Rhode Island FC is the state’s first pro soccer team, and it’s bringing a lot of excitement to fans in Rhode Island. In their first game in the new Centreville Bank Stadium, the team sold out the 11,000 seat stadium and is expected to average around 8,000 spectators for the remainder of the season.
This year, the team hopes to continue the success they had last season, which saw them make it all the way to the championship. Currently, the team has a 3-3-4 record, putting them in 6th place in the eastern conference.
“We knew we wanted to be a competitive and playoff-caliber team from day one,” said Rhode Island FC Co-Founder Michael Parkhurst in a press release on the team’s website.
Last year, in its first ever season in the United Soccer League, the team finished 5th in the eastern conference and clinched a playoff spot. During the playoffs, they were able to make an incredible playoff run, beating teams like the first seeded Louisville City, and make it all the way to the USL championship game, the first team in league history to make it to the championship in their inaugural season. Unfortunately they lost 3-0 to the second seeded Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Founded in 2010, the 24-team United Soccer League Championship is the second tier of professional soccer league in the United States, below Major League Soccer.
The team also played their inaugural season at Beirne Stadium, the home stadium for Bryant University due to the construction of their new stadium not being finished. Because of this, the team was forced to play their home games at Bryant University’s Beirne Stadium. Their first ever game was played there on March 16th, 2024.
In 2023, Rhode Island Football club (RIFC) announced that they would be hosting open tryouts for a fee of $100. The tryouts were held later that year, at Providence Country Day School in East Providence. The tryouts were successful, with the managers and scouts being able to put together a strong squad before the beginning of their inaugural season.
