Match Report | Rochester NY FC vs Cleveland SC
- Cleveland SC
- May 19
- 2 min read
Cleveland SC Falls 2-1 on the Road to Rochester NY FC
WEST HENRIETTA, NY — Cleveland SC suffered their first defeat of the 2025 NPSL season on Saturday evening, falling 2-1 to Rochester NY FC in a gritty Matchday 2 contest at the RNY FC Complex. Despite a determined second-half effort, Cleveland was unable to overturn a two-goal deficit created in the opening 30 minutes.
Rochester struck first with two quick goals by way of forward Alhadji Sidibe’s first half brace to lift the hosts to victory. The first goal came in the 21st minute, when midfielder Jameson Railey played Sidibe an assist that was slotted past goalkeeper Ryan Poling to open the scoring.
Seven minutes later in the 28th minute, Sidibe struck again. This time, the goal came off an assist from defender Brennan McDermott. The striker fired past Poling to double Rochester’s advantage and put Cleveland SC on their back foot.
Cleveland responded to the early deficit with urgency. In the 45th minute, defenseman Alexandru Rumleanschi scored his first goal of the season just before the halftime whistle. The strike halved the deficit and gave Cleveland momentum going into the break.
The second half was a back-and-forth battle with both sides trading possession and chances. Cleveland’s midfield worked tirelessly to regain control, while the back line limited further opportunities for the Rochester attack.
Cleveland pushed for an equalizer in the final minutes of the match, generating a handful of promising chances, but the breakthrough never came against a disciplined Rochester defense. The final whistle confirmed a hard-fought 2-1 result in favor of the hosts.
While the loss marks the first blemish on Cleveland SC’s 2025 record, head coach Joe Jovanovski’s squad showed resilience and composure after falling behind early. The defense locked in after the 28th minute, and the midfield began to assert more control as the match wore on.
Cleveland SC has 10 days of rest before turning their attention to in-state rivals Ambassadors FC Ohio, in a matchup on Wednesday, May, 28 at Malone University in Canton, OH. The Ambassadors are coming off a convincing 4-0 win over Syracuse FC and with valuable points on the line, the midweek matchup will be crucial as the Great Lakes Conference race begins to take shape.This will also mark the third straight match on the road for Cleveland SC before returning home at the end of May.
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