Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (3-2-7), defeating Atlanta United 2 (3-7-4), 5-0, never let up from the get-go on Saturday at Fifth Third Bank Stadium. Opening the game with three goals in the first 13 minutes, here’s how the club generated its blowout in Kennesaw, Georgia.
4’ Robbie Mertz
The Hounds tested Atlanta early with a corner kick coming off of Kenardo Forbes’ foot.
Ending up on the short side of the 18-yard box, Atlanta defender Kevin Barajas (red arrow) initially heads it up the field away from danger. Seeing the loose ball travel down the center of the pitch, Robbie Mertz (green arrow) sprints at the sphere and blasts a long shot toward the goal. With the shot sticking close to the ground, it helped ensure the ball would be on frame – and ultimately into the back of the net.
7’ Steevan Dos Santos
The first goal originated from a corner kick, and the second tally was a result of great buildup in the attacking third.
Forbes (orange arrow) began the break for the Hounds and then sent a pinpoint accurate pass to Neco Brett (yellow arrow) up the field through traffic. Brett takes the ball into the penalty area before sending it toward the goalmouth. Steevan Dos Santos (green arrow) bats the ball into the net to put the club ahead by two goals early in the match.
13’ Neco Brett assisted by Steevan Dos Santos
As Atlanta was slow to play the ball out of its defensive third, Dos Santos pounced on an opportunity.
Depicted above, Dos Santos (orange arrow) sprints at Atlanta defender Laurence Wyke (red arrow), causing a deflection that lands at Brett’s feet. The Hounds striker (green arrow), having no one around him, has time to collect himself before sending a rocket into the back of the net to put the squad ahead 3-0.
70’ Thomas Vancaeyezeele assisted by Joe Greenspan
Pittsburgh struck gold on another corner kick.
This time, much more Hounds jumped in on the action, as the ball caromed around within the 18-yard box after Forbes sends the ball toward the goalmouth. Having it go from Thomas Vancaeyezeele, to Kevin Kerr, to Joe Greenspan, the center back plays the sphere forward to an opening. Vancaeyezeele then finds the ball and sends a blast into the net to give Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead at the time.
76’ Laurence Wyke (own goal)
Christian Volesky and his pair of fresh legs placed the icing on the cake.
Leading the break into the offensive third, the second-half substitute (yellow arrow) sends a cross intended for Kerr (orange arrow). However, Wyke (red arrow) makes a sliding effort to keep the ball away from this intended target. The result is an own goal, as Wyke’s effort deflects into the net and brings the score to its final of 5-0.
Tale of the Tape
Riverhounds SC outshot Atlanta 16-to-9 and placed four more shots on target (6-to-2). Perhaps the most telling number was the shots inside the penalty box. Pittsburgh totaled 14 shots inside of the penalty area whereas its counterpart only posted four such takes inside of the 18-yard box.
