Rhode Island FC are set for (barring any changes) their final early kickoff at Tidewater on Saturday when they host Detroit City FC at 4pm.  Early indications are that we should have some decent weather, but me saying that here will probably jinx it.  It’s also Rhode Island so you can never predict the conditions.  Regardless, I’ll be there to support the boys.  Here’s what to watch out for.

Last Time Out

RIFC eliminated rivals Hartford Athletic in the second round of the US Open Cup on Wednesday night with a 2-0 victory.  It was RIFC’s first win over a professional team and Hartford’s first loss early on here in the year.  The biggest takeaway as we head into Saturday is that both goals were scored from corners.  It’s something the team has clearly been working on and it’s looking like some bounces are going their way this year.

In the league, RIFC had a poor performance in Miami last weekend and lost 2-1.  The big news coming out of that one is that Hugo Bacharach will be unavailable for Saturday after receiving a red card in the second half.  He looked very close to his normal self in midfield on Wednesday and will be a big miss this weekend, especially with the team’s lack of depth in that area of the field.

Players to Watch

• Hamady Diop (DF)
  • Diop returned to the squad against Miami last weekend and played 30 minutes off the bench.  He got another 45 in on Wednesday as he’s working himself back to full fitness.  Having a left-footed CB is so important and just gives you more options in playing out from the back.  Diop is great on the ball and a very good defender.  I’m excited to have him back and hopefully he gets more minutes on Saturday
• Clay Holstad (MF)
  • With Hugo out due to suspension and Amos Shapiro-Thompson and Zach Herivaux out due to injury, a LOT is going to fall on Clay’s shoulders.  It’s probably partly why Clay came off the bench and played only 32 minutes against Hartford.  It’s anyone’s guess as to who plays next to him, but mine is Grant Stoneman.  We saw him in midfield once last season when there were some injuries and even though I think it went poorly, it wouldn’t shock me to see him there Saturday.  We’ll have to wait and see what Khano cooks up
• Jojea Kwizera (MF/FW)
  • Jojea has been away on international duty with Rwanda and missed the last two games.  He looked dangerous playing on the right wing and cutting in on his left, just as he did in his last RIFC appearance in Louisville.  Jojea had a goal and an assist in his first match this international break against Grenada and played just over an hour on Tuesday against Estonia.  It’ll be interesting to see if he can take his strong national team form and carry it over to the club

Key to the Game

Manage the Midfield

As I already mentioned more than once: no Hugo for Saturday.  This is the biggest issue for the team to overcome and how Khano chooses to deal with it will play a major role in the result.  While my guess is that Grant Stoneman will play in midfield, there are a few other options.  Fan favorite Kevin Vang looked solid on Wednesday night.  Pity Rodriguez could be moved further back into a more deep-lying playmaker role.  Or, for my wild rogue shout, Frank Nodarse could play the Hugo role.  I think Khano wants some size in midfield next to Clay.  Not that Clay is small by any means, but a stronger defensive player next to the engine that is Clay Holstad makes a lot of sense to me. 

Last Time Out

Detroit City are also coming off a win in the open cup.  Theirs was a 1-0 against USL League Two side Flint City Bucks.  As is typically the case in games like this, there’s not much you can garner from it.  It’s a different story however with their last league game.

Detroit handed Charleston Battery their first loss of the season with a 1-0 win last weekend.  It was a great result but the good feelings for Detroit were completely diminished by an injury to former RIFC player Maxi Rodriguez.  Maxi went down around 38 minutes in while pressing an opposition player.  It looked like a non-contact injury and he immediately called for a substitution.  He was down for a few minutes before walking off.  While it’s good that he was able to walk off the field, I’m going to safely assume he’ll be out a while and certainly miss the game this weekend.

Players to Watch

• Devon Amoo-Mensah (DF)
  • Amoo-Mensah has been with Detroit since 2022 and has played over 100 games for the club.  He was named captain ahead of this season after the retirement of club legend Stephen Carroll.  His leadership at the back is vital for one of the better defenses in the league early on this season
• Kobe Hernandez-Foster (MF)
  • The 23 year old midfielder arrived in Detroit last August after playing with Birmingham Legion.  So far this year, he’s his team’s second highest rated player on Fotmob and is first in chances created with 9.  Hernandez-Foster typically plays in a double pivot next to a more defensive midfielder and likes to progress the ball into the attacking third.  He’ll be very important for Detroit this year and even more so with Maxi out
• Darren Smith (FW)
  • Smith is Detroit’s top rated player on Fotmob.  More importantly, he’s the league’s top goal scorer with 4 so far this season.  Smith had a solid 10 goals and 3 assists last year in his first season in the league and has stepped it up in year 2.  Detroit will go as far as his shooting boots will take them

Key to the Game

Win the Midfield Battle

This mirrors RIFC’s key, as I’ve found I’m apt to do in these blogs.  But it just is what it is.  I think Detroit could be strong in midfield on Saturday with Kobe Hernandez-Foster pulling the strings and Hugo Bacharach out for RIFC.  If Detroit can win that battle, they can create good chances for Darren Smith and cause a lot of issues for an RIFC back line that may not be as shielded by the midfield.

Analysis and Prediction

This is a game I expect a lot of fans had circled on the schedule with Maxi Rodriguez returning after a disappointing season spent in Pawtucket.  But his likely absence has put a damper on the occasion.  Despite this, it should still be a very good game. 

I expect it to play out with RIFC having more of the ball and Detroit trying to press the back line.  Detroit don’t have amazing pressing numbers but they also aren’t very good on the ball.  They’re 20th in the league in accurate passes per match.  And while they’re 9th in average possession, that number is heavily skewed by their match against Indy Eleven where they had over 70% of the ball. 

With the uncertainty in RIFC’s midfield, I can see Detroit having some success with their press and that leading to a goal.  But on the other end of the field, I think RIFC will be strong in attack and do just enough to get a win.

Final Thoughts

I can’t wait to get to Tidewater on Saturday.  The win over Hartford completely reenergized me and I hope it does the same for the team.  I’ll be back here after the game with the Riptide Report, which I promise will not be as late as the last one.  Feel free to give me some flak if I don’t get it out in a timely manner.  Until then though, UP THE TIDE!