Detroit — Detroit City FC head coach Danny Dichio mentioned a few players had an off night in last Saturday’s game, but Haruki Yamazaki was not one of them.
On Tuesday, July 28, the DCFC defender was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week, his third time this season achieving this honor, for his defensive performance in Le Rouge’s 1-0 loss to Las Vegas Lights FC.
The defeat raised two major questions: What happened in the match, and how will DCFC respond?
After seeing a three-match winning streak snapped, the team is moving forward, looking to prove one loss won’t derail the remainder of its season, and their eyes are focused on their match in Florida on Saturday against Miami FC, starting at 7 p.m.
“Keep doing the right things, keep putting the ball in dangerous areas, make sure we’re running forward and those chances will come,” starting defender Callum Montgomery said about their game plan moving forward. “It was an unusual game, it was an outlier and I expect us to be back scoring this weekend again.”
The teams are no strangers to one another. DCFC hosted its first matchup against Miami this season in May and won, 2-1, after playing more than an hour with one man down and only 10 players on the field.
DCFC has played well away from home this season with a 6-4-6 record in wins, draws, and losses, and is currently on a three-game win streak in matches on the road.
“In general, our form has been good on the road and through the last two months — on the road, you just gotta stick together,” Montgomery said. “It’s you against, you know, the world, so to speak — all the fans and the other team against you, but it’s gonna be a tough game. Miami, it’s hot, humid, so we have to play the conditions as well.”
The race to the playoffs continues, and every point matters. Detroit still sits third in the USL Championship Eastern Conference with 27 points: eight wins, three draws, and five losses.
On the flip side, Miami FC only has 18 points and sits in seventh, recording five wins, six draws, and seven losses. Despite its position, Miami FC has an experienced attacker coming into the clubs’ second match this season.
Jurgen Locadia recently played for Curaçao in the 2026 World Cup. Curaçao’s run ended after being eliminated in its final Group E match, 2-0 to Côte d’Ivoire.
Saturday’s game will be at South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium in Miami, and will be streaming live on ESPN Plus.
“They have some big-time players up front, but they can get stretched, and stuff as well,” Montgomery said about its second game against Miami. “That’s what happens in these hot, humid games in the summer, so we just got to make sure we’re compact and ready for that as well.”
Detroit City FC at Miami FC
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: South Dade Kia Field at Pitbull Stadium, Miami
How to watch: ESPN+
amarable@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Detroit City FC hits road to try to get back on track
Reporting by Alauna Marable , The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Alauna Marable , The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
