Detroit City FC secured its third victory in a week, defeating Rhode Island FC 2-0 at their home stadium on Saturday. With an early red card handed to Rhode Island defender Frank Nodarse in the sixth minute, Detroit City capitalized on their numerical advantage. Darren Smith scored two goals in the victory, demonstrating his continuing form by recording goals in his third consecutive game.
Head coach Danny Dichio made significant changes to the starting lineup following a heavily rotated squad performance in the US Open Cup. Carlos Herrera returned as the goalkeeper, supported by defenders Devon Amoo-Mensah, Shane Wiedt, Stephen Carroll, and Michael Bryant. The midfield consisted of Jeciel Cedeño, Ryan Williams, Jay Chapman, and Rhys Williams, with Darren Smith and Connor Rutz leading the attack.
Detroit City’s persistent attacking pressure was evident from the start, with Jeciel Cedeño narrowly missing early on when his shot hit the crossbar. The breakthrough came in the 17th minute when Smith scored off a sequence involving a corner kick, with Amoo-Mensah assisting in setting up the goal. Shortly thereafter, Smith capitalized again, scoring off an assist from Rutz, marking his second league game in a row with a brace.
Despite being a player short, Rhode Island FC showed resilience in the second half, increasing their pressure on Detroit’s defense. However, both teams kept fouls to a minimum after the early red card incident, with JJ Williams and Alex Villanueva receiving yellow cards.
Substitutions in the second half saw Alex Villanueva and Jordan Adebayo-Smith taking the field, followed by Ben Morris and Ates Diouf. Rhys Williams nearly added a third goal but was thwarted by a narrow miss in the 87th minute.
Detroit held firm to secure the win after six minutes of stoppage time. This victory extends their unbeaten streak at home to four games, with goalkeeper Carlos Herrera achieving his second clean sheet of the season. For further updates and information about the team, fans are encouraged to visit detcityfc.com and follow their social media channels.
