Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Birmingham Legion FC: August 20, 2025
Published on August 18, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release
After enjoying the bye-week, Rhode Island FC will launch back into action this week as it embarks on one of the most important stretches of the 2025 season. The busy week will kick off when Rhode Island FC hosts Birmingham Legion FC on Wednesday in the quarterfinals of the 2025 USL Jägermeister Cup, where it will look to keep its unbeaten run in the competition alive in the single-game elimination knockout rounds. The Ocean State club boasted one of the most dangerous attacks in the Jägermeister Cup through the group stage and has never lost against Birmingham, but the first-ever elimination game between the two clubs will make Wednesday's contest one of the most pivotal meetings between the two Eastern Conference foes. Ahead of the win-or-go-home Jägermeister Cup quarterfinal fixture that will pin two unbeaten teams against each other, here is everything you need to know.
AT A GLANCE
Date | Wednesday, August 20
Kickoff | 7:00 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 | #RIvBHM
Last Meeting | July 5, 2025: RI 1-1 BHM - Pawtucket, R.I.
BIRMINGHAM LEGION FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Matt Van Oekel, 18-Trevor Spangenburg, 57-Fernando Delgado
DEFENDERS (10): 2-Stephen Turnbull, 3-Phanuel Kavita, 4-Ramiz Hamouda, 5-Ethan Kos, 13-Jake Rufe, 20-AJ Patteron, 24-Maliek Howell, 27-Erik Centeno, 33-Moses Mensah, 43-Tiago Suarez
MIDFIELDERS (6): 6-Sam McIllhatton, 11-Dawson McCartney, 17-Edwin Laszo, 19-Enzo Martinez, 25-Roman Torres, 32-Temi Ereku
FORWARDS (8): 9-Ronaldo Damus, 10-Preston Tabort Etaka, 14-Samuel Shashoua, 15-Tyler Pasher, 21-Sebastian Tregarthen, 22-Lucca Dourado, 23-Sebastian Saucedo, 77-Cameron Lacey
Leaking Goals
Birmingham Legion FC has conceded 32 goals in the regular season, which stands as the fourth-most in the USL Championship, and has let in multiple goals in eight games this year. It has conceded 10 of those goals in four league games since it last faced RIFC on July 5, and has let in seven goals in its last two games alone. In both of its last two games, a 3-3 draw at Phoenix Rising FC and a 4-1 loss to Hartford Athletic, Birmingham went down 2-0 inside the opening 28 minutes, and was forced to chase the game from the start. The pair of high-scoring games marked the third and fourth time this season Birmingham has let in three or more goals in a game. It leads the USL Championship with 20 goals conceded in the first half, and will need to find a way to limit the RIFC attack and prevent an early goal in order to avoid another comeback effort on Wednesday.
Confidence in the Cup
Similarly to Rhode Island FC, Birmingham Legion FC has seen some of its biggest success in the Jägermeister Cup this season. Despite winning just one of its last seven regular season games and sitting in 11th in the USL Championship Eastern Conference standings, Birmingham's Cup campaign saw it finish second in Group 3. Boasting an impressive, unbeaten 3W-0L-1T record, the Alabama club out-scored its opponents 8-4 and to secure a Wild Card spot and advance to the quarterfinals. It began the group stage matching its biggest win of the season with a 3-1 triumph over USL League One side Chattanooga Red Wolves SC, and finished with a 2-1 victory of USL League one club Forward Madison FC to confirm its spot in the knockout round.
Dominant Damus
USL Championship veteran Ronaldo Damus has proven a vital addition to Birmingham's roster in 2025. The forward leads the club with 11 goals in all competitions, and scored a goal in each of Birmingham's three group stage wins. Damus is extremely familiar with Rhode Island FC, having scored four goals against the club in his career. He scored a brace against RIFC for Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on May 17, 2024, and netted once again vs. the Ocean State club in the 2024 USL Championship Final on Nov. 23. Following his transfer to Birmingham ahead of the 2025 offseason, Damus picked up where he left off against the Ocean State club by scoring the opening goal in the 1-1 tie between the two clubs during their last meeting on July 5.
RHODE ISLAND FC
Roster
GOALKEEPERS (3): 22-Jackson Lee, 1-Koke Vegas, 13-Will Meyer
DEFENDERS (7): 4-Hugo Bacharach, 6-Aimé Mabika, 14-Rio Hope-Gund, 15-Frank Nodarse, 2-Dani Rovira, 3-Aldair Sanchez, 5-Grant Stoneman, 24-Karifa Yao, 16-Cole Dewhurst
MIDFIELDERS (12): 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, 36-Matthew Corcoran, 7-Dwayne Atkinson
FORWARDS (3): 10-Albert Dikwa, 11-Noah Fuson, 9-JJ Williams
*Out on loan
Defensive Diligence
After veteran goalkeeper Koke Vegas returned between the sticks following an 11-game injury absence, Rhode Island FC has kept two-straight clean sheets, and has not conceded a goal at Centreville Bank Stadium since its 2-2 tie vs. Hartford Athletic in the Jägermeister Cup group stage finale on July 26. The Ocean State club is holding onto a three-game home shutout streak in the regular season for the first time in club history, and has conceded just 20 goals in 20 regular season games, which is the fourth-fewest in the USL Championship. Its back-to-back clean sheets in Week 23 brought its season total to seven shutouts, which is tied for second-most in the USL Championship. Boasting one of the most difficult defenses to break through since the beginning of August, Rhode Island FC will look to shut down a Birmingham attack that has netted eight goals in four games during the group stage.
Red-Hot Attack
Although Rhode Island FC has struggled to find the back of the net in the USL Championship regular season, the attack has been explosive in the Jägermeister Cup. Through four group stage games, RIFC leads the entire 38-team field with 11 goals, averaging nearly three goals per game and conceding just four goals in the process. Two of its group stage wins, 4-1 victories over USL League One sides Westchester SC and Portland Hearts of Pine, matched the third-highest single-game offensive output in club history. Finishing the group stage with an identical record to Birmingham (3W-0L-1T), Rhode Island FC secured the top spot in Group 4 with a dramatic 2-2 tie vs. Hartford Athletic on July 26. After scoring the first hat-trick in Jägermeister Cup history in the win vs. Portland, Albert Dikwa "Chico" leads the charge for RIFC with three goals in the competition, while Maxi Rodgriguez and JJ Williams follow closely with two apiece.
Scouting the Series
Wednesday's game between Rhode Island FC and Birmingham Legion FC will be the fifth all-time meeting between the two clubs, tying Birmingham with Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC as RIFC's most common opponent. In four games vs. Birmingham Legion FC, Rhode Island FC has never lost, holding a 3W-0L-1T record and outsourcing the Alabama club 7-2. Wednesday will mark the third game between the two clubs this season, and the first-ever non-regular season contest. In the two meetings this season, RIFC defeated Birmingham 1-0 on the road at Protective Stadium on May 14 before splitting the points in a 1-1 tie in front of a club-record crowd at Centreville Bank Stadium on July 5. Last season, RIFC held a 2W-0L-0T record vs. The Three Sparks. In a 3-1 win at Protective Stadium on Sept. 28, 2024, Noah Fuson netted the second-fastest goal in RIFC history vs. Birmingham, scoring just 53 seconds into the game. Fuson also scored the equalizer in the 1-1 tie between the two clubs in July.
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