Saturday night, Detroit City FC suffered an incredibly costly third-straight loss, this time to Louisville City FC, as time continues to tick away on the regular season and perhaps DCFC’s playoff chances with just four matches left. As it stands, Detroit is level with Indy Eleven on points (32), while maintaining that seven spot in the East and just a point clear of the playoff line, with Rhode Island sitting at nine with 31 points.
With North Carolina FC coming to town next weekend in what very well may be a must-win game for City, we had some questions for head coach Danny Dichio regarding the health of Michael Bryant and Laye Diop, the chances of Ates Diouf returning to the team next season, as well as getting some comment from Detroit City goalkeeper Carlos Herrera regarding the ongoing USL/Players Association negotiations.
Danny Dicho post-match
Michael Bryant injury
One big absence from Saturday night’s lineup was Detroit City FC defender Michael Bryant. After the match, head coach Danny Dichio explained that Bryant has been dealing with a back injury, which kept him out against Louisville City. Dichio mentioned that Bryant was eager to play and pushed to get minutes versus the Eastern Conference leaders, but the decision was made to hold him out. The coach noted that Bryant had been struggling with basic movements like sitting and standing and had been on muscle relaxers during the week.
Laye Diop injury
Another key piece of the lineup, Laye Diop, was also limited on Saturday. He came on in the 62nd minute but had to come off just 20 minutes later in the 82nd. When asked if the issue was related to the sports hernia Diop dealt with late last season and earlier this year, Dichio clarified that it wasn’t. Instead, he said it appeared to be a knee problem—something the coach still needed to check on.
Ates Diouf returning?
One of the biggest offseason questions for Detroit City is whether they can keep hold of Ates Diouf. On loan from Lexington SC, Diouf has been a major spark for an attack that’s struggled to find consistency. Head coach Danny Dichio confirmed the club is interested in bringing him back and suggested that Diouf himself is open to returning. Still, the situation remains in limbo with the front office currently lacking a sporting director following the dismissal of Trevor James earlier this summer.
Carlos Herrera on the USL/USLPA negotiations
Last week, the USLPA released an update on the negotiations surrounding a new collective bargaining agreement, which didn’t seem promising when it comes to any deal being close. You can read the statement below, which continues to outline what exactly the players are looking for, including a mandate for employer-provided health insurance, safe working conditions, fair pay, etc. Additionally, the Players Association also asked fans and supporters alike to block the USL Championship Instagram account as a show of solidarity for the players in the league.
With all of this in mind, we asked Detroit City FC goalkeeper Carlos Herrera—who also serves as one of the team’s player union reps—if he had any additional comments on the statement. He didn’t add much, other than urging fans to keep supporting the players as they push for some of the basic benefits that most professional athletes in the U.S. already receive.