U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. New England Revolution: May 7, 2025

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USL Rhode Island FC

U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 Game Preview: Rhode Island FC vs. New England Revolution: May 7, 2025

May 6, 2025 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rhode Island FC News Release


Following a long-awaited homecoming on Saturday that saw Rhode Island FC play in front of a sold-out crowd at Centreville Bank Stadium for the first time ever, the Ocean State club will return home on Wednesday as it gets set to host a Major League Soccer opponent for the first time in club history. After earning its first-ever Open Cup win with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at USL League One expansion side Portland Hearts of Pine on April 15, RIFC Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith will get his side ready to face MLS club New England Revolution in the Round of 32 on Wednesday, where he won three-straight Eastern Conference titles and lifted the Open Cup as a player for the Revolution I'd avoid using "Revs" in previews, recaps, etc. in 2007. Ahead of the first-ever meeting between two regional clubs separated by just 21 miles, here is everything you need to know.

AT A GLANCE

Date | Saturday, May 7

Kickoff | 7:30 p.m. ET

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

Broadcast | Paramount+

Radio | 790 The Score (790 AM)

Social | @rhodeislandfc (X, Instagram, Facebook)

Game Hashtag | #RIvNER

About the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup

The U.S. Open Cup is the only competition in USA-based team sports where amateurs have the chance to play professionals in direct competition. It is the oldest active professional soccer tournament in the country and the third-longest continuously run national cup competition in the world. Conducted on a single-game, knockout basis and open to all professional and amateur teams affiliated with the U.S. Soccer Federation, the tournament has crowned a champion every year since 1914, with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19. The first-ever Final of the tournament took place at Coats Field in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 1914.

NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION

Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): 24-Alex Bono, 31-Aljaž Ivačič, 33-Donovan Parisian

DEFENDERS (11): 2-Mamadou Fofana, 3-Brayan Ceballos, 4-Tanner Beason, 5-Keegan Hughes, 12-Ilay Feingold, 15-Brandon Bye, 16-Wyatt Omsberg, 23-Will Sands, 25-Peyton Miller, 30-Damario McIntosh, 88-Andrew Farrell

MIDFIELDERS (5): 8-Matt Polster, 10-Carles Gil, 14-Jackson Yueill, 38-Eric Klein, 80-Alhassan Yusuf

FORWARDS (5): 7-Tomás Chancalay, 11-Luis Diaz, 17-Ignatius Ganago, 32-Malcolm Fry, 41-Luca Langoni

Defense Wins Championships

After retooling a roster that finished 14th in the MLS Eastern Conference in 2024 with 14 new faces ahead of the 2025 season, Head Coach Caleb Porter has transformed the Revolution into the best defensive team in MLS. Bolstered by a brand-new center back partnership, New England has conceded a league-low seven goals through 10 games this season, and comes into Wednesday's contest riding a club-record four-straight shutout victories. In total, New England has won five of its last six games, earning 15 of its 16 total league points in that stretch and outscoring opponents 8-2. Dating back five games to April 5, Porter's side has not conceded a goal in 385 minutes, which is tied for the third-longest stretch in club history. The four-game shutout streak is the longest such run since August 2022, marking only the second time the club has kept four-straight shutouts since 2013. A shutout on Wednesday against RIFC would set a club record, adding to what is already the best defensive start to a season in club history.

Midfield Maestro

Entering his seventh season with the Revolution, New England captain Carles Gil is having yet another brilliant season in the midfield. The 2021 Landon Donavan MLS MVP scored a highlight-reel volley in the club's 2-0 victory over Toronto FC on Saturday, picking out the top-right corner with a first-time shot from the top of the 18-yard box. The goal was his fifth in the last six games. In seven productive seasons, Gil is just the fourth Revolution player to reach 100 regular-season goal contributions with the club, reaching the mark in May 2024. He also became the club's all-time assist leader with his 74th career Revolution assist in the club's 2-0 win over New York City FC on April 19. In total, Gil has 118 career goal contributions in seven seasons with the Revs, scoring 44 goals to go along with his club-record 74 assists.

Revs in the Cup

New England, who did not participate in the Open Cup in 2024, joins 15 other Division I teams making their return to the competition in 2025 in the Round of 32. The five-time MLS Eastern Conference Champions won the historic tournament in 2007 and made runs to the final in 2001 and 2016. The last time the Revolution played in the Open Cup, it bowed out of the 2023 competition when it was upset by USL Championship side Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC at Gillette Stadium in the Round of 32. Head Coach Caleb Porter's side will travel to a soccer-specific stadium in New England for the first time hoping for its first Round of 16 bid since 2022, when it downed fellow MLS side FC Cincinnati 5-1 before falling 1-0 to New York City FC.

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 (10): 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

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

The Return

Rhode Island FC has deep-rooted ties with the New England Revolution. Apart from Khano Smith, who won three-straight Eastern Conference titles and lifted the 2007 Open Cup as a player with the Revs, seven current RIFC players are graduates of the Revolution Academy. Defenders Cole Dewhurst and Dani Rovira, midfielders Kevin Vang, Isaac Angking, Zachary Herivaux, Joe Brito and Amos Shapiro-Thompson all spent time with the Revolution's academy ranks during their youth careers. Angking and Herivaux both went on to sign homegrown contracts with the Revolution's first team following their time with the academy, sharing 18 total appearances for the Revs. Additionally, current RIFC Assistant Coach and Director of Goalkeeping Karl Spratt spent 12 years as a goalkeeping coach for the Revolution Academy from 2009-2021, and RIFC Co-Founder Michael Parkhurst began his professional playing career for the Revs from 2008-2015.

Magic of the Cup

Rhode Island FC has been most successful in cup competition this season, boasting a perfect 2W-0T-0L record across the U.S. Open Cup and USL Jägermeister Cup. The Ocean State club advanced to the Round of 32 with its first-ever win in the Open Cup on April 15, scoring two quickfire goals in the first half and showing strong defensive resilience in the second half to overcome USL League One Expansion side Portland Hearts of Pine 2-1 in a physical Third Round matchup. Clay Holstad and Frank Nodarse both got on the scoresheet in the win, netting goals in the 34th and 37th minutes respectively to put the Ocean State club in the driver's seat. The win continued a theme of early scoring in 2025. In all three wins in all competitions this season, the club has scored multiple first-half goals within the space of three minutes. In total, the club has scored 10 of its 11 goals in the first half of games, including two wins in which it has scored three first-half goals.

Bolstering the Back

Although Rhode Island FC didn't find the back of the net in its home opener, it delivered one of its best defensive performances of the young season to keep the Western Conference-leading San Antonio FC scoreless for the first time all season. The Ocean State club out-shot, out-possessed and out-passed San Antonio FC through 90 minutes, peppering the goal with 16 shots while limiting San Antonio FC to just six total touches in the attacking 18-yard box. Goalkeeper Koke Vegas also made two vital saves to preserve the clean sheet, which was his ninth of his RIFC career and second of the season. Defensively, RIFC will be aided on Wednesday by the return of center back Frank Nodarse, who sat out of the San Antonio game on a red-card suspension and brings strength and size on both ends of the ball with two goals on the season. Newly-signed center back Aimé Mabika, who brings more than 50 MLS appearances to the Ocean State club, will also be available for selection for the first time.

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