USL Rochester Rhinos

Rochester Advances to USL Final

October 10, 2015 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


ROCHESTER, NY - The Rochester Rhinos defeated Louisville City FC one-nil in Sahlen's Stadium on Saturday, October 10th 2015 in the USL Eastern Conference Final. Rochester Rhinos center back Vasilis Apostolopoulos scored the only goal of the match in the 21st minute. Rhinos goalkeeper Brandon Miller made two saves to keep his second consecutive clean sheet of the 2015 playoffs. As a result of the match Rochester advanced to the USL Championship Game on Friday, October 16th 2015 at 7:30PM in Sahlen's Stadium against the winner of Sunday night's USL Western Conference Final between OKC Energy FC and LA Galaxy II.

The Rochester Rhinos opened the scoring in the 21st minute off of a corner kick. Rhinos Jamaican midfielder Kenardo Forbes took the set piece from the corner in front of section 101, and whipped the ball into the penalty area. Rochester's semifinal hero Steevan Humberto Fortes dos Santos was first to Forbes cross and powered a header on goal from the top of the six yard box. Dos Santos header was right at Louisville City FC goalkeeper Scott Goodwin, but the best City's number one could do was parry the ball from point blank range. Louisville City FC scrambled the ball away from Rochester captain Tony Walls on the goal line, but the clearance only went as far as the Rhinos Greek center back Vasilis Apostolopoulos. Apostolopoulos calmly finished through a crowded goal mouth and into the lower left corner of the net from eight yards out to give the home side a one-nil lead. It was Apostolopoulos first goal of the 2015 season.

Louisville City FC had 69 minutes left in the match to draw even with the Rochester Rhinos, and City seemed to enter the match well equipped to handle the task. Louisville was the highest scoring team in the USL during the regular season with 57 goals scored, ranked second in the league in shots with 383, and led USL in corner kicks with 181. The visitors high scoring attack was super charged all season by the best goal scorer in a single season in the USL history Matt Fondy. Fondy led the league with a record setting 22 goals, while also leading USL in shots. However, while Louisville City FC finished the regular season with 48 points, the second highest total in USL to only the Rhinos 61, only eight of City's 48 points were earned after they trailed by a goal.

On Saturday night the Rochester Rhinos put on a masterclass in defensive soccer. The Rhinos only,allowed the league's best offensive team to take three shots in the ninety minute match, and only two of those shots came after Rochester took the lead in the twenty-first minute. In the sides two regular season meetings the Rhinos kept the league's Golden Boot winner off of the scoreboard. The USL Eastern Conference Final was no different as Fondy failed to find the equalizer that visiting City needed to climb back into the match. In fact, the Rhinos did not even allow Fondy to take a shot on goal.

Emotions escalated in the second half as Louisville City FC was desperate to find an equalizer and Rochester Rhinos pressed City hard to keep the visitors in check. The two sides combined to be whistled for 35 fouls with the home side being charged with 21 to 14 for the visitors. Five players were booked between the two teams, and the tension boiled over in the 83rd minute. Louisville City FC midfielder Aohdan Quinn and Rochester Rhinos striker Steevan Humberto Fortes dos Santos tangled up near midfield, and dos Santos was knocked to the ground. Dos Santos took exception to Quinn's conduct after the collision, and jumped back to his feet to confront the Louisville City FC midfielder. The two players exchanged words before dos Santos head butted Quinn. Head referee Matthew Kreiter caught the dos Santos head butt, and sent the Rhinos striker off leaving the home side to battle on with ten players for the remainder of regulation and five minutes of stoppage time.

The home side closed up shop, and when Kreiter whistled Fondy for a foul in the Rhinos penalty area in the third minute of stoppage time, the visitors last threat of the game was extinguished and Rochester was through to the USL Championship Game. Friday night's final will be Rochester first trip to a league final in the USL era. The Rhinos played in six league finals previous to their participation in USL. Rochester last hosted a final in 2006. Rochester last won a league final in 2001.

Rochester hosts the 2015 USL Championship Game on October 16th 2015 at 7:30PM in Sahlen's Stadium.

Tickets will be on sale Sunday, October 11th 2015 from noon to 5PM, and will continue on sale throughout the week. Tickets can be purchased by calling (585)454-KICK (5425), online via Ticketmaster, or by visiting the MVP Health Care Box Office at Sahlen's Stadium during business hours.



United Soccer League Championship Stories from October 10, 2015


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