Detroit City FC wrapped up their 2026 campaign on Friday night, falling in the Conference Quarterfinals to Hartford Athletic 2-1 in front of a crowd of over 7,000 City Faithful.
Le Rouge gave supporters many reasons to celebrate all season long, ultimately finishing the regular season with a 18-9-10 record, ranked third in the Eastern Conference, and hosting their first playoff match at Keyworth Stadium since 2024.
Devon Amoo-Mensah Named Captain
Following Stephen Carroll’s retirement at the end of the 2025 season, Detroit City FC named Devon Amoo-Mensah the fourth captain in team history. Appearing in 161 matches across five seasons, Amoo-Mensah has been an iron man for Le Rouge, leading the team in minutes in 2026 and crossing 10,000 USL regular season minutes this year. Amoo-Mensah assisted on two goals in 2026 and scored Detroit City FC’s lone goal against Hartford Athletic in the Conference Quarterfinals in 2025.
Maxi Rodriguez Returns to Detroit
After spending the 2025 season with Rhode Island FC, club legend Maxi Rodriguez returned to Detroit City FC, signing a multi-year deal with Le Rouge prior to the start of the 2026 season. Rodriguez, who spent 2021-2024 with Detroit City FC, played in 30 matches in 2026, scoring two goals and recording four assists. Rodriguez continued to climb the Detroit City FC leaderboards, now sitting at 39 goals with Le Rouge (2nd all-time) and 173 appearances (3rd all-time)
US Open Cup Brings MLS to Keyworth
After defeating the Michigan Rangers and Flint City Bucks, Detroit City FC hosted MLS side Chicago Fire at Keyworth Stadium in April for the US Open Cup Round of 32. After conceding twice in the first half, Darren Smith put Le Rouge on the board. The Keyworth Stadium crowd of 6,229 came alive during a late Detroit City FC push, but Le Rouge came up just short and the Fire escaped Detroit with a 2-1 victory.
Darren Smith Scores Five Goals in Jacksonville
In June Darren Smith tied a league record by scoring five goals in a road match against Sporting Jax. Kobe Hernandez-Foster added a late goal to give Le Rouge a 6-2 victory. This was just the second time in USL Championship history that a player scored five goals in a single match (Mauricio Salles, 2013.) Ultimately, Smith finished the year with 14 goals, good for fifth in the league.
Defensive Dominance at Home
Detroit City FC was the best defensive team in the USL Championship in 2026, allowing a league-best 23 goals across the entire USL Championship campaign. Across 15 home matches, Le Rouge only conceded five goals and only one loss across the regular season. Entering the playoffs, Le Rouge had given up just one goal over 719 minutes – ranking fifth in league history.
Ben Morris Scores the Winner in His 100th Detroit City FC Match
After suffering a season-ending ACL injury in 2025, Ben Morris made his return to the pitch in May. Come July, Morris made his 100th career appearance for Le Rouge, as a second-half substitute at Birmingham Legion. In the 92nd minute, Morris scored his first goal of the season, giving Detroit City a crucial 2-1 victory on the road.
Danny Dichio Signs Contract Extension, Reaches 100 Matches with Detroit City FC
Head Coach Danny Dichio signed a two year contract extension prior to the start of the 2026 season, keeping him with Le Rouge through at least the 2027 season. Dichio coached his 100th match for Detroit City FC on August 1st against Miami FC. Dichio is the second coach to reach the 100 match mark and now ranks second in Detroit City FC history with 114 matches coached, second to only Trevor James.
Kobe Hernandez-Foster’s Full-Field Goal Sends Detroit City FC to the Playoffs
With an opportunity to clinch their spot in the USL Championship playoffs, Le Rouge traveled to Brooklyn for a weeknight match in late September. After jumping out to a 2-0 lead, Brooklyn scored on a penalty kick to bring them within one. In the 93rd minute, a Kobe Hernandez-Foster clearance off a Brooklyn FC corner from the Detroit City FC penalty area rolled all the way past the goal line, giving Detroit City FC a 3-1 lead, and eventual victory. The win clinched Detroit City FC’s spot in the USL Championship playoffs, their fifth appearance in five years after joining the league in 2022.
Haruki Yamazaki Named 2026 Black Arrow MVP
Haruki Yamazaki, in his second year with Detroit City FC, was named the Black Arrow MVP for the club, as voted on by coaches, owners, and supporters. Named to the USL Team of the Week five times across the season, Yamazaki appeared in 37 matches on the year, playing 3,068 minutes. His goal against Forward Madison gave Detroit City FC three points in the USL Cup standings. Most impressively, his 105 regular-season fouls drawn led the USL Championship by 31.
Carlos Herrera Wins Golden Glove
Following the conclusion of the 2026 regular season, Detroit City FC goalkeeper Carlos Herrera was named the USL Championship’s Golden Glove, given annually to the league’s best goalkeeper. In 27 league matches, Herrera had 14 clean sheets and allowed 0.65 goals per game, both marks were the best in the league. Herrera’s 0.65 goals-against average ranked fifth in USL Championship history.
Team Leaders – Across All Competitions
Goals: Darren Smith (16)
Assists: Kobe Hernandez-Foster (5)
Minutes Played: Devon Amoo-Mensah (3,195)
Chances Created: Kobe Hernandez-Foster (47)
Fouls Won: Haruki Yamazaki (111)
Clean Sheets: Carlos Herrera (16)
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Please send all media inquiries to media@detcityfc.com.
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