2014 USL Pro Season Rochester Rhinos Roster Breakdown

Over the past five seasons, the Rhinos have used 25, 25, 24, 26, and 25 players on the roster. If the mathematics there are too tough, those figures average out to 25 players per season. Right now the team has 24 players listed on the roster for the 2014 season and is expecting another player on loan which would bring the total up to 25. While you may be aware that MLS rosters are capped at 30 players, USL Pro teams can only sign 26 players to senior contracts (with 4 slots available for academy players).

Here is that current roster broken down by position though several of the attacking midfielders can also moonlight as forwards depending on the formation and match situation.

Goalkeepers:
Brandon Miller - Backup to Kristian Nicht over the past two seasons
John McCarthy - Rookie out of LaSalle University who trained with Seattle Sounders in preseason
Luis Soffner - Second-year Revolution player on loan

Defenders:
Kyle Hoffer - USL Pro veteran who's played with Charleston Battery and VSI Tampa Bay FC Flames
Ayao Sossou - A left back with the mindset to get forward who previously played in Finland's third division
Pat McMahon - Played for Ljungskile SK, the Swedish club who bought Rhinos goalkeeper Alex Horwath earlier in the year
Jossimar Sanchez - Revolution loanee who can excel with the freedom to overlap typically given to Rochester fullbacks
Patrick Slogic - 6'6" central defender who may have gone in the MLS SuperDraft if not for the depth of quality at that position
Babacar Diallo - Senegalese central defender who has played professional in Turkey and Finland before coming to Rochester
Tony Walls - Former Chicago Fire fullback who has experience playing with JC Banks both in college and professional indoor

Midfielders:
Tyler Rosenlund - The first Canadian to score for Toronto FC who is entering his fifth season with the Rhinos in central midfield
Lance Rozeboom - Was drafted by DC United in 2012 but suffered an ACL injury, was a highlight of an otherwise abysmal 2013 Rhinos' campaign
Alec Sundly - 2014 draft pick by the Revs' on loan for the season who will probably deputize Rozeboom in a defensive midfield role
Mike Garzi - As a Hamilton College graduate it means a lot to congratulate another Colgate University standout, Garzi was a collegiate teammate of 2013 Rhinos winger Mike Reidy
Johnny Mendoza - Was promoted from the Orlando City U-23 to the full professional team and carved out his own place in a very talented midfield last season
JC Banks - Without revealing the depth of my man-crush for Banks, a former Toronto draft pick who trialed in Scandinavia before signing with Rochester in 2011, his form will affect the course of the team's season
Minh Vu - A two-year star at Penn State, Vu scored 3 goals in preseason and will be a crucial part of Rochester's attacking midfield
Steve Pinau - A graduate of AS Monaco's academy, who has played in France, Italy, Switzerland, and Scotland

Forwards:
Matt Luzunaris - Had a stellar 2012 season with Orlando but a gruesome leg-break cut short his 2013 campaign with the Rhinos
Onua Thomas Obasi - Former Connecticut FC Azul (PDL) attacker who has extensive experience playing futsal in his native England.
Samuel Petrone - Has played in a number of Scandinavian leagues including Leiknir Reykjavik where former Revolution/Rhinos forward Matt Horth signed for 2014
Alex Dixon - Former US youth international who had a quality season with Tampa Bay Rowdies on loan from the Houston Dyanmo
Pierre Omanga - Paris native who was drafted late by the Revs and despite not earning an MLS contract signed with the Rhinos for the 2014 season
Alex Dixon - Another former Dynamo forward who featured for the club in U.S. Open Cup and MLS Reserve League matches after being drafted in 2012

The remaining player that the Revolution will send on loan to Rochester is a crap-shoot at this point. The team looks pretty solidly constructed to play with advanced wingers, attacking fullbacks, at least one holding midfielder, and probably only one true center forward for the first half of matches.

The elusive fourth loanee, who TBM will undoubtedly speculate on and cover at a later date, will most likely depend more on the wishes of the Revolution than on the needs of the Rhinos. In his second stint with the club, Bob Lilley has assembled a quality squad for USL Pro and as a veteran coach with 13 years experience at this level he knows well what it takes to win in this league.