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GAMEDAY REPORT: Toros Upend Bold FC, Take First Win of Season

By NICHOLAS MURRAY - nicholas.murray@uslsoccer.com, 09/30/20, 11:22PM EDT

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Rio Grande Valley earns 2-0 win to put major dent into Austin’s postseason hopes

EDINBURG, Texas – Rio Grande Valley FC claimed its first victory of the season and put a major dent in the postseason hopes of Austin Bold FC after a 1-0 win at H-E-B Park on Wednesday night. The defeat left Bold FC three points behind FC Tulsa for second place in Group B, with Tulsa having claimed victory earlier in the night against OKC Energy FC.

Returning to action on their home turf, the Toros had the first look at goal in the 15th minute as Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. fired a shot that was comfortably saved by Bold FC goalkeeper Diego Restrepo. The hosts threatened again 11 minutes later as Juan Azócar tried to curl a finish from the right side of the penalty area into the top-right corner of the net, only for Restrepo to punch it behind.

The Toros found their breakthrough four minutes before halftime as a free kick from the left channel by Isidro Martinez was met by a header from Kyle Edwards, who just beat Restrepo to the ball as the two collided as the ball found its way into the back of the net.

Austin almost leveled in first-half stoppage time as Ema Twumasi’s shot from 20 yards clipped the heel Toros defender Carter Manley and hit the crossbar before going high into the air. Austin was able to recover possession, but the Toros withstood the remainder of the attack and was able to clear and remain ahead.

The Toros then came out brightly to start the second half, and almost added a second 11 minutes after the break. A long effort to the left corner by Martinez was parried by Restrepo, but the rebound fell to Obregon, who tried to set up Edwards for his second only for Austin’s Jermaine Taylor to get enough of the ball to allow Restrepo to gather. Austin pressed for an equalizer as the half went on, and almost found one with 19 minutes to go as first a low cross by Sean McFarlane couldn’t be put home by Twumasi, and then after Billy Forbes had retrieved the ball on the left his deflected cross came to Alasanne Ates Diouf, who fired over the crossbar.

As Bold FC pushed numbers forward in the late going, though, the visitors were always susceptible to the counterattack, and the Toros created a counterattack in second-half stoppage time that resulted in Jonathan Jimenez being upended in the Austin penalty area. Obregon stepped up to the spot and fired into the top-left corner to seal all three points and get the Toros into the win column for the first time in 2020.

USLChampionship.com Man of the Match

Juan Carlos Obregon Jr., Rio Grande Valley FC – Obregon scored the late insurance goal to add to a good overall performance that saw him record four shots total and complete 22 of 29 passes in the game.

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