In one of the worst-kept secrets in recent weeks for soccer in Detroit, midfielder Maxi Rodriguez announced his departure from Detroit City FC in a social media post on Twitter.
Rodriguez, who landed in Detroit in 2021 when the club was still playing in third division NISA, had 10 league goals and five assists for City in 2024. This doesn’t include the two goals he had in this past year’s Open Cup in which Detroit scored wins over the Michigan Stars and a thriller in Texas over MLS side the Houston Dynamo. He departs City for what’s believed to be Rhode Island FC also of the USL Championship as arguably the best player ever to wear the City crest compiling a total of 27 goals in 113 appearances.
With all that said, sentiment would dictate that the team bring back a player who’ll go down as one of the all-time greats for the Club and an undoubted City legend.
Practicality though would say otherwise, especially if the rumors surrounding a massive salary bump for Rodriguez are true.
In 2024, Detroit City FC averaged just over a goal per game (1.3), which is an improvement from last year’s average of 0.9. However, this year’s scoring is on par with their inaugural USL Championship season three years ago. While the team’s offensive struggles cannot be solely attributed to Maxi, it’s important for both the team and its supporters to confront some hard truths if they wish to improve offensively. One such truth is the necessity of moving on from one of their most impactful players. While this idea may seem counterintuitive at first, taking a step back reveals that such a move is essential for meaningful renovations to the offense. This is particularly relevant when considering a player like Maxi, around whom much of the offensive strategy in the midfield has been centered.
Detroit City FC not only needs to get better offensively but they need to get younger as well. At 29 years of age, Maxi Rodriguez is in the prime of his career but probably wasn’t going to offer much more to City offensively than what we’ve already witnessed during his time in the Rouge and Gold.
Moreover, we’ve observed the cut-throat nature of professional sports regarding contracts. This may be the last significant deal Maxi receives as a professional player. It’s an opportunity you simply can’t turn down.
