We caught up with Anthony Velarde and Danny Griffin about their thoughts on the first week of preseason and some of their favorite Easter Holiday memories.
With a first preseason win in the books, the players were able to use Friday as a recovery day with training sessions lined up over the weekend in advance of this Tuesday’s second preseason match.
While some of the players were out on the field kicking around and others were making a visit to the training room, the coaching staff has been breaking down the good and bad from the 3-0 win over Gannon University.
One of the bright spots was the team’s ability to create chances by exploiting the wings on both sides, particularly down the right. Both the first goal by Albert Dikwa and third goal by Eduard Puga were the direct result of a big cross coming into the box from the right side, something the team worked on extensively in Wednesday’s training session.
Anthony Velarde and trialist Rodney Michael were effective delivering from the right in the first half, and Josh Gatt had moments down both wings, creating a late first-half shot for Dikwa from the left and setting up Louis Perez’s goal with a pass on the turf from the right side. Jordan Dover and Ezra Armstrong, both coming on as substitutes, continued to threaten by getting behind the defense in wide positions.
As training progresses, the Hounds will need to bring more diversity to their attack and show they can attack the heart of a defense, not just play balls in from the corners. But showing some effectiveness in creating goals this early in camp bodes well with other pro competition — not to mention MLS’ FC Cincinnati — looming soon on the preseason schedule.
The Hounds completed their first preseason match of the season, a 3-0 win over NCAA Division II Gannon University.
For more from the game, visit the Match Recap page.
With just three days from the start of training to the first preseason match of the year, there was no way to hit everything that needs to be covered before a match. But if Tuesday’s session was one ruled by the defense, it made sense to dedicate Wednesday’s session to play in the final third of the field.
Crosses were being whipped into the box from each side and at a rapid rate during drills in today’s session, which was the first under overcast skies with occasional light rain. Players such as Jordan Dover, reprising his familiar role down the right flank, and first-year pro Louis Perez were among the designated providers as strikers, defenders and goalkeepers got a workout compressed into a 40-yard-long drill area.
Again, the team concluded the two-hour session with about 20 minutes of full-field play. But unlike a day ago, there were goals to be had from the start of the intra-squad action.
Perez capitalized on an early defensive turnover with a soft chip around the goalkeeper, and not long after, he turned into the provider with a cross to the back post that found Alex Dixon, who elevated and scored with a header off the underside of the crossbar.
Tomorrow will be the first live action against another group of players when the Gannon University team arrives for a 3 p.m. match. Most players will be capped at 45 minutes, as the Hounds’ coaching staff expects to use nearly the full roster, including all six trialists in camp, in the preseason opener.
“Keep it simple.”
Those were the words uttered on a few occasions by head coach Bob Lilley, as the Riverhounds went through their second practice of the week on a much warmer Tuesday afternoon at Highmark Stadium.
Where midseason form would see players pinging one-touch passes to feet and into space, emphasis today was on valuing possession and taking the extra touch, if necessary, to maintain control of the ball and make the wise play.
Building on the first day’s workout, the team graduated from half-field action to 70-yards of space for a steady stream of offensive rushes coming one direction at a full midfield and back line. Defense ruled the session with the pairing of Trinidadian center backs — veteran newcomer Mekeil Williams and trialist Jelani Peters — cleaning up most things, though a leaping save by rookie goalkeeper Chris Moorish was needed to preserve the clean sheet.
To wrap up the day, the team did their first full-field scrimmage of the spring… perhaps a quick start to going 11-on-11, but a necessary move with the first preseason match little more than 48 hours away.
It was only one day, but the start of the 2021 season seems much closer this afternoon, as Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC completed its first training session of the new year Monday at Highmark Stadium.
On a sunny but brisk day, head coach Bob Lilley and assistant coach Dan Visser led the team through a two-hour on-field session that included six invited trialists joining the players already under contract for 2021.
As to be expected with a first practice session, things began with a slow build-up. Field players got started with some basic passing drills to get moving, while the team’s three goalkeepers — Danny Vitiello, Jake Leeker and Chris Moorish — got in a good session on the opposite end with goalkeeping coach Michael Behonick.
Things escalated into short-sided action as practice progressed, though with plenty of teaching moments as the new signings and trialists got acquainted with Lilley’s workouts — or in some instances, reacquainted, as in the case of Alex Dixon, a former Rochester player under Lilley.
With Day One in the books, practices should continue to ramp up quickly with the Hounds preparing to play their first preseason match in just three days, April 1 against Gannon University.
