Rochester prepares to play host to the Toronto FC 2 Saturday.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Rochester and Toronto FC 2 face each other in a USL Eastern Conference battle that could see the Rhinos move from 7th to 6th with a victory. Kickoff is set for 7:05 pm Saturday, with the match being presented by KeyBank.
$2 Bud, Bud Light and Shocktop Happy hour starts when the gates open at 5:45 pm. The first 2,500 fans in attendance will receive a Keybank cell phone wallet holder. Get your tickets here or you can catch the Rhinos live on the USL’s YouTube Channel.
Rochester currently is sitting somewhat comfortably in playoff position with 25 points and a 6-3-8 record. The Rhinos are unbeaten in their last four matches, but have only won one of those contests. This will be their final home match until Aug. 19.
TFC2 are sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference, having only taken 14 points from 18 matches. Their 3 victories are second-worst in the USL (3-10-5), with their only road win coming in their first match of the season – a 1-0 result over Phoenix Rising FC.
This is the second of three matchups between the two sides this season. The two teams shared a 0-0 draw at the Ontario Soccer Centre in Vaughan in the Rhinos second match of the season on a cold, windy night. They’ll return to Vaughan on Sept. 2.
In the 0-0 draw, TFC2 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.
Rhinos goalkeeper and 2016 USL Golden Glove winner Tomas Gomez leads the USL with 8 clean sheets in just 15 appearances. He has an impressive 0.60 GAA this season and is one of the best performers in the league. Jochen Graf and Wal Fall are tied for the team-lead with 4 goals.
TFC2 has split time between goalkeepers Angelo Cavalluzzo and Mark Pais this season. Cavalluzzo has had his share impressive matches including a 10-save USL Team of the Week performance against Louisville City FC, which included the USL Save of the Month. Cavalluzzo has started 10 matches, allowing 15 goals and recording 4 clean sheets, while Pais has allowed 12 goals in 8 appearances. Luca Uccello is the only multi-goal scorer for the Reds with 3 goals.
Rhinos defender Sergio Campbell will miss Wednesday’s match, as he is currently with the Jamaican National Team who will face the United States in the Gold Cup Final on Wednesday. Campbell appeared in Jamaica’s 1-0 upset of Mexico on Sunday night.