USL Rochester Rhinos

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Published on June 17, 2014 under United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Rochester Rhinos News Release


The Rochester Rhinos defeated D.C. United 1:0 in the Fourth Round of the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on Tuesday, June 17th 2014. Rhinos striker Colin Rolfe scored the game winning goal off of an assist from Michael Garzi in the 27th minute. Rochester rookie goalkeeper John McCarthy made four saves on ten shots faced for his first shut out of the tournament. The Rhinos will visit the winner of the Fourth Round pairing between Richmond Kickers and New England Revolution in the Firth Round on a date and at a time to be determined.

In the 27th minute the Rochester Rhinos scored the only goal of the match. Michael Garzi got on the end of a through ball on the left side of the United penalty area and ran at D.C. United right center back Nana Attakora. Garzi stepped over the ball, dribbled past Attakora, and played the ball from the endline back to Colin Rofle at the top left corner pf the six yard box. Rolfe applied a deft finishing touch to slip the ball under D.C. United goalkeeper Andrew Dykstra to give the Rhinos the lead. It was only the second goal the Rhinos have scored against DC United in their five game U.S. Open Cup series.

The first talking point of the match occurred when Rhinos attacking midfielder Alex Dixon was knocked down in the United penalty area in the 12th minute. D.C. United right center back Nana Attakora tackled the ball away from Dixon, but sent him to the turf in the process. Head referee Robert Sibiga decided Dixon had not been fouled, but attacking midfielder Jonny Mendoza was the first to the rebound. He hit his volley attempt right at D.C. United keeper Andrew Dykstra.

D.C. United created their first chance of the match in the 26th minute. Right midfielder Alex Caskey played an early ball into the Rhinos box from thirty yards out on the right flank. The cross found Jared Jeffrey at the top of the six yard box. Jeffrey tried to flick the ball into the Rhinos goal with his head, but his effort went just over the cross bar.

D.C. United began to press the Rhinos after the goal, and started to create some chances. Jeffrey took a shot from distance in the 35th minute but Rhinos rookie goalkeeper John McCarthy dealt with it easily. In the 43rd minute D.C. right back Jalen Robinson pushed forward into the attack and served a ball into the box from the right flank. Robinson's driven ball found the feet of striker Conor Doyle who was making a near post run. Doyle tried to flick the ball past McCarthy, but his effort flashed just wide of the near post.

The Rochester Rhinos took a one-nil lead into halftime for the first time in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.

Rochester had a chance to double it's advantage in the 52nd minute. Mendoza settled a bouncing ball at the top of the United penalty area, and he picked out Garzi to his left. Mendoza played Garzi the ball and he surged into the left side of United's penalty area. Garzi shot the ball, but it sailed just wide of the far post.

In the 58th minute the Rhinos surged forward again. This time it was Rolfe running down the middle of the pitch with the ball at his feet before picking out Mendoza running down the right side of the pitch. Mendoza received the ball and dribbled to the endline before playing a ball to Rolfe and Alex Dixon crashing the near post. Dykstra dove into the path of the cross and safely held the ball.

A severe thunderstorm rolled into Sahlen's Stadium and play was suspended in the 61st minute at approximately 8:24PM. Just before the suspension of play DC United left center back Steve Birnbaum received his second caution of the match and was sent off by head referee Sibiga. The holders were left to play the remaining half hour of the match down a player.

The match resumed at 9:02PM in the 61st minute on the rain soaked turf of Sahlen's Stadium after a 38 minute delay. DC United captain Bobby Boswell entered the match at center back as D.C. United juggled their line-up to compensate for being down a man.

In the 66th minute the Rhinos created a rain aided chance in the DC United box. Alex Dixon was on the ball in the penalty area and he played a through ball to Tyler Rosenlund. Rosenlund was able to get on the end of the ball when it held up in a puddle of water. He crossed the ball to Mendoza at the top of the six yard box, but this time a puddle helped D.C. United and they were able to pressure Mendoza whose half chance sailed over the bar.

The match entered the second delay of the evening at 9:11PM in the 70th minute. Play resumed at 10:42PM after a 91 minute delay. Dixon got behind the D.C. United back line in the 71st minute, but Dykstra came off of his line to cut down the angle. Dixon's shot hit Dykstra in the midsection and bounced away for a corner kick.

D.C. United began to pressure the Rhinos goal with service into the box and shots from distance as the last twenty minutes of the match ran down. Boswell hit a shot from 35 yards in the 86th minute that dipped just over McCarthy's crossbar. Ultimately the United pressure failed to yield an equalizer for the defending champions. Substitute Chris Rolfe had a chance when his stoppage time free kick from 25 yards sailed over the goal. Kyle Porter took the final shot of the match from the top of the box late in stoppage time and shortly after

The result was the first time that the Rochester Rhinos defeated D.C. United in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Entering the match Rochester had been 1-10-4 versus Major League Soccer opponents since the Rhinos won the tournament in 1999.

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