Rhode Island FC Snatches Mediocrity From Jaws of Victory

Draw FC strikes again!

Photo Courtesy of Rhode Island FC

Rhode Island FC’s home fans enjoyed 92 minutes and some change of hope and joy tonight that came crashing down at the last second as a long-enjoyed 2-1 lead over visiting undefeated Sacramento Republic FC evaporated under a hail of set pieces in second-half stoppage time, turning three points into one. The club’s ninth match and sixth draw means that home fans will have to go at least another two weeks until they can see their club potentially notch its first home victory.

The first half started brilliantly, as new loanee from the New England Revolution Jack Panayotou teamed up with Marc Ybarra and Clay Holstad to dominate the midfield. RIFC’s newest signing turned in a star performance that will have fans salivating at the thought of their new-look midfield. Stephen Turnbull latched onto a through pass down the right side from Holstad to score on Sacramento goalkeeper Jared Mazzola with a shot inside the right post in the 31st minute, sending the Beirne Stadium Mother’s Day crowd wild with the club’s first-ever home lead.

Their elation was short-lived as Sacramento answered seven minutes later as Jack Gurr ran wide open down RIFC’s right side to send a cross into striker Trevor Amann, who headed it past Koke Vegas and into the net in the 38th minute.

Four minutes late, a corner from Panayotou found the head of RIFC defender Karifa Yao to beat Mazzola again and give Rhode Island its second lead of the match in the 42nd minute, which they took into the half along with all the momentum.

Rhode Island FC came out of the half ready to continue dominating and did so for perhaps the next 35 minutes as in the 47th minute RIFC’s Noah Fuson led a blistering counterattack down Sacramento’s left side, passing to Holstad who found Prince Saydee’s feet in front of an open Sacramento goal, but Saydee scuffed the shot and sent it over the net.

Albert “Chico” Dikwa also got a great opportunity, as he latched onto a long ball to go one-on-one with Mazzola in the 71st but he hesitated on the shot, which was saved behind for a corner. These two great opportunities were only the two most notable as Rhode Island had multiple, including one for JJ Williams in the 83rd; which was not coincidentally their last major chance of the match.

Beginning in the 72nd minute Rhode Island FC head coach Khano Smith decided to begin parking the bus and adopting a defensive posture, a conservative decision for which he paid for dearly. He took Golden Boot-winner Dikwa off along with RIFC’s joint-leading goal scorer Turnbull (in the opinion of this author most crucially), Panayotou in the 81st, and finally Fuson in the 89th.

Sacramento took that opportunity, filling the space that RIFC began forfeiting and that resulted in the visitors enjoying three corners and one outside-the-box set piece from an RIFC foul in the seven minutes of second-half stoppage time. They scored on their very first effort of the four as Sacramento’s Jonathan Ricketts found a loose ball in the Rhode Island box to bundle past Vegas. Given the prevailing situation, Sacramento could have easily made it 3-2 if not for Vegas’ best efforts.

Rhode Island FC meanwhile — absent their most dangerous players and in a defensive posture — could not threaten Sacramento at all. As such what had looked all night like Rhode Island FC’s best, most dominant performance yet — and their potential first-ever home victory — fell apart before our collective eyes.

Rhode Island FC fans can next catch their club playing away at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on Friday, May 17th, at 9:00 pm ET.