July 11, 2015 Toronto FC II--match report Toronto FC vs Rochester Rhinos (from rhinosoccer.com)

  
Rhinos News

Rhinos beat Toronto 2-0 - Unbeaten in 17 USL matches

By: Andrew Battisti
07/11/2015 5:28 PM - 

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.

MATCH SUMMARY

Rochester Rhinos: 
Brandon Miller GK; 
Vasilis Apostolopolous, Onua Obasi, Pat McMahon, Julian Ringhof; 
Marcos Ugarte (Alex Dixon 70’), Michael Garzi, Tony Walls (Sean Totsch 68’),............/
/........ Jonny Mendoza (Christian Volesky 89’), Kenardo Forbes (Timi Mulgrew 70’); 
Steevan Dos Santos (Colin Rolfe 81’);  

Subs not used: Adam Grinwis, Grant Van De Casteele

Toronto FC II: 
Alex Bono; 
Marcus Godinho, Emeka Ononye, Daniel Fabrizi (Clement Simonin 68’), Mark Anthony Kaye; 
Anthony Osorio (Marcos Nunes 66’), Liam Fraser, Luca Uccello, Malik Johnson (Stefan Vucovic 45’); 
Edwin Rivas (Kevin Timachy 66’), Massimo Mirabelli; 

Subs not used: Brogan Engbers, Gabriel Boakye, Skylar Thomas

Scoring: ROC 56’ Dos Santos (5) (Obasi 3); 58’ Mendoza (3) (Obasi 4)

Discipline: (Yellow Cards) Rochester: Dixon 82’, Volesky 90+’ Toronto: Fraser 75’

About the Rochester Rhinos

The Rochester Rhinos, the most successful soccer club in the United States and Canada outside of Major 
League Soccer, were founded in 1996 and currently play in the USL (United Soccer League). The Rhinos 
have appeared in eight finals and won four championships including the 1999 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup 
and three A-League Championships (1998, 2000, and 2001). In 2013, the New England Revolution became 
the official MLS affiliate of the Rochester Rhinos. All home matches are played in western New York's 
premier outdoor sport's facility, Sahlen's Stadium, located in downtown Rochester. For group and 
season tickets, visit www.rhinossoccer.com or call the Rochester Rhinos Ticket Department 
at (585) 454-KICK (5425).

For more information, please call Greg Stanton at (585) 454-5425 x137, or email gstanton@rhinossoccer.com. 

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