Saturday, March 28, 2026 | 4:00 PM EDT
Keyworth Stadium | Hamtramck, Michigan
Detroit City FC vs. Charleston Battery
Watch: ESPN +, TUDN
Detroit City FC Match Notes | USL Championship Notes
2026 DCFC Roster | 2026 DCFC Schedule
Detroit City FC (5th, 3 pts) returns to Keyworth Stadium looking to bounce back from last weekend’s road defeat and reclaim the dominant form displayed in their season-opening victory. Le Rouge faces in-form Charleston Battery (4th, 6 pts), who arrives riding a two-game USL winning streak, seeking their third consecutive victory to start the season.
Charleston Battery has started the campaign perfectly with comeback victories over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-1) and Birmingham Legion (3-2), demonstrating resilience after conceding first in both matches. The Battery also advanced in the U.S. Open Cup with a dramatic 2-1 win over Florida Badgers FC, courtesy of Colton Swan’s stoppage-time winner in the 90th+12 minute.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Recent meetings have been closely contested, with four draws and two Charleston victories in the last six encounters. Detroit’s most recent win came in June 2024 (2-0). The teams drew 1-1 in their last meeting in October 2025.
DETROIT CITY FC TEAM NEWS: Mixed results, following an impressive home opener—3-0 victory over Brooklyn FC on March 14, 5-1 U.S. Open Cup win over Michigan Rangers on March 17, and then a 2-1 road defeat at Indy Eleven on March 21.
Key Performers:
Darren Smith leads the team with three goals in just 140 minutes of USL Championship action, scoring in the third and 32nd minutes against Brooklyn, plus one at Indy.
Chisom Egbuchulam scored on his USL Championship debut off the bench (85th minute) with an exquisite chip over the keeper.
Devon Amoo-Mensah (captain) provided an assist on Smith’s opening goal and anchors the backline.
Maxi Rodriguez orchestrates the attack from midfield, recording assists in both the Brooklyn match and the U.S. Open Cup.
Kobe Hernández-Foster leads the team with six chances created alongside Jeciel Cedeño.
Tactical Considerations: Detroit’s 3-0 home opener showcased their ability to dominate possession through Rodriguez, Ryan Williams, and Hernández-Foster’s midfield control. The challenge is replicating that performance after last week’s road setback while improving conversion efficiency (13% vs Charleston’s league-leading 22%).
MARCH 28 INJURY/SUSPENSION REPORT
Michael Bryant (lower body), Ben Morris (knee) and Aedan Stanley (knee) are all listed as out.
CHARLESTON BATTERY TEAM NEWS: Perfect start to the season with consecutive comeback victories in USL Championship play. Advanced in the U.S. Open Cup with a dramatic late winner.
Key Performers:
Emilio Ycaza leads Charleston with two goals and is their most dangerous attacking threat.
Miguel Berry‘s team-high 10 shots despite not yet scoring; hold-up play creates opportunities.
Colton Swan provided heroics in the U.S. Open Cup with a match-winning brace, including a 90th+12 winner.
Joey Akpunonu epitomizes Battery’s possession approach with a team-high 142 passes and one assist.
Nathan Messer leads with eight chances created from his defensive position; set-piece specialist.
Sean Suber and Graham Smith anchor the defense.
Tactical Considerations: Charleston leads the USL Championship in passing accuracy (84%) and emphasizes patient build-up play under Head Coach Ben Pirmann. However, defensive vulnerability remains—the Battery have conceded first in both league matches and are yet to record a clean sheet. This marks their first road test of the season.
QUICK FACTS
Charleston’s perfect 2-0-0 start in the USL Championship represents their best season opening in recent years, but their tendency to concede first (which happened in both wins) could be problematic against a Detroit side that has scored first in 100% of their victories this season.
Statistical Edge: Charleston boasts superior passing accuracy (84% vs 76%) and conversion rate (22% vs 13%), but Detroit holds the defensive advantage with one clean sheet compared to Charleston’s zero.
Darren Smith is tied for the USL Championship lead with three goals through two matches. His scoring rate of one goal every 47 minutes ranks among the league’s best.
This marks Charleston’s first away match of the 2026 season after two home victories.
Detroit City FC achieved its 50th regular-season win on March 14 with the victory against Brooklyn FC. The club’s regular-season record since joining the USL Championship in 2022 is 50-42-41.
For live updates, follow @DetroitCityFC on X and @detroitcityfootballclub on Instagram.
Next match: Detroit City FC travels to Grand Blanc, Mich., to take on the Flint City Bucks on April 1 at 7:30 p.m. and then to Rhode Island FC on Friday, April 4 at 4 p.m. EDT.
For more information about Detroit City FC, visit detcityfc.com
Media inquiries: media@detcityfc.com
