Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (17-4-11) heads out on the road Saturday night to take on Saint Louis FC (11-11-9) at 8:30 p.m. at West Community Stadium in Fenton, Missouri. The squads played to a 0-0 draw in their most recent meeting at Highmark Stadium back on April 20.
The Season So Far
It’s been a bit of an up and down season in 2019 for Saint Louis, which is currently clinging to a playoff spot in ninth-place overall with 42 points.
With a record of 0-2-1 in its last three matches, Saint Louis has been almost a different team at home, owning a remarkable 8-2-6 form at West Community Stadium compared to just 3-9-3 on the road.
The team has struggled offensively at times this year, and currently ranks tied for 29th overall in the USL Championship in goals scored with 37 in 31 matches. They’ve scored two or more goals in a match just 10 times this season, and have been shut out 10 times on the year.
Saint Louis will first play at Loudoun United FC on Wednesday before its matchup against the Hounds.
Players to Watch
Saint Louis is led by the striking duo of Kyle Greig and Sam Fink, who are tied for the team lead in goals with seven apiece, and have four players who have scored at least five goals so far this season.
Midfielder Lewis Hilton ranks in the top 30 in the USL Championship in chances created at 50 on the year. Hilton also leads the team in assists with five total, and has figured in on seven of Saint Louis’ 37 goals, nearly 19 percent of its total output.
Goalkeeper Jake Fenlason is tied for 11th overall in clean sheets this season at 11.
Strength: Defense
Saint Louis presents one of the tougher, more structured defenses Pittsburgh has played this season. They are tied for the seventh-fewest goals allowed this season, conceding 35 in 31 matches. Their 12 team clean sheets also ranks in the top 10 overall, tied for sixth place.
They’ve also held their opponents to one goal or fewer in 19 of 31 games this season.
They are also one of the most disciplined teams in the league, having been assessed just 48 yellow cards and three red cards on the year.
Weakness: Finishing
Saint Louis ranks 25th overall in shots at 387 and 29th in goals scored at 37.
Though they have solid depth and four players that have scored at least five goals, they lack a true game breaker on offense and currently do not have a single player with double-digit goals.
