Jojea Kwizera and Clay Holstad score first goals of 2026 in high-octane attacking battle
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (March 21, 2026) – Rhode Island FC fell 4-2 to Louisville City FC at Lynn Family Stadium on Saturday, exchanging blows in an exciting, six-goal attacking battle. Despite the loss, Jojea Kwizera and Clay Holstad both got on the scoresheet for the first time in 2026, and the Ocean State club showed impressive offensive resilience at one of the USL Championship’s toughest road venues.
Louisville City FC (3W-0L-0T) got off to a dominant start on the attack, outshooting Rhode Island FC (0W-1L-1T) 5-0 through the opening 20 minutes. The hosts nearly took the lead just 16 minutes into the contest when Taylor Davila let a powerful shot fly from distance, but goalkeeper Koke Vegas produced a sharp diving save to keep the game scoreless.
The early save proved fruitful for the Ocean State club, who flipped the script in the 21st minute. Sprinting down the left flank with the ball at his feet, Leo Afonso squared a pass across the top of the box to Kwizera, who picked out the top-left corner with a picturesque strike to give RIFC the lead with its first shot of the game.
Not to be deterred by the highlight-reel moment, LouCity responded with ferocity just two minutes later to level the score. Jake Morris began the sequence, slotting a quick give-and-go pass to Chris Donovan and breaking through on goal. Cutting behind the defense, Morris shifted the ball onto his right foot and slammed a powerful effort into the side netting from close range to tie the game.
The Ocean State club kept pushing after the equalizer and began to grow into the attack as the half wore on. In the 34th minute, Agustín “Pity” Rodríguez launched another long-range shot goalward, forcing a crucial save from Louisville goalkeeper Hugo Fauroux, who tipped the effort over the crossbar. Pity nearly caused trouble for LouCity once again on the ensuing corner, fizzing a dangerous ball into the six-yard box that Karifa Yao rattled off the near post.
The two teams entered the halftime break tied, but that changed almost immediately when LouCity struck again just three minutes into the second half. It happened thanks to Ray Serrano’s quick footwork, which opened up space on the right wing and allowed him to evade a jam of several RIFC defenders before playing Jansen Wilson in behind. Wilson took a touch and played a low pass across the face of the goal, setting up Zach Duncan to slot a close-range finish past Vegas to make it a 2-1 game.
The back-and-forth battle did not end there. Rhode Island FC continued to pile on pressure after going behind, and found an equalizer in the 56th minute. After Kwizera fired a low shot from inside the box that was saved by Fauroux, JJ Williams recycled the rebound, sending the ball back across the face of the goal. Holstad was first to the loose ball, poking it into the wide-open net to level the score once again.
With just 13 minutes to play, the hosts were not done yet, this time capitalizing on a set piece from the right wing. Davila whipped a dangerous free kick towards the goalmouth, and Kyle Adams drilled a header inside the near post to re-establish LouCity’s lead.
Grant Stoneman nearly found a late equalizer for RIFC in the 88th minute, testing LouCity with a close-range header that was palmed away by Fauroux. The sequence resulted in a goalmouth scuffle that saw red cards issued to both JJ Williams and Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith. LouCity quickly took advantage of the extra man, forcing a late defensive turnover and moving towards the box, where Wilson buried the hosts’ fourth goal of the game in the second minute of stoppage time to put the game to bed.
Up next, Rhode Island FC will conclude its two-game road trip when it visits Pitbull Stadium to take on Miami FC on Saturday, March 28 at 7 p.m. The club will return home next on Wednesday, April 1 at 7 p.m. when it faces regional rival Hartford Athletic in the Second Round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, before welcoming Detroit City FC to Centreville Bank Stadium just three days later on 401 Night (Saturday, April 4 at 4 p.m.).
Ticket information for RIFC’s Open Cup contest will be released soon. Tickets to 401 Night, and the full 2026 regular season, are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RI – Jojea Kwizera (Leo Afonso), 21st minute: Kwizera picks out the top-left corner with a highlight-reel curling shot. LOU 0, RI 1
LOU – Jake Morris, 23rd minute: Morris slams home a close-range shot from inside the box. LOU 1, RI 1
LOU – Zach Duncan (Jansen Wilson), 48th minute: Duncan slots home Wilson’s goalmouth cross. LOU 2, RI 1
RI – Clay Holstad (JJ Williams), 56th minute: Holstad pokes home Williams’ cross into the open net. LOU 2, RI 2
LOU – Kyle Adams (Taylor Davila), 76th minute: Adams heads home Davila’s free kick at the near post. LOU 3, RI 2
LOU – Jansen Wilson (Ray Serrano), 90+2 minutes: Jansen buries a powerful shot from inside the box. LOU 4, RI 2
ADDITIONAL NOTES
- Jojea Kwizera scored his first goal of the 2026 season, and the sixth goal of his Rhode Island FC career.
- Clay Holstad scored his first goal of the 2026 season, and the ninth of his Rhode Island FC career.
- Leo Afonso tallied his first career Rhode Island FC assist in his third appearance for the club.
- JJ Williams also recorded his first assist of the season, and the ninth of his RIFC career, tying him for second all-time in club history.
- Rhode Island FC has scored 11 goals in four all-time trips to Lynn Family Stadium. It is 2W-2L-0T all-time at the home field of the back-to-back Player’s Shield winners, and has never been shutout in Kentucky.
- Williams and Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith were both issued red cards late in the game.
- Defender CJ Williams made his USL Championship debut, coming in as a second-half substitute in the 60th minute.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jojea Kwizera
Match stats and information available here.
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