Rhode Island FC has a shot at glory tomorrow when it takes on the Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in the USL Final at noon.
The match is airing nationally on CBS, and is being played at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, which is 6,000 feet above sea level and is considered the highest elevation of any stadium used by a professional soccer team in the country.
More than 400 Rhode Islanders are traveling to Colorado Springs, but The Guild in Pawtucket is also home base for the watch party. If you aren’t able to watch it live, you’ll find our coverage of the game afterwards at Globe.com/RI.
Catch up fast: If you haven’t been paying close attention, Rhode Island FC is an expansion team in the United Soccer League Championship division, which is basically the second-tier of professional soccer in America behind Major League Soccer. The team played its home games at Bryant University this year, but will move into a 10,000-seat stadium in Pawtucket next season.
Don’t miss my latest column on Peter Baptista, the 39-year-old lobbyist who helped bring the project over the finish line.On the pitch, Rhode Island FC got off to an uninspiring start, winning just one of its first 14 matches (that included nine ties). But the team has been in spectacular form since it rolled Louisville – the league’s best team – on June 22. It hasn’t looked back, and last week, the team beat the Charleston Battery to win the Eastern Conference championship.
Tomorrow’s outlook: Rhode Island FC is considered a slight underdog – the team is +170 on the betting market, which means that a $100 successful bet would pay $170 – and it lost 3-0 earlier in the season to Colorado Springs.But Rhode Island FC is the hottest team in the league, and the awkward start time of 10 a.m. Mountain Time (and noon Eastern) – so that it can air on CBS – could be a factor. Neither team is used to morning matches.
What’s next: Win or lose, Rhode Island FC has momentum as it moves into its permanent stadium next season. The supporter base is passionate, and the new stadium will be attractive to casual fans.
The league itself still has issues to sort out. It’s nice to be on national television, but it’s not ideal for the championship match to be played while fans on the west coast are still eating breakfast. There are also ongoing questions about the league’s relationship with MLS, especially when it comes to the US Open Cup, an in-season tournament (MLS doesn’t send all of its teams to the tournament).
This story first appeared in Rhode Map, our free newsletter about Rhode Island that also contains information about local events, links to interesting stories, and more. If you’d like to receive it via e-mail Monday through Friday, you can sign up here.
Dan McGowan can be reached at dan.mcgowan@globe.com. Follow him @danmcgowan.