What happened to interest in the Rhinos

Oops Dixon to Jacksonville Armada, not Ottawa.

Here are the 10 signed for next year:
Humberto Fortes "Duba" dos Santos
Christian Volesky
Asani Samuels
Tony Walls
Kenardo Forbes
Marcos Ugarte
Grant Van de Casteele
Vassilis Apostolopoulos
Sean Totsch
Adam Grinwis

unsigned:
Onua Obasi, Drew Ruggles, Julian Ringhof, Christian Silva, Mike Garzi, Johnny Mendoza, Nate Bourdeau, and Colin Rolfe

 

USL takes control of the Rhinos:

http://www.thebentmusket.com/2016/1...of-rochester-rhinos-rob-clark-ousted-as-owner

 

Wow!

 

Rob was a nice guy, but I always got the clear feeling that soccer was not his business...sigh

 

http://www.uslsoccer.com/ViewArticle.dbml?ATCLID=210617690&DB_OEM_ID=32800

 

In the long term, this could be helpful. But I think that it will be difficult to get quality players to come with the unknown ownership situation.

 

So a league owned team like the Silverbacks 2015 ?

 

I would guess so, unless they can find a buyer. The MLS did this as well with some of the teams in the early years.

 

More details from Devo:
http://www.democratandchronicle.com...-rhinos-owner-usl-looking-new-owner/78316180/


Funny how all the new USL team owners follow the "Rochester Formula" to build interest in their team. In my mind the "Rochester Formula" equals put out all kinds of leaks or flat out statements to local media that this team despite playing in the mostly irrelevant minor leagues has Major League ambitions. Use these real or perceived Major League ambitions to drive support for a new facility where the team controls all revenue, possibly even garnering public funding for said stadium. Schedule friendlies with Major US and foreign based teams. Focus on success in Open Cup competition. Get higher level players to buy into a a lower contract for a team that could carry them to the "Majors". Use said players to achieve significant success in a lower league.

Some teams with legitimate resources and capabilities have been successful (Orlando), some have floundered (see Austin), some remain to be seen (Louisville, new Charlotte team, San Antonio - virtually all non-affiliated teams). Rochester had all the buzz in the early 2000's that helped drive attendances in a city starved for a sports team with national relevance (largest MSA in US without even a D1 NCAA team). Toronto, Seattle, Portland had TERRIBLE USL attendance without any links in those cities to a possible MLS move. It'll be interesting now to see how/if a new owner can create a sustainable business plan for lower division soccer success. Whatever it is, any success that comes of it will likely be followed by the next round of teams that fall through the MLS expansion filters.

I've followed prosoccer in the US since the early 90s - can you say Colorado Foxes? - and had some up close experience with the rise/fall of the Rhinos. I recall writing in the early 2000s that the only sustainable model for the lower divisions was to create a baseball style farm system where prospects for the "Big Club" and the US National teams could drive up local interest and perceived importance of the league. Search my BS.com posts from back in the day and you'll find my insistence on the importance of growing the base of the pro-soccer pyramid in US. While it's exciting to see the successes of new pro-soccer markets, I'm quite intrigued by how once proud soccer-cities like Rochester, Chicago, DC can return to their "glory days".

 

http://www.democratandchronicle.com...ship-could-exactly-jolt-rhinos-need/78359178/

I hope they keep the bar that high for whoever is up next for the Rhinos, and it doesn’t appear the USL is going to abandon the Rhinos if a new owner can’t be found quickly. The league doesn’t want to lose one of its flagship franchises. But it's time to stop putting Band-Aids on pro soccer in Rochester.

 

I really hope they find someone with the drive and money to turn this around. With the city behind the project maybe they can take additional steps to better the area around the stadium. (they have already gotten started on revamping 48 households in the neighborhood, which is great) i personally dont care, as i was at every match this season but i know others do care.

 

Colin Rolfe is now with Real Monarchs. Darn, I liked him.

 

i liked him, but wont miss him...with volesky, dos santos and Samuel's are all better if not the same as colin.

 

Mendoza is gone to Orlando.

 

Obasi gone too....leaves for Ottawa FC

 

Doesn't look like the Rhinos will be league owned for very long.

http://www.uslsoccer.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=32800&ATCLID=210639086

 

yes he is returning! ive herd the key players they have lost was because they were signed for triple they made with the rhinos. pat mcmanon cashed in with cinci because they wanted a USL champion on their squad, so cinci way overpaid for him. im confident lilley will find someone better for cheaper.

if just about offical the rhinos will be owned by dworkin family and put a lot of money into the team. we will have by far the best facilities in USL soon.

 

Lilley is now in his second year of a three year contract.

 

I'm glad the Rhinos will continue to operate. If they had not been able to make the field a year after winning the USL Championship, that would really have sucked for Rochester.

 

well the lease has been approved...that was the 1st step in the process:

http://www.uslsoccer.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=32800&ATCLID=210649173

 

Very interesting interview with Pat Ercoli. Lots of background information about the early years and the behind the scenes deals with Lamar Hunt and KC moving to Rochester.

 

https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2020...ter-group-submits-application-to-join-league/

NISA EXPANSION: Sources: Rochester group submits application to join league
Nov 11, 2020

 

I loved going to games at Frontier Field in the late 1990s. The Rhinos were such a cheap night of fun with the whole family. I hope the Rhinos come back sometime in the future.