a hectic last two minutes kicked off with Stephen Turnbull getting fouled in almost the same spot that the free kick was won for the winner against Detroit City. The magic didn't come on that free kick, nor the first corner, but third deadball was the charm and despite initially being flagged offside, Moco Watson headed home his second winning goal of the season and gave AFC the championship.
How Did This Happen:
The goal was of course the moment of the game. The last action of the game. Another winner from Moco at home. An overturned call. It doesn't get much more dramatic than that. But let's talk about the overturning of the call and the interpretation of the offside rule. Moco Watson was obviously not offside when he headed the ball, but Kyle Breitmeyer was when he swung and missed at the header. Watson's header was going in regardless of whether or not Columbus' keeper was distracted in my opinion, and from viewing it live and watching replays it is clear that Breitmeyer did not get a touch on it. At this point, it is the referee's discretion whether or not the player makes a clear or obvious action to impact the opponent from playing the ball and in this case, the referee felt that Breitmeyer's half-attempt was not enough to impede the goalie from making a save. I felt that this referee made a tough call to the best of her ability after calling a strong game the entire match, and as she felt strongly enough to overrule the linesman, I'm very much inclined to say that sort of confidence is enough to believe that the right call was indeed made.
Aside from this, the big focus on the match had to have been on Columbus going a man down almost immediately in the match putting them in a tough spot the rest of the evening. It was very impressive to watch the side play with just ten men as their two center-backs put in a fantastic shift stopping any attacks from Ann Arbor while their ten-man side still contained plenty of pace to track back. Even without the pacey Ezra Armstrong on the wing, a player like Camara really is outstanding for that Columbus team as he frees up every other attacker. Columbus also had the midfield ability to hold play up after halting an AFC attack to allow numbers to go forward before pushing the ball ahead. That said, despite some Ann Arbor shakiness at the back, none of their attacks looking truly menacing going forward and those that did came primarily from the miscommunications of the Mighty Oak. Perhaps with eleven men this would have turned out different. But mistakes made in the past cannot be retroactively changed, and FC Columbus will have to live with that 'what if'.
This was a game where, to be fair, Ann Arbor did not turn in one of their finest performances. One of the things I noticed with a more bird's-eye-view of the game from the stands was that there were indeed pockets of space throughout the field that were not attacked. One of the things I was hoping to see the Mighty Oak do in the second half was build more through the midfield with their more possession based game they are known for, and they did a great job of that as they grew more into the game. They had to weather quite a bit of pressure from a Columbus side who pressured them early when they had the ball, but seemed to wear down a bit in the second half. Ann Arbor didn't have to be perfect tonight to get the win. Sometimes you just have to win ugly, and that's a trait within good teams. This match, both Detroit City matches, even the home bout against Grand Rapids to a lesser extent: you can win a match in many ways. Nicking a goal or two off your opponent is one way. And it doesn't mean you don't get all three points.
What would I like to see from Ann Arbor as we now have a cup final and match against FC Indiana needed for the potential of a playoff bye? Three basic things related both to physical and mental strength will be important for the entire squad:
1. One-game at a time focus: This one is a gimme I'd say. All the players are surely thrilled to have won the division as are the fans, but it's still important to remember that there's a big non-league match with Lansing United and one final NPSL match with FC Indiana. You'd love to see two victories to carry over some good momentum into the national postseason.
2. Continued stellar man management: You also don't want to wear out your first-choice eleven the week before the biggest matches of the season. This is why a playoff bye is so important. Getting a bye means you have a whole two weeks off before playing back-to-back matches. That's a whole week of prep for your Midwest semi-final opponent plus the added time to prepare for the other two just in case. I will be on the lookout for some key players to be getting plenty of rest before the NPSL playoffs and also players like Breno and Zach Beuscher to continue to get minutes with the first-team.
3. Level-heads: This certainly ties in with the first point. Winning the division back-to-back times is a massive cause for celebration. But at the same time, you cannot allow yourself to tune out to the remaining matches too much. If you slip up too much, your focus for not just the games you relax on but the big NPSL playoff matches as well will be weaker than normal.
I cannot imagine any of these three things will be a concern and are all a mere formality, but it's always nice to seem them as a list as a sort of reminder perhaps of what the players are being reminded of as the squad prepare for the last stretch of the season.
What's Next:
There is an eye on second place in the division to see who will represent the Great Lakes Division alongside them on the national stage. Columbus will need to win out to secure second-place, but two of those matches are also against FC Indiana, and one against Milwaukee Torrent. The drama that will unfold in the Great Lakes will be a lot more fun for Ann Arbor fans to watch in a more neutral.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for live coverage of AFC Ann Arbor as well as Michigan basketball and Liverpool FC. I'm also discussing the World Cup plenty on Twitter and on my blog as well, so make sure to catch that out!
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