Welcome back to The Tide Chart, Rhode Island FC faithful.
What a weird month June was. Going into a month largely comprised of home matches, we really hoped to see the club find its form and turn around its season. I’m not sure what to make of the mixed bag of results, in all honesty. June brought with it exhilarating highs and frustrating lows. We celebrated our first home victory in dramatic fashion and a dominant cup victory against our friendly foes to the north, but also endured disheartening league losses at home that left us searching for answers. Amidst the demanding schedule, the tides of individual player form continued to ebb and flow, creating a complex picture of our boys in amber and blue.
As we reflect on the games played in June, where we played against Miami FC, Louisville City FC, North Carolina FC, Sacramento Republic FC, and Portland Hearts of Pine, let’s analyze which players saw their performances rise with the swell and which, unfortunately, receded back into the coean.
Rising Tide 📈
Despite the inconsistent team performances, there were some individuals who demonstrated their quality and impact throughout June. Their efforts were bright spots amidst the challenges.
Albert Dikwa
Chico has been at the center of fans’ criticism so far this season, and for good reason. He was on my Falling Tide list last month after a period of games where looked completely ineffective on the pitch. The month of June wasn’t perfect, but we saw some encouraging signs of improvement from the former league MVP. He delivered an unforgettable hat trick in the 4-1 USL Jagermeister Cup victory over Portland Hearts of Pine, marking the first ever hat trick in USL Jagermeister Cup history and earning a Team of the Round nod. All three goals were examples of excellent striker play. The variety of finishes included a finesse, instinctive chip, a great run to the near post with a tidy redirect into the net, and perfect positioning on an aerial duel to forcefully head a goal home. THIS is what we need to see more of from Dikwa.
In addition to those goals against Portland, he also scored the opening goal (shown below) in the 2-1 home win against North Carolina FC after a tremendous job reading the play, adjusting his run, fighting for positioning, and then burying a header in front of a raucous Defiance 1636 crowd. It hasn’t all been perfect, or even matching the best of what we’ve seen to date from Chico, but June provided hope that he is moving closer to a return to form that this team badly needs.
Frank Nodarse
Frank Nodarse proved to be both a defensive and offensive force in June, especially when oconsidering his exceptional performance against North Carolina FC. He came into that match at halftime and put in perhaps his best performance in a Rhode Island FC shirt. Just ask Matt Hands. Frank completed four dribbles, 26 of 28 passes, created two chances, and won the decisive penalty that earned the club its first ever win at Tidewater.
His versatility was on full display in June as he effectively played anywhere and everywhere along the backline, including advanced positioning while playing left-back and right-back. He was defensively sound with no notable mental errors. He brings the ability to bring the ball forward and create problems for the defense, and for a team that is lacking offensive chance creation, I’ll gladly take that whenever we can get it. Frank demonstrated consistent, high-impact contributions after an uneven start to the year.
Karifa Yao
Karifa got back to full fitness in June after missing a lot of time in late April and May. His return has added some stability to the backline and his performances have been quite impressive. He was my vote for Man of the Match in the win over North Carolina FC and he’s been solid and dependable throughout the month.
What’s impressed me the most is his improved passing. I’ve always dogged him for only making safe passes that go sideways (at best) or backwards, but he’s been mixing in some accurate long passes with success, and overall he seems more comfortable on the ball. If he can continue that trend, when added to his solid defensive abilities, he will surely regain his spot as an entrenched starter.
Falling Tide 📉
While June had its moments of brilliance, the team’s struggles were also evident, with some players experiencing a dip in form.
Aldair Sanchez
Aldair’s June was marked by notable defensive vulnerabilities mixed with flashes of important offensive contributions. Against North Carolina FC, he played maybe his worst game of the season despite the dime of a cross he sent to Dikwa for the opening goal. This was partly due to North Carolina’s tactical approach of exploiting the space Aldair vacated when he joined the attack, but he was targeted and picked apart defensively throughout that first half, leading to his substitution at halftime for Frank Nodarse.
His defensive struggles continued against Sacramento, where he had trouble handling Sacramento’s Jack Gurr’s advancing runs. Even in the Miami FC game, where he had 14 crosses, only two found a teammate. The most impactful part of his contributions come in the form of his crossing and service delivery, so when that isn’t working then it really stunts his performances. His consistent low ratings for most of June, including multiple 4/10s and 5/10s, were possibly exacerbated by how many minutes he has had to play. (He’s 4th on the team in minutes played behind Clay, Maxi, and Noah.) Without a clear backup, Khano might need to get creative to figure out how to give Aldair some rest.
Aime Mabika
After being highlighted as a “Rising Tide” in May for his defensive stability and progressive passing, Aime Mabika experienced a noticeable dip in form during June. Most notably, he was involved in some high profile defensive breakdowns including him being caught ball-watching against Louisville City FC on their second goal, plus being caught out of position and then proceeded to casually jog back in recovery in the lead up to Sacramentos’s second goal (shown below).
I have praised him on The Tide Chart as well as the Talk Talk podcasts for his defensive prowess and line-breaking passing ability, but those attributes did not show through during the month of June. At best, you could say he very inconsistent. (I also don’t understand why he was the choice to get the captain’s armband on a couple of occasions, but that’s a different conversation).
Lastly, he picked up an injury in the match against Sacramento with no clear timetable for return. What’s strange to me is that he still hasn’t looked to be at full fitness. I understand he had been without a team since late 2024, but it’s taken him much longer to look fully fit than I would have expected given he’s only gone the full 90 minutes once since joining the team. I don’t love that Coach Khano has to burn a sub to get him off the pitch every match, so I was hoping Aime was reaching a point where he could reliably go the full 90. With this injury now in play, it could be a while before we see that happen.
Grant Stoneman
I don’t have a ton to say about Stoneman, but performances in June continued to draw scrutiny from fans. While he has periods of very good defensive play and some useful over-the-top through balls, he is also prone to making bad physical and mental mistakes. Stoneman’s form has seen a regression from last season. Despite that fact, plus the fact that we have many defensive options right now, the club announced in June that Stoneman’s contract has been extended. That comes as a bit of a surprise, to be honest, as it seemed like he would be falling in the pecking order of our central defenders.
There’s also the issue of his captaincy. He has received the captain’s armband multiple times this season but rarely makes time to address the fans at the end of games, usually being one of the first players down the tunnel to the locker room. I’m not quite sure what Coach Khano’s criteria is when choosing a captain (again, that’s a different conversation to be had) but Stoneman’s on-field performances and leadership have felt lacking.
Something to note is that Stoneman picked up an injury in the infamous “six defenders in the starting lineup” match against Sacramento, coming out at halftime after playing as a defensive midfielder instead of his normal spot as a central defender. Hard to put too much blame on him for that performance given the odd approach Khano took to that match, but the injury now will keep him off the team sheet for at least a month as he recovers. When he returns, I don’t think it’s a given that he will immediately get back significant playing time.
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The Horizon Ahead – Return of the JJ?
The last game of June showcased a potential path to breaking out of their offensive rut, but that was one game against an inferior team. More importantly, June highlighted persistent issues with consistency, particularly in league play and when defending set pieces. The team needs to find ways to translate their cup form into league success and address defensive lapses. But more than anything, they absolutely need to find ways to consistently manufacture good goal scoring opportunities.
That has been sorely lacking this season, and perhaps the impending return of JJ Williams will be a big boost in that regard. With more home games on the horizon, including an important double home derby in mid July, this upcoming month presents a crucial opportunity for Rhode Island FC to build on the positive momentum that closed out June and iron out the inconsistencies. The path forward demands collective improvement, sustained intensity, and more of that “never say die” attitude we saw last year.
What do you think of the tides after June? Who stood out to you, good or bad? Let me know in the comments or on social media.
As always, UP THE TIDE!
Tide Talk 
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