Rochester Rhinos News Release -- www.rhinossoccer.com
Monday, June 13, 2011
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Rochester Rhinos will take a break from league play on Tuesday night when they host Phoenix SC in the first round of U.S. Open Cup play. The match kicks off at 7:35 p.m. and season ticket holders should use their ticket marked Wild Card A.
The Rhinos return to Open Cup play for the 16th time in their history. Twice they have advanced to the final of the tournament, losing to D.C. United (3-0) in 1996 and defeating the Colorado Rapids (2-0) in 1999. They still remain the only team from outside Major League Soccer to capture the title since the inception of MLS in 1996.
Phoenix SC, an amateur team from Philadelphia, is currently the champion of Pennsylvania’s United Soccer League, the Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association’s Amateur Cup and EPSA Open Cup. The German Sport Club has been in existence for over 85 years, fielding a soccer team for the last fifty.
Rochester meanwhile enters the match with a 25-12-5 all-time mark in U.S. Open Cup play. The club is 8-0 against amateur teams in tournament play and is 13-1-1 all-time in its opening matches. The Rhinos have reached the quarterfinal round each of the last two seasons falling to Major League Soccer’s D.C. United and the Columbus Crew in 2009 and 2010 respectively.
Tickets for the U.S. Open Cup match are on sale at the Sahlen’s Stadium box office, by phone at (585) 454-KICK or online at www.ticketmaster.com.