As I parked my car behind the East Grandstand of Keyworth Stadium this past Saturday afternoon, I was transitioning from the mindset of a Son visiting his Mother on the way for a quick coffee on the front porch (and photo once we realized we were wearing similar Denim jackets) to the one that my Detroit City matchdays currently consist of. Which is seeing those near and dear before the match, heading over to the Media Tent, taking in the match/matches, and then recapping the match/matches with a chance for an interview and/or scrum. Only this Saturday was a bit more significant for many reasons, consisting of the following:
- -The first Keyworth Doubleheader of 2024
- -The first home match for the Men’s side since May 11th against a tough and talented Charleston Battery side
- -The Women’s side hosted Midwest United in the second match of the day, a team they had never defeated, in a battle for the top of the Great Lakes Division.
- -Two June home matches to score goals and raise more money for the NGS Prideraiser campaign, benefitting the Ruth Ellis Center which is a benefit and significant resource to the LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ youth in Metro Detroit.
There was plenty at stake for both Detroit City sides. Now let’s go over how each went down.
1st Match: USL Championship Play. Detroit City 2-0 Charleston Battery
An unchanged lineup for Detroit City both in the starting eleven and the subs bench saw Carlos Saldaña in goal for his first home start in USL Championship League play and Le Rouge rolling in a shape that would shift from a 4-3-3 to a 4-4-2 diamond as the match progressed. A scoreless first half saw Danny Dichio’s side fluster Charleston and force the Battery to alter their ways of distributing the ball.
The second half saw subs come in for both sides, with the entries of Rhys Williams, Elvis Amoh, and Ryan Williams allowing Detroit City to shift things up further; Laye Diop moved over from a left central position to a wide left role, Rhys opposite on the wide right, and Maxi Rodriguez up top with Elvis causing havoc.
After Battery made the crossbar ring like fireworks in a nighttime summer sky, a Ryan Williams delivery into the box saw Laye Diop step through to attempt to win the ball which then bounced off of the outstretched arm of a Charleston Battery defender. Penalty awarded to Le Rouge, which Maxi Rodriguez coolly buried in the 86th minute. Elvis Amoh sealed the match for Detroit City in the 94th with his second goal of the season and first, in front of a vibrant Keyworth crowd, 7,172 of them to be exact. 2-0 victory for Le Rouge for the second straight matchday.
After the match, Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News reported that Ali Coote’s time with Detroit City was ending. An article written by our own Adam Hernandez of The Majors Detroit about this development along with the video of the post-match media scrum with Head Coach Danny Dichio.
Danny Dichio’s Detroit City lads have a week off of USL Championship league play but host Liga MX side Pumas at Keyworth on Saturday, June 22nd. League play resumes when Birmingham Legion comes to Keyworth on Wednesday, June 26th. Kickoff for both of these matches will be just after 7 PM Eastern.
Second Match: USL W League- Great Lakes Division Play. Detroit City 2-1 Midwest United
While not all of the 7,172 from the opening match stayed for the second match of the day, many did stay for what was as of Saturday, June 15th, 2024, the most important match in the short history of the Detroit City Women’s side. Le Rouge was looking to get their first win against Midwest United in the ninth matchup between the two sides. The first eight all ended up as Midwest United victories. Further concern was had by some Detroit City supporters, myself included, after both the 0-0 draw at Cleveland Force a few days earlier (something that doesn’t sound as damaging now with Cleveland’s 7-0 win against a heavily rotated Flint City side on Sunday), and also knowing that Dave Dwaihy’s squad was also somewhat rotated from the squad we were used to seeing from the first half of the season. Midwest United was coming off a 2-0 road defeat to Kalamazoo FC two days prior.
However, those notions of concern were put to rest early as Detroit City controlled the first half with ease; the team’s 4-4-2 shape was further accentuated by the up top forward duo of Kayla Addison and Joyelle Washington causing absolute havoc on the defense of Midwest United. It was Joyelle opening the scoring in the 25th minute for Detroit City, 1-0 scoreline going into halftime. (Note: the 4-4-2 formation is becoming something I love almost as much as those near and dear, guitars, pro wrestling, and also Baked Potatoes from Wendy’s. If you don’t know about that, get on it.)
The second half opened much like how the first half went, this time it was Kayla’s turn to get on the scoresheet taking advantage of a great team buildup to make it 2-0 to Le Rouge in the 51st minute. Midwest United made things interesting, converting a penalty in the 77th minute, but in the end, Detroit City held on for not only a 2-1 home victory but also Le Rouge’s first-ever win over Midwest United. A massive hurdle that’s been climbed, and a win that means Great Lakes Division title glory is further in the sights of this Detroit City Women’s side.
Dave Dwaihy’s ladies have two matches this coming week. First a trip to South Bend, Indiana on Juneteenth, on Wednesday, June 19th where a winless Michiana Lions team awaits (Detroit City won the first match 5-0, and Michiana’s last match was an 8-2 loss at AFC Ann Arbor on Sunday 6/16). After the home regular season finale on Saturday, June 22nd, at 4 PM Eastern against a Kalamazoo FC side Le Rouge played out to a 0-0 draw on Tuesday 6/4. Kalamazoo will be going to Atwood Stadium on Juneteenth, Wednesday 6/19 to take on Flint City; Kalamazoo won the first meeting 4-0, but will Flint City have something to prove from not only their first match but the 7-0 setback in Cleveland this past weekend. We all shall see.
Closing Thoughts
To me, it’s safe to say we can add Saturday, June 15th, 2024 to the ever-growing list of significant Detroit City matchdays both for the Men’s and Women’s sides. The first of two consecutive Keyworth Doubleheaders showed Detroit City sides that are not only resilient but are ready to continue to make a statement in their respective 2024 seasons. What will the future hold in the coming weeks for both Danny Dichio’s lads and Dave Dwahy’s ladies? We shall see and soon find out, for we in life like these Detroit City seasons will continue to move onward.
