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USL Sporting Kansas City II

Swope Park Rangers Fall 2-0 to First-Place Rio Grande Valley FC

September 3, 2016 - United Soccer League Championship (USL)
Sporting Kansas City II News Release


(September 3, 2016) - The Swope Park Rangers suffered a 2-0 defeat to USL Western Conference leaders Rio Grande Valley FC on Saturday night at Swope Soccer Village. Ruben Luna headed in the opener in the eighth minute before a second-half strike from TJ Casner saw the Rangers suffer their first defeat in four games.

The Rangers (10-10-6, 36 pts.) began on the front foot and threatened when Diego Rubio juked his way past a defender and whipped a cross in that narrowly evaded Emmanuel Appiah in the sixth minute.

Two minutes later, RGV (12-5-9, 45 pts.) took the lead. Memo Rodriguez curled in a corner kick that found in the middle of the box, and he headed home for his sixth goal in his last five games. The Toros would have the next chance of note in the 23rd minute, but Tim Melia was able to parry away Emilio Garcia's ferocious free kick.

Paulo Nagamura and Connor Hallisey each saw long-distance attempts go off target before Melia was again called upon to save a free kick - this time from TJ Casner. The two sides traded chances toward the end of the first half, with SPR's Ever Alvarado glancing a header wide and Luna unable to keep his shot on target with only Melia to beat at the other end.

The Rangers almost forced an own goal less than a minute into the second half when a low cross was turned behind, before Luna rattled the SPR crossbar after being found in the area by Casner.

SPR was afforded a golden opportunity to equalize in the 56th minute when Rubio was chopped down in the box by George Malki - resulting in a penalty kick. Nagamura stepped up but Callum Irving tipped his effort onto the post before Alvarado's follow-up came off the opposite post.

Rio Grande Valley doubled their lead in the 67th minute. After pouring forward on the break, Charlie Ward found Casner on the left side of the area, and he slotted his shot beyond Melia for his second goal of the season to make the score 2-0.

The Rangers almost found a way back into the game in the 75th minute, but substitute Mark Anthony Gonzalez was unable to convert Tyler Pasher's cross. As the clock ticked into the 90th minute, Melia produced a stunning stop down to his right to deny Dzenan Catic's close-range effort as the game finished 2-0, dropping the Rangers to 8-4-1 at home.

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