Rhode Island FC may have only started in the USL Championship last year, but Louisville City FC has gotten acquainted with the club quite quickly — and painfully so.
Saturday sees LouCity (15-1-6, 51 points) visit the club that memorably downed it twice at Lynn Family Stadium in 2024, capped by that unforgettable playoff defeat on Nov. 9.
Even though Louisville did break through with its first win over Rhode Island back on June 11 — a 2-1 win — playoff-type energy is expected under the lights Saturday with this kind of recent history.
The clash is the second of three straight road matches for City, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. at the new Centreville Bank Stadium in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
The boys in purple are full of confidence heading into Saturday, having secured playoff soccer for the 11th straight season with eight games remaining after a come-from-behind 3-1 victory last week in Indianapolis against rival Indy Eleven.
It was as clinical an effort as one can produce. The visitors found the net on three of four total shots on target. That’s the second time it’s happened this year, with the first being at Loudoun United on June 25.
From here, the club will seek to defend the Players’ Shield it won for the first time in 2024, which comes with home-field advantage throughout the entire postseason — a win would clinch at least one playoff game at Lynn Family Stadium.
City got an unexpected assist last week on that mission when this week’s opponent — RIFC — knocked off second-place Charleston Battery, 1-0. Khano Smith’s team held one of the league’s most potent attacks to a season-low five shots en route to a key home win.
As a result, Louisville’s lead at the top of the Eastern Conference and the league is now four points.
The reigning Eastern Conference champion, Rhode Island (6-10-6, 24 points) still sits on the outside looking in at the playoff picture in ninth place. A win could move Rhode Island into eighth — the final postseason spot — if things go its way between Charleston and Indy.
In its second-ever season, the Ocean State club’s calling card has been its stout defense. RIFC is tied for second in clean sheets (8) and tied for fourth in goals allowed (23). It’s also worth noting that no team in league play has scored in Pawtucket since July 5.
Follow Along
• The contest will air live locally on MyTV 58 and ESPN Louisville’s AM 680/FM 105.7.
• If streaming, download the free WDRB+ app to watch the local feed in Louisville or ESPN+ for national coverage.
• For starting XI and in-game updates, follow @loucityfc on Twitter. Also, find the club at louisvillecityfc on Instagram and Louisville City FC on Facebook.
Story Lines…
The kid just keeps doing it: LouCity’s 22-year-old rookie defender Josh Jones is making headlines weekly at this point. Nothing he does looks like this is his first rodeo in the USL Championship. Jones has taken to the pro game brilliantly, earning spots on the league’s Team of the Week twice, including last week. The UofL product won a team-high 14 of his 18 duels in the win at Indy, all while two of his throw-ins kickstarted two of City’s three goals.
Besting itself: With 51 points through 22 matches, Louisville continues to outpace its record-breaking 2024 season. The boys in purple have tallied 2.32 points per game in 2025, slightly better than last year’s 2.24. This has come through an improved defense that’s conceding just 0.82 goals per match — second best in the league behind Sacramento Republic FC.
A special Day(es): Amid the vital road result last week, an important milestone was achieved by a young LouCity talent. Academy player Brandon Dayes received his first USL Championship regular-season starting nod at right wingback. Dayes, 16, played the first 45 minutes before Amadou Dia took his place. He managed to finish tied for the team lead in possessions won (3). Earlier this season, Dayes became the second-youngest Louisville player to appear in a USL game on June 29 — a USL Jägermeister Cup win against North Carolina FC.
Lambert gets the call: For being such a force in the City midfield as of late, Kevon Lambert received an international call-up earlier this week from Jamaica for two upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The defensive-minded midfielder, who is on loan from Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake, has 28 senior caps to his name for the Reggae Boyz. That being said, Lambert’s duties on the international level mean he will miss Saturday’s match.
Getting into the action: Aiden McFadden is beginning to find his footing as a contributor within the LouCity attack in 2025. McFadden amassed three goal involvements across his first 17 games of the season. In his last five, the wingback has four tallies, including a sublime finish to open Louisville’s account last week. The former Atlanta United player now needs only two goal contributions to draw even with his 2024 total.
Straight business: While its lone league defeat did come on the road, no side has been more dominant away from home this year than LouCity. The club’s 24 road points are four more than any other team in the Championship. In its last four away from Lynn Family Stadium, Louisville has outscored its opponents 12-4, which includes two four-goal outbursts at Loudoun United and Miami FC.
