The Official Store of Lansing Common FC
At Lansing Common FC we couldn’t be more excited about the future. Headed into 2023 we have big plans and even bigger dreams, and can’t wait to share some of them with you. But before we move forward, we wanted to take a moment to look back on a great 2022.
Lansing Common announced today that it has hired Brent Sorg as Head Coach for the 2023 season. Sorg was named interim Head Coach in July, leading Common to wins in three of their last four league matches and a second-place finish in the Midwest Premier League in 2022.
“As Lansing Common enters year three, our commitment to the cause and purpose grows stronger,” said Sorg. “We will be laser-focused on winning a championship while representing the members of the Greater Lansing Community. I am beyond excited and humbled to lead the charge, and look forward to the challenges ahead.”
We’re thrilled to have Brent as our head coach and excited by his passion for helping us continue to build on what we’ve started as Lansing’s community club. Coach Sorg is committed to this club and community, and we’re confident he can help us take the next step in our growth on and off the field.
Sorg brings a wealth of experience to his new position, including stints as an assistant coach at Spring Arbor University and Alma College, and 12 years as Head Coach at Williamston High School where his teams were 7-time district champions and 3-time state finalists. Sorg was named Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2014. He served as an assistant coach for Lansing Common in 2021 and 2022 before being named interim head coach midway through the 2022 season.
Lansing Common competes in the Midwest Premier League, where it finished second in 2021 and 2022. Memberships for the 2023 season, which kicks off in May, are now available at lansingcommonfc.com/memberships.
Lansing Common Football Club seeks a new Head Coach, a challenging opportunity that offers the right individual an opportunity to elevate themselves, their players, and others, and to be the face and head of on-field operations for an ambitious, community-driven organization.
The right individual will be thoughtful, generous, organized, a good listener, interested in working with the Lansing area community, and a strong believer in our club’s values and ideals. They will report to the members and member-elected board who run the club and be expected to run a pre-professional soccer club for the twelve-week Midwest Premier League season while participating in activities that enrich and improve our community of Lansing twelve months out of the year.
Interested candidates should email president@lansingcommonfc.com for more information.
We are a 501c3 non-profit built and run by supporters. We’re led by a volunteer board and our goal is to use this club to support soccer at all levels in the Lansing community and showcase local talent.
This weekend, Lansing Common FC has a chance to win the Midwest Premier League’s Eastern Conference title after jumping up to first place in the standings. Players and fans alike are anxiously waiting for Saturday’s showdown against second-place Inter Detroit at Eastern Stadium.
A win would see the Robins lift their first-ever trophy in front of their home fans in just their second season as an organization.
However, a win for Inter Detroit would give them an insurmountable point total that would see them take the trophy home. Should the game end in a draw, Inter would trail Lansing by two points and the result of their game against Michigan Stars U23s the following day would decide the title.
The stage was set for this pivotal showdown after the Robins navigated a turbulent start to their month of July.
Lansing Common began their final month of play at Eastern Stadium with a Grand River Open Cup clash against familiar foe Tulip City United SC on July 1. The Robins were led into the match by player-coach Julian Birge, who temporarily assumed coaching duties after the sudden departure of head coach Josh Oakley earlier in the week.
Birge rotated the roster for that Cup game and gave minutes to several players who had received little game action up to that point in the season. The Robins battled against a Tulip City team that would not break down easily. The game ended as a 0-1 defeat due to a late Tulip City goal scored in the 90th minute. It was Lansing’s second straight loss at home and solidified a third-place finish in Group A of the Grand River Open Cup.
Assistant coach Brent Sorg took over interim head coaching duties and led the Robins back to their winning ways in a Midwest Premier League weekend doubleheader. They earned all six points from back-to-back games against Livonia City and BiH Grand Rapids.
The following week, Lansing was again faced with another weekend doubleheader. However, this weekend split would take the team on the road for both games with a valuable experience to be had and valuable points on the line. The Robins would first take a six-hour trip to Wisconsin to take on Milwaukee Torrent in the NISA Independent Cup. With both teams having already been eliminated from the competition, the match was an opportunity for more players to get minutes heading into the final few weeks of the season. With a squad that had several players out of their regular positions, the Robins suffered a 4-0 loss on the other side of Lake Michigan.
In that weekend’s finale, Lansing would head to Washington, MI to face the Michigan Stars U23s in a game with title implications. The Robins needed a win to overtake Inter Detroit for first place in the Eastern Conference after Inter failed to pick up a point in their 3-1 loss to Cedars FC the night before. The Robins battled back after going down 1-0 early on to pull even with a Landon Hungerford goal in the 31st minute to send the two teams into the break tied 1-1.
After a heroic 12-save performance by Ethan Brandt in goal, the Robins would turn to their talisman, Guershom Sylvain, who went on a patented solo run past a few Stars defenders and calmly slotted the ball just inside the far post to give Lansing a 2-1 lead that they would see through to the final whistle.
The win over Stars put the Robins on top of the table for the first time this season and set up this weekend’s showdown against Inter Detroit with the Eastern Conference title on the line.
All eyes will be on Saturday’s matchup at Eastern Stadium when the Robins give it their all in the final game of their roller-coaster season. Tickets are available online or at the gate.
Our 2022 Charity Jersey auction is live!
At Lansing Common FC we use our platform provided by soccer to celebrate and support efforts to lift up our Lansing community. That’s why we’re excited that our 2022 charity jersey auction will raise money to support of The Refugee Development Center and Care Free Medical.
These special edition jerseys feature community partners Refugee Development Center and Care Free Medical, two organizations that are doing phenomenal work building a thriving community in the Lansing area.
To help support the work of RDC and Care Free Medical, we’re auctioning off game-worn charity jerseys, which will be worn for a second time on Saturday, July 23 at 6pm as we take on Inter Detroit for the Midwest Premier League title. All proceeds from the jersey auction will be donated to these two organizations.
The auction is currently live, and will close on Sunday, July 24 at 6pm and jerseys will be shipped to the winning bidder.
Non-game worn jerseys are also available for purchase in adult and youth sizes, with all proceeds being donated to these two organizations.
Check out the videos below to learn more about the work of RDC and Care Free Medical.
Lansing Common FC opened its two-game Midwest Premier League weekend with a resilient victory in the “LCFC” derby, dispatching Livonia City FC on the road 2-0. In a game where the Robins needed all three points to continue chasing Eastern Conference leaders Inter Detroit, it was the stellar play from the backline that aided Lansing’s ability to earn a win over a slumping Livonia side.
Lansing started out the better of the two teams in the first half, quickly amassing multiple set piece opportunities within the first half-hour. The Robins were unable to put any of their high-quality chances past the Livonia keeper and the match went into halftime tied at 0-0.
After head coach Brent Sorg made some adjustments to Lansing’s front six, the Robins were able to break the deadlock. In the 68th minute, Livonia committed a foul inside the penalty area and the referee immediately pointed toward the penalty spot. After numerous Livonia defenders pleaded with the center official about a possible offside call by the linesman, the penalty was confirmed and Lansing midfielder Munir Sherali stepped up and slotted the ball into the back of the net for the game’s first goal.
The substitutes would play a key role in doubling Lansing’s lead just a few minutes later. In the 76th minute, forward Jack Voight, who came on for Ramzi Shaheen, had the ball fall to his feet inside the penalty area that he fired into the side netting of the goal, putting the Robins firmly in control for the remainder of the match.
Lansing would hang on for the final 15 minutes of play with their backline preventing Livonia from having any high-quality chances throughout the match. Goalkeeper Ethan Brandt registered a clean sheet without having to make a save which kept him tied for the single-season saves record with former Lansing goalkeeper Zac Kelly.
Seemingly unaffected by a quick two-day turnaround from Friday’s derby against Livonia, Lansing Common collected another three points with an impressive 4-1 home victory over BiH Grand Rapids Sunday night.
“I thought we were prepared but it wasn’t our best showing,” said Sorg. “But at the end of the day, to come away with three points is three points. It wasn’t our best but we found a way and credit to the boys for that.”
The Robins scored by committee, with four different players notching a goal on the night.
Brandt made his second start of the weekend and was able to break the saves record before halftime. Unsurprisingly, the Western Michigan University product made multiple saves throughout the match with his defenders playing a large role in keeping a physical BiH side from finding many ways through.
“I don’t think we had much to deal with because I think our midfielders and forwards did a great job,” said right back Zayne Arnold about the pressure from BiH. “I think overall we defended very well as a whole, so we didn’t have much issue with that.”
Lansing’s first goal of the night came on a set piece less than eight minutes in. Sherali sent a corner kick towards the far side of the goal, where center back Kevin Payne headed the ball back towards center. Shaheen cleaned up the rebound with a header of his own, giving the Robins an early 1-0 lead.
Lansing Common would increase their lead to two in the 38th minute when Jack Voight crashed towards the net from the right sideline and drew the attention of multiple BiH defenders. Taking advantage of the space that was vacated in front of the net, Voight unselfishly passed the ball to Sherali, who easily knocked it in for his second goal in two matches.
“It feels really good,” said Sherali about his two-match goal-scoring streak. “The team has been performing really well and we’re hoping to continue on and focus on the next game in the league.”
Awarded a free kick seven yards outside the penalty area during first-half stoppage time, Grand Rapids’ Damir Sabanovic launched a missile into the top-left corner of the net, reducing Lansing’s lead to one heading into the half.
“The halftime [conversation] really was ‘just simplify the game,’” said Sorg. “Keep the game simple. I knew coming in, they [BiH] are a team that could score goals, although they leak in a lot of goals. Stay the process, keep moving the ball, … and goals will happen because of that.”
Forward Guershom Sylvain restored the Robins’ two-goal lead in spectacular fashion in the 77th minute. Speeding down the right side of the pitch in the opponents’ half, Sylvain made a sudden cut inside, leaving one defender behind. On his way towards the center, Sylvain faked a right-cut and continued left, leaving another opponent in the dust. Finally, with one last defender to beat, Sylvain faked another right-cut, crossed the ball to his left foot and took a well-aimed strike that found the back of the net.
Substitute midfielder Daniel Silva put the nail in BiH’s coffin in the 88th minute. The Grand Rapids goaltender failed to control a floater sent in by midfielder Mark Wischmeyer, giving Silva an easy tap-in for his first goal as a Robin and the 4-1 victory to Lansing Common.
With just two league games remaining on the schedule, every point will be crucial. Lansing’s six-point weekend put them within one point of first-place Inter Detroit, who have a game in hand.
“We know that the task ahead of us is massive, but there is no other way we’d rather have it than that,” said Sorg. “These games are vitally important. We recognize that. Every guy through to the last guy on the bench, to the coaching staff and everyone [else], is going to have to be at our absolute best.”
Up next for the Robins:
On Friday, July 15, Lansing Common heads west to take on Milwaukee Torrent in its final NISA Independent Cup group stage match. However, with Metro Louisville having locked up the group’s top spot, the game will essentially play out as a friendly.
Just a couple of days later, the Robins will hit the road for the last time this season when they visit Michigan Stars U23’s in Midwest Premier League action. The Sunday, July 17 showdown is set to kick off at 6 p.m.
Lansing’s final home game of the season will be on Saturday, July 23, at 6 p.m., when they host conference leaders Inter Detroit. With the race for first place coming down to the wire, the Robins’ season finale could very well determine the champion of the Eastern Conference. Tickets are just $5, available online and at the gate. For those who can’t make it to game, the match will be streamed live on YouTube.
Missing most of their starters and playing its first match without former Head Coach Josh Oakley, Lansing Common FC put on a gutty performance at home against Tulip City United SC in their final game of the Grand River Ope!n Cup, ultimately losing 1-0 after a late goal from the visitors.
“[We] showed a lot of heart, and it was a great performance from the team – unfortunate result,” said Lansing’s Josh Rosendale.
With both sides effectively out of contention for the Cup final, and most regular starters out, Lansing took the opportunity to add some new faces to the lineup. Midfielder Anthony Burton made his debut in the starting XI and midfielder Danten McFate and goalkeeper Ali Alamery were among the substitutes. The gaps in the roster also had some players in unfamiliar positions, such as Rosendale (typically a forward) and midfielder Avery Dreasky playing at center back.
Unsurprisingly, Lansing came out of the gates a bit shaky. The first half was a struggle, with the Robins lacking the strong communication and cohesion they had shown in the past several weeks. Tulip City controlled the play, and although one side looked much stronger, multiple saves from Lansing goalkeeper Shad Cunningham kept the score 0-0 going into halftime.
The Robins started the second half looking like a significantly improved side. It could have been the tactical change from a 4-3-1-2 formation to last year’s familiar 4-2-2-2. Or it could’ve simply been a matter of the team finding a rhythm and chemistry. Either way, Lansing Common fought back in the final 45 minutes, putting Tulip City on its heels.
The visitors would find a few chances, with none better than Tulip City’s Isiah Arredondo’s opportunity early in the second half. Arredondo made his way through the Lansing backline and in on goal, but a save by Lansing substitute goalkeeper Holden Clark kept the game scoreless as both teams began traded chances.
“They controlled a lot of possession in the first half,” said midfielder Julian Birge, who temporarily assumed head coaching duties against Tulip City, working together with interim coach Brent Sorg. “Second half we picked it up a little bit. Made a couple of changes and went for that goal – we just couldn’t find that finishing touch.”
Sensing the need for an offensive spark, both teams began to use substitutions to break the deadlock. After having used all of their available substitutes, Lansing was forced to finish the game with 10 men after forward Matthew Davidson left the game with an injury in the 86th minute.
With extra time just seconds away, the sides seemed destined for a draw decided by penalty kicks. However, in the 90th minute, Tulip City found themselves with a dangerous set piece opportunity outside of the Lansing penalty area. The free kick took a deflection and found TCU midfielder Levi Crooks inside the six-yard box, where he headed the ball into the top-right corner and gave the visitors a one-goal lead.
Lansing generated a few opportunities in stoppage time, but forwards Guershom Sylvain and Ramzi Shaheen were unable to solve TCU goalkeeper Andrew Marsh. The visitors would maintain their clean sheet, finish the game 1-0, and secure second place in Group A of the Grand River Ope!n Cup behind group-winner BiH Grand Rapids.
“It took 90 minutes and [Lansing going down to] 10 men for them to find the back of our net,” said Rosendale. “I think there was a lot of heart shown from this team today.”
Up next for the Robins
Lansing Common will return to Midwest Premier League play on Friday, July 8, with a road game against rival Livonia City FC. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Madonna University.
The next home game for the Robins will be on Sunday, July 10, when Lansing hosts BiH Grand Rapids. Tickets are just $5, available online and at the gate. For those who can’t make it to Eastern Stadium, the match will be streamed live on YouTube.
Lansing Common Head Coach Josh Oakley announced this week that he has accepted the Head Coach position at Eastern Illinois University. Assistant Coach Brent Sorg has been named Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the 2022 season.
“We’re extremely grateful to Oaks for everything he’s put into helping us build this club in its first two seasons,” said Lansing Common President Eric Walcott. “He’s been the perfect fit in terms of building a team culture that meshes perfectly with our identity as a community-based club, and while we’re sad to lose him, we wish him all the best in this new opportunity.”
Under Oakley’s leadership through two seasons, Lansing Common went 13-2-3 in 18 league games with 48 goals scored. In 2021, Lansing Common finished as the top independent club in the league, earning a berth in the 2022 NISA Independent Cup. The club has never lost consecutive games and never lost a Midwest Premier League match at home.
“I’m excited & honored to lead Lansing Common,” said Sorg. “Coach Oakley has done a tremendous job and following in his footsteps will be challenging. As we continue into our final month we will work diligently to ensure we put our best foot forward.”
Sorg brings a wealth of experience to his new position, including stints as an assistant coach under Oakley at Spring Arbor University and Alma College, and 12 years as Head Coach at Williamston High School where his teams were 7-time district champions and 3-time state finalists. Sorg was named Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 2014.
“Brent is a great coach and the team is in good hands the rest of the way. He’s been on staff since day 1 and has built a great connection with this year’s team. We’re excited to see what he can do this next month as we continue to push for a league championship” Walcott added.
Lansing Common’s first game under Coach Sorg will be Friday, July 1st at 7pm at Eastern Stadium as they take on Tulip City United in the Grand River Open Cup.
In its inaugural NISA Independent Cup match, Lansing Common FC lost a 1-0 nail-biter to Metro Louisville FC.
Thanks to the 10-point system used in the Independent Cup, Louisville went home with six points, while Lansing came away with zero. If Metro Louisville wins against Milwaukee Torrent next Wednesday, the side will advance from the group stage and face the Michigan Stars NISA pro team for the regional title.
With a handful of yellow cards issued to Louisville, a red card ejection of Metro’s Erbin Trejo in the final minutes, and plenty of scoring opportunities for both sides, Tuesday night’s match held the energy and emotions of a cup final.
“I’m so proud of our guys, the way they handled adversity and the way they played in a very, very charged-up cup game,” said Head Coach Josh Oakley.
Goalkeeper Ethan Brandt was, unsurprisingly, excellent between the sticks in both halves. A tricky save in the 62nd minute perhaps best exemplified the keeper’s stellar evening, as save after save kept the match within reach. With another quality performance in the books, Brandt is quickly approaching the club record for saves.
“When you have that positivity coupled with some very, very good, raw talent, you’ve got a special goaltender, and that’s exactly what he is,” said Oakley.
Metro Louisville dominated possession in the first half, especially in the opening 20 minutes. Lansing Common’s fullbacks and centerbacks felt the pressure early, as Metro pushed the offense through the wings, especially on the left, and forced action to the front of the net.
Louisville scored the match’s lone goal in the 18th minute, cashing in on a shot just inside the penalty box.
Nearly all of the Robins first-half scoring opportunities came from set pieces and counterattacks – rarely was pressure applied with consistency on Metro’s defenders.
While Louisville kept a grip on possession in the second half, Lansing Common earned the better scoring opportunities, especially in the final 20 minutes. Thanks to some ill-timed fouls by Metro, most of Lansing’s chances came on free kick set pieces.
Lansing had a number of chances in the closing minutes and nearly scored an equalizer, but they were unable to convert and Metro Louisville emerged victorious.
“This is going to prepare our team even more for that next level of growth,” said Oakley. “It’s not the result we wanted, but we’ll be right back at it Thursday (in training).”
Up next for the Robins:
Lansing Common resumes league play this weekend with a road game against Grand Haven Admirals. Kick-off is set for 7 p.m.
The Robins next home game is a rematch against Tulip City United SC on Saturday, July 1 in Grand River Open Cup action. Tickets are just $5, available online and at the gate. For those who can’t make it to gameday, the match will be streamed live on YouTube.
Lansing’s next NISA Independent Cup match is on the road against Milwaukee Torrent on Friday, July 15.
After going down by two goals in the first 19 minutes of play, Lansing Common FC rattled off four unanswered goals to defeat Cedars FC by a final score of 4-2 on Saturday night at Eastern Stadium.
Forward Jack Voight led Lansing to its comeback victory with his first career Midwest Premier League hat-trick. Guershom Sylvain added a hat trick of assists and a tap-in goal during stoppage time to seal the win.
Saturday’s win was the Robins’ third straight victory, witnessed by over 430 fans during the club’s celebration of Pride Night. Lansing Common now sits in second place in the Midwest Premier League’s Eastern Conference, five points behind first-place Inter Detroit with a game in hand.
“Team spirit in this team and this club in general,” head coach Josh Oakley said, crediting his club’s resolve. “It’s been that way since day one. This week has been no different. Two games coming from behind.”
Cedars wasted no time opening the scoring on Saturday night, as Mohamed Hammoud netted the match’s first goal in the fourth minute. Jack Lockerbie was then issued a yellow card just three minutes later. Another Cedars goal in the 18th minute, this time by Papa Massar, gave the visiting team a 2-0 lead and silenced the crowd at Eastern Stadium. Nothing seemed to be clicking for the Robins.
“Very slow start, things didn’t work out in midfield the way it should have,” Oakley said. “We wanted to press with sometimes six and it just did not look good. Credit to them, they played through us.”
Oakley, searching for answers to overcome an early deficit, substituted Julian Birge on during the 24th minute, hoping his veteran leadership would stabilize the young Robins side.
“Things changed from there,” Oakley said.
Birge and the Robins immediately found a rhythm, generating multiple quality chances as Cedars began to lose form. Voight would then break the ice for Lansing, scoring the Robins first goal on an assist from Sylvain in the 34th minute.
Sylvain would then find Voight again, booting a left-footed pass ahead to his wide-open teammate. Voight handled the ball on the run and slid it past Cedars goalkeeper Evan Mazurek to tie the match at two during the 43rd minute.
“We’re both very selfless people,” Sylvain said of himself and Voight. “Each of us is able to give up this to let the other one shine. That really helps our chemistry on the field. We trust each other.”
The 2-2 score would hold until halftime despite more quality chances for the Robins in the closing moments of the first half. The momentum had entirely flipped thanks to Voight’s two first-half goals, topped off with his signature front flip celebration.
Cedars began the final 45 minutes of play with four substitutions in the half’s opening moments, helping their club regain its early-game poise and halting the Robins momentum. The half remained a stalemate until the 85th minute, when Sylvain occupied multiple defenders before passing the ball to a wide-open Voight, who cut to the goal and scored to complete his hat-trick.
“It was a really emotional game,” Voight said. “We went down two goals and there were a lot of emotions when we went down. It was just relentless from the boys, we all came together.”
Lansing would carry its 3-2 lead into stoppage time. It expanded to 4-2 when Sylvain scored on an empty goal after the keeper Mazurek couldn’t secure the ball over 20 yards in front of his box. The aggressive Mazurek deflected the ball to Sylvain, who walked it in and scored all alone.
“There’s a good bond on the field,” Sylvain said. “I think that was one of the key things to our success in coming back.”
Robins players on the bench ran to the opposite side of the pitch to celebrate with Sylvain, enjoying the final moments of a decisive comeback victory. Lansing supporters at Eastern Stadium were loud all evening, fueling the club’s most entertaining win of the season.
“No one buries this team,” Oakley said. “This team is going to answer every single thing.”
Lansing Common will look to extend its three-game win streak on Tuesday against Metro Louisville FC. The match is Lansing’s first contest in the NISA Independent Cup. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at Eastern Stadium. Tickets are available online or at the gate.
Making History
Voight’s hat-trick is the third all-time in Lansing Common history. Before Saturday, the most recent Robins hat-trick occurred last Wednesday, June 15, when Ramzi Shaheen netted three goals against Detroit Union FC. The first hat-trick in the history of the club was scored by Shady Omar on June 13, 2021 against Inter Detroit.
After Saturday’s hat-trick, first-year forward Voight now has a team-leading five goals this season. Voight’s five career goals are the third-highest total in club history behind Birge (7 goals) and Omar (9 goals).
Sylvain’s three-assist performance on Saturday tied Ty Usiak’s club record for assists in a single game. Usiak’s three-assist game occurred last Wednesday against Detroit Union.
Goalkeeper Ethan Brandt recorded seven saves on Saturday against Cedars FC, tying his own club record for saves in a single game. His previous seven-save performance happened last Wednesday against Detroit Union.
Brandt needs just seven more saves to become the club’s all-time leading shot-stopper. For his Lansing Common career, Brandt has 28 saves. Zac Kelly’s 34 saves in the 2021 season are currently the most in club history.
