I immediately noticed that there was a unique feel in the air surrounding Centreville Bank Stadium as I dropped a friend off at the gate and sat in traffic for about 20 minutes to park in the lot that I could basically see from my car. This was ten minutes before the start of their second-to-last home game of the season. There were still long lines to get into the stadium, but everyone seemed excited and optimistic. The games have all been fun, but RIFC’s play on the pitch has been frustrating at times. They struggled to score at home, making a lot of their draws feel like losses. I could feel a difference as I exited my car, grateful to be out of traffic. It felt like walking into a first-place team instead of one clinging to the final playoff spot. I noted this as I walked into the stadium 12 minutes into the match.
The team played no differently than they had at home all season. They had a lot of strong scoring opportunities that they couldn’t quite capitalize on. They gave up an early-second-half goal to Las Vegas Lights FC, leaving the crowd thinking, “Here we go again,” and knowing that a loss would severely impede their chance at a playoff berth.
That all changed in the 77th minute when Bacharach tied the game. The excitement was full throttle as the relieved crowd sang along to “Psycho Killer,” their celebration song. Noah Fusion gave them the lead in the 90th minute and JJ Williams added an exclamation point five minutes into extra time. The near-sellout crowd could feel the magic of last year circling the stadium.
It turns out that the goals and stats in their 3-1 win didn’t ultimately matter, as Las Vegas was forced to forfeit the game for using an ineligible player. The stats were negated, but RIFC was awarded a 3-0 forfeit. This was the smart move in a tight playoff race where goal differential is a key tiebreaker. The game was meant to be a momentum builder as the team geared up to play their home finale six days later on October 11.
I arrived at the stadium much earlier for the finale. There were giveaways and I wanted to snag a soccer ball before they were gone. Traffic was much more manageable and I made sure to grab a soccer ball (which my dog immediately claimed as her own when I got home) and a Breeze Airways luggage tag that will be useful when traveling.
I went right to the Salty Knot pretzel line, which would sadly be my last of the year. I was getting one to bring home for someone that wanted to try one and bought one to give to a friend that I ran into at the game. He had yet to try a pretzel because he always buys a pulled pork sandwich from Smokehouse BBQ, and didn’t want to get addicted to another food item. Both later thanked me for the recommendation and loved the pretzels!
Riding the high from the Sunday before, the capacity crowd made the entire night feel like a party. They were confident and everyone was all too eager to talk about how their play at the end of the last game should carry through for the rest of the season and into the playoffs (they weren’t officially in at the time, but their chances were high). The magical feeling was still permeating the stadium.
The home team put on a show to thank the fans for their support all season. They dominated the Tampa Bay Rowdies from the start. Williams was quick to put them on top in the 8th minute. They netted two more goals in the first half, including a PK (penalty kick) by Williams a minute into stoppage time. They kicked in two more goals in the second half, netting them a 5-0 win and all but securing them a spot in the playoffs with two road games remaining.
The crowd was also there to thank their team for a wonderful season experience. Making it to the finals the year before, expectations were unfairly high, with people thinking they would continue the solid winning play from the end of last season. They fell a little short of that, but they always put on a good (though sometimes frustrating) show. The fans were cheering them on every step of the way. The majority of the sellout crowd stayed after the game to watch the post-game ceremonies, including the presentation of end-of-year individual awards. All players were delighted to watch a peer be recognized with an award.
The final two home games were sports fan Heaven. Everywhere was full of joy, love, camaraderie and winning comfortably with a lot of goals. Ending their home schedule with mascot Chip running onto the field holding an amber flag with the RIFC crest while “This is What we Came For,” by DJ Calvin and Rihanna blasts through the speakers was everything a fan could hope for when attending a game. The staff worked tirelessly all year to provide a winning fan experience, earning Centreville Bank Stadium Best New or Renovated Stadium by SportsTravel Magazine. It was great that the team left their rabid fanbase with a victorious taste in their mouths.
RIFC has since finished the regular season. While they didn’t carry the dominance of these home games in their two concluding road games (0-1-1), they earned the 7 spot. They will be traveling to South Carolina to play Charlestown Battery on Sunday, November 2 at 2pm. The game will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network. The official watch party will be at The Guild (fans are encouraged to RSVP due to limited space), with other watch parties at the Guild’s pub partners. Expect a rowdy and optimistic crowd that will be chanting “RI FC” at the end of the game, regardless of the outcome.
Go here for watch party information: rhodeislandfc.com/news/rhode-island-fc-to-face-charleston-battery-in-eastern-conference-quarterfinals