Rhode Island FC hasn’t been shy about making marquee signings ahead of its debut in the USL Championship. From announcing Spanish goalkeeper Koke Vegas as its first player in club history to nabbing both Conor McGlynn and Prince Saydee from nearby Hartford Athletic, to then stumping up a transfer fee to the Tampa Bay Rowdies for forward JJ Williams, a strong central spine was already coming into shape.

Then, Head Coach and General Manager Khano Smith went and made another big splash last Friday with the signing of 2023 USL Championship Player of the Year Albert Dikwa, who figures to form a formidable tandem in attack with Williams this season. It’s easy to see why the expectations are high for Rhode Island to have immediate success this campaign.

As two players you’d consider a No. 9 in their lineup, the chemistry between Williams and Dikwa is going to be something to monitor, but it’s not hard to see how this can come together quickly. It went slightly under the radar last year, but Williams finished the season with nine assists as well as 12 goals, putting him tied for fourth in the league in goal contributions in the regular season. For a 6-foot-4 striker, Williams’ touch has always been good, and he could end up being the pivotal player in the attacking half for RIFC. With his ability to hold up play or win aerial battles to send teammates in behind – Williams led the league with 118 aerial duels won at a success rate of 63.8 percent – he will allow Dikwa and Prince Saydee the opportunity to stretch the field in the same way Cal Jennings did in Tampa Bay last season with Williams at his side.

There might be no other way to describe Hartford Athletic’s 2023 season than un fracaso.

The club’s four wins were half the number of its inaugural season in 2019 and resulted in practically a clean out of the coaching and playing department from incoming CEO Nick Sakiewicz this offseason. Of last year’s squad, only two are present in our projected lineup – left back Triston Hodge and midfielder Beverly Makangila.

That’s in part because of their prior relationship with incoming Head Coach Brendan Burke – who coached both at Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC before their moves to Hartford last offseason – but also because you could almost every other position in the Hartford lineup has been at least maintained in the case of Conor McGlynn – now at Rhode Island FC – or upgraded.

Burke has typically liked to use a four-man back line which would see Joe Farrell and Thomas Vancaeyezeele currently slotted in at center back – Jordan Scarlett is also a good option here and has the versatility to play right back as well. What will be key is the chemistry in midfield, where Anderson Asiedu figures to play as the holding midfielder behind Makangila and Marlon Hairston, but it’s the front line where the hallmark of a Burke-led side come through.

Congratulations, North Carolina FC, you’ve won the USL League One title. What are you going to do next?

Well, aside from whatever the equivalent of going to Disney World is, Head Coach Jon Bradford went out and added some outstanding veteran presences to a core of players that is set to return from last year’s victorious squad.

Now, the question is how he balances the lineup between his incoming newcomers – some of which like center back Paco Craig and forward Rodrigo da Costa have proven among the best in their position in the USL Championship over the years – while giving the players who earned NCFC’s first league title in club history their chance to prove themselves at a higher level.

Here’s how we think it might look on opening day, starting with giving 18-year-old goalkeeper Nick Holliday the chance to start with Jake McGuire waiting in the wings if needed. Craig comes into the back line alongside veteran Daniel Navarro at center back, while Justin Malou figures to slot in at right back as El Salvador international Nelson Flores Blanco retains his place on the left.

From there, however, the pieces might dictate a change from the 4-4-2 system that Bradford employed during the side’s title run to a three-man midfield unit. That would see Collin Martin come in as a holding midfielder, with 2023 USL League One All-League selection Mikey Maldonado and Rafael Mentzingen playing ahead of him, with Mentzingen free to join the attack as often as possible to provide creativity.