Coming off a 6-0 road victory against Philadelphia Union II, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (2-0-0) will host its home opener at Highmark Stadium against Indy Eleven (3-0-0) on Wednesday, July 22. Kickoff will be 6 p.m., and the match can be watched nationally on ESPN2.
Here are some things to look for ahead of the matchup.
1.) Everyone getting in on the scoring
Through two games this season, the Hounds have scored nine goals from seven different players. In the aforementioned 6-0 victory, two Hounds players scored their first professional goals as well. Danny Griffin found the back of the net in the 37th minute and Lukas Fernandes later finished a pass from seven yards out to etch their names in Riverhounds history books. In that game, goals were also scored by Ropapa Mensah, Anthony Velarde, and a pair from Steevan Dos Santos.
Nine goals through two games sets Pittsburgh second in the USL Championship for total goals – two goals behind Phoenix Rising FC that has already played three games.
2.) Dominance at Highmark Stadium
The Hounds are unbeaten (14-0-11) in their last 25 regular season matches at home.
To find Pittsburgh’s last home loss, one would have to go back to July 21, 2018. The Hounds were defeated 1-0 by Charleston Battery with a devastating goal in the 88th minute. During the 2019 season, the Hounds outscored opponents 38-12 in matches at Highmark Stadium, including postseason play.
Pittsburgh comes into its next game with a 3-1-2 all-time record against Indy Eleven, with a 3-0-1 record against them at Highmark Stadium.
3.) Adjustments
In their first game against Louisville City FC, the Hounds quickly found themselves down 1-0 but made adjustments to net three unanswered goals.
Against Philadelphia, head coach Bob Lilley postgame said, “We were fortunate we didn’t concede a goal. The first few good chances fell to Philadelphia.”
Halftime served better for the Hounds, as they came out on fire and scored four goals in the next 45 minutes. Lilley liked his team’s offensive play in the second half and said, “We were able to settle down as the half wore on and rotate the ball while finding space in the wide areas.”
The Hounds, through two games, have dominated both second halves. Combined, they’ve outscored Louisville City FC and Philadelphia Union II 6-0 in the second half of their games.
