Tag Archives: Gustavo Zamudio

Rhinos Were Flat in 2-1 Home Loss to Harrisburg

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Disclaimer: I wrote this piece when I got home from the match Saturday night while I was still angry so it’s pretty critical of a lot of people.

Rochester Rhinos didn’t show up for the first half of Saturday’s game.  Kristian Nicht definitely earned his paycheck by coming up huge when the game opened up in the second half.  Looking at the tactical decisions, it seemed head coach Jesse Myers was managing the game from his armchair at home.  Meanwhile Lucky Mkosana stole the show scoring his second goal against Rochester in as many games and setting up the winner for Drew Yates.

Rhinos lined up in a 4-5-1 formation with a few headscratchers.  Because Drew Cost is still injured, Myers tried to use Earls in that playmaking midfield role.  You may remember Earls dropping deep in the center to receive the ball in the match against Philadelphia.  On paper this made a bit of sense but more importantly it allowed Michael Tanke to operate as a ball winner.  Tanke was constantly closing down opponents and putting his body on the line to make hard tackles.  This midfield tandem also freed up Tyler Rosenlund to push forward.

Because Earls moved into the center of the field, Quavas Kirk pushed up from defense to play right midfield.  Argentine defender Lucas Fernandez stepped into the backline with Tyler Bellamy, Troy Roberts, and Jack Traynor.  J.C. Banks was solid playing on the left side but Traynor’s fragility forced him to defend more than he was used to.  Tam McManus started the game as a lone forward but didn’t get any service and was forced to drop deep to receive the ball in midfield.

Saturday night’s match was very disappointing.  Rhinos were outplayed at home and didn’t do much to deserve anything from the match.  Were it not for a handful of highlight reel saves by Kristian Nicht, Rochester would have suffered a much more embarrassing scoreline.  Driving home with my girlfriend and two buddies, no one said much of anything.  Someone remarked that none of us had seen the Rhinos win a league game this season because we were all still at our respective colleges when the team beat Charlotte in early May.  In case it’s not apparent yet, this is unacceptable given how much talent this team has. Continue reading →

Rhinos Squeak by Dayton to Finish Their Road Trip A Perfect 3-0

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The Rhinos took advantage of a defensive blunder by the Dayton Dutch Lions to steal three points in a drab and dreary USL-Pro match on Saturday night.  Neither team really deserved to win this match, but J.C. Banks was on hand to capitalize on a truly dreadful back pass debacle.

The Rhinos started Kristian Nicht in goal; Quavas Kirk, George Kyriazis, Troy Roberts, and Jack Traynor in the back; Danny Earls on the right, J.C. Banks out left, Drew Cost and Tyler Rosenlund in the middle; with Tam McManus playing behind Graciano Brito.

The Dayton Dutch Lions ran out the same lineup they used in their previous two league matches. Matthew Williams; Gregory Preciado, Nixon Dias, Mettin Copier, and Shane Smith; Joel DeLass, Mikael McNamara, and Kyle Knotek; Gibson Bardsley, Gerrit-Jan Bartels, and Akeem Priestley.

In the first half, the Rhinos seemed to struggle with the advanced wing-play from Dayton’s wide forwards Gibson Bardsley and Akeem Priestley.  Rochester seemed content to sit back, soak up pressure and exploit counter attacks.  However, no counter attacks were forthcoming and the Dutch Lions could not put together a final ball.  In fact, both teams were spraying sloppy passes and slicing shots well wide of the goal in the first 45 minutes.  The referee’s whistle came as a relief for the spectators much more so than for the players of either side. Continue reading →

Rhinos Sign Zamudio and Defeat Colgate

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Gustavo Zamudio, with or without flowing locks, has just signed for the Rochester Rhinos

The Rhinos added Chilean central midfielder Gustavo Zamudio on Tuesday.  He adds a Latin American playmaking spark to the Rhinos midfield and I think he could be the “diamond in the rough” signing for the team this season.  The Rhinos midfield already includes tremendous talent out wide with J.C. Banks, a very versatile and talented Tyler Rosenlund, and a great partner who can martial the midfield in either Drew Cost and Michael Tanke.

“The first thing that impresses you about Gustavo is his technical ability. He’s very good on the ball,” Rhinos head coach Myers said. “After watching him play for a while you end up realizing how well he reads the game and how well he passes the ball. I inherited a hard working central midfield from Bob [Lilley], and I think Zamudio will complement that group very nicely with his technical flair and ability to get everyone involved.”

On Friday, the Rhinos played their third preseason match at home against Colgate University.  The game recap comes from the Rhinos’ press release on their website:

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A Look at Some of the Rhinos’ Trialists

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Former Rhino Danny Earls is among the players currently in camp

There is a frustrating lack of information about the players currently in camp with the  Rochester Rhinos.  On Sunday, the team played their first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in Pennsylvania.  Many of the first choice players did not feature while head coach Jesse Myers tried to figure out where to fit in certain players and which of the hopefuls would make the 2012 team.  I decided to investigate a bit about the players who do not currently have an announced contract with the Rhinos.

As of Sunday night the team has 2 goalkeepers, 5 defenders, 4 midfielders, and 5 forwards signed which adds up to 16 players under contract.  Last season the Rhinos finished the season with 26 players under contract [3 GK, 7 DF, 11 MF, and 5 FW] and the team had 24 players during the 2010 season [2 GK, 6 DF, 11 MF, and 5 FW].    We can expect between 7 and 10 more signings between now and the USL Pro roster freeze date (which has previously been the middle to the end of July), and based on past years, a majority of these signings should be midfielders.The starting line-up in a 4-5-1 formation for the Rhinos in their preseason friendly was: Joe Marino; Jack Traynor, George Kyliazis, Tyler Bellamy, Michael Tanke; Drew Cost, Gustavo Zamudio, Danny Earls, Pedro Rivas, Conor Chinn; Graciano Brito.

Of this squad, only goalkeeper Joe Marino, midfielder Drew Cost, defender Tyler Bellamy, and Michael Tanke featured for the club last season.  Also in the starting XI were newcomers Jack Traynor, Conor Chinn and Graciano Brito who have already been signed to the team.  Tanke has played as a central midfielder but saw minutes Sunday as a right back. Continue reading →