Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (2-2-6) jumped on the scoresheet early in its match against Indy Eleven (6-2-3) this past Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, but it was the opposition that ultimately won the contest, 2-1. For the Hounds, their goal came off the foot of Robbie Mertz – his first professional tally.
Here’s how the University of Michigan product found the back of the net for his first-ever time with the Hounds.
15’ Robbie Mertz assisted by Christian Volesky
In a role switch, center back Uchenna Uzo led the break down the field for the Hounds. Dribbling the ball inside of the penalty area, he then passed it back to Kenardo Forbes once a defender approached.
Seen above, Forbes (yellow arrow) places a pinpoint accurate through-ball to Christian Volesky (orange arrow), weaving the pass between two defenders.
Having the ball deep in Indy’s defensive third, the striker attracts three different defenders, allowing others like Mertz (green arrow) and Kevin Kerr (blue arrow) to stand free. Volesky chooses to pass to the rookie, who then boots in a strike from the center of the 18-yard box to put the Hounds up 1-0 at the time.
Tale of the Tape
As the game progressed, Indy used a high possession share and shot totals to its advantage. The Eleven’s 17 total shots are the most the Black and Gold have given up in a single match this season. Paired with Indy’s 62 percent possession, the opposition built a comeback and scored two goals within the game’s final 20 minutes.
