With most clubs at or near the midway point of the USL First Division season, it is proving to be arguably the tightest race in the history of the league with only seven points separating last from third place. In a season of ups and downs for every team, former league powers Montreal and Rochester find themselves at the bottom of the table, but representative of how the season has transpired; the last-place Rhinos downed second-place Vancouver 3-1 Saturday in a dramatic match.
Fresh off their 1-0 victory in Toronto Tuesday against the MLS side in a Canadian Championship match, the Whitecaps went on the attack from the opening whistle in Rochester and scored just 10 seconds into the game when Justin Moose intercepted a pass and found Nicholas Addlery for the go-ahead strike.
Stunned from the opening goal, it took Rochester much of the first half to recover from the whiplash and regain control of the game. They would go into the break down 1-0. The Rhinos stole the Whitecaps playbook during the intermission and returned the favor with a goal 43 seconds into the second half when Luke Kreamalmeyer won the ball in the box and dropped it off to Ze Roberto, who buried a low shot from just outside the box inside the post. Newcomer Danny Earls would send a cross into the box in the 71st minute that would drop to the foot of Johnny Menyongar for a volley past Jay Nolley and the Rhino lead. Ze Roberto would seal the match with a second goal in the 89th minute.
The Rhinos moved back within a point of Puerto Rico and Montreal, who were tied for ninth.
