Welcome back for another edition in our monthly Tide Chart series. As always, the goal here is to highlight some of the biggest changes in player form over the past month.
August saw the team take a step back from its blistering July form. After collecting 3 wins and an exciting home draw in July, Rhode Island FC returned to earth as they attempted to navigate a busy August schedule. Over the six August fixtures, the team won 2, tied 3, and lost 1.
That dip in team form can be attributed to some mix of fixture congestion, greater emphasis on player rotation, injury management, better competition (excluding Hartford), or other factors. Nonetheless, the team still exits the month sitting in 5th place on the Eastern Conference table with just one point separating them from the 4th seed which comes with an important home playoff berth.
With that as context, let’s look at The Tide Chart for the month of August. As a reminder, a rising tide doesn’t necessarily mean the player is performing great, just as a falling tide doesn’t automatically mean the player is performing poorly. Form will naturally rise and fall over the course of a long season.
Rising Tide 📈
Koke Vegas
Our captain and beloved starting keeper had a fantastic month, earning Tide Talk’s highly coveted “Lord of the Tides” award for the month after earning 3 clean sheets in 5 matches. (He got some rest in the August 7 match when a heavily rotated RIFC squad lost a close one at Indy Eleven.) In those 5 matches Koke allowed just 2 goals while making 9 saves, including a game-saving penalty stop against Loudoun United (video below), and earning a spot in the USL Team of the Week in Week 25. Koke’s “keeper-back” positioning and dangerous distribution ensures he continues to play a key role on the team even when he isn’t being peppered with shots. After alternating time with Jackson Lee earlier in the season (due to injury and suspension), Koke has entrenched himself as the unquestioned starter.
Stephen Turnbull
Turnbull has been a solid and dependable player all season long, and much of his contribution tends to go under the radar. He plays a key role on the right flank, assisting in build-up play in the attack while also dropping into the back line during defensive transitions. August was another great month for the wingback which ended with a bang. His game-winning goal (below) and athletic jump into the Defiance 1636 stands lit up the home crowd, but this was just an exclamation point to wrap up a month of great performances and perhaps his best month of the season thus far.
Joe Brito
After landing on the Falling Tide list in July, Brito seemed to settle into a productive and solid role for Rhode Island during the month of August. He saw action in all 6 matches, including a start against Indy Eleven. In the limited time he played in the other 5 matches, Brito contributed with a goal against our Pathetic rivals plus two game-tying assists against Detroit City and Oakland Roots. Joe has become a staple off the bench and seems to be making positive contributions each time he enters the field.
Falling Tide 📉
JJ Williams
There has been a lot of talk lately about JJ and whether he deserves to regain this starting position. Aside from his stellar substitute performance against Birmingham Legion, JJ had a lackluster month of July. After starting the first two matches of the month, he came off the bench in the next four and he really struggled to make the direct impact that we have come to expect. That said, I firmly believe that JJ has been dealing with an injury as you could see in the Indy game that he was really struggling physically. I fully expect JJ to be a force for this team down the final stretch of the season and into the playoffs and would expect him to regain his starting position as soon as he returns to an adequate level of fitness. August was a down month, but the league needs to watch out for JJ in September and beyond.
Gabi Alves
Gabi missed time with an injury that occurred some time in mid June, but returned to the field on August 7 against Indy Eleven. Before that injury, Gabi was getting regular playing time, mostly as a starter. However, since returning from injury he has been unable to get back into the rotation. Gabi has a lot to offer both as a defender and in the attack on the wing. Perhaps the upcoming absence of Jojea Kwizera (due to national team duty with Rwanda) will provide the window of opportunity Gabi needs to get back into top form. I think Gabi still has a role to play on this team down the stretch, but we’ll have to wait to see how big a role that might be. In the meantime, be sure to watch this fantastic interview conducted by my Welsh Tide Talk brother Scott – a noted huge Gabi fan – from last week. In this interview Gabi provides some interesting insight about his teammates and his experience here so far in Rhode Island. (Also, shout out to Gabi and the RIFC team for getting a signed kit shipped across the pond to Scott. Classy stuff from the player and team.)
Albert Dikwa
Admittedly, this one is a bit harsh. Overall I think Dikwa has played an important role in the attacking movements of the team. He moves well, soaks up defenders, acts as the tip of the pressing spear when out of possession, and does well to get others involved. He scored our lone goal against Oakland Roots and assisted in the Derby victory. The problem is that the team needs him to score with more regularity, or at least score the ones that a reigning Golden Boot winner is expected to bury. There have been too many blown chances and bad touches and it leaves many of us feeling a little disappointed. Part of the story for this month could be that JJ hasn’t on the field much either, and both players are at their best when they are working together to wear down defenders. I’m hopeful that a resurgent JJ will also spring Dikwa to life.
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I’ll see you again in a few weeks to look back at a crucial month of September. There are only 9 matches left to go and the table is as tight as ever.
Comment below or on socials to let me know what I got wrong or if you agree with my takes.
Also don’t forget to follow and subscribe to all the great content that Tide Talk produces each week. The Post-Match Beacon by Matt H and Player Ratings by Timmy S are both a great way to follow player performances from week to week so be sure to give them some love. You can also subscribe to our newsletter by visiting our website here. This is another great way to stay current on all the great work this group produces to help fill the RIFC badge-sized void in your hearts between matches.
And as always…
Up The Tide!
Tide Talk 
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