PITTSBURGH (June 25, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC earned its first home win of the season and ran its overall win streak to three games by defeating the New York Red Bulls II, 2-1, at Highmark Stadium on Friday night.
Todd Wharton and Albert Dikwa scored for the Hounds (5-3-2), while New York got their goal (2-6-2) by way of an own goal in the 26th minute. Kenardo Forbes tallied his 27th assist with the Hounds on Wharton’s goal, tying him with Kevin Kerr for the most in club history.
First Half
Just like the teams’ previous meeting on May 28, the Hounds came out firing early.
In the 14th minute, Albert Dikwa sent a right-footed shot on target, only to be denied by the left post. The ball stayed in play for the sequence to continue, and Wharton got the Hounds on the board by sending a hard shot high and to the left of the goalie on a feed from Forbes on the left flank.
Danny Vitiello tallied some early saves to keep New York grounded, but the visitors evened things in the 26th minute when the Hounds goalie couldn’t control a corner kick, and the ball caromed in off the foot of Shane Wiedt.
But the Hounds regained the lead in the 41st minute after a stellar display of passing. Forbes sent a lofted ball to Russell Cicerone on the left side of the goal box, and Cicerone headed it back to Dikwa in front of goal. Dikwa calmly slipped the ball past the goalkeeper, as the Hounds took a 2-1 lead to the break.
Second Half
Things slowed down offensively for both clubs to start the second half. The two clubs combined for just four shots in the first 30 minutes after the break.
The Hounds arguably had their best opportunity in the 53rd minute, when Mekeil Williams received a cross from Dani Rovira and sent a powerful volley right at New York keeper Luca Lewis, who made a quick save to keep it a one-goal game.
Defensively, Vitiello came off his line several times to deny New York, including a save in the 80th minute after Serge Ngoma tried to chip it over his head.
Another great chance for the Hounds came in the 82nd minute, when Anthony Velarde sent a shot on target from the left side of the penalty box. Lewis went full extension to deny the opportunity, keeping things close to the end.
Hounds Man of the Match
Forbes might seem like the obvious choice, but Albert Dikwa gets the honor tonight. He scored the go-ahead goal in the 41st minute, after a headed assist from Cicerone. Dikwa also tied with Forbes with a team-high three key passes, and he was integral in the Hounds turning the tables on New York and applying some pressure of their own.
What’s next?
The Hounds are on the road once again when they travel to Leesburg, Va., to play Loudoun United FC on Wednesday at 7 p.m. Loudoun (1-6-0) travels to play the Charleston Battery on Saturday before hosting the Hounds to start a three-game homestand.
Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-3) — Danny Vitiello; Jelani Peters, Mekeil Williams, Shane Wiedt (Jalen Robinson 89’); Dani Rovira, Kenardo Forbes, Danny Griffin, Todd Wharton; Russell Cicerone (Preston Kilwien 72’), Alex Dixon (Anthony Velarde 72’), Albert Dikwa
New York Red Bulls II lineup (4-4-2) — Luca Lewis; Joey Zalinsky, Emir Tombul, Manny Egbo, Juan Castillo (JC Cortez 72’); Daniel Edelman, Mike Knapp, Jeremy Rafanello (Austin Brummett 72’), Jaka LaCava; Omar Sowe (Nico Nee 83’), Roald Mitchell (Serge Ngoma 60’)
Scoring summary
PIT — Todd Wharton 14’ (Kenardo Forbes)
NY — Shane Wiedt 26’ (own goal)
PIT — Albert Dikwa 41’ (Russell Cicerone)
Discipline summary
NY — Joey Zalinsky 45’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Shane Wiedt 58’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
NY — Emir Tombul 81’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
