Rhode Island FC

2026 US Open Cup Round 3: Revolution need PKs to win battle of New England over Rhode Island

April 15, 2026 by Eric Casey

Players from the New England Revolution (blue) and Rhode Island FC battle for the ball in the Round of 32 of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Rhode Island FC

The New England Revolution staved off a feisty Rhode Island FC on Tuesday night, as goalkeeper Donovan Parisian — making his first start for the first team — played a big role in preventing the upset, allowing the Revolution to win 3-1 in penalties after a 1-1 draw and advance to the Round of 16 in the 2026 US Open Cup.

The Round of 32 contest saw the MLS squad travel 21 miles south to serve as the home team at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, the usual home of their opponents. It was the second time these two squads have met in the Cup in the past two years.

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The game eventually found itself packed with action after a slow start, with the first 30 minutes seeing only the Revolution log a single shot. A memorable moment finally arrived a few minutes into the second half, as a 51st minute cross into the box from Peyton Miller found the head of fellow Revolution defender Damario McIntosh, who left in the path of a streaking Diego Fagundez.

A familiar face for Revolution fans, having returned to his childhood squad this year after an eight-year stint away, Fagundez fired a rocket pass Rhode Island goalkeeper Koke Vegas for a 1-0 lead. It was Fagundez’s third goal in the competition all-time, and second in a Revs uniform, with his last for New England coming in 2017.

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RIFC had just one shot through 75 minutes, doing little to test 21-year-old New England goalkeeper Donovan Parisian, who was playing in his inaugural game with the first-team squad, coming from MLS NEXT Pro’s New England Revolution II.

That quickly changed in the last 20 minutes of the contest, as RIFC slowly found its legs. In the 82nd minute, a long ball to a streaking Leo Alfonso gave him a clear shot on goal, but Parisian made the diving save to his left.

With multiple players needing treatment in the second half, 10 minutes was added on, giving Rhode Island more time to attack. The USL-C squad needed every minute of it, putting a looping ball into the box in the 10th minute of stoppage time. Parisian got his hands to the ball above his head, but it deflected away right to the head of RIFC’s JJ Williams.

His header hit off the post, with Parisian diving to knock the rebound away. Parisian collided with a RIFC player and stayed down, leading the official to stop play.

Play resumed with a drop ball to Rhode Island’s Hamady Diop right outside the box. His launched cross deflected off a Rev defender and directly to the head of Williams. WIlliams’ header beat Parisian, giving Rhode Island a stunning, last-second equalizer at 1-1 directly in front of their supporter’s section, who were sitting in the typical section despite their status as away opponents.

Extra time saw chances for both teams, with the most threatening being a 103rd minute screamer from Luca Langoni that made it past Vegas, but it was deflected off the line by RIFC defender Grant Stoneman.

Parisian lasted 110 minutes before allowing a Rhode Island goal, and he came up big again in the penalty shootout.

Diop started penalties off with a goal, quickly matched by New England’s Luca Langoni. Then, Parisian stopped successive efforts from Jojea Kwizera, Leo Afonso, and Williams, allowing goals from New England veteran Andrew Farrell and captain Tanner Beason to be the difference makers.

“I’m feeling ecstatic. I’m just really, really happy for the team, for myself, the coaches, everyone,” said Parisian. “A lot of work gets put into it, specifically for the PKs, doing homework on it and trusting Kevin Hitchcock.”

“Everybody ran their tails off, I mean they really put everything out there,” Williams said. “So we just got to be a little bit better at the end.”

With the win, the Revolution will play in the Round of 16 for the 17th time in franchise history. RIFC’s exit from the tournament mirrored last year, which also saw them eliminated by the Revs in the Round of 32.

2026 US Open Cup: Rhode Island blanks Hartford Athletic as El Clamico rivalry comes to USOC

April 2, 2026 by Eric Casey

JJ Williams of Rhode Island FC celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal against Hartford Athletic in the Second Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Rhode Island FC

Rhode Island FC got the better of their rivals Hartford Athletic in the teams’ first-ever showdown in the US Open Cup, winning 2-0 in a Second Round matchup at a rainy Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I on Wednesday night.

Set pieces were the key to RIFC’s victory. The home club struck first in the 12th minute, when a corner kick from Kevin Vang found the head of JJ Williams, who flicked it right to defender Aldair Sanchez for his first ever goal for RIFC.

Rhode Island added another in the 30th minute, again from a set piece. Agustin “Pity” Rodriguez’s corner cross into the box found the head of JJ Williams, whose effort squeaked through the arms of Hartford goalkeeper Enzo Carvalho.

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Hartford responded to open up the second half by subbing in some first-team firepower in the form of Adrian Diz, Augustine WIlliams, and Michee Ngalina, but it failed to have a serious impact on play.

A desperation goal line clearance in the 77th minute from RIFC sub Frank Nodarse kept Hartford off the scoreboard, deflecting Sebastian Anderson’s shot to safety.

It would be Athletic’s best chance of the game, as RIFC continued to apply pressure late despite their two-goal lead.

Hartford found one more chance in the dying minutes but couldn’t get the ball over the line, as an injury time shot from Junior Moreira was inadvertently deflected away by fellow Athletic player Sebastian Anderson, preserving the shutout for RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas.

RIFC outshot their opponents 10-8 in the contest, with Hartford committing 14 fouls compared to RIFC’s 8 in an effort to slow down the home team.

“It feels good,” goalscorer Aldair Sanchez said of defeating their southern New England league rival. “Hopefully we use this as momentum going forward. We accomplished our goal.”

JJ Williams’ goal was his 20th for RIFC, securing his spot as the young club’s all-time leading goalscorer. With an MLS opponent on tap for next round, he is relishing the upcoming challenge.

“Excellent, I love that.” Williams said of facing a top-division side next round, “I think that all of our guys should be up for that. That’s what we do it for, playing on the biggest stage we possibly can.”

RIFC Head Coach and General Manager Connor Smith was happy with his club’s efforts in the Rhode Island rain, in a rivalry between clubs from two seafood-loving states that’s become known as “El Clamico.”

“It was an organized, professional performance against a tough opponent,” Connor said.

With the victory, RIFC earned their spot in the third round, the round in which they entered the competition in their previous two cup runs.

A draw against New England Revolution seems to be their most likely opponent for next round, with the Revolution having knocked RIFC out of the cup last year with a 2-1 victory.

2026 US Open Cup Round 1: History-making trio headline Rhode Island FC’s rout of CD Faialense

March 18, 2026 by Jonah Fontela

Calvin Williams of Rhode Island FC celebrates after scoring a goal against CD Faialense in the First Round of the 2026 US Open Cup. Photo: Rhode Island FC

USL Championship side Rhode Island FC weren’t in a generous mood against visiting Massachusetts amateurs CD Faialense at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket. A pair of first-half goals from Dani Rovira and CJ Williams got things going for the pro hosts, who added two more late in the second half to open their 2026 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup account in some style – and hand their opponents a second 4-0 loss in a row in the tournament’s Round 1.

“I had 40 family members and friends here tonight, so this was a surreal moment for me,” said Kevin Vang, the Rhode Island native and former Providence College star, who earned Man-of-the-Match honors and pitched in with his first assist since joining the club in their inaugural season of 2024. “And playing the whole 90 minutes – this was big for me.”

“He’s a great teammate, and a great person to have around this club,” Rhode Island FC’s head coach Khano Smith said of Vang, whose assist opened the door for another bit of history for teammate Rovira.

In the opening seconds of the second half, Aldair Sanchez somehow fluffed his lines from five yards out after a fine bit of approach work on the right side from the busy Peters. CD Faialense were full of running and effort. And Damian Attidore – formerly of UMass Lowell and assistant coach of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School, where he also teaches English – fired an effort from an impossible angle that Koke Vegas nearly bobbled into his own goal.

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“It feels great to get my first goal for the club,” said the Colombia-born player, formerly of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds, who earned a first cap and a first goal for his new club in the rout. “You have to be ready to take chances when they come, and we did that tonight as a team.”

A pair of corner kicks for Rhode Island FC inside the opening ten minutes signalled the home side’s intent to kill off the visitors’ hopes early. But the 2025 Bay State Soccer League runners-up, all with day jobs and most with past D1 college soccer experience, absorbed the pressure and even carved out a good chance, a free kick from 23 yards out in the ninth minute that Martin Vician nicked off the top of the wall.

It was the closest that the spirited amateurs, playing in only their second Open Cup Proper, would come to a shot on goal in the first 45 minutes. Their second-division pro opponents, on the other hand, were in the mood to get forward. RIFC recorded eight shots in total in the opening period.

In the 13th minute, the USL Championship side turned one of those shots into a first goal. Vang, in only his second start for the club, initiated an elegant triangle of passes with Gogo Peters and Rovira. The ball eventually weaved its way back to Vang’s feet, where it all began. From the right side of the penalty area, he flicked a deft through-ball to Rovira, who slotted past CD Faialense’s onrushing veteran goalkeeper Lucas Verge.

Verge was in the action again in the 26th minute. This time Logan Dorsey, also in his first start for the club, cut inside from the left to unleash a right-footed scorcher from the edge of the box. The 31-year-old goalkeeper, who handles much of the organizational work for CD Faialense and once played for Merrimack University, dove the effort away. But the brave keeper’s best efforts couldn’t keep Rhode Island FC from nabbing a second goal in the 26th minute.

Noah Fuson’s corner-kick was flicked on by Hugo Bacharach, and turned into the net by CJ Williams at the back post. On a night of firsts, it was the former Boston College star’s debut goal for his new club.

CD Faialense, the latest iteration of the Cambridge, MA-based club founded by Portuguese immigrants in the early 1970s, grew into the game as the second half wore on. But try as they might, eventually getting three shots for their efforts, they were unable to claim a first goal in Open Cup play.

Instead, the Rhode Islanders added two more. The first came through Nick Scardina in the 78th minute when the former Washington Husky nodded home his first goal for the club after a delightful bit of dribbling and cross from Sanchez. The second and final goal of the game came in the 80th minute, with Scardina, once again, making the difference. He raced forward from deep, wriggling past several Faialense defenders, before forcing an own goal.

“I would say this was a professional-ish performance,” added a less-than-effusive Smith, already turning his attention to the club’s next test: a road date with league powers Louisville City in Kentucky on Saturday. “We were naive in our decision-making in the final third and we should have scored way more goals. If I’m honest, we looked a little amateurish at times.”

Despite the coach’s disappointment, Rhode Island FC ease on through to the Second Round of the 2026 U.S. Open Cup (on March 31-April 1). They’ll meet one of the other Round 1 winners, to be determined after a Round 2 Draw conducted by US Soccer on Friday, March 20.

2025 US Open Cup Round 4: New England’s late winner hands Rhode Island loss in new stadium

May 8, 2025 by Eric Casey

Players from the New England Revolution and Rhode Island FC battle for the ball in the Fourth Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Mathieu Starke

The second-ever game at Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island ended in last-minute disappointment for the home team, as the New England Revolution eked out Rhode Island FC 2-1 in the Round of 32 of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.

The first game of the competition to be held in Pawtucket in 83 years (according to TheCup.us records) saw the two-year-old USL Championship squad RIFC play against an MLS squad based just 21 miles north across the border in Massachusetts, the first ever meeting between the two teams.

The game’s initial shot on target would come from the Revolution in the 21st minute, as forward Maxi Urruti dashed through the Rhode Island defense, forcing RIFC goalkeeper Jackson Lee into a diving save to his right.

Both teams have been tough to score on during their season campaigns so far, a reality which played out for most of the first half. However, Urruti would be involved again in the 38th minute, when a turnover in Rhode Island’s own third resulted in the ball landing at his feet.

With a well-timed first touch, the well-seasoned 34-year-old Urruti slipped past the defense at the top of the box. A slide tackle from Rhode Island’s Rio Hope-Gund resulted in the ball falling to midfielder Tomás Chancalay, who beat RIFC’s Lee to score the first goal of the Revolution’s 2025 Cup campaign and the first-ever goal at the newly-constructed Centreville Bank Stadium.

“I told (the team) before the game ‘Don’t let one of their players be the first player to score in the stadium, but obviously that didn’t happen,’” RIFC Head Coach Khano Smith, who played for the Revolution in 2005 through 2008 and again in 2010, said. “But it was an outstanding player (in Chancalay), so if it’s gonna be somebody, it (should) be someone of that level.”

Overcoming the sour start to their first Cup home game, RIFC came out of the locker room in the second half with energy. In the 50th minute, Maxi Rodriguez would score the home side’s first ever goal at their brand new stadium, slotting home a cross from Noah Fuson to bring the crowd back to life.

“It felt nice to get one in the stadium in front of the crowd and supporters,” Rodriguez said of the goal. “People expected us to lose because we’re a USL side, so I think we came in with no pressure. It was fun, but (the result) was unfortunate.”

Both squads had the same amount of shots with just five minutes left to go in regulation, with RIFC having a slight advantage in possession. But just as it seemed like the game was destined for extra time, an 88th minute cross from the 23-year old midfielder Gevork Diarbian ended up sailing over the outstretched arms of Lee and ricocheting off the post, falling to Christiano Oliveria.

Despite it being the MLS NEXT Pro player’s first appearance with the senior squad, he calmly flicked it off the keeper and into the net for his first senior team goal which ended up deciding the match.

Rhode Island’s second-ever Cup run ended up following a similar pattern as last year, where the team was bounced in the first match, a third round game where they drew USL1 side Charlotte Independence 4-4 before losing 5-4 in penalty kicks. They continue their 2025 USL Championship season at home against Monterey Bay FC on Saturday. The three-time Cup finalists and one-time champion Revolution advance to the Round of 16, where they are set to play either fellow MLS squad Chicago Fire or USLC side Detroit City FC.

2025 US Open Cup Round 3: Rhode Island FC wins chippy New England affair with Portland Hearts of Pine

April 16, 2025 by Zoe Schaedle

Emotions run high between players from Portland Hearts of Pine and Rhode Island FC in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Parker Hyunh Benningfield - TheCup.us — Emotions run high between players from Portland Hearts of Pine and Rhode Island FC in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Parker Hyunh Benningfield – TheCup.us

Rhode Island FC advanced to the Fourth Round of the 2025 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup in a 2-1 victory over Portland Hearts of Pine on a rainy night at packed Franklin Athletic Complex in Lewiston, Maine. A physical battle produced the first tournament win for Rhode Island and after a historic Cup run, the Hearts were eliminated.

Rhode Island FC were last year’s Eastern Conference champions in the USL Championship, finishing the season 12-7-15 with a 2-1 victory over runners up Charleston Battery. Based out of Pawtucket R.I. and founded in 2019, the club began play just last year, and are coached by Khano Smith.

The game started evenly without either side enjoying much possession due to the slick turf surface. After just twelve minutes, left back Jaden Jones-Riley fell to the ground forcing Portland head coach Bobby Murphy to make an early substitution for the Hearts. Midfielder Patrick Langlois took his place, shifting midfielder Mikey Lopez into an outside back position to support the defense.

While Rhode Island looked to target center forward JJ Williams, the Hearts looked to Titus Washington. Williams spent his first season with RIFC in 2024 finishing as the joint-leading scorer with 11 goals and seven assists lacrosse 30 appearances. He was selected 18th overall by Columbus Crew in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft and saw ten MLS appearances. Washington joined the Hearts of Pine after an impressive collegiate career at Seattle University where he scored eight goals with eight assists in 20 appearances.

After a back and forth start with both teams conceding multiple free kicks, RIFC finally broke the scoreless deadlock in the 35th minute. Midfielder Clay Holstad, who found the back of the net in the First Round of the US Open Cup, placed a well timed cross past the hands of goalkeeper Hunter Morse to make the game 1-0.

Just three minutes later, his teammate, defender Frank Nodarse, scored off a failed clearance, slotting another past Morse to make it a 2-0 game. Nodarse, a Cuban native scored six goals and finished as one of two players to start all 38 games in 2024 across the regular season and playoffs.

Yet the Hearts were not deterred. After a second half reset, Portland began to enjoy more possession, attacking down the flanks and looking to send through balls to forward Titus Washington, who was closely defended by center back Karifa Yao.

When asked about second half adjustments in a post-game interview, Portland manager Bobby Murphy said that he wanted his guys to “be brave.”

“We just tried to get guys to believe a little bit that they could play, that there were spaces to play … and I thought they were fantastic with it,” said Murphy.

In the 65th minute, the Hearts responded with a heroic effort by Washington, set up by teammate Michel Poon-Angeron who had been carefully defended by RIFC forwards Williams and Joe Brito until then. Washington beat Yao to place the ball in the back of the net in a composed finish.

Players from Portland Hearts of Pine (left) and Rhode Island FC battle for the ball in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Parker Hyunh Benningfield - TheCup.us — Players from Portland Hearts of Pine (left) and Rhode Island FC battle for the ball in the Third Round of the 2025 US Open Cup. Photo: Parker Hyunh Benningfield – TheCup.us

The tides seemed to shift in the Hearts favor when Karifa Yao received his second yellow card for a foul on Washington in the 76th minute. As a result, RIFC made some defensive substitutions, allowing the Hearts majority possession and command of the midfield.

However, the Hearts’ man up advantage was short lived when Mikey Lopez was shown his second yellow of the day in the 87th minute. The Hearts continued to challenge with a strong shot from Nathaniel James who made his Hearts’ debut in the 72nd minute when he came in for midfielder Walter Varela. The shot forced a right handed save from goalkeeper Jackson Lee to maintain Rhode Island’s lead in stoppage time.

After running well over stoppage time, Rhode Island maintained a 2-1 victory. A scrappy game that ended with a total of five yellow cards, two red cards and 36 fouls marked the end of the Hearts US Open Cup run.

When asked about the game and the Hearts Cup run Washington reflected, “I think we shocked a lot of people, and we really wanted to get it done tonight.” Despite the loss, he noted the support from fans and the team’s desire to push forward.

When reflecting on Cup competition and a difficult few days of travel, Murphy replied that his players gained experience. “You can’t teach experience. It’s one thing you just have to go through. You just have to walk through fires and know you’ll come out the other side. You have to see how good you are. You have to see how competitive you are.”