JJ Williams stoppage-time equalizer not enough as RIFC’s cup run comes to a hard-fought finish
PAWTUCKET, R.I. (April 14, 2026) – For the second-straight year in the Lamar U.S. Open Cup Round of 32, Rhode Island FC and the New England Revolution delivered an instant classic, playing to a dramatic 1-1 tie before the Revolution prevailed 3-1 in a penalty shootout. After going down 1-0 early in the second half, RIFC striker JJ Williams sent Centreville Bank Stadium into euphoria in the 11th minute of stoppage time, scoring the latest goal in club history to equalize and send the game into extra time.
The game, despite playing to a dramatic finish, started slow. The first 45 minutes had just two shots and an expected goals (XG) tally of just 0.03 between the two teams, and neither goal saw much action as the two teams entered the break scoreless.
After a cagey first half, the New England Revolution broke the game wide open in the 51st minute when a loose ball in the box fell to Diego Fagúndez. After Peyton Miller’s cross from the left side was nodded back down into the box, Fagúndez was first to the open ball, slamming it into the top-right corner with a powerful effort to put the Revs up 1-0.
Two minutes later, the Ocean State club made an impactful triple-substitution, bringing on Williams, Leo Afonso and Jojea Kwizera. The trio transformed Rhode Island FC’s attack, putting the pressure on a New England Revolution backline that desperately held on deep into stoppage time. RIFC nearly equalized in the 82nd minute when Kwizera curled a cross-field ball to Afonso, who broke into a one-on-one position down the right wing. Afonso sprinted into the box and unleashed a low shot, but New England goalkeeper Donovan Parisian produced a heroic diving save to deny the second-half substitute.
RIFC would continue to lay on the pressure, and nearly found an equalizer in the 10th minute of second-half stoppage time. After Parisian jumped off of his line to punch away a long cross from Clay Holstad, Hugo Bacharach lunged to nod the close-range rebound towards the empty net, but his effort nailed the near post and was cleared. Just one minute later, however, Hamady Diop sent the ball right back into the box, and Williams jumped through traffic to nod the deflected cross into the back of the net in the dying seconds of the game, sending the two teams into extra time.
Through the first 15 minutes of extra time, RIFC rode its newfound momentum, creating a handful of dangerous chances. New England, however, came closest to the game-winner in the 103rd minute when Luca Langoni brought down Miller’s cross on the right side of the box. Lining up a shot, Langoni fired towards goal, but RIFC defender Grant Stoneman rushed back in time to sweep the ball off the line. Coming down the other way in the 111th minute, Williams got on the end of Aldair Sanchez’s cross in the box, but Parisian scooped up the close-range header to keep the game level. Throughout 120 minutes, New England narrowly outshot RIFC 11-10, while the Ocean State club held a 54-46 percent edge in possession.
Ultimately, neither side could find the breakthrough in extra time, sending the game into a win-or-go-home penalty shootout. Parisian was the hero for New England in the shootout, turning away three-straight RIFC penalties before Tanner Beason buried the decisive spot kick to send the Revolution into the Round of 16.
Up next, Rhode Island FC will enjoy a bye week before returning to the USL Championship regular season at Centreville Bank Stadium when it hosts Charleston Battery on Wednesday, April 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for the Wicked Good Weeknight are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
NER – Diego Fagúndez (Damario McIntosh), 51st minute: Fagúndez drills a powerful shot into the top-right corner. NER 1, RI 0
RI – JJ Williams, 90+11th minute: Williams rises above his defender and powers a head into the back of the net from close range. NER 1, RI 1
PENALTY SUMMARY
RI: Diop (Scored), Kwizera (Saved), Afonso (Saved), Williams (Saved)
NER: Langoni (Scored), Farrell (Scored), Feingold (Saved), Beason (Scored)
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Amos Shapiro-Thompson made his first start of the season.
- JJ Williams scored his second goal of the season, and second in as many U.S. Open Cup games. He is the first player in club history to score in back-to-back Open Cup games, and he stands alone as the club’s all-time leading scorer with 21 goals.
- The goal, scored in the 11th minute of second-half stoppage time, was the latest regulation goal scored in club history.
- The loss marked the third time in club history Rhode Island FC has taken a game into extra time, and the first time it has done so at Centreville Bank Stadium. RIFC is 1W-2L in those games, all of which were decided in penalty shootouts.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: JJ Williams
Match stats and information available here.
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