Detroit City FC held off a late Miami FC push to claim a 2–1 victory in a bad-tempered USL Championship clash on Tuesday night. Alasanne Ates Diouf opened the scoring early in the second half, Thomas Musto pulled one back for Miami, and Darren Smith restored Detroit's lead eight minutes from time.

The first half produced no goals but plenty of needle. The referee was busy from the 23rd minute onward, booking five players across both sides before the break. Jürgen Locadia and Bachir Ndiaye picked up cautions for Miami, while Abdoulaye Diop and Maximiliano Rodríguez were shown yellow for Detroit. The tension was clear.

Detroit broke the deadlock just seconds into the second half. Haruki Yamazaki picked out Diouf, who finished to make it 1–0 in the 46th minute. The cards kept coming — Carlos Saldaña was booked for Detroit in the 57th minute, Angelo Calfo for Miami in the 64th — as the game continued to simmer.

Miami found their equalizer in the 76th minute through Musto, who was then cautioned two minutes later. The leveler looked like it might shift momentum toward the visitors, but Detroit had other ideas. Smith latched onto a pass from Aedan Stanley in the 84th minute and put the hosts back ahead for good.

Miami's frustration boiled over in stoppage time as both Mame Diallo and Gerald Díaz were booked in quick succession, the game finishing with nine yellow cards in total.

The win gives Detroit City FC valuable home points in a congested USL Championship table as the season approaches its midway stretch.