The Experience, More Important Than the Outcome?: Fans at Moonshine Alley cheer RIFC in champion defeat

Moonshine Alley had a modest line of amber and blue shirts as the doors opened at 10:30 am, everyone showing their support for the RI Football Club (RIFC), our AA soccer team, as they played in their first-ever USL championship game against Colorado Springs Switchbacks. The large country-themed bar had balloons in team colors and tables full of swag (foam fingers, towels). Season highlights and videos showcasing the stadium build were playing on all of the screens. The air was full of friendly excitement, with fans bonding over this historic inaugural season (this is only the third time in USL history that a team has made the finals in their first year).

The place was standing room only and steadily filling by 11am, even though the start of the match was still an hour away. It was a family-friendly atmosphere, with a lot of kids either staying with their parents or making use of the dance floor. The merch table had a steady line and the bars were full of people ordering drinks to get warmed up for the game. A video crew was pulling people aside for fan testimonials about the impact the team had on them. The room was full of positivity and optimism. Few expected RIFC to be in this position so early into their tenure, making this experience pure icing. The tension level was low.

There wasn’t much room to move in the place by 11:45, as most people had either secured their spots or were in the bar line to get a drink or two to get them through the first half. Floating waitresses were taking orders. Team mascot Chip arrived at this time to add an extra layer of enthusiasm, which didn’t seem possible. “Chip” chants quickly turned into the classic “RI FC” call-and-response rally cry that kicked the excitement up a notch. There wasn’t much room to move, but no one minded as they befriended the people next to them. Win or lose, this was a true celebration.

The anticipation grew at noon when the TVs switched to the CBS broadcast. The cheers were loud as they showed Noah Fuson on the screen, followed by boos when they showed Colorado’s captain Matt Mahoney. “Psycho Killer,” their goal song, played through the speakers at the commercial, abruptly stopping when they went to coach Khano Smith’s pregame speech (led by cheers). “Ole” by Bouncing Souls blared through the speakers at the next commercial, which personally gave me an extra layer of optimism. Chip got on stage to super rev the crowd into chants, cheers and dances.
Applause led RIFC’s initial kickoff to start the game. All eyes shifted to the TVs. The first minute brought some nervousness as Colorado Springs barely missed the net. RIFC played hesitantly at the start, which added a lot of tension to the crowd. Colorado Springs came out ready to play, but RI was able to hold them off.

A Colorado Springs yellow card right near the goal line brought the spirits up. The free-kick was high, but it seemed to motivate our home team, albeit briefly.

Colorado Springs opened the scoring in the 22nd minute with a nice one-timer by Juan Tejada. Boos roared from the crowd as people hoped there was an offside, which wasn’t the case. This was the first time in these playoffs RIFC fell behind, but the crowd was full of hope that they would even the score soon – especially since they led the league in scoring in the last 15 minutes of the first half.

CS opened things up in the 42nd minute with their second goal, which was kicked off a couple of RIFC defenders, hitting the upper post. The crowd went a little quiet, but people were still enjoying themselves. Most were hopeful that this would set up a storybook comeback (as a hockey fan, I find a two-goal lead terrifying).

Koke Vegas made a nice save four minutes into extra time. It led to a corner kick, but no damage was done. It did seem like the air was out of the crowd’s sails, as RIFC was completely outplayed in the first half. The mood at Moonshine Alley turned a little tense at halftime, but Chip quickly got up on stage to lift spirits “First off, is everybody having fun?” a team staff member asked as Chip threw out shirts to the ever-rowdy crowd. Chip’s dancing revved the crowd up, and put smiles on worried faces. “Love Story” by semi-RI resident Taylor Swift blared through the speakers as they gave everyone a last chance to take out their raffle tickets. It took three raffle drawings before they found a winning ticket. The winner held up the soccer ball, which led to more “RI FC” chants, building excitement for the second half. The vibe was still happy as people sang along to “Party in the USA.” Smiles were everywhere as CBS showed a shot of the crowd at Moonshine Alley before another commercial break.

“Ole” again played through the speakers at the start of the second half, which again brought a bit of hope. The strong community feel at Moonshine Alley dulled any potential disappointment, as seeing a local team with a sense of community beats out any win.

The 52nd minute had a botched corner kick lead to a breakaway goal for Switchbacks’ Roaldo Damus, basically icing the game. RIFC played like the moment was too big for them, which was ultimately fine, as a 5 seed, winning three road games to make the championship in their inaugural season is a victory in itself. A quick view of the crowds showed acceptance and pride for the home team.

The drink line was three deep in a 3-0 deficit in the 65th minute, which showed that the RIFC crowd was supportive no matter the outcome (even if they needed a higher blood alcohol level). There were still some visible smiles showcasing the impact this scoreless first year team has had on the community.
By the 80th minute, most people knew defeat was imminent, but held out hope that they could put something in the back of the net before time expired. While that didn’t happen, the crowd remained well after the final whistle, giving their home team a few final cheers. It was a celebration and thank you for a tremendous and historic season. •