2009 First Round: Rhinos need PKs to put away shorthanded Riverhounds
Posted on 09. Jun, 2009 by in Recaps
Marina Auto Stadium - Rochester, N.Y.
Match reports: Democrat & Chronicle
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AET
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Tai Atieno (Ambersley) 90’+
Tai Atieno (PK miss) 118’
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22’ Tenywa Bonseu (Evans)
72’ Tenywa Bonseu (RED CARD)
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Rochester advance on penalties, 4-2
Penalty Summary
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Tai Atieno MISS – Crossbar
Kenny Bertz – GOAL
Andrew Gregor – GOAL
Mauricio Salas – GOAL
Tiger Fitzpatrick -GOAL
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GOAL – Ed Hayden
SAVED – Nathan Salsi
SAVED – Justin Evans
GOAL – Alan Brown
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Chances are, Tai Atieno will have nightmares of penalty kicks tonight.
The Rochester Rhinos of the USL First Division survived the upset bid of the Pittsburgh Riverhouds, the last place team in the USL Second Division, by escaping with a penalty kick victory after a 1-1 draw after extra time.
It was the third all-time Open Cup meeting between these two clubs and the second year in a row. Rochester beat Pittsburgh 2-1 back in 2000 when the Riverhounds were an A-League (USL First Division) team, and last year, the Rhinos were victorious by a score of 3-0. This year, it was a much more competitive match.
The Riverhounds struck first in the 22nd minute when former Rhino defender Tenywa Bonseu scored for the visitors. However, he ended up helping out his old club when he was sent off in the 72nd minute after fouling Tiger Fitzpatrick.
The Rhinos eventually took advantage of their extra man in second half stoppage time. Atieno was the hero temporarily as he scored from a Mike Ambersley corner kick moments before the final whistle.
It was in extra time that Atieno had his difficulties. In the 119th minute, Atieno stepped up to take a penalty kick that surly would give the Rhinos the win, only to see it hit the crossbar and the game went to a shootout to decide who would move on to the next round. This would be the first time in franchise history that an opening round opponent has taken the Rhinos to penalties.
Atieno was the first of Rochester’s penalty takers in the shootout, and once again failed to convert. However, his teammate Scott Vallow came to the rescue, saving two Riverhounds spot kicks to allow the Rhinos to advance to the Second Round.
The shootout win keeps Rochester’s streak of eight consecutive opening round victories. The club’s only opening round exit was in 2001 when they fell 1-0 to the Hershey Wildcats. Aside from that blemish on their record, they have qualified for every tournament since the franchise began in 1996 and have won the first game of each of those competitions 13 of 14 times.
LINEUPS
Pittsburgh: Danny Waltman; Nathan Salsi, Ed Hayden, Cody Bragg, Tenywa Bonseu; Niko Katic, Justin Evans, Tony Labudovski (Allen Brown 79), Jason Kutney (Chris Riley 112); Tommy Gray, Randolph Jerome (Joe Zewe 87) [not used: Zach Varga; --; Jeff Hughes; Bill Brindley, Sean Buckner]
Rochester: Scott Vallow; Kenney Bertz, Brent Sancho (Andrew Gregor 79), John Ball, Darren Kenton; Andrew Lorei, Johnny Menyongar (Tiger Fitzpatrick 45), Ze Roberto (Tai Atieno 45), Chris Nurse, Mike Ambersley; Mauricio Salles [not used: Tim Melia; Nano Short; Kwame Sarkodie]
Shots: PIT 7, ROC 24
Fouls: PIT 28, ROC 24
Corners: PIT 5, ROC 11
Saves: PIT 6, ROC 6
Offsides: PIT 1, ROC 2
Cautions
PIT: Bonseu 1, 72, Gray 29, Evans 36, Katic 48, Salsi 90, Riley 118
ROC: Bertz 57, Salles 67, Nurse 70
Ejections
PIT: Bonseu 72
Referees: Jason Krnac, Michael Farmer, Brian Miller, Bill Engel