RIFC announced today that they have signed former Marshall University midfielder Taimu Okiyoshi ahead of the 2025 season. This is Rhode Island FC’s third signing of the offseason after Maxi Rodriguez and Hugo Bacharach.

Who is Taimu Okiyoshi?

Hailing from Kobe, Japan, Okiyoshi began his US soccer journey at Salt Lake Community College in 2020 after winning the NVP 2019 National Championship in Japan.

At SLCC, Okiyoshi started his trophy-filled (insert Spurs joke here) college career winning the 2021 NJCAA title. That season, he was also named as a United Soccer Coaches All-American. After two strong seasons in Salt Lake City, he took his talents to our familiar friends, the Marshall Herd.

Making his debut in the 2022 season, Okiyoshi ended up captaining the side for the 2023 and 2024 seasons, leading the team in minutes. He ended up as a third team All American in 2023 and second team All American in 2024. Taimu ended his collegiate career leading the team to the NCAA finals where they fell to UVM 2-1.

Okiyoshi becomes the third player to swap the green and white for amber and blue following in the footsteps of Marshall alums Gabi Alves and Morris Duggan.

How Does He Stack Up?

Possession

Making a lot of assumptions based on the few clips that I can find of Okiyoshi playing, he likes to operate as the deeper midfielder, picking passes from deep to spring forwards and wingers in behind. He is also comfortable carrying the ball through midfield to advance play.

Iron Man

Okiyoshi was ever-present for Marshall, playing in every match during his time in West Virginia including starting every match his final two seasons. In his final season last year, he started all 22 matches playing 1,927 of a possible 2,000 minutes

Leadership

During his iron man run, Okiyoshi captained the Herd in the 2023 and 2024 seasons bringing strong leadership qualities to a RIFC midfield filled with them.

Versatility

We will probably talk about this every time RIFC make a new signing but you’ll be shocked to hear that Okiyoshi brings some versatility to the squad. Being deployed both in midfield and in the defensive line during his time at Marshall, Taimu could be used in multiple places on the pitch.

Goal Contributions

Unlike Maxi Rodriguez, Okiyoshi was not brought in due to his offensive firepower . In his final season with the Herd, Okiyoshi managed 4 assists and zero goals and ended his three season at Marshall with 3 goals and 8 assists total.

Where Will He Fit In?

With our incredibly stacked midfield, this move points to a depth-piece for the team. As Okiyoshi primarily played in a deeper midfield role in college, we could see him in cup games or to bring on fresh legs for Holstad, Ybarra and Herivaux. When you add in his defensive prowess, he could also be brought on to bolster the midfield for an attacking player when we’re holding on to a lead.

In a pinch, he could also slot in for a centerback due to his comfort on the ball as well as his abilty to use both feet. Overall, this is a solid bet on an experienced depth piece for the reigning Eastern Conference Champions.

Up the Tide!