Ocean State club takes down No. 1 seed Louisville City FC 3-0; will face winner of Tampa Bay Rowdies vs. Charleston Battery
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 9, 2024) – Rhode Island FC continued to etch its name in the USL Championship history books on Saturday, becoming the first expansion club in five years to advance to a conference final after it took down Players’ Shield winners Louisville City FC 3-0 at Lynn Family Stadium. A third-consecutive multi-goal match for JJ Williams led the charge as RIFC won its second match of the year at Louisville’s Lynn Family Stadium, something no other team in the USL Championship accomplished even once this season.
For the third-straight match, Williams opened the scoring for Rhode Island FC in the first half when he got on the end of Frank Nodarse’s poked interception in the midfield. Dribbling towards the box and cutting through multiple defenders, Williams calmly chipped the ball over an onrushing Damian Las and into the back of the net to give RIFC a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute.
Less than three minutes later, Louisville City FC nearly equalized, winning a free kick from just outside the 18-yard-box to force the first save of the night out of Koke Vegas. After Vegas palmed Elijah Wydner’s initial effort into a dangerous area, the RIFC defensive line was able to make a crucial block on the rebound shot to preserve the lead.
In the 44th minute, Louisville used another free kick to test Vegas once again from a similar position, but Vegas was once again equal to the effort, this time not allowing the rebound as he scooped up the low shot. The save would preserve RIFC’s 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The Ocean State club remained resolute defensively against the USL Championship’s best attack out of the break, not allowing a shot on goal for almost 15 minutes before Vegas came up with another low save, this time from Jake Morris, to keep Louisville off the scoreboard. Minutes later, the hosts came tearing down the left wing, but Morris Duggan slid to the rescue in the box with a crucial touch to clear a dangerous cross away from the goal.
In the 78th minute, the momentum shifted back to the visitors when Williams capitalized on a dangerous Louisville turnover in the attacking third, slamming the ball into the back of the net to double the Rhode Island FC lead. The brace marked Williams’ fourth and fifth goals of the postseason, third-straight match with multiple goals, and 11th goal of the year.
In the first minute of second-half stoppage time, Albert Dikwa “Chico” found himself through on goal with a chance to ice the match. Dribbling around Las at the top of the box, Chico drew a penalty after Las tripped the Cameroonian striker on the way through. Noah Fuson missed the initial penalty kick effort after Las made the save, but the rebound fell straight to Chico, who put the match to bed with a low finish into the bottom-left corner.
Louisville had a chance to pull back a consolation goal from the opposite spot in the final minute of stoppage time when the hosts earned a penalty kick. But Vegas came up big, denying Sean Totsch for his second penalty save of the year to secure his eighth clean sheet of the season and RIFC’s tenth shutout overall.
The 3-0 scoreline secured RIFC’s spot in the Eastern Conference Finals as the Ocean State club will next face the winner of Sunday’s Eastern Conference Semifinals between Tampa Bay Rowdies and Charleston Battery, set to kick off at 3 p.m. ET. Further details for the conference final, which RIFC could host should Tampa Bay advance, will be announced at a later date.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RI – JJ Williams (Frank Nodarse), 9th minute: Williams calmly chips Damian Las from the top of the 18-yard-box. LOU 0, RI 1
RI – JJ Williams, 78th minute: Williams capitalizes on a defensive turnover and powers the ball home. LOU 0, RI 2
RI – Albert Dikwa “Chico”, 90+2 minute: Chico drives home a rebound off of Noah Fuson’s saved penalty. LOU 0, RI 3
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Rhode Island FC is the first expansion team to advance to a conference final in its inaugural season since El Paso Locomotive FC in 2019.
- The win marks RIFC’s eighth match without a loss, matching the club record.
- JJ Williams’ brace marked his fourth and fifth goals of the 2024 USL Championship Playoffs, bringing his total to eight in his last three matches. The Montgomery, Ala. native has two hat-tricks and a brace in that stretch.
- Williams is the second player to reach a double-figure career goal total for Rhode Island FC, joining Albert Dikwa “Chico” as the joint-all-time highest scorers in club history with 11 goals apiece.
- Chico’s 11th goal of the year came in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to secure the RIFC win.
- Frank Nodarse’s assist to JJ Williams for the opening goal was the first of his RIFC career.
- Koke Vegas’ penalty-kick save was his second of 2024 and one of four saves on the night that helped him keep RIFC’s tenth clean sheet.
- Rhode Island FC has scored 15 goals from substitutes this year, more than any other team in the USL Championship.
- RIFC scored eight goals in two trips to Lynn Family Stadium this season, and finished as the only team to win at Louisville City FC in 19 matches, doing so twice.
- Rhode Island FC is also responsible for Louisville’s only two multi-goal losses of the year, and two of the three shutouts the league leaders suffered.
- Rhode Island FC will play the winner of Sunday’s Eastern Conference semifinal match between Tampa Bay Rowdies and Charleston Battery. If Tampa Bay advances, RIFC will host the Eastern Conference Final. If Charleston advances, the Eastern Conference Final will be held at Patriots Point Soccer Stadium in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
MAN OF THE MATCH: JJ Williams
Match stats and information available here.