After 13 days without a game, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is shifting its focus to finish out the campaign and contend for the No. 1 spot in the Eastern Conference.
The road to the end of the season will pit the Hounds against 12 teams in the USL across a two-month span, starting this August. As Riverhounds SC prepares for these upcoming contests, the past two weeks without a game have given it time to recover and recharge for the second half of the season.
Now with its batteries charged, Pittsburgh (9-1-7) heads into a showdown against the Charleston Battery (8-3-8) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Highmark Stadium for a match of two top-three sides ready to shock the top of the Eastern Conference table.
“We knew we were having a break coming up, so we were mentally preparing,” defender Tobi Adewole said. “We were letting our bodies rest, but at the same time staying active. We still had practices during our two-week break and they were high intensity.”
Taking recent time to mentally prepare for the upcoming long haul, the Black and Gold utilized the break to amp up their practices and stay in game-ready form. This constant energy in practice helps translate to game-day action and readiness for what they will be facing from each team.
“We never repeat a training session, so we always do something different,” midfielder Kenardo Forbes said. “It keeps the guys open to different ideas and locks everyone into the game plan.”
The focus for the rest of the 2018 campaign begins with a non-complacent mentality. With 17 games left to play, the Hounds are focused on what they can do to earn three points each match. As most teams would be looking forward to playoffs, Riverhounds SC is first focused on earning the No. 1 spot in the conference.
“We have to take each game at a time,” Forbes said. “We can’t plan for two games, but take the game in front of us. This is a group who doesn’t take anything for granted.”
Attaining the No. 1 position starts with the matchup against the Battery this Saturday. Since 2014, the Hounds have recorded a 1-4-5 record against the Battery, while being outscored 15-8 in their last 10 meetings.
Both the Hounds (second in the East) and the Battery (third in the East) are chasing first-place FC Cincinnati, which sits seven points ahead of Pittsburgh and nine points ahead of Charleston.
“Every game to us is a tough game,” Adewole said. “It is going to be a battle, especially at home. As a defense, we want to keep a clean sheet and let our offense do their job. We trust that they will put the ball in the back of the net.”
As they rev up action on the pitch, the Hounds have already endured the difficulties of keeping up a high level of play during a stretch with a packed schedule. While competing in seven matches in 31 days this past May, the Black and Gold recorded their only two losses of the season, including a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup defeat to FC Cincinnati.
“It is all about a quick turnaround,” Forbes said. “As pros, we have been doing it for years and we get used to it. The coaches did a really good job of getting our bodies ready for the next game.”
