Detroit City FC goalie nets shutout in debut

The Detroit News

Goalkeeper Fernando Pina made his Detroit City FC debut in spectacular fashion Tuesday, saving a penalty kick in the 35th minute and earning a shutout in a 2-0 victory over FC Indiana at Keyworth Stadium.

Elijah Rice and Spencer Glass scored for Le Rouge (7-2-1, 23 points), which won their seventh straight National Premier Soccer League match and are within two points of first-place AFC Ann Arbor in the Great Lakes Conference.

Pina, who played collegiately at Coastal Carolina and was a member of the U.S. U-17 team, was ushered into action in the third minute when he dove to his left to save a toe poke on goal.

His biggest stop came after FC Indiana was awarded a penalty when DCFC Cyrus Saydee (Michigan State) brought down Mehdi Hemmich in the box. FC Indiana's Kevin Amaizo slammed his spot kick to the right of Pena, who palmed the shot away to preserve Le Rouge's 1-0 lead.

Rice opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, taking a lead pass from Roddy Green and delicately tapping it past FC Indiana goalkeeper Kyle Bugay.

Rice nearly added a second in extra time during the first half, bearing down on the 18-yard box when Bugay hauled him down to earn a straight red card. Bugay was replaced by Cuauhtemic Orozco as the visitors played the second half with 10 men.

Glass' goal was a pure thunderbolt. The Indiana University product one-timed a pass from Rice with his left foot just inside the left goalpost in the 50th minute to give DCFC a two-goal cushion.

Detroit City FC returns to action Friday when it hosts Michigan Stars at Hamtramck's Keyworth Stadium. Kickoff is 7:30 p.m.