The Bull & Its Horns: Toros Stiffled By Los Dos

Calle Keeps It Close

Saturday’s match was one for Calle Brown’s resume. He stopped six shots in the first half, and very few of them were easy ones.

The Toros dominated possession, controlling the ball 60% of the match. Unfortunately, the edge in possession didn’t lead to an advantage in chances. LA Galaxy II outshot the hosts 12-8, and 9-2 on target.

Only one beat Calle Brown, and it was after a giveaway by the RGV backline. 16 year old Jonah Estrada knocked the shot home. It was a second frustrating result at home for the Toros against Los Dos. The first meeting they settled for a second half equalizer. This time, they didn’t come away with any of the points at home.

Ballin’ Bulls:

Dynamo Theory’s Man of the Match Calle Brown: This match would have been out of hand if not for Brown’s heroics. He made six saves in the first half

Camilo Monroy: The young Colombian was his active self for the Toros on Saturday. He forced an early yellow card, and continually tested the outside backs for LA.

Victor Garza: Constantly building into the attack, Garza created some of the best chances of the night for RGV.

Talkin’ Toros:

TJ Casner on playing in his home state California:

“For me personally, it's a fantastic throwback. I grew up playing in California and the weather is unbeatable. I also have local family and friends that come out to support during games, which definitely gives me a lift.”

The Good Guys: Rio Grande Valley Toros (5-5-2)

We often see the positives of the Toros’ hybrid affiliation with the Houston Dynamo. But in recent weeks, we’ve seen the other side. With the US Open Cup, Houston has handcuffed the RGVFC game-day roster. Charlie Ward, who played every second of match last year and the beginning of this season, hasn’t gone the full 90 minutes in the last three matches. Eric Bird, arguably the Toros’ early season MVP, didn’t play in the club’s last two matches. The good news is both players made their Dynamo debuts against North Carolina FC, but the USL side misses two of their stars. Unfortunately, the roster flux is not over. Houston plays Sporting KC in the Open Cup next week.

Camilo Monroy is back at the right time. His offensive explosiveness helps drive the attack. TJ Casner has also seen a rightful increase in minutes. Joe Holland has been a breath of fresh air in his loan stints as well. The club needs a more consistent scorer. Last year, Memo Rodriguez helped carry the scoring load with Bird and Ruben Luna. Rodriguez is still leading the squad in goals, but he’s only appeared in two matches. That’s not good.

The Bad Guys: Sacramento Republic FC (5-6-3)

Sacramento played to a scoreless draw with the Toros earlier this month. Since then, they’ve gone 1-1 in USL action. Their biggest result came in US Open Cup play when they defeated Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake 4-1.

The home support at Sacramento is among the top few in the USL. RGVFC will need to play a complete, inspired match to come away with points at Papa Murphy’s Park for a second time in June.

The Dirty Details:

RGVFC at Sacramento Republic FC

TONIGHT, watch it live at 10 pm CDT on ESPN 3 or the Watch ESPN App.