Welcome back to The Tide Chart, Rhode Island FC faithful.

May felt like another whirlwind of emotions and results. Following a busy April that saw us secure our first wins and navigate a demanding road trip, May brought the historic home opener and a packed schedule with league games, a U.S. Open Cup tie, and a Jagermeister Cup match. We experienced the magic of Centerville Bank Stadium for the first time, fought valiantly against a local MLS opponent, and picked up crucial points in the league and cup on the road. It was a month of mixed results, but also significant road wins. Amidst this demanding schedule and the ongoing challenge of injuries, the tides of individual player form continued to ebb and flow.

As we reflect on the games played in May, let’s analyze which players saw their performances rise with the swell and which unfortunately experienced a dip.

Rising Tide 📈

Despite the demanding schedule, which came with it the need for rotation and players battling fatigue, several individuals consistently impressed in May. The defensive solidity, in particular, saw a noticeable improvement over the month, largely thanks to new additions and consistent performances.

Our new defenders: Aime Mabika & Rio Hope-Gund

The arrival of Mabika and the increased integration of Rio Hope-Gund into the backline profoundly impacted our defensive stability in May. Mabika quickly showed comfort and defensive presence, keeping players like speedster Ronaldo Damus quiet. What really stands out is his progressive passing and line-breaking abilities, contributing to offensive buildup even from deep. That’s an added element and something we haven’t seen this defense exhibit before. Rio has been a very pleasant surprise. With his solid positioning and defensive reliability on full display, he has proven to be a crucial, if unexpected, piece in the back. Together, they helped solidify the back four and dramatically improved our defensive record, contributing to multiple clean sheets. Both should receive many starts this season and I’m excited to see how things shake out once Karifa Yao returns to full health and Hugo Bacharach makes his debut.

Koke Vegas

Behind the evolving backline, Koke Vegas had a stellar run of form in May, making key saves and anchoring a defense that kept multiple clean sheets. His distribution and ball handling have been impressive and he has made a number of difficult, if not exceptional, saves to keep The Tide in games. This is as good as I have seen Koke play since joining Rhode Island FC as their first ever signing. It’s worth nothing that he was a surprise scratch in the most recent match (at Pittsburgh Riverhounds for the Jagermerister Cup) so here’s to hoping he hasn’t picked up anything that will keep him out for more games. Also, let’s all enjoy this great save that nearly won him the ‘Save of the Week’.

Clay Holstad

The heart of the midfield continued to display high effort and crucial involvement in all areas of play. Clay maintained his tireless work rate, covering ground across the pitch, recycling possession, and providing moments of offensive quality. This included his signature long-range strikes, like the absolute “scud” he scored against Tampa Bay that earned him a Goal of the Week nod (video below). He looked like the best player on the field against the Revs, leading all players in touches and completed passes, including 14 passes into the final third. Clay is essential to controlling the midfield and driving the team forward, serving as Maxi’s release valve and recycling possession. He is perhaps the most indispensable player in the midfield due to the amount of different things he does every single match, setting a tone for the rest of the team. His creativity, athleticism, and ability to recycle and recover balls are top quality, and he did all this despite getting minimal rest during the gauntlet of a May schedule . Even when looking tired, he was gliding around the pitch, avoiding defenders and springing passes easily.

Falling Tide 📉

While May brought significant positives, particularly defensively, the offensive end continued to be a source of frustration for us all, with certain players struggling to find consistent form and output. 

Albert Dikwa

Dikwa has been asked to carry the load after some awful injury timing hit JJ Williams, who got hurt in training right before we opened our beautiful new stadium As the team’s primary striker in JJ’s absence, Dikwa was not able to keep the goals flowing. Despite flashes of effort, his offensive output, particularly in terms of goals and shots per game, remained a point of concern. (Dikwa had 2 shots against Monterrey Bar but only 1 shot in each of his other games played in May.) The narrative around his performance often reflects frustration, with the team needing more from one of its highest profile players. While he registered a nice assist in the last match of May, the overall lack of consistent goal-scoring threat from his position was a recurring theme. Even when JJ Williams returns to the lineup, Rhode Island simply needs more from Dikwa than it is currently getting

Jojea Kwizera

After a great run of form last season, terrorizing the opposition’s right flank game after game, Kwizera’s form this season and especially in May has been significantly underwhelming. He’s been too slow to react or make decisions on the ball, his first touch has often let him down, and his crossing has been poor from both flanks. He does have the occasional flash, but we need to see him take on defenders and wreak havoc on the back line like we did last year. While he did score his first goal of the season in the Cup tie against Pittsburgh, his overall impact and consistency in creating opportunities has not impressed. Jojea will miss some time while on international duty. Last year around this time is when he returned from the Rwandan national team looking like a new, confident man. Let’s hope to get a repeat later this month.

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Offensive Struggles and Looking Ahead

May highlighted the significant impact of JJ Williams’s injury on the team’s ability to consistently create and finish chances from open play. While we scored some spectacular goals from and did secure important wins, the team’s overall expected goals tally often remained low because they were not able to generate many dangerous opportunities

The defensive unit, bolstered by new personnel, showed tremendous improvement in May, becoming a key strength with multiple clean sheets. The midfield core, led by Clay, Maxi, and Zachary, provided consistent energy and control. The challenge for June will be translating this defensive solidity and midfield dominance into more consistent and less predictable offensive production.

As we head into June, with key Jagermeister Cup matches and more home games on the horizon, the team will need to find ways to unlock defenses, whether through continued brilliant individual moments or improved collective attacking chemistry, especially with the returns of JJ Williams, Marc Ybarra, and Isaac Angking potentially offering new options.

What do you think of the tides after May? Which players stood out to you, good or bad? Let me know in the comments or on social media.

As always, Up The Tide!