(Aug. 22, 2026) — Sam Bassett spun home an excellent free kick with seven minutes remaining, and that was the difference to give the Pittsburgh Riverhounds a 1-0 win over Brooklyn FC tonight at Maimonides Park in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Goalkeeper Nico Campuzano made five saves to complete the shutout for the Hounds (10-8-3), who won consecutive matches for the first time since April and are unbeaten in the month of August at 3-0-1.
The victory also propels the Hounds into the top four in the Eastern Conference, possibly ending the night as high as third, pending the outcome of the Charleston Battery’s weather-delayed match against Miami FC.
First half
Both teams took a cautious approach to open the match with neither side recording a shot in the opening 10 minutes.
Campuzano was called into action first, as a free kick sent into the Hounds box was turned on goal in a challenge between Owen Mikoy and Brooklyn’s Markus Anderson. The Hounds’ goalkeeper leaped to get a hand to the ball and push it off the crossbar before Robbie Mertz arrived to thump the ball clear.
The Hounds’ best chance of the half also came from a set piece, a corner kick lifted into the box by Bassett. Victor Souza rose to flick the ball onward to the back post and Eliot Goldthorp, but Brooklyn goalie Jackson Lee was in position to deny Goldthorp’s shot for the best of his three saves.
Second half
Danny Griffin had the Hounds back on the attack less than 30 seconds after the restart, as his cross from the right side was played backward by Trevor Amann, but Bassett couldn’t make clean contact to turn the bouncing ball on goal from 10 yards out.
Campuzano came up big in the 65th minute when Anderson found space in the box to turn and shoot, but the goalkeeper was quick to get on the ground, stop the shot and recover the ball before any rebound chance developed. He also made a leaping stop on a header by Callum Frogson in the 79th minute, pushing the ball over the crossbar.
The breakthrough came in the 83rd minute after Jackson Walti sprung Junior Etou down the left side with a pinpoint diagonal pass. Etou cut inside and won the free kick after being tripped up by Ryan McLaughlin only 20 yards from goal.
Bassett stepped up to the the free kick, and his right-footed shot curled over the wall and inside the near post on the left for his fourth goal of the season and his first since missing more than a month with an injury during June and July.
One more stop was needed from Campuzano to seal the result, and he came up with the necessary save diving to his left to keep out a shot from the top of the box by CJ Olney Jr.
Modelo Man of the Match
Nico Campuzano matched his second-highest save total of the season with five stops, including a highlight-worthy save on Olney immediately after the Hounds’ goal. Three of his stops came on shots from inside the box as he secured his third clean sheet in August.
What’s next?
The Hounds stay on the road for their final midweek match of the season when they travel to face El Paso Locomotive FC on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 9 p.m. El Paso (9-7-4) was set to play later tonight at the Colorado Springs Switchbacks.
Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-3) — Nico Campuzano; Lasse Kelp, Owen Mikoy, Victor Souza; Sam Bassett (Guillaume Vacter 90’), Jackson Walti, Robbie Mertz, Danny Griffin; Yu Tsukanome (Junior Etou 63’), Trevor Amann, Eliot Goldthorp (Charles Ahl 63’)
Brooklyn FC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Jackson Lee; Gabriel Alves (So Nishikawa 89’), Vuk Latinovich, Callum Frogson, Ryan McLaughlin (Malik Pinto 89’); Taimu Okiyoshi, Thomas Vancaeyezeele; CJ Olney Jr., Tommy McNamara (Jaden Servania 70’), Stefan Stojanovic (Pierre da Silva 62’); Markus Anderson (J.C. Obregón 89’)
Scoring summary
PIT — Sam Bassett 83’
Discipline summary
PIT — Owen Mikoy 49’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Jackson Walti 74’ (caution – tactical foul)
