The Rust Belt Derby was a soccer derby played between

Detroit City FC Detroit City FC (DCFC) is an American professional soccer club based in Detroit, Michigan, that competes in the USL Championship. The club played in the National Premier Soccer League from 2012 to 2019 and the National Independent Soccer Associ ...

FC Buffalo FC Buffalo is an American soccer club based in Buffalo, New York, United States, with teams in men's and women's soccer. Founded in 2009, the men's team plays in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourt ...

, and

AFC Cleveland AFC Cleveland was an American semi-professional soccer club based in the Cleveland suburb of Independence, Ohio. Founded in 2011 and playing its first season in 2012, the team spent six years in the fourth-tier National Premier Soccer League. A ...

in the

National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially affiliated to the U ...

, the fourth tier of

American soccer The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...

. The derby was named for the

Rust Belt The Rust Belt is a region of the United States that experienced industrial decline starting in the 1950s. The U.S. manufacturing sector as a percentage of the U.S. GDP peaked in 1953 and has been in decline since, impacting certain regions a ...

region of the United States. The RBD was created and sponsored by the supporter groups of the three clubs: The Situation Room (Buffalo), 6th City Syndicate (Cleveland), and the

Northern Guard Supporters The Northern Guard Supporters are an independent supporters group for Detroit City FC (DCFC) of United Women's Soccer’s (UWS) Midwest Conference and of the USL Championship. DCFC’s men’s side formerly played in the National Premier Soccer ...

(Detroit). The series was based on the results of games played between the three sides, much like the

Cascadia Cup The Cascadia Cup is the name of the trophy created in 2004 by supporters of the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, and Vancouver Whitecaps, which is awarded each season to the best soccer team in the Pacific Northwest. The cup is named for th ...

. Cleveland won the inaugural Rust Belt Derby on June 23, 2012 following a 1–1 draw with Detroit City. AFC Cleveland folded following the 2017 season, and although Detroit City had been moved to a neighboring conference they continued the derby with a home-and-away series of friendlies against Buffalo, which saw Detroit win the trophy for the fourth consecutive time. Between 2017 and 2019 the derby was dormant, though it was functionally revived for the 2020 NISA Independent Cup when it was announced that Detroit City, FC Buffalo, and

Cleveland SC Cleveland SC is an American semi-professional soccer club based in the Greater Cleveland, Ohio region. Cleveland competes in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) as part of the Midwest Region's Rust Belt Conference. The club was established ...

would be competing together in the Great Lakes Division.

Results

NPSL era (2012–2016)

2012 Rust Belt Derby standings 2013 Rust Belt Derby standings 2014 Rust Belt Derby standings 2015 Rust Belt Derby standings 2016 Rust Belt Derby standings

NISA era (2020–2021)

2020 NISA Independent Cup — Great Lakes 2021 NISA Independent Cup — Great Lakes ''Note: Livonia City FC were not eligible to win the Rust Belt Derby and could only claim the Great Lakes Region of the NISA Independent Cup''

References

{{FC Buffalo Soccer rivalries in the United States Soccer cup competitions in the United States Soccer in Michigan Soccer in Ohio Soccer in New York (state) 2012 establishments in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 2012 Cleveland SC