Memphis 901 FC share a point with Detroit City, displaying resilience on the road

Intensity is expected to be brought every time Detroit City and Memphis 901 share the pitch, as there has been a building rivalry bolstered by last year’s playoff matchup. The latest duel between the two Eastern conference foes on Saturday exceeded this assumption, as there was an added level of chippiness with playoff implications on the line.

Memphis 901 FC are seeking a top four seed and the reward of hosting a first-round game, while Detroit are fighting for their postseason lives after recently vaulting into the eight seed.

The importance of the game was felt the most in the midfield with extended possession hard to come by. There was no sustained success for either team in the final third during most of the first half. Stoppages came often with a combined 15 fouls in the first half and three yellow cards given. 

At the half-hour mark, the home side started to find momentum and string chances together. Memphis avoided conceding with a long ball over the top targeting Ben Morris, but did give up a corner. Detroit would take advantage with a perfectly placed cross towards the back post, finding Devon Amoo-Mensah who was the first to rise and head the ball into the back of the net.

Detroit did not sit back and try to survive against one of the best attacks in the Championship. They fed off the home atmosphere and balanced aggression and defending against the counter well. Even as the game ticked on, the two sides were fairly even in possession and shot total.

The cagey style of play started to shift in the second half as opportunities started to come in waves. Memphis had two threatening moments involving Bruno Lapa — a through ball past the back line of Detroit that rolled just a bit too far and a header from Lapa that he was unable to keep down. 901 FC also accumulated several free kicks as Detroit struggled to defend without fouling.

Memphis was starting to look like the better, more disciplined side but needed an extra boost to break the Detroit defense. In the 71st minute, Stephen Glass would make his first substitution of the night, bringing on Rashawn Dally for Lapa.

Twenty-two seconds after taking his first steps onto the pitch, Dally deflected a pass from a Detroit center back and passed it to Jeremy Kelly after dribbling downfield. Kelly crossed it to Luiz Fernando with plenty of space in front of goal. After settling the ball, Fernando fired a left-footed shot past three Detroit defenders in their futile attempt to deflect the ball. The goalkeeper had no chance as it was nestled into the left-corner out of reach.

Dally would continue to have an impact in the back-and-forth final minutes but both teams would have to settle for a draw.

Memphis 901 FC will now have three straight home games after surviving the lengthy road trip, the first on Wednesday, September 6th at 7:00pm against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. 

Photo Credit: D’Angelo Connell Photography