In every industry, there’s a gold standard. Every competitor aims to replicate its success, to mirror results, to match the reputation, but the item that occupies that top spot is universally appreciated and admired. Even the haters and detractors throw their barbs with the knowledge they are doing it out of jealousy and they’d trade spots in a heartbeat, if they could. But no amount of wishing ever gets a thing to the apex position, instead it is achieved through hard work, dedication, passion, consuming ambition, fierce aggression, and a recognition that building something that will last will require massive amounts of sacrifice.

The history of the lower leagues is a bloodbath, awash with the corpses of thousands of clubs that have come and gone. Each year, clubs bow out of competitions and leagues, shut up shop and send out defeated emails to fans. It’s not the exception, but the rule in the current American landscape. Well-intentioned men and women have wasted millions of dollars and thousands of hours trying to create a lasting legacy of success for their club, only to watch the stands sit empty and the bill pile up, until eventually, emptied of resources and devoid of confidence, they give up. Sometimes it’s the plan, sometimes it’s finances, sometimes it’s the lack of fan support, sometimes it’s the players, sometimes sponsors can’t be found, and sometimes it just wasn’t meant to be.

To get to the mark of the gold standard, acts of faith and sacrifice are required. Honestly, there’s so much advice against trying it, most friends will have to be ignored. You’d be insane to believe you’re going to be the club which makes it. All of the facts tell any reasonable person to find something else to invest your time into. And the money, people have gone bankrupt doing this, throwing away retirement funds, burning bridges by borrowing operating expenses, maxing out credit cards in pursuit of the dream. None of it makes sense, but if you can push through, maybe you can climb the mountain of dead and failing clubs. That’s the dream anyway, that’s Detroit City FC.

Detroit City FC (DCFC) played its first season in the NPSL in 2012 and Alan Jacobson, a member of the Northern Guard Supporters Group (NGS), was there. Alan had watched other clubs try to connect with the city, but when he met Sean Mann, one of five DCFC owners, he sensed something different. “Sean made it clear that active support would not only be ok, it would be appreciated. The willingness to allow an organic culture to develop at DCFC is an example of the approach the team owners would take in terms of managing the team. As Sean has said in the past, they (the owners) are the “hosts of the party, not the stars of the party.” For a lot of people this was a big contrast to sporting events run by the big pro teams, where every game day element seems to be contrived and controlled.” Mark Navarro, a fellow member of NGS, seconded that idea of organic connection. “City stands out over other clubs because it genuinely cares about the community in which it plays and wants to see that community thrive, not just in soccer, but also in the well-being of the people who live there.”

Writing about DCFC without discussing the importance of NGS would be ignoring a primary part of what makes DCFC the gold standard. Lindsey Pehrson, DCFC Communication Director agrees. “Without Northern Guard, Detroit City FC wouldn't be what it is today. They are the life and soul of this club and they are largely the reason for the growth the club has experienced over the years. We are supporter built through and through.” Many clubs have attempted to replicate the connection between club and fan, but the organic symmetry between the club on the pitch and NGS in the stands is magic. The rising smoke of the flares, the screaming faces in the crowd, the banging of the drums, the club feeding off that energy on the field, there is nothing like it in ALL of American soccer.

Navarro highlights that feeling as contagious and bigger than soccer. “I’ve met many people in NGS who didn’t care about soccer until they came to a match and saw what NGS does. And, as a result, they’ve fallen in love with the club, which is our ultimate goal as a group. It’s about the environment: Not just the smoke and the drums and all of that, but the fact that all people--regardless of race, gender identity, sexuality, religion, citizenship status, political affiliations, or any other identities--are welcome into our section as long as they love City is vital.”

This year saw the culmination of 8 years of growth with the club announcing a move to NPSL Pro, then Members Cup, and eventually into NISA - DCFC would become fully professional. But the business of the NPSL saw the club win its division, before absolutely dominating the short but heavily stacked Members Cup lineup. Detroit lost a single match in the league, led by a stifling defense which only allowed 4 goals in 10 matches. The play on the field matched the passion of the crowds filling Keyworth Stadium. When asked what stood out, Pehrson listed off the accomplishments, “winning the NPSL Great Lakes Conference before hoisting the 2019 Members Cup championship, beating Atlas FC at home, going nine games unbeaten in 23 league games, etc. It's hard to boil it down to just one moment.” Pair that on the field success with the continued expansion of Detroit City Fieldhouse, a 75,000 square foot indoor multi-sport facility, and the announcement of the creation of a women’s side. 2019 was a ringing success for Le Rouge.

Every club in the country would do anything to have what DCFC has, few are willing to work as hard to achieve that goal. The club has succeeded by putting city on their heart and never straying. And that connection to Detroit has made DCFC’s players family for the fans that fill the stands of Keyworth. They cheer for their club because they cheer for their city. It’s time to recognize the gold standard. It’s time to vote for Detroit City FC.

- Dan Vaughn