When Kenardo Forbes joined Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in December 2017, he had already solidified his role as a key player in team success.
And since joining the Hounds, the Kingston, Jamaica native has been named All-League Second Team in 2018 and All-League First Team in 2019. With 35 assists in the entirety of his USL Championship career, he is tied for second in league history with Jorge Herrera.
Now, in the 2020 season, the 2019 MVP finalist is just two assists away from Maikel Chang’s all-time league record and one assist away from tying Justin Evans and Gary DePalma for fourth all-time in club history.
Forbes currently has 21 assists with the Hounds, making him a player at the center of the team’s successes.
“He is just a special player,” head coach Bob Lilley said. “He feels the game. His awareness of what’s going on is very good. He has definitely become more of a factor from a playmaking standpoint, but I think he’s always had that adaptability for the game.”
The 32-year-old was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 4, following a 6-0 blowout win against Philadelphia Union II this past weekend.
Forbes comes into this Wednesday’s home opener against Indy Eleven, which will kick off at 6 p.m. and be nationally televised on ESPN2, leading the USL Championship in assists this season with four, three coming from the last match against Philadelphia.
“I think we took care of two road games, and this is a big game,” Lilley said. “It’ll be disappointing without fans, but we know if we keep winning we will create a buzz. This group is getting closer and closer every day to where they want to be successful and they want to win.”
In the Hounds’ September 2019 matchup against Indy, the 5-foot-10-inch midfielder scored two goals, helping lead the team to a 3-0 win.
Lilley said he is proud of the leader Forbes has become, stating players on the team follow him by example and he has begun to be held in high regard in the league.
With 90 minutes of playing time each game so far this season, it can be expected we will continue to see the former Rochester Rhinos player excel on the pitch.
“He’s able to make those players around him better,” Lilley said, “because he’s constantly playing well and giving others the information.”
