Rhode Island FC secured 3 points tonight with a commanding 4-1 victory over Brooklyn FC. A brace each for Jojea Kwizera and JJ Williams was the difference. I’m going to change things up a bit with the blog tonight, taking some inspiration from Timmy’s last player ratings. I’m going to give more than 3 takeaways but they’ll be more stray observations and shorter (no promises). So with that said, let’s jump right into it:
Midfield Balance
Khano elected to once again change the midfield trio and their positioning. I wrote about this a couple blogs ago and I’d love to know what the thought process is. At the beginning of the season, the midfield three would consist of a double pivot with a number ten in front. That means two midfielders next to each other in front of the back line (typically Clay and Hugo) and a more attacking player in front of them (typically Pity).
Tonight Khano changed it up, something he’s started doing in recent weeks. It was a more fluid three but generally it was one midfielder right in front of the back line (Hugo) and a player either side of him and slightly further forward (Clay and Amos). I thought it worked pretty well, with Amos and Clay providing good energy and getting into positions to win JJ’s knockdowns when we went long.
Switching the Wings
For the past several games with Leo and Jojea starting on the wings, Khano has had them switch sides late in the first half. Jojea starts on the right and Leo on the left and they flip usually around 35 minutes in. Like clockwork, the pair switched wings but unlike previous times, it actually made an immediate impact:
Just as the words “Leo would’ve scored that if they hadn’t switched” were traveling from my brain to my lips, Jojea took the shot and buried it. Love seeing Jojea at his best.
Action Jackson
Very corny heading from me there. Hope you’ll forgive me. But I had to talk about Tide Talk favorite Jackson Lee. I thought Jackson was great tonight. Which sounds weird when he conceded four goals. But he made some great saves in the first half that I thought were going to be the major story tonight. Unfortunately for him, RIFC recorded 18 shots with 9 on target. And the ones that went in I don’t think he could do much about.
Center Backs
I called out both Karifa Yao and Hamady Diop in recent blogs because I thought they weren’t playing at their best. I thought tonight they were both solid and getting back to the standard I would expect from them. Kudos to the guys for obviously reading the blog and making corrections.
Goals Galore
Can we just take a moment to appreciate these second half goals?
First off, what a curler from Jojea. We know that’s in his locker and he showed it against Louisville already this season. Despite his goal from the other side in the first half, it’s clear his best position is on the right wing.
And then, what about JJ. Best form of his RIFC career. He’s been able to stay healthy (knock on wood right now, all of you) and he’s been a beast in the box.
Consistency?
This was a great get right game for RIFC. Brooklyn have struggled here in their inaugural season and this was a great opportunity to get three points. I’m glad RIFC took advantage. The next step is to try to get some consistency in their performances through the summer and into the fall. It’s the mark of a great team and RIFC under Khano Smith have not been that yet. We’ve seen awesome stretches and glimpses of what the team is capable of. Now they need to do it week in and week out.
Final Thoughts
What a great night at Tidewater that was. An RIFC win and the inevitable Tidewater rain holding off until just before the final whistle. I’ll take it.
I also have to pat myself on the back a bit here because I predicted a bounce back and a 3-0 win for RIFC. It wasn’t exactly right, but I’d say it was pretty close. I have to celebrate the wins because I rarely get things right.
I’ll be back here on Friday to preview RIFC’s upcoming game at Indy Eleven. But before that, be sure to check out Timmy’s player ratings which will be out soon and the postmatch pod where we get to celebrate a good win. Completely opposite of last week. As always, we all appreciate everyone who tunes in or reads our blogs. So thank you all for sticking with us. All that’s left to say now is UP THE TIDE!
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