Rhode Island FC returns to action on a quick turnaround on Wednesday, taking a cross-country road trip to Heart Health Park for a midweek matchup with Sacramento Republic FC at 10:30 p.m. ET. The two clubs enter Wednesday’s game in similar positions in the standings, and hold identical regular-season records (4W-4L-4T, 16 pts.) as they continue to work their way up the table. RIFC enters its first trip to Sacramento in search of its fourth-straight result across all competitions, and will fight to keep its month-long unbeaten streak alive following a 1-1 tie vs. Western Conference-leading Orange County SC on July 4. Ahead of a pivotal interconference clash in California, here is everything you need to know.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Wednesday, July 8
Kickoff | 10:30 p.m. ET
Location | Heart Health Park – Sacramento, California
Broadcast | NESN+, ESPN Select
Radio | 790 The Score (WPRV 790 AM)
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)
Game Hashtag | #SACvRI
Last Meeting | Sept. 10, 2025: RI 0(0)-0(3) SAC – USL Cup Semifinals – Pawtucket, R.I.
SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Danny Vitiello, 31-Jacob Randolph
DEFENDERS (8): 2-Jack Gurr, 3-Ryan Spaulding, 4-Lee Desmond, 5-Jared Timmer, 6-Freddy Kleeman, 15-Aaron Essel, 22-Michel Benitez, 55-Chibi Ukaegbu
MIDFIELDERS (6): 8-Memo Rodriguez, 10-Arturo Rodriguez, 18-Mark-Anthony Kaye, 20-Blake Wiley, 24-Pep Casas, 27-Danny Crisostomo
FORWARDS (6): 7-Mayele Malango, 11-Forster Ajago, 14-Da’vian Kimbrough, 16-Tyler Wolff, 17-Dominik Wanner, 71-Kyle Edwards
Back in Action
After its July 4 game at FC Tulsa was postponed due to inclement weather, Sacramento Republic FC will take the field on Wednesday for the first time since a 1-0 loss vs. New Mexico United on June 20. The loss vs. New Mexico was Sacramento’s third in its last five regular-season games, two of which were shutout losses. Sacramento has struggled to replicate the form that saw it finish second in the Western Conference standings in 2025, and currently sits in 10th place in the West. Despite its recent struggles, Sacramento is just two points out of the final playoff spot with three games in hand, and has a real opportunity to climb the table quickly if it can get back to winning ways on Wednesday.
Slim Margins
Sacramento’s 1-0 loss to New Mexico United added to a long list of narrow results – just three regular-season games for Sacramento have been decided by two or more goals this season. Although the Western Conference club ranks among the bottom three teams in the league in goals (13), shots (134) and shot conversion rate (13 percent) through 12 regular-season games, it makes up for those struggles with a disciplined defensive unit that has conceded the third-fewest goals in the league (12). In its 1-0 loss to New Mexico last time out, Sacramento’s conversion struggles continued to hurt it, as the club suffered a shutout defeat despite rattling off a season-high 19 shots.
Home Sweet Home
Sacramento’s loss to New Mexico was just its second defeat in 10 games at home across all competitions this season, and marked the first time all season that it has failed to score in front of its home fans. Sacramento has been otherwise very strong at Heart Health Park this season, holding a 5W-2L-3T record across all competitions, out-scoring its opponents 16-6 and keeping five clean sheets in 10 games. Facing an opportunity to jump above the playoff line against a team Sacramento has never lost against, Wednesday’s contest is pivotal for it to get back to winning ways in front of its loyal supporters.
RHODE ISLAND FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Koke Vegas, 13-Will Meyer, 29-Jacob Castro
DEFENDERS (8): 2-Dani Rovira, 3-Aldair Sanchez, 4-Hugo Bacharach, 5-Grant Stoneman, 15-Frank Nodarse, 22-Nick Scardina, 24-Karifa Yao, 25-CJ Williams, 32-Hamady Diop
MIDFIELDERS (7): 7-Dwayne Atkinson, 10-Agustín “Pity” Rodríguez, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 19-Kevin Vang, 21-Zachary Herivaux, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson
FORWARDS (4): 8-Leo Afonso, 9-JJ Williams, 11-Noah Fuson, 20-Jamin Gogo Peters
Back to Business
After a three-week break, Rhode Island FC returned to action on July 4th with a dominant display at home, holding Orange County SC to a 1-1 tie. Despite not getting the win, the Ocean State club continued to look incredibly strong in the final third: RIFC dominated the statsheet in shots (24-2), corners (10-2), touches in the opponent’s box (44-9) and crosses (29-8) against the Western Conference leaders. Its 24 shots were the most it has taken in a regular-season game in club history, while the two shots it faced were the fewest in regular-season club history.
An Unlikely Hero
Defender Hugo Bacharach scored RIFC’s lone goal to open the scoring on Saturday, giving RIFC the lead over the Western Conference leaders with his second professional goal for Rhode Island FC. Bacharach became the ninth RIFC player to score a regular-season goal in 2026 for Rhode Island FC, bringing the club’s total to 22 goals across 12 games, which ranks eighth in the USL Championship. Scoring an average of 1.8 goals per game, the Ocean State club’s reinvigorated attack this season is on pace to challenge its record-setting 56-goal output during its historical inaugural season in 2024.
For the Recordbooks
Rhode Island FC is winless in three all-time meetings (0W-1L-2T) vs. Sacramento Republic FC, all of which have taken place in the Ocean State. The two clubs met twice last season, beginning when Sacramento delivered RIFC a 2-0 loss at Centreville Bank Stadium on June 21, 2025. Sacramento returned to Pawtucket on Sept. 10 in the semifinals of the USL Cup, where the two clubs battled to a scoreless tie before the visitors prevailed in a penalty shootout. Wednesday’s meeting will mark the first time the two clubs do battle in Sacramento, and will make Sacramento RIFC’s most frequently played Western Conference opponent. RIFC is 7W-7L-10T all-time against Western Conference teams, including a 1W-0L-1T record this season.
