After a last-second equalizer secured a dramatic 3-3 draw vs. Indy Eleven at Beirne Stadium and kept Rhode Island FC’s four-match unbeaten streak alive, the Ocean State club is back out on the road this week as it heads down south to take on Miami FC. After scoring three or more goals in each of its last three matches, the club will look to punch its way above the playoff line with a fifth-consecutive result this weekend against a Miami squad that is winless in its last 10 matches. Ahead of Saturday’s Eastern Conference battle, here is everything you need to know about the match.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Saturday, July 13
Kickoff | 7:00 PM ET
Location | FIU Stadium, Miami FL
Broadcast | ESPN+
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)
Match Hashtag | #MIAvRI
MIAMI FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Khadim Ndiaye, 12-Daniel Gagliardi, 31-Felipe Rodriguez
DEFENDERS (12): 2-Allan Aniz, 3-Jordan Ayimbila, 4-Nicolas Cardona, 5-Achille Truchot, 6-Samuel Biek, 13-Daltyn Knuston, 14-Daniel Barbir, 15-Mujeeb Murana, 18-Junior Palacios, 29-Alejandro Mitrano, 30-Christopher Jean-Francois, 34-Marco Santana
MIDFIELDERS (6): 8-Gabriel Cabral, 16-Manuel Botta, 32-David Mejia, 33-Lucas Depaula, 80-Andrew Booth, 99-Allen Gavilanes
FORWARDS (7): 7-Luis Pedro, 9-Isaac Zuleta, 11-Frank Lopez, 18-Khalid Balogun, 23-Rocco Genzano, 50-Roberto Molina 67-Mattia Gagliardi
Defensive Woes
Miami FC (2W-14L-2D) will head into Saturday’s match in need of a strong result to revitalize its season. The club currently sits last in the USL Championship standings on eight points and two wins, with its last victory coming 11 matches ago on April 27 in a 2-1 victory over San Antonio FC. Since then, Miami has earned just one point with a 0W-9L-1D record and lead the league with 42 goals conceded. Since its home opener at FIU Stadium, Miami has conceded at least one goal, including eight over its last two matches. Despite the defensive struggles, the club’s three goalkeepers have accounted for multiple double-figure save performances. Facing a league-high 307 shots (116 on target), the trio have combined for 72 saves in 18 matches, second most in the league. Against an RIFC squad that has scored proficiently in its last three matches, Miami will need to find a way to prevent the barrage of shots it has faced through 18 matches.
Work the Final Third
Although the defensive end has hurt Miami this season, 11 different players have been able to find the back of the net on the other side of the pitch as part of an attack that has only been shut out once in its last six matches. Allen Gavilanes’ five goals leads Miami’s offense while Frank López has also been a primary contributor to the Florida club’s attack this season, adding three goals and three assists for a team-leading six goal contributions. Together, the pair have played a role in 10 of the club’s 18 goals on the year. Getting stuck in the final third will be crucial at home as Miami looks for its second result in three matches.
Momentum at FIU
After conceding four goals for the second-consecutive match at North Carolina FC last time out, there is no better place for Miami to rebound than FIU Stadium. Although the South Florida club has just two wins and one shutout on the season, the club’s best results have all come in front of its home fans, where Miami have picked up seven of its eight points. The club’s latest result at home came three matches ago, when it drew Loudon United 2-2 to snap a seven-match losing run. Its best result of the season came in the home opener, when it shutout Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC 2-0. The club’s only other win of the season also came at home against San Antonio, proving the Eastern Conference club has what it takes to get it done against tough opposition on its home turf. For Miami, the key to success on Saturday will be tapping into the factors that brought them success early in the season, and keep its attacking force moving at an efficient rate.
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
Opening the Floodgates
After scoring 11 goals through the first 12 matches, Rhode Island FC (3W-4L-10D) has completely turned a corner with 13 goals in its last four. The four-match unbeaten streak marks the best run of form in the Ocean State club’s young history. RIFC has more than doubled its 2024 goal scoring tally during the run and taken eight points from a possible 12 to keep itself firmly in the playoff picture. The club’s most recent draw with Indy Eleven saw the highest-scoring home match in club history and matched RIFC’s best attacking display at Beirne Stadium. The Ocean State club has now found six goals from five different scorers in back-to-back home matches. The valuable result against Indy did not come without drama, however, as RIFC needed an equalizer deep into second-half stoppage time from Isaac Angking to secure a point. Against Miami, the message to Khano Smith’s men will be simple: keep going. In its last four matches, RIFC has shown resilience, fight and attacking prowess against some of the league’s top opponents, and show no signs of slowing down.
Déjà Vu
Against Indy, Frank Nodarse’s brace helped bring RIFC back from a 2-0 deficit for the first time ever and the Cuban native’s two headers were nearly identical. Both came from Marc Ybarra corner kicks and in both instances, Ybarra’s cross connected perfectly with the head of Nodarse, who’s aerial ability took center stage inside the six-yard box as he powered both headers into the back of the net from close range. Amongst a sea of club firsts, the déjà vu moment created another set of milestones for Rhode Island FC: it was the first time the same two players combined for multiple goals in a single match, the first time a player scored two goals in one half and the second time a player tallied multiple assists in one half. The duo’s performance played a critical role in RIFC’s fight for a draw and earned both players a selection to the USL Championship Team of the Week. Nodarse’s brace was the second multi-goal performance in club history after Albert Dikwa “Chico” scored twice at Monterey Bay F.C. on March 24. Scoring his second and third goals of the season, Nodarse is now tied with Noah Fuson for second-most on the team, behind Chico’s four.
Dominance on the Road
After a successful home stretch, RIFC will head back out on the road where it hasn’t registered a loss in nearly two months dating back to a 3-1 defeat at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on May 17. 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 2W-2L-4D away from Beirne Stadium this year, including its first two wins in club history. The second such win came in RIFC’s most recent road match on June 22 when the Ocean State club became the first team in USL Championship history to ever score five goals at Louisville City FC. The record-setting 5-2 victory was also the first home loss of the season for the league leaders. A result in Miami would mark RIFC’s fourth-straight result on the road, and fifth-straight overall.