Detroit City Tops Tampa Bay 2-0 After Weather Delay at Keyworth

Jonathan Turner
Aug 24
2 min read

NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com

Detroit City Tops Tampa Bay 2-0 After Weather Delay at Keyworth

DETROIT — Detroit City FC earned a statement victory on Saturday night at Keyworth Stadium, defeating the Tampa Bay Rowdies 2-0 in a match that featured two first-half goals and a lengthy weather delay.

First-Half FirepowerAtes Diouf broke the deadlock in the 30th minute, finishing off a counter-attack after Kobe Hernandez-Foster forced a turnover and slipped him through on goal. Just eight minutes later, Matt Sheldon delivered a pinpoint ball to Darren Smith, who doubled the lead with his second goal in as many matches.

Smith nearly had a brace early in the second half, but his 51st-minute strike was ruled offside.

VIDEO COURTESY OF NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK

Weather Impacts the MatchHeavy rain arrived midway through the second half, forcing a weather delay of more than 90 minutes. Play eventually resumed after 10 p.m., but both sides adopted a conservative approach in the final 20 minutes.

Head coach Danny Dichio once again adjusted his lineup, with Carlos Saldaña starting in goal behind a back line of Haruki Yamazaki, Michael Bryant, Devon Amoo-Mensah, and Sheldon. The midfield featured Hernandez-Foster, Ryan Williams, Alex Villanueva, and Jeciel Cedeño, with Smith and Diouf paired up top.

Defensive StabilityDetroit’s defensive unit held strong after the restart, limiting Tampa Bay’s attacking chances and preserving the shutout. For Saldaña, it marked his fourth clean sheet in the last six matches across all competitions.

Late SubstitutionsDichio turned to his bench in the closing minutes, bringing on Abdoulaye Diop and Jordan Adebayo-Smith in the 88th minute, followed by Bilal Obeid in stoppage time.

Looking Ahead The win moves Detroit City into fifth place in the Eastern Conference as they continue their home stand at Keyworth. Le Rouge will host San Antonio FC in an inter-conference clash on Saturday, August 30.

Box Score: Detroit City FC 2 – 0 Tampa Bay Rowdies

USL Championship – August 23, 2025 – Keyworth Stadium, Hamtramck, MIAttendance: 6,686

Match Summary

Goals:
- 30' — †Ates Diouf† (1–0)
- 39' — †Darren Smith† (2–0)

Match Statistics

Category	Detroit City (DET)	Tampa Bay (TBR)
Shots (Total)	9	9
Shots on Goal	6	3
Yellow Cards	0	3
Corner Kicks	2	1
Saves	3	4

Starting XI: Carlos Saldaña; Haruki Yamazaki, Michael Bryant, Devon Amoo-Mensah, Matt Sheldon; Kobe Hernandez-Foster (90+1’), Ryan Williams, Alex Villanueva, Jeciel Cedeño; Darren Smith (88’), Ates Diouf (88’)

Substitutes: Shane Wiedt, Jay Chapman, Abdoulaye Diop (88’), Carlos Herrera, Sebastián Guenzatti, Dominic Gasso, Bilal Obeid (90+1’), Jordan Adebayo-Smith (88’)

Tickets for all matches are available at detcityfc.com/tickets. Fans can follow @DetroitCityFC on X and Facebook, and @detroitcityfootballclub on Instagram for the latest updates.