Lead Up to the Match: The trip to Rochester was a messy one thanks to some extremely wet weather. Once I got to the city, the weather cleared and looked to be perfect for playing soccer. After finding the stadium, I tracked back to Nick Tahou's for a pre-game Garbage Plate dinner. If you find yourself in Rochester, make sure you stop there and try one.
Sahlen's Stadium: I really like Sahlen's Stadium, the home of the Rhinos. It is just on the outskirts of Rochester tucked within an urban neighborhood on Oak Street. Parking was very easy since the secured lots were directly next to the stadium, ensuring fans a short walk. The game day staff was extremely friendly and helpful, directing me to Will Call for my tickets and checking me in to my seats. The stadium itself is tremendous sight, highlighted by the green and yellow stadium seats and the large scoreboard that towered over the Oak Street end of the stadium. The Oak Street end also had an open area where fans found in game activities, food and drink stands, and the souvenir shop. My seats were in Section 126, which was on the center line of the pitch. Behind the stands sat more food vendors, who offered a wide variety of local and tasty eats, including pulled pork, Salhen's Hot Dogs, Deep Fried Oreos, and Deep Fried Pickles.
The Match: After taking my seats, I was excited for the start of the match. The only question I had was if and when Forbes would play for the Rhinos. The other question I had was why a lot of people around me gave me questioning looks. That answer was mainly because I was wearing my Silver Knights jersey. Hey, I was there to cheer on Forbes and the Rhinos, so no harm no foul. Unfortunately, Forbes would not start for Rochester but would be available to come on as a sub. The teams were introduced and made their way onto the field through the Rhino inflatable head on the Oak Street side being led by Rex the Rhino. As the anthems were played, the sky opened up and down came an intense rainfall. My back got soaked thanks to shielding my girlfriend with the umbrella (she joined me for the game, also being a loyal Knights fan.) However, the rain passed by the time kickoff happened, allowing the thousands of fans to re-emerge from under the stands and get back to their seats.
Rochester wore their white kits while Montreal donned their blue kits. I really love the Rhinos jerseys for this season, they even have the 20th Season logo on the back under the numbers. The action on the field got intense. Within the first minutes, the Rhinos were threatening to score early and often. After the Rhinos picked up a yellow card, they shook it off and scored what would be the only goal of the game in the eighth minute. dos Santos was credited with the Rhinos' goal, which put the home side up 1-0. The rest of the game went scoreless, but was dominated by the Rhinos. I would have to say possession favored the Rhinos by nearly 75% for the entire game. The Rhinos keeper was hardly tested, giving him the easy shut out. Montreal was weak in the first half but were a bit stronger in the second, even went they went a man down after a red card forced one of their players to the showers early. However, they never made a real run at the Rhinos. Forbes did come on in the last minutes as a sub for dos Santos and helped Rochester keep the ball in Montreal's end until the final whistle blew. Final score: Rhinos 1 Impact 0.
The Fans: The Rhinos have great fans who really know how to get loud. They have two support groups who were always chanting and dancing for the team. When the team scored and when the game ended, they even set off green and yellow smoke in celebration. Very cool. I also like how all the fans stomped before Rhino corner kick, signifying a charging pack of Rhinos.
After the Match: Once the game was final, fans were invited on to the field to meet the team. I saw this as an opportunity to meet Forbes and talk to him about playing for the Rhinos and Silver Knights. As I approached him on the field, he smiled when he saw I was wearing a Knight's jersey. I congratulated him for another win and excellent game as we posed for a picture. I asked him what it is like playing for Rochester now and then going to a rival team in Syracuse for the indoor season. His answer, soccer is soccer. Great answer. Good to see a true love for the game and his fans from both cities (even though the two cities' fans don't exactly see eye to eye concerning the MASL.) I also mentioned that it must be cool playing for the team in which his coach on the Knights, Tommy Tanner, became a legend playing for. He smiled with that one.
Overall, this was a great experience. It was fun and exciting. The Rhinos are a great organization with great players and fans. I can see why they haven't lost yet this season. I will be attending another game in the near future, no doubt.
Before the summer season is over, I plan on attending more matches that involve players on the Silver Knights. This includes seeing Great Binghamton FC, who have Bo Jelovac and Domenico Vitale, and AFC Cleveland Royals, who have Antonio Manfut on their roster. Of course, I will be documenting my experience right here so stay tuned!
Thanks/Credits:
http://rhinossoccer.com/news/?article_id=702