In just three days, the newest chapter in one of the USL Championship’s youngest and most highly-anticipated rivalries will take center stage at Centreville Bank Stadium for the first time ever when Hartford Athletic comes to downtown Pawtucket. The nationally-televised rivalry is set to kick off at 4 p.m. on CBS in front of an expected sell-out crowd. The two clubs are within touching distance in the Eastern Conference standings, both hungry for a crucial result as they fight to move up the jam-packed table in the back half of the regular season. Saturday’s game is the first of two-straight rivalry matchups between the squads at Centreville Bank Stadium, and RIFC and Hartford are set to meet again one week later in a crucial matchup for the top spot in Group 4 of the Jägermeister Cup. Ahead of the Beat Hartford game, presented by Centreville Bank, here is everything you need to know.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Saturday, July 19
Kickoff | 4:00 p.m. ET
Location | Centreville Bank Stadium – Pawtucket, R.I.
Broadcast | CBS
Radio | 790 The Score (790 AM)
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)
Game Hashtag | #RIvHFD
Last Meeting | Aug. 10, 2024: RI 3-0 HFD – Smithfield, R.I.
HARTFORD ATHLETIC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): 44-Justin DiCarlo, 77-Antony Siaha
DEFENDERS (6): 2-Sebastian Anderson, 4-Jordan Scarlett, 15-Joe Farrell, 19-Emmanuel Samadia, 22-TJ Presthus, 30-Arturo Diz Pe
MIDFIELDERS (6): 6-Beverly Makangila, 8-Junior Moreira, 10-Samuel Careaga, 16-Jack Panayotou, 27-Justin Ingram, 94-Marlon Hairston
FORWARDS (7): 7-Deshane Beckford, 9-Mamadou Dieng, 11-Michee Ngalina, 17-Jonathan Jiminez, 28-Kauan Ribeiro, 71-Kyle Edwards, 81-Adewale Obalola
Hartford Heating Up
Prior to a 1-0 home loss vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies on Wednesday that moved Hartford down to last place in the Eastern Conference standings, it had started to pick up form at the midway point of the season. Despite having just three wins in 14 USL Championship games this season, Hartford has earned two of those wins in its last three games, earning back-to-back wins for the first time all season with a 3-0 battering of third-place Loudoun United FC on June 20 and a 2-1 road win at Detroit City FC on July 12. In that stretch, Hartford Athletic scored five of its 15 total goals on the year and became just the second team all year to defeat Detroit at Keyworth Stadium. On the attack, Kyle Edwards (five goals) and Mamadou Dieng (four goals) lead the charge for Hartford. Edwards averages a goal every two games for the Green and Blue, bagging two braces this season, while Dieng has scored two goals in his last three games.
Finish Chances
Hartford currently holds the fourth-highest expected goals (XG) total in the league (21.45), which is a metric that predicts how many goals a team should score based on the quality and amount of shots taken. Its 2.13 expected goal tally vs. Tampa Bay was its third-highest total all season, despite being shut out 1-0. In its 3-0 win over Loudoun United, it took a season-high 22 shots and posted a 6.64 expected goal mark, which was the highest single-game total in USL Championship history. In total, Hartford has posted an XG of above 1.1 in half of its games this season. The numbers show that Hartford is clearly creating a plethora of chances, but its 15 goals scored is the third-lowest total in the league. If Hartford can find a way to be more clinical in front of goal and finish its chances, it can become an incredibly dangerous attacking force.
Super-Save Siaha
Hartford’s defense has been anchored between the sticks by USL Championship veteran goalkeeper Antony Siaha. Siaha, who is just eight saves shy of 250 career saves in his fifth season in the league, played a crucial role in Hartford’s recent run of form. During its stretch of back-to-back wins vs. Loudoun and Detroit, Siaha came up big with eight crucial saves. Siaha has recorded at least three saves in six games this season, stopping 34 of the 54 total shots he has faced and posting three shutouts in the regular season.
RHODE ISLAND FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 22-Jackson Lee, 1-Koke Vegas, 13-Will Meyer
DEFENDERS (7): 4-Hugo Bacharach, 6-Aimé Mabika, 14-Rio Hope-Gund, 15-Frank Nodarse, 2-Dani Rovira, 3-Aldair Sanchez, 5-Grant Stoneman, 24-Karifa Yao, 16-Cole Dewhurst
MIDFIELDERS (9): 80-Isaac Angking, 18-Joe Brito, 20-Zachary Herivaux, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 21-Maxi Rodriguez, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson, 19-Kevin Vang, 23-Marc Ybarra
FORWARDS (3): 10-Albert Dikwa, 11-Noah Fuson, 9-JJ Williams
Rebound at Home
Rhode Island FC’s attack faltered in its 1-0 loss at Indy Eleven last time out, going the entire game without a single shot on target for the first time all season, and just the third time in club history. Although it suffered its eight shutout of 2025 in the loss, it returns to Centreville Bank Stadium this weekend, where it has scored five goals in its last two home games across all competitions. In front of an expected sellout crowd in Pawtucket for the second-straight game, a newly-bolstered RIFC attack will have the opportunity to string together three-straight results across all competitions at Centreville Bank Stadium for the first time ever, all while staying unbeaten against its regional rival.
Back to Full Health
Despite the loss in Indy, Rhode Island FC showcased several new and returning players to the field as Khano Smith’s squad slowly gets back to full health. After returning from a 14-game injury absence in the club’s 4-1 win over USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine in the USL Jägermeister Cup, Marc Ybarra worked his way back into the starting lineup, earning the captain’s armband for the first time all season. Amos Shapiro-Thompson also got the start for the first time since being sidelined for three games in late June with an injury. In the second half, RIFC defender Hugo Bacharach made his debut for the club after signing from Major League Soccer club Minnesota United FC in the offseason and immediately picking up a long-term injury during the 2025 preseason. Finally, the Ocean State club saw the long-awaited return of its second-highest all-time goalscorer, JJ WIlliams, who suffered a lower body injury prior to the club’s inaugural home opener vs. San Antonio FC and was forced to miss 13 games. With nearly a full roster ready to go for the first time in months, Rhode Island FC will look to take full advantage as it aims to stay undefeated against its cross-state rivals.
Scouting the Series
Rhode Island FC is unbeaten (1W-0L-1T) in two all-time meetings vs. Hartford Athletic, but Saturday’s meeting could prove to be one of the most important in the rivalry’s young history. Last time the two teams met, the Ocean State club dominated the rivalry matchup with a commanding 3-0 win at a sold-out Beirne Stadium on August 10, 2024. Grant Stoneman, Frank Nodarse and Joe Brito all scored in the historic victory. Prior to that game, the two squads battled to a 1-1 tie at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, Connecticut, in their first-ever meeting on June 1, 2024. This time around, the two clubs are currently separated by just four points in the Eastern Conference standings. After last week’s loss, Rhode Island FC currently sit on 16 points in the Eastern Conference, and can bump itself back up above the playoff line with a much-needed win, all while stranding Hartford Athletic to the last-place spot in the standings. On Hartford’s side, a win could bring them within one point of RIFC and lift it out of the bottom spot in the East as it looks to revive its 2025 season.
