Pre-Match Essentials | Prinx Tires USL Cup | Rhode Island FC @ Hartford Athletic | Sat Apr 25, 2026 | 1 PM ET

Patrick McKenna
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r/RhodeIslandFC - Pre-Match Essentials | Prinx Tires USL Cup | Rhode Island FC @ Hartford Athletic | Sat Apr 25, 2026 | 1 PM ET

Cup Run Starts in Connecticut

Well, that was fun. After weeks of “it feels close” and “the pieces are starting to come together,” Rhode Island FC finally gave us the full release. A 4-0 win over Charleston, four second-half goals, JJ Williams picking up a brace and hitting 50 career regular-season goals, Jojea Kwizera and Dwayne Atkinson scoring again, and Koke casually picking up the first assist of his professional career. Just a Wicked Good Weeknight in Pawtucket.

Now the Tide roll into Hartford for the opening match of this year’s rebranded USL Cup, now officially the Prinx Tires USL Cup after last year’s Jägermeister Cup run. New name, same chaos. And fittingly, it starts with Hartford. Our regional rival, the defending USL Cup champs, and a team RIFC already knocked off once this month, which we’re absolutely going to keep bringing up.

Where We Stand

Six matches into the USL Championship season, the Tide sit 9th in the East with eight points from a 2W-2D-2L start. That record doesn’t quite capture how bumpy the opening stretch felt, but the momentum is real now. Back-to-back league wins. Seven goals in the last two Championship matches. Three clean sheets in the last five across all competitions. That is not nothing.

And more importantly, the attack finally looks alive. JJ is back on the scoresheet. Jojea is cooking. Pity is pulling strings. Atkinson keeps finding goals almost immediately after stepping on the field. The defense has quietly settled in too, even when teams are getting chances. This feels less like a team searching for itself and more like one that is starting to remember exactly who it is.

Who We’re Facing

Hartford come in 4th in the East with 10 points from a 2W-4D-1L record. They started the year hot, unbeaten through their first five matches across all competitions, but that unbeaten run ended on April 1 (4.01) when RIFC beat them 2-0 in Pawtucket in the U.S. Open Cup.

Since then, things have gone cold. Hartford are winless and, more notably, scoreless in their last three, including a 4-0 home loss to El Paso and back-to-back 0-0 draws against Miami and Loudoun. Four straight games without a goal is… not ideal, especially for a team that had people talking early.

That said, they are still the defending USL Cup champions, and this competition clearly means something to them. Last year, they slipped past Rhode Island on penalties in the group stage, grabbed the wild card spot, and rode it all the way to the club’s first trophy. Credit where it’s due.

But right now, they’re searching a bit. And they get their closest rival, a team that already handled them once this month, walking into their building to kick off the defense of that title. Not exactly the reset you’d draw up. So yeah, expect some bite?

Rhody Randoms

  • This is Rhode Island FC’s first match in the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup.
  • Last year, RIFC topped its USL Cup group and reached the semifinals before falling to Sacramento on penalties.
  • Hartford are the defending USL Cup champions after beating Sacramento 1-0 in last year’s final.
  • RIFC beat Hartford 2-0 on April 1 in the U.S. Open Cup at Centreville Bank Stadium.
  • Hartford have not scored since March 28 in a 2-2 draw to the Indy Eleven.
  • The all-time series now leans RIFC, with Rhode Island holding a 2W-3D-1L record against Hartford.
  • Koke Vegas picked up the first assist of his professional career against Charleston. Goalkeepers getting assists will never not be funny.

Vibe Check

Road tripping for a derby cup match, taking on the defending champs, on national TV. Yeah, this one has some juice.

The league table still matters most, obviously, but these cup games have a funny way of becoming memorable. Last year’s run gave us DRAMA, penalties, weird lineups, wild swings, and a semifinal. This year starts in Hartford, against a team that would absolutely love to remind everyone they are still the cup holders.

So what are we thinking? Heavy rotation or keep riding the hot hand? Does JJ start again? Does Atkinson finally get rewarded? Can the Tide get their first win in Connecticut?

Drop your predictions below. Let’s ride the Tide of momentum, make it annoying in Hartford, and start this cup run the right way.

#UpTheTide #VamosRhodeIsland #HFDvRI

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For the Fans, By the Fans: Tide Talk RI is a collaborative media partnership for Rhode Island FC fans. It features a team of dedicated content creators producing podcasts, live streams, videos, written articles, blog posts, and open forum discussions with other fans. Ride the tide at www.TideTalkRI.com

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