Detroit City Wire

Detroit City Football Club will begin a three-game home stretch at Keyworth Stadium this Saturday, facing the Tampa Bay Rowdies in an Eastern Conference matchup. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m., with live coverage on ESPN+ and local broadcast on CW Detroit 50 (WKBD-TV). Michigan residents can also stream the match for free on CBSDetroit.com.

Detroit City comes into the fixture after a 1-1 draw against North Carolina FC last weekend. North Carolina controlled the early part of that match and scored first, but Detroit responded as Darren Smith netted the equalizer in the 63rd minute, marking his first goal since May.

Midfielder Kobe Hernandez-Foster was recognized for his performance in that match, earning a spot on the USL Championship Team of the Week for the first time with Detroit City. He assisted Smith’s goal and contributed to attacking play by completing 88% of his 65 passes and winning all four duels.

Forward Sebastián Guenzatti will face his former team, having played six seasons with Tampa Bay Rowdies. Guenzatti became Tampa Bay’s all-time leading goalscorer with 65 goals from 2017 to 2022 and led their scoring charts in four consecutive seasons between 2018 and 2021.

Tampa Bay has had a difficult season so far, currently ranked 12th in the Eastern Conference with 18 points and holding the most losses in the league at eleven. The club parted ways with manager Robbie Neilson in April and saw Steve Coleman take over temporarily before hiring Dominic Casciato, previously with Union Omaha, in July. Since Casciato's appointment, Tampa Bay has recorded two wins, one draw, and three losses.

The Rowdies are coming off a recent 1-1 draw against Phoenix Rising FC. Phoenix dominated possession during that game and scored first in the second half. However, Tampa Bay responded quickly as Manuel Arteaga scored with a header just two minutes later to level the match.

"Le Rouge will enter Saturday’s match off a 1-1 draw at North Carolina FC last weekend. North Carolina dominated the first 30 minutes, which led to its only goal of the match. After the goal, Detroit City took control of the game with North Carolina sitting back, and it would be Darren Smith scoring the equalizer in the 63rd minute for Detroit in his first goal since May."

"For his performance in the midfield on Friday night, Kobe Hernandez-Foster was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for the first time in a Detroit City shirt. The midfielder claimed the assist on Darren Smith’s second-half goal. Hernandez-Foster was also crucial in development of attacking play, completing 88% of his 65 passes and winning all four of his duels."

"For forward Sebastián Guenzatti, he will be facing off against his former club on Saturday night. Guenzatti spent six seasons with club becoming club’s all-time leading goalscorer with 65 goals between 2017 to 2022, and led Tampa Bay in scoring in four consecutive seasons between 2018 to 2021."

"A disaster start to season for Tampa Bay Rowdies as club struggles to find its way out of Eastern Conference basement as they currently sit in twelfth place on eighteen points. With eleven losses on season that is most in USL Championship. After sacking manager Robbie Neilson in April and undergoing caretaker spell under Steve Coleman Tampa Bay appointed former Union Omaha manager Dominic Casciato back in July where he has picked up two wins one draw and three losses since being appointed."

"Tampa Bay enters this match off a one-one draw against Phoenix Rising FC last weekend. It was a match that Phoenix dominated throughout holding sixty-six percent of possession leading to them finding breakthrough seventy-third minute. Tampa Bay would be right back on attack just two minutes later and it would be Manuel Arteaga header that would find back of net leveling match at one-one."