It’s a quick turnaround for Rhode Island FC as they’re set to take on the New England Revolution on Tuesday night in the US Open Cup Round of 32.  It will be the second meeting between the two teams after New England won 2-1 at Tidewater last year in the same competition.  RIFC got here by beating CD Faialense 4-0 and Hartford Athletic 2-0 in the previous two rounds.  The Revolution got here by being bad enough in 2025 that they aren’t exempt from a competition that MLS Commissioner Don Garber would rather pull out of entirely, soccer in this country be damned.

I wrote in my blog about the draw that I had mixed feelings about drawing the Revs again.  But now that we’re almost here, I can’t wait.  Between the connections RIFC have to the Revs (Khano, Amos, Zach etc) and the general dislike among the fanbases, this will be a memorable occasion.  You also have to factor in that bizarrely the Revs are officially the “home team” despite the game being played at Tidewater.  Further proof that preparing a stadium for the World Cup is more important to their ownership than the actual team that plays at Gillette.

Anyways, that’s enough chatter.  Here’s what to watch for on Tuesday:

Last Time Out

RIFC are coming off a great 3-1 win in Lexington on Saturday night.  They took a 2-0 lead into halftime behind goals from Aldair Sanchez and Jojea Kwizera.  Leo Afonso put the game away with around 25 minutes to go and despite Lexington getting one back in the 84th, it was too little too late. 

I think there’s a lot RIFC can take from Saturday’s win as they head into Tuesday night.  Lexington controlled possession, finishing with 66%.  They also put a lot of pressure on RIFC’s back line, especially in the second half.  RIFC dealt with this really well and I can see Tuesday’s game taking a similar shape, albeit with a much better opponent in the Revs

Players to Watch

• Koke Vegas (GK)
  • Koke has had a great start to the season and was at his best on Saturday in Lexington.  He’ll need to keep that form going into Tuesday night if RIFC want to have a chance of advancing past the Revs
• Aldair Sanchez (LB)
  • Aldair is playing his best soccer in an RIFC shirt.  He’s scored in two of his last three matches and has a goal and an assist in two Open Cup games this year.  Like Koke, RIFC will need his form to carry over into Tuesday
• Noah Fuson (MF)
  • Noah hasn’t started in the league yet this season but started both Open Cup games.  I’d expect him to start again on Tuesday and he could play a big role.  Noah has been at his best for RIFC when they’re playing in transition.  It’s what helped him to become the league’s Golden Playmaker in 2024.  This game could provide Noah with those opportunities on the counter and if he gets it right, RIFC have a chance of moving on to the Round of 16

Key to the Game

Get Your Quick Transitions

As I’ve already stated, this projects to be a game where RIFC can look to hit their opponents on the counter.  Over the last couple years, they’ve shown they can do well in those types of games.  I think RIFC’s success in this one will be dependent on their ability to be decisive after winning the ball back.  There’s enough talent in the squad to cause the Revs defense some issues

Last Time Out

The Revs come into this one having beaten DC United at home 1-0 on Saturday.  The win brought them up to 9 points this season with 3 wins and 3 losses so far.  As for what we can take away from this game heading into Tuesday….it’s absolutely nothing.

The Revs have another game on Saturday and will likely rotate the entire squad for this one.  It should be a combination of backup/veteran MLS players and MLS Next Pro players.  Speaking of Next Pro, Revs II had a game on Sunday which provided some hints as to who might play on Tuesday.  So I’ll do my best in this next part.

Players to Watch

• Donovan Parisian (GK)
  • Parisian was drafted by the Revs in the first round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft.  He’s yet to make an appearance for the first team but has 18 for Revs II.  He is the most likely goalkeeper to start for the Revs in this one as I would be stunned if we see USMNT goalkeeper Matt Turner
• Andrew Farrell (DF)
  • Farrell is a Revs legend who has 345 MLS appearances for the team.  He has rarely played since last season though.  Farrell had 5 appearances in 2025 (3 league, 2 open cup) and has 1 appearance so far in 2026.  It wouldn’t surprise me to see him leading the back line on Tuesday night, as he did last year when these two teams played
• Eric Klein (MF)
  • Klein is a 19 year old Revs academy product who signed his first professional contract as a homegrown player in May 2025.  He was absent from the Revs II team on Sunday and was on the bench for the Revs on Saturday, coming on in stoppage time.  All indications are that he’ll get significant minutes on Tuesday, possibly a start. 

Key to the Game

Calm Under Pressure

Here, I’m not talking about the pressure of the occasion.  I don’t think the Revs, or any MLS team really, care about the competition all that much.  What I’m actually referring to is being calm when RIFC press.  With some young players likely to be out there, especially in midfield, it’s going to be something to watch.  If the Revs can avoid bad turnovers, they should have a great shot of advancing to the next round.

Analysis and Prediction

Let’s be honest here: none of us know for sure who exactly the Revs are going to put out there or how seriously they’re going to take this game.  That, combined with the good vibes after RIFC’s win in Lexington, give me some hope for a cupset.  I think RIFC’s press could give the Revs some issues and help create chances.  They’ll almost certainly need to bear down and do some last ditch defending, but I’m backing RIFC to get this one over the line.

Final Thoughts

Regardless of the result, this will be a great occasion.  The word on the street is that the Revs will be bringing a decent number of fans who will have their own supporter’s section opposite 116.  It’ll make for a great atmosphere and I’m happy for them that they get to try out being an actual SG in a real soccer stadium for once.  It’s something we should never take for granted.

I’ll be back here after the game with The Riptide Report where I’ll give my immediate thoughts on the game, atmosphere, and anything else that comes to mind.  Until then, UP THE TIDE!