Pair of former Rowdies lift Ocean State Club to victory
SMITHFIELD, RI (Oct. 5, 2024) – For the third-straight match, Rhode Island FC used an explosive second half to come out on top, battling to a 3-1 win over Tampa Bay Rowdies at Beirne Stadium on Saturday. JJ Williams and Zachary Herivaux both notched goals against their former club in the win, while Noah Fuson picked up his fourth and fifth goal contributions in the last three matches to seal all three points for the Ocean State club.
Rhode Island FC (11W-7L-13D) applied a high press early, and it eventually paid off in the 22nd minute when Herivaux intercepted an attempted clearance from Tampa Bay Rowdies goalkeeper Jordan Farr inside the 18-yard-box. With Herivaux sprinting down to close the space on Farr before he could release the ball, the keeper’s clearance went directly into the lower leg of Herivaux, who redirected the ball into the back of the net to give RIFC a 1-0 lead.
Tampa Bay (13W-10L-7D) started to find momentum as the half went on, out-possessing RIFC 58-42 percent through the opening 45 minutes. The visitors found the target for the first time in the 43rd minute when Leo Fernandes tested Koke Vegas with a free kick from distance, but Vegas palmed the effort out of danger as the hosts went into the break up 1-0.
RIFC continued its pressure out of the break, coming within inches of a second goal when Stephen Turnbull found the ball in open space at the top of the box in the 52nd minute. Laying it off to Marc Ybarra, the pair executed a quick give-and-go before Ybarra popped a well-executed chip over the defender and back to Turnbull at the goal line, who lined a low shot that forced a sharp reflex save out of Farr from close range.
The Ocean State club cashed in on its attacking momentum in the 68th minute, doubling its lead when Fuson received a ball from Williams down the left wing and sprinted past his man. Taking the ball into the box and cutting back with his right foot, the winger unleashed an inch-perfect curler that beat an outstretched Farr and kissed the inside of the far post before finding its way into the back of the net.
Three minutes later, Tampa Bay responded to cut its deficit in half. The goal came from Manuel Arteaga, who got on the end of an entry pass from Damian Rivera before cutting back onto his right foot inside the box. Touching the ball past Karifa Yao, Arteaga snuck a low finish past Vegas and into the bottom right corner to make it 2-1.
Although Tampa Bay showed signs of life after the goal, Rhode Island FC ultimately sealed all three points when Fuson found Williams in the box in the 85th minute. One-on-one with Farr, Williams looped the ball around the keeper with the outside of his right foot, tucking the ball into the back of the net to put the homeside up 3-1. Koke Vegas rounded off the win with a pair of important late saves from close range as RIFC closed out all three points for the third consecutive match. With the win, RIFC now sits in fifth place, tied on points with fourth-place Tampa Bay.
Up next, RIFC returns to Beirne Stadium to complete its two-match homestand on Sunday, Oct. 13 against Loudoun United at 4 p.m. Tickets to the next home match are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RI – Zachary Herivaux, 22nd minute: Herivaux redirects an attempted clearance into the back of the net from inside the 18-yard-box. RI 1, TBR 0
RI – Noah Fuson (JJ Williams), 69th minute: Fuson curls the ball off of the far post from the corner of the box. RI 2, TBR 0
TBR – Manuel Arteaga (Damian Rivera), 71st minute: Arteaga beats Vegas with a low finish into the bottom right corner from inside the box. RI 2, TBR 1
RI – JJ Williams (Noah Fuson), 85th minute: Williams curls the ball past Farr with the outside of his right foot from close range. RI 3, TBR 1
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Zachary Herivaux’s goal in the 22nd minute was his fourth of the season for RIFC and first since the club’s 2-1 win vs. North Carolina FC on July 27. The goal was Herivaux’s second goal involvement in the last three matches.
- Herivaux’s goal was also the first against his former club, in his first appearance vs. Tampa Bay since signing for Rhode Island FC on July 3. The 28-year-old previously made three appearances with the Rowdies in 2024 before making the move up north.
- Noah Fuson’s goal was his sixth of the season for RIFC, giving him sole possession of second place on the team behind Albert Dikwa “Chico” (nine).
- JJ Williams’ assist to Fuson was his fifth of the season, tying him for second on the team with Jojea Kwizera.
- With his team-leading ninth assist of the season to Williams in the second half, Fuson now leads the USL Championship.
- Fuson’s goal and assist marked his fourth and fifth goal involvements in the last three matches, and second-straight match with multiple goal involvements. After collecting a pair of assists in last week’s 3-1 win at San Antonio FC, Fuson is the first player in club history to register multiple contributions in back-to-back matches.
- Williams’ goal was his third of the season and first against his former club after making 31 appearances with Tampa Bay in 2023. With one goal and one assist, the performance marked Williams’ first RIFC match with multiple goal contributions.
- Rhode Island FC has now scored 15 goals in the final 15 minutes of matches this season, third-most in the league behind Charleston Battery (19) and Louisville City FC (19).
- The win ties Rhode Island FC with fourth-place Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference standings on 46 points each. Tampa Bay holds the season tiebreaker over RIFC on head-to-head goal differential after factoring in the Rowdies’ 4-1 win over RIFC on March 30.
MAN OF THE MATCH: JJ Williams
Match stats and information available here.