Rochester seeks to improve its playoff position with a win against the Battery.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester Rhinos clinched a playoff spot on Wednesday night with the results around the league. The 2015 USL Champions will have a chance to defend their title and head into the post season. Their opponent this Saturday, the Charleston Battery, did the same with their draw against the Richmond Kickers.
The Rhinos close out the season with a tough schedule, with three out of their four remaining games being against playoff bound teams. First up this weekend is the Charleston Battery who sits right above the Rhinos in sixth place. Followed by a home match verses the New York Red Bulls II who are leading the conference, and then again on the road to take on the currently fifth place Charlotte Independence. All three games are important for the 2015 Defending Champions.
Saturday’s match against Charleston will be broadcast live on the USL Match Center.
The Rhinos have struggled on the road in the latter half of this season. The team is on a seven game draw streak when away, not winning a match on the road since June 4. The team is 2-0-3 in their last five games. In the Rhinos last match against Wilmington, Coach Bob Lilley tinkered with the starting eleven and gave newcomers a chance to show their worth. It will be a surprise if he does it again when facing a strong team like Charleston.
Charleston is coming off a draw against Richmond, another top team in the Eastern Conference. The team is 1-1-3 in their last five matches and has seen six draws in their last ten games.
Follow the match on Twitter using #CHSvROC
The Rhinos faced Charleston very early on in the season back on May 6th when they came away with a 3-2 victory at home. It was a difficult match for the Rhinos who had took an early lead but let Charleston find the equalizer not once, but twice. A penalty kick off a handball on a shot by Steevan Dos Santos allowed the Rhinos to sneak away with a victory.
Rochester holds a 6-2-4 lead in the regular season series between the two teams.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 at MUSC Health Stadium.