Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Sporting Club Jacksonville: March 14, 2026
USL Rhode Island FC

Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Sporting Club Jacksonville: March 14, 2026

Published on March 11, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


After a long offseason, the 2026 USL Championship season is officially underway! Rhode Island FC will kick off its third season on Saturday when it welcomes in expansion side Sporting Club Jacksonville, who made its USL Championship debut on March 7 in a 3-0 home loss vs. Hartford Athletic. The Ocean State club has never lost a Home Opener, and will look to continue that trend as it kicks off its second season at the state-of-the-art, award-winning Centerville Bank Stadium. Ahead of Saturday's Home Opener, here is everything you need to know.

AT A GLANCE

Date | Saturday, March 14

Kickoff | 4:00 p.m. ET

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

Broadcast | NESN, ESPN Select

Radio | 790 The Score (WPRV 790 AM)

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

Game Hashtag | #RIvJAX

SPORTING CLUB JACKSONVILLE

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Jake McGuire, 31-Christian Olivares, 42-Esteban Casas

DEFENDERS (9): 2-Harvey Neville, 3-Tyshawn Rose, 4-Ethan Dudley, 12-Edgardo Rito, 15-Ryan Edwards, 18-Wahab Ackwei, 22-Antonio Gomez, 77-Dida Armstrong, 99-Mohamed Traore

MIDFIELDERS (10): 5-Piero Eilas, 6-Jordan Rossiter, 7-Jacob Evans, 8-Wan Kuzain, 10-Kieran Sadlier, 17-Zeke Soto, 19-Rafferty Pedder, 23-Jack Proctor, 26-Luc Granitur, 32-Brem Soumaoro

FORWARDS (4): 9-Adam Luckhurst, 11-Ahmad Al Qaq, 14-Adonijah Reid, 16-Emil Jäāskelāinen

Last Time Out

Despite making its USL Championship debut in front of a sold-out home crowd of more than 10,000 fans at Hodges Stadium, Sporting JAX did not get the result it wanted on the field, falling 3-0 to Hartford Athletic. It will look to bounce back when it makes its first road trip of the season, taking the field at Centreville Bank Stadium in search of its first-ever goal and first-ever win. Despite the loss vs. Hartford, Jacksonville kept it close throughout, testing Hartford with 13 shots, making 499 passes and sending in 32 crosses. It held the game to a one-goal deficit for the majority of the second half, conceding the opening goal in the 44th minute before eventually conceding again in the 79th and 90th minutes to finish on the wrong end of a 3-0 result.

Preseason Success

Although Sporting JAX is yet to pick up a win in official competition, it finished its inaugural preseason with an impressive 2-1 win over Eastern Conference heavyweight Charleston Battery. Charleston has been one of the most consistent and dangerous attacking threats in recent USL Championship history, but JAX immediately put the Battery's defense on high alert. Flexing its muscles in transition and showing off its speed on the attack, Ahmad Al-Qaq helped force a decisive own goal to put the expansion side in front less than a minute into the game. Later in the game, Jacksonville continued to put Charleston's defense to work, eventually finding the game-winner when Kieran Sadlier completed a deadly counter-attack to confirm the win and put the USL Championship on notice heading into Week 1.

International Experience at the Helm

Jacksonville's technical staff brings a wealth of international experience to the USL Championship as the club looks to make a splash in its first season. It started with the appointment of Mark Warburton as its Sporting Director, who has a decorated resume across several well-known clubs among the English Premier League, EFL Championship and Scottish Premier League. Throughout his career, Warburton made stops at West Ham United, Nottingham Forest FC, Brentford FC, Queens Park Rangers FC and Glasgow Rangers FC before coming stateside for the first time to lead Sporting JAX. On the sideline, the club tabbed Liam Fox as the first Head Coach in club history. Fox also brings expensive experience in the Scottish Premier League, playing key coaching and development roles at Heart of Midlothian FC, Dundee United FC and Livingston FC. The pair of distinguished leaders assembled a technical staff that brings experience from Scotland, the U.S. Men's National Team, the USL Championship and NCAA College Soccer, providing a diverse set of leaders to help guide Jacksonville through its first season.

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, 32-Hamady Diop

MIDFIELDERS (7): 7-Dwayne Atkinson, 10-Agustín "Pity" Rodríguez, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 19-Kevin Vang, 20-Zachary Herivaux, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson

FORWARDS (5): 8-Leo Afonso, 9-JJ Williams, 11-Noah Fuson, 14-Logan Dorsey, 20-Jamin Gogo Peters

Bringing Back the Core

Rhode Island FC returns 17 players from its 2025 squad, 11 of which have been with the club since its historic run to the USL Championship Final during its inaugural season in 2024. RIFC's all-time leading scorer, JJ Williams (19 goals), is among the list of returning players who will enter their third year with the Ocean State club. Goalkeeper and captain Koke Vegas, who was RIFC's first-ever signing and finished second in the 2025 USL Championship Golden Glove race, also headlines the returning list. Williams, Vegas, Grant Stoneman, Frank Nodarse, Karifa Yao, Clay Holstad, Jojea Kwizera, Kevin Vang, Zachary Herivaux, Amos Shapiro-Thompson and Noah Fuson will all return for year three at the club, making up the original core that led the Ocean State club to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals.

New Faces in the Mix

Rhode Island FC has reinforced its roster with seven new signings in the offseason: forwards Leo Afonso and Logan Dorsey, defenders Nick Scardina, Jamin Gogo Peters and CJ Williams, goalkeeper Jacob Castro, and midfielder Agustín "Pity" Rodríguez. Rhode Island FC's new attacking additions, Dorsey and Afonso, scored a combined 22 goals across Major League Soccer and MLS Next Pro in their last two seasons. Assembling a wealth of promising talent in the defense and midfield, Khano Smith's new acquisitions bring experience from Major League Soccer, MLS Next Pro, the Argentina Primera División and the NCAA.

Stats for the Record Books

Rhode Island FC is 0W-0L-2T all-time in Home Openers, battling to a dramatic 1-1 tie vs. New Mexico United in its inaugural game on March 16, 2024, before playing to a scoreless tie vs. San Antonio FC in its first-ever game at Centreville Bank Stadium on May 3, 2025. Saturday's game will mark the first time Rhode Island FC opens its home slate against another Eastern Conference team, and the first time it does so against an expansion side. Rhode Island FC holds a 6W-2L-0T record against clubs from Florida, most recently dismantling the Tampa Bay Rowdies 5-0 in its 2025 home finale on Oct. 11, recording the largest shutout win in club history. On Saturday, it will play in front of its home fans for the first time since that historic win, looking to start its third season on a strong note.

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from March 11, 2026


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