Detroit City FC Battles to a Draw in Home Opener Birmingham Legion

Detroit, MI — March 22, 2025

In front of a packed Keyworth Stadium crowd, Detroit City FC opened their 2025 home campaign with a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Birmingham Legion FC. Despite controlling possession and leading for much of the match, Le Rouge were forced to settle for a point after a late own goal undid their promising performance.

The scoring opened in the 20th minute when Darren Smith found the net for his first DCFC goal, calmly finishing a clean assist from Adrian Villanueva. Birmingham responded just seven minutes later, as Ronaldo Damus equalized in the 27th minute with a sharp finish set up by Kobe Hernandez-Foster.

Le Rouge retook the lead in the 33rd minute, when Ben Morris pounced on a defensive miscue and fired home an unassisted goal to make it 2-1. Detroit’s high press and attacking movement caused problems for Birmingham throughout the half, and the home side looked in control heading into the break.

The second half saw Detroit continue to dominate possession—finishing the match with 58% possession, 459 completed passes, and 8 total shots (3 on target). But despite their control, a deflected ball in the 80th minute ended up in their own net, allowing Birmingham to level the score 2-2 against the run of play.

Late yellow cards to Sebastian Tregarthen (Birmingham, 76’) and Ryan Williams (Detroit, 83’) reflected the rising intensity in the closing minutes, but neither side could find a winner.

While Detroit will feel frustrated not to secure all three points at home, there were encouraging signs of attacking chemistry and midfield control to build on as the season progresses.

Player Spotlight: Darren Smith

New signing Darren Smith made a strong impression in his home debut, opening the scoring in the 20th minute with a composed finish that ignited Keyworth Stadium. The South African striker showed great movement off the ball, finding space behind the Birmingham defense to connect with Adrian Villanueva’s pinpoint pass.

In addition to his goal, Smith was active in Detroit’s high press, forced a turnover that led to a shot on target, and completed 80% of his passes in the final third. His pace and decision-making added a new dynamic to DCFC’s front line, and fans will be excited to see how he continues to develop in the weeks ahead.