Riverhounds SC (1-0-2) blitzed Toronto FC II (0-3-0) with 16 shots during its match this past Saturday at Highmark Stadium. All four of the team’s shots on target beat Toronto goalkeeper Angelo Cavalluzzo to power the Hounds to a 4-0 victory. Including a hat trick from Neco Brett, here’s how the Pittsburgh offense broke down the Toronto backline for four second half tallies.
52’ – Neco Brett assisted by Thomas Vancaeyezeele
The Hounds capitalized on a blast from midfield to notch their first tally of 2018. After receiving a pass from Ben Zemanski in the defensive half, Thomas Vancaeyezeele collected the ball just past the halfway line and booted it to a streaking Brett.
In the above depiction, Brett (yellow arrow) begins his vertical run into the 18-yard box, as the ball leaves Vancaeyezeele’s foot. While Brett makes a beeline for the penalty area, Toronto defender Lars Eckenrode (red arrow) is caught flat-footed and moving more horizontally, which allowed the Pittsburgh striker to ultimately beat him to the ball and release a shot into the back of the net.
59’ – Neco Brett assisted by Ben Zemanski
Zemanski turned defense into offense for Pittsburgh’s second goal of the match. As Ayo Akinola attempted a pass to Gideon Waja, the Hounds midfielder read the play, intercepted the ball and bolted into the offensive third. When the Akron, Ohio native reached the top of the penalty box, he drew more attention.
In the above freeze-frame, Zemanski drives with the ball toward the arc. Eckenrode (red arrow) leaves Brett to close in on the midfielder.
With two defenders converging on him, Zemanski passed to an open Brett, who went on to beat Cavalluzzo for his second tally of the match.
83’ – Neco Brett
Brett originally looked poised to tack on an assist before completing his hat trick, as he returned a pass to Andrew Lubahn in give-and-go fashion. The second-half substitute chased down and collected the ball in the penalty box. Lubahn’s shot then hit the goalpost and ricochet to Brett, who booted the loose ball into the net for his third goal of the game.
In the snapshot above, the Hounds begin their break to the net. Lubahn (yellow arrow) slips behind the Toronto backline and readies to field a ball from Brett (orange arrow). After hitting Lubahn with a pass, the Pittsburgh attacker joined him on the break and scored off the rebound.
88’ – Christiano François assisted by Neco Brett
For Pittsburgh’s final goal of the match, Christiano François blasted a shot from inside the penalty area to beat Cavalluzzo to the far side of the net. To set up the incredible shot from the Hounds’ speedy attacker, Brett once again attacked the defense with a vertical run.
As seen above, Brett sprints directly at Eckenrode (red arrow) to briefly freeze him before passing it outside to François (yellow arrow). The Cabaret, Haiti native then outran Toronto defender Kyle Bjornethun (orange arrow) to the ball before notching the first goal of his Hounds career.
After posting a pair of 0-0 draws to open the 2018 campaign, Pittsburgh and its offense broke out in the third game of the season. Brett, who started his first game for the Hounds, was involved in all four tallies and led the team with four chances created.
In addition to the Kingston, Jamaica native’s contributions, the Hounds’ midfield proved effective, as it quickly flipped the field on multiple occasions to set up eventual goal-scoring plays. With an additional five chances created stemming from the midfield, Pittsburgh converted on all four of its shots on target en route to its first win this season.
