Neither team could muster a goal on a cold, windy night.
VAUGHAN, ONTARIO – It was a cold, blustery night where chances were few and far between, as the Rochester Rhinos and Toronto FC 2 played to a 0-0 draw on Friday night.
TFC; like Bethlehem the week before, played a handful of players from their MLS roster, including 2016 MLS SuperDraft 9th-overall pick Tsubasa Endoh, plus Syracuse University products Sergio Camargo and Oyvind Alseth.
The Rhinos dominated the ball with 60% possession in the first half, and had the most dangerous chances of the match. Twenty minutes into the match on the fourth Rhinos corner in a 5-minute span, Kenardo Forbes found the head of Wal Fall who blasted it onto the center of the crossbar, where it was immediately cleared out. A short time later, Endoh had a free kick from about 25 yards that sailed over the crossbar.
The second half would have slightly more action, as both teams would have their chances. Rhinos goalkeeper Tomas Gomez was forced into action in the 72nd when Ben Spencer put his laces through one from the left side of the 18 that may have moved in the air. The ball was swiftly cleared.
The Rhinos certainly could have scored, but fantastic defense denied them the win. In the 75th minute off a corner, Joe Farrell headed the ball into the upper right corner of the goal, but it was cleared off the line by a TFC2 defender. In the 82nd minutec Bradley Kamdem Fewo got taken down on the left side of the box to win a free kick in a dangerous position. Forbes whipped a cross in that fell to Wal Fall, who put one on goal that was miraculously kick-saved by TFC II goalkeeper Angelo Cavalluzzo.
The game ended deadlocked, and both Rochester and Toronto would settle for the single point. The Rhinos move to 1-0-1 on the season, while TFC2 goes to 1-2-1.
The Rhinos complete their three-game road trip next Saturday, as they take on the Charleston Battery. Kickoff is at 7 pm from MUSC Health Stadium. The match will again be broadcast on USL Match Center and on YouTube.
The club’s home opener is on Saturday, April 22 when the defending USL Cup champion New York Red Bulls 2 visit Capelli Sport Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:05 pm.