USL Rochester Rhinos

Pittsburgh Tops Rochester 3:2 on Saturday Night

Published on June 7, 2014 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


The Rochester Rhinos entered their match with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, June 7th 2014 with the opportunity to move into fourth place in the USL PRO standings with a victory. However, it was the Riverhounds who claimed their first victory of the 2014 season 3:2 over the Rhinos in front of 5,081 fans.

Minh Vu scored the opening goal of the match in the 26th minute for the Rhinos. Pittsburgh found the equalizer in the 43rd minute when Brian Fekete finished a Danny Earls corner kick. Pittsburgh took the lead in the 75th minute when Rob Vincent finished an Earls corner kick. The Riverhounds doubled their advantage in the 84th minute when Jose Angulo finished off of an assist from Joseph Ngwenya. JC Banks got one back for the Rhinos with a spot kick in the 90th minute, but it ultimately was not enough for the home side.

The Rochester Rhinos looked more dynamic in the first half than they had last Friday night in their scoreless draw in Sahlen's Stadium with Richmond. The midfield quartet of Banks, Alex Dixon, Tyler Rosenlund, and Vu were able to run at Pittsburgh's defense and get in behind the Riverhounds back four. The Rhinos also made a concerted effort to try to defend further up the pitch, and created some turnovers in the first half that had the chance to yield scoring opportunities.

Rochester striker Colin Rolfe created a pair of chances to open the scoring in the third minute. Rhinos forward JC Banks served a free kick into Pittsburgh's penalty area from 15 yards out on the right flank. Rolfe made a hard run to the near post, but was just beaten to the ball by All-USL PRO Second Team selection Andrew Marshall who touched the ball over the end line. Banks took the ensuing corner kick and Rolfe made another hard run to the near post, this time flicking the ball across the top of the six yard box. Pittsburgh scrambled the ball away but only as far as Rolfe who was eight yards out on the right side of the Riverhounds box. However, Rolfe could not keep his effort on target from an acute angle.

The Rhinos created the next chance in the 18th minute. Rolfe pressed the Pittsburgh Riverhounds back four near the midfield stripe and created a turn over for the home side. Rolfe passed the ball back to Vu who initiated the counter attack by running at the Riverhounds defense. After attracting the attention of Pittsburgh's back four Vu played the ball out wide to Rolfe at the top left corner of the Riverhounds penalty area. Rolfe tried to play an early ball into the box, but his service got away from him. However, the errant service wrong footed Pittsburgh goalkeeper Mike Lisch and forced him to back peddle to his goal line to tip the ball over the cross bar before it snuck into the upper right corner of the net.

In the 25th minute Alex Dixon was fouled in the middle of the pitch 25 yards out from the Riverhounds goal. After Dixon received treatment from Rhinos trainer Doug Graham, Vu and Banks lined up over the ball to take the free kick. Vu ran at the ball first and bent it over Pittsburgh's five man wall and into the right side of the Riverhounds goal. The strike was Vu's second of the season.

The Rhinos had a chance to double their lead in the 35th minute. Rochester center back Babacar Diallo played the ball wide to left back Tony Walls near midfield, and Walls was able to unlock Pittsburgh's defense with a one touch pass to Rosenlund down the left flank. Rosenlund found Rolfe in Pittsburgh's box with his service from the flank. Rolfe was able to receive the ball with his back to goal, turn with his second touch, and hold off the Riverhound's Marshall with a third touch before smashing his shot into the chest of Lisch at the top of the six yard box. One minute later Banks served a corner kick into the Riverhound's area that found the head of Diallo on the far post six yards out. Diallo's header was right at Lisch.

Rochester held the visitors without a shot on goal during the first forty minutes of the match, but Pittsburgh created quality chances in the last five minutes of the first half through set pieces.

First Team All-USL PRO selection Matthew Dallman had Pittsburgh's first chance of the match from a set piece in the 41st minute. Dallman and former Rhinos MVP Danny Earls stood over a free kick 33 yards out from rookie John McCarthy's goal. Dallman approached the ball first and struck it over the Rhinos two man wall, but his effort failed to find the target.

Rochester failed to heed the warning shot from Pittsburgh and the visitors were able to equalize two minute later. Earls took a corner kick with his favored left foot and dropped the ball on top of the six yard box. Earls service found the head of Brian Fekete in a crowded box, and Fekete was able to glance a header to finish into the upper left corner of the Rhinos goal for the equalizer.

Dixon and Pittsburgh Riverhounds superstar Collins John had half chances for their respective teams in the final minutes of the first half, but the first forty-five minutes ended with the score tied at one.

In the 54th minute confusion and controversy reigned in Sahlen's Stadium. Head referee Jeff Forward ignored an apparent hand ball from Pittsburgh's John in the Rhinos penalty area, and then called a foul on Diallo at the top of the Rhinos box for running through the back of John. Simultaneously assistant referee Phil Cunningham signaled that John was in an offside position. Once again Forward ignored the call and allowed Pittsburgh to strike a free kick from the top left corner of the Rochester penalty area. John's effort was ultimately right at McCarthy.

In the 60th minute the Rhinos struck back. After putting the Riverhounds under pressure Rosenlund collected a ball at the top of the "D" on the Riverhounds penalty box. Rosenlund played the ball wide to right back Pat McMahon who had pushed forward down the right flank. McMahon whipped a ball into the box that found Dixon's head at the top of the six yard box. Dixon powered a header on goal but his effort struck the cross bar and fell to Rolfe in the six yard box. However, Rolfe could not direct his header on target under heavy pressure.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds scored the go ahead goal in the 74th minute. 2013 USL PRO Most Valuable Player Jose Angulo started the sequence when he received the ball with his back to goal in the Rhinos penalty area. Angulo played the ball wide to substitute Joseph Ngwenya on the left flank. Ngwenya served the ball into the Rochester penalty area and it went all the way through to Dallman on the right side of the Rhinos box. Dallman struck the ball first time, but McCarthy was there to parry the ball over the cross bar for a corner kick. On the ensuing corner kick Earls whipped a ball into a crowded penalty area, and Rob Vincent was there to touch the ball into the back of the net to give the visitors a shock lead.

The Rhinos had a chance to find the equalizer in the 77th minute when JC Banks got a free kick from 26 yards up and over Pittsburgh's five man wall, but his effort spun just wide of the left post.

Pittsburgh doubled their advantage in the 84th minute. Angulo sparked a a counter attack when he collected the ball ten yards into the Rhinos defensive half of the field and played a through ball to Ngwenya. Ngwenya was in behind and surged down the left side of the Rhinos penalty area. Ngwenya got to the end line before he cut it back to Angulo who had made a run to the top of the six yard box. Angulo had the goal at his mercy and finished under McCarthy for what ultimately proved to be the game winning goal.

The Rhinos got one goal back in the 90th minute when Rochester served a ball into the Riverhounds penalty area and Rochester midfielder Tony Walls was knocked down in the box by Earls. Referee Forward pointed to the penalty spot, and Banks converted into the lower right corner of the goal from twelve yards away. The goal was the fourth of the year for Banks.

The Rhinos had one final look in stoppage time. Substitute Patrick Slogic served a ball in from his position at left back, and his service found the head of Walls at the top right corner of the six yard box. Walls headed the ball across the six yard box to Vu, but the forward was not able to keep his header on target.

The loss drops the Rhinos to 4 - 3 - 5 on the season for 17 points from 12 matches, while Pittsburgh took their first three points of the 2014 USL PRO season to move to 1 - 6 - 4 for seven points from 11 matches. Rochester remained in the sixth spot in the USL PRO table on Saturday night with three matches left to be played over the weekend of June 6th to June 8th that could further impact the standings.

The Rochester Rhinos next home match will be Tuesday, June 17th 2014 at 7:05PM against D.C. United of Major League Soccer in the Fourth Round of the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Tickets for any match on the Rhinos home schedule will be available by by calling (585)454-KICK (5425), by visiting the MVP Health Care Box Office at Sahlen's Stadium, or by visiting ticketmaster.com. Rochester Rhinos season tickets, flex packages and group ticket sales are also currently available.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from June 7, 2014


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