(Editor’s note: This is the second installment in a weekly series spotlighting Rhode Island FC and Centreville Bank Stadium from a business perspective throughout the 2025 United Soccer League Championship season. To read last week’s story, click here.)
PAWTUCKET – Another opportunity for Rhode Island FC to grow the game of soccer locally will come early next month when Centreville Bank Stadium welcomes for the first time some international flavor.
An international friendly between Puerto Rico and Nicaragua will take place June 1 at 4 p.m. on the stadium’s artificial pitch. It marks the first time that two non-U.S.-based teams will play in the 10,500-seat venue.
International friendly matches are, by nature, an exhibition with no high stakes on the line. The matches, though, do help prepare the respective teams for any upcoming tournaments.
The Puerto Rico-Nicaragua game is another sporting event gracing Centreville Bank Stadium beyond just Rhode Island FC. The Boston Banshees, of Women’s Elite Rugby, played its second match at the local venue back on May 17 and will play once more in the city on May 31. Also, the stadium
will host the 2025 Major League Rugby Championship match on June 28.
The upcoming international contest between the two Latin countries at Centreville Bank Stadium will also further help grow the sport within the Ocean State, said Rhode Island FC President David Peart. The club similarly views the Puerto Rico-Nicaragua match as it did the U.S. Open Cup Round of 32 match that Rhode Island FC hosted on May 7
against Major League Soccer charter member New England Revolution.
“From our perspective, we think having this [Puerto Rico-Nicaragua match] is a real feather in our cap and all the credit goes to Paul who has been working to get this match in our building,” Peart told Providence Business News. “I think it’s delivering on the promise that we’re soccer and more. We want to promote the game and grow the game.”
Stadium General Manager Paul Byrne also told PBN he’s excited that both the club and venue will start to tap into the Latino market, hopefully drawing in a large crowd for the international friendly.
“What I’ve learned about the Puerto Ricans here in Rhode Island is there’s a pretty good demographic here near Pawtucket. My understanding is they will be coming out in droves and that would be terrific. Some Nicaraguans as well,” Byrne said. “We will not only be pulling from Rhode Island, but also we will be pulling from Massachusetts, Boston and Connecticut. Given the proximity of this building, this will be a premier event for us.”
Byrne also recently met with Central Falls Mayor Maria L. Rivera and spoke with here about how the club and stadium can become involved in the state’s high Latino populations and welcome them to upcoming soccer contests.
Currently, there are approximately
170 available ticket listings for the match according to Rhode Island FC’s ticket partner SeatGeek. Prices for the match range from $29 to $150 per ticket. Additionally, Rhode Island FC recently began offering
a two-for-one deal, offering fans tickets for both the international friendly and the club’s June 14 match against North Carolina FC starting at $39.20 per ticket.
In preparing for the June 1 match, making sure there isn’t a language barrier between stadium staff and fans is critical. Byrne said that when he and other stadium officials were reviewing criteria for staffing, it was “beneficial,” but not required, if employees were multilingual.
Byrne told PBN approximately 10% of the stadium's 400-person game-day workforce are Spanish-speaking, with such workers handling concessions, security, cleaning and guest services interfacing. And the need for such employees is ongoing, he said.
"We are always tapping into the local market to find those with multilingual skills," Byrne said.
Rhode Island FC has participated in some marketing pushes with Your ID Tickets – the match’s promoter – to spotlight the upcoming international friendly, including some
messages in Spanish for fans. One
Instagram video from Your ID’s account involves Rhode Island FC midfielder Isaac Angking, who last year played for Puerto Rico in the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football World Cup Qualifier, calling for fans to come to the match.
Byrne also said the Puerto-Rico match on June 1 could potentially lead to more international friendlies being played at Centreville Bank Stadium, especially with soccer’s premier international tournament just a year away.
“As we get closer to the World Cup in 2026, we’ll be taking full advantage of national teams that will hopefully use our venue as a location for friendlies,” he said.
- Current team record (wins-losses-draws): 3-3-3, 12 points; 6th place of 12 in USL Championship Eastern Conference
- Result of previous match: Rhode Island FC 3, Tampa Bay Rowdies 0 (from May 17)
- Next match: May 24, vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC, at Centreville Bank Stadium, 4 p.m.
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
