Rhode Island FC takes the pitch for the first time in history tomorrow at home in front of a sold out crowd. Get ready for the inaugural USL Championship match with everything you need to know about Rhode Island FC vs. New Mexico United.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Saturday, March 16
Kickoff | 4:00 PM
Location | Beirne Stadium on the Campus of Bryant University, Smithfield, R.I.
Tickets | SOLD OUT
Broadcast | NESN, ESPN+
Radio | HOT 106 (106.3 FM)
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)
Match Hashtag | #RIvNM
ROSTERS
Rhode Island FC
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Koke Vegas, 22-Jackson Lee, 30-Nate Silveira
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Nathan Messer, 3-Stephen Turnbull, 5-Grant Stoneman, 15-Frank Nodarse, 16-Gabriel Alves, 24-Karifa Yao
MIDFIELDERS (9): 7-Prince Saydee, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 18-Joe Brito, 19-Kevin Vang, 21-Kofi Twumasi, 23-Marc Ybarra, 28-Conor McGlynn, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson
FORWARDS (4): 9-JJ Williams, 10-Chico, 11-Noah Fuson, 14-Mark Doyle
New Mexico United
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Alex Tambakis, 13-Kris Shakes
DEFENDERS (10): 3-Christopher Gloster, 4-Anthony Herbert, 12-Talen Maples, 15-Arturo Astorga, 16-Will Seymore, 19-Zico Bailey, 22-Kalen Ryden, 27-Avionne Flanagan, 33-Harry Swartz, 47-Jackson Dubois
MIDFIELDERS (7): 5-Dayonn Harris, 7-Sergio Rivas, 8-Dominick Hernandez, 10-Marco Micaletto, 25-Daniel Bruce, 91-Houssou Landry, 48-Yuto Oketani
FORWARDS (6): 9-Abu Danladi, 11-Mukwelle Akale, 17-Greg Hurst, 20-Jacobo Reyes, 42-Jace Sais, 45-Cristian Nava
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO UNITED
Last Match
New Mexico United defeated reigning Eastern Conference Regular Season Champions Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at home on March 9. Forward Greg Hurst scored the only goal of the match in the 44th minute, assisted by midfielder Jacobo Reyes. The homeside had five shots on target and saw five yellow cards drawn.
2023 Season Recap
The team from Albuquerque had an up and down season in 2023, finishing with a 13-14-7 record. After narrowly squeezing its way into the Western Conference Playoffs to earn the eighth and final seed, New Mexico fell 1-0 against Sacramento Republic FC in the conference quarterfinals. For the season, New Mexico scored a total of 51 goals with 10 coming from leading scorer Amando Moreno, who signed with El Paso Locomotive FC in the offseason. The club is looking to build on last year’s success and make a deep run in 2024.
Players to Watch
Sergio Rivas, New Mexico’s second highest goal scorer from last season, continues to play a pivotal role in the squad’s offense as one of the team’s primary attacking threats. Rivas was also a creative playmaker last year, as the midfielder recorded a team-high five assists. After earning Team of the Week honors for his match-winning effort against Pittsburgh, Greg Hurst will also be a strong test for the Rhode Island defense.
At the Helm
Eric Quill is off to an impressive start in his full first season as the New Mexico United Head Coach. The former Kansas City Wizards midfielder’s winning start against the defending Eastern Conference Regular Season Champions earned him USL Championship Coach of the Week honors. Quill has made it clear from the start that his squad’s goal is to be a top-tier team in 2024. The 2019 USL League One Coach of the Year is well-known for his ability to grow and develop players.
A CLUB FOR ALL RHODE ISLAND
History
The wait is finally over for the Ocean State’s only professional soccer team. After it was announced in December 2019 that a USL Championship club would be coming to Rhode Island, Rhode Island FC has arrived and will play its inaugural match in front of a sold out Beirne Stadium Saturday. Over five thousand fans will come together for the historic event and an evening of generational memories.
Defiance 1636
Alongside the players on the pitch, Rhode Island FC’s only recognized supporter group, Defiance 1636, also makes its home debut Saturday in Smithfield. A passionate collective, proud to support the beautiful game in the Ocean State, Defiance 1636 will be drumming, chanting, flag waving and smoke setting all evening from Section 13. While New Mexico United may not know about Defiance 1636 before the match, the club will likely return to Albuquerque haunted by the barra brava.
Golden Boots
Rhode Island FC officially welcomed 2023 USL Championship Player of the Year Albert Dikwa (“Chico”) on January 19. The 26-year-old reigning USL Championship Golden Boot winner is poised to have another standout season in 2024, this time with Rhode Island FC. Chico’s league-leading 20 goals last season accounted for 40 percent of his former club’s total. The Cameroonian striker averaged a goal every 114.7 minutes He also recorded one hat trick and tallied five two-goal performances over the course of the season.
In Khano we Trust
When Rhode Island FC takes the pitch for the first time in club history, the squad will be under the tutelage of Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith. Named the club leader on March 8, 2023, Smith holds a U.S. Soccer Pro License and joined Rhode Island FC after four years as the first-assistant coach at Birmingham Legion FC. The former Bermuda National Team captain played for a number of professional teams including MLS sides New England Revolution and New York Red Bulls. Leading all soccer operations for Rhode Island FC, Smith has assembled a deep and talented roster, and an experienced coaching staff with high standards and expectations for the 2024 USL Championship season.
FOMO
Limited tickets remain for Rhode Island FC’s second home match of the season when the club hosts 2023 Eastern Conference Champions Charleston Battery on Saturday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m. Fans hoping to not miss out on Rhode Island FC’s next home match are encouraged to act quickly by securing their seats at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets. The complete 2024 USL Championship season schedule is available at rhodeislandfc.com/2024-schedule.