**Home advantage and some chaotic vibes collide** as SC Jacksonville welcomes Rhode Island FC to Hodges Stadium in a round-one clash that could go either way. Both sides are a hair messy — Jacksonville wavering between explosive wins and heavy defeats, Rhode Island grinding out a draw last time out. 🔥

Jacksonville's been a roller-coaster (3-2, 1-4, 3-2 tells the story), while Rhode Island played it cagey against Louisville. This one's got "cup tie chaos" written all over it, with the home crowd potentially tilting the odds.

Key storylines:

- **SC Jacksonville's attack** — E. Jääskeläinen and K. Sadlier need to click if they want to exploit Rhode Island's back line consistently.
- **Rhode Island's midfield anchor** — H. Bacharach and A. Shapiro-Thompson will be crucial to breaking down Jacksonville's 3-4-3 shape.
- **The draw history** — These sides played out a 1-1 last time; expect neither to take wild risks early.

Expected lineups:

- **SC Jacksonville**: J. McGuire, R. Edwards, W. Ackwei, E. Jääskeläinen, K. Sadlier, J. Rossiter, T. Rose, W. Kuzain
- **Rhode Island FC**: Koke, F. Nodarse, G. D. Stoneman, H. Bacharach, D. Atkinson, J. Kwizera, N. Fuson, L. Afonso

Prediction:

**SC Jacksonville 2–1 Rhode Island FC** — home form slight edge, but Rhode Island'll nick one on the break. ⚽