USL United Soccer League Championship

Rhinos Hand Lions First Defeat

Published on July 28, 2014 under United Soccer League Championship (USL) News Release


ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Colin Rolfe scored the only goal as the Rochester Rhinos snapped Orlando City SC's 18-game undefeated streak to start the USL PRO season with a 1-0 victory at Sahlen's Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The Lions were shut out for the second consecutive game as John McCarthy recorded his league-leading eighth shutout of the season.

Rochester took the lead just past the half-hour mark as Levi Houapeu found Rolfe in space on the left side of the penalty area. Rolfe controlled and sent a curling shot into the top-right corner of the net past Miguel Gallardo.

The Lions had a chance to equalize two minutes later when they were awarded a free kick 24 yards from goal. Darwin Ceren curled a shot over the defensive wall, but McCarthy got across and turned the effort around the post for a corner to keep his side ahead.

The Rhinos almost doubled their lead early in the second half when Onua Obasi beat his man and found Houapeu at the penalty spot with a low cross, but the shot went straight to Gallardo. Rochester went close again with 20 minutes to go when Michael Garzi played Tyler Rosenlund in behind the defense. Rosenlund pulled a low cross back to Garzi, but his shot from 12 yards out went over the crossbar.

Orlando had a final chance to grab an equalizer with a minute to go as a good combination by Luke Boden and Kevin Molino released Boden down the left side, but his low driven cross was gathered in by McCarthy. Tyler Turner also had a chance in stoppage time, but his header went wide from a free kick, and the Rhinos held on for the club's first victory against the Lions.

TUESDAY

CHARLESTON 1, RICHMOND 1: Both sides scored early goals as the Charleston Battery and Richmond Kickers finished level at Blackbaud Stadium in a game that had originally been scheduled for June 27 but was abandoned due to lightning storms.

The Battery took the lead in the seventh minute when they were awarded a penalty kick. Jose Cuevas stepped up and scored in his first home contest since re-signing with the Battery two weeks ago. The Kickers were quick to respond, however, as Jason Yeisley put home a cross by Alex Lee in the 14th minute to level the score.

Charleston came close to grabbing victory in stoppage time when Dante Marini picked up possession on the right side. His cross found Maikel Chang, but the Cuban's header came back off the crossbar, and Zach Prince's follow-up effort was saved by Joe Willis to leave honors even.

WEDNESDAY

HARRISBURG 3, OKLAHOMA CITY 3: Harrisburg's Pedro Ribeiro and OKC's Kyle Greig each scored twice as the two sides finished level in a dramatic back-and-forth contest at the Skyline Sports Complex.

The City Islanders took control of the game early as Matt Bahner opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a low drive to the left corner of the net. Harrisburg doubled its advantage five minutes later as Ribeiro notched his first goal of the game, with Bahner this time playing provider.

OKC hit back emphatically in the final 10 minutes of the first half. Dan Delgado pulled a goal back in the 37th minute, and less than a minute later Greig leveled the score off a low cross by Max Gunderson. Greig then added a second in the 44th minute as his well-timed run was found by Javier Castro, and he rounded the goalkeeper to finish into the open net.

Harrisburg pushed hard to find an equalizer in the second half and was rewarded with six minutes to go as Ribeiro volleyed home a cross from Clesio Bauque from 10 yards out. OKC came close to regaining the lead in the dying minutes, but Nick Noble twice made good saves to deny Greig his hat trick and preserve a point for the City Islanders.

FRIDAY

PITTSBURGH 5, RSL RESERVES 2: Jose Angulo notched a hat trick, with all three goals coming from the penalty spot, as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds defeated the Real Salt Lake Reserves at Rio Tinto Stadium.

The Riverhounds took an early lead as RSL's Aaron Maund was sent off for bringing down Joseph Ngwenya in the penalty area. Angulo stepped up and put his side ahead in the sixth minute, but the lead was short-lived as RSL answered two minutes later through Sebastian Saucedo.

RSL took the lead in the 28th minute as Devon Sandoval put away a cross by John Stertzer, but momentum swung back to the Riverhounds before the halftime break as they were twice awarded penalty kicks and Angulo twice converted for a 3-2 halftime lead.

Pittsburgh maintained its advantage after the break, and then put the game away with 10 minutes to go as Rob Vincent put home a delivery by Alfonso Motagalvan to give the Riverhounds a two-goal cushion. Jason Johnson added a fifth four minutes later to wrap up a crucial victory for Pittsburgh's playoff hopes.

WILMINGTON 0, ARIZONA 0: Wilmington Hammerheads FC and Arizona United SC finished goalless at Legion Stadium as the Hammerheads maintained their hold on a playoff position.

Arizona pushed hard for an early goal but Matt Kassel twice shot over the crossbar in the opening 20 minutes. United's best chance of the game came shortly into the second half when a counterattack from a Wilmington corner kick saw Long Tan break in one-on-one with Quillan Roberts, but the Toronto FC loanee did exceptionally to snuff out the danger. Wilmington went close late on through Brian Ackley as his volley went wide of the right post, but both teams would settle for a point.

SATURDAY

RICHMOND 2, HARRISBURG 1: The Richmond Kickers moved within four points of Orlando City at the top of the USL PRO standings as first-half goals by Luke Vercollone and Sascha Görres earned victory against the Harrisburg City Islanders at City Stadium.

The Kickers took the lead in the fifth minute after Jason Yeisley was fouled in the penalty area. Vercollone stepped up and put home the penalty kick on his second goal of the season. Görres doubled the advantage in the 23rd minute when his free kick from 35 yards out deflected off a defender and left Harrisburg goalkeeper Brian Sylvestre stranded.

Harrisburg pulled a goal back with two minutes to go as Matt Bahner headed home a corner kick by Robbie Derschang, but the Kickers held on to claim all three points

LA GALAXY II 4, ORANGE COUNTY 0: Chandler Hoffman scored two goals in two minutes late in the first half as the LA Galaxy II completed a four-game season sweep of Orange County Blues FC at Anteater Stadium.

The Galaxy II jumped ahead early as Andre Auras scored his first goal for the club with an excellent drive from 25 yards into the bottom-right corner. Hoffman then struck twice in quick succession. His first arrived in the 40th minute as he was able to get on the end of an angled pass by Rafael Garcia to finish from close range. A giveaway in midfield a minute later sent Hoffman in alone on goal, and he finished clinically for his 10th goal of the season.

Los Dos added to their lead in the second half as Dragan Stojkov finished a cross by Bradford Jamieson IV in the 64th minute, and they then closed out the victory comfortably while remaining in third place in the USL PRO standings.

OKLAHOMA CITY 3, DAYTON 0: Kyle Greig had a goal and an assist as OKC Energy FC claimed victory against the Dayton Dutch Lions FC at DOC Stadium.

After an even first half Energy FC took the lead three minutes before the halftime break as a long pass by Gareth Evans found Greig centrally, and the forward outdueled Brock Granger before sending home a low finish. OKC doubled its lead early in the second half as Greig's cross found Paul Wyatt on the left side of the penalty area, and he shot low into the right corner. Michael Thomas added a late finish to cap the scoring and solidify Energy FC's spot in the playoff positions.

CHARLESTON 2, ARIZONA 0: Dane Kelly had both goals as the Charleston Battery defeated Arizona United SC at BLackbaud Stadium.

The Battery had the better of the early going and made it count in the 25th minute when Kelly pushed forward after picking up possession in midfield and slotted a low shot past the advancing Evan Newton. Eight minutes later the Jamaican made it two as he finished a chance created by Maikel Chang from 12 yards out, and that was all the Battery needed to see out an important victory.

CHARLOTTE 2, WILMINGTON 0: Goals in either half by Ben Newnam and Jorge Herrera gave the Charlotte Eagles victory against Wilmington Hammerheads FC as they moved level with Orange County for the eighth and final playoff position.

Both teams came close to scoring in the opening 15 minutes. Herrera went closest in the 12th minute as his free kick clipped the top of the crossbar and went behind. The Eagles took the lead in the 26th minute, however, when the ball came to Newnam in the right side of the penalty area and he sent a low finish home for his second goal of the season.

Charlotte doubled its lead midway through the second half when a Hammerheads defender was whistled for a handball in the penalty area. Herrera stepped up and sent a Panenka penalty kick down the center of the goal as Quillan Roberts dove early.

SUNDAY

SACRAMENTO 5, PITTSBURGH 0: Thomas Stewart and Rodrigo Lopez each scored twice as Sacramento Republic FC defeated the Pittsburgh Riverhounds at Bonney Field. The capacity crowd of 8,000 set a new USL PRO single-season attendance record, with 118,107 having seen the expansion USL PRO side's inaugural season so far.

Sacramento got ahead early as Stewart opened the scoring in the seventh minute with a header from Mickey Daly's angled cross. Stewart added a second at the half-hour mark as he chipped home a finish past an advancing Michael Lisch to give Republic FC a 2-0 halftime lead.

Republic FC continued to press forward after the break and Lopez scored his first in the 69th minute as he finished off a string of chances in the Riverhounds penalty area with a calm finish. Adam Jahn added a fourth from a corner with six minutes to go, and a minute later Lopez rounded out the scoring as his curling finish from 20 yards found the back of the net.

STANDINGS

Team GP W L T GF GA Pts

Orlando City 19 14 1 4 35 12 46

Richmond Kickers 21 12 1 9 43 19 42

LA Galaxy II 20 11 5 4 41 25 37

Sacramento Republic FC 20 11 6 3 32 22 36

Rochester Rhinos 21 8 7 6 19 16 30

Wilmington Hammerheads FC 17 6 3 8 21 18 26

OKC Energy FC 20 7 8 5 28 28 26

Orange County Blues FC 20 8 12 0 25 39 24

Charlotte Eagles 21 7 11 3 23 27 24

Arizona United SC (-2) 21 6 10 5 20 34 21

Harrisburg City Islanders 19 5 8 6 26 29 21

Charleston Battery 19 5 8 6 19 22 21

Pittsburgh Riverhounds 21 5 11 5 25 38 20

Dayton Dutch Lions FC 21 5 14 2 22 45 17

RESULTS

Tuesday, July 22

Charleston 1, Richmond 1

Wednesday, July 23

Harrisburg 3, Oklahoma City 3

Friday, July 25

Pittsburgh 5, Real Salt Lake Reserves 2

Wilmington 0, Arizona 0

Saturday, July 26

Charlotte 2, Wilmington 0

Oklahoma City 3, Dayton 0

Richmond 2, Harrisburg 1

Charleston 2, Arizona 0

LA Galaxy II 4, Orange County 0

Sunday, July 27

Rochester 1, Orlando 0

Sacramento 5, Pittsburgh 0

SCHEDULE

Monday, July 28

Montreal Reserves vs. Charleston, 10:30 a.m. ET

Wednesday, July 30

Harrisburg vs. LA Galaxy II, 7 p.m. ET

Friday, August 1

Wilmington vs. Richmond, 7:30 p.m. ET

Rochester vs. Charleston, 7:35 p.m. ET

Saturday, August 2

Pittsburgh vs. LA Galaxy II, 7 p.m. ET

Dayton vs. Harrisburg, 7 p.m. ET

Orlando vs. Charlotte, 7:30 p.m. ET

Oklahoma City vs. Orange County, 8 p.m. ET

Arizona vs. Sacramento, 10:30 p.m. ET




United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 28, 2014


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