Detroit City FC announced it's launching a women’s team

Detroit City Football Club announced the creation of a DCFC women’s team during Saturday’s match against Napa Valley 1839 FC at Keyworth Stadium.

“It’s something we’ve always had on our mind,” Detroit City FC CEO Sean Mann tells Metro Times. DCFC hosts a number of youth teams, and Mann emphasized the importance of having female role models for the players in the girls’ league.

“It was time for them to have a team to look up to,” he adds.

In spring 2020, the team will begin competing in United Women’s Soccer in the Midwest Conference. United Women’s Soccer is a second-division national league below the National Women’s Soccer League.

Authorized by U.S. Soccer, UWS was designed to bridge the gap between college soccer teams and professional leagues. The Midwest Conference of UWS includes teams such as AFC Ann Arbor, Detroit Sun, Grand Rapids FC, Lansing United, and Michigan Legends. The DCFC women’s team will play home games at Keyworth Stadium.

Mann says DCFC is currently speaking with coaching candidates, who will then choose players for the new team. “I think the bulk of the squad is going to be local talent,” Mann says. Given the national reputation of DCFC, he also predicts players from around the country will join the team.

In a press release, Mann indicated that the creation of a women’s team furthers the organization’s mission of representing the Detroit community. He says he's confident the women’s games will generate the same enthusiasm as the men’s games.

“We’ve kind of redefined what attendance looks like for a men’s team at our level. We hope we can get the same turnout for the women’s team.”