Keyworth’s Wizard: The Fall & Rise of Detroit City’s Maxi Rodriguez
It was no smooth ride to USL Championship icon-status for Detroit City FC’s Maxi Rodriguez -- usopencup.com digs deep on his long and bumpy road to Keyworth.
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He always looks comfortable in the role of hero at his beloved Detroit City.
Maxi Rodriguez’s equalizer, late in what became an epic Round of 32 win on the road over MLS powers and 2023 Open Cup Champs Houston Dynamo, was just the most recent in a string of heroic moments for a player who’s become very much The Man at the Hamtramck-based USL Championship club.
So you might be surprised to learn that this midfield schemer, who makes it all look so preposterously easy out there, almost saw his pro career crumble before it got started.
How are we feeling this morning, City Faithful?! ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/saJRjNIEMq
— Detroit City FC (@DetroitCityFC) May 8, 2024
In 2016, Rodriguez was preparing for his final year at UNC Charlotte when he was blindsided by a knee injury. He worked his way back to the pitch, but the setback saw him miss out on the MLS SuperDraft. Instead, he signed a professional contract with his hometown USL Championship club, San Antonio FC, ahead of the 2017 season.
Happy to Be There
“My first year as a pro, I was kind of like ‘I’m just happy to be here,’” he said of his first season – surrounded by friends and family – in the U.S. second division. “I kind of fell into a hole of complacency like, ‘Ok, I’m not playing much, but I’m a pro in my home city and this is amazing.’”
Without much playing time that year, Rodriguez realized he needed a change of mentality. He needed to take things more seriously. But with the typical high turnover in USL squads, new talent was brought in ahead of the 2018 season and Rodriguez quickly discovered he was in for a challenge.
Maxi Rodriguez (back) nabbed a late winner in the 2024 Third Round at Keyworth
“I remember having a really good preseason, but then we brought in guys with MLS experience who were really competitive,” he said. “It elevated my game, but it put me in that situation where it was tough to be a younger guy who thought he should be starting.”
It was bittersweet for Rodriguez when he decided to leave home, after learning he wasn’t in the plans as a key piece in San Antonio FC’s future.
When another offer finally came, just days before the start of preseason, it was from a team in the next tier down. The Richmond Kickers, who were set to be one of the clubs competing in the new USL League One beginning in 2019, were interested in his midfield services and creativity.
The move wasn’t ideal. He was stepping down the U.S. Soccer pyramid. But his goal in leaving his former club was to earn more minutes and be “the guy” somewhere – and this was his chance.
By the start of the 2019 season, Rodriguez had earned the captain’s armband. He made 23 appearances for the Kickers while scoring one goal (in his debut). Collectively, however, the team struggled, finishing ninth place in a 10-team league.
Keyworth Stadium and Maxi Rodriguez are a matched pair
“Ultimately, the same thing happened again,” Rodriguez said of his push to return to the USL Championship. “Teams weren’t fully convinced, especially at the Championship level. The season was about to start. Still no club.
“I was waking up every morning and wondering, ‘What am I training for? There’s no club asking for me. Am I done? Am I hanging them up?’,” he said.
When the 2020 season began, Rodriguez was still without a team.
Attitude Adjustment
“My dad spoke with me and asked if I had a back-up plan,” said Rodriguez, who was facing a crossroads and asking hard questions of himself. “He was like, ‘we know you want to do this, and we want you to do this, but you have to look at your future and what’s going on.’”
While balancing part-time jobs as a Door Dash and UPS driver, Rodriguez committed to a new routine during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic. He woke up at 6 a.m., trained for two or three hours, worked a shift at one of his jobs, took a nap, trained again. It became a habit, repeated day after day.
DCFC fans enjoy the 2024 Open Cup win over Michigan Stars
He made use of a friend’s home gym during the Covid lockdowns and bought a few soccer balls on Amazon to keep his skills sharp. Even his parents’ backyard became part of his interval training regime.
“Some days I would wake up feeling positive that something was going to happen,” said Rodriguez, who was in the best physical shape of his life. “I was feeling super fit and amazing. But then some days I would wake up wondering, ‘Why am I training? There’s no point in what I’m doing.’ So I had to fight that rollercoaster of emotions.”
Detroit Calling
One day, in 2021, it finally happened. Rodriguez got a text from his agent that there was interest from Detroit City FC, then in the third-tier National Independent Soccer Association (NISA).
The club was looking for a central midfielder. Then-DCFC coach Trevor James invited Rodriguez to fly out to Detroit for a trial and to see if he liked the club and the city. After just three days, he earned a contract for the 2021 season.
Maxi celebrates the 2022 Open Cup win over Columbus Crew Jon DeBoer / DCFC
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