Newcomer lifts RIFC over Colorado Springs in 2024 title rematch
· Yahoo Sports
PAWTUCKET — Yutaro Tsukada provided the heroics in his first game in Pawtucket.
Rhode Island FC’s latest addition scored in the 70th minute in his debut match at Centreville Bank Stadium. Koke Vegas stalled Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC giving the Japanese striker his opportunity in a rematch of the 2024 championship.
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Leo Afonso sent possession out wide to Agustin Rodríguez before the midfielder drove a dangerous cross into the box. Tsukada’s first attempt was redirected back onto his foot and he buried the rebound goal in front of 9,502 on a humid night in Pawtucket. JJ Williams added an insurance score, his 11th across all competitions, tying his career-best single-season tally for Rhode Island in a 2-0 finish on Aug. 8.
“I think the level is high,” Tsukada said of the USL. “The intensity is high — this is the second division in the US, so it has to be high. The team also has so many good players from the backline to the attack. I'm enjoying this high level of competition.”
Tsukada was added on loan from Orlando City SC on July 30 and played in 20 minutes of Rhode Island’s loss to Birmingham Legion FC last week. He played his college soccer at West Virginia before being selected in the 2024 first-round MLS SuperDraft. Tsukada, who tore his ACL in 2025, played in five games with Orlando’s senior team between 2024 and 2026.
Tsukada hadn’t played in a match since April 26 with Orlando City B before last week’s match.
“Not difficult when he's good. It's not difficult, it's easy,” Smith said of integrating Tsukada. “Good players, they figure it out. He fits into the locker room well.
“I think his skill set is a dying art. Players that just love taking people on 1-on-1, we didn't have that profile of player. I love having those options, but he's a lovely kid. Just works hard, shows up, does his work, so when he became available, there was no way I was going to let him go somewhere else.”
Vegas handled the first-half highlight with two right-handed saves in the 30th minute. Colorado’s Aidan Rocha started the sequence with a blistering shot from the right wing to the far post. The rebound went out to Jonas Fjeldberg, just outside the 6-yard box, but Vegas pushed away the attempt to keep RIFC level.
Rhode Island was under constant pressure in the first half and it amassed five yellow cards in just 52 minutes. Vegas stymied Fjeldberg again in the 50th minute to give Rhode Island another edge before Tsukada struck.
“I think that's a very good team,” Smith said. I think, along with Charleston, probably the best team we played all year in terms of how hard they were to get off the ball. They made us work really, really hard. For once this season, we were fortunate and got some luck. How many times have we been home, had so many chances, so certainly got lucky in moments. But you make your own luck.”
Williams missed an open header in the 36th minute and had a set-piece goal waived off four minutes later after a poor foul call by the referee before the shot. It had the makings of a tough night, Colorado finished with nearly 60% of the possession, but Rhode Island escaped with three points.
The Ocean State club can climb to as high as fourth with a win, and some help, against Tampa Bay next weekend.
“The hard part is just staying consistent every week no matter who we are playing,” Williams said. “If we can focus on ourselves throughout the week and then start every game that way, going into halftime well, then it should be a cake walk for us. But that’s just something that we have to continue to work on.”
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Newcomer lifts RIFC over Colorado Springs in 2024 title rematch