EDINBURG, Texas (April 5, 2019) – Rio Grande Valley FC (0-3-1) will host the second home match of the season at H-E-B Park as they take on New Mexico United FC (2-0-3) in the first of three consecutive matches at home.
Coming into this home game the Toros are looking to take advantage of the familiar turf to earn their first victory of the season and give the fans a positive result on Saturday night. The last game was tough on the road as RGV FC suffered a close loss to the top team in the Western conference 1-2, Nico Lemoine being the lone scorer in the match.
Head coach Gerson Echeverry is well aware of their attacking antics and has prepared accordingly throughout the week to avoid surprises. “They have a lot of pace up front. Out wide they have some players that can hurt you, they have been able to score goals in every game and so that is always a concern especially with the fact that defensively we’ve had some different lineups so far and we have given up too many goals so that’s a huge concern for us.” He hopes to take care of possession and play smart on their home pitch, a message that has been resounding early in the season to help avoid defensive mishaps. Controlling the pace was made evident when he commented on executing; “So, we need to make sure that we are the front runners, that we are the ones that are dictating the pace and make sure that they are defending more than they can attack us.”
Newcomer to the USL Championship League, New Mexico has looked strong offensively but has drawn on three occasions which gives a glimmer of hope to any team they face, indicating they can be defeated if they are pressured enough on defense. The Toros do a fine job of pressing and keeping the opponent on their toes so taking advantage of any small window may result in a goal for RGV on Superheroes Night at H-E-B Park.
Isidro Martinez has been efficient on the attack for the Toros, dishing out a few assists which have resulted in goals. He commented on the mentality and discipline needed to come out with a positive result; “Just try to stay positive, obviously, we have been lacking on goals so just trying to score more than we have these past games. We just have to watch film over these next few days leading to the game and we will work through it.” He is a fresh face to the team, coming off of a good career in the NCAA level. Martinez has fit in well for Echeverry and the staff and as a local he adds a spark of energy for the home fans to enjoy.
Houston Dynamo academy product, Nico Lemoine, understands the importance of home matches and the need for points to climb the standings; “Yeah, the next three games are going to be really important because they are at home and we need points, especially at home. I think just playing our style of play and keeping the ball, creating chances and defending as a unit is going to be what we need to focus on.” Being the lone scorer last match gives him a boost of confidence when attempting shots and hopefully that spreads to the rest of the attacking core as they look to put on a good show for the home faithful.
Kickoff is at 7:30 p.m. CST and will be available on ESPN+. Updates on the match will be provided via Twitter at @RGVFC or by following #SomosToros. To see more matchday information, visit https://www.rgvfc.com.
# SOMOS TOROS #
