The USL Summer of Soccer heads to the Motor City on Saturday, August 3 as Detroit City FC plays host to Rhode Island FC at iconic Keyworth Stadium. The matchup brings together two of the USL Championship’s more recent arrivals – each of which is in postseason contention two-thirds of the way through the regular season – for their second meeting of the campaign.

As the race for the postseason begins to heat up, this sets up as a crucial six-pointer in the Eastern Conference standings. On top of that, however, it’s an opportunity for a national audience to become more familiar with two clubs that have big plans for the future.

1. FANS FUEL THE MOTOR CITY'S CLUB

Since its inception, Detroit City FC has been known for its electric experience at home games - arguably the craziest, rowdiest, most intimidating atmosphere in American soccer. It's a big part of why DCFC is known around the world. 

Founded as an amateur club more than a decade ago, Le Rouge revolutionized how a club could exist with its grassroots foundation and support. It crowdfunded renovations to current home Keyworth Stadium, which in turn allowed the club to join the professional ranks.

Since joining the USL Championship in 2022, Keyworth has become a fortress, full of color and noise. That energy certainly played a role in the club's consecutive postseason appearances and several high-profile upsets in the USL Championship Playoffs and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

2. NEW KIDS ON THE RIVERFRONT

Rhode Island FC’s arrival as the newest club in the USL Championship this season brought plenty of pedigree. The club is led by Brett M. Johnson – who was part of the group that transformed the fortunes of Phoenix Rising FC on and off the field – and former United States international Michael Parkhurst, and appointed Khano Smith to lead RIFC on the field as Head Coach and General Manager.

As with most expansion sides, the early going wasn’t smooth sailing, but Rhode Island was competitive game-in and game-out. As of late, that potential has turned into performance. Rhode Island has produced a seven-game undefeated streak which includes five wins in the past six games to move into the playoff positions.

With 2023 Championship Player of the Year Albert Dikwa and JJ Williams leading the attack, Smith’s squad is poised for a first postseason berth. If it earns that spot, it will be the first time a first-year club has reached the USL Championship Playoffs since 2019. 

3. MANAGERS ON THE RISE

This year has been the first as a Head Coach in the professional ranks for Detroit City FC’s Danny Dichio and Rhode Island FC’s Khano Smith, and they’ve both proven themselves after impressive coaching apprenticeships elsewhere in the Championship.

A cult hero in the Premier League for Queen’s Park Rangers, Dichio was part of Sacramento Republic FC’s coaching staff for the past two seasons – including during the club’s run to the 2022 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup – and has quickly gotten to work in the Motor City. Le Rouge won its first five games of the season under the 49-year-old and is on course for a major upgrade in attacking numbers from a season ago.

Smith, meanwhile, returned to the northeast after starring on the field for the New England Revolution in his playing days to become RIFC’s first Head Coach and General Manager. The former Birmingham Legion FC assistant has his side playing its best soccer of the season going into Saturday with five wins in the last six games, a seven-game undefeated streak overall – oh, and a win against his mentor Tom Soehn and Legion as the cherry on top.

4. STADIUMS ON THE HORIZON

Rhode Island FC is playing its inaugural season at historic Beirne Stadium on the campus of Bryant University, but next year it is set to move into its permanent waterfront home in Pawtucket, R.I., part of the Tidewater Landing project. Earlier this month, the club hosted the official topping ceremony at the new venue which is anticipated to open next spring.

Detroit City FC, meanwhile, announced in May the club had acquired land in southwest Detroit to build a permanent soccer-specific home for the club. While there’s plenty of work to be done on the project, the hope for Le Rouge is the new facility will be open in the 2027 season.