DETROIT — Detroit City Football Club continues a three-game homestand this Friday night in a nationally televised Eastern Conference battle against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. Kickoff from Keyworth Stadium is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.
DCFC comes into this match after a tough 2-1 loss to Hartford Athletic last Saturday evening. Two goals resulting from defensive mistakes put Detroit behind early, but a brilliant goal from Ates Diouf in the 38th minute cut the deficit in half. Le Rouge had multiple chances in the second half to level the score, but Hartford’s keeper made multiple key saves to secure the three points. For Detroit, it’s a fourth game lost in the last five USL Championship matches.
After a difficult start to the season, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds have bounced back and are climbing the table, having claimed ten points over their past five league matches. Riverhounds currently sit in fifth place in the Eastern Conference, one point ahead of Detroit City with one game in hand.
Pittsburgh enters this match off a 2-2 draw against Loudoun United on Sunday night. After going down 1-0 early on in the match, Pittsburgh answered right back with a converted Augustine Williams penalty. Pittsburgh took the lead in the 74th minute with a brilliant Robbie Mertz goal, but a defensive lapse in the second half of stoppage time saw Loudoun equalize and steal a point on the road.
Both Pittsburgh and Detroit City will have work to do in the final group stage games of USL Jägermeister Cup next week. Detroit sits in third place on five points, and Pittsburgh is in fourth on three points. Detroit is the only side that can potentially advance, but they need help from other teams to do so.
These two teams have already faced each other twice this season. Detroit City won the first match at Keyworth Stadium when Darren Smith scored a stoppage-time goal to secure a 1-0 victory in the Jägermeister Cup. A few weeks later, at Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh earned a 2-0 win. Overall, Pittsburgh holds a slight series lead at 3-2, but the two teams have drawn four times.
Detroit City concludes a three-game homestand and the Jägermeister Cup group stage next Saturday, July 26, in another nationally televised match against Westchester SC. Tickets for all Detroit City matches are available at www.detcityfc.com/tickets.
For more information about Detroit City FC, visit detcityfc.com and follow @DetroitCityFC on X and Facebook and @detroitcityfootballclub on Instagram.
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