USL Rochester Rhinos

Rochester Rhinos Defeat Toronto 2-0 to Stay Undefeated

Published on July 11, 2015 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


Vaughn, Ontario, Canada - The Rochester Rhinos defeated Toronto FC II (TFC II) 2-0 in a USL Eastern Conference match at the Ontario Soccer Centre this afternoon. Man of the match Onua Obasi assisted on goals from Steevan Dos Santos (56') and Jonny Mendoza (58') for the final margin of victory. Rhinos' keeper Brandon Miller posted his league leading eighth shutout of the season and lowered his USL best goals against average to 0.26.

With the win, the Rhinos improve to 11-0-6 (39 points) and extend their franchise record USL unbeaten streak to 17 matches to start the season. Rochester increases their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to eight points over second place Charleston. Toronto falls to 3-7-3 and drops to 11th place in the East.

This was the third of four matches between Rochester and Toronto in 2015. On May 9th, Rochester won at Sahlen's Stadium 1-0 on a 90th minute Dos Santos goal. The teams then played to a 0-0 tie at Toronto's BMO Field on May 23. The Rhinos and TFC II will play for the fourth time on September 12th in Rochester.

Rhinos coach Bob Lilley made seven changes from the team's last match, a 2-1 home win against FC Montreal on July 8. Toronto coach Jason Bent made four changes from the team that lost at home to Pittsburgh 2-0 on July 8, and was missing eight players due to call-ups to MLS parent Toronto FC team and Canadian national team duties for the Gold Cup and the Pan-American Games, forcing TFC II to put four 17 year olds in the starting lineup.

The Rhinos carried the play for the vast majority of the first half, dictating the pace and pressuring the Toronto back line constantly. In the fifth minute, Kenardo Forbes' long range shot rebounded to Mendoza in the box, but his effort hit the outside of the post. Rochester came close again in minute 35 as Pat McMahon split the Toronto back line, passing to Mendoza who crossed for Julian Ringhof in the box, but his 12 yard shot was blocked by TFC II's Liam Fraser. Six minutes later, Tony Walls put a free kick from 25 yards on the left side towards the near upper corner, but Toronto keeper Alex Bono (a Syracuse University graduate) made a big save.

Toronto had their best chance of the half in the final minute. After Miller punched clear a Luca Uccello free kick from 35 yards, Marcus Godinho worked a perfect 1-2 with Uccello and chipped the ball over an onrushing Miller high towards goal, but Ringhof and McMahon got back to leap and clear the ball away and the half ended 0-0. Toronto continued to press the Rhinos in the early part of the second half and had another chance in minute 54, as a loose ball ricocheted off Forbes to TFC II's Edwin Rivas, who ripped a shot from 20 yards right at Miller.

Right after that close call, the Rhinos offense finally broke down Toronto not once, but twice in three minutes. In the 56th minute, Obasi came up from the back, worked a triangle with Forbes and Mendoza, drove into the box and fed through for Dos Santos on the right and the Cabo Verdean beat Bono from six yards for his fifth goal of the year and his second against Toronto in 2015. Two minutes later, it was Obasi again the catalyst, tackling the ball away from Fraser, dribbling to the top of the penalty arc and weighting a perfect pass to Mendoza in the box. Mendoza finished from nearly the identical spot as Dos Santos did for his third goal of 2015 to make it 2-0.

Toronto tried to respond against the Rhinos top ranked defense and had two chances later in the half generated by their substitutes. In the 72nd minute, Clement Simonin played a ball from his own half over the top to Stefan Vucovic to chase, but Ringhof was in perfect position to defend and Miller charged out of the box to clear the danger. Then in minute 81, Kevin Timachy found a gap in the Rhinos back line and passed up to Vucovic, who fed Marcos Nunes in the box, but Miller got down well to block the shot from 12 yards and Nunes put his own rebound wide of the post. That was the final chance of the match and Rochester took home a 2-0 win.

The next Rhinos match is Saturday, July 18 at Sahlen's Stadium against the Charlotte Independence with kickoff at 7:05 pm. July 18 is Kids Day and as we celebrate Rex the Rhino's birthday with area mascots. All tickets for children age 14 and under for this match are $5.00 each and can be purchased by calling (585) 454-KICK (5425), online via Ticketmaster, by visiting the MVP Health Care Box Office at Sahlen's Stadium during business hours or by visiting rhinossoccer.com.

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United Soccer League Championship Stories from July 11, 2015


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