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USL Rhode Island FC

Match Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. El Paso Locomotive FC: June 26, 2024

June 26, 2024 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


After shattering records with a historic 5-2 win vs. league leaders Louisville City FC, Rhode Island FC returns home from an unbeaten two-match road trip for the first time this season. As the Ocean State club prepares to host El Paso Locomotive FC on pRIde Night at Beirne Stadium, here is everything you need to know ahead of RIFC's second midweek matchup of the season and first home match since June 8.

AT A GLANCE

Date | Wednesday, June 26

Kickoff | 7:30 PM ET

Location | Beirne Stadium, Smithfield RI

Theme | pRIde Night

Broadcast | NESN+, ESPN+

Radio | SiriusXM Channel 157

Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)

Match Hashtag | #RIvELP

EL PASO LOCOMOTIVE FC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Ramon Pasquel, 13-Javier Garcia, 23-Jahmali White

DEFENDERS (11): 2-Brandon Craig, 4-Lucas Stauffer, 5-Eder Borelli, 14-Gonzalo Pelua, 15-Noah Dollenmayer, 16-Miles Lyons, 21-Bolu Akinyode, 24-Javier 'Yuma' Monsalvez, 31-Nick Hinds, 93-Tony Alfaro, 99-Javier Nevarez

MIDFIELDERS (5): 6-Eric Calvillo, 8-Luis 'Lalito' Moreno, 19-Arun Basuljevic, 20-Jeremy Gray, 27-Petar Petrovic

FORWARDS (5): 9-Justin Dhillon, 10-Amando Moreno, 11-Joaquin Rivas, 17-Ricardo Zacarias, 18-Tumi Moshobane

Change at the Helm

Although El Paso Locomotive FC sit at the bottom of the Western Conference table with a 3W-10L-3D record, a midseason coaching change has given the Western Conference club a reason to be positive. Following his appointment on May 20, 19-year coaching veteran Wilmer Cabrera got off to a quick start after taking over as head coach, delivering the then-unbeaten Charleston Battery its first loss of the season in his first match in charge. The win snapped Charleston's 11-match unbeaten run against an El Paso team that went 1W-8L-2D to start the season. Under Cabrera, El Paso is 2W-1L-2D and has put together a stretch of multiple positive results for the first time this season. The Texas club has scored first in four of Cabrera's five matches in charge and earned its second shutout of 2024 at San Antonio.

Looking for Momentum

After taking four points from back-to-back matches for the first time all season, and earning seven of its 12 total points in its last five matches since Cabrera's hiring, El Paso is slowly but surely collecting points as the club looks for a midseason revival. The recent momentum was temporarily halted in its last match, however, when El Paso fell 2-1 on the road to Oakland Roots SC. Despite scoring first for the third consecutive match in the fifth minute when Justin Dhillon netted his third goal of the season, El Paso was unable to hold on for a result as a pair of Oakland goals saw them travel home empty-handed. Now, the West Texas side will look to bounce back and pick up its third result in four matches when it visits Beirne Stadium for the first time. Despite the setback in Oakland, El Paso has been strongest on the road this season having picked up all three of its wins and 10 of its 12 points away from Southwest University Stadium.

Dhillon Finding His Form

In the absence of leading scorer Amando Moreno, who has five goals to his name but hasn't seen action since El Paso's 3-1 loss to Birmingham Legion FC on June 1, USL Championship veteran Justin Dhillon has been filling the goalscoring void in his first season with the club. Two of his three goals have come in the club's last four matches. The forward is one of just four players to appear in all 16 of El Paso's matches and is tied for the team lead with a pair of assists. Dhillon's three goals put him in second place on the team as just one of three players to record multiple goals this season.

RHODE ISLAND FC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 1-Koke Vegas, 22-Jackson Lee, 30-Nate Silveira

DEFENDERS (7): 2-Nathan Messer, 3-Stephen Turnbull, 4-Collin Smith, 5-Grant Stoneman, 15-Frank Nodarse, 16-Gabriel Alves, 24-Karifa Yao

MIDFIELDERS (11): 7-Prince Saydee, 12-Clay Holstad, 17-Jojea Kwizera, 18-Joe Brito, 19-Kevin Vang, 21-Kofi Twumasi, 23-Marc Ybarra, 25-Kevin Orduy, 28-Conor McGlynn, 77-Amos Shapiro-Thompson, 80-Isaac Angking

FORWARDS (4): 9-JJ Williams, 10-Chico, 11-Noah Fuson, 14-Mark Doyle

Making History

The 5-2 win at Louisville City FC was RIFC's second win of the season. The victory ruined a perfect 7W-0L-0D record at Lynn Family Stadium for the league leaders and set multiple club and USL Championship records in the process. RIFC's five goals were the most scored by any opposing team in Louisville's USL Championship history and its three-goal lead was the largest deficit faced by the Eastern Conference side all season, as well as the largest lead in RIFC history. After becoming the first team in 2024 to shut out Louisville on May 25, RIFC's win this time around marked both the first-ever multi-goal win and first-ever match where the Ocean State club scored more than two goals. For LouCity, the club's third loss of the season was its first by multiple goals.

Rhode Warriors

The win in River City completed a successful road trip in which RIFC notched back-to-back results away from Beirne Stadium for the first time all season. Similar to El Paso, Rhode Island FC has found most of its success on the road. Both of the Ocean State club's wins have come on the road and the club is unbeaten in its last three matches away from Smithfield. While the recent road success has helped RIFC's footing in the Eastern Conference standings, the club has yet to find a win in front of its home fans. RIFC's last home goal came on May 11 in a 2-2 draw vs. Sacramento Republic FC. After falling to Detroit City FC in its last home outing, Khano Smith's men will return home looking to use their historic momentum from Louisville to finally secure the long-awaited breakthrough at Beirne Stadium.

A Balanced Attack

The win against LouCity saw a club-record five different goal scorers find the back of the net and three different players pick up an assist for RIFC, bringing the total number of players who have scored for the club to 11 through 16 matches. Jojea Kwizera, JJ Williams and Isaac Angking all scored their first career RIFC goals, while Clay Holstad and Noah Fuson also found the back of the net. Fuson's fourth assist of the season tied him for third-most in the USL Championship, while Stephen Turnbull became the first RIFC player to assist multiple goals in both a single half and a single match. Additionally, Joe Brito's assist to Angking in second half stoppage time was his second goal contribution in as many matches after recording his first career RIFC goal in the club's 2-2 draw at Memphis 901 FC. Ankging's goal, which came in second-half stoppage time to seal the win, made him the first Rhode Island native to score a goal for the Ocean State club. On the other end, Jackson Lee recorded a career-high eight saves between the sticks in his seventh start of the year, stepping in for Koke Vegas who was serving a one match red card suspension. The historic win did not go unnoticed by the league, who awarded a club-record three RIFC players to the Week 16 USL Championship Team of the Week. Kwizera, Turnbull and Brito (bench) all earned selections after combining for four goal contributions in Louisville, while Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith earned his second Coach of the Week honor.

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