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USL Rochester Rhinos

Rhinos Travel to Pittsburgh for 4th of July Clash

July 3, 2014 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


The Rochester Rhinos travel to Pittsburgh for a USL PRO league match with the Riverhounds on Friday, July 4th at 7PM in Highmark Stadium. The Rhinos enter the match in sixth place in the table with 24 points from 17 matches, while Pittsburgh remains on the bottom of the table with 11 points from their first 16 matches of the season. The match can be seen live in its entirety via streaming video on YouTube Live.

Last time out the Rochester Rhinos dropped three points at home with a 1:0 loss to the Charlotte Eagles on Saturday, June 28th ending a stretch of seven matches in 17 days. The Rhinos went 2 - 2 - 1 in league play during the stretch that included a west coast trip to Los Angeles and Phoenix with a separate trip to Oklahoma City. Rochester also played their final two matches in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The Rhinos won only their second match against a Major League Soccer opponent since they won the tournament in 1999, and became the last USL PRO team standing when they defeated D.C. United for the first time in club history on Tuesday, June 17th. On Wednesday June 25th Rochester was eliminated in the Fifth Round of the 2014 U.S. Open Cup 2:1 by their MLS affiliate, the New England Revs. After a crowded June, Rochester will only have four matches in the month of July.

"It's been a good week for us in training." Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley said. "We're healthier than we were a week ago, and we started to get a little bit more energy - a little hop in our step towards the end of the week. We had the chance to stop and teach a little bit to improve in some areas that we have been a little bit deficient in over the past three weeks. It's been good to get back to a more traditional schedule of one match every week."

Rochester is 6 - 5 - 6 overall with eleven matches left to play in the 2014 USL PRO regular season. While the Rhinos are only 2 - 3 - 2 at home in Sahlen's Stadium, it has been their road form that has propped them up in the standings. Rochester is 4 - 2 - 4 in their first ten matches of the season away from home, and the Rhinos have lost only one of their last nine matches on the road. Overall, the Rhinos have the league's second best goals conceded record with 13 goals given up in 17 matches. 2012 Rhinos MVP JC Banks leads Rochester in scoring with five goals and two assists in league play. He has been helped out by first year Rhinos Alex Dixon (three goals, two assists) and Minh Vu (two goals, two assists).

After entering the 2014 season as potential title contenders, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds are currently 2 - 9 - 5 and occupy last place in the USL PRO standings. Pittsburgh is 0 - 6 - 2 at Highmark Stadium, but the Riverhounds won their second match of the season on Wednesday, July 2nd in a 2:1 come back victory over the Dutch Lions in Dayton. Michael Green scored both goals for the visitors. Pittsburgh's only other victory of the season came against the Rhinos in Sahlen's Stadium on June 7th. Although the Riverhounds have struggled to get results, they still have one of the most talented rosters in USL PRO. 2013 USL PRO Most Valuable Player Jose Angulo already has five goals for the Riverhounds in 2014, while former Fulham striker Collins John has four goals.

Friday night's match can be seen live on YouTube Live at https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePghRiverhounds

The Rhinos next home match is Friday, July 11th 2014 at 7:35PM against the FC Dallas Reserves. 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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