Matchweek Eight did not disappoint when it came to goals and clean sheets. A combined 13 goals were scored while a whopping six teams couldn’t find the back of the net in the five games that were played last week.
The weekend started off with a gritty 0-0 draw when Inter Detroit visited the West Michigan Bearings, but on the east side of the state, the floodgates opened as BiH put four past Livonia. The scoring would continue as BiH, Lansing Common, and the U23s of Detroit City all earned multi-goal victories to conclude the week.
Matchweek Nine has a hefty palette of games that could have a massive impact on the division standings. Livonia City could be eliminated from title contention if they fail to pick up points in both of their games this week, while DCFC could storm into first place if they remain undefeated. With seven clubs in action, there will be plenty of opportunities for the teams to entertain and surprise.
Here is your Matchweek Nine preview for the Midwest Premier League East Division.
This weekend’s fixtures
Detroit City FC U23 v. Livonia City FC (June 17, 2021, 7:30 p.m.)
After consecutive thumpings of the West Michigan Bearings, DCFC’s Under 23 side returns home to begin a string of three matches, with Livonia City up first. Detroit City has been in top form since the beginning of their campaign, remaining undefeated last week and only conceding a single goal thus far. Livonia will also be busy with two matches this weekend and need all six points to keep their title hopes alive.
NOTE: Detroit City FC U23s won this match 2-0.
Michigan Stars FC U23 v. Lansing Common FC (June 18, 2021, 7:00 p.m.)
Lansing Common will be looking for their third-straight league victory when they travel to Michigan Stars Sports Center to take on the Stars’ U23s. The Robins are coming off consecutive league victories against Inter Detroit, topping the Auburn Hills side 6-1 over the course of those matches. The Stars, who were idle last week, have only failed to earn points once this year and will look to continue their battle with DCFC’s U23s for the top spot in the East Division.
BiH Grand Rapids v. LK St. Clair (June 19, 2021, 6:00 p.m.)
LK St. Clair will be hoping for revenge and their first win of the season when they travel to West Michigan to take on BiH Grand Rapids. In the first match between these two, BiH earned a 2-0 victory after having played the day before. This time around, BiH will have a fully-rested squad against a St. Clair team that has lost six straight. A BiH victory would see some shuffling of positions at the top of the East Division, while a St. Clair win would open the door for other teams to jump BiH in the standings.
Inter Detroit v. Detroit City FC U23 (June 19, 2021, 8:00 p.m.)
Inter Detroit will be trying to get back into the win column after a four-game stretch that saw them gain only two points in four games. Le Rouge could cement themselves as the division leaders with a positive result and a Michigan Stars loss, but Inter will look to be the first team to take points away from a dangerous Detroit City team.
Livonia City FC v. Lansing Common FC (June 20, 2021, 8:00 p.m.)
Sunday’s lone match will be between two teams with busy weekend schedules when Lansing Common wraps up their road trip against Livonia CIty. Livonia will be playing their second game in four days, while Lansing Common will be playing their second in three. Livonia needs a perfect weekend and lots of help if they hope to make a title push, while Lansing Common will be looking to have their own perfect weekend to be included in the conversation as one of the top teams in the East Division.
Detroit City FC U23 v. LK St. Clair (Wednesday, June 23, 2021, 7:30 p.m.)
DCFC will wrap up their three-game week when they host LK St. Clair in a midweek fixture. St. Clair will be coming off a trip to the west side of the state for a match against BiH Grand Rapids, while Le Rouge will be returning home after visiting Inter Detroit. DCFC will be expecting all three points to bolster their division title chances.
Last week’s results
West Michigan Bearings drew v. Inter Detroit (0-0)
Matchweek Eight kicked off with Inter Detroit and the West Michigan Bearings battling to a 0-0 stalemate. In what was an important match for both teams, they only managed to share the points at the final whistle.
Both teams had two games during Matchweek Eight where a six-point swing could have seen either squad move up the table. West Michigan’s Andrew Marsh posted the second clean sheet of the season for the Bearings while Inter Detroit was shut out for the first time.
BiH Grand Rapids def. Livonia City FC (4-0)
BiH started their congested weekend with a 4-0 thumping of Livonia on the road. Jay Torić earned the clean sheet for the visitors, while BiH’s four goals were the most they’ve scored this season in the MWPL.
For Livonia, it was the fifth time in nine games where they failed to collect any points. They sit second from the bottom of the division with only one victory to their name. For BiH, the win saw them remain unbeaten heading into their final game of the weekend.
BiH Grand Rapids def. LK St. Clair (2-0)
Playing their second game in as many days, BiH once again earned three points on the road, this time against LK St. Clair. Jake Pellerito opened the scoring in the 37th minute and the visitors took a 1-0 lead into halftime. Pellerito’s goal would prove to be the game winner.
BiH put the game away in the 89th minute when Ben Čengić scored, giving BiH the 2-0 victory. BiH had a perfect weekend, going 2-0-0 and earning a valuable six points towards the standings, while LK St. Clair was handed their sixth consecutive loss.
Lansing Common FC def. Inter Detroit (4-0)
Lansing Common earned their second league victory and completed the season sweep of Inter Detroit in an emphatic 4-0 win in Lansing. Shady Omar’s first-half brace from the penalty spot gave the hosts a 2-0 lead heading into halftime. The combination of forwards Omar and Ty Usiak proved to be too much for Inter’s defense as Usiak assisted Omar’s first goal and then earned the penalty for his second.
The Robins added to their lead in the second half when a Julian Birge tap-in off a Noah Canlas corner made it 3-0 in the 54th minute. Omar would earn a hat trick in the 81st minute with a free-kick from 27 yards out and the Robins would take all three points and earn their first clean sheet of the season.
Detroit City FC U23 def. West Michigan Bearings (3-0)
In the return fixture from two weeks ago, the Under 23s of Detroit City were once again too much for the West Michigan Bearings to handle, earning a 3-0 victory at Keyworth Stadium. The scoring started early for Le Rouge when Bosh Tanyi’s 7th-minute tap-in gave the visitors a 1-0 lead. DCFC would take that 1-0 lead into halftime after a dominant first-half display.
West Michigan made it interesting in the 75th minute with a great chance, but goalie Hunter Morse was able to deny the Bearings an equalizing goal. Things got away from the Bearings when two goals in as many minutes from Waseem Muthana and Brady Walker made it 3-0 with only 10 minutes left to play. With the loss, the Bearings are now 0-1-3 over their last four games, while Le Rouge’s U23s remain unbeaten and have only conceded a single goal on the season.
Standings
- Michigan Stars FC U23 (4-1-1, 13 points in 6 GP)
- Detroit City FC U23 (4-0-0, 12 points in 4 GP)
- West Michigan Bearings (3-2-3, 11 points in 8 GP)
- BiH Grand Rapids (3-1-0, 10 points in 4 GP)
- Inter Detroit (1-4-2, 7 points in 7 GP)
- Lansing Common FC (2-0-1, 6 points in 3 GP)
- Livonia CIty FC (1-3-5, 6 points in 9 GP)
- LK St. Clair (0-1-6, 1 point in 7 GP)
Standings (points per game)
- Detroit City FC U23 (3.00)
- BiH Grand Rapids (2.50)
- Michigan Stars FC U23 (2.16)
- Lansing Common FC (2.00)
- West Michigan Bearings (1.57)
- Inter Detroit (1.00)
- Livonia City FC (0.67)
- LK St. Clair (0.14)
