Rio Grande Valley start the game tonight in 10th position in the Western Conference on 12 points, 1 point and 5 places ahead of Rising in 15th. Both teams have played 9 games.
Rising won this fixture 1-0 in 2018, thanks to a 61st minute Solo Asante goal. They also shared the spoils in a 0-0 draw in Texas.
Ten of RGV’s 15-goal tally this season have been scored after the 75th minute, including seven of their nine goals scored on the road. In their last three road games at Tulsa, Los Dos, and Timbers 2, they were most lethal inside or around the 6-yard box.
Six of the ten goals RGV have conceded on the road have been scored in the second half.
Favoring a direct style of play, they generally concede possession to their opponents, and have set up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in three of their five road games this season,
Last Time Out
RGV’s last game was a 2-1 victory away to Portland Timbers 2 on April 30. They did not play last weekend.
Tyler Deric was in goal for RGV in Oregon. He’s featured the most in goal this season, but has still played less than half of the team’s games. Deric currently has a save success ratio of 50%, and has conceded seven goals in four games in 2019. He’s previously played over 80 MLS games for parent club Houston Dynamo, but also misses a lot of games through injuries. Deric was indefinitely suspended by MLS ahead of the 2017 playoffs, after being arrested for allegedly headbutting his girlfriend. He was later reinstated after making a plea agreement.
Andrew Samuels started out at right back against Timbers 2. A recent graduate of the University of Maryland, Samuels was selected 33rd overall by Dynamo in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, before moving to their Toros. Confident in the air, Samuels has won over 70% of aerial duels this season. He captained the University of Maryland to the 2018 National Championship.
On the other side of the pitch, Robert Coronado also recently signed from college, albeit undrafted. Coronado leads the team in interceptions (14), but is not as strong as Samuels in the air, winning only 37.5% of aerial duels. He’s also less likely to push forward during the game, averaging one cross attempt per match. Coronado’s former clubs include FC Golden State Force and Orange County U-23.
Kevin Garcia started at centre half in Oregon. Currently on loan from Houston Dynamo, Garcia originally signed for RGV in 2016, being moving up to the parent club. An impressive performer in his two USL appearances this season, Garcia has won 80% of duels on the ground and in the air. He’s also joint-second on the team in clearances (13). Garcia was originally drafted by New England Revolution in 2012, but went unsigned. He then played in Sweden and Ireland, before moving to Texas in 2016.
New Zealand-born Kyle Adams played alongside Garcia against Timbers 2, and captained the side. Adams is in his second season with RGV, joining the Toros from San Diego State University. A safety first defender, Adams has featured in 8 games in 2019 and leads the team in clearances (31). He’s well-known to Rising Coach Rick Schantz, having played under him at FC Tucson in 2016.
Another RGV player with Arizona connections is midfielder Romilio Hernández. The El Salvadorian was part of Rising’s 2017 squad, before joining RGV at the start of the 2018 season. Hernández averages around 35 passes every 90 minutes, and scored his first ever USL goal this season – a 79th minute right footed strike away to El Paso in March. He has previously featured in El Salvador’s U-20 squad.
Alongside him in Oregon was Isidro Martinez. RGV’s only ever-present this season, he completes on average only 40 passes per 90 minutes due to the Toros’ direct style of play. Nevertheless, when he does get the ball, Martinez is dangerous, leading the team with 20 key passes. This is Martinez’s first season with RGV. A Texas native, he previously played 70 games for local college UTRGV.
Maalique Foster, reportedly known as ‘the Jamaican Messi’ after his time at Portmore United, featured on the right wing against Timbers 2. Currently on loan to RGV from Costa Rican side Alajuelense, Foster has made six starts in 2019, and bagged one goal – a 79th minute right-footed strike in a 5-2 demolition of LV Lights. He’s already recorded 14 key passes for RGV, which suggests he is a threat. However, he is not so strong in the air, winning just 12.5% of his aerial duels to date. Foster has been capped by Jamaica, and scored the equaliser in a 2-2 draw with South Korea in January 2018.
Robert Castellanos replaced Foster in the final minute in Oregon. A graduate of the Club Atlas youth academy in Guadalajara, Castellanos is in his second year with RGV after featuring for Los Dos in 2017. The former American U-20 international has only started two matches in 2019, but has appeared in five. When he is on the pitch, Castellanos sees a fair bit more of the ball than most of his teammates, averaging 62.6 passes per 90 minutes.
Jesús Enríquez played on the opposite flank against Timbers 2. He is also in his second season with RGV, signing from Club Tijuana after he had failed to break into the Mexican club’s first team. He’s scored twice so far this season – one with his left foot, and one with his head. The 22-year-old is also the most likely player to draw a foul (15).
Wilmer Cabrera Jr played just behind the RGV striker in Oregon and scored an early goal – his second of the season. Cabrera has featured in eight matches in 2019, but the 18-year-old has still to clock up a full 90 minutes. Surprisingly for a player in his position, he’s yet to pick up an assist. His father, Wílmer Cabrera Sr, is a former Colombian international and the current head coach of RGV’s parent club, Houston Dynamo.
Nico Lemoine replaced Cabrera in the 72nd minute. It was the 19-year-old’s fifth appearance this season. Part of Dynamo’s academy, he has one professional goal to his name, scored against Tulsa in a 2-1 loss back in late March.
Belize international Michael Salazar was RGV’s man up top in their last game. Nicknamed the Belizean Beast, he has four goals this season – that’s one every 95 minutes of play, all scored with his right foot. Current top scorer for the Toros, the key to handling Salazar is to put him under pressure. He has won only 30% of duels, and only 23% of aerial duels. This is Salazar’s first season with RGV. He previously spent 3 seasons at Montreal Impact. Salazar was briefly on trial with fellow USL side Birmingham Legion back in February, but opted to sign for the Toros.
Salazar’s 76th minute replacement in Oregon, Carlos Small, also scored against Timbers 2. This is Small’s second season on loan at RGV from Panamanian side Árabe Unido. He’s currently on three goals in six appearances, building on his 5 in 15 for the Toros last season. Strangely for a striker, Small concedes more fouls (5) than he wins (1). He has been capped by, and scored for, the Panama national side. His two international goals were scored in a 5-0 friendly win against Grenada in 2017.
Rest of the Roster
RGV have played three goalkeepers in 2019 beside Deric. They are Michael Nelson (conceded four in two games), Nicolas Corti (conceded three in two games) and Ben Willis (conceded one in one game).
Fullback Sam Junqua made four starts earlier this season. A solid tackler who has won over half of his duels on the ground and in the air, Junqua is contracted to Dynamo. Picked 8th overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft (Dynamo’s top selection), Junqua previously played college football for the California Golden Bears.
Midfielder Camilo Monroy has appeared five times for RGV this season. He is something of a battler, winning his fair share of challenges. However, he often sees very little of the ball, completing on average 30 passes per 90 minutes. Monroy’s status with RGV is strange. This is his third season with the club, but he has been on loan to them every year. His parent club is Colombian side América de Cali.
Winger Kevin Rodriguez has made four appearances to date, two of them as starts. Still awaiting his first professional goal or assist, Rodriguez is fresh out of college. He spent four years playing for the Northern Illinois Huskies, and has also previously featured for PDL side Brazos Valley Cavalry. Rodriguez is another local player, hailing from Pasadena, Texas – part of the Houston metropolitan area.
From the Ashes Prediction: Rising to return to winning ways with a narrow victory in front of a boisterous home crowd.