Pioneers, Rhinos battle for chance to take on Revs

By: Sabin | June 25th, 2007

Open Cup Bracket
U.S. Open cup round 2 is upon us, and The MLS teams have been seeded. The Rochester Raging Rhinos (USL-1) are looking to increase their standings in the venerable competition, and at the same time, the Western Mass Pioneers (USL-2) are hoping to get the chance to move on to round three. The New England Revolution await whomever survives tonight’s game.

“The Western Mass Pioneers are very excited to have the opportunity to take on the Rhinos for the chance to host the Revolution in Round 3. We’re familiar with Rochester’s abilities and their tradition of playing well in the US Open Cup Tournament. It will take a huge effort to defeat a team of this caliber, but we welcome the challenge.” – GM Greg Kolodziey

It’s going to be a touch match for the Pioneers, as the Rhinos have appeared in the Open Cup every year since 1996, winning it once in 1999. The Pioneers for their part have appeared three times, making it as far as round three in 2005 (The Big Table).

Pioneers coach Tom D’agostino said, “Rochester is on a par with many MLS Teams. If you want to win something, you need to get past the best. We understand how difficult our match will be, but we look forward to the Challenge.” He added, “We have players that are capable of playing at a high level. If they are ready, it should be a good match.”

Both teams are looking to unseat the Revs, who have done all right for themselves in the competition, losing to LA Galaxy in 2001, and making it to the fourth round in 2003, 2004, and 2005.

Quotes from the Rochester Rhinos and the New England Revolution were not available in time for this post.

My thoughts? I would love to see an all-Massachusetts round three, but I know better. The Rhinos seem to take this competition very seriously, and have the home field advantage. I’ve seen them play, however, and remain unimpressed with their style. In the U.S., it’s all about the underdog, so I’m rooting for the Pioneers.

If you want to catch the game, head on over to usllive.com: watch the game for free. I’ll be there, and hoping for an upset of the one-horned devils from the north.