Comerica Park put away the bats and gloves on Sunday night and rolled out the world’s most popular sport as 313 Presents brought the return of top-level professional soccer to Detroit. Crystal Palace, one of London and England’s traditional clubs that finished middle table (11th) in last year’s Premier League (ahead of Chelsea) and LaLiga’s Sevilla F.C., one of Spain’s big 6 LaLiga clubs and second oldest club (1890), redefined what “pitch” means in the home of the Detroit Tigers.
The friendly marked the return of international football to Comerica Park after six years.
The last international soccer match played in Detroit was in 2017 when French League powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain defeated Italian Serie A side AS Roma in front of 36,000 fans at Comerica Park.
“We are thrilled to have international soccer return to Comerica Park for a match between two elite football clubs,” said Howard Handler, president of 313 Presents, before the match. “This matchup will provide metro Detroit’s soccer fans a unique opportunity to watch their favorite European clubs play once again in person.”
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And it was all of that – and so much more!
The game attracted more than 21,000 people and many of them were kids – and all of them had smiles on their faces as they got a glimpse of the sport they love played at the highest level. The weather was perfect. The atmosphere was perfect. And for an early preseason match, the quality of play on the pitch was impressive.
It was a very even match – both teams had 50 percent possession in the game with Palace taking 15 shots to Sevilla’s 8. Palace double Sevilla in corner kicks with 10 to 5. And even though it was a “friendly,” both teams played hard – and it even got a little “unfriendly” in the second half with some pushing, shoving and yellow cards. Sevilla’s Gudelj was dismissed in the second half for a second bookable offense following some rough play in the middle of the pitch.
Sevilla’s Ivan Rakitic took advantage of a clearance to score the game’s first goal in the final minutes of the first half. At the 75-minute mark, Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze beat a pair of Sevilla defenders and fired a low shot from the left side that snuck inside the right post to tie the score at 1-1.
Sevilla won the Motor City Cup when Rakitic scored the team’s first shot in sudden-death penalty kicks before Crystal Palace’s Joachim Andersen’s shot hit the crossbar and bounced out.
This was the first meeting between the two clubs.
“We are absolutely delighted to return to the US for the first time since 2016,” stated Steve Parish, Chairman of Crystal Palace, before the match. “We have so many loyal supporters Stateside who regularly visit us in London, and even more who wake up early every weekend to watch on NBC – so it will be fantastic to play in front of them all against such strong opposition.”
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Parish and Sevilla FC owner Sevillistas de Nervión S. A. were both in the building on Sunday.
The return of professional soccer to Detroit will highlight the continued expertise of Elite Promotions Group and their commitment to bring best in class international football events to the American market.
313 Presents really stepped up to the plate, not only making this match possible, but by providing 700 complimentary tickets to children from Detroit Parks & Recreation’s Soccer In The D program to attend the world-class contest. Detroit Parks & Recreation Athletics Division (DPRD) is the largest provider of youth soccer programming in the city of Detroit. The program helps children build character, learn teamwork and encourages positive physical and mental health.
“We’re thankful and appreciative of this opportunity from 313 Presents. I know our Soccer In The D families will enjoy the experience of being able to attend this world-class pre-season match and witness in person a game on the professional level that will have a huge impact and create long lasting memories,” said Shay Lewis, Director of Athletics of Detroit Parks and Recreation Division.
Match Summary
- CRYSTAL PALACE FC: Johnston, Ward, Andersen, Guéhi, Clyne, Doucouré, Lerma, Ayew, Eze, Schlupp and Edouard.
- SEVILLA FC: Bono, Jesús Navas, Gudelj, Gattoni, Acuña, Joan Jordán, Rakitic, Suso, Ocampos, Idrissi and Iván Romero. Dmitrovic, Rafa Mir, Óscar Rodríguez, Juanlu, En-Nesyri and Kike Salas all came off the bench.
GOALS: 0-1, min. 44: Rakitic; ; 1-1, min. 75: Eze.
PENALTIES: 0-1, Rakitic; 0-1, Andersen (miss).
REFEREE: Natalie Simon. Bookings for Rakitic and Andersen. Two yellow cards for Gudelj (min. 80).
