Following their largest win of the season, a 3-0 domination of in-state rival Harrisburg, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds (6-8-9) travel to Worldwide Technology Soccer Park to take on Saint Louis FC (7-9-5) this Saturday.
The two teams met at the start of the season at Highmark Stadium in a match finishing 2-1 in favor of Saint Louis. It was the first time this fixture had a winner as the only two prior meetings, both in 2015, ended in draws.
Through its first four games this season, Saint Louis went unbeaten earning two wins and two draws. The club’s fifth match, a 4-0 defeat at the hands of FC Cincinnati, kick-started a five-game winless run through the start of May in which it was outscored 8-to-2. This streak ended with a victory over Toronto FC II, but in the club’s following game, Saint Louis began yet another five-match winless run into July.
Snapping its winless streak with a 1-0 victory over the Charleston Battery on July 15, Saint Louis has since gone a 2-2-1 record.
Most recently, Saint Louis picked up a crucial 4-3 win over Tampa Bay that saw the club score multiple goals for the first time since June 2. Saint Louis currently sits one spot behind the Hounds in 12th and two points out of a playoff spot, but also hold two games in-hand over its visitors this weekend.
At home, Saint Louis sports a 5-3-2 record with a goal differential of plus-1.
Saint Louis forward Seth Rudolph was a key man in the team’s win against Tampa Bay. Scoring twice, Rudolph’s goal tally on the season now sits at three and he currently averages a goal every 89 minutes played.
Rudolph has started twice this season across 11 total appearances.
Strengths
Passing Accuracy – Saint Louis completes 76.9 percent of its passes, fourth-best in the USL Eastern Conference. Eight players on the team have a passing accuracy above 80 percent.
Bottom Seven – With a 4-0-1 record, Saint Louis has not lost a game this season to the East’s current bottom seven teams.
Weaknesses
Shots – Saint Louis has a conference-low 187 shots on the season.
Conceding Goals – Despite keeping seven clean sheets, the team’s defense has conceded 32 goals this season – third-most in the East.
