Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (7-3-8) travels north to Connecticut to take on Hartford Athletic (3-14-4) at 5 p.m. this Saturday at Dillon Stadium. The Hounds defeated Hartford earlier this season, 3-1, in front of a sold-out Highmark Stadium on the home opener night.
Growing Pains
Hartford Athletic has struggled this season while competing in their inaugural campaign in the USL Championship. With points in only seven of its 21 matches, Hartford currently ranks in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference standings. Hartford has not been successful in recent play either, losing four out of its last five matches.
Oh José
Hartford Forward José Angulo has been a find for the newly formed soccer club from Connecticut. Angulo has been a catalyst for the attacking front of Hartford, leading the team in goals, shots and shots on target. This will be a target for the Riverhounds’ defenders, as they attempt to limit the effectiveness of Angulo’s attack.
Between the Pipes
Pittsburgh’s Kyle Morton collected his fourth shutout of the season in a 1-0 victory against North Carolina FC this past Saturday night. All four of the goalkeeper’s clean sheets have come since June. He will need to limit opportunities of Hartford forwards and midfielders in the Hounds’ defense.
By the Numbers: 7
The Riverhounds have collected points in seven on their eight matchups against teams with a losing record this season. Pittsburgh will look to improve on this mark against the struggling club from Connecticut.
Key to Victory: Score Early
When Pittsburgh has scored first in matches this season, it has collected points in 12 of 13 matches on the year. Scoring first will be on the minds of many Riverhounds players going into this weekend’s matchup.
