Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Hartford Athletic: April 1, 2026
USL Rhode Island FC

Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Hartford Athletic: April 1, 2026

Published on March 31, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


Rhode Island FC returns to Centreville Bank Stadium for a busy homestand this week, beginning with a win-or-go-home U.S. Open Cup clash vs. regional rival Hartford Athletic on Wednesday at 7 p.m. With a place in the Round of 32 vs. a Major League Soccer opponent on the line, both clubs will be hungry to advance in the country's most historic soccer tournament as the local rivalry returns to Pawtucket for the first time in 2026. Ahead of a highly-anticipated Second Round matchup, here is everything you need to know.

AT A GLANCE

Date | Wednesday, April 1

Kickoff | 7:00 p.m. ET

Location | Centreville Bank Stadium - Pawtucket, R.I.

Broadcast | Paramount+

Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok)

Game Hashtag | #RIvHFD

Last Meeting | Aug. 22, 2025: HFD 3-0 RI - Hartford, Conn.

HARTFORD ATHLETIC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Enzo Carvalho, 77-Antony Siaha

DEFENDERS (8): 2-Sebastian Anderson, 3-Matt Real, 4-Jordan Scarlett, 5-Baboucarr Njie, 15-Artuto Diz Pe, 19-Emmanuel Samadia, 22-TJ Presthus, 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

Looking for History

Led by Head Coach Brendan Burke, who won the Open Cup as an assistant coach with Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo in 2023, Hartford began its 2026 Open Cup with a hard-fought 2-0 win at USL League Two side FC Motown to punch its ticket to the Second Round. Last season, the club entered the competition in the Second Round, where it fell in a heartbreaking penalty-shootout loss at USL League One side Portland Hearts of Pine after conceding a late equalizer in extra time. The loss marked the second-consecutive year Hartford gave up a lead in extra time to end its Open Cup campaign, and it currently holds a 4W-5L all-time record in the competitions dating back to 2019. Hartford travels to RIFC looking to win back-to-back U.S. Open Cup games, and advance to the Round of 32, for the first time in the club's eight-year history.

A Strong Start

Hartford Athletic is unbeaten across all competitions to start the 2026 season, holding a 3W-0L-2T record. All three wins came on the road, including a season-opening 4-0 win over expansion side Sporting Club Jacksonville, a 2-1 road win over expansion side Brooklyn FC and a 2-0 win at USL League Two team FC Motown in the First Round of the U.S. Open Cup. Hartford has out-scored its opponents 8-1 away from Trinity Health Stadium. Through four games in the regular season, Hartford has proven that it does not need much to score. Despite taking the eighth-fewest shots in the USL Championship (41), it holds the league's third-highest shot conversion rate (17.07 percent) and has scored the second-most goals in the league (7).

Super Siaha

Hartford's attacking success is built on a slate of resilient defensive performances. Goalkeeper Antony Siaha leads the USL Championship with 16 saves through four games, including a career-high 10-save performance in the club's 2-1 win at Brooklyn. Although Hartford's defense has faced the third-most shots in the league (65), facing an average of more than 16 per game, Siaha has led The Green and Blue to two clean sheets and has allowed just three goals. Hartford's defensive unit leads the USL Championship with 44 interceptions, and ranks second with 135 clearances and 24 blocks. Outside of regular-season play, backup goalkeeper Enzo Carvalho made his professional debut in Hartford's First Round U.S. Open Cup win vs. FC Motown, finishing the night with three saves on the road to secure the club's place in the Second Round.

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

RIFC in the Cup

Rhode Island FC opened up its 2026 U.S. Open Cup campaign with a dominant 4-0 win over amateur side CD Faialense, dispatching the Cambridge-based club through a trio of first-time goalscorers while keeping its first-ever clean sheet in the historic competition. Defenders Dani Rovira, CJ Williams and Nick Scardina all scored their first career RIFC goals in the win, with Williams doing so in his first professional start. Defender Hugo Bacharach and midfielder Kevin Vang also tallied their first career RIFC assists vs. CD Faialense. A win vs. Hartford in the Second Round would see RIFC reach the Round of 32 for the second-straight year, setting up a matchup vs. Major League Soccer opposition for just the second time in club history. On May 7, 2025, RIFC fell 2-1 to Major League Soccer club New England Revolution in last season's Round of 32.

Home Sweet Home

Rhode Island FC will return home after a tough road trip, looking to get back in the win column after suffering back-to-back losses in the regular season. Despite the loss, Rhode Island FC continued to show positive signs on the attack, reaching the 20-shot mark for the third time in four games across all competitions in its 2-1 loss at Miami FC on March 28. The Ocean State club forced six saves out of Miami's goalkeeper, and has recorded at least six shots on target in four-straight games. Its 10 shots on target vs. CD Faialense tied the club's single-game record, while its eight shots on target vs. Louisville City FC on March 21 matched the club's highest total in a regular-season game since September 2024. Rhode Island FC ranks third in the USL Championship with 21 shots on target, and is tied for fourth with 53 total shots, despite playing just three regular-season games in four weeks.

For the Recordbooks

The all-time record between Rhode Island FC and Hartford Athletic is perfectly even - the two clubs share a 1W-1L-3T record, with each club scoring six goals against the other in all-time competition. 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 the USL Cup. In the latest meeting between the two squads on Aug. 22, 2025, RIFC fell 3-0 at Trinity Health Stadium. Wednesday's game will be the first of four meetings between the two clubs in 2026.

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from March 31, 2026


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