Rio Grande Valley FC was the talk of the summer in the USL, and for good reason. The offense was scoring at a staggering clip, including 11 goals in a two-game stretch. The defense did not concede a goal for a 758-minute stretch, a USL record. Head Coach Wilmer Cabrera’s side was the toast of Texas and the league for a couple months, and RGV now enters its first postseason as a No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Toros without question are one of the more dangerous clubs in the postseason field as they continue writing an exciting first chapter.

2016 USL Playoffs: Quarterfinal matchup:
No. 2 Rio Grande Valley FC vs. No. 7 OKC Energy FC – Saturday, Oct. 1, 8:30 p.m. ET, Toro Stadium

2016 USL regular season:
Records:
Overall: 14-7-9 (51 points) | Home: 7-3-5 (26 points) | Road: 7-4-4 (25 points)

Goals For: 47 | Goals Against: 24

Leaders:
Goals: 1. Ruben Luna 7; 2. (tie) Eric Bird, Dzenan Catic, Emilio Garcia, Memo Rodriguez 6
Assists: 1. Memo Rodriguez 7; 2. T.J. Casner 5; 3. (tie) 3 tied with 3
Saves: 1. Callum Irving 39; 2. Devin Perales 25; 3. Calle Brown 21; 4. Tyler Deric 3

Clinched its postseason … Sept. 9; mathematically clinched following Real Monarchs SLC’s 2-0 loss against Orange County Blues FC

Defining moment: RGV’s back-to-back games against Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC in August certainly showcased how focused this first-year franchise is. The Toros’ 2-0 win at Switchbacks Stadium alone was a feat in of itself as RGV played well in the altitude and the defense continued its shutout streak. The gut check arose in the second leg at Toro Stadium on Aug. 27, when the Switchbacks’ Josh Suggs broke the Toros’ shutout streak and gave the visitors a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute. That setback lasted all of three minutes as Ruben Luna found an equalizer before halftime and then the winner midway through the second half for a 2-1 victory. All this came against a second-year Switchbacks side that has been through the regular-season and postseason rigors and was among those vying for a top seed in the Western Conference.

Three keys to a championship run:
1. Get Memo: RGV forward Memo Rodriguez has been, suffice to say, the player who finds himself in the middle of the attack more than anyone. He tallied a team-leading seven assists, was tied with three other players for second in goals with six and attempted more shots than anyone. The Houston Dynamo Homegrown has spent the past two years in the USL, but this is his first opportunity at some postseason minutes as he did not partake in the Charleston Battery’s playoff stint when he was on loan with the club in 2015. Rodriguez certainly is illustrative of the style that RGV plays as a whole, with an attack-minded attitude and willing to take some chances. The Toros should see plenty of other teammates following in Rodriguez’s footsteps, but it’s safe to say that this 20-year-old will be in the thick of the action.
2. Width in attack: T.J. Casner has pinpointed in the past the importance of keeping a wide style of play. As teams have gone up against the Toros, they have made the effort to maintain numbers in back to try and ward off RGV’s attacking pieces. Casner, who finished second on the team in assists with five, knows the recipe for success if that occurs will gravitate toward the flanks. Against weaker clubs such as Tulsa Roughnecks FC, RGV has exploited this to the fullest. Against the postseason opposition, it won’t be as simple, but the Toros have identified that an open-minded attacking approach will be essential depending on what the opponents are throwing at them.
3. Box-to-box composure: It really boils down to two strengths that lead to RGV’s defensive success – possession and box-to-box play. The Toros quite simply have demonstrated that they can cover more ground than most teams and can keep the ball in their possession with precision. As long as those two elements are in play for the brunt of a match, Wilmer Cabrera’s side certainly feels in control. 

QUOTABLE:
“We have the ball more than any other team. No matter who we play, we’re going to have it. It’s just determining what we’re going to do with it.” – Rio Grande Valley FC Midfielder T.J. Casner, as told to The Monitor