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in a professional soccer league game in 1901, and Oliver was the first African American to score in a senior league match in 1894.
The tradition hasn’ t faded. Today, Rhode Island FC carries the torch as a professional team in the USL Championship. In 2026, RIFC striker JJ Williams delivered a dramatic goal in the 11th minute of stoppage time to tie the New England Revolution from Major League Soccer( MLS) during the round of 32 of the US Open Cup. Although the team ultimately lost in a penalty shootout, the level of excitement at Centreville Bank Stadium during that match was a moment that won ' t soon be forgotten by RIFC fans.
A quick look at some other key Open Cup moments in Rhode Island:
• 1914: The first-ever U. S. Open Cup Final is held at Coats Field in Pawtucket, with Brooklyn Field Club defeating Brooklyn Celtic.
• 1916: Bethlehem Steel edges out the Fall River Rovers in Pawtucket amid a controversial penalty.
• 1917: Fall River Rovers get their revenge, beating Bethlehem Steel in Pawtucket.
• 1941: Pawtucket Rangers win their first Open Cup, defeating Detroit Chrysler FC in a two-game final split( 8:5).
• 2025: Rhode Island FC hosts the New England Revolution in the Open Cup, scoring their first-ever goal against an MLS team but falling 2-1.
New history will be made in Rhode Island this summer as the Boston Legacy Football Club plays seven games at Centreville Bank Stadium during its inaugural season in the National Women ' s Soccer League( NWSL).
From its earliest days to the present, soccer in Rhode Island has always thrived on the energy of its communities— immigrants, pioneers and passionate fans— making the state a true cradle of the American game.
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