Semifinal Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC | September 10, 2025
USL Rhode Island FC

Semifinal Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. Sacramento Republic FC | September 10, 2025

Published on September 8, 2025 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


After falling 1-0 to USL Championship leaders Louisville City FC in a tightly-contested defensive battle at Centreville Bank Stadium last time out, Rhode Island FC will continue its home stretch with a quick turnaround as it gears up for its biggest game of 2025 so far: a rematch vs. Sacramento Republic FC in the USL Jägermeister Cup Semifinals. Despite falling to its first home loss in eight games vs. Louisville, the Ocean State club continued to display its elite defensive structure, limiting the league's highest-scoring offense to a season-low shot total for the second-straight week and holding a blistering LouCity attack to just one shot on target. Ahead of a critical win-or-go-home clash vs. a Sacramento side who is unbeaten in nine of its last 10 games, Rhode Island FC will look to capitalize on its defensive form and kickstart the attack in order to secure a spot in a tournament final for the second-straight season. Ahead of a massive semifinal battle at Centreville Bank Stadium, here is everything you need to know.

AT A GLANCE

Date | Wednesday, Sept. 10

Kickoff | 7:00 p.m. ET

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

Broadcast | myRITV, ESPN+

Digital | WPRI 12+ App

Radio | 790 The Score (790 AM)

Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)

Game Hashtag | #RIvSAC

Last Meeting | June 21, 2025: RI 0-2 SAC - Pawtucket, R.I.

SACRAMENTO REPUBLIC FC

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (2): 1-Danny Vitiello, 99-Jared Mazzola

DEFENDERS (10): 2-Jack Gurr, 3-Ryan Spaulding, 4-Lee Desmond, 5-Jared Timmer, 6-Freddy Kleemann, 17-Dominik Wanner, 21-Rayan Djedje, 22-Michel Benitez, 23-Aaron "AJ" Edwards, 55-Chibuike "Chibi" Ukaegbu

MIDFIELDERS (4): 19-Nick Ross, 20-Blake Willey, 43-Justin Portillo, 96-Luis Felipe

FORWARDS (7): 8-Rodrigo Lopez, 9-Sebastian Herrera, 10-Christian Parano, 11-Russell Cicerone, 14-Da'vian Kimbrough, 24-Lewis Jamieson, 90-Khori Bennett

Heating Up Late

Ever since defeating Rhode Island FC 2-0 at Centreville Bank Stadium on June 21, Sacramento Republic FC has picked up red-hot form, outsourcing its opponents 17-6, keeping eight shutouts and losing just two of its last 12 games across all competitions. The run propelled Sacramento from below the playoff line to second place in the Western Conference standings. Headlined by a pair of 2-0 road wins vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies and New Mexico United in its last two games, Sacramento has kept four of its 15 total shutouts across all competitions in its last six games. The 2-0 victory in New Mexico saw Sacramento's stringent defense hold its opponent without a single shot on target for just the second time in the 2025 regular season, while the following week's 2-0 win at Tampa Bay marked the club's USL Championship-leading 10th shutout of the regular season. Through 22 regular-season games, Sacramento has conceded the fewest goals in the league (17), and is one of only three teams to concede fewer goals than Rhode Island FC.

Elite Keeper Room

Legendary USL Championship veteran goalkeeper Danny Vitiello has played every minute in goal for Sacramento in the regular season, keeping a league-leading 10 shutouts and bringing his career total to 55, which is good for the second-best all-time total in league history. However, secondary goalkeeper Jared Mazzola has been just as strong in cup competition, starting all seven of Sacramento's non-USL games between the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the USL Jägermeister Cup. In that time, the 26-year-old shot-stopper has kept five shutouts, conceding just one goal in six USL Jägermeister Cup games to lead his team to the semifinal. The defensive form saw The Quails outscore its opponents 6-1 through the group stage to top Group 1, finishing with a near-perfect 3W-1L-0T record. Mazzola was the hero after making six saves in a 0-0 quarterfinal tie with Loudoun United FC, coming up with two huge stops in the penalty shootout to help punch Sacramento's ticket to the semifinals.

Heating up the Attack

While Sacramento has proved it is one of the best defensive teams in the USL Championship this season, its recent run of form is also due to an uptick in attacking production. On July 19, Sacramento announced the signing of forward Khori Bennett, who has gone on to score three goals in six regular-season games, including a game-winning brace in the California club's 2-0 win in New Mexico that earned him the USL Championship's Player of the Week award in Week 26. Joining Bennett in that week's Team of the Week was Rodrigo Lopez, who was selected to the league's best 11 for the third time in four weeks. He has tallied three goals and three assists in his last five games, including the game-winning goal at Tampa Bay. Finally, Russell Cicerone leads the team with six goals, 23 shots and 35 chances created, and is third with four assists. He tallied a goal and an assist in Sacramento's 2-0 win at Tampa Bay, marking his third game across all competitions this season with multiple goal contributions.

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, 36-Matthew Corcoran^, 7-Dwayne Atkinson

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

*Out on loan

^International duty

Bend, but Don't Break

Against two of the league's highest-scoring attacking teams in the last two weeks, Rhode Island FC's defense passed the test with a near-perfect score. After holding Charleston Battery to a season-low five shots in its 1-0 win on Aug. 30, it then limited Louisville City FC to just four shots - and only a single shot on target - in its narrow 1-0 loss last time out, outshooting the league leaders 8-4. With the exception of a spectacular first-half goal from LouCity's Aidan McFadden from a near-impossible angle, RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas was only forced into two total saves across the two games as the back line held firm against the USL Championship's two best attacks. Prior to the 18th-minute goal on Saturday, Rhode Island FC had not conceded a goal at Centreville Bank Stadium in more than a month, keeping four-straight clean sheets and preventing opponents from finding the back of the net for a club-record 385 minutes at Centreville Bank Stadium. Rhode Island FC is unbeaten in eight of its last nine home games dating back to June 21. Prior to Louisville, the Ocean State club's last loss at Centreville Bank Stadium was a 2-0 defeat to Sacramento Republic FC.

Survive and Advance

In Rhode Island FC's 1-0 win vs. Birmingham Legion FC in the Jägermeister Cup quarterfinals, the Ocean State club stayed perfect in the newly-expanded cup competition with a gritty win to punch its ticket to the last four. Headlined by Dwayne Atkinson's first career goal for the RIFC in just his second appearance, the tight game saw RIFC Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith use a deep bench to get the win. After a tight first half saw both teams struggle to generate positive attacking chances, Smith brought Atkinson and Zach Herivaux into the game in the 72nd minute. Less than two minutes after coming on, the pair combined for the game-winning goal when Herivaux played a long ball out of the back, finding a sprinting Atkinson down the left wing. Using crafty footwork to send his defender to the turf before cutting into the box, Atkinson quickly sent Centreville Bank Stadium into a frenzy, slotting home his first-ever goal for the club, and one of RIFC's most important goals of the season, to keep RIFC's Jägermeister run alive.

Scouting the Series

Rhode Island FC is winless (0W-1L-1T) two all-time meetings with Sacramento Republic FC, with both games taking place in the Ocean State. In the first-ever meeting between the two clubs on May 11, 2024, at Beirne Stadium, Rhode Island FC entered second-half stoppage time with a 2-1 lead. It looked set to collect its first home win in club history before Jonathan Ricketts spoiled the party, sneaking a header into the back of the net in the dying minutes of the game to rescue a point for the visitors and sending RIFC fans home disappointed. Sacramento continued to play the villain in Rhode Island once again in 2025, shutting out the Ocean State club with a pair of second-half goals to secure a 2-0 win at Centreville Bank Stadium on June 21. In the third meeting between the two sides with a spot in the Jägermeister Cup Final on the line, Rhode Island FC will look for revenge as it searches for its first-ever win against Sacramento in front of its home supporters.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from September 8, 2025


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