USL Rochester Rhinos

Rhinos Capture First Three Points of 2014

April 21, 2014 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


The Rochester Rhinos picked up their first three points of the young 2014 USL PRO season on Monday, April 21 st in Toyota Park with a 2:0 victory over the Chicago Fire Reserves. Rookie midfielder Minh Vu scored his first professional goal in the first half, and fourth year forward JC Banks scored his second goal in three matches in the second half. Rookie goalkeeper John McCarthy earned his first clean sheet in his professional debut.

 

The Chicago Fire had the better part of play in the early going, and McCarthy was called on twice shortly after the 15 minute mark had passed.

In the 15 th minute Fire Reserves striker Juan Luis Anangano had possession of the ball at the top right corner of the Rochester penalty area. Anangano squared the ball wide to right midfielder Alex Underwood who attempted to serve the ball into the box. Rhinos left back Onua Thomas Obasi was there to block Underwood's service, but the ball ended up looping toward the upper left hand corner of the Rochester goal. McCarthy shuffled across his goal line and claimed the deflection before any damage could be done.

One minute later McCarthy was called on to make his first save of the match. Fire left back Andrew Gutman played a one-two into Anangano at the top left corner of the Rhinos box. Gutman ran into the Rochester penalty area after the combination play, but the Rhinos defense was able to tackle the ball away. The resulting loose ball ended up on Fire Reserves striker Giuseppe Gentile's foot 16 yards out from the Rhinos goal, but his sliding effort was shot straight at McCarthy.

In the 22 nd minute the Rhinos opened the scoring with a counter attack and a finish from left midfielder Minh Vu. The build-up started on the right flank when Rochester fullback Pat McMahon pressed Fire midfielder Oscar Gonzalez and poked the ball away to Rhinos captain Tyler Rosenlund. Rosenlund was able to pick up his head and find Vu making a clever outside-in run behind the Fire back four. Vu was in on goal and kept his composure to chip the ball over the head of onrushing Fire goalkeeper Alec Kann.

Three minute later Vu was once again in behind the Fire defense - this time he was down the left flank after a long diagonal ball from right midfielder Samuel Petrone had switched fields. Vu was fouled at the bottom left corner of the penalty box by Fire right back Marco Franco. New England Revs loanee Alec Sundley took the ensuing free kick, but Kann was able to punch the service away.

The Fire created a couple of opportunities to level the score off of set pieces in the last 15 minutes of the first half. Underwood served a corner kick into the Rhinos box in the 34 th minute. Petrone was able to clear the ball out at the near post, but it only went as far as Gonzalez at the top of the box. Gonzalez served the ball back into the mixer, but McCarty was able to come off of his line and deal with the service.

Five minutes later Franco received a pass from Underwood at the top of the Rhinos box. The referee judged that Rochester left back Onua Thomas Obasi fouled Franco 23 yards out from goal. Anangano took the free kick, but his effort was well over the cross bar.

The last chance of the first half came to the visiting Rhinos in first half stoppage time. Petrone received a ball at the midfield stripe and slalomed down the right flank through Fire defenders. Petrone's run ended at the top of the box where his shot was struck right at Kann.

 

At the half time whistle, the Rochester Rhinos led 1:0 for the second consecutive week.

 

Both teams had quality chances to score a goal in the first 15 minutes of the second half. The Rhinos chance came in the 55 th minute after a combination play from striker Colin Rolfe and withdrawn forward JC Banks. Rolfe received a long ball from the Rhinos back four with his back to the Fire Reserves goal 35 yards out. Rolfe played a one-two with Banks who was supporting underneath him. Rolfe flicked the return pass into the space behind the Fire Reserves back four and Banks was in on goal. However, Banks shot the ball right at Kann as he was being pulled down from behind by Fire center back Patrick Ianni at the top of Chicago's box.

Four minutes later the Fire Reserves created a chance off of another set piece. Franco took a free kick from 30 yards out on the right flank for the home side. Franco's service found the head of Fire Reserves imposing holding midfielder Matt Watson on the back post, but Watson was only able to head the ball back up into the air as a result of heavy pressure. Petrone cleared Watson's errant header, but again it only went as far as Gonzalez at the top of the box. Gonzalez blistered a shot on goal, but the Rhinos were able to head it away in a crowded penalty area. Gonzalez took the ensuing corner kick and picked out Fire center back Steve Kinney's head at the near post, but McCarthy was able to save Kinney's header.

The pace of the match dissipated after McCarthy's save as play ended up in the middle third with the Rhinos content to keep possession of the ball and sit on their one goal advantage. As the second half wore on, Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley made a pair of strategic substitutions to give the vistitors some counter attacking options. In the 72 nd minute, Lilley replaced Petrone and Vu with attacking midfielders Johnny Mendoza and Alex Dixon. The move paid off for Rochester just under ten minutes later.

The Rhinos doubled their advantage in the 81st minute. Mendoza had the ball in the middle of the pitch in the Rhinos half of the field, and he was able to pick out Dixon's deep run from midfield in behind the Fire back four. A brilliant ball from Mendoza put Dixon in on goal, but Dixon's shot went just past Kann's near post. Kann played the ensuing goal kick out to the feet of Ianni at the top of the penalty area. Ianni's ensuing pass into midfield was intercepted by Rhinos defensive midfielder Lance Rozeboom. Rozeboom played a two-touch pass out to Mendoza's feet on the left flank. Mendoza's service found the feet of Banks in the Fire box, and Banks was able to finish past a diving Kahn.

The goal was Banks' second in the first three matches of the 2014 season, and is a promising sign for Lilley and the Rhinos. Banks was the team MVP after a 2012 season that saw him score five goals and add eight assists. However, the 2012 All-USL PRO First Team selection and USL PRO assists leader suffered an ACL injury in August 2012 that required reconstructive surgery in the fall. Last season Banks had one goal and two assists in just over 1,000 minutes played as he continued to recover from his ACL injury. After a successful loan spell with the Milwaukee Wave (MISL) this past winter Banks has been nearly ever-present for the Rhinos this season.

The Fire Reserves had one more chance to climb back into the match in the 87th minute. Rhinos substitute Jossimar Sanchez fouled Gonzalez on the left flank just outside the Rhinos penalty area. Gonzalez and left back Andrew Gutman played a free kick routine down the left flank, but the Rhinos blocked Gutman's cross out over the endline. The Fire Reserves worked another training ground routine on the ensuing corner kick as Gonzalez played the ball from the left corner into the feet of substitute Martin Alba at the top left corner of the Rhinos box. Alba squared the ball to Gutman at the top of the box in the middle of the pitch, but Gutman's shot was deflected thru the box and out of play for a second corner. Gonzalez took the corner kick again, but this time McCarthy was able to work off of his line to secure the service.

 

The Rochester Rhinos 21 year-old goalkeeper John McCarthy, the youngest goalkeeper to ever start for the club, earned the clean sheet in his debut with the club behind an effective back four that was composed of left back Onua Thomas Obasi, center backs Kyle Hoffer and Tony Walls, and right back Patrick McMahon. McMahon and Walls were both making their first starts of the 2014 campaign after right back Babacar Diallo and center back Patrick Slogic both suffered injuries during training this week. McCarthy was making a scheduled start after New England Revs loanee Luis Soffner started the first two matches of the season in goal.

The victory and resulting three points took the Rhinos off the bottom of the 14 team USL PRO table, and catapulted them all the way into eighth place - the final playoff spot in the table. It is the first time that the Rhinos have been back in a playoff spot since August 18, 2012. Lilley's young yet ever-improving side will be making their 2014 debut in Sahlen's Stadium as the Rochester Rhinos 19th home opener will be this Sunday, April 27th 2014 at 4PM in Sahlen's Stadium against the Charleston Battery.

 

Tickets for the home opener as well as any other 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.



United Soccer League Championship Stories from April 21, 2014


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