Detroit City FC

Early years

Detroit City FC was started by a group of five Detroit residents who wanted a club of their own that would promote the city and help build community through soccer.^[7] In their first season in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), Detroit City FC finished second in the five team Great Lakes Conference of the Midwest Region. Le Rouge went on to lose 2–1 to AFC Cleveland in the Great Lakes Conference Semi-finals, ending their season with a 5–2–5 record. In December 2012, it was announced that head coach Kylie Stannard and associate coach Cale Wassermann would not be returning for a second season with the team due to other obligations. The following month, Ben Pirmann took over as head coach and Adil Salmoni was hired as associate head coach.

In 2013, Detroit City finished first in the Great Lakes Conference of the Midwest Region and was ranked No. 1 in the NPSL following an undefeated regular season and a Rust Belt Derby Championship. After beating rival AFC Cleveland for the third time that season in the semi-finals 3–1, DCFC lost to the Erie Admirals, ending the season with a 12–1–1 record.^[8]

The club went 8–3–3 in all competitions in 2014 and finished in second place in a newly aligned Great Lakes West Conference of the Midwest Region of the NPSL. Detroit City FC made its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup debut on May 7, losing to RWB Adria in penalty kicks after a 2–2 draw. In the NPSL regular season, the club claimed the Rust Belt Derby trophy for its second-straight year. Additionally, the team extended its home winning streak to 15 games, with its last home loss being in July 2013. In attendance, the club reached its Cass Tech record of 3,884 supporters for its 3–1 win against the Michigan Stars on July 11, 2015.^[9]

Move to Keyworth

Keyworth Stadium

Keyworth Stadium within Wayne County, Michigan with the city of Hamtramck highlighted.

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Keyworth Stadium

Keyworth Stadium within Michigan

Show map of Michigan

The 2016 pre-season began with the Keyworth investment drive, which raised $741,250^[10] for restorations and renovations on Keyworth Stadium. On March 10, Detroit City began roster announcements confirming the return of the 2015 Black Arrow MVP Dave Edwardson.^[11] Detroit City played its first home game in Keyworth on May 20, 2016, drawing 1–1 against AFC Ann Arbor in front of a then-record 7,410 supporters. Detroit City saw success in the US Open Cup beating the Michigan Bucks on penalties^[12] before falling to Louisville City FC, a professional team and part of the then third division USL, also on penalties.^[13] The 2016 NPSL regular season proved less successful, with the team failing to make it to the play-offs and finishing with a 4–4–4 record. In August 2016, Detroit City confirmed Ben Pirmann would return for a fifth season with the club.^[14]

After the launch of the 2017 season tickets, the club announced from Belfast that they would face off against Glentoran F.C. in May to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Detroit Cougars.^[15] Glentoran FC played in the United Soccer Association as the Detroit Cougars in the 1967 season when they went 3–6–3.^[16] Detroit City also had an international friendly against Venezia FC that they won 2–0. Despite starting the 2017 NPSL campaign with two points from three games, Detroit City went on a nine-game winning streak to finish second over-all in the Great Lakes Conference. The post-season included three wins, including a 3–2 win over first place Ann Arbor to win the Midwest Championship.^[17] Detroit ended its season in the NPSL national semi-finals with a loss on penalties against Midland-Odessa FC, from Texas, in front of a record crowd of 7,533.^[18]

Early in 2018, original founder Ben Steffans left the ownership group and was replaced by Mike Lasinski as a full partner,^[19] and Joe Richert, a minor partner who was not outwardly announced or involved with running the club.^[20] Following the conclusion of the 2018 season, the club opened the Detroit City Fieldhouse in Detroit, Michigan.^[21] The Fieldhouse includes a "clubhouse" bar, two indoor soccer fields, and the club's front office and training facilities. It was also announced that head coach Ben Pirmann was stepping down to join Memphis 901 FC as an assistant coach.^[22] His successor, Trevor James, a former Ipswich Town F.C. player who later was an assistant coach and scout under Bobby Robson, was announced January 4, 2019.^[23]

Detroit City finished first in the Midwest-Great Lakes conference for the 2019 season, but was knocked out in the region finals by Cleveland SC on penalties.^[24] In the NPSL Members Cup, Detroit City came in first with an overall record of 8–1–1.^[25]

Moving up to professional soccer

On August 15, 2019, the National Independent Soccer Association announced that Detroit City FC would join the NISA for the 2020 season.^[26] On September 28, 2019, Detroit City FC announced that they would be adding a women's side in 2020, participating in United Women's Soccer (UWS).^[27]

The 2020 seasons were complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The NISA 2019–20 Spring season was canceled after Detroit City had only played a single match and the 2020 UWS season was canceled in the months before kickoff. On June 19, 2020, Detroit City announced that they would host a UWS Stadium Showcase at the end of July.^[28] In the showcase, the Detroit City women would compete against Lansing United, Midwest United, and Livonia FC. Detroit won their first-ever home match 2–1 against Lansing,^[29] but lost to Midwest United 1–3 in the final.^[30] NISA announced on July 1, 2020, of an Independent Cup involving 15 teams in 4 regions.^[31] Detroit City FC would compete in the Great Lakes Division with former NPSL rivals FC Buffalo and Cleveland SC.

On July 30, 2020, the front office announced the sale of non-share "units" to fans and the public at large,^[32] allowing fan investment in the club, while the newly created Board of Managers would remain in control of decisions through Class A Membership. Originally announced to run through November 20, more than 2,000 supporters pledged over $1,000,000 in five days, putting the club at the limit for investment.^[33]

Joining the USL

On November 13, 2021, it was announced that Detroit City would join the USL Championship for the 2022 season, becoming the third NISA team to join the league after Miami FC and Oakland Roots SC.^[34]

After playing them to a home draw (and watching Sacramento Republic FC beat Miami FC in a late-night game by a goal by Michigan-native Russell Cicerone^[35][36] to keep City tied on points with Miami and advance by clinching the last playoff spot, holding the season series over Miami 1-0-1),^[37] City would go into top-ranked Pittsburgh (who had 19 wins and 67 points that season), and, from a Dominic Gasso (who had just signed a pro contract, the first to come from an academy contract)^[38] goal (his first-ever pro goal) in the 78' and late saves by goalie Nate Steinwascher, Detroit upset Pittsburgh as the 8-seed, giving them their first playoff win since joining the league,^[39] having made the playoffs the season before but having lost the first round to Memphis 901 FC.^[40]

On May 16, 2024, the club announced plans to build a new soccer-specific stadium at the location of the abandoned Southwest Detroit Hospital near Corktown and Mexicantown. Construction is slated to begin in the spring of 2025, and the club is hopeful that the stadium will be completed in time for the start of the 2027 season.^[41][42] The stadium was named AlumniFi Field in August 2025.^[2]

The club has reported losses of $9.62 million since joining the USL, including $1.23 million in 2021, $2.91 million in 2022, $2.27 million in 2023, and $3.21 million in 2024.^[43]

In the community

Since its beginning in 2012, Detroit City FC has been dedicated to supporting the city of Detroit and building community through its own partnerships and philanthropic missions, as noted in the club's motto, "Passion for our city. Passion for the game."^[44]

The club operates the Detroit City Futbol League, a recreational, community-driven adult soccer league in the summer.^[45] In 2014, the team announced its first fall recreational adult league, Soktoberfest.^[46] Detroit City FC also works with Think Detroit PAL to operate free youth soccer clinics and provide free admission to Detroit PAL participants.

Each season, one regular-season home game is dedicated as a fundraiser for a Detroit-area charity. On May 26, 2013, the club's match against Zanesville Athletic benefited the Wounded Warrior Project and Hooligans for Heroes, a nonprofit started by members of the Northern Guard Supporters. On June 6, 2014, the club became the first American sports team to wear a uniform in support of LGBTQ+ inclusion in a regulation match. Le Rouge dedicated the June 6 match versus Erie Admirals S.C. to inclusivity in sports, auctioning off the commemorative jerseys to benefit the Ruth Ellis Center, a Highland Park, MI., shelter for at-risk, runaway and homeless LGBTQ youth.^[47] For the 2015 season, City donned their alternate kits to support Think Detroit PAL, auctioning the game-worn kits to support youth league soccer in the city.^[48] On June 9, 2016, it was announced that the June 25 game against Dayton Dynamo would be their annual charity match, supporting Freedom House Detroit, a non-profit supporting refugees seeking asylum in the United States and Canada.^[49]

In 2014, the club announced its partnership with United Way of Southeastern Michigan to support its "Michigan No Kid Hungry" initiative and promote healthy lifestyles for youth in Detroit.^[50] On September 7, 2014, City hosted its inaugural Detroit Public Schools Showcase, which featured a friendly match for City followed by a regulation match between Cass Tech High School and Detroit Renaissance High School, with proceeds from the night going toward the boys soccer programs.^[51] The club has strong ties with Cass Tech High School, investing thousands of dollars into improving the Cass Tech field, a benefit to both the soccer and football programs. City also presented the Cass Tech girls soccer program with new uniforms early in the 2014 season.

Supporters

Detroit City has several supporter groups, with the largest and most notable being the Northern Guard Supporters. The majority of the supporter culture is politically left-leaning, and banners and flags supporting various traditionally left-wing causes and issues can be seen throughout their section of the stadium.^[52][53]

According to a 2020 feature in the Morning Star, the club and its supporters are noted for their progressive, anti-fascist and community-driven ethos. Founded in 2012, Detroit City FC was established as part of efforts to aid Detroit's cultural and social regeneration through grassroots football. The Northern Guard Supporters are described as anti-racist, anti-fascist and inclusive, with open support for movements such as Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ+ equality. A smaller group, the Keyworth Casuals, is portrayed as more explicitly leftist, engaging in social activism including refugee support and local equality campaigns.^[54]

Both the club's management and supporters are reported to share a commitment to maintaining independence and resisting commercialisation. Chief executive Sean Mann has rejected investor offers that would alter the club's ethos, emphasising community ownership and social responsibility.^[54] Supporters also back various social causes, including the annual Prideraiser campaign and local partnerships benefiting LGBTQ+ youth.^[55][56]

Rivalries

Prior to the break-up of the NPSL Midwest-Great Lakes conference, supporters of Detroit City FC, FC Buffalo, and AFC Cleveland formed the 'Rust Belt Derby'. The winner of the Derby was based on the head-to-head record of the clubs during regular season NPSL matches.^[57] These were typically high pressure games and particular fan favorites, especially by Detroit City FC supporter groups who have been known to greatly antagonize DCFC's opponents.^[58] Cleveland won the inaugural Rust Belt Derby on June 23, 2012, following a 1–1 draw with Detroit.^[59] Detroit City FC would come back and win the 2013 Rust Belt Derby trophy after beating FC Buffalo 2–1. The 2014 trophy went to Detroit on goal differential after all three teams finished with a win and a loss in Derby play, and Detroit would win again in 2015 after a 1–1 draw in the FC Buffalo-AFC Cleveland Derby match that Buffalo needed to win by more than a goal to take the trophy. The last Derby was in 2016 after the Great Lakes conference was split into East and West. FC Buffalo and Detroit City FC contested the derby without AFC Cleveland through home and away friendlies.^[60]

AFC Ann Arbor was another rival of Detroit City prior to the two clubs leaving the NPSL and joining the USL League Two and NISA respectively. The history and proximity of the two cities cause their clashes to be important to supporters. In 2017, Ann Arbor won the Midwest Conference Regular Season title over City, who finished in second.^[61] Both teams qualified for the NPSL playoffs. The two teams faced each other again in the playoffs, with the Midwest Region title on the line. City defeated 10-man Ann Arbor 3–2 to ensure their passage into the NPSL Semifinals.^[62]

A cross-league rivalry has developed with the Flint City Bucks (formerly the Michigan Bucks), the other major 4th Division team in Metro-Detroit. The two faced off in the Opening Round of the U.S. Open Cup in 2015, 2016, and 2018, with the Bucks winning the first meeting 3–0 and City taking the second two meetings in penalties (0–0, 4–3 PK) in 2016 and (1–1, 5–4 PK) in 2018. The two sides met for a friendly on May 4, 2019. Flint City won the match 1–0.^[63] The 2026 U.S. Open Cup saw another matchup, with Detroit City defeating Flint City 1-0 in the second-round game.

Detroit City supporters have demonstrated an antipathy for the U.S. professional system, particularly Major League Soccer, who has long targeted Detroit for expansion. DCFC has played well against MLS opposition, including a 2–1 victory over the Columbus Crew in the 2022 U.S. Open Cup and the Houston Dynamo in the 2024 edition.

With the announcement of a women's team joining the United Women's Soccer in 2020, Detroit City would be rejoining previous rivals AFC Ann Arbor and Lansing United. They would later continue that rivalry with AFC Ann Arbor in 2021 after both teams moved to the newly returning USL W-League.

Crest

Detroit City FC's crest depicts The Spirit of Detroit against a maroon background dotted with gold fleurs-de-lis, in homage to Detroit’s Francophone heritage.^[64]

Kit

Detroit City FC home kits are predominantly a dark shade of red or maroon, referred to as "rouge" as a reference to the club's nickname. Away kits are most often white, though champagne kits have also been worn, most recently in 2021. In 2019 Detroit issued its first set of third kits, which were black. Starting in 2013 and each season afterwards, the club releases an extra kit design as a "charity kit". These kits are then auctioned off at the end of a specified match to raise funds for a local Detroit charity. In 2020 there was no charity kit given the much shorter schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kit history

Home, away, and third kits.

• Home

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

• Away

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2026

• Third

2024

2025

Sponsorship

Current roster

As of April 6, 2026^[83][84]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

More information No., Pos. ...

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  MEX Carlos Herrera 2 DF  USA Rhys Williams 3 DF  USA Aedan Stanley 4 DF  CAN Callum Montgomery 6 MF  ENG Ryan Williams 7 FW  RSA Darren Smith 8 MF  SEN Abdoulaye Diop 9 FW  ENG Ben Morris 10 FW  ECU Jeciel Cedeño 11 FW  USA Connor Rutz 12 MF  USA Michael Bryant 14 DF  JPN Haruki Yamazaki 15 FW  USA Alex Dalou

No. Pos. Nation Player 16 GK  ZIM Tatenda Mkuruva 17 MF  BRA Rafael Mentzingen 18 FW  CMR Tabort Etaka Preston 20 DF  USA Rio Hope-Gund 21 MF  USA Maxi Rodriguez 22 MF  USA Kobe Hernandez-Foster 26 FW  NGA Chisom Egbuchulam 30 DF  USA Devon Amoo-Mensah (C) 32 FW  SEN Ates Diouf 33 DF  USA Tommy Silva 66 MF  PLE Bilal Obeid ([A]) 91 GK  USA Carlos Saldaña

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Head coaches

• Men's: Danny Dichio
• Women's (USL W League): David Dwaihy
• Women's (Major Arena Soccer League): Dani Evans

Sporting Director

• Vacant^[85]

Board of Managers

• Sean Mann – CEO
• Todd Kropp – COO
• Alex Wright
• David Dwaihy
• Mike Lasinski

Managerial History

More information Dates, Name ...

Dates	Name	Nationality
2012	Kylie Stannard	United States
2013– 2018	Ben Pirmann	United States
2019– 2023	Trevor James	England
2024–	Danny Dichio	England

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MVP recipients

At the conclusion of each season fans get to vote for the team's most valuable players, the Black Arrow Award. The title of the trophy is taken from the nickname of Gil Heron, a Jamaican born player who lived in Detroit and who later became the first-ever black player for Celtic F.C.

Year-by-year

Men's team

Main article: List of Detroit City FC seasons

This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by Detroit City. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Detroit City FC seasons.

More information Season, Record ...

Season	Record										Position		Playoffs	USOC	USL Cup	Avg. Attendance	Top goalscorer
	Tier	League	Conf/Div	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	Conf	Ovr					Name	Goals
2021 Fall	3	NISA		18	14	3	1	35	10	45	–	1st	W	NH	N/A	4,280	Maxi Rodriguez	7
2022	2	USLC	Eastern	34	14	12	8	44	30	54	7th	10th	R1	Ro32		6,118	Maxi Rodriguez	9
2023		USLC	Eastern	34	11	8	15	30	39	41	8th	18th	QF	R3		6,032	Ben Morris	7
2024		USLC	Eastern	34	15	11	8	46	32	56	3rd	4th	R1	Ro16		6,312	Maxi Rodriguez	12
2025		USLC	Eastern	30	9	10	11	33	35	37	8th	15th		Ro32	R1	6,229	Darren Smith	13

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Tournaments

More information Name, Year ...

Name	Year	Group	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	Pts.	Playoffs	Top goalscorer
												Name	Total
NPSL Members Cup	2019	N/A	1st	10	8	1	1	17	4	25	N/A	Yazeed Matthews	5
NISA Independent Cup	2020	Great Lakes	1st	2	2	0	0	6	0	6	N/A	Shawn Lawson Connor Rutz	2
NISA Legends Cup	2021	Group 2	3rd	2	1	1	0	2	0	4	Champions	Six players tied	1
NISA Independent Cup	2021	Great Lakes	1st	3	3	0	0	17	2	9	N/A	Yazeed Matthews	4

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Yearly attendance

Source^{[87][88][89][90]}

International friendlies

Starting in 2016, after the move to Keyworth, Detroit City began a yearly tradition to invite at least one international club for a friendly per year. This excludes Windsor TFC, which is based just miles away in neighboring Windsor and was played yearly since the club's first season up until 2020. These invitations are often extended to a club that has a similar ethos to Detroit City,^[91][92] or holds historical significance to the city of Detroit.^[93] The 2018 match against Serie A side Frosinone Calcio set a new club attendance record of 7,887.^[94] In 2019, after announcing that the club was to play Lobos BUAP^[95] of Mexico, Lobos faced financial trouble and was replaced both in the Liga MX and the friendly with FC Juárez.

More information Year, Opponent ...

Year	Opponent	Result
2016	FC United of Manchester	3–3[96]
2017	Glentoran FC	1–0[97]
	Venezia F.C.	2–0[98]
2018	FC St. Pauli[99]	2–6[100]
	Club Necaxa[101]	1–2[102]
	Frosinone Calcio[103]	0–10[104]
2019	FC Juárez[105]	1–3[106]
	Club Atlas[107]	2–1[108]
2024	Pumas UNAM[109]	1–0[110]
2025	Club Santos Laguna	0–1[111]

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