Practice was wrapping up, but one group still remained on the field.
As head coach Dave Brandt closed a mid-June training session, he continued to drill offensive set plays with members of the Riverhounds frontline.
Forwards walked through free kicks from atop the 18-yard box. Some set pieces consisted of direct shots at the net, which was defended by goalkeeper Trey Mitchell. Other set plays were more intricate, involving a couple passes before a shot was ripped toward the goal.
The latter of these rehearsals best resembled Pittsburgh’s equalizer against Toronto FC II on June 10, as multiple players were incorporated into the scoring effort. In the 87th minute, Romeo Parkes fired a shot after fellow teammates Kenroy Howell and Corey Hertzog bluffed on touching the ball.
“Where I’m coming from, I used to practice it,” Parkes said about shooting from the set piece. “Coming here is like it’s in me already.”
This was Parkes’ first tally since signing with the Hounds on May 5. The Jamaican native has been the one of the most efficient members of the Black and Gold at placing his shots on goal, as 58 percent of his strikes have been on target.
“He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, good with the ball,” Hertzog said. “He’s like every forward’s dream.”
One of Parkes’ best attributes is his speed, especially on the break. When Parkes makes his run, he prefers to switch up his moves to keep defenders off guard and exude a sense of unpredictability. The striker also relies on chemistry and rarely signals to his teammates, so he does not draw attention from opposing backlines when the break begins.
“They know,” Parkes said about his teammates’ intuition on the break. “You go silent, then you have a better chance.”
Hertzog said he and Parkes have good awareness of each other up top. The duo tries to make runs off each other in give-and-go situations and Hertzog tries to play the ball at Parkes’ feet – just how he likes it.
In 2016, Parkes made six appearances for Pittsburgh and amassed five goals, all of which came during a five-game scoring streak. This scoring stretch began against the very same Toronto team the striker earlier had beat for his first goal of the 2017 campaign.
Like he did last year, Parkes and his teammates hope he can once again ride the momentum of his first tally.
“Hopefully he can keep that going,” Hertzog said. “Romeo creates chances on his own with his strength and his speed, so I expect a lot more goals coming from him.”
For more than one month now, the Hounds have been left without one of their best offensive threats.
Last playing against Ottawa Fury FC on May 13, Kay Banjo has missed time due to a knee injury.
“He comes in with a positive attitude every day,” Hertzog said. “Just telling him to get stronger and keep focusing on getting back on the field. He’s taken it really well.”
Despite playing a full-90 minutes only once in seven appearances, Banjo had managed to place four of his seven shots on target and record five points, which still ranks third on the team.
Now in the midst of the rookie’s absence, Pittsburgh’s frontline depth has taken a hit. In addition to Banjo’s injury, Kevin Kerr has switched to a midfield role whereas John Manga is expected to join the Premier Development League’s Ocean City Nor’easters, a team that recently agreed to a developmental partnership with the Hounds. This leaves Chevaughn Walsh as the squad’s only main option as a frontline substitute.
Hertzog said he also has altered his responsibilities during Banjo’s absence, now more so taking his role to hold up the ball rather than playing to drop in behind the defense.
“It’ll be huge when he gets back to hold up the ball,” Hertzog said. “I think we’re playing well, though.”
By the numbers, it was the Hounds’ best offensive outburst this season.
In a June 3 showdown against Orlando City B, Pittsburgh recorded 19 shots and nine shots on goal, both season-high totals.
Hertzog tallied the first goal of the game in the 30th minute, coming off a corner kick. Kerr passed the ball in to Jack Thompson, who then played the sphere back to the team captain.
Kerr then sent a ball into the penalty area, which bounced to Hertzog before being ripped into the goal. The tally provided the Hounds with a 1-0 lead at the time.
Despite the shot totals and the early lead, the Black and Gold ultimately fell to Orlando City B, 2-1. None of Pittsburgh’s 13 second-half shots could find their way past the opposing goalkeeper.
“I think we’re clicking,” Hertzog said. “Once we get a couple goals to go in, I think the floodgates will open and we’ll hopefully score a lot of goals.”
The gates did not open in the ensuing game, however, and the Hounds had much of the same results. In a June 10 tilt at Toronto FC II, Pittsburgh cumulated 15 shots and six shots on goal – both totals only outdone by its efforts during the aforementioned Orlando City B match.
“I think we feel very confident going forward,” Hertzog said. “Last year, I don’t think we created those chances. This year, we’ve created more and we’re expecting goals. Now we need to get the forwards and the offense to finish them.”
Over the past month, Pittsburgh’s frontline has worked through reincorporating Parkes into the offense, Kerr dropping back to midfield and an injury to Banjo. These midseason adjustments could very well play into the Hounds’ scoring drought in recent weeks.
After reeling off a streak of seven straight games with a goal, Pittsburgh has posted just two goals in its past five matches.
Hertzog said the team is doing more live finishing as well as additional small-sided and 11-on-11 play in training sessions to help jump-start the offense.
“We work together,” Parkes said. “We have an understanding, No one’s going to stop us once we have an understanding. We’re getting there. Day in and day out, we’re getting there. It’s just going to take time.”
