Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor at FC Columbus

Association Football Club Ann Arbor is off to a strong start this season, having earned thirteen points in just five matches, as they remain atop the Great Lakes Conference table. One of the most impressive things about the run so far is that The Mighty Oak have yet to concede a single goal.

Ann Arbor will travel to Columbus on Sunday afternoon for the first meeting between the two clubs. Columbus, an expansion team in 2018, are three matches into their inaugural campaign and have surprised and impressed most teams with their athleticism and quality of play.

“Columbus has definitely earned a lot of respect in the league so far. They’ve earned some great results and proven that they are a worthy opponent. Going down to their place will be a tough road contest for us. It sounds like they have some very good individual players and collectively have strong ideas regarding their system of play,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

The Mighty Oak aren’t in this position by accident as they’ve shown their capabilities since joining the National Premier Soccer League in 2016. In the first two years, Ann Arbor finished second and first in the Great Lakes and are hoping to defend their 2017 conference title. No doubt that the success stems from the depth and quality of the players that Coach Rudland and his staff have assembled to represent AFC Ann Arbor.

That recipe has proven itself successful as The Mighty Oak have capped 30 different players in 5 league matches tallying a 4-1-0 record. But as Rudland has done in the past and will continue to do, his focus is one match a time and working on continually improving and fine tuning his team’s system.

“We have a few plans in place for Sunday, we have to check in with our man today during our recovery session to see where players are at physically. We also want to check the TITAN GPS performance data from our match last night to see how much ground each player covered and take all of those variables in the consideration and we look to pick the team for Sunday. Obviously we expect each player in the 18 to contribute just a matter of who starts the game for us and finishes the game for us,” said Rudland.

The Opponent

Columbus is coming off it’s first NPSL Great Lakes conference victory after defeating KZFC 3-1 on Memorial Day. After beginning the season with a draw at Milwaukee, Columbus traveled to Detroit for their second match of the season and were deadlocked with Le Rouge until the 86th minute before dropping the road points with a 1-0 loss.

The victory over Kalamazoo will of course give the home side some confidence tomorrow, but this early in the season, with two teams that have never played before, you just can’t be sure what to expect from FC Columbus. What we do know is everyone wants to beat The Mighty Oak and we expect FCCLB to be prepared and organized as the home side tomorrow.

Team Sheet for Sunday June 3rd

AFC Ann Arbor Partners with Jim Toy Community Center for Second Straight Year

View fullsize

The Mighty Oak have teamed up with the Jim Toy Community Center for the second straight year to raise funds and amplify the message of inclusiveness.

The partnership includes proceeds from a special edition AFCAA Pride shirt as well as tickets sales from the June 29th match versus FC Indiana to benefit the Jim Toy Community Center.

Fans can pre-order their 2018 AFC Ann Arbor pride shirt and pick it up at the June 29th match or have it shipped direct on June 25th. Twenty-five percent of all sales will be donated to the Jim Toy Community Center.

Newly appointed LGBTQ liaison to the Mayor’s Office, Travis Radina, is also the President of the JTCC and a multi-year member of the AFCAA Family. Radina values this partnership for both its financial impact and beyond.

“While this partnership helps raise critical funds to carry out JTCC’s mission, the most important part of this partnership is that AFC Ann Arbor is doing its part to ensure that Ann Arbor is an inclusive community where people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity are visible and live together in equality, respect and happiness,” said Radina.

He added “The AFC Ann Arbor family has fully embraced JTCC, and that is incredibly impactful. With the team’s focus on bolstering local youth soccer and providing a family-friendly environment, AFC Ann Arbor’s unwavering support for the LGBTQ community is helping to end the stigma that still exists around queer athletes in competitive team sports, and it also sends a very clear and important message to aspiring young LGBTQ, or questioning, soccer players that they can succeed and find acceptance in the sport they love.”

To learn more about the Jim Toy Community Center, click here. Buy tickets here. 

Pre-Order Pride Shirt - Pick up at 6/29 Match // Pre-Order Pride Shirt - Ship Direct on 6/25

The Mighty Oak Remain Undefeated with 2-0 Win Over GRFC

Mike Novotny earned his fourth clean sheet in four starts for The Mighty Oak 

AFC Ann Arbor capitalized on a first half downpour to take three points in Friday's NPSL Great Lakes matchup with Grand Rapids FC and remain atop the table with 13 points.

With the weather being such a dominant factor in the first half both teams looked to send the long ball onto the forwards to create opportunities. There were flashes early on from each team down the sidelines with crosses into the box, but it wasn’t until the 23’ when AFC was able to capitalize.

An interception from Serge Gamwanya deep in Grand Rapids territory lead to a cross to Stephen Turnbull on the opposite sideline. Turnbull was then able to set up a perfectly placed centering ball to the midfielder Michael Shaikley who finished the play with a beautiful header to give the Mighty Oak the 1-0 lead.

Two minutes later Skaikley found himself in another goal scoring opportunity. This time with the assist, setting up Jordan Montoya for a rocked near post upper-ninety goal, to give AFC the 2-0 lead.

The remainder of the first half consisted of The Mighty Oak controlling much of the play. There were a few more opportunities for AFC that missed the net, but given the weather and natural grass field, the Mighty Oak were able to capitalize on the opportunities they had to go into halftime with a 2-0 lead.

Grand Rapids FC showed significant more pressure in the second half. Goalkeeper Mike Novotny was called upon multiple times to make key stops and each time he was up to the challenge.

The Mighty Oak defense, which has played solid all season, also came in clutch in the second half, warding off attempt after attempt at goal. In the 60’ Grand Rapids had possibly its best chance of the game with a hard shot blocked by an AFC defender and then a rebounded shot go off the post.

In the 74’ Montoya looked to double his luck with a driven shot that missed just wide of the net. In the end the two first half goals were all that AFC needed, as The Mighty Oak were able to weather the second half pressure from GRFC to take the win and remain undefeated in NPSL play.

"Overall the men played well tonight. We played high up the pitch in the first half and managed the match well after going up 2-0. Also, there were some really good individual performances which was great to see," added Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland. 

Now five games into the NPSL season The Mighty Oak have yet to concede a goal.

The victory marked the third straight win over Grand Rapids FC, and improved The Mighty Oak’s record to 4-1-0. Next, The Mighty Oak will look to travel to Grandview Heights High School to take on FC Columbus.

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs GRFC

Four matches into the 2018 National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) season and The Mighty Oak find themselves in a similar position, atop the Great Lakes Conference standings having earned 10 points (3-1-0) without conceding a single goal so far. But The Mighty Oak will face another unbeaten team in Grand Rapids FC (2-1-0), a club that Ann Arbor has deep roots with.

“We're expecting a great game. They are on a good roll in league play and we have to respect their results and prepare to play against a top team,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

The two sides both played their inaugural season in the Great Lakes Premier League back in 2015 before the two left for the NPSL prior to the 2016 season. Over the three years they’ve met 6 times with AFCAA owning the overall record at 4-2-0 after sweeping the season series last summer to break the tie.

Regardless of results from previous years, The Mighty Oak will have to shut down Grand Rapids and continue to defend as a unit if they want another clean sheet.

“Defending is a team effort. Obviously we've had some great individual efforts to keep clean sheets, but really the defending for us starts with our front 3. When they buy into a pressing mentality that spreads through the team, allows us to close spaces quickly and play with tight lines. On the training pitch we are always stressing a front to back & back to front defensive mentality that encompasses all 11 players both mentally and tactically,” said Rudland.

AFC Ann Arbor will be without captain Matt “Frenchy” Braem and the Great Lakes Conference leading goal scorer Yuri Farkas these next two weekends as both were selected (along with Hector Morales) to compete in the Confederation of Independent Football Associations (CONIFA) annual World Football Cup being held in London, England this year.

The Mighty Oak have shown their depth early on and Rudland is known to build his teams around systems rather than an individual player, so Coach and his team are well prepared for the matches that lie ahead this weekend.

The Opponent

Grand Rapids began the season the same way Ann Arbor did, on the road at Milwaukee, but only left with one point as the match ended 0-0, contrary to AFC’s 4-0 road three pointer. Since then, GRFC have won 4-0 at Indiana and most recently, 2-1 over Milwaukee (this time in Grand Rapids).

Grand Rapids will look to take control early with strength in the attack being lead by familiar names like Scott Doney or even Anthony Bowie. But keep an eye out for newcomers such as Kenroy Howell formerly with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds or even Matt Whelan, one of three players originally from Ireland on GRFC.

Match Day Experience

After the release of the 2018 Great Lakes Conference schedule, The Mighty Oak were informed by their then venue, Pioneer High School, that they’d be unable to host their matches this summer as plans to get the turf resurfaced were finally moving forward.

As AFC Ann Arbor worked diligently to find a new home for the 2018 campaign, Skyline High School emerged as the best option, outside of one conflict, June 1st. They will be hosting the local high school soccer districts Friday evening, so Ann Arbor were forced to find another location.

Having already made arrangements for their US Open Cup match at EMU, the club knew it was the next best option.

“EMU has one of the best natural grass surfaces in southeast Michigan and we are grateful for the opportunity to use their facility as our home pitch again,” added Coach Rudland.

The bleacher seating is VERY limited and reserved for premium members and elders. There will be some additional benches set up and some standing room areas but fans are encouraged to bring their own chair to the match.

The match will be kickoff at 6PM at Eastern Michigan University’s Scicluna Field. For parking, directions or more information please refer to the map below. Click here to purchase tickets. 

View fullsize

Team Sheet

Will be released Thursday evening

Equipment Drive and Special Kits To Benefit TMOYP & UVF on June 8th

When Ann Arbor hosts Milwaukee on Friday June 8th at 7PM at Skyline High School, the match will have a little extra meaning outside of three Great Lakes Conference points.

The June 8th match will be a fundraiser for both The Mighty Oak Youth Project and the Umhlaba Vision Foundation, two organizations with close ties to the club, one looking to make an impact locally and one doing significant good in South Africa.

The Mighty Oak Youth Project, the club’s non-profit cousin, was recently launched with the aim of making soccer more accessible to youth players in Washtenaw County. The organization also supports existing clubs through financial help, equipment donations and trainings. One of the primary initiatives set forth by The Mighty Oak Youth Project will be to provide travel soccer scholarships for local youth who can’t afford the opportunity to participate.

TMOYP will also host their inaugural donation drive and gather gently used and new soccer apparel and equipment to redistribute both locally and in South Africa. Bring your old (but good condition) cleats, shin pads, jerseys and more to the June 8th match to help so many who would benefit from these items.

Umhlaba Vision Foundation is the brainchild non-profit of Assistant Coach Boyzzz Khumalo and two childhood friends, who felt that it was imperative to try and create similar opportunities to earn an education through soccer, the way Boyzzz and so many of the UVF alum have done over the years.

Every year, Khumalo returns to South Africa in December to host an annual tournament, distribute gear and equipment to the local kids, and most importantly spread their message of education. He lives by the motto, “It’s up to us to uplift our community.”

AFC Ann Arbor will wear a special edition, one match only, light blue kit, featuring both TMOYP and UVF. The jerseys will be auctioned off to raise money to provide youth soccer scholarships within our community.

Fans will have a chance to make a difference both locally and globally, simply by attending the match. Club Chairman, Bilal Saeed is thrilled about this event.

“Our club exists to give back to our community and provide opportunities for soccer players and this match is going to allow us to make a huge positive impact in so many young lives,” he added.

To donate to The Mighty Oak Youth Project, click here. To get tickets to the June 8th match, click here.

Farkas, Braem, Morales to Play for Cascadia in CONIFA World Football Cup

The Confederation of Independent Football Associations hosts The World Football Cup every other year since 2014. This year marks the first time a North American team will be represented at the tournament, and three members of The Mighty Oak will be joining the Cascadia side for the 11-day event.

Yuri Farkas, Matthieu Braem and Hector Morales will be in London for the CONIFA sponsored tournament which runs from May 31st-June 10th. Although all three players will be missed from the lineup, Eric Rudland and his side have shown how deep this AFC Ann Arbor roster is, giving an opportunity for a number of guys to step up in the veterans absence.

Farkas, currently tied for most goals in the Midwest Region of the entire National Premier Soccer League will have a chance to show his talents on a global stage, an opportunity all three players couldn’t pass up.

Captain Matthieu “Frenchy” Braem said, “I’m definitely excited about this opportunity but we’ll be following the Ann Arbor matches closely on YouTube rooting on the boys. The three of us felt like this was an opportunity that might not come again so we’re looking forward to showcasing our talent and representing AFC Ann Arbor well.”

For the complete Cascadia roster, captained by former Seattle Sounder James Riley, click here.
For more information on the CONIFA tournament, visit them online at confia.org.

AFC Ann Arbor Advances to the Michigan Milk Cup Semi-Final

It was a sweltering 4th annual Memorial Day Classic, however the heat didn’t stop the Mighty Oak, who had a dominant performance against Oakland County FC, winning 2-1 (4-1 Aggregate) to advance to the Michigan Milk Cup Semi-Final.

AFC Ann Arbor took home a decisive win the first leg of the opening pairing, 2-0 at Oakland County FC on Friday, May 18. The Mighty Oak continued that dominance again in today’s victory.

At the start of the game Oakland County came out fighting, creating an early opportunity in the first five minutes with a ball that bounced off the post. The Mighty Oak responded with a few decent chances of their own by utilizing the play of the midfield wingers who had opportunities on long balls throughout the game.

Heat was a major factor in the matchup. The first water break came at the 20’ mark and a few more were to follow throughout the game. Despite the breaks fatigue had set in by the end for Oakland County FC, who couldn’t keep up with AFC Ann Arbor’s relentless attack.

Forward Alec Lasinski shot early and often the game, creating chances left and right. His first shot was a low driven attempt that ran just wide of the goal in the 24’.

Near the end of the first half Azzad (“AZ”) Liadi received a pass and made his cut into the box for a shot on goal, before he could get the shot off he was met by a hard tackle from an Oakland County defender, which warranted a penalty kick. Kyle Breitmeyer took the penalty shot with a bit of finesse to chip the ball into the goal as the Oakland County keeper dove the opposite way. AFC Ann Arbor headed into halftime with a 1-0 lead.

The second half started off by mirroring the first, with Oakland County failing to capitalize on an early chance and AFC responding and taking control of the play.

The Mighty Oak had numerous opportunities early on from Liadi, Lasinski and Breitmeyer. One of the chances that found its way to the back of the net was called offside. There would be two other disallowed goals from AFC by the game end due to players being in offside positions.

Alec Lasinski, undeterred by first no goal call in the 54’ continued to cause problems for the Oakland County back line and keeper. He was hungry for a goal. His efforts and The Mighty Oaks relentless pressure would pay off for AFC in the 60’ when Liadi was able to tap in a deep cross from a Lasinski , giving the Mighty Oak a 2-0 advantage.

In the 69’ a counter attack from Oakland County yielded a goal off a penalty kick to bring the score within one. In an attempt to make a play on the ball Martieon Waton fouled an Oakland County attacker in the box and was given a yellow. Oakland County as able to convert the resulting penalty kick attempt, despite a diving effort from Tito Yeminez.

From the 70’ mark until full time AFC Ann Arbor controlled the possession and pace of the game. It was evident that the heat was beginning to fatigue an already tired midfield and back line for Oakland County who conceded multiple attempts in the final twenty minutes.

With the result today The Mighty Oak win their first round pairing of the Michigan Milk Cup 4-1 on aggregate and advance to the semi-finals. Drawing for the next round of pairing will be soon. Visit MichiganMilkCup.com to learn more.

AFC Ann Arbor will be back in NPSL action Friday, June 1 at Eastern Michigan University's Scicluna Field to take on Grand Rapids FC at 6:00pm.

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs OCFC [Second Leg - Michigan Milk Cup]

The second leg of the Michigan Milk Cup falls on the 4th Annual Memorial Day Classic which is set to kickoff on Monday, May 28th at 3PM at Skyline High School. AFC Ann Arbor will host Oakland County FC in the second leg of the pairing, with a 2-0 lead heading into the home test.

If Ann Arbor holds on to advance, they will join Kalamazoo FC, Grand Rapids FC and Lansing United as semifinalists in the 2018 Milk Cup.

“Obviously the away goals vs home goals are always important in a two leg contest. So going into the match with a 2 goal aggregate is nice. However, we want to enter the match with the mentality that we need to win the game. Tactically we have a good handle on their system of play and personnel. Sometimes teams at our level do things different at home vs away, so we will be ready for any personnel or system changes they may enter the match with,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

In the first leg of the pairing on Friday May 18th at Clawson Stadium, The Mighty Oak took an early 1-0 lead thanks to Azaad “AZ” Liadi capitalizing on an opportunity on the right wing where his shot was hit with enough pace and placement to beat OCFC’s keeper. Jordan Montoya put Ann Arbor up 2-0 after poking home a loose ball in the box, which ended up being the final scoreless. A scoreless second half by both teams foreshadowed what Memorial Day’s matchup could be in the Battle of the Oak.

“In any competition we want to advance and have success. Advancing would mean that our players get an additional match, our fans have another opportunity to provide support and we would be one step closer to a championship Milk Cup match,” added Rudland.

Tickets for Monday’s Memorial Day Classic can be purchased online here.

For those unable to attend Monday’s match, be sure to subscribe to your YouTube channel and watch AFC Ann Arbor live.
 

The Opponent

Oakland County FC may have lost the first meeting 2-0 at home, but they are traveling to Ann Arbor with hopes of spoiling The Mighty Oak’s Memorial Day.

As the club has shown drastic growth off the pitch, OCFC has been making massive strides to do the same on the pitch. Bringing in a new coaching staff plus the addition of a club scout, was a strategic move to become more competitive in 2018. A result against Ann Arbor Monday would be the biggest testament to their investment in the sporting side of the club so you can expect the Purple to put up a massive fight come Monday.

Team Sheet

Click here for AFC Ann Arbor's match day roster vs Oakland County FC on May 28th. 

 

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Kalamazoo FC

The 2018 campaign is off to a hot start for The Mighty Oak as they’ve secured their position atop the Great Lakes Conference table just three matches in. AFC Ann Arbor has earned 9 points (out of a possible 9) posting a 3-0-0 record with defeats at Milwaukee, vs Detroit and at Indiana.

Ann Arbor will look to continue their impressive play as they travel to Kalamazoo Friday evening the fourth Great Lakes Conference match of the season for a 7PM kickoff.

Looking at the numbers, The Mighty Oak are off to a more than impressive start scoring 11 goals for and having yet to allow a single goal slip past the keeper in league play. Things have definitely been clicking both offensively and defensively, but Coach Eric Rudland and team are continuing to build chemistry and work hard day in and day out at training to fine tune their tactics.

Yuri Farkas leads the way tallying five goals in just three matches with the remaining six goals coming from six different scorers. This diversity in The Mighty Oak attack has kept defenders guessing where the attack will come from with wingers JP Rylah, Kyle Breitmeyer, Azaad Liadi and Chris Odhiambo all posing a serious threat for opposing defenses.

Ann Arbor’s defense has matched, if not exceeded, the offensive production of the team. Captain Matthieu “Frenchy” Braem anchors the backline with support from one of the early standouts of the season, Stanley Okumu. The Kenyan center back has shown his ability to make big plays, drop long balls to wingers feet in stride and absolutely shut down any attack coming his way.

"We talk about defending as a unit, all 11 players. So our back line and our goalkeeper have been very good for us thus far, but clean sheets really come down to a collective team effort. We’re picking good pressing moments, we’re playing with the Highline and we’re on our front foot to regain possession as quickly as possible. Our Player’s have clear indications that this is an expectation in the way that we want to play," said Head Coach Eric Rudland. 

The depth this roster has shown early should definitely worry other teams, with twenty-four players having appeared for Ann Arbor in NPSL play through three matches. With Henry Ramirez, Marc Ybarra, Caio, Jake Rosen and Michael Shaikly all putting in solid shift in the middle of the pitch, and Mike Novotny and Hunter Morse both earning clean sheets, Ann Arbor have proven their system strong being able to use so many different players so early. All great signs for The Mighty Oak.

"We believe that we have a deep roster and good positional balance, which allows us to create a rotation of players. We’re always looking at ways to keep our men sharp and performing at their maximum capacity. So with the double weekend this weekend and the following two weekends, three weekends in a row, we’re going to have to continue to rotate players to keep them fresh and sharp," added Rudland. 

Although AFC have shown many signs of brilliance early this season, any road league match is a test for the visiting side. Ann Arbor will look to steal another three points and return from Mayors Riverfront Stadium back home ready to take on Oakland County FC in the second leg of the Michigan Milk Cup on Memorial Day.

The Opponent

Kalamazoo will put up an incredible fight Friday night as they have yet to get one result against Ann Arbor in 4 tries (over 2 seasons). On top of that, a draw will keep them unbeaten in league play three matches in, something the Kalamazoo side has never done.

This past Sunday, they hosted an improved and complete Milwaukee side and went down 2-0 before storming back to tie things up and secure their fourth point of the season. Janum Sailor and Paul Liagre lead the attack for Kalamazoo who have a goal differential of plus four coming into Friday’s matchup.

“Kalamazoo has been on a run of good results. We prepare for them just as we do every other opponent. We respect them for the qualities they have, and their previous results. Also they  Will be at home, which we have to respect as well. With that said our focus has been primarily on what we need to do to get a result. How we want to play with and without the ball, and making sure that we’re working hard to get our game plan right for the match.  Our players have responded well in training this week, so we are looking forward to the away challenge tomorrow night,” said Rudland.

Note: The match will not be streamed so follow along on Twitter for updates or make the trip to Kalamazoo and join the growing traveling supporters of The Mighty Oak. Get tickets here. 

Team Sheet

Click here for the match day roster vs Kalamazoo FC 

Record Setting Outing for The Mighty Oak in 6-0 Win Over FC Indiana

The Mighty Oak traveled to Lafayette Sunday afternoon to take on FC Indiana. The third National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) match of the season for Ann Arbor faired in their favor as they earned a 6-0 result to move to 9 points and hold their position atop the Great Lakes Conference table.

Rudland and his team knew going in, with the shorter pitch and natural grass surface, exactly how they wanted to attack and they executed that plan well. Early opportunities came beginning in just the first minute when Henry Ramirez (played with FC Indiana last year) carried the ball to the touchline before cutting it back and finding Yuri Farkas open at the top of the box. Farkas rifled a shot on net only to be met by FC Indiana’s keeper.

"Today was a good team performance. At the end of the day it's about picking up points on the road. Clean sheets are always a fundamental goal for us, so to make that precedent so far in league play is good for our men," said Head Coach & Sporting Director, Eric Rudland. 

Although Farkas was unable to convert the first attempt of the match, the rest of the day marked a magical outing for the Brazilian. He opened up the scoring for AFC Ann Arbor when JP Rylah's rocket of a shot, that was somehow saved, began bouncing around in the box and Farkas was first to it hitting it with his left foot for the first goal of the match.

Farkas wasted no time for his second goal, as Chris Odhimabo beat the right back down the sideline before cutting in and finding Yuri at the top of the box to put AFC up 2-0 just one minute later. From there, The Mighty Oak pressed on and kept the ball in the final third for a good portion of the match creating numerous opportunities. 

The first four goals all came compliments of Yuri Farkas, who set an individual club record for most goals in a match. His first three goals came from run of play with the fourth from the penalty spot as he calmly converted after being taken down in the box. Farkas scored in the 14’, 15’, 50’ and 55’ minute of action to earn his club record. His outing was purely clinical, but he has his teammates to thank for helping create so many quality chances on the afternoon.

"Yuri took his chances well today no doubt, but a lot of the praise goes to the players around him as well. He had some superb set ups for each finish," added Rudland. 

Michael Shaikly scored his first goal for The Mighty Oak in the 65’ minute when he firmly stuck a rebound just inside the eighteen in the back of the net.

Alec Lasinski finished up the scoring for Ann Arbor on the afternoon when his defensive efforts on the press paid off and he was able to steal the ball from the defender and put his shot just out of the reach of the keeper for a 6-0 scoreline.

Defensively, AFCAA saw three of the four starting backline complete a full 90 minute shift to earn the club’s third clean sheet of the season, as they have yet to allow a single goal in three matches. Mike Novatany (GK) didn’t see much action on the day but was strong when called upon and was key to helping the men keep their shape and focus all match.

It was a historic day for the club on the pitch, setting three club records and tieing one:

-Most goals in a match (Team Record; previously set on June 2, 2017 at Michigan Stars 5-0)

-Largest margin of victory (Team Record; previously set on June 2, 2017 at Michigan Stars 5-0)

-Consecutive clean sheets: 3 [TIE] (Team Record; previously 3 set 5/14-5/21/17)

-Most goals in a match: Yuri Farkas- 4  (Individual Record; previously 3 - set by Kyle Breitmeyer at 2015 USASA Amateur Cup Region II Tournament)

Association Football Club is off to a great start in Great Lakes Conference play and sit atop the table with a 3-0-0 record with a plus eleven goal differential. Their next match will be on the road, as they travel to Kalamazoo, Friday May 25th for a 7PM kick.

The Mighty Oak's next home match will be Monday, May 28th for the 4th Annual Memorial Day Classic. Ann Arbor will host Oakland County FC for the second leg of the Michigan Milk Cup at Skyline HS for a 3PM kick. Get your tickets here. 

"It's another busy week ahead for the club. Tomorrow will be an off day for everyone, which will be welcome as reset our engines. Then back in for training Tuesday to amp back up in our preparations for Friday. We will be evaluating individual performances from this weekend and review our scouting reports for our upcoming opponents. That will help us plan out our training and personnel decisions," added Rudland. 

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs FC Indiana

The third season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) Great Lakes Conference is off to another great start for AFC Ann Arbor as they enter their third league match of the season this Sunday at FC Indiana. Although it is very early in the campaign, Ann Arbor are top of the table in the Great Lakes with 6 points (2-0-0). Sunday will be a great chance to pick up 3 more points for Eric Rudland and team as they complete the first double-match weekend of the season.

Coach Rudland is pleased with the effort of his men so far but continues to stay the course in terms of his approach to each match.

“Everything right now, and always, is about moving forward. So we want to build off our NPSL match outing last weekend. There were some bright spots in our last performance and plenty of things we need to improve on. We've been working in training to make progress tactically and getting players into the right spots in the team system. It's a work in progress so Sunday will be another very important step in that process,” said Rudland.

Midfielder Henry Ramirez, new to Ann Arbor for 2018, will be facing his former club, a side he is very familiar with as he lead them through their inaugural NPSL season. Henry, along with a handful of other players, arrived to training less than two weeks ago, so each training session has been an opportunity to create more chemistry between the players.

Expect to see a similar lineup to Sunday’s match vs Detroit City FC with some small potential changes.

“Sunday we expect to make a few changes personnel wise to the team who played this past week. Some changes will be make by default due to player availability and other changes will be tactical,” commented Rudland.

Ann Arbor is two matches into Great Lakes Conference play and have yet to concede a goal. The defensive efforts have been an all around team effort and the depth The Mighty Oak have in the backline should equate to continued success in stopping other teams from scoring.

The match is set for a 2PM kick (EST) and will be live streamed from FC Indiana's Facebook Page. 

The Opponent

FC Indiana are also playing a double match weekend having lost to Grand Rapids FC Friday Night, 0-4. This may cause some heavy legs for the men in red Sunday as the club is expected to play a similar roster to the one that dressed on Friday.

FC Indiana were new to the conference (and league) in 2017, so The Mighty Oak have only played the Lafayette based side twice, each of which resulted in 3 points for Ann Arbor. They can tell you one thing that stands out about the Lions home pitch. It’s short. Very short.

Knowing this going into Sunday has allowed Coach Rudland and team prepare accordingly, having spent some time in training this week addressing the adjustments that need to be made because of the lack of length.

“The pitch is very short. It changed our tactical approach last year both with and without the ball and we expect the same to be true this year. Every match is about exposing space and the opponents weaknesses so we have to look at the available pockets we have to play in, which always differ per game, and pin-point where we can have success with the ball,” added Rudland.

On top of the size, The Mighty Oak will be back on a natural grass surface tomorrow. When Rudland was asked about the back and forth between grass and turf he said, “The continual surface change actually is tough on players. We're not making excuses because we must acclimate, but turf and grass are miles apart in how they play. The pre match warm-up is critical in that players get comfortable on the surface..gauging the weight of their pass, the texture of balls flighted, and the distance of first touches. We also try to train the day before each match on a similar surface to help prepare the players both technically and mentally. For instance, this Saturday we will try to train on natural grass in preparation for Sunday. In a perfect world we would always train and play on a well manicured natural surface, but this is not the reality to football at our level so we must accommodate and remain flexible.”

Team Sheet

Click here for roster vs FC Indiana

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs OCFC [Michigan Milk Cup First Round]

The Mighty Oak return to action this Friday for the first of a two leg matchup with Oakland County FC in the Michigan Milk Cup first round pairing. Ann Arbor will travel to Clawson for the 7PM kick before returning to NPSL action at FC Indiana on Sunday.

AFC looks to defend their 2017 Michigan Milk Cup title but with the tournament’s revised format, they’ll have to get past OCFC first.

The tournament consists of 8 Michigan Men’s team competing in varying leagues including the Premier Development League (PDL; affiliated with USL), National Premier Soccer League (NPSL; AFCAA’s league), Michigan Premier Soccer League (Made up of men’s regional amateur clubs) and the United Premier Soccer League (UPSL).

After being split up into two pots and paired at random, the Battle of the Oak was set for Ann Arbor’s first road match against Oakland since the inaugural season in 2015 (when the two were leaguemates in the league formerly known as the Great Lakes Premier League aka GLPL).

“The Milk Cup is a unique competition meshing multiple levels of football here in Michigan. I think there is a positive buzz about the Cup and we are happy to be a part of the competition for the second year,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

Each pairing then plays a two-leg matchup with each team hosting a home match. The aggregate score of the two matches decides the winner who will move on to the semifinals knock-out round (Lansing United has already advanced after defeating Livonia City FC 9-1 in aggregate).  

The biggest challenge with competitions outside of league play always falls on the manager. The responsibility of balancing the importance of defending the club’s title while also remaining focused on Great Lakes Conference play in the NPSL.

“The Milk Cup match comes at an opportune time after being knocked out of the US Open Cup last week. This match, being outside of league play, allows us flexibility to look at the depth of our team in multiple positions. It also provides a real environment for some of our men to build up their match fitness levels and show what type of impact they can make with our club this season,” said Rudland.

Add in the fact that this weekend’s two matches are less than 48 hours apart (Friday at 7PM and Sunday at 2PM) will mean Rudland will utilize the depth of roster introducing some new members of The Mighty Oak.

“We will feature a lot of new players who will be making their debut appearance for us. It's going to be exciting for the club and for each individual player,” added Rudland.

Some familiar faces will also take the pitch Friday night including 3rd year member of The Mighty Oak and Ann Arbor native, Alec Lasinski, who has made brief, but impactful appearances in both NPSL wins for Ann Arbor this season. This past Sunday, he drew the foul that set up the free kick for the game winner in stoppage time.

Other familiar faces include Azaad “AZ” Liadi, a Saginaw Valley State University winger, who made a huge impact in Ann Arbor’s thrilling 2-1 victory in the preseason friendly against Force FC.

Another Ann Arbor native, Kenny Vasquez will feature this Friday as well, after appearances in all of the preseason friendlies.
 

The Opponent

The Battle of the Oak has a rich history for only beginning in 2015, the year both clubs were founded (and members of the GLPL). The two sides have faced each other four times with Ann Arbor’s only loss coming in Rudland’s debut for the club in the 2016 preseason friendly home opener.

Oakland County have never been an easy match for The Mighty Oak and Friday should prove to be the same as the two clubs are both hopeful to advance to the Milk Cup semifinals.

New for OCFC in 2018 is an expanded staff as former Coach, Nicolino Marana, wears a new hat, now serving as the club’s Technical Director while welcoming new Head Coach Darryl Evans.

“Expecting a hard-nosed battle - with a revamped roster and coaching staff, the intensity of the match feel a little amplified, at least on our end anyways, especially against a team that is one, if not the, premier club in the state, talent-wise.  Overall, I think it'll be a fun matchup that fans of all sorts can enjoy as a good breadth of talent will be on display,” said Morana in response to being asked what fans can expect for Friday’s match.

Launching a supporters trust in 2018 is just another step forward for the OCFC’s front office, one that has continued to grow the organization a great deal in just three short years. Being a first year competitor in the Michigan Milk Cup, this match is meaningful for the young club. .

“It's little stepping stones like these matches that will help us grow as a household name in the semi-professional scene. Our off the field product has been pretty good, it's the on the field that needs to equal it - I feel as though this is the year we make that stride,” added Morana.
 

Ticket Info

To purchase tickets for Friday’s match against Oakland County FC in Clawson, MI click here.

To purchase tickets for the second leg against OCFC in Ann Arbor on May 28th, click here.

Stream

Oakland County FC will be streaming Friday's match online at golivesportscast.com. 

Late Heroics Give Ann Arbor 1-0 Win Over Detroit

Association Football Club Ann Arbor’s home opener against rival Detroit City FC at Skyline High School didn’t disappoint. Martieon Watson headed a free kick from Jake Rosen in stoppage time to win the game, 1-0.

Last season, AFC Ann Arbor and Detroit City FC finished one and two in the final National Premier Soccer League’s (NPSL) Great Lakes Conference standings. This was the sixth meeting between both teams over the past two seasons, who are now quite familiar with the level of competition expected of these matchups. The Mighty Oak now holds the advantage in the series 3-2-1.

The Mighty Oak came out in a 4-3-3 formation to start in the first match at their new home, Skyline High School. In the early minutes Detroit City FC held much of the possession, with the one exception of Yuri Farkas’ chance off a counter that rolled just wide of the far post in the 4’ minute mark.

Both teams played conservatively through much of the first half with limited chances and most of the play being around midfield. AFC Ann Arbor’s back line, Breno Stapcinskas, and Joseph Okumu stopped most of the advances that Detroit had. It was evident that both teams matched up well.

At the 39’ minute of the game, the Mighty Oak had their best chance of the first half. Jp Rylah dummied the ball off a pass to let it roll past and onto the foot of Yuri Farkas making a run down the sideline. After a few one-two touches by the Mighty Oak, midfielder Michael Shaikly got the ball in the six yard box, finished with an off balance shot that curved just outside of the near corner.

The second half started out much like the first with Detroit City FC holding most of the possession early. As the second half progressed, it was evident that AFC Ann Arbor and Detroit City FC both came out of half time with a new sense of urgency to get the first goal.

Mike Novotny made numerous key saves in the second half to keep the game scoreless. In the 52’ minute, he made a kick save and was then called upon again for a series of saves between the 57’ and 59’ minute.

It was then in the 69’ minute that Mike Novotny was in need of assistance after being caught out of position high in the keepers box. That assistance came from Joseph Okumu who made a critical clear on a chip shot that was destined for the back of the net after going over the head of Mike Novotny.

Novotny wasn’t done yet though, in the 75’ minute Novotny made his biggest save of the game off a Detroit City FC free kick that found its way onto an attackers foot inside the 18. Novotny made himself as big as possible and stuffed the attempt on goal.

Much of the last twenty minutes were filled with chances from both teams. It was in stoppage time however that AFC Ann Arbor was able to capitalize. A free kick, on a foul of sub Alex Lasinski, deep in Detroit City territory Jake Rosen was able to provide Martieon "Moco" Watson with a perfectly placed ball curling towards the goal that Watson was able to head in for the winning goal.

The Mighty Oak persisted for the full 90 minutes and their efforts paid off, earning a very hard fought three points against their rival and starting the NPSL season with back-to-back victories.

The Mighty Oak return to action with two away contests next weekend. First, they'll travel to Oakland County for the first leg of the Michigan Milk Cup before heading to Indiana on Sunday to resume NPSL play against FC Indiana. 

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Detroit City FC

Association Football Club Ann Arbor hosts Detroit City FC this Sunday at Skyline High School at 3PM for the club’s National Premier Soccer League home opener. The Mighty Oak kicked off their 2018 campaign last Saturday with a 4-0 win over Milwaukee.

Sunday’s matchup against Detroit City FC will mark the first home league match for AFC Ann Arbor played somewhere other than Pioneer High School. The move to Skyline was a result of Pioneer anticipating getting their turf resurfaced this summer and was announced in January.

Although the two clubs have only played five times over the past two seasons, the intensity of this match looks as if the two organizations share a storied past. The series knotted at 2-2-1, was evened up when DCFC won the NPSL Midwest Region Final in stoppage time, 3-2 to end The Mighty Oak’s 2018 playoff run.

Having won both regular season matches against Detroit in 2017 (2-0 home and 3-1 away) and the Great Lakes Conference Championship, The Mighty Oak know how impactful picking up three points on Sunday could be.

“Ann Arbor vs Detroit is always a great match. They are organized and have a core of players who have been together for a number of years. They may rotate some players based on the fact that they have another mid-week Open Cup match next week or they may start a similar line-up in an effort to keep their momentum. Defensively we have to pick good pressing moments, play on the front foot and stay compact. In the attack we have to find ways to build through the 1/3's and not give away the ball cheaply. At the end of the day we just want to see progress with our group so we can take the next step forward,” said Head Coach & Sporting Director Eric Rudland.

Tactically, AFCAA have had to make some early season adjustments based on personnel and opponents, but Sunday will see a form traditional formation that fans are used to seeing.

Fans can also expect to see some changes to the lineup with some new players potentially seeing the pitch for the first time as a member of The Mighty Oak.

Rudland added, “We have some new players who have been with us for a few days of training who are knocking on the door to break in, so we are looking at making a few changes in the first 11. We adopted a new system over the course of last two matches, however we feel comfortable in our traditional style and system fo play as well. So we will look at our available personnel and make a decision in regards to what system of play best matches our players and the opponent.

“We are excited to kick off our home NPSL campaign on Sunday at Skyline. The venue is great and fits our club nicely. I think the surface and size of the pitch are pretty similar to Pioneer so we should settle in well,” said Rudland.

The Opponent

Detroit City is coming off a historic week as the side hosted and won (in dramatic fashion) their first US Open Cup at Keyworth Stadium. Their second USOC win over the Michigan Bucks is a testimonial to DCFC’s commitment to improve their sporting side of the club.

Last seasons addition of Klaas de Boer helped the club identify stronger talent and raise the bar enough to help them earn the Midwest Region Championship.

This season, Cale Wassermann returns to the sideline as Associate Head Coach, in a role that will help the club continue down the path of being more competitive. Wassermann and Pirmann are both assistant coaches at Michigan State and the two have a great track record of working together.

Sunday’s contest will be a true challenge for Ann Arbor as two of the best sides in the region meet for the 6th time ever.

AFCAA LIVE 

Subscribe to The Mighty Oak's YouTube channel and watch all of the AFC Ann Arbor matches live with Michael Kroodsma on the call. 

Match Day Experience

After the April 15th friendly against Carpathia was cancelled due to ice on the field, The Mighty Oak are eager to open up play at their 2018 home venue.

The Main Street Hooligans and other fans will be gathering at HOMES Brewery for pre-match festivities beginning at 1PM. Gates open at 2PM for the 3PM kickoff.  

With Sunday being Mother’s Day, we’ll also have some special giveaways just for Moms!

Ray’s Red Hots and Iorio’s will be on hand, while Skyline High School boosters will be running concessions raising money for the high school’s athletic department.

Our official youth club partner on Sunday will be Michigan Tigers FC. All Tigers players wearing their jersey will get in free.

TICKET INFO

Online Tickets- Adults $8 / Youth $5 (Ages 4-12) *Available until Noon on Sunday

At the Gate- Adults $10 / Youth $6  *Kids 1,2 and 3 are FREE

Memberships (Season Tickets)

Flex Plans

Golden Limousine Match Preview: AFC Ann Arbor vs Ocean City Nor'easters [US Open Cup First Round]

View fullsize

Association Football Club Ann Arbor officially kicked off their 2018 National Premier Soccer League campaign this past Saturday at Milwaukee, earning three points on the road with a 4-0 result over the Torrent.

The first of three matches in eight days went well but focus quickly shifted to preparing for the US Open Cup First Round opponent, Ocean City Nor’easters, who will travel to Michigan for Wednesday’s match at EMU’s Scicluna Field at 6PM.

Ann Arbor Head Coach & Sporting Director, Eric Rudland, knows better than anyone just how big this match is for the club.

View fullsize

“US Open Cup is a great platform for the club to gain recognition and for our individual players. Hosting it in our own backyard and squaring off against a top PDL side is a great opportunity that we don't take lightly. We collectively want to win the first game so we can push on to face a USL side in the second round,” he said.

Wednesday’s contest is set for 6PM at Eastern Michigan University’s Scicluna Field (see match experience details below for more info), which marks the first time The Mighty Oak have hosted a match in Ypsilanti.

“We do a lot of outreach in Ypsi and have a ton of relationships in the community including one of our favorites in the Bishop Elementary Spanish immersion program. I live down the street, graduated from EMU and care a great deal about this community so being able to play such an important match for our club at a place I love so much is extra special for me personally. And you won’t find a better natural grass surface available for rent in all of Washtenaw County so we’re grateful to Coach Scott Hall and the EMU Women’s Soccer Program to welcome us with open arms to host this match at their home pitch,” said AFC Ann Arbor Chairman, Bilal Saeed.

“Eric and his staff have done an amazing job of building a winning culture over the past couple of seasons and the players have worked hard to earn us a spot in a tournament that means so much to this sport in the US so we’re all looking forward to Wednesday to say the least,” added Saeed.

[WATCH From US Soccer]: Roots All Over The World- AFCAA Family

The Opponent

A first time opponent for The Mighty Oak, Ocean City are a team who have found some success. The PDL side known as the Nor’easters, made it to their league’s national semifinals in 2016 and they’re also no stranger to the US Open Cup. In 2017, the Nor’easters advanced to the second round before losing in PKs to Penn FC (formerly known as Harrisburg City Islanders).  

If there’s one thing the two clubs have in common, it may be in the make up of the roster. Ann Arbor’s features over half of its roster from overseas from twelve different countries while the Nor’easters are about the same in terms of domestic vs international but have players from thirteen different countries. One thing is certain: the world’s game will be well represented in Ypsilanti on Wednesday evening.

Rudland commented on the opponent adding, “They are a worthy opponent no doubt. With that said we prepare for Ocean City just like any other opponent. Our scouting department is putting together as thorough of a report as possible. Obviously they don't have a lot to go off this season yet, but we can look to matches they've played in the past and build a framework of what they might look like. Also, we can look at the individual players they have on their roster, their tendencies, weaknesses, etc from their fall college seasons. So we are going through that information to make sure both our staff and players are educated to the best of our ability. And at the end of day we know we need to be tactically flexible to find solutions during the match and display a greater desire mentally during the match to succeed. Most Open Cup matches come down to those two factors.”

TICKET INFO

Tickets- Adults $10 / Youth $6 (Ages 4-12) 

*Kids 1,2 and 3 are FREE. Fans are encouraged to purchased tickets in advance online as capacity is limited at EMU. 

Match Experience

Bleacher seating is VERY limited and will be reserved for members, who will also need to purchase individual match tickets for Wednesday’s match, as all memberships do not include the US Open Cup admission. (Don’t forget to bring your membership card with you still)

Don’t forget fans, bring your own chair or blanket to sit on if you have it. The Main Street Hooligans will be posted up on “Hill 1” with additional standing room on Hill 2. The intimate setting for Wednesday’s match will be a great experience for those in attendance. For those that can’t be sure to tune into the stream and watch the match live.

See the map below for parking info and details.

View fullsize

AFCAA LIVE

The match will be streamed by the AFC Ann Arbor media lead by Michael Kroodsma on the call available here at ussoccer.com.

Team Sheet

The official team sheet will be released on match day, Wednesday, May 9th.
Rudland gave some insight on what to expect personnel wise saying, “We have a few changes forecasted for Wednesday, but we will ultimately make decisions after our training session early this week. We need to see which players are fit for 90 minutes as you are only allowed 3 changes in Open Cup. Also we have some new players coming into the team this week that we want to evaluate in our team training environment and gauge their ability to break in. We feel good about two systems of play at the moment, so we will be working towards solidifying our system of play on the training pitch as well.”