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DETROIT, Michigan – The Detroit City Football Club returns home to Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck on Saturday night to host Atlanta United 2. Kickoff on ESPN+ is set for 7:30 pm ET.
Le Rouge (6-3-2) comes home with a point from Miami FC after leading the match for 73 minutes thanks to forward Antoine Hoppenot’s fourth goal of the campaign – league leaders at six. Hoppenot has made 179 career appearances in the USL Championship and is one of just seven players to record 30 career goals and 30 career assists in league history. Hoppenot currently leads City – along with right back Rhys Williams – with three assists.
Saturday’s matchup between DCFC and Atlanta United 2 (2-0-7) is the second of the season. Le Rouge won the first meeting, 4-0, in Atlanta on April 9. City tallied three goals in the opening half with midfielder Michael Bryant adding a fourth in the 78th minute. The win was City’s first road victory in league play as members of the USL Championship and started a streak of three-straight league wins before falling at FC Tulsa, 3-1, on May 7.
Le Rouge’s roster features a pair of former Atlanta United 2 signees in Laye and Macky Diop. Both played for the side in 2020 and 2021. Laye returned to Detroit City ahead of 2022 – played for DCFC in 2019 – while Macky signed with Birmingham Legion. City announced a trade for Macky on April 27. The Diops combined for 56 appearances with Atlanta United 2 and nine goals.
Detroit City FC went 6-2-2 in its first 10 matches as members of the USL Championship, amassing 20 points which matches the Tampa Rowdies of 2017 for the best start in league history for a new member. Le Rouge’s +8 goal differential through the first 10 matches is tied with the 2019 New Mexico United side for the second-best mark to start a tenure in the USL Championship, with the 2017 Rowdies boasting a differential of +9. Since 2017, nine of 19 expansion sides have made the playoffs.
Atlanta United 2 enters Saturday 12th in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta has lost four of its last five and hasn’t played a match since a 4-0 loss at home to Louisville City on May 4.
Atlanta is the least whistled side in the league, conceding just 91 fouls while being showed only 16 yellow cards thus far – ATL UTD 2 has been shown three reds, one coming against Detroit City FC in a hard challenge that has left midfielder Brad Dunwell out of the lineup since.
Jackson Conway leads the side with four goals this season. Scoring has been an issue for the side, totaling just seven – second worst in the USL Championship behind Charleston Battery and NY Red Bulls II at six apiece.
Stopping goals hasn’t been a bright spot for Atlanta either, giving up 21 goals – the fourth highest tally in the league. Atlanta United 2 has yet to post a clean sheet, just one of two teams unable to accomplish the feat thus far – the other being defending champs Orange County SC.
Gates open at 6:30 pm on Saturday and tickets are available at tickets.detcityfc.com.
Follow @DetroitCityFCM on Twitter for in-match updates. For more information about Detroit City FC, visit detcityfc.com.com and follow @DetroitCityFC on Twitter and Facebook and @detroitcityfootballclub on Instagram. ##DCFC##
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