We have arrived at the final 8. Conference Semifinals. RIFC have won a playoff game for the second year in a row and are headed to Cary, North Carolina for a meeting with North Carolina FC on Saturday night. In this preview, we’ll take a look at the previous meetings between the two teams, how each team advanced from round one, and what to expect on Saturday. Let’s get to it!

• Long-Awaited First Win at Tidewater
  • The first meeting between the two sides resulted in RIFC getting their first home win at Centreville Bank Stadium. Albert Dikwa scored on a header in the 18th minute to give the home side the 1-0 lead. Rafa Mentzingen brought it level in the 35th minute, attacking RIFC’s left side which had been left exposed consistently in the first half. Second half changes saw RIFC solidify their back line and create more chances going forward. Frank Nodarse would draw a penalty in stoppage time and Maxi Rodriguez would convert with virtually the last kick of the ball to secure the team’s first win in front of the home crowd
• A Draw to Clinch the Playoffs
  • The teams played to a 0-0 draw just a few weeks ago that resulted in RIFC qualifying for the playoffs. Both teams created chances, though most of NCFC’s were from shots from outside the box. RIFC were closer to getting a goal but the game was pretty even overall. Notably, JJ Williams was left out of the squad for this game for precautionary reasons. His absence may have been the difference between a win and the draw that RIFC ended up with

For me, the main takeaway from these two games is that the two teams play each other close. It took a last minute penalty for RIFC to win the first game and the second game probably could have gone either way.

How Did We Get Here?

RIFC produced a big upset in round one, defeating the Charleston Battery on penalties 5-3 after the game ended 0-0. Plenty has been said about the result, as I incoherently covered it in the Riptide Report, Timmy covered it in more depth in his Player Ratings, and we had our Postmatch Pod (with slides!). I’m not going to say too much here so I don’t end up just repeating everything we already said. However, I’ll attempt to quickly summarize my thoughts.

Last weekend’s game was one that really could have gone either way. It was always going to come down to whether or not RIFC could stifle Charleston’s attack. And that’s exactly what the boys in amber and blue ended up doing. I thought the back three of Diop, Yao, and Nodarse was fantastic. Especially Hamady Diop on the left side. Hugo Bacharach was also incredible in the middle of the park. Charleston quickly realized they weren’t going to be able to play through the middle and they started to go long. RIFC did well to adjust and were able to get through 120 minutes without conceding. In a penalty shootout that many of us had little confidence going into, the players looked locked in and converted all 5 attempts. Arturo Rodriguez would miss Charleston’s third attempt and that was enough to give RIFC the advantage and help send them through.

The Big Question Heading into Saturday

Can RIFC break down a well-organized North Carolina team?

Heading into the first round, the big question for RIFC revolved around whether or not they could slow down a Charleston attack that was the best in the league in 2025. This weekend, it’s going to be more about what RIFC can do going forward. Can they be proactive and create chances? The hallmark of this North Carolina FC team under head coach John Bradford is their discipline and organization. While they weren’t the best defensive team in the league (10th fewest goals conceded), their style of play is what presents a different challenge here.

For RIFC, it’s really going to come down to JJ Williams. But doesn’t it always? As mentioned earlier, JJ missed the last meeting between these two teams just a few weeks ago. As for last weekend, he didn’t have his best game on paper but I thought Charleston did a really good job on him defensively. RIFC should have more of the ball in this one, with North Carolina finishing the regular season 21st in average possession. The opportunity should be there for RIFC to create some more chances, they just need to go out and do it. And convert one or two, of course.

How Did They Get Here?

North Carolina FC finished third in the Eastern Conference and got to host Loudoun United last weekend for the second consecutive week. Both games ended in 1-0 NCFC victories with a goal from Oalex Anderson. In last weekend’s game, Anderson got his goal early on in the 6th minute. This gave North Carolina the luxury of conceding possession to Loudoun and daring them to break them down. As we know, Loudoun were unable to do so. Importantly, NCFC didn’t just park the bus. They actually ended up with the same number of shots on target (3) and big chances (2) as their opponents. This mainly came from bursting forward in transition moments. It’s something they’ll need to try to replicate against RIFC on Saturday night.

The Big Question Heading into Saturday

How will North Carolina’s players respond after Tuesday’s news?

As much as I’d love to just write about North Carolina on the field, it simply isn’t possible. News broke on Tuesday morning that North Carolina FC chairman Steve Malik decided that the team would cease operations indefinitely after the season. You can read the team’s statement below:

Statement from North Carolina FC.https://t.co/0T4RhSOmd5 pic.twitter.com/7QfthrFPD7

— x – North Carolina FC (@NorthCarolinaFC) November 4, 2025

The decision is framed here as necessary in order for the team to work on entering the USL’s new division one league. But in reality, there isn’t any guarantee the team ever comes back. This really just feels like ownership pulling the plug on the team and trying to soften the blow with this statement.

As for how this relates to the game on Saturday, it really could go either way. The players could very well come together and be galvanized by this, knowing that Saturday night could be the last time they ever play together. On the other hand, these players are human beings. Many of them were expecting to be back next season and have now had their lives upended. All players under contract for next season will get two months pay and then are completely on their own. Sure, some of them will land on their feet with other USL clubs. But the whole situation is just unimaginably difficult.

In the end, I have RIFC coming away with a 1-0 victory and a trip to the Eastern Conference Final. I expect North Carolina to come out strong but RIFC have shown they can really defend. And the longer the game stays 0-0, I think things will swing in RIFC’s favor more. There will be opportunities to create chances and it will just take one moment of quality to seal the deal.

Just like the Eastern Conference Semifinal last year I will once again be out on the road, hitching a ride with RIFC superfan FQB. This time, it’s a slightly shorter journey to Cary, North Carolina. As of right now, three of us Tide Talk members are travelling down for the game along with a large number of other dedicated RIFC fans. For much of the regular season it didn’t feel like this would happen. The journeys from season one surely weren’t going to be repeated in year two. But here we are. I can’t wait.

Up Next

I will attempt to get the Riptide Report out following the game. And hopefully, I’ll make more sense than I did last week. Player Ratings and the Postmatch Pod will follow. I recommend following Tide Talk on any and all social media platforms to stay up to date with our content. As always, we greatly appreciate anyone who checks out anything we do here. It genuinely means so much to us. Until next time, UP THE TIDE!