For the first time in 189 days, Rhode Island FC will close out its seven-game road stretch in 2025 and play in front of its home fans on Saturday, as it gears up to host San Antonio FC for its first-ever game at Centreville Bank Stadium. Last time out, RIFC kicked off its USL Jägermeister Cup campaign with a resounding 4-1 win over USL League One side Westchester SC, putting out the third-highest offensive output in club history. The Ocean State club will be hungry to bring that production into the USL Championship as it returns to regular-season action in front of a sold-out crowd in Pawtucket for the first time ever. Ahead of Rhode Island FC’s historic inaugural home opener, here is everything you need to know.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Saturday, May 3
Kickoff | 4 p.m. ET
Location | Centreville Bank Stadium – Pawtucket, R.I.
Broadcast | myRITV, ESPN+
Radio | 790 The Score (790 AM)
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook
Game Hashtag | #RIvSA
Last Meeting | Sept. 28, 2024: SA 1-3 RI – San Antonio, Texas
SAN ANTONIO FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): 0-Joey Batrouni, 1-Richard Sanchez
DEFENDERS (7): 3-Mitchell Taintor, 4-Nelson Flores Blanco, 5-Alexis Souahy, 21-Alex Crognale, 22-Shannon Gomez, 23-Rece Buckmaster, 94-Jimmy Medranda
MIDFIELDERS (8): 6-Mohamed Omar, 7-Luke Haakenson, 8-Nicky Hernandez, 10-Jorge Hernandez, 14-Lucio Berron, 18-Almir Soto, 34-Juan Osorio, 52-Dyllan Mendoza
FORWARDS (6): 9-Jake Lacava, 11-Alex Greive, 17-Juan Agudelo, 32-Andres Paredes, 55-Dmitrii Erofeev, 70-Diogo Pacheco
Road Success
Across the regular season and Jägermeister Cup in 2025, San Antonio has started the season perfect (3W-0L-0T) on the road, including a 1-0 win at Phoenix Rising SC last time out in its first-ever game in the newly-expanded inter-league contest. The club is no stranger to a difficult road environment, as the impressive streak included a 2-1 win at Oakland Roots SC in the Western Conference club’s first-ever home game at the historic Oakland Coliseum. On Saturday, San Antonio will enter a new stadium opening for the second time this season as the visitors, looking to level the all-time series after Rhode Island FC toppled San Antonio 3-1 at Toyota Field last season.
Comeback King
After setting a club record by becoming just the tenth USL Championship squad to start the season with four-straight wins, San Antonio fell in back-to-back home losses prior to hosting defending league Champions Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in its last league contest. After going down 2-0 by halftime, it looked like San Antonio’s hot start to the season had quickly cooled off, but the Western Conference club quickly turned it around in the second half with three unanswered goals in the space of 13 minutes to secure a dramatic 3-2 win and return to the win column. The win was the second time the club had come back from 2-0 down to secure all three points in a game this season, after it went down 2-0 in 16 minutes at USL Championship newcomers Lexington SC before clawing all the way back for a 3-2 win.
Hernandez Leads the Charge
Jorge Hernandez has been a driving force this season for a San Antonio attack that has scored a league-leading 13 goals. Hernandez leads the team and is tied for third in the league with four goals, matching his combined total from the last two seasons just six games into the 2025 campaign after scoring the first goal of the heroic three-goal comeback vs. Colorado Springs. He is one of eight different scorers for a balanced and dangerous San Antonio attack, joining Alex Greive (2 goals) and Luke Haakenson (2 goals) as the only multi-goal scorers so far this season. The Texas club is tied for fifth in the league with just under two goals per game, and has not been shutout in 13-straight league contests dating back to last season.
RHODE ISLAND FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 22-Jackson Lee, 1-Koke Vegas, 13-Will Meyer
DEFENDERS (7): 4-Hugo Bacharach, 14-Rio Hope-Gund, 15-Frank Nodarse, 2-Dani Rovira, 3-Aldair Sanchez, 5-Grant Stoneman, 24-Karifa Yao, 16-Cole Dewhurst
MIDFIELDERS (10): 80-Isaac Angking, 18-Joe Brito, 20-Zachary Herivaux, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 8-Taimu Okiyoshi, 21-Maxi Rodriguez, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson, 19-Kevin Vang, 23-Marc Ybarra
FORWARDS (3): 10-Albert Dikwa, 11-Noah Fuson, 9-JJ Williams
When it Rains it Pours
Between the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, USL Jägermeister Cup and regular-season action, Rhode Island FC has scored 10 of its 11 total goals in the first half. In the win vs. Westchester, the club continued to display its theme of early scoring, netting three goals in the space of 11 minutes – including its first two goals in three minutes – to put itself firmly in cruise control. The early blitz has been the formula for all of Rhode Island FC’s wins this season, as the club has scored multiple goals in the space of just three minutes in all three victories across all competitions. The win in Westchester marked the second time this season that the club has scored three goals in one half.
Maxi off the Mark
Saturday’s Jägermeister Cup opener was fueled by a breakout performance from midfielder Maxi Rodgriguez, who registered his first two career goal involvements for Rhode Island FC to establish a swift 3-0 lead in the first half. After assisting Frank Nodarse’s opening goal off of a corner kick and playing a major role in the buildup of JJ Williams’ goal just three minutes later to make it 2-0, Rodriguez capped off a busy half in the attack by burying a first-time shot into the bottom-left corner to make it 3-0 inside 37 minutes. Rodriguez became just the second player this season to register multiple goal contributions in the one half this season, helping propel the Ocean State club to the top of Group 4 in the process.
JJ Keeps Moving
Williams joined Rodriguez in the goalscoring party on Saturday, registering his first brace of the season and fourth multi-goal performance of his RIFC career in the win. His third and fourth goals of 2025 brought his career total in Amber and Blue up to 15, cementing his place as the club’s all-time leading goalscorer. Williams averages a goal every three games in his Rhode Island FC career, and the club has never lost in 12 games (10W-0L-2T) that Williams has scored or assisted.