PITTSBURGH (Aug. 21, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC renews acquaintances with Atlanta United 2 in their next game, a non-divisional matchup at 7 p.m. Sunday at Highmark Stadium.
The Hounds (10-6-4) are unbeaten at 2-0-2 in four all-time meetings with Atlanta (6-7-7), and they will look to keep that streak going on tired legs in what will be their fifth match in a 16-day period. The game will be televised on 22 The Point and streamed via ESPN+.
If the playoffs were to have begun before this weekend’s matches, the Hounds — second in the Atlantic Division — would have been hosting Atlanta — third in the Central. But both teams are enmeshed in tight battles for playoff position, meaning even out-of-division points are crucial to both sides.
The Hounds snapped a two-game losing skid Wednesday with a scoreless draw against divisional co-leaders the Tampa Bay Rowdies, while Atlanta is 2-0-1 in their past three matches, scoring 12 goals in the process.
Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has gone 220 minutes since its last goal. Yet, coach Bob Lilley was largely pleased with the way his team competed against the Rowdies, and the boss simply wants his team to translate their 66 percent possession into more dangerous chances. The team’s top two scorers, Russell Cicerone (eight goals) and Alex Dixon (six goals) haven’t found the net in three matches, and more will be asked of them Sunday.
For Atlanta, the finishing touches have come from the youngsters, as 18-year-old Tyler Wolff and 22-year-old Aiden McFadden share the team lead with six goals each. Former Hound and Pittsburgh native Robbie Mertz leads Atlanta with four assists, and it’s a virtual certainty he will be in the middle of the park on his homecoming.
For a deeper look at Sunday’s matchup, including the battle Mertz will face in midfield, check out the 3 Things feature that appears before every Hounds game.
In addition to the match, at halftime the Hounds will honor the University of Pittsburgh men’s soccer team, which reached the NCAA College Cup for the first time in program history this spring. Atlanta defender Bryce Washington was a part of that team, while Hounds defender Shane Wiedt finished his college career in 2018 at Pitt under coach Jay Vidovich.
The Riverhounds’ Tailgate Zone will again be open two hours before kickoff, this match featuring food from Stunt Pig and Los Gingos Tacos, as well as plenty of music and drinks, including the Riverhounds Session Copper from Straub.
Visit Ticketmaster or stop by the Highmark Stadium Box Office to purchase your tickets. To see the complete 2021 schedule, visit https://www.riverhounds.com/game-schedule.
MATCH INFORMATION
Date: Sunday, Aug. 22
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
TV: 22 The Point / WPNT-22
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live Updates: Twitter at @RiverhoundsSC and #PITvATL
