ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The Rochester Rhinos’ offensive contributions have been well spread out this season in the early going, and the full lineup contributed once again Saturday at Capelli Sport Stadium. Wal Fall’s free kick in the opening half proved to be the winner during a lopsided 4-0 victory against the Charlotte Independence. In the second half, the Rhinos posted three more from Mike Garzi, Darius Madison and then Kenardo Forbes with a late penalty kick conversion. The Rhinos improve to 2-1-2 (8 points) while Charlotte falls to 1-2-2 (5 points).

Scoring:
27’ – ROC – Wal Fall
46’ – ROC – Mike Garzi (Christiano Francois)
52’ – ROC – Darius Madison (Christiano Francois)
85’ – ROC – Kenardo Forbes

Three Things That Mattered:

• 1. The Rhinos dictated much of Saturday’s play, and things truly came to fruition in the early stages of the second half. Christiano Francois set up both Mike Garzi’s and Darius Madison’s goals within the first seven minutes of the second half and broke the match open. The combination of his speed and his aggressive play to go at Charlotte’s defense created a number of holes to lead to the Rhinos’ scoring.

• 2. The goal of the match honors certainly have to go to Wal Fall, who tallied his second of the season in the 27th minute. Rochester earned a free kick just above the top of the 18-yard box, and Charlotte built a heavy wall to try and limit his options. The setup didn’t matter ultimately as Fall bent the ball around the wall and snuck his shot inside the far right post to tally what proved to be the game-winner.

• 3. Rochester’s point of attack was clear-cut – attack from the flanks. The Rhinos whipped in 26 crosses compared to Charlotte’s 11 as the host side had a stellar game plan on the attack. Charlotte ended up holding the brunt of the possession, but it was Rochester that made the most of its opportunities and showcased some strong flow to its game. The Rhinos also made sure that the Independence’s possession didn’t linger in Rochester’s defensive third as Charlotte was limited to just one shot on goal and five shots total.

USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Christiano Francois, Rochester Rhinos – With only a goal to show for the team’s efforts in the opening half, it was Francois’ creativity and setup play in the second half for the club’s second and third goals that put the match away.

Upcoming Games:
Rochester Rhinos at Saint Louis FC – May 6, 8:30 p.m. ET, Toyota Stadium – Saint Louis
Charlotte Independence vs. New York Red Bulls II – May 11, 7 p.m. ET, Eagle Field