Rhode Island FC Crush USL Championship Leaders

RIP the Draw Kings

I have absolutely zero complaints about Rhode Island FC tonight. They went to the home of the league leaders –Louisville City FC – who prior to tonight had scored 40 goals and allowed just 15 in 15 matches, and drubbed them by a score of 5-2.

Not once during the 90 minutes plus stoppage time did they ever look like losing, nor even drawing. Rhode Island FC’s second win of the season coincided with the first time it has scored more than twice, and every single player looked to be firing on all cylinders. The Draw Kings are dead.

The trouble for Louisville began in the 30th minute as RIFC defender Stephen Turnbull laid a pass off to RIFC midfielder Clay Holstad well away from Louisville’s goal. Holstad had taken several long shots this season, and they had all rattled the woodwork at best.

This one did not. Well, it did. Twice, actually, before ricocheting into the back of the net for what is likely the goal of the season. There was nothing anyone could do to stop it. Keep an eye on SportsCenter’s Top 10 this week and you may well see it.

RIFC winger Jojea Kwizera added his first ever RIFC goal in first half stoppage time on a second assist from Turnbull as Kwizera fired the ball past Louisville goalkeeper Damian Las from a tight angle to make it 2-0 going into the break.

The bloodletting continued in the 67th minute as RIFC striker JJ Williams — who had missed what should have been an easy goal earlier in the night — received a pass into the box from RIFC winger Noah Fuson who came in off the bench and chipped it over Louisville’s Las at close range to make it 3-0 giving Rhode Island their first ever three goal lead and the first time they had scored three goals ever.

Louisville City FC — who average nearly three goals a match — attempted to clamber back into this one in the 85th as midfielder Dylan Mares was played on over the top by Louisville midfielder Taylor Davila. Mares took a fake shot that made a Rhode Island defender miss and then he fired the ball past RIFC goalkeeper Jackson Lee for the first time in the game. Lee made 8 saves on 29 total shots against Louisville, many of them quite difficult.

Fuson didn’t let Louisville keep their hope very long though. As regulation ended and nine minutes of stoppage time were added on by the officials, he burst down Louisville’s right side and beat two defenders to chip goalkeeper Las once again.

This goal will not be without controversy, a third Louisville defender attempted to clear the shot before it crossed the goal line. Although the officials ruled it a goal, the television angles were inconclusive and the Louisville fans let the referees feel their ire with chants of “ref you suck”.

Louisville clawed yet another goal back in the 5th minute of second-half stoppage time as defender Jake Morris banged a free kick off the wall and past the outstretched Lee to make it 4-2. Lee may beat himself up for his inability to stop Louisville’s two goals tonight, but in my opinion he made many more class saves and is as responsible as RIFC’s goalkeepers for their shocking win.

Finally, Rhode Island midfielder Isaac Angking delivered the coup de grace as fellow RIFC midfielder Joe Brito played him brilliantly in on goal and Angking, who was one-on-one with Las, calmly slotted it past him only 58 seconds after Morris’s goal. The resulting 5-2 scoreline is the largest win Rhode Island has earned this season and Louisville’s largest defeat. It is also the first time Louisville have dropped points at home this season as RIFC have now picked up four points across two matches against the league leaders.

Statistically, the game was as lopsided as the scoreline suggests but in the opposite direction. I mentioned that Louisville took 29 shots (10 on target). RIFC took only 11, with 6 on target, although they certainly made theirs count.

Possession was as disparate, 64%-36% in Louisville’s favor, with the home team also outpassing RIFC 416-254, and more accurately at 87%-70%. Finally, Louisville City FC won a stunning 13 corners. RIFC won zero.

None of that mattered, as Rhode Island FC took virtually all of their chances for the first time in team history, and Jackson Lee put in the best performance by an RIFC goalkeeper on the season.

Rhode Island FC will ride the high of their 5-2 victory into their next match, which will be their first at home after two-and-a-half weeks away, on Wednesday, June 26th, at 7:30 pm ET, as they take on El Paso Locomotive FC at Beirne Stadium.