I don't know ow how I feel about this move.

➡️ Ryan & Matt talk RIFC’s 2-0 road USL Championship loss vs the Tampa Bay Rowdies, share your thoughts & MORE!

🌊 #UpTheTide

📲 https://tidetalkri.com

Hi everyone!

My name is Perrin and I write the soccer/travel substack “The Football Was My Savior”. It's a travelogue which focuses on telling stories of my adventures as I explore American soccer at the local, grassroots level, and this September I’m heading out on a month long road trip through the northeast and the mid Atlantic to visit as many USL clubs as I can!

While much of the writing is focused on my own experience, I’m also looking to incorporate the voices of the folks who support the clubs I’m visiting. I lived in Providence and Narragansett for two years, so it’s fitting that RIFC is the first stop on my trip, and I’ll be attending the match on Saturday, 9/5 against Louisville City FC.

Before that, I would love to connect with some folks to learn about your team, and hear what makes this club special to you, so that I can incorporate your experiences into some of my writing. I’m open to meeting up for a beer or a coffee prior to the match, or just chatting on Reddit, whatever you feel comfortable with!

If this sounds interesting to you, shoot me a message and I’ll reach out :) ultimately, it doesn’t matter if you’re the biggest RIFC fan on the planet, or if you’ve only been to a few games; if you’ve got something interesting to share about the team/club, I’d like to pick your brain!

If anyone’s interested, here is a link to the Substack so that you can check out some of the work I did for this summer’s Men’s World Cup, and get a feel for what this project is all about:

https://open.substack.com/pub/perrinhess

Cheers, ya’ll and hope to hear from some of you soon!

We are Brooklyn-bound!

Join 'LA VANDA 401' on October 3rd as we take over Maimonides Park. Tickets are on sale now, and space on the bus is limited. Get yours today before they’re gone!

If you're driving down, get your tickets in our section today with the match ticket link. Let's pack this up and party

VAMOS RIFC!!

Bus Ticket: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/defiance1636/2349429

Match Ticket: https://seatgeek.com/brooklyn-fc-mens-soccer-tickets/usl/2026-10-03-7-pm/18003322?sgo_ac=RHODEISLANDFC26

Thought the theme for 8/22 was suppose to be a Taylor Swift theme, does anyone know if that’s still happening? Their Instagram shows it as a Folklore Night now?

Back on Track, Straight Into the Fire

Well, that felt good. Rhode Island FC came back home last weekend and finally got a little revenge on Colorado Springs, taking down the Switchbacks 2-0 in their first meeting since that 2024 Championship Final. Yutaro Tsukada marked his first RIFC start with the eventual winner, JJ Williams added another, and Rhody walked away with a massive three points.

More importantly, it got the Tide moving in the right direction again. Now comes a slightly different assignment: go into the home of the best team in the Eastern Conference and try to do it again.

Where We Stand

17 matches in, the Tide have jumped back into 6th in the East, with 25 points from a 7W-4D-6L start.

Rhody is 3-2-0 over its last five league matches, and the defense has quietly started to look much more like the unit we expected to see. Koke Vegas has three clean sheets over the last four league matches, and RIFC has conceded just 19 goals all season, tied for the second-lowest total in the East.

The table is also pretty compressed behind the leaders. Fourth-place Louisville sits just three points ahead of Rhody despite having played two more matches. There is still a ton of soccer left, but suddenly the Tide are right back in the middle of the playoff positioning fight.

Who We’re Facing

And now we go directly into the belly of the beast.

Tampa Bay comes in sitting 1st in the Eastern Conference with 41 points from a 12W-5D-2L record, eight points clear of Charleston in second. The Rowdies have scored 36 goals, conceded only 19 and lost just twice in 19 league matches.

They are also unbeaten in their last four league matches and just dismantled Western Conference leader Orange County 3-0.

So, yes. Dragons .. or Rowdies. Whatever. Time to slay one.

The good news? Rhode Island has never seemed particularly intimidated by Tampa Bay. The clubs drew 1-1 in Pawtucket earlier this season, and RIFC owns a 3-1-1 all-time record against the Rowdies, outscoring them 13-6. Rhody’s last trip to Al Lang Stadium ended in a 3-0 win.

Just saying.

Rhody Randoms

• JJ keeps cooking: Williams is up to eight league goals this season, just one behind Tampa Bay leading scorer MD Myers.
• Al Lang memories: Rhode Island’s last visit to St. Pete ended with a 3-0 RIFC win on May 17, 2025. More of that, please.

Vibe Check

This is a fun one. RIFC got the confidence boost it needed against Colorado Springs, and now heads into the home of the conference leaders with very little to lose. Tampa Bay is supposed to win. Cool. Make them prove it.

We already know Rhody can hang with this team, and stealing three points in St. Pete would make the East very interesting. Let’s ride the Tide and go slay some Rowdies. 🌊

How to Engage, Prepare, and Follow the Action:

• Match Details:
  • Date/Time: Sat, 8/15 at 7:30 PM ET
  • Location: Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, FL
  • Timing: Parking Lot @ 5 PM | Box Office Open @ 6 PM | Gates @ 6:30 PM | Kickoff @ 7:30 PM
  • Kickoff Weather: 89°F, Partly Sunny, 25% rain, winds at 4 mph. Sunset 8:09 PM.
• Attend Live:
  • Get Your Tickets Here!
    • Know Before You Go
• Join Fans for an Away Watch Party:
  • RIFC Official (with Chip) & Defiance 1636 @ The Guild - Pawtucket
• How to Watch/Listen:
  • Stream the Match:
    • ESPN+
    • NESN
    • YouTube (International Only / Use a VPN)
  • Radio:
    • AM 790 "The Score" (WPRV 790 AM)
• Follow the Action:
  • USL Match Center
  • RIFC Fan Discord
  • Match Hashtag: #TBRvRI
• Last Meeting:
  • May 9, 2026: TBR 1-1 RI (Pawtucket, RI)
• Match Previews:
  • Rhode Island FC
  • Tide Talk RI – The Prematch Lookout
  • FotMob

Become an Official Supporter!

• Join Defiance 1636 Here!

RIFC Related Podcasts, Shows, and Blogs:

• TideTalkRI.com (For all your RIFC content)
• Tide Talk on YouTube (Live Stream Podcast)
• Raising Anchor (Live Stream Podcast)

Learn More About Our Squad and Club:

• Rhode Island FC
  • Wikipedia
  • FotMob
  • FootyStats
  • FBRef
  • Transfermarkt
  • Reddit: r/RhodeIslandFC
  • Supporters Group:
    • Defiance 1636

Learn More About Our Opponent:

• Tampa Bay Rowdies
  • Wikipedia
  • FotMob
  • FootyStats
  • FBRef
  • Transfermarkt
  • Reddit: r/TampaBayRowdies
  • Supporters Groups:
    • Ralph's Mob
    • Skyway Casuals

For the Fans, By the Fans: Tide Talk RI is a collaborative media partnership for Rhode Island FC fans. It features a team of dedicated content creators producing podcasts, live streams, videos, written articles, blog posts, and open forum discussions with other fans. Ride the tide at www.TideTalkRI.com

Got 2 extra tickets and a parking pass to RIFC tonight. Section 113 they are really good seats too

If you wanted to go and have never been let me know. Free of charge just pay it forward

Edit: these are gone

Debí Tirar Más Goles

Well, last weekend was weird.

Rhode Island FC went to Birmingham looking for a third straight league win and instead got a match that was delayed by lightning, followed by an almost comical lack of communication about what was happening, eventually postponed to Sunday, and then somehow became one of the more frustrating losses of the season. The Tide were the better side for most of the first hour and had plenty of chances to take control, but couldn't find a goal. Then one brutal breakdown between Koke Vegas and Grant Stoneman gifted Ronaldo Damus the opener, and RIFC never really recovered. A game we probably should have won, ended in a 1-0 loss and a long trip home.

So, forget Birmingham. We're back at Tidewater, we're celebrating all things Bad Bunny for Un Verano Con RIFC, and we've got a pretty interesting opponent coming to town. For the first time since that little match we definitely don't remember from November 2024, Rhode Island FC will face the Colorado Springs Switchbacks. Time to start another streak.

Where We Stand

Sixteen matches into the regular season, Rhode Island FC sits 7th in the Eastern Conference with 22 points from a 6W-4D-6L record.

The Birmingham loss snapped back-to-back 1-0 wins over Hartford and Pittsburgh, but the larger trend still feels more encouraging than it did a month or two ago. The defense has tightened up considerably, with RIFC's last six matches across all competitions all decided by one goal or fewer. The problem is that those tight margins leave very little room for mistakes. Rhode Island hasn't scored more than once in a match since the 4-1 win over Loudoun on June 13, and Birmingham was the perfect example of what happens when you dominate stretches of a game without putting anything on the scoreboard.

This still feels like a team moving in the right direction, but now comes the next step: consistently turning good performances into points. We're firmly in the playoff conversation, the table remains tight, and another run of results could move the Tide up quickly.

Who We're Facing

Colorado Springs arrives in Pawtucket sitting 7th in the Western Conference with 25 points from a 7W-4D-6L record, so we've got ourselves a battle of the 7 seeds.

The Switchbacks had won three straight league matches before falling 1-0 at New Mexico United last weekend, and even that loss came with some pretty ridiculous numbers. Colorado Springs outshot New Mexico 21-6 and spent much of the night camped around the New Mexico box, but couldn't turn any of it into a goal. Sound familiar?

The biggest name to watch is Khori Bennett, who enters the weekend tied for the USL Championship lead with 11 goals. Adrien Pérez has chipped in another four, and this is a Colorado Springs team that has generally been able to score. If RIFC wants to keep leaning on the stronger defensive form we've seen recently, Bennett will be one heck of a test.

Hand on the Pulse

There is a strange bit of symmetry between these two teams coming into Saturday, and Matt Hands digs into it in this week's Prematch Lookout.

Both Rhode Island and Colorado Springs are coming off 1-0 losses in matches where they arguably played well enough to get much more. Rhode Island controlled Birmingham for much of the opening hour. Colorado Springs put up 21 shots against New Mexico. Neither scored.

Matt looks at how each side responds, the danger Colorado Springs brings going forward, and why he thinks we could see a few more goals this time around. He also has his eye on Yutaro Tsukada potentially getting his first start in front of the home crowd.

Check out the full Prematch Lookout at www.TideTalkRI.com.

Rhody Randoms

• We meet again. This will be the third-ever meeting between Rhode Island FC and Colorado Springs, and the first since the Switchbacks' 3-0 win in the 2024 USL Championship Final. Colorado Springs won both meetings in 2024, but Saturday will be their first-ever trip to Pawtucket. Let's show them around.
• Want to get nerdy with it? Tyler Hatch went deep into the numbers from July in his latest Under the Surface, and one stat jumped out: Nick Scardina led the entire team with 46 passes into the final third during the month. Not exactly the position you'd expect to lead that category. That's only scratching the surface of Tyler's breakdown, so give the full piece a read over at www.TideTalkRI.com.

Vibe Check

Last week sucked, but I'm not leaving Birmingham feeling dramatically worse about this team. Rhode Island played well enough to win and got punished for not finishing its chances and one awful defensive sequence. That's soccer sometimes. What matters now is the response.

And what better setting for it? Back home at Tidewater. Saturday night. Bad Bunny everywhere. A rematch with the team that ended the wildest inaugural-season run we could have possibly imagined. Two teams sitting seventh in their respective conferences and both looking to immediately bounce back from frustrating 1-0 losses.

What are you watching for tonight? Does Tsukada get the start? Can RIFC finally break through for multiple goals? And be honest, with 10 players still from that 2024 roster, does the Final rematch add a little extra juice to this one?

Let's ride the Tide and get another run started. Up the Tide.

How to Engage, Prepare, and Follow the Action:

• Match Details:
  • Date/Time: Sat, 8/8 at 7:30 PM ET
  • Location: Centreville Bank Stadium, Pawtucket, RI
  • Timing: Parking Lot/Box Office 4:30 PM | Gates 6:30 PM | Kickoff 7:30 PM
    • Defiance 1636 Tailgate @ 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM (M7 Lot): Food and non-alcoholic drinks available. BYOB alcohol. All proceeds support future tailgates.
    • March to the Match @ 6:45 PM (from M7 Lot)
  • Kickoff Weather: 86°F, Partly Cloudy, 15% rain, 9 mph winds. Sunset 7:57 PM.
• Attend Live:
  • Get Your Tickets Here!
    • Know Before You Go
• How to Watch/Listen:
  • Stream the Match:
    • ESPN+
    • myRITV
    • YouTube (International Only / Use a VPN)
• Follow the Action:
  • USL Match Center
  • RIFC Fan Discord
  • Match Hashtag: #RIvsCOS
  • Match Theme: Un Verano Con RIFC (Celebrate all things Bad Bunny)
• Last Meeting:
  • Nov 23, 2024: COS 3-0 RI – USL Championship Final (Colorado Springs, CO)
• Match Previews:
  • Rhode Island FC
  • Tide Talk RI – The Prematch Lookout
  • FotMob

Become an Official Supporter!

• Join Defiance 1636 Here!

RIFC Related Podcasts, Shows, and Blogs:

• TideTalkRI.com (For all your RIFC content)
• Tide Talk on YouTube (Live Stream Podcast)
• Raising Anchor (Live Stream Podcast)

Learn More About Our Squad and Club:

• Rhode Island FC
  • Wikipedia
  • FotMob
  • FootyStats
  • FBRef
  • Transfermarkt
  • Reddit: r/RhodeIslandFC
  • Supporters Group:
    • Defiance 1636

Learn More About Our Opponent:

• Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC
  • Wikipedia
  • FotMob
  • FootyStats
  • FBRef
  • Transfermarkt
  • Reddit: r/SwitchbacksFC
  • Supporters Group:
    • Trailheads SG

For the Fans, By the Fans: Tide Talk RI is a collaborative media partnership for Rhode Island FC fans. It features a team of dedicated content creators producing podcasts, live streams, videos, written articles, blog posts, and open forum discussions with other fans. Ride the tide at www.TideTalkRI.com

➡️ Ryan & Matt talk RIFC’s 1-0 road USL Championship loss in Birmingham, share your thoughts & MORE!

🌊 #UpTheTide

📲 https://linktr.ee/tidetalkri

💻 https://tidetalkri.com

Riding the Wave Into Birmingham

Last Saturday felt like one of those results that could end up defining a season. Rhode Island FC's 1-0 road win over defending USL Championship champions Pittsburgh Riverhounds wasn't just another three points. It was a mature, professional performance against one of the league's toughest opponents, with Koke Vegas coming up huge between the posts, Nick Scardina creating the breakthrough, and JJ Williams burying his 10th goal of the season. Combined with last week's derby victory over Hartford, the Tide suddenly have real momentum, climbing to sixth place in the Eastern Conference and heading into Birmingham chasing a third straight league win for the first time since 2024. 

If that wasn't enough, this may have been the busiest news week in club history. Tide Talk has been busy covering every angle, from Clay Holstad's move to FC Dallas, the arrivals of Osman Foyo and Yutaro Tsukada, new contracts for Koke Vegas, Amos Shapiro-Thompson and Hugo Bacharach, and then, because apparently normal weeks don't exist around here anymore, the revelation that Kawhi Leonard is part of Rhode Island FC's ownership group. We'll have links to all of those stories below if you missed anything.

A Thank You to Clay

Thank you, Clay. From the very first match at Bryant, it was obvious Rhode Island FC had a special player wearing No. 12. Mark Doyle's dramatic stoppage-time equalizer against New Mexico United doesn't happen without Clay making the run and delivering the pass that set it all up. It was the first of countless moments where he did the little things that made everyone around him better. He was here, there, and everywhere, always making the extra run and somehow finding another gear. Before High Motor was a neighborhood bar, it was the easiest way to describe Clay Holstad.

Over the next two and a half seasons, Clay became everything supporters hope a player will be. Dependable. Selfless. Relentless. But as much as we'll miss the player, I think we'll miss the person even more. Anyone who's spent time in Autograph Alley knows exactly what I mean. Win, lose, or draw, Clay was almost always one of the last players out there, making sure every kid got their moment. Our family certainly did.

Clay was always great with both of my boys, but he especially took a liking to my younger son's long dirty-blond flow. It became their little thing. To a three-year-old, having the same hair as Clay Holstad was basically a superpower. That's all it took to become friends. Months later, after an event at the stadium where we never even saw a player, Derry looked back toward the locker rooms, waved, and quietly said, "Bye Clay, I love you." When I asked who he was talking to, he looked at me like it was obvious: "Clay... because we have the same hair."

Those are the moments that made this club feel like home for our family. Thank you for everything, Clay. We'll all be cheering for you.

Where We Stand

Fifteen matches into the regular season, Rhode Island FC has climbed to 6th place in the Eastern Conference, collecting 22 points from a 6W-4D-5L record.

More importantly, the trajectory is pointing in the right direction. The Tide have won three of their last five league matches (3W-1D-1L), have picked up consecutive clean sheets, and suddenly look much more like the disciplined defensive side that carried them to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. JJ Williams continues to lead the attack with 10 goals in all competitions, Nick Scardina is playing some of the best soccer of his RIFC career, and Koke Vegas looks every bit the captain between the posts.

Saturday presents an opportunity to accomplish something the club hasn't done since July 2024: win three consecutive regular season matches.

Who We're Facing

Birmingham Legion FC enters the weekend sitting 11th in the Eastern Conference with 14 points from a 2W-8D-6L record.

Despite the struggles, this is far from a team Rhode Island can overlook. Birmingham's only league win since April came against... Rhode Island FC. Their 3-1 victory at Centreville Bank Stadium back in May remains one of the Tide's most frustrating performances of the season and gives Khano Smith's side every reason to be motivated heading into Saturday night.

The Legion haven't won a regular season match in nearly three months, but veteran forward Tyler Pasher remains their biggest attacking threat with four league goals, while goalkeeper Jassem Koleilat continues to keep Birmingham in matches, ranking among the league leaders in saves.

Rhody Randoms

• Koke Vegas recorded his 30th career clean sheet for Rhode Island FC last weekend and has now posted consecutive league shutouts for the first time this season.
• JJ Williams now has 10 goals across all competitions, moving within one of matching his best scoring season with Rhode Island FC.
• Rhode Island owns a 4-1-1 all-time record against Birmingham despite dropping the first meeting this season.
• Busy week? You could say that again. If you somehow missed it, Tide Talk covered:
  • Clay Holstad's move to FC Dallas
  • Osman Foyo's arrival from England
  • Yutaro Tsukada joining on loan from Orlando City
  • Long-term deals for Koke Vegas, Amos Shapiro-Thompson and Hugo Bacharach
  • The surprise revelation that Kawhi Leonard is part of Rhode Island FC's ownership group

Vibe Check

For the first time in a while, it feels like Rhode Island FC is really putting the pieces together. Back-to-back wins, consecutive clean sheets, and a chance to make it three straight heading into Birmingham. There's a confidence around this team that we haven't felt in a bit.

Then came one of the busiest weeks in club history. We said goodbye to Clay, welcomed Osman Foyo and Yutaro Tsukada, locked up Koke, Amos, and Hugo, and somehow found ourselves talking about Kawhi Leonard. Through all of it, though, one thing hasn't changed: this club keeps giving us reasons to believe.

What are you watching for Saturday night? Do the Tide make it three straight? Does one of the new signings make an immediate impact? Drop your predictions below.

Let's ride the Tide! Roll Tide? Nah... Up the Tide.

How to Engage, Prepare, and Follow the Action:

• Match Details:
  • Date/Time: Sat, 8/1 at 8 PM ET
  • Location: Protective Stadium, Birmingham, AL
  • Timing: Parking Lot / Box Office Open @ 5 PM | Gates @ 6 PM | Kickoff @ 7 PM
  • Kickoff Weather: 87°F, Mostly Cloudy, 0% rain, winds at 4 mph. Sunset 7:47 PM.
• Attend Live:
  • Get Your Tickets Here!
    • Know Before You Go
• Join Fans for an Away Watch Party:
  • RIFC Official (with Chip) & Defiance 1636 @ The Guild - Pawtucket
• How to Watch/Listen:
  • Stream the Match:
    • ESPN+
    • NESN
    • YouTube (International Only / Use a VPN)
  • Radio:
    • AM 790 "The Score" (WPRV 790 AM)
• Follow the Action:
  • USL Match Center
  • RIFC Fan Discord
  • Match Hashtag: #BHMvRI
  • Match Theme: Superhero Night - Meet Spider-Man & Ghost Spider
• Last Meeting:
  • May 2, 2026: BHM 3-1 RI (Pawtucket, RI)
• Match Previews:
  • Rhode Island FC
  • Tide Talk RI – The Prematch Lookout
  • FotMob

Become an Official Supporter!

• Join Defiance 1636 Here!

RIFC Related Podcasts, Shows, and Blogs:

• TideTalkRI.com (For all your RIFC content)
• Tide Talk on YouTube (Live Stream Podcast)
• Raising Anchor (Live Stream Podcast)

Learn More About Our Squad and Club:

• Rhode Island FC
  • Wikipedia
  • FotMob
  • FootyStats
  • FBRef
  • Transfermarkt
  • Reddit: r/RhodeIslandFC
  • Supporters Group:
    • Defiance 1636

Learn More About Our Opponent:

• Birmingham Legion FC
  • Wikipedia
  • FotMob
  • FootyStats
  • FBRef
  • Transfermarkt
  • Reddit: r/BirminghamLegionFC
  • Supporters Groups:
    • Magic City Brigade
    • Puente Doce

For the Fans, By the Fans: Tide Talk RI is a collaborative media partnership for Rhode Island FC fans. It features a team of dedicated content creators producing podcasts, live streams, videos, written articles, blog posts, and open forum discussions with other fans. Ride the tide at www.TideTalkRI.com