After kicking off the season with a pair of three-point results, Sacramento Republic FC look to continue their winning ways in South Texas as they travel to H-E-B Park for a Saturday night match with Rio Grande Valley FC. Prior to the match, get to know RGV FC Toros.
HEAD COACH
Over the past five years, Gerson Echeverry has served as the head coach of his alma mater, Seton Hall. During his playing days, Echeverry set himself apart in the men’s soccer program as one of the best to ever don the Pirate uniform. He’s enshrined in the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame and ranks third in school history with 32 assists as well as sixth in goals (41). During his 1991 campaign, he finished the season third in the nation with 52 points and earned numerous accolades such as Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championship, BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and a Third-Team All-American selection.
Echeverry played professionally for the MLS MetroStarts and D.C. United, as well as in Colombia’s Categoria Primera A, but eventually found his way back to Seton Hall, taking on the top assistant coaching role in 2002. He also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-17 Youth National Team and residency program under the Huston Dynamo’s head coach Wilmer Cabrera, as well as the U-16 Men’s National Team head coach during the Mondial Minimes International Tournament in France. The 46-year-old joins RGV FC this season, looking to turn around the 9-15-8 Toros record of 2017.
After kicking off the season with a pair of three-point results, Sacramento Republic FC look to continue their winning ways in South Texas as they travel to H-E-B Park for a Saturday night match with Rio Grande Valley FC. Prior to the match, get to know RGV FC Toros.
HEAD COACH
Over the past five years, Gerson Echeverry has served as the head coach of his alma mater, Seton Hall. During his playing days, Echeverry set himself apart in the men’s soccer program as one of the best to ever don the Pirate uniform. He’s enshrined in the Seton Hall Athletics Hall of Fame and ranks third in school history with 32 assists as well as sixth in goals (41). During his 1991 campaign, he finished the season third in the nation with 52 points and earned numerous accolades such as Most Outstanding Player of the BIG EAST Championship, BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and a Third-Team All-American selection.
Echeverry played professionally for the MLS MetroStarts and D.C. United, as well as in Colombia’s Categoria Primera A, but eventually found his way back to Seton Hall, taking on the top assistant coaching role in 2002. He also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Soccer Federation Under-17 Youth National Team and residency program under the Huston Dynamo’s head coach Wilmer Cabrera, as well as the U-16 Men’s National Team head coach during the Mondial Minimes International Tournament in France. The 46-year-old joins RGV FC this season, looking to turn around the 9-15-8 Toros record of 2017.
KEY PLAYERS
Returning none of the previous year’s goalkeepers, Rio Grande Valley will be heavily dependent on three-time NCAA Division I National Champion, Nico Corti. A key member of the Cardinal squad, Corti earned 23 starts between the posts as a senior for Stanford in 2017. He made 73 saves and conceded only nine goals–good for a 0.39 goals-against average—and played to a record of 19-2-2.
Defender Conor Donovan joins the Toros in 2018 via Orlando City SC. The former United States Youth international joined Orlando in 2015 on a Generation Adidas contract and played in 29 games with Orlando City B over the past two seasons. In 2017, Donovan made 15 starts, recorded 83 tackles and won 75 percent of them.
Over the past two seasons, Kai Greene has earned 50 caps on the RGV FC back line, scoring once and nabbing two assists during his tenure with the club. Greene also was called up in 2017, joining the Dynamo for two games during the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. However 2018 may be a year to keep an eye on the 24-year-old as he reunites with a friendly face. After playing his collegiate career at Seton Hall, Green will once again play under head coach Gerson Echeverry.
HOME PITCH
H-E-B Park has served as the home pitch for Rio Grande Valley FC since 2017. The soccer-specific stadium in Edinburg, Texas holds capacity crowds of 9,735 and hosts additional events such as concerts, international friendlies and festivals. The Toros inaugurated the stadium on March 22, 2017, hosting Liga MX side C.F. Monterrey in front of a sold out crowd.
2017 SEASON RECAP
Following a second place finish in their expansion season of 2016, the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros fell off steeply the following year. A 9-15-8 finish proved good enough for eleventh place in the Western Conference standings which prompted a subsequent coaching change. The Toros played to a respectable 4-3-1 through the end of May, but things began to break down through the mid-summer months. Following a 1-0 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on the first of July, Rio Grande Valley FC posted a 1-7-5 record over their next 13 matches. RGV FC won two in a row over the next two weeks–matching a season high–before falling in two of their final three games.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Rio Grande Valley FC Toros and Republic FC clashed three times during the 2017 season, resulting in a scoreless draw on June 3 and a 6-2 rout of the Toros at Papa Murphy’s Park June 21, prior to a Saturday night thriller in September. On September 9, the two teams battled scoreless through 68 minutes at H-E-B Park before Kyle Murphy put the Toros ahead 1-0 with 21 minutes to go. However, Villyan Bijev equalized from 14 yards out just three minutes later. The game remained knotted through five minutes of stoppage time before Carlos Rodríguez headed in the game winner off a set piece at 90+6’.
Saturday’s MATCH
Saturday’s match between Republic FC and Rio Grande Valley will kick off at 7:00 p.m. at H-E-B Park.
Watch Parties: Chandos's Cantina and Craft Beer Vault
Livestream: https://www.sacrepublicfc.com/matchday-guide or on the USL YouTube Channel
Updates will be provided via Twitter at @SacRepublicFC or using #RGVvSAC.
KEY PLAYERS
Returning none of the previous year’s goalkeepers, Rio Grande Valley will be heavily dependent on three-time NCAA Division I National Champion, Nico Corti. A key member of the Cardinal squad, Corti earned 23 starts between the posts as a senior for Stanford in 2017. He made 73 saves and conceded only nine goals–good for a 0.39 goals-against average—and played to a record of 19-2-2.
Defender Conor Donovan joins the Toros in 2018 via Orlando City SC. The former United States Youth international joined Orlando in 2015 on a Generation Adidas contract and played in 29 games with Orlando City B over the past two seasons. In 2017, Donovan made 15 starts, recorded 83 tackles and won 75 percent of them.
Over the past two seasons, Kai Greene has earned 50 caps on the RGV FC back line, scoring once and nabbing two assists during his tenure with the club. Greene also was called up in 2017, joining the Dynamo for two games during the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. However 2018 may be a year to keep an eye on the 24-year-old as he reunites with a friendly face. After playing his collegiate career at Seton Hall, Green will once again play under head coach Gerson Echeverry.
HOME PITCH
H-E-B Park has served as the home pitch for Rio Grande Valley FC since 2017. The soccer-specific stadium in Edinburg, Texas holds capacity crowds of 9,735 and hosts additional events such as concerts, international friendlies and festivals. The Toros inaugurated the stadium on March 22, 2017, hosting Liga MX side C.F. Monterrey in front of a sold out crowd.
2017 SEASON RECAP
Following a second place finish in their expansion season of 2016, the Rio Grande Valley FC Toros fell off steeply the following year. A 9-15-8 finish proved good enough for eleventh place in the Western Conference standings which prompted a subsequent coaching change. The Toros played to a respectable 4-3-1 through the end of May, but things began to break down through the mid-summer months. Following a 1-0 win over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC on the first of July, Rio Grande Valley FC posted a 1-7-5 record over their next 13 matches. RGV FC won two in a row over the next two weeks–matching a season high–before falling in two of their final three games.
LAST TIME THEY MET
Rio Grande Valley FC Toros and Republic FC clashed three times during the 2017 season, resulting in a scoreless draw on June 3 and a 6-2 rout of the Toros at Papa Murphy’s Park June 21, prior to a Saturday night thriller in September. On September 9, the two teams battled scoreless through 68 minutes at H-E-B Park before Kyle Murphy put the Toros ahead 1-0 with 21 minutes to go. However, Villyan Bijev equalized from 14 yards out just three minutes later. The game remained knotted through five minutes of stoppage time before Carlos Rodríguez headed in the game winner off a set piece at 90+6’.
Saturday’s MATCH
Saturday’s match between Republic FC and Rio Grande Valley will kick off at 7:00 p.m. at H-E-B Park.
Watch Parties: Chandos’s Cantina and Craft Beer Vault
Livestream: https://www.sacrepublicfc.com/matchday-guide or on the USL YouTube Channel
Updates will be provided via Twitter at @SacRepublicFC or using #RGVvSAC.