I missed Rhode Island Football Club’s (RIFC) Eastern Conference quarter final game the previous week because I was hosting Punk Rock Marketplace at the Ramada Inn all weekend. I sensed that they had lost after speaking to a bartender wearing an RIFC hoodie. Amid talking about the team and their home games at Centreville Bank Stadium (he said that he hasn’t been able to attend any because he takes care of his mother), his coworker went to check on the score for me. I waited for a bit, but he never returned. I assumed that meant that they were getting pummeled by Charlestown FC (2 seed) and went back to my hosting duties, completely forgetting about the game.
Later that evening, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw an official post on RIFC’s page celebrating that they were moving on, winning 0-0. Befuddled, I checked the comments and learned they won in a shootout. Still unsure, I texted a friend for confirmation. He verified, adding that they played well and have a possibility of hosting the Eastern Conference Finals if the seven seed beat North Carolina (3 seed) and Detroit (8 seed) beats Pittsburgh (4 seed) next week.
With that potential option far in the future, I dragged myself through the week and turned my focus to the official watch party at The Guild on November 8. The Guild requested reservations, showing that they were expecting a huge crowd. We made the plan to get there early to secure parking, a good seat, food and a few drinks before the game.
There was a steady crowd as we walked into The Guild a little more than an hour before kickoff. The scene was lively and enthusiastic, full of anticipation and surprise that RIFC, with a win, could be playing in their second Eastern Conference Finals in as many years. The line to the bar was backed up, but moved relatively quickly. Centreville Bank was handing out rally towels at the door. The team was selling playoff related merch and had some SWAG for the taking, which didn’t last long.
We grabbed seats in the Defiance 1636 section, talked to people next to us and stared at a looped video of The Guild’s beer-making process. There was no sound, but it was easy to get lost in the shot of the large vats churning the beer. I went to order food about 15 minutes before kickoff, but they were so backed up that they weren’t taking orders for at least an hour to catch up.
Hungry, but with drinks in hand, I headed back to the seats. The promotional video was switched out to the ESPN screen letting us know that the “broadcast would be starting shortly” (there is no pregame broadcast). That got a rise from the crowd, which became a roar once the camera showed the game graphic, highlights from each team’s win last week and then the dismal crowd at First Horizon Stadium at WakeMed Soccer Park.
North Carolina FC announced that they would be shifting to the lesser USL League One in 2028, making this playoff run their last stand. The crowd was not behind them, as it looked like The Guild had more people in the bar than they did in the stands. The only full section was made up of the dedicated RIFC fans that made the trip. They brought the drums and the chants, making us feel like we were watching a home game. Announced attendance was 2,287 at the stadium.
We were wondering if North Carolina FC would be motivated to win (ala the plot to Major League) or just hope to play well enough to quickly get scooped up by another team. The players’ body language made it seem as if they were going through the motions, looking for a reason to phone in it. They put in a bit of an effort, but RIFC outplayed them from the start.
The game was scoreless at the half, but The Guild crowd felt at ease. Anything could happen, but it felt like RIFC would be knocking at least one through the net in the second half. It was just a matter of time with the way RIFC was dominating play.
The second half was similar to the first half. RIFC controlled the game while North Carolina seemed to be thinking about what they were going to do next. Albert “Chico” Dikwa was subbed in at the 75th minute, which ultimately proved to be the difference. He scored the go-ahead goal six minutes later, burying home a close-range header off a pass from Noah Fuson. Predictably, everyone at The Guild went nuts, their confidence growing.
North Carolina didn’t really add any tension. They had a couple offensive chances, but nothing that RIFC couldn’t handle. Dikwa nailed North Carolina’s coffin three minutes into the seven minutes of stoppage time. North Carolina’s goalie was playing out of the net (and nowhere near the front of the net for some reason) when Dikwa intercepted a pass that he sailed into the goal from midfield. The final whistle sounded a few minutes later, and RIFC found themselves back in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 2-0 win.
While everyone at The Guild was still celebrating, Pittsburgh-Detroit match appeared on the screen. RIFC would host the game if Detroit could pull off the upset. The game was 0-0 with about 20 minutes left in regular time. Remembering that we didn’t eat, we decided to listen to the game on the drive home and finish watching the match at home while enjoying leftovers. The game finished 0-0, but Pittsburgh pulled off the win in penalty kicks.
With the win, RIFC became just the second USL Championship team to play a conference final in their first two years of existence. While a game at Centreville Bank Stadium would have been a great way to showcase the award-winning stadium, many fans are making their travel plans to Pittsburgh. Fans are invited to the stadium for the official watch party, which (hopefully) gives me another opportunity to snag the pretzels.
RIFC plays Pittsburgh River Hounds in the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, November 15 at 6:30 pm. Go to rhodeislandfc.com/ to reserve tickets for the official watch party at Centreville Bank Stadium.