After a summer of doom and gloom, Detroit City has once again found a spark in
the regular season’s closing stage.
They extended their current unbeaten run with a 4-1 thumping of Orange County at Keyworth Stadium last Saturday. That win, combined with other results, has consolidated Le Rouge’s position in a playoff spot.
Even after three wins and two draws in the last five matches, the club remains in the sixth spot of the USL Championship Eastern Conference, where they have been steadily for some time. However, they are eight points above the playoff line with seven games remaining.
Now, Danny Dichio’s team can start to think about passing teams ahead of them. North Carolina currently holds the fourth spot, meaning a home playoff game. They are just one point above Detroit City, but have an extra game to play. City remains five points behind third place Loudoun United.
Last Saturday night, even the most ardent supporters will have left Keyworth giddy beyond their expectations after the four goal outburst against Orange County. It’s a rarity to see that kind of offensive explosion. Darrin Smith started the scoring in the twelfth minute, outhustling a defender to Devon Amoo-Mensah’s ball over the back line and lobbing goalkeeper Colin Shutler. Orange County captain Ethan Zubak equalized from the penalty spot after sixteen minutes, but that was a minor setback.
Ates Diouf restored City’s lead just five minutes later with a thunderous strike. Darrin Smith flicked a clearance to his strike partner, sending him rushing away from the back line. He left Shutler no chance with a rising drive into the roof of the net.
Jeciel Cedeno extended the lead before halftime when Haruki Yamazaki poked the ball to him at the top of the penalty area. Again, Shutler just couldn’t reach the curling drive inside the post to his left.
DCFC was in dreamland up 3-1 at halftime. They spent the second half ensuring
that their lead remained intact. Dichio used his substitutions to rest some players ahead of a long midweek trip to New Mexico. Alex Villanueva wrapped up the scoring late in the second half. Jordan Adebayo-Smith nodded down a cross and the left back slipped through the back to finish past Shutler at the near post. That ignited one final celebration from the more than 6,000 fans packed into Keyworth.
The final stretch for DCFC will be brutal. The end of the season includes meetings with Louisville City and the Charleston Battery, the top two teams in the league by far. They also have to meet Lexington, which has become one of the hottest teams over the last month and jumped into the Western Conference playoff chase. The only break will be the regular season finale in Tampa. The Rowdies are near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and will be hard pressed to make a run to a playoff spot.
DCFC has rounded into form when it matters most. This is almost a repeat of last season with a long summer slump and then a rousing finish to secure a home playoff game. The club will be hoping to carry the positive momentum as long as possible so they can finish high enough to earn a home playoff game this year.
Upcoming Events
Detroit City FC picked up a crucial three points Saturday night with a 4-1 victory over Orange County SC at Keyworth. Darren Smith, Ates Diouf, and Jeciel Cedeño struck in the first half before Alex Villanueva sealed the result late. With the win, DCFC extends its unbeaten run to five matches (three wins, two draws) and moves up to fifth in the Eastern Conference table on 32 points. Le Rouge have conceded just four goals in their last eight outings, with only one coming from open play.
Le Rouge return to Keyworth on September 20 at 7:00 pm, hosting New Mexico United, to kick off a four-match homestand, starting against Lexington SC.
