It was a year of plenty of highs for AFC that was unfortunately ended with a low in the Midwest Regional Final. That does not mean the year that was had should not be celebrated. Here, we'll go over some of the key players, matches, and moments that defined a memorable 2018 as well as addressing some questions you may have for next campaign.
Most Vital Players:
"Most valuable" and "most important" are often used interchangeably when discussing who is worthy of an "MVP" award in general, but when it comes to this AFCAA team, there is an important distinction. At the postseason awards banquet, Stanley Okumu was awarded player of the year for the Mighty Oak, and he, too, is my AFC Most Valuable Player. Stanley was an absolute rock in the center of defense for Ann Arbor and was a welcome sight for AFC fans in the playoffs as he made his return to see out the season in blue and white. With his senior international experience, there is no question he was a cut above other NPSL defenders and was only aided by fellow center-back Jack Cawley, who deserves much credit as well for his balance he found with Okumu during the season. Both men seemed to understand when one wanted to advance or when the other was setting up to play a long ball to the forwards. Stanley is off to the USL now and everyone in Ann Arbor awaits his next step with baited breath.
With "most valuable" covered, then what do I mean of "most important"? It means a lot to be a key player to how an Eric Rudland side plays. With pieces often swapped and changed to successful results, there is a reason that he has been so successful in the NPSL with its eternally changing line-ups. With that said, one man was missing in both AFC NPSL losses, and I'm not fully convinced it's a coincidence. Marc Ybarra had a huge impact in allowing this team to play the way they wished to throughout the season. With Ybarra in the line-up at holding-mid, you had not only both other midfielders in the starting eleven able to focus more on attacking, but you had an attacking weapon in midfield on the bench that could be subbed on when needed. There's a reason he was an all-conference selection as, yes, two goals from defensive-mid is rather impressive in the 12 match season, but he did far more than you could realize just by looking at a box score. His effectiveness as a plug between the midfield and defense was integral in stopping opposing teams' attacks and sparking counters of their own.
With all this said, sometimes there are players that go under the radar. For me, there are two that are very clearly AFC's Unsung Hero(es) of the Year, and that's both full-backs, Sercan Cihan and Stephen Turnbull. Part of this reason is that neither man started the NPSL season as starters for the Mighty Oak, and this is what makes both of their play that much more impressive. With their ability to push forward, Cihan and Turnbull both provided outlets on the wings in attack, but deeper than the two wingers who would start, to push forward. Meanwhile, both men were strong defensively and Turnbull himself capped off a stellar season with a man of the match performance against Duluth while Cihan created the game-winning goal against Cleveland, both men with fantastically deserved playoff successes to close out the season.
Built for Success:
One of the questions asked of me came from Twitter user @AnalyticsNick who had a very interesting question. He asked how AFC will fill the gaps left by players whose play level is higher than that of the NPSL next season, and it's a reasonable question. AFC's "main" starting eleven of the season is a near certainty to look at the very least halfway different. Mike Novotny and Stanley Okumu are pursuing professional opportunities and we must also look at players who are perhaps looking at a higher level of football themselves, whether that's professionally in the United States or elsewhere. You also have to take a look at players who are currently in college, will you have local players return? Likewise, will those who play collegiate football out of state return? There is indeed something to be said about familiarity after all. Regardless, I think you'll see a Mighty Oak side fairly changed from this year's side, but I would not be wholly surprised to see many returning faces.
But how will those who have played their final matches with the Mighty Oak be replaced? I see three different ways. The first of which is fairly straight forward, more local players. Whether in Ann Arbor or merely in-state, Michigan is truly a hotbed of talent in the sport. There are no shortage of quality teams with Michigan, obviously, being one, Michigan State is one of the Big Ten's finest programs. Western Michigan has consistently been a top program in the MAC and had a stellar season last year. Not to be forgotten are Oakland and Detroit, who attract solid Division I talent, along with strong lower division schools in Saginaw Valley State and Madonna, both of whom have AFC talent on their rosters. The second way is through already well-established scouting networks in place by head coach Eric Rudland. I think it goes without saying that Rudland has been able to bring in some incredible talent to Ann Arbor. When your two center-backs are an internationally capped player just 21-years-old and a man with FA Cup experience at the NPSL level, you're doing something right. I look for this sort of talent acquisition to continue on into next season.
The third way is, similar to finding local talent, through the Midwest Pro Combine. This is how, last season, Mike Novotny was discovered as well as Jordan Montoya, but, last season, also helped showcase Drew Shepherd and Ben White (drafted by Toronto), Ken Krolicki (drafted by Montreal) as well as many other eventual USL players. Rudland himself is the combine director and that allows him a chance to get to analyze these players and if any pro sides pass up talent, he will have a great opportunity to bring some in as Mighty Oak. My key point about talent movement is that I would not fear it. It happens on a wide-spread level, especially in the NPSL, and AFC Ann Arbor, with Eric Rudland at the helm, is more equipped to deal with it than any other team in the division, in my opinion.
Brilliance in the Matches:
What would a year in review be without a look back at the season itself? Who could forget the defense's dominance as they went over four NPSL matches without conceding a goal? How about Moco Watson's two (yes, two) huge last-minute winners for the Mighty Oak, including the one to clinch the Great Lakes Championship? There was the Michigan Milk Cup final run that also included a winner at the death in Kalamazoo from Brandon Katona. And, of course, there was the winner in Detroit from Chris Odhiambo to give AFC the double over DCFC in the regular season for the second year running. Of course, life was not always peaches and cream. The Mighty Oak were toppled by a deceivingly lop-sided 3-0 scoreline to PDL side Ocean City in the USOC. They fell also only once in the NPSL, but they were stunned in Grand Rapids 2-0 with a goal early, and a goal late. The other PDL side they faced was Lansing United in the Michigan Milk Cup finals, which they lost in a spirited affair by a score of 3-2 highlighted by three late penalties. The playoffs served as a bit of both for AFC faithful. You got the triumph (1-0 over Cleveland) with the heartbreak (losing in penalties to Duluth).
Personally, my AFC Match of the Year was the 1-0 victory over Columbus in Ann Arbor. It was everything great about Ann Arbor's season: you had stellar defending, strong attacking, brilliant tactical play combined with skillful subs, and, of course, the late goal to end all late goals resulting in back-to-back Great Lakes Championships for the Mighty Oak. There were plenty memorable moments from this side's run to the Midwest final, but I would, without a doubt, say that this was the number one moment for AFC supporters. It doesn't get much better than a trophy-clinching header originally ruled offside but then eventually counted. But, after all, there's a reason it's called Rudland Time in Ann Arbor.
Forecast on the Great Lakes:
I'd love to give an overview of the Great Lakes Division next season, but that is near impossible when dealing with the NPSL. But there is one thing we can discuss with some ease, something I am always fascinated by, and that's addition and subtraction of various teams. The Great Lakes has seven teams in it currently. I expect this to stay the same. Now, ask me again next year and I may tell you a different story, but as of now, my prediction will be that no team will cease operation. Of course, there is also the case of Detroit City going pro. I, to be totally truthful, have no real inside knowledge on this. The NASL is still down and seems almost out for the count, USL D3 seems to be looking in other midwest-centric options with Madison already confirmed, Des Moines in talks, Dayton seemingly a possible candidate having closed shop in 2018 to look to pro football in 2019, and Grand Rapids and Lansing being two Michigan cities tossed around (with Lansing having a higher shot than Grand Rapids in, again, my opinion), and a pro NPSL team would seem to defeat DCFC's stated purpose of wanting to play at a higher level and play a longer season. Therefore, I will (for the time) put them back in the NPSL next season. Good? Good! Because now we must deal with expansion.
As a bonus, I would consider Michigan, or very close (as I'll discuss), to be the most likely spot of another expansion team. I think, similar to NPSL North, the NPSL Great Lakes could be a conference focused heavily around in-state Michigan rivalries especially with Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids finding continual success, and Detroit City's continued ambitions and success in 2017. I think there is a very obvious region to expand into, and that's the one claimed by Flint. This is a metro area within two hours of Ann Arbor, Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids, closer to Milwaukee than Detroit is, and closer to Columbus than Grand Rapids is. It is also (combined with Saginaw) a top-75 media market in the United States, the seventh most populated city in Michigan, the largest county seat in the state not to have an NPSL/PDL side or even a UPSL side for that matter, and really is the largest unaccounted for footballing city in Michigan (Warren and Sterling Heights are in the broadly defined Metro Detroit suburbs). To me, a team in Flint is almost a no-brainer. I am unaware of support for the sport in the city, but with over 100,000 citizens I can't see why attention could not be brought to the sport in the city.
Now, of course, there are other cities that the NPSL could expand to. Lansing, for one, is a huge possibility. Especially if Lansing United enters USL D3, there becomes a semi-pro gap in Lansing. One that the NPSL would surely like to fill themselves. Another possibility is a city very close to Michigan -- Toledo. Close to Metro Detroit, but still technically an Ohio friend for FC Columbus, Toledo would only face five-hour travel once (Milwaukee) and sits at under three hours one-way for every other team but FC Indiana. Toledo Villa FC currently sit first in the UPSL Midwest - East, so the talent is there as well. You could expand westward into Muskegon perhaps, or even go bold and up to the Traverse City region, but really I think you have two choices: Flint or Toledo. Travel-wise, both make sense. Talent-wise, I believe both will be able to be competitive. Market-wise, these two cities are slam dunks. It is just a matter of waiting till next season.
Goodbye, but Not For Long:
And that truly is all we can do. What a ride the Mighty Oak took us on. Through triumph, glory, sorrow, and pain, sometimes the best part about sport is that it just makes us feel human. We live in the moment, we look ahead, we focus intently on our own teams (or lives), we focus on the world (or league) as a whole. We say goodbye every season, but faithfully, like the leaves do on the trees in the spring, we return back to our bleachers and to our stands at the same time to our family and to our friends. I have told myself on so many occasions this year alone that I should stop placing so much happiness into results of a game. I have seen all three teams I regularly write about lose in a final, each a different way than the last. A blowout. With blunders. With a final kick. And yet, I have never been more excited to march onward to the next sport. To the next season.
So we say goodbye to a season gone but not a season not forgotten. One that brought far more success than many teams had this season. Making it to the final eight with a conference championship in tow is no small feat for any side. We head into the offseason now and look upon collegiate and professional ball with starry eyes, hoping for more magic. The beautiful game does not merely halt or cease action, we only head into the next season.
Follow me on Twitter, @RMAB_Ryan, for all updates on my coverage. I will cover Liverpool and Michigan basketball on here, any AFC Ann Arbor news (or breaking NPSL Great Lakes news) will be here during the offseason as well. I will also be writing for MichSoccerNow and urge you to follow @michsoccernow so you don't miss a thing.
Most Vital Players:
"Most valuable" and "most important" are often used interchangeably when discussing who is worthy of an "MVP" award in general, but when it comes to this AFCAA team, there is an important distinction. At the postseason awards banquet, Stanley Okumu was awarded player of the year for the Mighty Oak, and he, too, is my AFC Most Valuable Player. Stanley was an absolute rock in the center of defense for Ann Arbor and was a welcome sight for AFC fans in the playoffs as he made his return to see out the season in blue and white. With his senior international experience, there is no question he was a cut above other NPSL defenders and was only aided by fellow center-back Jack Cawley, who deserves much credit as well for his balance he found with Okumu during the season. Both men seemed to understand when one wanted to advance or when the other was setting up to play a long ball to the forwards. Stanley is off to the USL now and everyone in Ann Arbor awaits his next step with baited breath.
With "most valuable" covered, then what do I mean of "most important"? It means a lot to be a key player to how an Eric Rudland side plays. With pieces often swapped and changed to successful results, there is a reason that he has been so successful in the NPSL with its eternally changing line-ups. With that said, one man was missing in both AFC NPSL losses, and I'm not fully convinced it's a coincidence. Marc Ybarra had a huge impact in allowing this team to play the way they wished to throughout the season. With Ybarra in the line-up at holding-mid, you had not only both other midfielders in the starting eleven able to focus more on attacking, but you had an attacking weapon in midfield on the bench that could be subbed on when needed. There's a reason he was an all-conference selection as, yes, two goals from defensive-mid is rather impressive in the 12 match season, but he did far more than you could realize just by looking at a box score. His effectiveness as a plug between the midfield and defense was integral in stopping opposing teams' attacks and sparking counters of their own.
With all this said, sometimes there are players that go under the radar. For me, there are two that are very clearly AFC's Unsung Hero(es) of the Year, and that's both full-backs, Sercan Cihan and Stephen Turnbull. Part of this reason is that neither man started the NPSL season as starters for the Mighty Oak, and this is what makes both of their play that much more impressive. With their ability to push forward, Cihan and Turnbull both provided outlets on the wings in attack, but deeper than the two wingers who would start, to push forward. Meanwhile, both men were strong defensively and Turnbull himself capped off a stellar season with a man of the match performance against Duluth while Cihan created the game-winning goal against Cleveland, both men with fantastically deserved playoff successes to close out the season.
Built for Success:
One of the questions asked of me came from Twitter user @AnalyticsNick who had a very interesting question. He asked how AFC will fill the gaps left by players whose play level is higher than that of the NPSL next season, and it's a reasonable question. AFC's "main" starting eleven of the season is a near certainty to look at the very least halfway different. Mike Novotny and Stanley Okumu are pursuing professional opportunities and we must also look at players who are perhaps looking at a higher level of football themselves, whether that's professionally in the United States or elsewhere. You also have to take a look at players who are currently in college, will you have local players return? Likewise, will those who play collegiate football out of state return? There is indeed something to be said about familiarity after all. Regardless, I think you'll see a Mighty Oak side fairly changed from this year's side, but I would not be wholly surprised to see many returning faces.
But how will those who have played their final matches with the Mighty Oak be replaced? I see three different ways. The first of which is fairly straight forward, more local players. Whether in Ann Arbor or merely in-state, Michigan is truly a hotbed of talent in the sport. There are no shortage of quality teams with Michigan, obviously, being one, Michigan State is one of the Big Ten's finest programs. Western Michigan has consistently been a top program in the MAC and had a stellar season last year. Not to be forgotten are Oakland and Detroit, who attract solid Division I talent, along with strong lower division schools in Saginaw Valley State and Madonna, both of whom have AFC talent on their rosters. The second way is through already well-established scouting networks in place by head coach Eric Rudland. I think it goes without saying that Rudland has been able to bring in some incredible talent to Ann Arbor. When your two center-backs are an internationally capped player just 21-years-old and a man with FA Cup experience at the NPSL level, you're doing something right. I look for this sort of talent acquisition to continue on into next season.
The third way is, similar to finding local talent, through the Midwest Pro Combine. This is how, last season, Mike Novotny was discovered as well as Jordan Montoya, but, last season, also helped showcase Drew Shepherd and Ben White (drafted by Toronto), Ken Krolicki (drafted by Montreal) as well as many other eventual USL players. Rudland himself is the combine director and that allows him a chance to get to analyze these players and if any pro sides pass up talent, he will have a great opportunity to bring some in as Mighty Oak. My key point about talent movement is that I would not fear it. It happens on a wide-spread level, especially in the NPSL, and AFC Ann Arbor, with Eric Rudland at the helm, is more equipped to deal with it than any other team in the division, in my opinion.
Brilliance in the Matches:
What would a year in review be without a look back at the season itself? Who could forget the defense's dominance as they went over four NPSL matches without conceding a goal? How about Moco Watson's two (yes, two) huge last-minute winners for the Mighty Oak, including the one to clinch the Great Lakes Championship? There was the Michigan Milk Cup final run that also included a winner at the death in Kalamazoo from Brandon Katona. And, of course, there was the winner in Detroit from Chris Odhiambo to give AFC the double over DCFC in the regular season for the second year running. Of course, life was not always peaches and cream. The Mighty Oak were toppled by a deceivingly lop-sided 3-0 scoreline to PDL side Ocean City in the USOC. They fell also only once in the NPSL, but they were stunned in Grand Rapids 2-0 with a goal early, and a goal late. The other PDL side they faced was Lansing United in the Michigan Milk Cup finals, which they lost in a spirited affair by a score of 3-2 highlighted by three late penalties. The playoffs served as a bit of both for AFC faithful. You got the triumph (1-0 over Cleveland) with the heartbreak (losing in penalties to Duluth).
Personally, my AFC Match of the Year was the 1-0 victory over Columbus in Ann Arbor. It was everything great about Ann Arbor's season: you had stellar defending, strong attacking, brilliant tactical play combined with skillful subs, and, of course, the late goal to end all late goals resulting in back-to-back Great Lakes Championships for the Mighty Oak. There were plenty memorable moments from this side's run to the Midwest final, but I would, without a doubt, say that this was the number one moment for AFC supporters. It doesn't get much better than a trophy-clinching header originally ruled offside but then eventually counted. But, after all, there's a reason it's called Rudland Time in Ann Arbor.
Forecast on the Great Lakes:
I'd love to give an overview of the Great Lakes Division next season, but that is near impossible when dealing with the NPSL. But there is one thing we can discuss with some ease, something I am always fascinated by, and that's addition and subtraction of various teams. The Great Lakes has seven teams in it currently. I expect this to stay the same. Now, ask me again next year and I may tell you a different story, but as of now, my prediction will be that no team will cease operation. Of course, there is also the case of Detroit City going pro. I, to be totally truthful, have no real inside knowledge on this. The NASL is still down and seems almost out for the count, USL D3 seems to be looking in other midwest-centric options with Madison already confirmed, Des Moines in talks, Dayton seemingly a possible candidate having closed shop in 2018 to look to pro football in 2019, and Grand Rapids and Lansing being two Michigan cities tossed around (with Lansing having a higher shot than Grand Rapids in, again, my opinion), and a pro NPSL team would seem to defeat DCFC's stated purpose of wanting to play at a higher level and play a longer season. Therefore, I will (for the time) put them back in the NPSL next season. Good? Good! Because now we must deal with expansion.
As a bonus, I would consider Michigan, or very close (as I'll discuss), to be the most likely spot of another expansion team. I think, similar to NPSL North, the NPSL Great Lakes could be a conference focused heavily around in-state Michigan rivalries especially with Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids finding continual success, and Detroit City's continued ambitions and success in 2017. I think there is a very obvious region to expand into, and that's the one claimed by Flint. This is a metro area within two hours of Ann Arbor, Detroit, Kalamazoo, and Grand Rapids, closer to Milwaukee than Detroit is, and closer to Columbus than Grand Rapids is. It is also (combined with Saginaw) a top-75 media market in the United States, the seventh most populated city in Michigan, the largest county seat in the state not to have an NPSL/PDL side or even a UPSL side for that matter, and really is the largest unaccounted for footballing city in Michigan (Warren and Sterling Heights are in the broadly defined Metro Detroit suburbs). To me, a team in Flint is almost a no-brainer. I am unaware of support for the sport in the city, but with over 100,000 citizens I can't see why attention could not be brought to the sport in the city.
Now, of course, there are other cities that the NPSL could expand to. Lansing, for one, is a huge possibility. Especially if Lansing United enters USL D3, there becomes a semi-pro gap in Lansing. One that the NPSL would surely like to fill themselves. Another possibility is a city very close to Michigan -- Toledo. Close to Metro Detroit, but still technically an Ohio friend for FC Columbus, Toledo would only face five-hour travel once (Milwaukee) and sits at under three hours one-way for every other team but FC Indiana. Toledo Villa FC currently sit first in the UPSL Midwest - East, so the talent is there as well. You could expand westward into Muskegon perhaps, or even go bold and up to the Traverse City region, but really I think you have two choices: Flint or Toledo. Travel-wise, both make sense. Talent-wise, I believe both will be able to be competitive. Market-wise, these two cities are slam dunks. It is just a matter of waiting till next season.
Goodbye, but Not For Long:
And that truly is all we can do. What a ride the Mighty Oak took us on. Through triumph, glory, sorrow, and pain, sometimes the best part about sport is that it just makes us feel human. We live in the moment, we look ahead, we focus intently on our own teams (or lives), we focus on the world (or league) as a whole. We say goodbye every season, but faithfully, like the leaves do on the trees in the spring, we return back to our bleachers and to our stands at the same time to our family and to our friends. I have told myself on so many occasions this year alone that I should stop placing so much happiness into results of a game. I have seen all three teams I regularly write about lose in a final, each a different way than the last. A blowout. With blunders. With a final kick. And yet, I have never been more excited to march onward to the next sport. To the next season.
So we say goodbye to a season gone but not a season not forgotten. One that brought far more success than many teams had this season. Making it to the final eight with a conference championship in tow is no small feat for any side. We head into the offseason now and look upon collegiate and professional ball with starry eyes, hoping for more magic. The beautiful game does not merely halt or cease action, we only head into the next season.
Follow me on Twitter, @RMAB_Ryan, for all updates on my coverage. I will cover Liverpool and Michigan basketball on here, any AFC Ann Arbor news (or breaking NPSL Great Lakes news) will be here during the offseason as well. I will also be writing for MichSoccerNow and urge you to follow @michsoccernow so you don't miss a thing.
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