2016 US Open Cup Preview Round 3: The Bhoys are not afraid of Rhinos

                           

               VS                                                       

2016 US Open Cup Round 3

                June 1st, 2016 at 7 p.m. ET-- Sahlen's Stadium; Rochester, NY

 Lansdowne midfielder Craig Purcell charging at the ball to perform an interception
during the game against Southie F.C on May 2nd. Hess Boys Photography

Lansdowne Bhoys F.C can brag about being the best amateur club in the country, reaching the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S Open Cup after upsetting semi-pro team Long Island Rough Riders and professional side Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

Next up for the Bhoys in the third round of the U.S Open Cup is Rochester Rhinos, the reigning champions of the United Soccer League and a club who had already won the competition in 1999--Lansdowne was only two years in the running then.

The Irish based club coach Austin Freil acknowledges the USL champions' capability but is reassured that his players won't back down from them.

"They're a very strong team, they're obviously a professional team," Friel told a reporter after his side's 2-0 win against NY Pancyprian Thursday night.

The Irishman later added: "Even though Rochester is the current USL champions, as I said, we will respect them but we don't fear them."

Friel's side is two division below the Rhinos as they play in the Cosmopolitan Soccer League. However they have numerous players who can play in the higher professional leagues. In fact, the Lansdowne keeper Abdoukarim Danso praised his teammates after the clean sheet Thursday.

"They're really, really, really good," Danso said, "trust me, this team can play in any level--all of them-- even our subs, they are really, really good."

Their captain Stephen Roche played professionally in Ireland with UCD Dublin in 2009-10. Coach Friel played for several teams in the top division in Northern Ireland. Striker Kendon Anderson represented Jamaica in the U20 FIFA World Cup.

Furthermore Thomas Wharf played for a first division collegiate team, University of Connecticut, and so on.

Striker Sikele Sylvester shared how optimistic he is of their first-rate roster against the Rhinos too last Thursday.

"We just have to work hard and play our best and just take our chances. We're going to get chances in that game for sure, I guarantee you that," Sylvester said.

The amateur's club goal is to clinch the USL in the next three years. Their past five seasons is a perfect picture of what a promoted team looks like: they finished first in the league for the last five seasons--going undefeated in two of them-- and they defeated teams from higher divisions in the U.S. Open Cup.

Knocking the USL champions out of the U.S Open Cup would be their loudest scream yet to show U.S Soccer how much they deserve to compete in the USL.

Rochester will be protecting a 24 home game unbeaten run. They sit in sixth place in the Eastern Region of the USL.

The Rhinos got eliminated in the fourth round last year by MLS side Philadelphia Union in penalties.


Rochester vs Lansdowne Stats:

• Rochester won the U.S Open Cup in 1999. Lansdowne was two years old then.
• This is Lansdowne's first appearance in the U.S Open Cup. The Rhinos participated in every single U.S Open Cup since 1996.
• The Rhinos defeated Southie F.C 7-0 in their only game of the tournament so far. Lansdowne beat Souhtie F.C 4-1 in the National Amateur Cup this season.
• Rochester is on a 24 home game unbeaten run at Sahlen's Stadium. Lansdowne played their two previous games in the tournament away from home, outscoring their opponents 4-1.

                       
                            Rhinos (1 game)              U.S Open Cup               Bhoys (2 games)
Goals conceded:          0                                                                               1
Goals scored:               7                                                                               4

Last five matches


Rochester Rhinos (D, L, W, D, W) 
5-28-16: Bethlehem Steel FC vs Rochester Rhinos 2-2
5-22-16: Rochester Rhinos vs Orlando City B 1-2 (@ Titan Soccer Complex)
5-18-16: Rochester Rhinos vs Southie FC 7-0
5-14-16: Charlotte Independence  vs Rochester Rhinos 0-0
5-6-16:   Charleston Battery vs Rochester Rhinos 2-3

Lansdowne Bhoys FC (W, W, W, W, W)
5-26-16: NY Pancyprian Freedom vs Lansdowne Bhoys 0-2
5-22-16: Everton FC Westchester Eagles vs Lansdowne Bhoys 1-5
5-18-16: Pittsburgh Riverhounds vs Lansdowne Bhoys 0-2
5-11-16: Long Island Rough Riders vs Lansdowne Bhoys 1-2
5-7-16:   Lansdowne Bhoys vs Manhattan Celtic 3-0

Lansdowne ends regular-season perfect, blanks NY Pancyprian 2-0

              

       0 ---vs ---2  

       

          

Lansdowne finish their season undefeated and at the summit of the Cosmopolitan Soccer League as they outplay NY Pancyprian in a brutal match through Daryl Kavanagh and Pat McCann's goals.

Lansdowne Bhoys are the regular-season champions for the third year in a row, defeating NY Pancyprian Freedoms 2-0 in a game that nearly turned into a brawl on several occasions Thursday night at St. John's Belson Stadium. 

Daryl Kavanagh's free header in the first half put the visiting side on top before Pat McCann sealed things off for them by burying his own rebound.

Lansdowne only conceded 10 goals the entire season, snatching eight clean sheets out of 16 games, which is their best defensive season in the past three years. Keeper Aboukarim Danso was over delighted by his teammates' capability.

 "They're really, really good," the Gambian said. "Trust me, this team can play at any level, all of them-- even our subs they're really, really good, They help me a lot."

The flow of the match was constantly interrupted by reckless challenges, which formed a crowd of angry and menacing players on the pitch from time to time.  

"Well, it's a top of the table clash, it's going to be physical, see what I mean," Lansdowne manager Austin Friel said after the game. "When you want to win your division, it's going to be physical so I'm very happy. That's just the way these game always are, they're always physical."

NY Pancyprian were close to score the first goal of the game on a couple of occasions shortly after 10 minutes of playing time as Tzoi Tsarkani fired a shot just over the bar after being set by Yannick Reyering. 

Chris Megaloudis whipped one from midfield two minutes later. Danso spilled the ball but the Pancyprian players failed to make the most of this glorious opportunity, firing a second-shot straight at Danso.

Coach Friel's side first tested the keeper in the 21st minute. Sean Kelly headed Sikele Sylvester's cross, forcing Nicholas Tarkany Jr. to stretch in order to keep the ball out of the net.

Just over ten minute later, Kelly was the one who struck the first blow of the ferocious game. The defender clipped Tsarkani after getting beat, forming a torrent roar by the Greek supporters around the stadium and the players on the pitch.

Five minutes before halftime, Sylvester quieted the erupted Pancyprian fans with a moment of brilliance. The Jamaican intercepted a Freedoms defender's pass in the attacking third before dribbling the ball down the wing, juking the defender twice then sending a pinpoint cross to Kavanagh.

A wide open Kavanagh headed Sylvester's cross in the bottom left corner of the net, giving the opposite keeper no chance to get a hand on it. 

"I like playing against them, it's a challenge," the assistman said about NY Pancyprian. Sylvester also spoke about his assist. "I intercepted the ball from the defender, then I took him on, then I beat him again, then I squared the ball, he [Kavanagh] just headed the ball. It was a great square and a brilliant header too."

The tension between the two sides did not cool off after the restart. A Pancyprian midfielder brought Conor Hunter down with a two-footed slide tackle at the hour mark, which was not acknowledged as a foul by the referee. As a result, Craig Purcell received a yellow card for arguing the non-call. 

In the midst of more vicious fouls from both teams, the Bhoys managed to put second one in the net in the 84th minute. Jimmy Nealis hit a voluptuous cross to a wide open McCan, who's first effort was denied by Tarkany Jr. 

The keeper failed to hold to the ball, sending it right back to McCann who made sure he hit the target that time.

Next up for the Irish based team is United Soccer League champions, Rochester Rhinos, in the U.S Open Cup Wednesday in Rochester.

"We're going to get chances in that game for sure," Sylvester said about the upcoming match-up. "I guarantee you that."

On the other hand, the Freedoms host Everton FC Westchester Eagles in the first round of the playoffs (date and time TBA).

Statistics

NY Pancyprian

Shots (on target): 12 (5)  

Fouls committed: 6

Corners: 4

Yellow Cards: 1

Red Cards: 0

Offsides: 1

Saves: 9

Lansdowne Bhoys

Shots (on target): 16 (10)  

Fouls committed: 12

Corners: 4

Yellow Cards: 3

Red Cards: 0

Offsides: 0

Saves: 9