May 9, 2015 Toronto FC II--Match report Rochester Rhinos vs Toronto FC II (from rhinossoccer.com)
Rhinos Defeat Toronto FC II in Stoppage Time 05/09/2015 9:49 PM - ROCHESTER, NY – The Rochester Rhinos defeated Toronto FC II 1:0 in Sahlen's Stadium on Saturday, May 9th 2015. Rhinos substitute Steevan Humberto Forbes dos Santos scored the match winning goal in stoppage time off of an assist from midfielder Kenardo Forbes. Rochester goalkeeper Brandon Miller made two saves to keep his fourth clean sheet of the season. With the result the Rhinos remain in first place in the USL Eastern Conference. The Rhinos controlled the first 15 minutes of the match and had two early chances to take the lead. Rochester midfielder Kenardo Forbes was fouled 40 yards out from the Toronto FC II goal in the 8th minute. After receiving treatment from head trainer Doug Graham, the match resumed with a free kick that the Rhinos played into the penalty area. The set piece found the head of center back Grant Van DeCasteele, but the former Colorado Rapids center back flashed his header over the cross bar. Five minutes later Rochester had an extended spell of possession in the Toronto FC II half of the field. Forbes created an opportunity in the penalty area by playing a one-two with captain Tony Walls down the right side of the penalty area. Forbes got to the end line before cutting the ball back and playing it to rookie striker Christian Volesky at the top right corner of the six yard box. However, Volesky could not hit the target with his shot and the match remained scoreless. The Rhinos continued to create chances during the first quarter of the match. Midfielder Jonny Mendoza played a corner kick past the far post in the 19th minute. Left back Onua Thomas Obasi kept the play alive at the far post by knocking the loose ball back in toward the six yard box, but striker Colin Rolfe could not get an effort on goal in a crowded penalty area. Four minutes later Obasi and Mendoza combined to create create space down the left flank and get service into the box, but Rolfe could not keep his header down. Toronto FC II striker Jordan Hamilton gave the Rhinos a warning in the 26th minute when he dribbled into the Rochester penalty area before center back Vassilios Apostolopoulos ended the threat with a tackle near the penalty spot. One minute later Raheem Edwards took the first Toronto FC II shot of the match from 25 yards out, but it ended up hit right at Rhinos goalkeeper Brandon Miller. Van DeCasteele got on the end of another Mendoza corner kick in the 31st minute. This time the 6'2” center back got his header on target, but a Toronto FC II defender covering the near post cleared the ball off of the goal line. Inclement weather struck in the 40th minute, and the match entered a 63 minute delay for lightning in the area of Sahlen's Stadium. Play resumed at 8:55PM. Rochester re-started the match with the fury of a mid-summer thunderstorm and created three chances in the last five minutes of the first half. In the 42nd minute Mendoza clipped a ball in over the back four of Toronto FC II that Rolfe was able to run on to. Former Syracuse University goalkeeping product and 2015 Toronto FC SuperDraft pick Alex Bono was quickly off of his goal line to put Rolfe under pressure. Rolfe tried to chip the ball over the on-rushing goalkeeper, but Bono was able to parry the ball away. Bono's rebound fell to Forbes 30 yards out, and the Jamaican struck a half volley that blazed over the visitor's goal. Rochester had the last chance of the first half when Rolfe knocked down a ball into the path of an on-rushing Mendoza, and the Rhinos midfielder struck a shot from distance that went straight to Bono. Rochester held the half time advantage in shots by a margin of nine to two, and the home side forced Bono into making three first half saves. However, the Rhinos entered halftime in a scoreless draw for the fourth time in their first eight matches of the 2015 season. As thunder and lightning circled Sahlen's Stadium to start the second half, play got off to a cracking start on the field as well. Toronto FC II gave Rochester a warning when center back Adam Rouchard flashed a header just wide of Miller's goal on a free kick in the 48th minute. One minute later Hamilton got in behind the Rhinos back four on a break away, but Miller came smartly off of his line, out-waited the young Toronto FC prospect, and smothered the ball at Hamilton's feet to extinguish the threat. Rochester responded with a free kick after Edwards was booked for a foul on Jonny Mendoza on the right flank. Mendoza bent a ball into the box from the spot of the foul 35 yards out. Once again Obasi got on the end of the service outside the far post and knocked the ball back into the danger area with his first touch. Forbes was first to the loose ball, but his acrobatic volley just missed. Play slowed significantly over the next 15 minutes as Toronto FC II head coach Jason Bent and Rochester Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley took nearly every stoppage in play as an opportunity to introduce one of their five allowed substitutes. The visitors had a chance in the 73rd that could have ended the match if not for an intervention from Miller. Mo Babouli eluded Forbes 30 yards out from the Rhinos goal, and then accelerated towards the home side's penalty area. The Rhinos held their restraining line at the top of the 18, and Apostolopoulos made a tackle at the top of the box. However, the loose ball fell directly into the path of substitute Edwin Rivas who was in on goal. Miller remained patient as Rivas dribbled towards him and managed to just deflect Rivas shot around the far post. Miller was quickly off his line on the ensuing corner kick to extinguish the visitor's threat. The pace of the match fizzled towards the end of the 90 minutes as the first match of the season to be played in heat and humidity took its toll on both teams. The Rhinos appeared to have the final chance of the match in the 84th minute when Forbes played a ball into the Toronto FC II penalty area. The visitors dealt with the cross, but their clearance only went as far as Mendoza 30 yards out. The second year midfielder shot the ball from distance, but his effort sailed over the crossbar. The clock at Sahlen's Stadium stopped at the 90 minute mark, but head referee David Mon added four minutes of stoppage time after he issued a second yellow card to Babouli and sent him off. The Rhinos used the extra time to win their sixth match of the season. The scoring sequence began when Obasi played a long diagonal ball from the left flank to Forbes on the right flank. After playing a one-two combination with right back Pat McMahon, Forbes took the ball down the right flank to the end line, and picked out dos Santos run in the box with his cross. Dos Santos connected with a header from seven yards out and slotted it into the far post for the match winner. The first place Rhinos next USL match in Sahlen's Stadium will be Saturday, May 30th 2015 with a 7:05PM kickoff against arch rival FC Montreal. Rochester Rhinos season tickets, flex packages, group sales tickets, and individual match tickets are currently on sale and 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.
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