Rhode Island FC are back out on the road after spending this past weekend at home at Tidewater.  They’re heading to the Hoosier state to take on Indy Eleven Saturday night.  It’ll be the sixth meeting between the two sides all-time.  It’s been an even matchup with each side winning twice to go along with one draw.  So how will this one go?  Here’s what to know about both teams as we head into this one.

Last Time Out

RIFC come into this one having crushed Brooklyn FC 4-1 last Saturday.  A brace each for Jojea Kwizera and JJ Williams was the difference. My main takeaway is how big of a response the team had after a disappointing performance and result in Portland the week before.  While I predicted this kind of response in the last Prematch Lookout, it’s great to actually see it happen.  Now the team needs to try to find some consistency.

Players to Watch

• Aldair Sanchez (DF)
  • I don’t think I’ve highlighted Aldair yet at all this season.  He’s been going under the radar.  At least mine.  But Aldair has been so reliable.  And he’s had to be with no natural LB to cover for him
• Amos Shapiro-Thompson (MF)
  • Amos was part of a poor double pivot with Zach Herivaux two weeks ago but looked much better in a midfield three last time out.  The midfield is the area that always fascinates me and I’m curious to see if Khano sticks with what worked against Brooklyn.  If so, Amos will be a big part of that
• JJ Williams (FW)
  • I mean, I could just copy and paste JJ into every one of these.  He’s arguably the most important player on the team (Koke?) and has been a beast this year.  When he isn’t scoring goals (like the two last weekend), he’s winning his duels and helping the team keep possession.  JJ is also the only RIFC player to score in Indy, with his hat trick in the playoffs in 2024 carrying the team to victory

Key to the Game

Win with Possession

You might read that and wonder what I could possibly be talking about.  It’s been noted in recent Tide Talk podcasts that RIFC are at their best when they have less possession, win their duels, and play vertically.  So why on earth do they need to win with possession?

Well, Indy Eleven have the lowest average possession in the league at an astounding 38.1%.  It’s very likely that RIFC will have more of the ball in this one and they need to figure out how to win that way.  If you leave out the CD Faialense game in the open cup this year, RIFC haven’t won while having more possession since the playoff win over North Carolina FC last year. 

Last Time Out

Indy Eleven got all three points last time out against Lexington SC with a 3-1 victory.  The context here is that Indy played almost the entire game a man up.  Just three minutes in, Lexington’s Javain Brown got up after a pretty routine foul and took a swing at the player who fouled him.  Absolutely boneheaded move.

My big takeaway here is that while this was Indy Eleven’s fourth win of the season, three of them have come against the worst teams in the league.  They beat Detroit City FC back in March but since then, their wins have been against Monterey Bay, Sporting Jax, and now Lexington.  Monterey Bay and Lexington are the bottom two teams in the West and Sporting Jax is bottom in the East and the league overall. 

Players to Watch

• Eric Dick (GK)
  • Dick has been one of the best shot stoppers in the league over the past few years.  He moved to Indy this season after winning it all with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds last year.  I don’t think he’s having as good of a season so far this year as he has in the past two.  But he’s also playing behind a defense now that isn’t as good as what he had in Pittsburgh
• Aodhan Quinn (MF)
  • The 34 year old midfielder is a league legend having played in the USL since 2014.  Quinn is second all time in assists in the league with 63, just three behind former Riverhound Kenardo Forbes.  It’s likely he passes him this season with Quinn coming off a league leading 11 assist year in 2025. 
• Bruno Rendon (FW)
  • The Cuban winger is in his second year with Indy Eleven after having previously spent time in USL League One.  Rendon had 3 goals all of last season but already has 5 this year to go along with one assist

Key to the Game

Soak Up Pressure and Get Creators in Space

As I said earlier, Indy Eleven have the lowest average possession in the league.  And they like it that way.  They’re best when letting the other team have more of the ball and relying on great shot stopping from Eric Dick.  They should have every opportunity to play that kind of game on Saturday. 

Along with just playing defensively, Indy Eleven will need to get their creative players in space.  Aodhan Quinn is the main creator, but players like Jack Blake and Cam Lindley are also adept at setting up their teammates.  If any of them get into dangerous areas, Indy can hurt their opposition.

Final Prediction

I decided to ditch the “analysis” part of this heading because honestly, I don’t have much to add to what I’ve already said.  RIFC will need to learn how to win with possession and Indy Eleven will look to have success on the counter.  It’s a type of game that doesn’t usually suit RIFC.  And given that they have been inconsistent this season, it’s anyone’s guess as to what team shows up in Indy.  But that being said, I do think this will be a close game.  The teams have played to three 1-0s, a 3-3 draw, and RIFC’s 3-2 playoff win.  They tend to play each other close.  So this is what I’m going with:

Final Thoughts

While I’d much rather be at Tidewater, I’m ok with watching the team from afar once in a while.  I’m looking forward to seeing how they play on the road and if they can take any momentum from the Brooklyn win.  For me, it’s all about finding consistency with this team.

I’ll be back right after the game with the Riptide Report.  And we’ll have player ratings and the postmatch pod on Sunday.  Until then, all that’s left to say is UP THE TIDE!