PITTSBURGH (Feb. 23, 2026) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC has signed forward Aldi Flowers-Gamboa to a USL Academy contract, bringing another talented young player into the club’s First Team for the 2026 season. The deal is pending USL and U.S. Soccer approval.
An 18-year-old Pittsburgh native, Flowers-Gamboa returns to his home city after spending last fall with Texoma FC in USL League One on an academy contract. He made his senior-level debut with the Texas club, making five appearances, including his first start in the season finale last Oct. 25.
“Aldi is a local player who left Pittsburgh to join the FC Cincinnati Academy and later gained professional experience with Texoma FC,” Sporting Director Dan Visser said. “We’re thrilled to welcome him home and continue showing that there’s a clear professional pathway in Pittsburgh for the region’s top talent.”
Flowers-Gamboa played locally at Plum High School before leaving to join the FC Cincinnati youth system in 2023. He spent two years in the MLS organization before making the jump to First Team play in League One last fall, and now he gets the opportunity to move up a tier with the Hounds in the USL Championship. He has been training with the Hounds since the start of preseason and made a splash in his first preseason match with the team, recording a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over the Richmond Kickers.
The signing means the Hounds have two USL Academy contract players this season — the first time the club has had more than one in a calendar year — as Flowers-Gamboa joins previously signed midfielder Warren Agostoni. The contract makes Flowers-Gamboa a full member of the First Team and eligible to appear in all competitions for the Hounds while maintaining his amateur status.
The Hounds season-opening roster will be finalized in the coming week, as the team prepares for its season opener March 7 on the road against the Charleston Battery.
