Caíque Saves: RNY FC Picks up Extra Point in Pens to Move into 3rd

June 25, 2022 – MLS NEXT Pro (MLS NEXT Pro) – Rochester New York FC News Release

It all starts with a little hop to start to cut down the angle of the penalty taker.

Next, it is a dive to the left, or to the right.

And while it might not be the first, second, third, or fourth, at some point, Caíque Luiz Santos da Purificação is going to make a save in penalties when his team most needs him.

It has happened time, and time, and time again in 2022, whether it be in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup or MLS NEXT Pro: Caíque is going to stop the opponent’s shot from hitting the net.

Friday night, against the Eastern Conference leaders Columbus Crew 2, RNY FC once again dominated the action. Unlike last month, Rochester could not find a breakthrough, and had to settle for a 0-0 draw in regulation, with an extra point on offer for the fourth time in the league.

For the fourth time (and fifth if you include the Open Cup), RNY FC came away from end of game penalties with a victory. Caíque made a save to negate a Rochester miss, and the hosts came away with a 4-2 win in pens to pick up two points on the night and move into third place in the Eastern Conference table.

Each time, Caíque has been in the middle of the action: of course, the penalty takers have to convert as well. But with the big Brazilian brick wall in net, there is now a little margin for error which has suited RNY FC well: five sets of penalties, and five wins so far in 2022.

Caíque saves, as the memes on Twitter say.

Rochester should have picked up all three points on the night, but the Columbus Crew 2 keeper, Brady Scott, put on a Caíque-esque showing for the visitors, coming up with numerous stunning saves to keep a clean sheet on the night.

Playing without MLS NEXT Pro leading scorer Jacen Russell-Rowe and the league’s leading assist maker Mohamed Farsi, who have both been called up to the Crew’s MLS team, the visitors struggled to get much offense going all night against Rochester’s defense and midfield. Columbus Crew 2 managed just two shots on target all night, and despite racking up 31 points so far in 13 matches (10-2-1), will have to figure out another way to find some offense without its two star players.

RNY FC ramped up the pressure against Scott in the final 15 minutes as the hosts pushed for a winner, but the keeper got better and better as the clock ticked towards the 90th minute, and could not be broken. Scott then saved the first Rochester penalty, to give his team a chance to win…