Rhode Island FC is enjoying a run of strong form in the USL Championship, scoring seven goals in its last two games and picking up back-to-back league wins for the first time in 2026. Following its second-largest shutout victory in club history on Wednesday – a 4-0 win over Charleston Battery at Centreville Bank Stadium – the Ocean State club will look to carry its attacking dominance into a regional rivalry matchup vs. Hartford Athletic on Saturday. RIFC will open up the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup group stage against the defending champions at Trinity Health Stadium with a chance to earn its first-ever win in the Constitution State. The matchup will be the second meeting in less than a month in cup competition between the USL Championship’s two closest neighbors, as RIFC took down Hartford 2-0 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on April 1 at Centreville Bank Stadium. Ahead of this season’s second edition of the local derby, here is everything you need to know.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Saturday, April 25
Kickoff | 7:00 p.m. ET
Location | Trinity Health Stadium – Hartford, CT
Broadcast | CBS Sports Network
Radio | 790 The Score (WPRV 790 AM)
Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)
Game Hashtag | #HFDvRI
Last Meeting | April 1, 2026: RI 2-0 HFD – Pawtucket, R.I.
About the Prinx Tires USL Cup
The 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup is the third edition of the USL’s interleague cup competition, a World Cup-style tournament which features all 43 teams across the USL Championship and League One. The 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup will kick off on Saturday, April 25, with teams split into seven regional groups. Six groups will include six teams and one will include seven teams, with each club set to play four group stage games in the opening phase of the tournament, which will conclude on Saturday, July 11. The seven group winners and one wild card will advance to the knockout stage, with the wild card to be awarded to the second-placed team with the most points in group play, followed by the first tiebreaker of most goals scored. The Quarterfinals will be held on Wednesday, August 13, followed by the Semifinals on Wednesday, September 9, before the final on the weekend of October 2-4, 2026.
Rhode Island FC will compete in Group 5 of the tournament, joining Hartford Athletic, Brooklyn FC, and USL League One clubs Portland Hearts of Pine, Westchester SC and New York Cosmos.
HARTFORD ATHLETIC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Enzo Carvalho, 77-Antony Siaha
DEFENDERS (9): 2-Sebastian Anderson, 3-Matt Real, 4-Jordan Scarlett, 5-Baboucarr Njie, 15-Artuto Diz Pe, 19-Emmanuel Samadia, 22-TJ Presthus, 24-Galen Flynn, 25-Britton Fischer
MIDFIELDERS (7): 6-Beverly Makangila, 8-Junior Moreira, 10-Samuel Careaga, 16-Barry Coffey, 18-Christos Hadjipaschalis, 20-Andrés Hernández, 24-Galen Flynn
FORWARDS (5): 9-Augi Williams, 11-Michee Ngalina, 17-Sadat Anaku, 81-Adewale Obalola, 27-Spencer Gordon
Defending the Crown
In last year’s USL Cup, which was the first edition of the tournament to feature every club from USL League One and the USL Championship, Hartford Athletic prevailed to win its first trophy in club history. After a penalty-shootout victory vs. Rhode Island FC on the final day of the group stage saw the Green and Blue advance into the knockout stage by claiming a Wild Card spot, Hartford made an inspiring run all the way to the final. After advancing, it took down Western Conference club San Antonio FC and USL League One side Greenville Triumph on the way to its first title game. Playing for the trophy on the road vs. Sacramento Republic FC, Hartford broke the deadlock when Samuel Careaga netted the game’s lone goal in the first half, scoring a long-range strike that secured Hartford’s first-ever trophy and headlined the most successful season in the club’s history.
Rebound at Home
After a red-hot start to the season that saw Hartford get off to a 3W-0L-2T record across all competitions, its 2-0 loss at Rhode Island FC on April 1 marked its first loss of the 2026 season. Since then, it is winless and scoreless in its last three games, including a 4-0 home loss vs. El Paso Locomotive FC and a pair of 0-0 ties vs. Miami FC and Loudoun United FC. After scoring the second-most goals in the league (7) through its opening four games, the Connecticut club finds itself on the wrong end of a four-game scoreless streak across all competitions, and will look to bounce back against its closest rivals to return to the win column for the first time in more than a month.
Siaha Shines Bright
Goalkeeper Antony Siaha, playing his second season as Hartford’s primary starter between the sticks, has continued to be a foundational pillar of Hartford’s resilient defense. The experienced USL shot-stopper leads the USL Championship with 25 saves and is second with four shutouts in seven games. Although Hartford has been shut out five times in the regular season, three of those games have ended in scoreless ties, highlighting Siaha’s ability to keep his side in games and preserve valuable points. His 78.13 save percentage ranks second in the league among goalkeepers who have played at least seven games – Siaha’s has saved 25 of a league-second-most 32 shots on target he has faced.
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 (5): 8-Leo Afonso, 9-JJ Williams, 11-Noah Fuson, 14-Logan Dorsey, 20-Jamin Gogo Peters
An Explosive Attack
Rhode Island FC has scored seven goals in its last two USL Championship games, recording back-to-back wins for the first time in 2026. RIFC most recently took down Charleston Battery 4-0 in its second-largest shutout victory in club history on Wednesday, fueled by a four-goal showing in the second half. JJ Williams highlighted the historic performance with his 49th and 50th career regular-season goals, logging his sixth career multi-goal game for the club to open his regular-season account in 2026. In total, the Ocean State club’s all-time leading scorer has logged three goals and one assist in his last four games across all competitions. Jojea Kwizera joined Williams on the scoresheet, surpassing his 2025 goal total just six games into the regular season. He netted his team-leading third goal in USL Championship play, scoring in back-to-back games for just the second time in his RIFC career. In the 83rd minute, second-half substitute Dwayne Atkinson tied a bow on the win with his second goal of the year, converting calmly from the spot to secure RIFC’s third-straight win over the Battery. In total, RIFC’s last seven goals in the league have been scored by five different players.
You Shall Not Pass
Rhode Island FC’s attack has not been the only thing shining in the last few games. Defensively, it has only allowed two goals in its last five games across all competitions while keeping three clean sheets. Despite the lopsided scoreline vs. Charleston, the visitors had plenty of chances – both sides ended level on shots with 13 each, and Charleston sent in 20 crosses to Rhode Island FC’s 10. Despite a handful of one-on-one breakthroughs, dangerous headers and powerful shots, the Rhode Island FC defense was equal to every effort Charleston sent its way, coming up with clutch saves on several occasions that paved the way for a second-half offensive explosion. After 90 minutes, RIFC totaled 24 clearances, 11 interceptions and 19/23 tackles won. Defenders Grant Stonemena and Karifa Yao led the way with five clearances each, keeping out a Charleston attack that would not back down.
For the Recordbooks
Rhode Island FC put on a strong showing in its first-ever USL Cup campaign in 2025, finishing at the top of Group 4 before making a run to the Semifinals, where it fell to eventual runners-up Sacramento Republic FC in a tight penalty-shootout loss. Through last season’s group stage, Rhode Island FC led the entire 38-team field with 11 goals through four games, and will look to continue that trend off the back of its recent uptick in attack form. RIFC’s recent win against Hartford on April 1 tipped the balance of the all-time series between the two clubs back in its favor – the Ocean State club holds a 2W-1L-3T record vs. Hartford, out-scoring its rivals 8-6 in that time. The rivals split a pair of ties at Centreville Bank Stadium last season, fighting to a nationally-televised 0-0 tie on July 19 before splitting a back-and-forth 2-2 tie just one week later in their only other USL Cup meeting. In the last meeting between the two squads in Connecticut on Aug. 22, 2025, RIFC fell 3-0 at Trinity Health Stadium.
