My first thought after waking up at 6:30 am was about the staff at Centerville Bank Stadium. This venue is a big deal for the state, with a lot of ramifications, and blowhards waiting for it to fail. Construction took longer than expected, leading RIFC to play their first season at Bryant. This got me wondering how the staff (from owners to ticket takers and food vendors) were feeling about the day ahead for them. I wondered if people were at the stadium at this early hour, completing any unfinished tasks to make sure this historic day was memorable.
The plan was to get to the stadium at 1pm, grab the press pass, and walk over to the Apex building for the Defiance tailgate party. A few unfortunate life snags caused a delay, but Uber dropped us off near the stadium around 1:30. The gates weren’t opening until 2, but there was already a good number of people milling around the stadium. DJ Mike D had the outside sounding like a party with his family-friendly spinning skills. We made the half-mile trek to the Defiance tent and joined the tailgate. There were drinks, snacks and classic grilling food (steak, burgers, dogs). There was an aura of excitement and hope as people waited to parade to the stadium from Centreville Bank/team headquarters.
The success of the team, and more importantly, the stadium, was discussed. People were expecting an average of 8,500 fans at the games and were hopeful that other planned events (rugby is on the schedule and some concerts that haven’t been announced yet) would deter the doubters. A security member who would be escorting the parade complimented the passion of RIFC fans. He said that he works for the NE Revolution, and the enthusiasm is unmatched. 3pm hit, and everyone crossed the street to the parade starting point. RIFC chants were loud. Everyone gathered facing the street, Governor Dan McKee, Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien, and Team owner Brett Johnson gave thank-you speeches before the parade kicked off. Johnson walked with Defiance, though he spent time on the side taking pictures and reveling in the moment.
A teenager was walking with his parents on the parade route. I overheard him ask his parents why McKee was there. His mom told him that this is a big deal for RI, which confirmed the feelings I had hours earlier. We made our way in and found a bathroom (surprisingly no line) before finding our seats. I sat down and took everything in for a few moments. Everything looked pristine and was going smoothly. I didn’t overhear negative comments about traffic, parking or the walk to the stadium. Food and drink lines were long, but there were hidden spots with much less wait time if you explored enough. I took a walk to get drinks and survey the stadium before kickoff. The vibe and positivity surrounding the stadium were inspiring. This was an event, more than it was a soccer match. The 10,700 people who sold the stadium out were a part of history, no matter what happens from this point on.
Though the lines weren’t long, I should have explored earlier, as the countdown clock was ticking closer to 0, signaling the start of the match. I obstructively saw the players take the field and listened to the starting line-ups and national anthem. The helicopter flyover was an unexpected surprise, especially since I had a great view of their path towards the field. I was next in line with two minutes to kick-off, but the people in front of me had a shopping list order that took some time. I made my transaction at a rapid pace and rushed to the concourse in time for the opening whistle. While I was hoping for at least a goal and a draw (San Antonio FC is the leader in the Western Conference while RIFC sits in 10th place in the Eastern Conference), today was more about the experience than anything else. The match was exciting but scoreless. There were a lot of fouls and a couple of yellow cards given to each team. RIFC, which is off to its second slow start in as many years, seemed to outplay its favored opponents, which kept the crowd lively.
The sky opened up towards the end of the game, quickly dousing the stadium in a downpour. Some people headed for shelter (we were under a covering, which was a nice bonus) while not taking their eyes off the pitch. The shower lasted a few minutes but left a dazzling rainbow over the empty Memorial Hospital. The rainbow remained as the referee blew the whistle, signaling the game ending in a 0-0 tie, netting each team a point in the standings. We lingered a bit before checking out the team store, which had the longest lines throughout the game. We made a purchase and made our way outside the stadium. We had no real plan but decided to walk to News Café for a final drink while we waited for Uber. We soaked in the overall great product and experience that the team and stadium provided. •
