Rhode Island FC Hosts League-Leading Tampa Bay Rowdies Tonight for Hometown Heroes Night at Centreville Bank Stadium
USL Rhode Island FC

Rhode Island FC Hosts League-Leading Tampa Bay Rowdies Tonight for Hometown Heroes Night at Centreville Bank Stadium

Published on May 9, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


Rhode Island FC hosts Tampa Bay Rowdies at Centreville Bank Stadium in Week 10 of the 2026 USL Championship season.

WHO

Rhode Island FC

Tampa Bay Rowdies

WHEN

Saturday, May 9

7:30 p.m. ET

WHERE

Centreville Bank Stadium

11 Tidewater St.

Pawtucket, R.I. 02860

BROADCAST

myRITV, ESPN Select

RADIO

790 The Score (WPRV 790 AM)

DIGITAL

WPRI 12+ Streaming App

THEME

Hometown Heroes

GATE GIVEAWAY

Beach Towel, courtesy of AAA Insurance - First 3,500 fans

GAME PREVIEW

For the first time in more than two seasons, a team other than Louisville City FC leads the USL Championship. The Tampa Bay Rowdies are in unstoppable form coming into Saturday's matchup, standing as the lone unbeaten team in the league with a near-perfect 5W-0L-2T record through their first seven games. Dating back to last season, the Rowdies are unbeaten in nine-straight regular-season games under head coach Dominic Casciato, matching the club's longest unbeaten run since July 2023. Tampa Bay is one of just three teams in the USL Championship to score in every game it has played in this season, and the only team in the Eastern Conference to avoid a shutout so far, leading the league with a +8 goal differential while allowing a league-low four goals. After returning just three players from the 2025 roster that finished 10th in the Eastern Conference standings, 100 percent of the Rowdies' goalscoring this season has come from players who are playing their first season with Tampa Bay.

After maintaining a 3W-0L-2T record through its first five games at Centreville Bank Stadium in 2026, RIFC suffered its first home loss of the season last time out when it fell 3-1 to Birmingham Legion FC. The loss marked the first time an otherwise very strong RIFC defense had conceded three goals at Centreville Bank Stadium, giving up a pair of goals less than three minutes into each half. Against a Tampa Bay Rowdies team that has scored the third-most goals in the league in the opening 15 minutes of the second half, starting strong defensively will be a critical key to keeping the Rowdies' offense quiet on Saturday. With the exception of the Birmingham loss, however, RIFC has been exceptional at home: Saturday's defeat was RIFC's first regulation loss at home in its last 11 games at Centreville Bank Stadium dating back to Sept. 6, 2025. Saturday will give the Ocean State club an opportunity to return to winning ways where it is strongest: in front of its home supporters.

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 9, 2026


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central