It’s been quite some time since the Detroit City FC men’s first team has graced the supporters with good vibes. Any semblance of positive vibes from the club itself came from the Detroit City FC women’s side who had another promising year as they took the Great Lakes Division for a second consecutive season. Not to mention, the Detroit City FC II side claimed a division title of their own.

However, after both the women’s and men’s second teams were bounced in their respective postseasons, DCFC supporters were left with a men’s first team who have been in a catastrophic free fall for well over two months now.

But how bad has that free fall been? Has the free fall been historic or are supporters who subscribe to this notion just being hyperbolic during a long season?

First, if we’re going to make any comparisons, we have to keep things consistent. I’m not going to try and compare this current men’s side to any DCFC men’s amateur side before 2020. Two many moving parts and variables go with a men’s pro side (which I’ll get into later) that the amateur teams from 2012 to 2019 simply didn’t have.

With all that said where do we stand now with this men’s first team?

Currently, they’ve played 16 total league games with a record of 5-5-6 with a plus/minus of 20-22, a goal differential of minus-2 and 20 points sitting just two ahead of Birmingham for that final spot in the East. However, that’s all taking into account a good month and half start to season before things were turned completely upside down.

Since the beginning of May, the Detroit City FC men’s first team has played a total of 12 matches which include a few Jagermeister Cup matches as well as an Open Cup match against the Chicago Fire. During that stretch, DCFC has accumulated just one win (which was a league win against Miami FC), and three draws for a total of six points. Additionally, the team has scored just 13 goals in that time with nine of those being league goals while surrounding an astonishing 25 goals against including 15 goals against during league play.

Now if we’re making comparisons, we don’t need to look any further than the start of the 2023 season which was a painful experience for Le Rouge supporters in its own right.

During the course of the first 12 matches from March 11, 2023 to May 13, 2023 Detroit City FC also had just one league win but just two draws for a total of five points. Offensively, things were worse as the 2023 DCFC team scored just seven goals during the stretch with five being league tally’s. On the flip side, the 2023 team during that time surrendered just 16 goals with 13 of those coming in league play.

So if you’re going by points, technically Detroit City FC has yet to reach its lowest point professionally.

That is until you dig a little deeper.

Currently, DCFC is tied for third for the most goals conceded in the East and fourth for the most in the entire league. That in and of itself is astonishing when you consider the backline has always been Detroit City FC’s identity as a unit despite how thin they may have been offensively. It’s now an identity they can no longer claim as their own.

But it gets worse.

City has experienced some remarkably poor performances over the past two and a half months, particularly the match on June 7 against the Riverhounds in Pittsburgh and the game on July 5 against the Roots in Oakland. We discussed these matches extensively in an episode of “Make City Make Spence,” as they are arguably two of the worst offensive displays in the club’s history. Against Pittsburgh, City managed just one shot the entire match with nothing hitting the target while against Oakland, five shots were managed with just one of those hitting the target. Meanwhile, for Oakland which is undoubtedly one of the worst teams in the USL Championship, they had just two shots on target but made the most of at least one of those while Marcello Polisi had maybe the most electrifying goal off a header that we may see all season. Too bad it was an own goal for Oakland.

Also during that stretch, City suffered an utterly embarrassing loss to USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine in the Jägermeister Cup and has gone winless in their last four league matches against the Hartford Athletic.

But if you need further elaboration on just how bad things have been for City simply take a look at the overall records of the teams they’ve played during these respective, horrific stretches.

In 2023, from March 11 to May 13, DCFC’s opponents had a combined record of 124-81-101, with six teams reaching the playoffs. In 2025, from May 3 to July 12, their opponents’ record is 48-27-49, with five teams currently above the playoff line.

Sure there are other variables in play here that may tilt the scales of futility one way or the other. For instance, you could make an argument that the 2025 team was much more talented and presumably had a higher dedicated budget towards players than the 2023 team had. Or perhaps budgets be damned because this current Detroit City FC team is dealing with an abundance of injuries to the likes of Stephen Carroll, Ben Morris, and Jordan Adebayo-Smith.

The window for debate remains open until this Friday, when Detroit City FC faces the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Keyworth on ESPN2. In 2023, after a grueling two-and-a-half-month slump, City’s 1-0 victory over San Antonio FC sparked a five-game unbeaten streak. The pressure is immense for the men’s team this Friday, and not just because of the scoreboard. Unlike their amateur days, Le Rouge now navigates the complexities of a professional club: an expanded front office, larger technical staff, player salaries, and a new 15,000-seat stadium. Like any intricate machine, it requires constant lubrication to function.

In this context, lubrication means winning. Without victories, things can seize up at the worst moments. This may be one of the most pivotal times in the club’s history. In a U.S. sports landscape where soccer struggles to break through against the four major sports, Detroit City FC cannot afford to lose games—or worse, its identity. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what we’ve witnessed over the past few weeks.

Is there still time to turn the season around? Absolutely. However, considering the current circumstances, does this team and coaching staff have the heart and determination to make it happen? I suppose we’ll have to wait and see.