Ben Rosenblatt | The unsung heart and hustle on the pitch

Composed by Ben Epstein

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Oakland County Football Club defender Ben Rosenblatt has been one of the unsung heroes of the 2022 season.

Just a year ago, his impact for the squad was erratic. In just six appearances, Rosenblatt logged 443 minutes of playing time and just one assist. The team finished a respectable 5-6-3, but the 5’10 Berkley native was just a cog in the machine in his limited time on the pitch. This didn’t discourage him, as he decided to make his return to Royal Oak for his second consecutive season, crediting the culture OCFC has created in his decision.

“It’s obviously a great chance to play with many of my friends I played with growing up,” Rosenblatt said. “But, the coaches are amazing and I was really astounded with how the entire club was run in general.”

The 2022 campaign has seen a reinvigorated and highly impressive version of Rosenblatt. Through eight games, he leads the team in minutes played with an outstanding 633 minutes of pitch time, despite not playing in one of the eight contests. Rosenblatt is noticeably the player with the most hustle and determination on the field, always keeping pace with opposing strikers and being a disruptor in the middle of the field. 

Through eight games, Rosenblatt leads the team in minutes played with an outstanding 633 minutes of pitch time, despite not playing in one of the eight contests.

“For me, it’s just about showing up to everything and just trying to work together as a team and get better as we go into this last month or so,” Rosenblatt said.

That attitude has led to a complete change in the overall outlook of County’s defense. Through the first four games, The Purple Gang had surrendered 13 goals and scored just two. Rosenblatt and company took the harsh start to the season personally, and have since gone on to allow just eight goals while scoring 16 in the club’s last five outings.

“With people coming home from school and joining the club, I think we finally got our feet under us,” Rosenblatt said. “We started to string a couple together and get a feel for each other on defense and we started clicking.”

Even with the team’s current three-game winning streak, Rosenblatt and the rest of OCFC are focused on avenging the squad’s devastating losses to AFC Ann Arbor from earlier in the season this coming Friday.

“Losing 5-0 to them twice wasn’t a good feeling,” Rosenblatt said. “We’re ready to get another chance at them. We’re really confident, we’re playing really good soccer and I think if we keep playing how we are we can beat anybody.”