After riding high for a couple of weeks, things came crashing back down for the Riverhounds with a 2-1 setback on Wednesday at Loudoun United FC.
There’s no time to hang heads, though, as the Charlotte Independence arrive at Highmark Stadium for a 7 p.m. Saturday kickoff with second place in the Atlantic Division on the line.
Of course, the Hounds are winless in 12 outings against the Independence, but will an Independence Day weekend match be the occasion that breaks the hoodoo the North Carolinians seem to have over our team?
Here are 3 Things to watch in the year’s second meeting between the two:
1.) Bounce-back Bob
While coach Bob Lilley is not one to think much about streaks and stats — he even joked dismissively about the Charlotte “hex” after losing 1-0 in the first meeting — there is one particular trend that brings him a little pride.
Over three-and-a-half seasons with Lilley the Hounds, the team has lost consecutive league matches only twice, and never have they lost more than two in a row.
In their previous bounce-back game, hosting Miami FC after losing earlier that week to Austin, the Hounds came out with a high-energy effort. Though the match ended a 1-1 draw, the Hounds came away feeling much better about their performance, with a few missed chances and valid penalty shouts that went unanswered costing them three points.
While nothing is assured, it’s a fair bet the Hounds will come out motivated Saturday.
2.) Russell on the front foot
Hounds leading scorer Russell Cicerone has been a pivotal player for the team through 11 matches, but he has gone two straight without a goal, only the second time all season that has happened.
Against Loudoun, Cicerone had just 45 touches on the ball, sixth on the team despite playing all 90 minutes. Contrast that with 53 for Louis Pérez, who logged just 61 minutes, and add in that Cicerone only had one shot — not on goal — and it’s fair to say his involvement in the match was down.
While his game revolves around well-timed runs and getting behind defenses, Cicerone might be well-served to get himself involved early against Charlotte, even if that means coming back to the ball and getting touches near the center stripe. But goals do tend to come in bunches, and if he can bag an early one Saturday, it could be the start of another scoring burst.
3.) Net gains
The Hounds have had solid but not spectacular goalkeeping this season, although the potential has been on display.
Against New York, Danny Vitiello made some excellent saves, none more so that his leaping stop of a Jeremy Rafanello free kick when the game was 1-0. But that save led to the corner kick Vitiello spilled leading to an own goal, which by his own admission, was a play Vitiello should have made.
Likewise, against Loudoun, Jake Leeker kept the Hounds in it with a season-best five saves, some of which had a high degree of difficulty. But he also had a shaky moment or two, dropping an early cross and either being unsighted or caught flat footed on the opening goal by Ted Ku-DiPietro.
While it would be hard to say goalkeeping has cost the Hounds at any point this season, look for the men in (usually) red to clean things up and, hopefully, steal some points when called upon.
