Soccer in the United States has strong roots in New England area, with the Oneida Football Club in Boston being the first organized American sports club to play soccer, dating back to 1862.[2] In Connecticut and Rhode Island, both states have a rich history of soccer. Pawtucket, Rhode Island hosted the first National Challenge Cup final in 1914, which evolved into the modern U.S. Open Cup. Pawtucket-based teams made Cup finals four times, including the Pawtucket FC team winning the 1941 championship.[3]
The United Soccer League first came to New England in July 2018, bringing what would become Hartford Athletic into Dillon Stadium, where the Yankees played.[5] The next year, USL announced a new expansion franchise in Rhode Island, which ultimately became Rhode Island FC.[6] RIFC began play in 2024, and opened Centreville Bank Stadium as their home in 2025.[7]
History
The first ever match in the series was on June 1, 2024 in Hartford in front of sold-out crowd of 5,500 fans. Rhode Island's Mark Doyle scored the first goal in the 4th minute of the game. Joe Farrell of Hartford would counter right back at the 24th minute, with the game concluding 1–1 draw.[8] The second 2024 USL Championship season matchup was played at the home stadium of Bryant University's football stadium, Beirne Stadium in Smithfield, Rhode Island. RIFC would go on to beat Hartford 3–0, securing the 2024 season series with one win, one draw, and no losses.[9] In the Eastern Conference standings, Hartford would finish the season in 10th place and out of a playoff spot, whilst Rhode Island finished 5th and ultimately became Eastern Conference Champions of the 2024 USL Championship playoffs.[10]
The first 2025 USL Championship season matchup between the two clubs was played on July 19 in Rhode Island's new stadium, Centreville Bank Stadium, in front of 10,619 fans on national television.[11] The game would end in a 0–0 draw with a 36 combined fouls and twelve minutes of second-half stoppage.[12] The following week the two would play again in the 2025 USL Cup, where Hartford won via penalty shoot-out 4–3, after a 2–2 draw. On the 23rd, Hartford beat RIFC 3–0, finishing the 2025 season series with one win, two draws, and a victory in their penalty shoot-out.[13]
Fan activities
From the first meeting between the two clubs, fans of Hartford and Rhode Island have had incidents against one another. During the first meeting between the two clubs, reports that a banner owned by visiting Defiance 1636, the supporter's group of Rhode Island FC, was stolen in Hartford.[14] The following match later in the 2024 USL Championship season saw a travelling Hartford Athletic fan set off a firework in the stands of Beirne Stadium, the first stadium of Rhode Island FC.[15] The following season saw animosity between the two fans of the clubs continue. Following the first match in Pawtucket, a member of the Bonzana, the supporters group of Hartford Athletic, was assaulted by a Rhode Island fan when returning to a Hartford Athletic chartered bus to Hartford.[14]
Moniker
The name "El Clamico" comes from a play on the El Clásico derby in La Liga. Originally, when the teams first matched up in June 2024, a fan contest was in the process of determining the name of the derby.[16] One of the names gathered was the Route 6 Derby, named after U.S. Route 6, which passes through both Connecticut and Rhode Island. By their second matchup of the year in August, fans settled on the name El Clamico.[17][18] The name takes the El Clasico name and tweaks it to reference to clam chowder and clam digging, two important aspects of New England culture.[19]
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