​PAWTUCKET, R.I. — Rhode Island FC is settling back into its routine after a three-week World Cup break, using the start of the summer stretch to reestablish momentum. Saturday night’s USL Cup group-stage clash with Brooklyn FC marked another step in the club’s return to normalcy as it continues its push toward the postseason. The July 11 match at Centreville Bank Stadium ended in a 1-1 draw, with Rhode Island ultimately advancing 4-3 in penalties, a result that mattered more for the mood around the team and the trajectory of the league slate than for advancing in the group.
Rhode Island, buoyed by Koke Vegas’s successful penalty, had been a long shot to move on from the group after a previous loss to Portland Hearts of Pine, but the real objective remains clear: reach the USL Championship playoffs and host a playoff match in Pawtucket. “I’ve personally challenged him this week to raise his level,” manager Khano Smith said of Vegas. “When we’re at our best, he needs to be at his best, and that was him tonight. But at that moment, you want your leaders to step up, push the team forward, and drive the team forward, and I thought he did that tonight.”
Vegas, making his first professional penalty kick, sent Brooklyn FC’s Lukas Burns the wrong way and finished confidently to the opposite side, sealing the shootout win. He also denied Rocco Romeo in the penalty shootout, helping Rhode Island to a 2-1 edge after Amos Shapiro-Thompson buried the subsequent attempt. “With the penalty shootout, I knew we didn’t have a chance to go to the next round, but it was very important for me,” Vegas said. “To send everybody home happy, and we did it. I know my celebration doesn’t go anywhere, but I think it was a good moment of connection between me and the fans in the stadium.”
Even if the match didn’t carry the usual weight of a knockout-round scenario, intensity remained high in the second half, with nine bookings issued. Grant Stoneman was sent off in the 90th minute for violent conduct, and Frank Nodarse picked up two yellows in the 50th. Both managers were also cautioned, adding fuel to the competitive fire. “I thought the officiating today was top class,” Smith quipped. “To play with 10 men and still come away with the result, I’m happy we could send everybody home happy with a shootout win.”
Rhode Island grabbed the lead in the 19th minute when Agustín Rodríguez finished from close range after Jojea Kwizera delivered a precise ball from the right wing into the box. The visitors answered just before the end of the first half, with Juan Obregón’s set-piece screamer finding the top right corner four minutes into stoppage time. “I thought up until that moment, I don’t think they had much,” Smith said. “All they had was set pieces, and we want to be aggressive, but we must avoid giving away unnecessary fouls. They want to be aggressive and are trying to follow our plan, but we have to stay calm and composed in those moments.”
Rhode Island now shifts focus to the rest of the league schedule as it continues its quest for a playoff spot. The emphasis remains on consistency, discipline, and leadership on the field, with the goal of securing home-field advantage for at least one postseason match in Pawtucket. The club’s performance in the upcoming matches will determine whether the current momentum translates into a deeper run in the USL Championship playoffs.