Detroit City Wire

DETROIT — Detroit City FC returns to Keyworth Stadium this Saturday for an Eastern Conference matchup against Tampa Bay Rowdies. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM EDT and will be streamed live on the Golazo Network and broadcast locally on Detroit50 (WKBD-TV). Supporters located in Michigan can stream the match for free at www.cbsnews.com/detroit.

Le Rouge comes into this match off of a 4-0 road victory against Miami FC last weekend. After a difficult first half, Rhys Williams found the back of the net right before halftime to give Detroit a 1-0 lead. The floodgates opened for DCFC in the second half, as Michael Bryant doubled the lead in the 51st minute, and then a Maxi Rodriguez brace off of the bench closed out the game as Le Rouge jumped back into fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

For his performance against Miami, Michael Bryant was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for week 17. In addition to his goal, Bryant completed 65 of 68 passes and won 3 of 4 attempted duels throughout the match.

Tampa Bay Rowdies come into this match sitting one position above DCFC in the Eastern Conference standings. Rowdies currently sit in fourth place on 28 points, just two points above DCFC’s 26 points. A win for Le Rouge would see them leap back into the top four, above the line for a home playoff match.

Last weekend, Tampa Bay fell on the road to Loudoun United 2-0. Despite controlling possession throughout the game, Rowdies couldn’t find the back of the net, as Loudoun broke through their defense in both halves.

Tampa Bay striker Manuel Arteaga is having an outstanding season so far. Through 15 matches this season, Arteaga has scored ten times, ranking third most in USL Championship play.

These two clubs faced off twice last season, with Rowdies winning both times. In their most recent encounter, it was a night to forget for Le Rouge in St. Petersburg as Rowdies walked away with a 5-1 victory. Last time out at Keyworth Stadium, Rowdies secured a narrow 1-0 victory from a Charlie Dennis penalty kick in the 79th minute.

Detroit City continues its short two-game homestead next Saturday by facing Western Conference foe Memphis 901 FC. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets for all Detroit City matches can be found at www.detcityfc.com/tickets.

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