Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (14-4-10) battles Memphis 901 FC (8-13-7) in an away game at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at AutoZone Park. As the team jockeys for a home playoff game, here are three things to know while the squad enters the final leg of the season.
Playoff Picture
The Riverhounds are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference. Although their magic number sits at two in terms of clinching a playoff spot, the team will be a part of the postseason for a second straight year due to a later matchup between Birmingham Legion FC and the Charleston Battery, as one of these clubs will drop points at a later time.
The Hounds hold 52 points, just four points behind first-place New York Red Bulls II. Pittsburgh has already battled New York twice this season and won both games, showing the squad belongs in the conversation among the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Key Performers
The Hounds have worked hard as a team to continue to get better over the season. Kenardo Forbes and Kyle Morton are two great contributors to the success of the Black and Gold this year.
Currently, Forbes is tied for fourth in the Eastern Conference with eight assists. In addition, he has created 63 chances, which ranks fifth most in the conference. Both of these totals lead the team.
On the other hand, Morton is currently second in the conference for clean sheets this season. He has 10 clean sheets, while the No. 1 goalkeeper has 11 clean sheets. In addition, he has 43 saves this season.
Morton has climbed his way up the all-time club leaderboards. He has 13 career clean sheets, which ranks third in club history. The Riverhounds player with the most clean sheets is Randy Dedini with 27 career clean sheets.
Grabbing Points
Pittsburgh has only lost four games this season. The last game Pittsburgh lost was against North Carolina FC on Aug. 17. The Hounds fell to North Carolina, 5-0, but redeemed that game by not giving up a goal in five matches since then.
Pittsburgh has lost the least amount of games in the Eastern Conference. Indy Eleven and the Tampa Bay Rowdies are next for the least amount of games, as they have both only lost six games.
With a home playoff game in sight, the Hounds will look to rack up points throughout the remainder of the schedule.
