September 29, 2024 – United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Detroit City FC News Release
Detroit City FC takes on Monterey Bay FC
(Detroit City FC)
Seaside, CA – Detroit City FC claims another crucial three points as the Push to the Playoffs continues with a 2-0 road victory over Monterey Bay FC. Ben Morris’s goal in the 37th minute would give DCFC the lead right before the half, and Connor Rutz’s goal off of a corner in the 86th minute would seal the game.
Head coach Danny Dichio would make only one change to the starting XI. Nate Steinwascher would return to the goalkeeper position, as the rotation between himself and Carlos Saldaña would continue.
It was a struggle for Detroit City starting off in Seaside, as Monterey controlled the possession throughout the first fifteen minutes. Detroit couldn’t get any possession flowing into the attacking third and couldn’t break the attacking press Monterey was putting up.
Once Detroit broke the Bay’s control of possession, everything started falling into place for Le Rouge. In the 24th minute, a corner kick was driven into the box by Detroit City and headed by Michael Bryant, but his shot went straight into the keeper’s gloves.
Abdoulaye Diop picked up the first yellow card of the night in the 30th minute for a foul in the midfield.
A brilliant buildup in the midfield in the 37th minute leads to Ben Morris receiving a great cross from Connor Rutz, and Morris takes a shot from just over 25 yards out, and it finds the inside of the far post, giving Detroit the lead just before the half. For Morris, it would be his eighth goal of the season, his first since scoring against Hartford Athletic in late August.
Coming out of the halftime break, Monterey Bay controlled possession in a similar way to the first half. Nate Steinwasher would be called to action, as a shot from the top of the box in the 52nd minute was destined for the bottom corner, but a diving save by Steinwasher kept the game at 1-0 for Detroit.
Morris came close to a second in the 59th minute as he took a shot from just outside of the box and barely missed the near post.
As the second half progressed, both sides settled in the midfield and struggled to get much going in the attacking third.
Detroit would be forced into their first change in the 76th minute, as Abdoulaye Diop exited with an injury, and Ryan Williams came on to replace him.
Off of a brilliant corner from Villanueva in the 86th minute, Connor Rutz doubled DCFC’s lead, as the ball fell kindly to…