Match Preview – Republic FC at Rhode Island FC
Date: Wednesday, September 10 at 4:00pm PST
Competition: USL Jägermeister Cup | Semifinal
Venue: Centreville Bank Stadium (Pawtucket, Rhode Island)
Watch: FOX40+, ESPN+
Know Your Club – Republic FC
Sacramento wraps up its five-match road stretch with a high-stakes Semifinal showdown in Pawtucket. It’s the Indomitable Club’s second game of a demanding eight-day span, but Saturday’s hard-fought 2-0 win over Tampa Bay Rowdies showed they’re embracing the challenge. Rodrigo Lopez’s fourth goal of the season and Russell Cicerone’s stoppage-time dagger secured the club’s first-ever victory over the Rowdies in regular-season play.
“I think it was a very professional performance,” Cicerone said post-match. “We did what we needed to do in a tough place to play on the road. Getting the three points is massive for us.”
Now the focus shifts back to the USL Jägermeister Cup. Sacramento reached the Semifinals on the back of its calling card — defensive discipline. Goalkeeper Jared Mazzola added another standout performance in the Quarterfinals with a six-save shutout in regulation, then denied two attempts in the penalty shootout to push the club through. Across five Cup matches, Republic FC has conceded just one goal. Head Coach Neill Collins is embracing the moment:
“We want to put the club in big games. It’s as simple as that,” Collins said. “We’ve got a big game coming up, and we want to make sure that we’re in the last game in this tournament.”
Know Your Opponent – Rhode Island FC
Rhode Island FC has been a different team in Cup play compared to the league. Sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference and outside the playoff line, Khano Smith’s side has nonetheless been one of the competition’s most dangerous outfits. RIFC went unbeaten in group play, finishing 3-0-1 and leading the tournament in goals. Albert Dikwa’s three scores and Dwayne Atkinson’s Quarterfinal game-winner have highlighted a balanced attack.
They arrive in the Semifinals after a narrow 1-0 loss to Louisville City in league action over the weekend — the first home goal they’d conceded in more than a month. Four consecutive clean sheets at Centreville Bank Stadium show just how tough they’ve been to break down in Rhode Island.
Head-to-Head History
This is only the third all-time meeting between the two clubs and the second of 2025. Sacramento won the June 21 clash at Centreville Bank Stadium with two goals in eight minutes, sparking the seven-game unbeaten run that lifted the Indomitable Club into second place in the West.
USL Jägermeister Cup – Semifinals
The stakes couldn’t be higher: a place in the Jägermeister Cup Final awaits the winner, where Hartford Athletic or Greenville Triumph SC will be waiting. Sacramento’s path has been built on sharp defensive displays, while Rhode Island brings an unbeaten Cup record and home-field momentum. Expect a clash of styles — the Indomitable Club’s organized back line versus RIFC’s tournament-leading attack — with a ticket to the Final on the line.