Welcome to The Tide Chart, Rhode Island FC faithful. It feels good to be back.

March brought the first real look at our boys in amber in blue back on the pitch, which means it’s time to revive this monthly blog series that digs in and takes stock of the trends shaping player performances over the prior month.

If we thought the inaugural season was a rollercoaster and 2025 tested our patience, March 2026 has already suggested more of the same could very well be on its way. The campaign opened with some optimism, fueled by a wave of attacking reinforcements. But as the calendar turns to April, the reality feels all too familiar. Rhode Island FC managed just one point from three league matches in March, continuing a pattern of slow starts that is quickly becoming an unfortunate hallmark of this team.

There is a clear contradiction at play with this squad right now. On one hand, the attack actually looks somewhat dangerous for the first time since the debut season. The team is generating more shots and better chances, highlighted by a club-record-tying 23 attempts in the home opener. On the other hand, the defensive solidity that carried last year’s group has seemingly evaporated. Conceding seven goals in three league matches is not sustainable for a team with playoff ambitions, especially when so many of those goals stem from avoidable lapses and a lack of intensity in the box. (Doesn’t that sound quite familiar to the early part of last season, too?)

In fact, when thinking back on it, this team has largely seesawed between offense and defense for pretty much the entirety of its existence. Khano’s team’s seemingly go through stretches where it looks competent offensively, or defensively, but rarely both at the same time. 

The most troubling trend of the month, however, was the complete lack of discipline. Seeing JJ Williams and Khano Smith sent off in Louisville, followed by Hugo Bacharach seeing red in Miami, suggests a team that is losing its cool when things get difficult. To have that happen already, in the first month of the season, is a concern. We need to see more professionalism if we want to climb out of the basement of the Eastern Conference, the same professionalism that Khano himself called for from his players after the U.S. Open Cup win versus amateur side CD Faialense. 

It is early, but these are points we will desperately wish we had come October. Just look at the final table from the past two seasons to see how big of a difference just a few points would make in playoff seeding.

With that backdrop, let’s first take a look at the players who have trended up in this first month of the season.

Rising Tide 📈

Clay Holstad 

Life is just better when Clay Holstad is in the midfield. I, and pretty much the rest of the Tide Talk crew, banged that drum HARD all last season. After spending far too much time as a right wingback in 2025, Clay has returned to the center of the pitch and immediately reclaimed his role as the engine room of this team. He led the squad with 212 touches in league play during March, serving as the vital connector between a shaky backline and a developing front line.

Beyond his work rate, his distribution has been elite, recording 10 passes into the final third in the opener alone. His equalizing goal in Louisville was a just reward for a player who has been a warrior for us, even playing through a broken hand to start the year. 

(As a quick aside, both links above take you to some outstanding content from other Tide Talk contributors. Tyler Hatch’s Under The Surface is a well researched monthly must-read that is always packed with fascinating stats. And Timmy’s Player Ratings for each match are just okay. (But give him the clicks anyway, please.)  We also have Matt Hands’ Prematch Lookout and postmatch Riptide Report blogs that I will make a point to link to somewhere in the remainder of this blog so he doesn’t feel left out. The blog team here does not stop grinding for you.)

Agustin “Pity” Rodriguez 

While the team results have been poor, the acquisition of Pity Rodriguez looks like a masterstroke by the front office. Pity has been arguably our most effective newcomer, providing the creative spark and ball retention in half-spaces that we lacked all of last year.

He leads the team in passes into the final third in March (h/t  Tyler), and his unrelenting energy when driving the ball forward has been a rare bright spot. He has shown a remarkable ability to shield the ball and ride challenges despite his smaller stature. His South American creativity is apparent, which is a breath of fresh air after the stale and lifeless attack we were subjected to for all of 2025. 

If the players around him can start clinical finishing, Pity’s assist numbers are going to skyrocket. I predicted Leo Afonso would be our best signing of the offseason but Pity has the early lead in that race. 

Kevin Vang 

The local kid from Cranston finally got his moment in the sun, and he did not miss. While he has yet to break into a league match, Vang put in a legitimately fantastic shift in the U.S. Open Cup win over CD Faialense. In that match, he registered his first professional assist with a perfectly weighted ball to Dani Rovira and led the team with 15 passes into the final third that evening. 

I watched that match from section 116 and quipped (obviously hyperbolicly) that he looked like prime Andrea Pirlo with the way he was distributing the ball all over the pitch. That Defiance 1636 Man of the Match-winning performance went on to earn him bench spots on the gameday roster for the next couple league matches, and his precision and vision suggested he might be one of our most progressive midfielders, leading me to wonder if it is time he gets a real look in league play.

In fact, I had been planning all week to suggest in this blog that I want to see Vang get more playing time in league matches. I legitimately think he’s earned that right. But of course, my Double Pivot co-host beat me to it today by suggesting the same on his latest Player Ratings blog. Cucked once again…. 🪑

Falling Tide 📉

Some promising performances from the players above, but not everyone enjoyed a solid month on the pitch. Here are the players who have underperformed relative to expectations.

Hugo Bacharach 

It is painful to see a fan favorite struggle, but Hugo Bacharach does not look right. Whether it is a lingering injury or a lack of match fitness (perhaps the result of a preseason knock), Hugo has been a step slow all month. He led the team in being dispossessed, getting caught on the ball far too often. For a man that seemingly blew past defenders with ease last year, he just doesnt seem to have the same juice right now. 

His decision-making has also been uncharacteristically poor, and his red card in Miami was an avoidable error that cost the team a chance at a comeback. We need the dominant 2025 version of Hugo back, but right now, he looks like a player struggling to find his rhythm. I must say that he did look quite a bit better last night against Hartford so hopefully the Hugo we know is on his way back.

I must confess that I fear I may be cursing players with my kit customization decisions. Last year I got my Wave Kit customized  with my favorite player, Clay Holstad. I’ll give myself a pass on that one, though, because things were already off the rails with Clay at RWB by the time I got that kit. But this offseason both my son and I got our Surge Kits customized with my next favorite player, Hugo Bacharach. I really need Hugo to pick it up so I can shake off any notion of a self-induced curse.

And if it is my fault, I’m sorry Hugo. Maybe Ryan has some ideas to lift any curses surrounding this team though….

Nick Scardina 

Billed as the most important signing of the offseason to fix our right flank, Nick Scardina’s start to life in the Ocean State has been underwhelming. Matt Hands’ choice for top offseason signing, Scardina’s performances have been pedestrian at best. He hasn’t provided the defensive stability we expect and need in that position, nor has he provided enough of an offensive spark to make up for the defensive shortcomings. He has struggled in the early going to beat his man and provide consistent service to JJ Williams that this system requires to function well. And he’s also looked slower than I would have expected.  

All that said, much like Hugo, Scardina looked better last night against Hartford, at least defensively. I’ll be watching closely to see how his role evolves over the course of the season. But his most important trait right now is that he’s keeping Clay in the midfield, which pays for his salary in spades.

Noah Fuson 

The most concerning storyline of the month is the apparent regression of Noah Fuson. After a disappointing 2025, many hoped a fresh start in 2026 would see him return to his Golden Playmaker form, but he failed to start a single league match in March, and was even dropped from the squad entirely for the Louisville match, which many speculate was a message from Khano regarding a lack of professionalism in the Open Cup match against CD Faialense. When he has been on the field, he has been a non-factor and has lacked the spark that we know he can provide when he is at his best.

Fuson did start and play a full 90 minutes last night against Hartford, and the performance was decent but certainly not inspiring. He’s always run hot and cold, but at this stage it’s starting to feel there is more “cold” than “hot” in him. I hope I am wrong because peak Noah is a huge boost for this team. Here’s to hoping he picks things up soon.

The Horizon Ahead

March left us with more questions than answers. While the offense has shown signs of life, the finishing quality still isn’t there and the defensive identity of this club is under significant pressure. We are already 11 points off first place, sitting near the bottom of the table once again, and the upcoming schedule is not getting any easier. That said, the month of April started on a high note with a surprisingly comfortable 2-0 Open Cup win over Hartford that took a weight off their shoulders, even if it came against a rotated side. That result, combined with the return of Hamady Diop to the back line and general signs of improvement in the attack, offers at least a glimmer of hope. The focus now has to be on finding consistency in roles and performances, along with sharper intensity and focus defensively. The talent is there, but the points need to start following the performances before this season gets away from us. Another regular season like 2025 is not something any of us want to relive.

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Follow along with Tide Talk all season as we have you covered from all angles. And I just realized I forgot to link to Matt Hands’ blogs so here is his latest Riptide Report. Give that a click and maybe even a read.

Up The Tide!

Photos by: Edwin Diaz (@edotphotograph)