Rhode Island FC Earns Gritty 1-0 Away Win

Entire Legion Surrenders to Rhode Island’s Best

This was a difficult match in many ways for Rhode Island FC’s players and coaching staff.

RIFC Head Coach Khano Smith had been an assistant for Birmingham for four years and a quickly rising star by then too when expansion club Rhode Island FC snatched him away back in March 2023, one year ahead of their inaugural season. Smith set right to work building Rhode Island’s roster, including fullback Stephen Turnbull, who RIFC traded to Birmingham Legion FC over the previous offseason.

Still, with Birmingham going a man-down beginning right as stoppage time ended in the first half, and Rhode Island already a goal up from the 14th minute thanks to midfielder Maxi Rodriguez, the game fought to become more than a gridlock as Birmingham Legion searched futilely for any goals at all while RIFC probed gently for the same. Still, it was a midweek match and so both coaches may have rested some key players and held back some higher-energy ones.

The lone goal came in the first seconds of the 14th minute as RIFC midfielder Noah Fuson made a great steal, passed-to and was then released by fellow midfielder Amos Shapiro-Thompson, and Fuson then found striker Albert “Chico” Dikwa, whose ground-cross across the front of goal made multiple defenders look silly before finding the right foot of midfielder Maxi Rodriguez, who beat the diving Birmingham Legion FC goalkeeper, Matt Van Oekel, with an absolute blast into the back of the net at the near post.

Rhode Island FC dominated nearly every category of the rest of the match, especially after Birmingham’s central midfielder Sam McIllhatton was sent off at the very end of the first half, but they again struggled to turn it into meaningful production.

That next away match opportunity will come this Saturday, May 17th, at 7:30 PM ET at the Al Lang Stadium in St Petersburg, Florida.