Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC: Oct 5, 2025
USL Rhode Island FC

Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Las Vegas Lights FC: Oct 5, 2025

Published on September 30, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


After stringing together its third-straight result with a 2-2 tie at El Paso Locomotive FC on Friday and finishing its two-game road trip unbeaten, Rhode Island FC will return home to Centreville Bank Stadium for a critical cross-conference matchup vs. 2024 Western Conference finalist Las Vegas Lights FC on Sunday. The nationally-televised matchup (ESPN2) is Rhode Island FC's second-to-last home game of the regular season, and the Ocean State club will look to continue its season-best three-game unbeaten streak in order to take back a playoff spot with just one month remaining in the regular season. Ahead of another massive matchup in Pawtucket, here is everything you need to know.

AT A GLANCE

Date | Sunday, Oct. 5

Kickoff | 5:00 p.m. ET

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

Broadcast | ESPN2

Radio | 790 The Score (790 AM)

Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)

Game Hashtag | #RIvLV

Last Meeting | April 20, 2024: LV 1-2 RI - Las Vegas, Nevada

LAS VEGAS LIGHTS FC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Nicholas Ammeter, 56-Raiko Arozarena, 96-Carver Miller

DEFENDERS (9): 3-Nate Jones, 4-Anthony Herbert, 5-Elias Gärtig, 13-Turner Humphrey, 18-Jack Singer, 20-Shawn Smart, 23-Younes Boudadi, 33-Gennaro Nigro, 72-Gaoussou Samake

MIDFIELDERS (8): 6-Christopher Pearson, 7-Joe Gyau, 10-Edison Azcona, 17-Patrick Leal, 21-Giorgio Probo, 22-Tommy McNamara, 34-Rory O'Driscoll, 42-Daouda Peeters

FORWARDS (7): 8-Coleman Gannon, 9-Nighte Pickering, 11-Christian Pinzon, 14-Johnny Rodriguez, 30-Stefan Stojanovic, 41-Vaughn Covil, 98-McKinze Gaines

Road Woes

Las Vegas Lights FC (6W-13L-7T) enters Sunday's matchup at the bottom of the Western Conference with 25 points, having won just one of its last 12 USL Championship games dating back to the end of June. Its struggles have been especially evident on the road, where it has just one win in 12 games all season. Since its lone road win (1-0 at Indy Eleven) on June 21, Las Vegas has been outscored 20-6 across its last seven games away from Cashman Field, conceding multiple goals five times and falling victim to three shutouts. Rhode Island FC will conclude a three-game East Coast road trip for the Nevada club. It is coming off of two-straight losses vs. Louisville City FC (3-1) and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (1-0), and will need to turn things around in its first-ever visit to the Ocean State if it wants to keep its slim playoff hopes alive.

Hot and Cold

Defensively, Las Vegas Lights finds itself on the end of two extremes. Despite the fact that goalkeeper Raiko Arozarena boasts a club-record 10 shutouts, and Las Vegas is tied with Sacramento Republic FC at the top of the USL Championship with 11 total clean sheets, the Western Conference club has still conceded 43 goals, which is the fourth-most in the USL Championship. When the Lights concede, it does so in bunches. It averages 1.6 goals against when it does not hold teams scoreless, and it has conceded four or more goals in five games this season. If Las Vegas wants to take a result from Rhode Island FC this weekend, it will need to tap into its defensive strengths and rely on Arozarena's prowess between the sticks. Arozorena has come up big for Vegas recently, making 18 saves in its last three games. He has faced the second-most shots in the USL Championship (304) this season, making his 10 shutouts that much more impressive.

Rodriguez Leads the Line

Sunday's matchup promises to be a heavily defensive battle, as Las Vegas sits at the bottom of the USL Championship with 19 goals scored this season, giving it a league-worst -24 goal differential. It has scored just one fewer goal than Rhode Island FC (20 goals), with both teams relying on defensive structure to see out results. Johnny Rodriguez has been a bright spot for the Western Conference club, scoring his team-leading eighth goal of the season in Las Vegas' 3-1 loss at Louisville City FC on Sept. 20. Defender Gennaro Nigro picked out the forward in the penalty area with an inch-perfect cross from the midfield, tallying his team-leading sixth assist of the season.

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, 7-Dwayne Atkinson

FORWARDS (3): 10-Albert Dikwa, 11-Noah Fuson, 9-JJ Williams

*Out on loan

Spark in the Attack

The four goals scored in the 2-2 tie between Rhode Island FC and El Paso Locomotive matched the highest-scoring game of the regular season for the Ocean State club, and was the first time since June 14 that RIFC scored multiple goals in a regular season game. It also matched RIFC's season-high three-game unbeaten streak. Taking the lead twice throughout the game, RIFC first took the lead when Zach Herivaux scored his second goal of the year in the 21st minute, before JJ Williams netted his team-leading sixth goal of 2025 across all competitions to make it a 2-1 game in the 61st minute. Williams' goal was the 17th of his Rhode Island FC career, making him the club's all-time goalscoring leader. Williams has scored twice in RIFC's last five regular season games.

Vegas Continues to Shine

Although the 2-2 tie was less glamorous than RIFC's recent run of shutouts from a defensive standpoint, Koke Vegas put in a heroic shift to keep RIFC in the game. Matching his RIFC career-high five saves, Vegas turned away several dangerous opportunities in the first half to keep the Ocean State club from going behind early, making three important stops in the first 20 minutes alone. The two goals Rhode Island FC conceded were just the second and third Vegas has let in in the last six games. In total, he has allowed 16 goals in the 2025 regular season, which are the fewest of any goalkeeper in the league who has made at least 18 appearances. Vegas is also third in the USL Championship with nine clean sheets.

Scouting the Series

Rhode Island FC and Las Vegas have faced each other just once, and Sunday will mark the Nevada club's first-ever trip to the Ocean State. The last time the two clubs faced off, the Ocean State club took down Las Vegas 2-1 at Cashman Field, claiming its first win in club history. The win was fueled by a breakout performance from Noah Fuson, who assisted the club's opening goal before scoring the game-winner - his first-ever goal for RIFC - just before halftime to give the club the first of many historic moments in its inaugural season. RIFC will look to stay perfect against the 2024 Western Conference finalists as it kicks off a do-or-die final month of the regular season.

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 30, 2025


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