In front of a sellout crowd of 10,554 fans at Centreville Bank Stadium, Khano Smith's Rhode Island FC picked up its first win of the 2026 Prinx Tires USL Cup on Saturday with a commanding 3-0 win vs. USL League One club Westchester SC. Clay Holstad, JJ Williams and Leo Afonso all found the back of the net in a dominant attacking display, shooting the Ocean State club back into second place in Group 5 and keeping it in knockout stage contention with one group stage game to play.
Rhode Island FC (1W-1L-1T) got off to a quick start, testing the goal just two minutes into the game when a loose ball fell to Frank Nodarse in the box, who launched a close-range shot that was deflected over the bar by a defender. On the ensuing corner, Westchester SC (0W-2L-1T) defender Sam Powder came to the rescue for the visitors, clearing Hugo Bacharach’s close-range header off the goal line to keep the game level.
The Ocean State club continued to lay on the pressure as the half wore on, nearly finding the opening goal in the 35th minute when Noah Fuson got on the end of a long ball and unleashed a long-range curling shot that rattled the crossbar from outside the box.
Seven minutes later, the breakthrough finally came for RIFC when Holstad pounced on an attempted clearance in the 41st minute, forcing a dangerous turnover in the final third. Holstad took a touch towards goal and quickly fired a low shot into the bottom-left corner from outside the box, beating the outstretched gloves of Westchester goalkeeper Luca Marinelli to make it 1-0 just before the half.
Three minutes later, Williams delivered a dagger from close range to give the hosts a 2-0 cushion at the break. It started when Nodarse nodded Holstad’s long throw into the air, which fell straight in front of the goalmouth. Williams rose and was first to the ball, nodding it up and over Marinelli’s reach to give Rhode Island FC a commanding 2-0 lead at the half.
Westchester’s opportunities on the attack were few and far between, but it came closest to pulling a goal back in the 74th minute when Daniel Burko got on the end of a cross in the box and drove a header towards goal. RIFC goalkeeper Koke Vegas stood strong to make his first save and preserve the clean sheet, scooping up Westchester’s only shot on target of the game.
In the 75th minute, RIFC put the game to bed when Aldair Sanchez tore down the left side, chasing a long ball and whipping in a cross at the goal line. 16 minutes after coming off the bench, Afonso made a run into the box, neatly tucking a header into the bottom-right corner to finish off a dominant 3-0 win.
At the end of Saturday’s slate of games, the victory lifted RIFC back into second place in Group 5, two points behind group leaders Hartford Athletic. RIFC will play its final group stage game on July 11 vs. Brooklyn FC.
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