Second-Half Surge Powers Rhode Island FC to 4-1 Win vs. Brooklyn FC
USL Rhode Island FC

Second-Half Surge Powers Rhode Island FC to 4-1 Win vs. Brooklyn FC

Published on May 23, 2026 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


PAWTUCKET, R.I. - Rhode Island FC returned to the win column in emphatic fashion on Saturday, powering past expansion club Brooklyn FC with a 4-1 win at Centreville Bank Stadium. Jojea Kwizera and JJ Williams both recorded braces to put the game out of reach in the second half, combining for three goals in the final 20 minutes to secure the Ocean State club's second-straight result at home.

Rhode Island FC (3W-3L-3T) was first to test the frame in the 13th minute when Amos Shapiro-Thompson caught a loose ball on the left wing, swinging in a dangerous cross to the back post. Williams got up to meet the cross, sending a powerful header towards goal that was saved by former RIFC goalkeeper Jackson Lee on the goal line.

In the 22nd minute, Lee came up with two massive goal line saves for Brooklyn FC (2W-7L-1L) to keep the game level. Williams began the attacking move with a line-splitting pass to Leo Afonso, who raced into the box before crossing the ball to Kwizera on the right side. The pass ricocheted off Kwizera's body and on target, but Lee was in the right place at the right time to deny the close-range deflection. Less than a minute later, Kwizera's long throw found WIlliams in the box, who drilled a close-range header off the crossbar before collecting his own rebound, which was heroically scooped up by Lee from point-blank range.

With less than seven minutes to play before the half, RIFC eventually found the breakthrough when Shapiro-Thompson found Kwizera at the top of the box. Kwizera took a touch into the box and quickly deposited a low, left-footed shot past Lee and into the far-side netting to put the Ocean State club in front going into the half.

Rhode Island FC continued to flex its attacking muscles in the second half, nearly doubling the advantage in the 55th minute when Clay Holstad connected with Afonso in the box. Afonso's first shot was blocked by a sliding defender, and his rebound stung the gloves of Lee, who got down quickly to make another full-stretch save.

Despite being on the back foot for the majority of the half, Brooklyn found its way back into the game in the 62nd minute when CJ Olney Jr's right-wing cross kissed the far post and nestled into the back corner to level the contest at 1-1. RIFC nearly responded less than two minutes later when Kwizera fizzed a powerful close-range shot on goal that Lee denied. The rebound spilled to Williams inside the six-yard box, but Lee did enough to push the shot onto the post and preserve the deadlock.

Ten minutes later, Kwizera delivered a moment of magic to put the Ocean State club back in front. Kwizera collected Holstad's pass in the box and quickly unleashed a curling shot from distance, perfectly picking out the top-left corner that flew past a full-stretch Lee to re-take the lead. In the 83rd minute, RIFC's relentless pressure continued to pay off when Nick Scardina played a goal line cross to Williams, who plucked the ball out of the air with an acrobatic volley to give the hosts a two-goal cushion.

Williams was not done yet, completing his brace less than two minutes later to put the game to bed. In the 85th minute, Noah Fuson's corner from the left side flew to the near post, where Williams leapt up to flick the ball into the top-left corner. The goal tied a bow on an emphatic four-goal explosion - the Ocean State club's second of the 2026 regular season.

Up next, Rhode Island FC will hit the road for an Eastern Conference battle with Indy Eleven on Saturday, May 30 at 7 p.m. Then, the Ocean State club will return home for Kids Night on Saturday, June 6 at 7:30 p.m. when it welcomes USL League One side Westchester SC to Centreville Bank Stadium in the Prinx Tires USL Cup. Tickets for the next home games are available now at rhodeislandfc.com/tickets.

GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN

RI - Jojea Kwizera (Amos Shapiro-Thompson), 38th minute: Kwizera drives a low shot into the far-side netting from close range. RI 1, BKN 0

BKN - CJ Olney Jr., 62nd minute: Olney Jr's cross deflects off the post and into the back of the net from a tight angle. RI 1, BKN 1

RI - Jojea Kwizera (Clay Holstad), 72nd minute: Kwizera curls a picturesque long-range shot into the top-left corner. RI 2, BKN 1

RI - JJ Williams (Nick Scardina), 83rd minute: Williams drills an acrobatic volley into the near post. RI 3, BKN 1

RI - JJ Williams (Noah Fuson), 85th minute: Williams nods Fuson's corner kick into the back of the net. RI 4, BKN 1

ADDITIONAL NOTES

Jojea Kwizera scored his fourth and fifth goals of the season, and his first career brace for Rhode Island FC. He is the fifth player in RIFC history to record a multi-goal game.

Kwizera's five goals are a single-season career high for Rhode Island FC.

Kwizera's second goal was RIFC's 100th regular season goal as a club.

JJ Williams scored his seventh career multi-goal game for Rhode Island FC, and his team-leading second brace of the season.

Williams leads the team with seven goals this season. He is the club's all-time leader with 26 career goals for Rhode Island FC.

The game marked the second time in club history two players have recorded multiple goals in the same game for Rhode Island FC. Williams was also involved in the first time it happened, scoring a hat trick in RIFC's 8-1 win over Miami FC on Oct. 26, 2024.

Amos Shapiro-Thompson collected his second career RIFC assist, and his second in as many games across all competitions.

Clay Holstad collected his second assist of the season, and 10th of his Rhode Island FC career. He is the third player in club history to record a double-digit assist total with RIFC.

Noah Fuson assisted his second goal of the season, tallying his club-leading 17th career assist for Rhode Island FC.

Nick Scardina logged his team-leading third assist of the season.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jojea Kwizera

Match stats and information available here.

For Rhode Island FC news and updates, visit rhodeislandfc.com, subscribe to RIFC's monthly newsletter, follow the club on Instagram, Facebook, Tik Tok, X and LinkedIn, and download the official team app.

Check out the Rhode Island FC Statistics

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



United Soccer League Championship Stories from May 23, 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