Bristol Rhythm AFC is a United States soccer club representing the twin cities of Bristol, Tennessee and Bristol, Virginia and the wider Tri-Cities region. The club currently competes in the Southeast Conference of the National Premier Soccer League.
Stadium The team's home venue is the Gene Malcolm Stadium in Bristol, Virginia.
History It was announced in August 2023 that Bristol was granted an expansion team in the National Premier Soccer League for the 2024 season. Diane Smith would serve as principal owner under the Mountain Empire Sports umbrella. Matt Smith would serve as the club's president.
Bristol Rhythm AFC played its first-ever match on May 11, 2024, a home fixture against Appalachian FC. Barbados international Niall Reid-Stephen scored for the visitors in the 36th-minute to become the first-ever player to score against Bristol. Appalachian FC won the match 3–0. The following week, Bristol defeated Port City FC 3–1 for the first victory in team history. Joseph McMahon scored the club's opening goal of the contest to become the club's first-ever goalscorer. Stooge Mbaakanyi scored for Bristol before McMahon rounded out the team's scoring with his second goal of the match. Despite being a new team that struggled on the pitch, Bristol Rhythm had the second-highest attendance in the league that season.
For the 2026 season, Bristol Rhythm went undefeated in the regular season with a record of 9-1-0 to earn its first-ever regular season championship and its first play-off berth. The club advanced through the play-offs to reach the conference final. Bristol went on to defeat New Haven United FC 2–0 in the match to advance to the national championship. Bristol hosted the championship match against El Farolito SC at Gene Malcolm Stadium. An all-time record crowd for the NPSL final of 2,159 were in attendance at the match. Despite taking a 0–0 draw into half-time, El Farolito scored three goals in the second half to win their second national championship in three years. Despite the loss, the season was the most successful in club history, setting a single-season record for wins, in addition to its first regular season and conference championships. With the second-place finish, the club qualified directly for the 2027 U.S. Open Cup. Following the season, manager Dave Neijenhuis and Goalkeeper Noe Delmotte were named the league best in their positions while Delmotte was also named the Southeast Conference MVP.
Current roster
Record Seasons Key
Season League Play-offs(Conference) Play-offs(Regional) Play-offs(National) Coach Notes Div. Pos.(Conference) Pl. W D L GF GA Pts.2024NPSL6th1020810266DNQDNQDNQ Louis Sharp20256th1032518239DNQDNQDNQ Louis Sharp20261091021628N/A Dave Neijenhui Source: NPSL
U.S. Open Cup YearTournamentRoundOpponentResultRef.2027U.S. Open Cup First Round TBD
References
External links NPSL profile Official Facebook Official Instagram