Rhode Island FC cruised to a dominant 4–0 victory over Charleston Battery on Wednesday night, with J.J. Williams bagging a brace and goals from Jojea Kwizera and Dwayne Atkinson completing the rout in USL Championship action.
The first half passed without a goal, but Rhode Island came out after the break with clear intent. Williams broke the deadlock in the 51st minute, giving the hosts a lead they would never look like relinquishing. Ten minutes later, Kwizera doubled the advantage, finishing from an Agustín Rodríguez delivery to make it 2–0 in the 61st minute.
Charleston had no time to regroup. Williams struck again in the 66th minute, converting after good work from Koke Vegas to put the game firmly beyond reach. The forward's second goal of the evening gave Rhode Island a three-goal cushion and effectively ended the contest as a competitive affair.
Dwayne Atkinson added a fourth in the 83rd minute, capping a relentless second-half showing from the home side. Charleston's frustration boiled over late on when Douglas Martínez picked up a yellow card in the 85th minute, though by that point the result had long been settled.
Rhode Island FC scored all four goals in a 32-minute span during the second half, turning what had been a cagey opening 45 minutes into a comprehensive victory. Charleston, for their part, offered little resistance once the floodgates opened.
The emphatic win will provide Rhode Island FC with significant momentum as they look to establish themselves among the early-season contenders in the USL Championship standings.
USL Championship