RIFC are still alive.  In an absolutely incredible game that ended 0-0 and went to penalties, RIFC came out victorious 5-3 in the shootout.  It still really hasn’t hit me, even as I’m writing this blog that’s supposed to have my quick reactions.  I’m going to do my best here and hopefully some of it ends up making sense.

Amos Returns, Zach is Back

Perhaps the biggest question mark coming into this game for RIFC in regards to the squad was the availability of Amos Shapiro-Thompson.  Amos was not only available but got the start.  He brought his trademark energy and work ethic that has made him a fan favorite and Defiance 1636 Player of the Year.  Amos ended up playing 80 minutes and gave the team a massive boost.

Zachary Herivaux also got the start in the absence of Grant Stoneman.  Zach was fantastic and like Amos gave the team a strong 80 minutes.  Charleston’s midfield pairing of Molloy and Houssou can be a handful and I thought Zach did a great job battling in there.  There were moments in the game where I felt things got too open but Amos and Zach were everywhere and helped keep RIFC in it.

Fiery End to the 90

After a 90 minutes where both teams had chances to get a winner but failed to do so, the game was headed to extra time.  But before we got there, there were some fireworks.  Deep into 2nd half stoppage time, Houssou was fouled near the sideline (a normal foul) and players from both sides got into a shoving match.  Charleston’s Mark Segbers came in and shoved someone to the ground.  Jojea Kwizera had his arms around a Charleston player and Houssou grabbed at Dwayne Atkinson’s neck.  Segbers was shown a yellow, Houssou was shown a red, and Kwizera received his second yellow.  It was a wild sequence that resulted in both teams playing with 10 men for both halves of extra time.

Penalty Triumph

I thought RIFC had the better chances to get a winner in extra time.  But when they couldn’t get their goal, I have to admit I thought we were out.  Our penalty record isn’t great and we witnessed the team lose two shootouts this season.  The more egregious of them being the 3-0 loss on penalties in the Jägermeister Cup Semifinal at home against Sacramento Republic.  Confidence was very low.

Luckily, the confidence of the players on the field never wavered.  RIFC went first and hit each of their first 3 shots.  Charleston hit their first 2 but Arturo Rodriguez missed the Battery’s 3rd attempt to give RIFC the advantage.  Both teams would hit their 4th attempts, setting up Aimé Mabika to do this for the win:

THE SECOND SEED IN THE EAST IS KNOCKED OUT ❌@RhodeIslandFC are through to the @USLChampionship Eastern Conference semifinals 👊 pic.twitter.com/YH3dZNnoYz

— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) November 2, 2025

I have to give massive credit to JJ, Hamady, Maxi, Hugo, and Aimé.  They all displayed incredible poise to bury their penalties and ensure the team lived to fight another day.  Warriors

Final Thoughts

What an unbelievable game.  I was at the German-American Cultural Society with the rest of Tide Talk, as well as plenty of other fans, and had an incredible time.  As far as the play on the field, I thought RIFC more than held their own and in the end were the better team.  As I eluded to earlier, at times the game did open up a bit too much for my liking and Charleston had some good chances.  But I thought RIFC defended brilliantly and Koke made some vital saves.  The game ended up feeling like a final rather than a first round playoff game.  But that can happen when you underperform in the regular season and end up finishing 7th. 

Regardless, the regular season is pretty much irrelevant at this point.  Just ask our friends in Louisville (they’re such nice people that I actually feel a little bad).  If this game is any indication, RIFC are built for the playoffs.  We saw this team show a never say die attitude in 2024 and although every season is different, 9 of RIFC’s 11 starters today were with the team last year.  It looks like they’re built for another run this year.  Here’s to hoping they continue to perform their best for the next few weeks.

Up Next

Timmy will have his player ratings soon, where he may have to rate the entire RIFC squad as it felt like every player was used in this one.  The postmatch pod will be Monday night and in my very unbiased opinion, it’s going to be a must listen.  I will be back here later in the week for the Prematch Lookout as we look ahead to the conference semifinal in North Carolina as well as a separate blog to give my predictions on all four playoff matches in the USL Championship next weekend.  Until then, UP THE TIDE!