HAMTRAMCK, Mich. – The Charleston Battery fell 1-0 on the road to Detroit City FC at Keyworth Stadium on Saturday. Both sides were held scoreless for over an hour of play, but Darren Smith’s tally in the 75th minute proved to be the difference maker. The result marked Charleston’s first loss of the year, snapping their three-game winning streak across all competitions.
The match began amid sunny skies with temperatures hovering just above freezing in the Detroit suburb.
A notable milestone was hit at kickoff when Emilio Ycaza officially recorded his 100th overall appearance for the Battery. Ycaza, who joined the club in 2023 and has since ascended to the captaincy, is the 26th player in Charleston’s history to hit the century mark.
The hosts started the game on the front foot and recorded two shots in the opening 10 minutes, both strong but off target. Goalkeeper Luis Zamudio made his first save in the 14th minute to deny Jeciel Cedeño, a diving effort to his right side.
Detroit thought they had the opening goal in the 32nd minute, but the tally was ultimately chalked off for a foul in the 6-yard box by Callum Montgomery against Zamudio.
The game went into the break all square at 0-0. Charleston recorded only one shot (off target), compared to Detroit’s eight (two on target).
Play resumed in the second half with all still to play for.
The hosts once again believed they broke the deadlock in the 57th minute, but the goal was nullified for offside committed during the set-piece play.
Maalique Foster registered the Battery’s first shot on target of the match, an effort off the volley following a punched-out corner kick in the 65th minute, but it went right back to goalkeeper Carlos Herrera.
Detroit managed to open the scoring in the 75th minute via Darren Smith to take a 1-0 lead.
In the 82nd minute, another notable moment occurred when midfielder Jack Wayne entered the game off the bench to make his USL Championship debut. It marked the 17-year-old’s second career professional appearance.
Charleston began to throw more numbers forward as the game progressed into the final stages. However, a blocked attempt by Wayne in stoppage time was the only shot recorded during that wave of pressure.
Detroit held on to secure the 1-0 victory. The defeat was the Battery’s first of the season.
The result moves Charleston’s league record to 2W-1L-0D (6pts), placing them fifth in the Eastern Conference table with a game in hand, as of writing.
Charleston will continue to hit the road for their next three matches: Charlotte Independence (March 31), Louisville City FC (April 4), Brooklyn FC (April 11). The Battery’s next home game will be on Sat., April 18, against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on national television at Patriots Point. Tickets for the match are on sale now via SeatGeek.com, the club’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
Lineups:
DET: Herrera, Silva, Montgomery, Amoo-Mensah, Yamazaki, Williams (Diop, 73’), Hernández-Foster, Diouf, Rodriguez (Preston, 41’ (Stanley, 80’)), Cedeño (Egbuchulam, 73’) Smith
CHS: Zamudio, Messer, Akpunonu, Smith, Blackstock (Kissiedou, 70’), Suber (Wayne, 82’), Pakhomov (Houssou, 62’), Kelly, Foster (Cabrera, 70’), Ycaza, Berry
Scoring Summary:
DET - Darren Smith, 75’ (Ates Diouf)