INDIANAPOLIS (August 15, 2020) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (4-3-0) fell to Indy Eleven (6-2-1), 1-0, tonight at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The match’s lone goal came from Tyler Pasher in the 13th minute. The loss moves the Hounds into second place in Group F, just three points behind Hartford Athletic.
“I don’t think we had a good start,” head coach Bob Lilley said. “We couldn’t get enough pressure. We did a lot of chasing in the first half. We knew they’d be dangerous on the counter, which is how they scored the goal. I think we started the second half well; got the penalty. Sometimes you’re not going to convert, but we had 40 minutes a man up. I don’t think we put enough pressure on Indy.
“I liked the response at the beginning of the second half, but once we got the man up we needed to be more creative. I think we had a chance to turn the game in the second half and we weren’t able to take advantage of it.”
First Half
The two teams combined for three shots on goal in the first half.
Indy’s first take on target came from Pasher in the 8th minute, after he sent a left-footed shot from the center of the penalty box toward the bottom-right corner. Goalkeeper Tomas Gomez corralled the shot, keeping Indy off the board early.
In the 13th minute, Indy was back on the attack. Forward Andrew Carleton sent a long pass to Pasher in the center of the 18-yard box, leaving him with just Gomez to beat. Pasher evaded Gomez after he came out to challenge and sent a shot into the bottom-left corner to put Indy ahead, 1-0.
The Hounds had a great opportunity in the 29th minute. After an Indy foul, Kenardo Forbes sent a free kick toward the goalmouth for Thomas Vancaeyezeele. The defender’s header was blocked, and Skylar Thomas’ follow-up attempt was saved by Indy goalkeeper Evan Newton.
After Indy’s opening goal, the Hounds limited its chances. Indy failed to record a shot on goal after the 13th minute, but took a one-goal lead into the half.
Second Half
The Hounds piled on the pressure to start the second half.
Pittsburgh was awarded a penalty kick in the 50th minute after an Indy hand ball inside of the penalty area. Ayoze, who committed the foul, was sent off with a red card. Despite this opportunity, Robbie Mertz’s penalty kick was saved by Newton, who dove to his right to keep the Hounds off the board.
Pittsburgh had another promising opportunity in the 88th minute, when Mertz sent a cross to Steevan Dos Santos in the center of the penalty area. His header would narrowly miss to the left.
Hound of the Match, presented by EPIC
Thomas Vancaeyezeele tied for the team lead with four clearances and added a block on the defensive end. Offensively, he added a shot on goal and one key pass.
Beyond the Box Score, presented by Beyond Self Storage
The Hounds have the second-highest goal differential (+12) in the USL Championship this season.
What’s Next
Riverhounds SC will continue its road trip when it travels to Loudoun United FC (1-3-1) for a match at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19 at Segra Field. The match can be streamed live on ESPN+.
Lineups:
Riverhounds SC – Tomás Gomez; Ryan James, Ray Lee (Anthony Velarde 71’), Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Skylar Thomas (Mark Lindstrom 73’), Jordan Dover (Lukas Fernandes 88’); Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Robbie Mertz; Ropapa Mensah (Mark Forrest 88’), Steevan Dos Santos
Subs not used: Danny Vitiello, Dakota Barnathan, Dani Rovira
Indy Eleven – Evan Newton; Neveal Hackshaw, Mitchell Osmond, Karl Ouimette; Tyler Gibson, Drew Connor, Ayoze, Cameron Lindley; Tyler Pasher (Nick Moon 83’), Andrew Carleton (Matthew Watson 56′), Ilija Ilic (William Connor Antley 57’)
Subs not used: Jordan Farr, Carl Haworth, Jeremy Rafanello, Kenney Walker
Scoring Summary:
IND – Tyler Pasher 13’ (Andrew Carleton)
Misconduct Summary:
IND – Ayoze 50’ (ejection)
PIT – Steevan Dos Santos 58’ (caution)
IND – Matthew Watson 62’ (caution)
IND – Tyler Gibson 80’ (caution)
PIT – Anthony Velarde 81′ (caution)
IND – Nick Moon 86’ (caution)
