Rhode Island vs North Carolina: Three Thoughts
Making it to the league final in year one made for a great experience for fans, but did it also set unrealistic expectations for RIFC going forward?
Rhode Island FC returned to Centreville Bank Stadium for a showdown with North Carolina FC under the Pawtucket lights, squeaking out their first home win of the season despite a lackluster first half performance.
Fielding a starting eleven that saw some rotation from the usual due to injuries and needing fresh legs for the last of three games in an eight day span, having several members of the squad back after dealing with injuries will be a major factor going forward as head coach Khano Smith plays with depth and positioning.
Jackson Lee got the start in net once more as Koke Vegas deals with an injury. Aldair Sanchez, Aimé Mabika, Karifa Yao, and Rio Hope-Gund made up the backline in front of him.
Amos Shapiro-Thompson and Zachary Herivaux filled in the defensive side of the midfield while Noah Fuson, Maxi Rodriguez, and Joe Brito provided attacking support with Albert Dikwa.
Here are three thoughts on the match.
1 - First Home Win of 2025
It only took six matches for Rhode Island FC to see their first lead at home in Centreville Bank Stadium, their third goal in Pawtucket coming from Dikwa in the 18th minute. North Carolina responded in the 35th minute and Rhode Island just never seemed to recover. With several slips and stumbles within the North Carolina box, especially in the second half, it seemed like Rhode Island were just unable to get out of their own way.
The Amber and Blue received a life-line in the dying moments of the match as half-time substitution Frank Nodarse went on a run that saw him chopped down in the box for a penalty kick just before the final whistle. It was Rodriguez, a player who is more that comfortable from the penalty spot, who slotted home the game winner to send the home fans happy.
For reference, in the 2024 campaign it took Rhode Island EIGHT games to get their first home win scoring eight goals along the way, including three in the shut-out win against El Paso. That was on June 26th. Rhode Island FC have now won their first match of the 2025 season on June 14th, scoring just four goals across all competitions in six games at home.
2 - Dikwa Stepping Up
With the continued absence of J.J. Williams in the Rhode Island attack, there has been a missing piece of physicality amongst the forwards. Paired with the season’s lack of goals, it’s clear that some kind of change must be made and tonight that change came in the form of Albert Dikwa.
“It’s something that we’ve been working on and if you know me my game is more movement inside the box, finding the space inside the box…Where J.J. is injured right now I need to be a complete forward,” he said. “That’s what I’m trying to do right now.”
Over the last handful of matches Dikwa has shown a more physical style of play out on the pitch, taking on opposing team’s backlines and engaging in challenges for the ball more often than in the past. Along with that, Dikwa is also drawing more fouls from opponents, this season setting Rhode Island up for numerous free kicks in enemy territory throughout the course of the matches.
3 - Depth and Rotation
For the second match in a row, Lee was the shot stopper for Rhode Island, making four saves in Saturday’s victory including one just off the tips of his fingers in the first half. Despite a few shaky moments, much like last season Lee has established himself as a reliable back-up to the team’s captain, making some impressive saves and doing whatever he can to keep the opposing team off of the score sheet.
Saturday night also saw Yao get his second start after returning from injury, adding to a solid backline of Hope-Gund and Sanchez.The team’s 2024 Defender of the Year made all the difference on the defensive side of the ball for Rhode Island, putting his body on the line repeatedly to make the plays and deny North Carolina from scoring on several occasions.
As the third match over the course of eight days it was important to get fresh legs out on the pitch and get rest to the players who need it, so it’s a bit of relief when the team can field a strong starting line-up for matches, and look to players such as Nodarse and Clay Holstad to come off of the bench and make a difference in matches when called upon.
I think that's a fair summary, though a little generous to an RIFC side that was outplayed consistently during the match on their home field. North Carolina was by far the more organized and dangerous team in its slashing runs up front for most of the match - RIFC struggled to get any kind of attack going throughout the game.
Dikwa's goal off a perfect cross was textbook from start to finish, but that's about it for the higher level of play except for Yao's excellent defensive capabilities. Having Thompson-Schapiro be the distributor from way in the back meant no real threats, with Fuson occasionally having some space but unable to ever perform a winning maneuver.
The stadium is the star - still an amazing accomplishment, even with a smaller crowd.