Rochester Rhinos Feature -- www.rhinossoccer.com
Thursday, March 15, 2012
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Rochester Rhinos took to the practice field officially for the first time on Thursday morning as new coach Jesse Myers opened training camp with the club’s opening game of the USL PRO season a month away. As the team begins its preparations for the new season, with the goal of lifting the USL PRO Championship at the end of it, here are five questions that will need to be answered in the upcoming weeks of camp.
How long will it take for the Rhinos high profile signing Kristian Nicht to settle into the goal and acclimate himself to life in American?
There is no doubt that new Head Coach Jesse Myers highest profile signing of the off-season – 6-foot-5 German goalkeeper Kristian Nicht – is a highly qualified, veteran professional. Nicht has extensive experience playing in the German Bundesliga with Alemannia Aachen, the Bundesliga.2 with Karlsruhe FC, and the Norwegian First Division with Viking FK.
However, having said all of that, the big German is not only spending his first week with the Rhinos this week. He is also spending his first week in the United States. After spending most of his first 29 years living in Western Europe, and the first eight years of his life living in East Germany, this will be Nicht’s first time in the western hemisphere. It’s a new culture, new primary language, new climate, new professional soccer atmosphere, and new club that may or may not take some time for him to adjust to – not to mention the jetlag that has to be associated with his trans-Atlantic journey that ended in the wee hours the morning on March 15th at Rochester International Airport.
Nicht came to the United States to play professional soccer at the highest level he is able, and came to Rochester to establish his professional reputation in this country. It will be interesting to see how long it takes him to acclimate himself to a new lifestyle on and off the pitch.
How much better can the Rhinos back four be this season?
Former Rhinos head coach Bob Lilley started constructing the current back four in 2010 when he signed center back and team captain Troy Roberts during the off-season. That same off-season he also discovered centre back Tyler Bellamy in the Rhinos 2010 Open Professional Tryouts. During the 2010 season the Rhinos finished third overall in goals conceded in the USSF Division-2 Pro League and won the regular season title.
In 2011 Lilley added right back Quavas Kirk to the back four. Kirk was a former star with the U17 U.S. Men’s National Team that played in the 2005 FIFA World Cup in Peru. He was a Project-40 signing with the Los Angeles Galaxy at 16 and appeared 33 times for the club. In Los Angeles, Kirk had the chance to play with current teammate Troy Roberts, USMNT legend Landon Donovan, and Enlgand international David Beckham. Kirk completed his MLS career with D.C. United in 2008 where he appeared in 10 matches. Last season the Rhinos finished first in the USL PRO in goals conceded at home and third overall.
Rhinos new Head Coach Jesse Myers has added two left backs to the mix with Jack Traynor and Michael Zaher signing this off-season. Zaher was a collegiate standout and captain at UCLA in college. He had a chance to play with the USMNT U18 team while he was in Westwood. Zaher was drafted by D.C. United out of college and he played on their 2008 U.S. Open Cup winning side. Zaher played 13 matches for DC United and the San Jose Earthquakes in 2009 before settling into the back four in Charleston for the past two seasons. Zaher, 26, is an experienced veteran of MLS and the USL who can attack out of the back - as evidenced by his two goals and one assist in USL PRO last season.
Jack Traynor comes to the Rhinos from the 2011 USL PRO champions, Orlando City. Traynor, a three-time All-Big East selection at Notre Dame, brings three years of professional experience after playing with AC St. Louis (USSFD2) in 2010 and Miami FC (USL1) in 2009. Traynor is another player who cannot only defend, but can also attack out of the back. He had two assists in 17 appearances with Orlando City last season.
With two proven, veteran professionals, who can also attack out of the back, now anchoring the left flank for the Rhinos, can their defensive record be even better than it’s been over the past two seasons?
What will we learn about new Rhinos Head Coach Jesse Myers and his style of play?
One of the most interesting elements of the past twenty years in world of soccer has been the numbers game. It’s not just playing a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3 anymore. Now, tactics are analyzed to the point where a 4-4-2 formation is broken down to a 4-4-1-1, or a 2-3-3-2, or some other variation of numbers that places more emphasis on the players’ positions then their overall talent level and how they play the game.
The mystique of the Rhinos in the late 1990’s was built on a dominant defense and prolific goal scorers. From Doug Miller’s hat trick to open Frontier Field in 1996, to Darren Tilley’s hat trick at Frontier Field to win the Rhinos’ first championship in 1998, to Onandi Lowe’s torrid final in 2000, the Rhinos history and tradition were built on goal scoring and goal scorers.
The last Rhino to finish the regular season with a double-digit goal tally was Johnny Menyonger in 2009. The Rhino before that was Doug Miller in 2003. The Rhinos last hat trick was scored by Kirk Wilson in 2005. It’s been a while since the Rhinos have had a dominant goal scorer or a high profile attack.
Myers has brought back the promising Isaac Kissi as well as young veteran Andrew Hoxie. He’s also signed Scottish veteran Tam McManus, and potential packed youngsters Conor Chinn and Graciano Brito. Myers’ goal this preseason will not just be to find the right numbers game in his formation. It is also going to be to find the combination of midfielders who can create quality chances as well as the front runner or front runners who can finish them.
How will new Scottish signing Tam McManus, perhaps the Rhinos second most high profile signing this off-season, fit into the Rochester attack?
The good news for Rhinos new Head Coach Jesse Myers is that Tam McManus is returning to the American game this season. McManus appeared 20 times for the Colorado Rapids and scored seven goals for the club in 2008. Those stats certainly seem to prove that McManus arrives in Rochester having already once acclimated himself to the American style of play.
The most interesting aspect of watching McManus this preseason will be to see how he fits into the USL. Head coach Jesse Myers is a 17-year veteran of the USL with the Richmond Kickers. The other four front runners on his roster measure 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 and 6-4. How the 5-foot-8 McManus, a veteran of over 100 matches in the Scottish Premier League with Hibernian, fits into the Rhinos attack will surely be something worth monitoring in their six friendlies this spring.
Will more midfielders emerge from Rhinos training camp?
The Rhinos started training camp with only four midfielders on their roster. All four will be familiar faces to Rhinos fans as they are all returning from last year’s squad. 2011 Rhinos MVP Tyler Rosenlund, 2011 Rhinos Rookie of the Year JC Banks, Drew Cost, and Michael Tanke all earned valuable experience over the past season or two under Bob Lilley.
However, it would seem that with a grueling USL PRO schedule that often features two matches in three days every weekend, more signings from Myers are probably on the way.
With only 16 players announced on the roster and 22 players participating in the Rhinos first training session, perhaps help in the midfield is merely a couple days away from being signed.