Rhode Island FC's Debut Season Grows Bleaker

The Draw Kings can not find a way to win

Photo By Rhode Island FC

For not the first time this season, Rhode Island FC held a convincing lead going into the final minutes of a game that they should have won. Once again, however, the Draw Kings found a way to drop two important points en route to their ninth draw through fourteen matches.

Though some of their previous matches have been bad, this one in particular stands head-and-shoulders above the rest as the single most ignominious, as Rhode Island watched a two-goal lead against Memphis 901 FC evaporate in second-half stoppage time.

Rhode Island FC’s hopes were bolstered early in the first half, as a chipped pass from RIFC striker JJ Williams found the right foot of Rhode Island midfielder Conor McGlynn 15 yards from the goal in the 18th minute, and McGlynn half-volleyed a blast towards the near post that Memphis goalkeeper Tyler Deric had no chance of stopping. It was the most attractive goal I’ve seen Rhode Island score all season, and McGlynn deserves some acclaim for having scored it. 

Rhode Island went into the half up 1-0 despite Memphis having a goal called back for offsides and RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas making a brilliant save against Memphis 901 FC’s former USMNT midfielder Emerson Hyndman.

The second half began in just as positive a fashion for RIFC as the first did. In the 67th minute, Noah Fuson broke free on the right-hand side of Memphis’ goal and fired a close-angle shot that snuck through Deric’s legs and rolled towards goal before RIFC midfielder Joe Brito came sliding in to push it over the line, despite the best efforts of Deric to smother it and keep it out.

The goal was a scrappy one and exactly the kind of play fans will have wanted to see from their team, scoring goals however they can — pretty ones and ugly ones alike. The goal gave RIFC its first two-goal lead of the season and in club history.

The elation of the moment did not last long.

In the 87th minute, RIFC’s Vegas came rushing out of his box to make a challenge on a long ball to Memphis’ Nighte Pickering. Vegas missed the ball entirely and slammed Pickering to the turf and the referee gave him a red card for the careless, reckless challenge that Vegas quite frankly should have known better than to attempt, especially with a two-goal lead and only three minutes to play.

With Vegas sidelined, RIFC was forced to sub out Fuson for backup goalkeeper Jackson Lee and they were lucky to have the subs to do so. Lee’s first challenge was the free kick given for Vegas’ foul, which was taken in the 90th minute from a dangerous position just outside the RIFC box.

Memphis midfielder Samuel Alejandro Careaga lifted it up and over Rhode Island’s leaping wall and although Lee was able to get a fingertip to the blasted shot, he was unable to stop it from careening into the left side of his goal. Memphis was back in the match, with RIFC a man down, and the fourth official was about to give a healthy amount of stoppage time with which they could take advantage of that fact, fifteen minutes to be exact.

The seemingly inevitable came in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time, as Memphis sent a long ball over the top into the box, and Lee collected it comfortably. Rhode Island’s Karifa Yao, however, had other ideas.

He tackled a Memphis attacker in the box and gave Memphis a gift penalty for his efforts. Memphis 901 FC striker Marlon easily converted it, as Lee guessed right and Marlon fired left, and Memphis tied it up. The final whistle blew four minutes later, with Rhode Island FC having dropped two points in only a handful of disastrous minutes.

Looking at the stats, however, one may find it impressive that Rhode Island managed a point at all, as Memphis outshot Rhode Island 22 to 8, held 68% of possession to Rhode Island’s 32%, completed 535 passes with 78% accuracy to Rhode Islands 258 passes and 58% accuracy. At this point, it’s becoming clear that Rhode Island FC’s on-pitch situation is growing ever-bleaker. What will RIFC Head Coach Khano Smith and the front office do to turn things around? What can they do?

Rhode Island FC fans can next catch their team in action away against Louisville City FC on Saturday, June 22nd, at 8 pm ET. Thanks to his red card, the team will be without star goalkeeper Koke Vegas for this important matchup against the highest-scoring team in the USL Championship.