Duo recognized after connecting for two goals in 3-3 draw vs. Indy Eleven
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (July 9, 2024) – Rhode Island FC defender Frank Nodarse and midfielder Marc Ybarra have been named to the Week 18 USL Championship Team of the Week following an impressive performance together in Friday’s 3-3 draw against Indy Eleven. Scoring RIFC’s first two goals of the match, Nodarse’s headers were both off second half corner kicks from Ybarra.
Coming out of the locker room down 2-0, Nodarse and Ybarra began the RIFC resurgence in the 52nd minute. After a long range effort from JJ Williams forced a full-stretch save over the crossbar from Indy goalkeeper Hunter Sulte, Ybarra played in a dangerous ball from the ensuing corner kick. Outjumping a crowded six-yard box, Nodarse headed the ball into the back of the net from point-blank range to cut the deficit in half.
The tandem added to their Team of the Week performances 17 minutes later, once again coming off a set piece from the same corner flag. Ybarra booted a well-timed corner kick that found the head of the Man of the Match in near-identical fashion to the first goal. From the near post, Nodarse powered the ball past Sulte from close range once more to bring the Ocean State club level with Indy at 2-2.
Nodarse’s brace was the second multi-goal match in club history and his third overall score for RIFC. Ybarra’s pair of assists to Nodarse were the first and second of his RIFC career and marked the second time an RIFC player recorded multiple assists in a single half. The duo’s efforts were the first time in club history that the same two players combined for multiple goals in a single match.
Nodarse and Ybarra are the 12th and 13th Rhode Island FC honorees named to the USL Championship’s Team of the Week in 2024:
| WEEK | DATE | NAME | HONOR |
| 2 | March 19 | Clay Holstad | Team of the Week |
| 3 | March 26 | Albert Dikwa | Team of the Week |
| 5 | April 9 | Jackson Lee | Team of the Week |
| 6 | April 16 | Jackson Lee | Team of the Week |
| 7 | April 23 | Khano Smith | Coach of the Week |
| 7 | April 23 | Stephen Turnbull | Team of the Week |
| 12 | May 28 | Koke Vegas | Team of the Week |
| 16 | June 25 | Khano Smith | Coach of the Week |
| 16 | June 25 | Stephen Turnbull | Team of the Week |
| 16 | June 25 | Jojea Kwizera | Team of the Week |
| 17 | July 2 | Jojea Kwizera | Team of the Week |
| 18 | July 9 | Frank Nodarse | Team of the Week |
| 18 | July 9 | Marc Ybarra | Team of the Week |
Nodarse, Ybarra and the rest of Rhode Island FC will hit the road for the first of two straight away matches on Saturday, July 13 at Miami FC (7 p.m., ESPN+). After traveling to Birmingham Legion FC on July 17 (8 p.m., CBS Sports Network), RIFC returns home to Beirne Stadium on Saturday, July 27 to host North Carolina FC at 7:30 p.m. Tickets to the next home match are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.