Toros travel to Tacoma to kick off 2019

It’s 2019 Toros Time!

Your RGV FC Toros will officially kick off the highly anticipated 2019 USL Championship season. They travel to the Pacific Northwest on Friday to take on Tacoma Defiance, the USL affiliate of Seattle Sounders FC.

The Good Guys: Rio Grande Valley FC Toros

For the first time in club history, we will have a manager returning for a second season as Gerson Echeverry leads the Toros into 2019. He brings back 2018 key contributors like Chuy Enriquez, Nico Corti, Kyle Adams, and Carlos Small and adds new talent like Maalique Foster and Carlos Viveros. As I type this, the rest of the roster is not finalized but should be later this week or even later today. It will almost surely include most of, if not all, of the the Houston Dynamo SuperDraft picks.

With some continuity, I think this could be a major bounce back year for RGV FC. Last season, they were staunch defensively but lacked attacking power. With a full season of Small, the addition of Foster, and the growth of Chuy, the offense could be fun to watch.

P.S. They also unveiled their new kits yesterday.

The Bad Guys: Tacoma Defiance

No, this is not an expansion side. Yes, the logo and new name are pretty awesome.

The artist formerly known as Seattle Sounders FC 2 will look to move past a disappointing 2018 USL season. They finished second bottom in the Western Conference last year and have not made the playoffs since 2015.

Azriel Gonzalez and Antonee Burke-Gilroy will be key factors in the attack and midfield again this season. Denso Ulysse was a breakout star on the backline last year, named to the USL All-League 2nd team. He led the club in interceptions and duels.

The Dirty Details

RGV FC at Tacoma Defiance

Friday, 3/8, at 9 PM CDT

Cheney Stadium

Your Weekly Dose of Eloise

Credit: Amy Elizabeth-Krebs Merk