The inaugural game at Rhode Island FC’s new home Centreville Bank Stadium had almost everything.

There was, of course, the standing-room-only sellout crowd of 10,700 fans packed into the new venue on the banks of the Seekonk River, who gave the new venue top marks for its amenities, views and overall vibes and brought a vibrant atmosphere on an afternoon where early sunshine gave way to a late cloudburst that saw the day end with a rainbow over the stadium.

There were the local dignitaries who were welcomed for a pregame ceremony celebrating the club’s arrival, including Governor Daniel McKee and others who had helped pave the way for professional soccer to arrive in the smallest state in the union.

The only thing the day didn’t have? A goal, as visiting San Antonio FC goalkeeper Richard Sanchez put up a five-save shutout to deny the hosts the perfect ending to a historic day.

Not that it put too much of a damper on proceedings.

• PUSHING THE PACE: Facing a San Antonio squad that sat on top of the Western Conference to start the day, Rhode Island put in a good performance that showed signs of a team coming into form after its big win at Westchester SC in the USL Jägermeister Cup. RIFC moved through the gears in its performance, recording seven shots in the penalty area to only one for San Antonio.

• TO THE MAX: In his first home game since his offseason arrival, Maxi Rodriguez looked the most likely to break the deadlock for the hosts. The 2024 USL Championship All-League First Team selection ended the day with seven shots, including a point-blank opportunity that Sanchez turned over brilliantly.

• HE SAID IT: “I’ll be thinking about that for at least the next two days,” Rodriguez told local media. “I think I should have scored both. The ‘keeper made a good save on the first one, but I think I could have roofed it and scored. But I think for me, I love these moments, and I want to be the guy who puts it in the back of the net.”

The lack of a goal aside, this was the day everyone associated with Rhode Island FC had been hoping for since the initial plans to launch the club were made public in 2019. The impression the club has made in the state in a little over a year, winning the Eastern Conference title in its inaugural season while building an impressive following led by supporters group Defiance 1636, was the prelude to the scene on Saturday.

On Wednesday night, the club will likely welcome another large crowd as the New England Revolution visit for the Round of 32 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. It’s an opportunity to build another memory in the club’s early history, one that would cement its place in the region’s sporting landscape.

For everyone in the organization, that’s the ultimate goal – creating memories and a legacy that can be passed on decades into the future.

“This is going to be one of those days that I won’t ever forget, for so many reasons,” said RIFC captain Koke Vegas, who was also the first signing in club history late in 2023. “The response that everybody had today, and credit to the people in the club that were working for [years] to make this moment real. This is a really important moment for me, for the club, for everybody. I think hopefully we can create so many memories.”

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• Pawtucket’s Centreville Bank Stadium opens with a party, and a scoreless draw | Jon Couture, Boston Globe