In its 1-0 loss to Indy Eleven on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC could not find the back of the net for the first time this season.
The club created several good opportunities in the first half, but could not get on the board. One sequence in particular featured two close calls in one minute–Robbie Mertz had a shot deflected out of play in the 27th minute, and Thomas Vancaeyezeele had a shot bounce off the frame.
Kenardo Forbes set up Vancaeyezeele’s shot and was instrumental in setting up several opportunities throughout the game. However, he wasn’t satisfied with the pace that the Hounds played at.
“It isn’t so much about them, it’s more on us,” Forbes said. “I need to be better, and we are focused on ourselves. No team should come in here and dictate the pace. We should set the tone from the beginning, each and every game.”
It is evident the Hounds will look to use this game as a learning experience. It is only their third game in what has been a strange season, and they lost on a last-second goal. They were also able to get off nine shots against an Indy team that has only allowed three goals in four games.
“I think both teams gave a lot of effort; to Indy’s credit, they had a chance in the final moments and they capitalized on it,” head coach Bob Lilley said. “I think we left some goals on the board.”
Pittsburgh will see Indy later this season (on Aug. 15), but for the time being it has to zero in on its upcoming matchup against New York Red Bulls II, which is scheduled to kick off at 5 p.m. on Sunday at Red Bull Arena.
“It was a tough game to lose because it feels like we let one get away,” Lilley said. “I’m not sure we played well enough in the second half to cement the three points. We will learn from it and get ready for the New York game. All the games are important, but the division games are maybe even more important.”
