The rain held off. This is in reference to the weather this evening, but also in reference to AFC's play. There were no tears, AFC continues to fight forward as they downed their first playoff opponent, Cleveland SC, 1-0 is a gritty and hard-fought match that was, perhaps ironically, won with a brilliant bit of skill.
What Happened:
The first half was truly a feeling-out process. Both teams attempted to gain an understanding of the other side's tactics. Cleveland came out running a 4-3-1-2 almost, with star striker Vinny Bell paired with Antonio Manfut on top, the ultimate power/speed combo of the NPSL, while Admir Sulvejic played behind them. Meanwhile, AFC showed their usual 4-3-3, but occasionally fell into a 4-1-4-1 with Caio holding and Yuri Farkas and AZ Liadi dropping deeper as wingers. Cleveland had the best chance of the early goings when Bell found a free header, but nodded wide, off a free kick. Cleveland was able to withstand a good bit of AFC play (who couldn't seem to get a challenging shot on target in the early stages) and build themselves into the game starting with that Bell header. As a counter, Ann Arbor played a bit more physically than usually with everyone taking turns especially on Bell. At one point, Stephen Turnbull jumped nearly clean over him to cleanly win a header. The Mighty Oak found their first real challenging shot through a header of their own, Jack Cawley's leaping effort was saved nearly on the line by Marijo Musa. Ultimately, the halftime whistle blew with just a couple of scary moments for both teams combined.
The second half saw some back and forth play, and some more frustration from Cleveland as Manfut went at Caio and Turnbull a bit. Ann Arbor seemed to be getting into the flow of the match, when suddenly a bit of magic happened. Serkan Cihan began his run, moved it to Farkas, and continued. Farkas recognized this and sent a back heel to Cihan who continued his run, blew through the Cleveland defense, and laid it to the middle for Serge Gamwanya (who himself was making one of his patented forward runs) who finished with perfect precision. It was a textbook goal with equal amounts of individual brilliance and team play and will certainly go on the AFC post-season highlight reel.
Of course, Cleveland would not lay down. They immediately attempted their own attack and despite its failure, went on to dominate the next five minutes or so. Manfut was found by Chris Cvecko, but hit his effort just high. Then Manfut angled a shot forcing an awkward positioned save from Nick Barry (who deserves credit himself for being so solid in net whenever AFC need him). Then it was an incredibly rare turnover from the otherwise stellar Stanley Okumu (plenty on him in a moment) to Bell who fired wide with Barry off his line from 30 yards out or so. Almost as soon as the first sub was made, however, things immediately seemed to settle down for Ann Arbor. Certainly part of that was down to Alec Lasinski's ability to be a brilliant outlet on the attack, but I'd say a good deal was simply the stop in the game, deep breath, and refocus. The game continued to be perhaps the most clinical "seeing-it-out" phase of a one goal match I have ever seen. Ann Arbor dominated possession and played smart. Unfortunately, the closing of the match was marring by a fight kicked off by Manfut going after Frenchy Braem and Musa seeing a straight red, but it did not dampen the spirits of AFC fans as they saw the game out and will advance to see Duluth tomorrow.
How Did This Happen:
Well, when you get your team's MVP back, and put him back into the league's best defense by goals-per-match, you're bound to get good things. But tonight's performance? This was on a whole different level. Jack Cawley's heading ability was at the best it has ever been, arguably. Vinny Bell is perhaps one of the best strikers not just in the region, but the entire NPSL. Likewise, Antonio Manfut provides an entirely different challenge for defenses. Both of them were handled with zero problem by the AFC defense and Manfut was incredibly frustrated. Massive credit must go to all four Ann Arbor defenders for the performance. Bell's power game was shut down by AFC matching that. Whether it was Jack Cawley winning a header against him, or Stanley Okumu doing the same, or even Stephen Turnbull, Bell was very, very rarely able to use his bigger stature against Ann Arbor. His technical ability was shut down by players in the defense, and also Caio when tracking back, sticking to Bell and not allowing freedom to try anything. Following his free header, Bell was held quiet for the remainder of the match and it is a testament to the ability of the entire back line.
The entire defense has to be man (men) of the match, to me. Okumu's long balls out to start attacks or find an open man were something AFC fans perhaps didn't realize how much they missed until they returned. But Cawley had some memorable passes of his own and did a wonderful job sacrificing his own body at times to make plays. The center-backs were stellar, but a huge amount of praise must go to the two full-backs. Stephen Turnbull has come along so far as a member of the Mighty Oak and become quietly one of the top right-backs in the entire region. His defending today was vital in marking Manfut and getting under his skin, and his cool demeanor as Manfut lashed out was essential in sparking more frustration. Likewise, on the left, even setting aside his unbelievable run, Serkan Cihan had perhaps his most complete performance in Ann Arbor's colors. It may be a lazy connection, but he reminds me a ton of Alberto Moreno with better comparative defending, and more of a passer than shooter. His run through the defense was the truest bit of quality in the match and his defending was exceptional as well. It was truly a team effort for the Mighty Oak's defense.
Not to be forgotten, however, is the midfield. You can rightfully point at the AFC's defense as being exceptional, as I just did, but the midfield play was vital in not allowing supply lines to either Bell or Manfut. Usually it is Gamwanya playing the antagonist to the other side getting under their skin, but tonight, Caio's performance as holding-mid/general nuisance was second-to-none. He was brilliant in a deeper role and put on a show for the Mighty Oak. Gamwanya was vital to the victory as well with not just his goal, but his general positioning and his willingness to press the Cleveland defense as a true box-to-box midfielder. Michael Shaikly was more of a secondary character in the midfield, but was still very good as he did not put a foot wrong on defense, won his share of tackles, and made some outstanding runs. The three-man pairing all complimented each other in the best possible way this evening and absolutely quieted a strong Cleveland midfield.
Credit must be given also to Cleveland, whose back-line who strong themselves. Chris Cvecko was worthy of his all-regional bid as he was a handful for Cihan making runs behind the defense down the right flank, and also on defense doing a good job on both Farkas and AZ when they were on his wing. Still, it highlighted the ability of the front line that they did not have to get on the scoresheet to make everyone around them better. Farkas had the vital back heel to continue Cihan's run. AZ is also a massive distraction for every side he takes on and garners plenty of attention. You also had Alec Lasinski play a brilliant game as his fresh legs were crucial and he has cemented himself as one of the best 'super-subs' in the region, perhaps the best. The entire attack, including Odhiambo and Kyle Breitmeyer, proved that even without scoring, attackers do work that deserves credit as well.
What's Next:
The regional final against Duluth is now on deck, as they square off at 7:30 P.M. on the 21st at Huron. Duluth went 120 minutes before beating Minneapolis City SC by a score of 2-1. By main takeaways were that I feel AFC may encounter similar problems MCSC did: Duluth's defense is very imposing and dangerous on set pieces (along with defending them brilliantly). Sora Wakabayahi was everyone on the pitch all 120 minutes, but had some trouble with the quicker Grand Rapids players. AZ was on the pitch for just barely half of that time (he came off in the 68th minute) against Cleveland. Will Wakabayashi have enough to mark him or Yuri for an entire match? You can check my pinned tweet (@RMAB_Ryan) for the podcast I did with Brendan, a fellow AFC fan, for a deeper dive about Duluth as well, but this will be an interesting match. But tonight, AFC fans will be going to sleep quite happily.
Follow me on Twitter, @RMAB_Ryan, for live coverage of AFC Ann Arbor as well as Michigan basketball and Liverpool F.C., plus much more!
What Happened:
The first half was truly a feeling-out process. Both teams attempted to gain an understanding of the other side's tactics. Cleveland came out running a 4-3-1-2 almost, with star striker Vinny Bell paired with Antonio Manfut on top, the ultimate power/speed combo of the NPSL, while Admir Sulvejic played behind them. Meanwhile, AFC showed their usual 4-3-3, but occasionally fell into a 4-1-4-1 with Caio holding and Yuri Farkas and AZ Liadi dropping deeper as wingers. Cleveland had the best chance of the early goings when Bell found a free header, but nodded wide, off a free kick. Cleveland was able to withstand a good bit of AFC play (who couldn't seem to get a challenging shot on target in the early stages) and build themselves into the game starting with that Bell header. As a counter, Ann Arbor played a bit more physically than usually with everyone taking turns especially on Bell. At one point, Stephen Turnbull jumped nearly clean over him to cleanly win a header. The Mighty Oak found their first real challenging shot through a header of their own, Jack Cawley's leaping effort was saved nearly on the line by Marijo Musa. Ultimately, the halftime whistle blew with just a couple of scary moments for both teams combined.
The second half saw some back and forth play, and some more frustration from Cleveland as Manfut went at Caio and Turnbull a bit. Ann Arbor seemed to be getting into the flow of the match, when suddenly a bit of magic happened. Serkan Cihan began his run, moved it to Farkas, and continued. Farkas recognized this and sent a back heel to Cihan who continued his run, blew through the Cleveland defense, and laid it to the middle for Serge Gamwanya (who himself was making one of his patented forward runs) who finished with perfect precision. It was a textbook goal with equal amounts of individual brilliance and team play and will certainly go on the AFC post-season highlight reel.
Of course, Cleveland would not lay down. They immediately attempted their own attack and despite its failure, went on to dominate the next five minutes or so. Manfut was found by Chris Cvecko, but hit his effort just high. Then Manfut angled a shot forcing an awkward positioned save from Nick Barry (who deserves credit himself for being so solid in net whenever AFC need him). Then it was an incredibly rare turnover from the otherwise stellar Stanley Okumu (plenty on him in a moment) to Bell who fired wide with Barry off his line from 30 yards out or so. Almost as soon as the first sub was made, however, things immediately seemed to settle down for Ann Arbor. Certainly part of that was down to Alec Lasinski's ability to be a brilliant outlet on the attack, but I'd say a good deal was simply the stop in the game, deep breath, and refocus. The game continued to be perhaps the most clinical "seeing-it-out" phase of a one goal match I have ever seen. Ann Arbor dominated possession and played smart. Unfortunately, the closing of the match was marring by a fight kicked off by Manfut going after Frenchy Braem and Musa seeing a straight red, but it did not dampen the spirits of AFC fans as they saw the game out and will advance to see Duluth tomorrow.
How Did This Happen:
Well, when you get your team's MVP back, and put him back into the league's best defense by goals-per-match, you're bound to get good things. But tonight's performance? This was on a whole different level. Jack Cawley's heading ability was at the best it has ever been, arguably. Vinny Bell is perhaps one of the best strikers not just in the region, but the entire NPSL. Likewise, Antonio Manfut provides an entirely different challenge for defenses. Both of them were handled with zero problem by the AFC defense and Manfut was incredibly frustrated. Massive credit must go to all four Ann Arbor defenders for the performance. Bell's power game was shut down by AFC matching that. Whether it was Jack Cawley winning a header against him, or Stanley Okumu doing the same, or even Stephen Turnbull, Bell was very, very rarely able to use his bigger stature against Ann Arbor. His technical ability was shut down by players in the defense, and also Caio when tracking back, sticking to Bell and not allowing freedom to try anything. Following his free header, Bell was held quiet for the remainder of the match and it is a testament to the ability of the entire back line.
The entire defense has to be man (men) of the match, to me. Okumu's long balls out to start attacks or find an open man were something AFC fans perhaps didn't realize how much they missed until they returned. But Cawley had some memorable passes of his own and did a wonderful job sacrificing his own body at times to make plays. The center-backs were stellar, but a huge amount of praise must go to the two full-backs. Stephen Turnbull has come along so far as a member of the Mighty Oak and become quietly one of the top right-backs in the entire region. His defending today was vital in marking Manfut and getting under his skin, and his cool demeanor as Manfut lashed out was essential in sparking more frustration. Likewise, on the left, even setting aside his unbelievable run, Serkan Cihan had perhaps his most complete performance in Ann Arbor's colors. It may be a lazy connection, but he reminds me a ton of Alberto Moreno with better comparative defending, and more of a passer than shooter. His run through the defense was the truest bit of quality in the match and his defending was exceptional as well. It was truly a team effort for the Mighty Oak's defense.
Not to be forgotten, however, is the midfield. You can rightfully point at the AFC's defense as being exceptional, as I just did, but the midfield play was vital in not allowing supply lines to either Bell or Manfut. Usually it is Gamwanya playing the antagonist to the other side getting under their skin, but tonight, Caio's performance as holding-mid/general nuisance was second-to-none. He was brilliant in a deeper role and put on a show for the Mighty Oak. Gamwanya was vital to the victory as well with not just his goal, but his general positioning and his willingness to press the Cleveland defense as a true box-to-box midfielder. Michael Shaikly was more of a secondary character in the midfield, but was still very good as he did not put a foot wrong on defense, won his share of tackles, and made some outstanding runs. The three-man pairing all complimented each other in the best possible way this evening and absolutely quieted a strong Cleveland midfield.
Credit must be given also to Cleveland, whose back-line who strong themselves. Chris Cvecko was worthy of his all-regional bid as he was a handful for Cihan making runs behind the defense down the right flank, and also on defense doing a good job on both Farkas and AZ when they were on his wing. Still, it highlighted the ability of the front line that they did not have to get on the scoresheet to make everyone around them better. Farkas had the vital back heel to continue Cihan's run. AZ is also a massive distraction for every side he takes on and garners plenty of attention. You also had Alec Lasinski play a brilliant game as his fresh legs were crucial and he has cemented himself as one of the best 'super-subs' in the region, perhaps the best. The entire attack, including Odhiambo and Kyle Breitmeyer, proved that even without scoring, attackers do work that deserves credit as well.
What's Next:
The regional final against Duluth is now on deck, as they square off at 7:30 P.M. on the 21st at Huron. Duluth went 120 minutes before beating Minneapolis City SC by a score of 2-1. By main takeaways were that I feel AFC may encounter similar problems MCSC did: Duluth's defense is very imposing and dangerous on set pieces (along with defending them brilliantly). Sora Wakabayahi was everyone on the pitch all 120 minutes, but had some trouble with the quicker Grand Rapids players. AZ was on the pitch for just barely half of that time (he came off in the 68th minute) against Cleveland. Will Wakabayashi have enough to mark him or Yuri for an entire match? You can check my pinned tweet (@RMAB_Ryan) for the podcast I did with Brendan, a fellow AFC fan, for a deeper dive about Duluth as well, but this will be an interesting match. But tonight, AFC fans will be going to sleep quite happily.
Follow me on Twitter, @RMAB_Ryan, for live coverage of AFC Ann Arbor as well as Michigan basketball and Liverpool F.C., plus much more!
Comments
Post a Comment