As a lower league guy, it should be no surprise to anyone that I root for Detroit City to be successful. Having watched the club rise from the NPSL, through NISA, and now playing in the second division league USL Championship, it’s easy to buy in as a fan. I’ve long referred to DCFC as the gold standard in lower league soccer, the club’s success in the the Championship this year is further proof of the quality of the organization. The club sits on the brink of the post season now, officially a playoff team in a league that, at least in theory, should have eaten them up. Instead, Detroit has shown to be up to the challenge.

I asked Matt Lewis, Detroit City defender, is he expected to be a playoff team in Detroit’s first season in UCL Championship. “That’s a tricky question, because you go in and you expect, Trevor expects, the most out of us. I think, individually, we expected ourselves to be able to compete. The aspect that is surprising is how long the success has lasted. When you change from a season that was 16 games [in NISA], it just wasn’t that many games…now its every week and you have to be out there grinding and playing really hard. When you do it week after week for 10 months, that’s what we were worried about in the beginning.”

The biggest challenge for Detroit in the beginning of this year’s season was the general lack of bodies on the roster. “At the beginning of the season, we were fielding 14 guys on a game day roster, so it was difficult because we were cycling the same guys out there…but we’ve gotten through that. We’ve got a full roster, we’ve got depth now.” The club came to play and in the first two months of the season, only losing a single game, regardless of the limited roster.

That success was a surprise to many who had mocked the new USLC club for bringing a roster of former NISA players. Yet, the quality of the roster was on display early on and the team showed well against the other division 2 rosters it faced. For Lewis, the success of the club was an example of DCFC’s successful approach to roster building and talent scouting. “There’s too many times, when players fall through the cracks for some reason or another. I think Detroit and Trevor [James]…became the net. Anybody who belongs fell to Detroit.” That initial roster of players (many from Detroit’s time in NISA) sparked an impressive run that was significant in anchoring Detroit City in a playoff spot early on. The Detroit front office has been masterful in adding pieces throughout the year that compliment the team, both in talent and attitude.

The USLC season is significantly longer than any of Detroit’s previous leagues and Lewis, along with several other players, were bit by the injury bug. Lewis’ foot injury would come in the club’s second loss of the season and would sideline him for several games. Now however, Lewis feels pretty well with just a few matches left. “Mentally, I feel great. Physically, I’ve just been dealing with some lingering things with the foot. So it’s been game to game. But I think your biggest ability is your availability, so I make myself available.”

Now, with the playoffs just a handful of matches away, Detroit City is a lock. Lewis, and the rest of that defensive backline, has been significant in the run. The team has been stellar in preventing goals, allowing only 25 goals (second in the entire Championship) all season. As Lewis puts it, “defending is our identity, all eleven players.” Paired with timely scoring, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Detroit advance in the playoffs, regardless of opponent.

As a fan and observer of lower league soccer, the success of Detroit City is something to be celebrated. Watching a team, full of players passed over by other division 2 clubs, qualify for the playoffs is satisfying as hell. This roster is quality (good enough to knock off a MLS side in the USOC) and chock full of players worthy of supporting and cheering for. Lewis, a long-travelled player, has found his home in Detroit and become an important piece in one of the best defenses in the league. Sure their first season success might seem improbable, but, looking back now, maybe we should have expected it.

- Dan Vaughn