After stretching its club-record unbeaten run to five matches and picking up its second-consecutive victory on the road in a 3-2 win vs. Miami FC, Rhode Island FC will work on a quick turnaround as it completes its road stretch with a midweek contest at Birmingham Legion FC on Wednesday. With both clubs coming off a win and looking to pick up valuable points as the second half of the USL Championship season is underway, here is everything you need to know about Wednesday’s nationally televised match.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Wednesday, July 17
Kickoff | 8:00 PM ET
Location | Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
Broadcast | CBS Sports Network
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)
Match Hashtag | #BHMvRI
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Matt Van Oekel, 18-Trevor Spangenberg
DEFENDERS (6): 3-Phanuel Kavita, 4-Ramiz Hamouda, 13-Jake Rufe, 20-AJ Paterson, 21-Alex Crognale, 33-Moses Mensah
MIDFIELDERS (7): 5-Mikey Lopez, 8-Kobe Hernandez-Foster, 11-Dawson McCartney, 17-Matthew Corcoran, 19-Enzo Martinez, 28-Miguel Perez
FORWARDS (6): 7-Diba Nwegbo, 10-Prosper Kasim, 15-Tyler Pasher, 23-Preston Tabort Etaka, 29-Stefano Pinho, 77-Mohamed Buya Turay
Keep it Going
Birmingham Legion FC has picked up three of its eight wins this season in its last five matches, with seven different scorers combining for eight goals in that stretch, accounting for 40 percent of its goal scoring total this season. Two of those wins came in front of the home fans at Protective Stadium, including a 2-1 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Saturday. In the win, which marked the sixth time the Alabama club has scored multiple goals in a match this season and the third time the squad has won after conceding first, a second goal of the season from Dawson McCartney and third of the year from veteran striker Stefano Pinho late in the match was enough to overcome an early 1-0 deficit to secure all three points. After scoring his first goal in more than two months, Pinho joined Tyler Pasher and Enzo Martinez at the top of the Birmingham scoring list with three apiece. Against RIFC, Birmingham will look for its third win in four home matches, and first stretch of back-to-back home wins all season.
Finding the Target
Despite sitting among the bottom eight clubs in the USL Championship this season with 20 goals scored through 18 matches, Birmingham is fifth in the league with 263 shots taken, proving that it is not afraid to go for goal. However, 107 of those shots have missed the target, including eight off the woodwork, which is the third most in the league, and 77 have been blocked before reaching the goal. With 79 shots on-target, Birmingham finds itself in the league’s bottom five with a 42 percent shooting accuracy and in the bottom three with a 7.6 percent shot conversion rate. Against an RIFC squad that has proven it can score efficiently, Birmingham will need to find a way to convert its chances at a higher rate in order to get a result.
Lockdown in the Back
In goal for Birmingham, five goalkeepers, including two midseason additions and one loan, have split the starting job this season as the foundation of a defensive unit that has conceded an average of 1.33 goals per match. Primary starter Matt Van Oekel kept three clean sheets through 11 of the club’s first 13 matches before suffering a lower body injury, while Trevor Spangenberg got his first start of the season on Saturday against Colorado Springs. Collectively, the busy keeper room has combined for five clean sheets, tied for fifth-best in the league, and have kept a 71 percent save percentage, denying 54 of 82 total attempts on target. Both save statistics rank inside the top 10 in the USL Championship this year.
RHODE ISLAND FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Koke Vegas, 22-Jackson Lee, 30-Nate Silveira
DEFENDERS (7): 2-Nathan Messer, 3-Stephen Turnbull, 4-Collin Smith, 5-Grant Stoneman, 15-Frank Nodarse, 16-Gabriel Alves, 24-Karifa Yao
MIDFIELDERS (11): 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 18-Joe Brito, 19-Kevin Vang, 20-Zachary Herivaux, 21-Kofi Twumasi, 23-Marc Ybarra, 25-Kevin Orduy, 28-Conor McGlynn, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson, 80-Isaac Angking
FORWARDS (4): 9-JJ Williams, 10-Chico, 11-Noah Fuson, 14-Mark Doyle
Goals Galore
Ever since Rhode Island FC recorded its highest goal scoring tally in club history in a historic 5-2 victory at Louisville City FC on June 22, the Ocean State club has not shown any signs of slowing down on the attack. The club has now found the back of the net 16 times in its last five matches, scoring at least three goals in its last four and averaging 3.4 goals per match dating back to its 2-2 draw at Memphis 901 FC on June 12. That tally is a marked improvement from the club’s opening 12 matches, in which it scored just 11 goals for an average of 0.9 goals per match. In the club’s last two matches, five of its six goals have come from the combined efforts of Frank Nodarse and Albert Dikwa “Chico”, with both players registering a brace. Nodarse’s double came during the club’s 3-3 draw with Indy Eleven, while Chico picked up his second brace of the year that included the match-winner last time out against Miami FC. Chico and Nodarse lead the way for the club’s attacking unit with six and four goals to their name, respectively, as their efforts have helped Khano Smith’s side in taking 11 of a possible 15 points in the midst of a club-record, five-match unbeaten streak.
Rocking on the Road
RIFC’s win at Miami continued a run of form on the road in which the club hasn’t registered a loss since May 17 at Colorado Springs. The last time RIFC was shut out on the road dates back even further to May 4, when it battled to a scoreless draw with North Carolina FC. Overall, Khano Smith’s men are 3W-2L-4D away from Beirne Stadium, including its first two wins in club history and three of its four total victories. Beginning with its record-setting victory at Louisville that gave the league leaders their first home loss of the season, the Ocean State Club has now won two straight road matches against Eastern Conference opposition, and it will have a chance to extend that club-best mark in Birmingham.
The Playoff Picture
Now in the second half of the USL Championship season, points are becoming even more valuable as teams fight their way up a tightly-contested Eastern Conference table. Wednesday’s contest will be even more vital for RIFC as the midweek clash features two Eastern Conference opponents separated by just five points. The Ocean State club currently sits ninth with 22 points, one spot removed from the eighth and final playoff spot currently occupied by North Carolina FC. Depending on other matches, a result in Birmingham could see RIFC’s red-hot run of form complemented with a playoff position by the end of the weekend.