Rhode Island FC announced today that Albert “Chico” Dikwa will be returning to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC for the 2026 season. RIFC will receive an undisclosed fee for the transfer.

This is a fascinating and polarizing move that is sure to have the fanbase divided.

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

On one hand, the initial signing of Chico off of his 2023 Golden Boot season with Pittsburgh was the first signal to Rhode Island FC fans that this team was being constructed to compete for championships from Day 1.

But immediately, fans wondered what exactly the plan was for Dikwa to co-exist with the already-signed JJ Williams. Well, as it turns out – there was never really a plan! And it’s all led us back to this transfer that was announced today.

In 39 matches played together, nearly 1,800 minutes, Dikwa and JJ combined for just ONE. SINGLE. GOAL.

There were extended stretches of Dikwa as the primary striker option (mainly due to injuries to Williams) where the production was, frankly, underwhelming. There were stretches where Dikwa was used primarily as a super-sub as well – which, frankly, given his resume, should be a gross misuse of his talents.

To put it simply, things never clicked into place for Dikwa at Rhode Island FC. There were some bright moments… but they can probably be counted on one hand.

• While real ones will always remember Mark Doyle as the first unofficial Rhode Island FC goal scorer for his forced own-goal against New Mexico, Chico is the official first Rhode Island FC goal scorer with his two goals scored in our 2-2 draw at Monterey Bay in the clubs second game ever.

• A late dagger off the bench in our iconic 3-0 road victory over Louisville in the 2024 Eastern Conference Semifinals.

• Chico made Portland look like the 3rd division team that they are with his hat trick in the USL Jägermeister Cup.

• His late brace against North Carolina FC, to bury the club and send Rhode Island FC through to their second Eastern Conference Finals in as many years.

For all of his flaws on the pitch (and to be clear, there were many), Chico was a beloved figure to many fans at Rhode Island FC, and it’s easy to see why. From the interactions that I observed, Chico always appeared to be a fun and courteous character to teammates, staff, media, and fans.

In particular, I know him to have been extremely popular with the younger demographic of fans around the club – which makes him a beloved figure in team history, regardless of how you personally feel about him.

But we all know what the true legacy of Chico will always be.

Chicoholio

I’m not joking when I say that I think the legend of Chicoholio propelled this team into the Eastern Conference Finals. I mean, in many ways it literally did, since Chico scored both goals in the semi’s against North Carolina FC.

But in a more figurative sense – I think the fervor and anticipation among the fans that started in Tampa Bay, and grew dramatically between then and the win over Charleston, reached terminal velocity with his two goals in North Carolina. It was one of those moments (there were very few in 2025) were the vibes were so high that the team just felt absolutely invincible.

His first goal in North Carolina is my favorite in-person goal celebration of all-time, ever. And despite the complicated legacy that Chico leaves behind, I’ll always remember him in a positive light for that reason.

Where Does This Leave Us?

I am of the belief that fans can simultaneously feel that Chico’s exit won’t significantly impact the product on the field, but also be deeply concerned about where the goals are coming from next season with this departure along with Maxi Rodriguez.

Maxi and Dikwa were tied (along with Noah Fuson) for 2nd place on the team with seven goal contributions each. For a team that only managed 26 goals on the season, we’ve just lost a significant share of our total goal contributions.

The addition of Leo Afonso will absolutely help – and I feel confident that there are additional signings coming. But I’d certainly hope that they’re of a pretty high caliber, and USL Championship-ready, if they’re going to step in and fill these shoes.

Lastly, I think there’s some questions that we should be asking ourselves about the management of the team where we’ve now alienated and subsequently lost objectively our two biggest signings in club-history; Dikwa off of his 2023 Golden Boot-winning campaign, and Rodriguez off his 2024 first team all-league season.

It’s a conversation for a later date (and another blog), but it’s certainly a narrative worth mentioning, and pondering.

In conclusion – Chico’s tenure had some high high’s, and low low’s. You can say that he underachieved in his time here (I would agree), but he led the team in goals in 2024, and was technically 3rd in 2025. I don’t think it ever quite clicked, but I wish Chico well and hope that he finds what he’s looking for in Pittsburgh.