Rhode Island FC returns to Centreville Bank Stadium on Saturday when it hosts Monterey Bay FC at 7:30 p.m. on Folklore Night. RIFC is looking to rebound from a 2-0 loss against the league-leading Tampa Bay Rowdies last time out on Aug. 15, and will return home having lost at Centreville Bank Stadium just once all season. After tying 1-1 in its last matchup vs. Monterey Bay FC on May 10, 2025, RIFC will look for its first win against the Western Conference club in their third all-time meeting. The Ocean State Club will look to get back in the win column and move up in the Eastern Conference standings, where it currently sits in seventh place, six points out of a top-four home playoff spot with two games in hand. Ahead of Folklore Night at Centreville Bank Stadium, here is everything you need to know.
TICKETS
Tickets for RIFC’s fan-favorite Folklore Night are going fast. Secure your seat now to join in the Taylor Swift-inspired celebration! Tickets for Saturday’s game are available here.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Saturday, August 22
Kickoff | 7:30 p.m. ET
Location | Centreville Bank Stadium – Pawtucket, R.I.
Broadcast | myRITV, ESPN Select
Radio | 790 The Score (WPRV 790 AM)
Digital | WPRI 12+ App
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)
Game Hashtag | #RIvsMB
Last Meeting | May 10, 2025: MB 1-1 RI – Pawtucket, R.I.
MONTEREY BAY FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Fernando Delgado, 31-Ciaran Dalton, 98-Jacob Jackson
DEFENDERS (10): 2-Abdel Talabi, 3-Stuart Ritchie, 5-Nico Gordon, 6-Luka Malešević, 22-Joel Garcia Jr., 25-Kelsey Egwu, 28-Andres O’Neal, 32-Zackery Farnsworth, 33-Diego Carbajal, 47-Quinton Elliot
MIDFIELDERS (11): 4-Nicholas Ross, 7-Adrian Rebollar, 8-Giorgi Lomtadze, 10-Facundo Canete, 14-Ryuga Nakamura, 16-Jacob Montes, 18-Belmar Joseph Jr., 19-Chris-Kévin Nadje, 23-Eduardo Blancas, 30-Angel Villasana, 88-Sebastian Lletget
FORWARDS (7): 9-Riley Bidois, 11-Wesley Leggett, 15-Fidel Barajas, 17-Omari Glasgow, 20-Ilijah Paul, 21-Diego Otoya, 24-Anisse Saidi
Regular Season Obstacles
Monterey Bay FC (4W-13L-4T) has struggled this season, posting a 0W-4L-1T record in its last five regular season games. It sits at the bottom of the Western Conference standings with 16 points and a goal differential of -15, the conference’s lowest total. Ilijah Paul leads the team with five goals, and only three other players have scored multiple goals in the regular season. In the Western Conference, it ranks 11th in goals scored and has conceded a conference-leading 37 goals. Despite these struggles, Monterey Bay ended its six-game losing skid with a come-from-behind road tie at Oakland Roots SC on Aug. 15, and will aim to build on that momentum against RIFC on Saturday.
Trouble on the Road
On the road this season, Monterey Bay FC has yet to win a game across all competitions and has suffered eight of its losses away from home. It has scored four goals on the road compared to its opponents’ 22, and has been shutout four times. The last time it recorded a win on the road was more than a year ago on March 22, 2025, when it beat Orange County SC 3-0 at Championship Soccer Stadium. In the past two seasons, the 2025 win in Orange County is its only road win. Monterey Bay will face a tough task in turning that trend around on Saturday, as it faces an RIFC team that has lost just one game with a 7W-1L-6T record at Centreville Bank Stadium across all competitions this season.
Last Time Out
In last Saturday’s matchup against Oakland Roots SC, Monterey Bay FC picked up a 1-1 tie to end its six-game losing streak. Oakland dominated the first half, and found the back of the net in the 45th minute to open the scoring. After 32 scoreless minutes in the second half, Ilijah Paul took advantage of a deflection in the 77th minute to level the score for Monterey Bay. Neither team could find the winning goal in the remaining minutes of the game, allowing Monterey Bay to secure a come-from-behind point – Monterey Bay’s first since its 0-0 tie against San Antonio FC on July 4.
RHODE ISLAND FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Koke Vegas, 13-Will Meyer, 29-Jacob Castro
DEFENDERS (9): 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 (8): 7-Dwayne Atkinson, 10-Agustín “Pity” Rodríguez, 12-Clay Holstad*, 16-Eric Klein, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 19-Kevin Vang, 21-Zachary Herivaux, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson
FORWARDS (6): 8-Leo Afonso, 9-JJ Williams, 11-Noah Fuson, 14-Yutaro Tsukada, 18-Osman Foyo, 20-Jamin Gogo Peters
*On loan for 2026 season
Home Sweet Home
Rhode Island FC has taken advantage of its home turf, holding a record of 4W-1L-4T through the regular season at Centreville Bank Stadium. Across all competitions, it has won three games in a row at home, and is unbeaten in seven-straight home games dating back to its 3-1 loss vs. Birmingham Legion FC on May 2. Rhode Island FC has not conceded a single goal in three-straight home games, keeping clean sheets against regional rival Hartford Athletic, defending league champions Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and 2024 league champions Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC. RIFC has scored 19 goals at home this season, including a season-high four goals in two different games. The first was a 4-0 win over Charleston Battery on April 22, followed by a 4-1 win over Brooklyn FC on May 23. Overall, RIFC holds a 7W-7L-6T home record across all competitions and are currently 7th in the Eastern Conference Standings.
For the Recordbooks
The last time matchup between Rhode Island FC and Monterey Bay FC was on May 10, 2025, finishing in a 1-1 tie in RIFC’s third game at Centreville Bank Stadium. In two all-time meetings, both contests have resulted in ties. In the last game against each other, Monterey Bay struck early when Mayele Malango scored in the 17th minute. Although RIFC had several chances in the box, sending in 11 crosses and taking six corners, the hosts went into the half facing a 1-0 deficit. Second half substitute Joe Brito ended the shutout for Rhode Island FC when he powered Jojea Kwizera’s rebound into the top corner with a picturesque volley. Both teams had several chances to find the winning goal in the final minutes of the game, but the game ultimately ended with each team earning a point. In Saturday’s matchup, Rhode Island FC and Monterey Bay FC will be fighting for the first win in the all-time series and a pivotal three points in the playoff race.
Next Man Up
Over the last couple of weeks, Rhode Island FC has had multiple players step up into new roles, showcasing its depth in a busy stretch of the season. After not playing in ten of the first eleven games of the season, Dani Rovira has appeared in all six of the last regular season games, notching 40 minutes in that stretch. Yutaro Tsukada, who joined RIFC on July 30, quickly found his place on the team and has made an immediate impact. After scoring the game-winning goal in the 2-0 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in his home debut on Aug. 8, he has been a consistent threat in front of goal. Despite the loss vs. Tampa Bay, Tsukada attempted a game-high five shots, including one of RIFC’s best chances at a goal that forced an impressive save from Tampa Bay goalkeeper Jahmali White in the first half. Eric Klein, the newest addition to the club, immediately got game action at Tampa Bay as a second-half substitute, coming on in the 72nd minute just one day after joining RIFC on loan from MLS club New England Revolution. The Ocean State club has a chance for another debut on Saturday, as newly-signed Chelsea FC Academy product Osman Foyo could feature after arriving in Rhode Island last week.
