Detroit City FC

Did You Know?

• On July 30, 2020, the club sold non-share 'units' to fans; more than 2,000 supporters pledged over $1,000,000 in five days.
• Dominic Gasso scored his first-ever pro goal in the 78th minute to give Detroit a playoff upset over top-ranked Pittsburgh in 2022, becoming the first player to come from an academy contract.

History

Five Detroit locals founded Detroit City FC with the goal of using soccer to promote their city and strengthen community bonds. The club entered the National Premier Soccer League and, in its debut season, placed second in the five-team Great Lakes Conference of the Midwest Region. They fell 2-1 to AFC Cleveland in the conference semifinals, finishing with a 5-2-5 record. After the season, head coach Kylie Stannard and associate coach Cale Wassermann stepped down due to other commitments.

Ben Pirmann took over as head coach in January 2013, with Adil Salmoni as his associate. The following year, Detroit City topped the Great Lakes Conference, went undefeated in the regular season, and won the Rust Belt Derby, earning the number one NPSL ranking. They defeated rival AFC Cleveland 3-1 in the semifinals but lost to the Erie Admirals, ending with a 12-1-1 record. In 2014, the team went 8-3-3, finished second in the newly formed Great Lakes West Conference, and made its Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup debut on May 7, losing to RWB Adria on penalties after a 2-2 draw.

They claimed the Rust Belt Derby trophy for a second straight year and extended their home winning streak to 15 games. A 2016 investment drive raised $741,250 for Keyworth Stadium renovations. The first home match at Keyworth on May 20 drew 7,410 fans, resulting in a 1-1 draw with AFC Ann Arbor. In the U.S. Open Cup, Detroit City beat the Michigan Bucks on penalties before losing to Louisville City FC, also on penalties. The 2016 NPSL regular season ended with a 4-4-4 record, and Ben Pirmann returned for a fifth season.

Club culture

Since 2012, Detroit City FC has focused on supporting Detroit through partnerships and philanthropic efforts, reflected in its motto: 'Passion for our city. Passion for the game.' The club operates the Detroit City Futbol League, a recreational adult soccer league in summer, and launched a fall league called Soktoberfest in 2014. It works with Think Detroit PAL to run free youth soccer clinics and provide free admission to PAL participants.

Each season, one regular-season home game is a fundraiser for a Detroit-area charity. On May 26, 2013, a match benefited the Wounded Warrior Project and Hooligans for Heroes. On June 6, 2014, the club became the first American sports team to wear a uniform supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion in a regulation match, auctioning jerseys for the Ruth Ellis Center. In 2015, alternate kits supported Think Detroit PAL.

The June 25, 2016, match against Dayton Dynamo supported Freedom House Detroit. In 2014, the club partnered with United Way of Southeastern Michigan for the 'Michigan No Kid Hungry' initiative. On September 7, 2014, City hosted the inaugural Detroit Public Schools Showcase, with proceeds going to boys soccer programs. The club has strong ties with Cass Tech High School, investing in field improvements and providing new uniforms for the girls soccer program.

Players and staff

The men's head coach is Danny Dichio. The women's outdoor team (USL W League) and indoor team (Major Arena Soccer League) are both coached by Dani Evans. The club's CEO is Sean Mann, and Todd Kropp is COO. Other staff include Alex Wright, David Dwaihy, and Mike Lasinski.

At season's end, fans vote for the Black Arrow Award, named after Gil Heron, the first black player for Celtic F.C. Men's winners include Keith Lough and Josh Rogers (2012), Zach Myers (2013), Cyrus Saydee (2014), David Edwardson (2015), Tommy Catalano (2016), Tyrone Mondi (2017), Stephen Carroll (2018), Shawn Lawson (2019), Tendai Jirira (2020), Connor Rutz (2021), Nate Steinwascher (2022), Devon Amoo-Mensah (2023), Maxi Rodriguez (2024), and Michael Bryant (2025).

Women's winners include Sydney Blomquist (2020), Madison Duncan (2021), Shannon McCarthy (2022), Avery Peters (2023), Gabby Schriver (2024), Hannah Crum (2025), and Allison LaPoint (2026).

Record

After moving to Keyworth in 2016, Detroit City started hosting at least one international club for a friendly each year, not counting nearby Windsor TFC. Their biggest crowd at Keyworth came in 2018 against Serie A’s Frosinone Calcio, drawing 7,887. In 2019, a planned friendly with Lobos BUAP fell through when the Mexican club hit financial trouble, so FC Juárez stepped in. Before that, the club’s record attendance at Cass Technical High School Stadium was 3,884, set on July 11, 2015, against the Michigan Stars.