DETROIT — Detroit City FC concedes two goals off corners with less than 10 minutes remaining, falling to Birmingham Legion FC 2-1. A goal right before the half by Rhys Williams gave Detroit a 1-0 lead, but goals in the 81st and 88th from Birmingham gave them the victory.
Head Coach Danny Dichio returns to USL Championship play with a refreshed lineup from Saturday’s friendly victory against Pumas UNAM. Carlos Saldaña started in goal, and Brett Levis, Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll, and Matt Sheldon would be the defensive backline. Abdoulaye Diop, James Murphy, and Maxi Rodriguez would be the midfielders. The three attackers up front were Ben Morris, Elvis Amoh, and Rhys Willams.
It was a struggle for both sides in the first half. Defensive pressure on both sides ensured the attacking third entries were few and far between.
Detroit was forced into an early substitution in the 15th minute as Alex Villanueva came on for Brett Levis.
Birmingham Legion had the first significant opportunity of the game in the 20th minute when multiple Detroit defenders redirected a cross out of the box.
A beautiful run from Alex Villanueva in the 38th minute led to a ball into the box for Rhys Williams. A stunning turn around a defender gives Williams a one-on-one opportunity against the goalkeeper, and he slots it into the bottom corner, giving Detroit a 1-0 lead.
The teams would go into the half with Detroit having a slim 1-0 advantage. Both sides would have to figure out how to get more on the attack in the second half.
Birmingham came out firing in the second half, with multiple opportunities in the first few minutes. Defensive pressure from Detroit forced a shot from Birmingham to go wide in the 48th minute, and in the 53rd minute, Carlos Saldaña was forced into a kick save off another Birmingham attack.
Detroit made a double change in the 58th minute as Ryan Williams and Yazeed Matthews entered the match for Rhys Williams and Elvis Amoh.
Maxi Rodriguez would get close to a second Detroit goal in the 72nd minute, as he got a one-on-one opportunity with the keeper but put the ball over the crossbar.
Le Rouge would make another double change in the 81st minute as Abdi Salim and Dominic Gasso came in for Alex Villanueva and James Murphy.
Off the substitution, Birmingham had a corner, and the ball was delivered into the box. It ended up with Derek Dodson, who put it in the back of the net and knotted this game up at 1-1.
Only minutes later, in the 88th minute, another Birmingham corner led to Phanuel Kavita getting the ball in the box and firing it into the top corner, giving Birmingham the 1-2 lead.
Detroit would chase for a late equalizer in the four minutes of extra time, but no equalizer could be found, as Birmingham Legion became the first road team to win at Keyworth this season.
Le Rouge does not have much time to rest after this matchup. On Saturday, they travel to Miami to face Miami FC. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM EDT.
Detroit City will return to Keyworth Stadium on July 6th to face off against Eastern Conference foe Tampa Bay Rowdies. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tickets for all Detroit City matches can be found at www.detcityfc.com/tickets.
Detroit City Starters: Carlos Saldaña, Brett Levis (15’), Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll, Matt Sheldon, Abdoulaye Diop, James Murphy (81’), Maxi Rodriguez, Ben Morris, Elvis Amoh (58’), Rhys Willams (58’)
Detroit City Substitutes: Nate Steinwascher, Alex Villanueva (15’) (81’), Victor Bezerra, Ryan Williams (58’), Abdi Salim (81’), Dominic Gasso (81’), Yazeed Matthews (58’)
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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Primary Media Contact: Jarrett Maki (Sports Information Director, jarrett.maki@detcityfc.com)
