PITTSBURGH (March 31, 2026) — A pair of second-half goals have the Pittsburgh Riverhounds back into the Round of 32 in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup after claiming a 2-0 victory in the Second Round over Virginia Dream FC tonight at Highmark Stadium.
Danny Griffin and Eliot Goldthorp scored eight minutes apart for the Hounds, who have reached the Round of 32 in the cup each of the past four years. They will discover their next Open Cup opponent when the draw is held live starting at 9 a.m. Thursday on CBS Golazo Network’s “Morning Footy.”
The Hounds have now won their past eight Open Cup matchups against lower-division opponents after beating the Dream, a team based out of Falls Church, Va. playing in the fourth-tier United Premier Soccer League.
First half
Chances were sparse in the opening half hour of the match, as the Dream defended deeply in their half. The visitors did not muster a shot until the 41st minute of play, but the Hounds only had three of their own until the 30th minute.
That was when the pace picked up, starting with a dangerous ball across the face of goal that was too long for Trevor Amann to reach, but in no-man’s land for the defense, allowing it to bounce just wide of the post.
Amann tried a half-volley from distance shortly after, and Goldthorp had a header on goal but right at opposing goalkeeper Héctor Guerrero. Amann then had the ball in the net after being sent through on goal on a flick by Griffin, but Griffin was ruled offside on the play in the 42nd minute.
Second half
The Hounds jumped ahead in the 50th minute thanks to a set piece served by Robbie Mertz from slightly outside the box on the left side.
Griffin got on the end of Mertz’s curling ball at the back post to tap it home, making in back-to-back cup matches with a goal for the Hounds’ captain. It was also Griffin’s fourth career Open Cup goal for the Hounds, matching the club record held by current head coach Rob Vincent.
Eight minutes later, the lead was doubled when Goldthorp won the ball at the top of the Dream box and then was tripped by Dom Kosséhassé. Having won the penalty, Goldthorp then converted the kick with a low shot to the right side for his first goal with the Hounds and a 2-0 lead.
Goldthorp nearly got his second minutes later with a driven ball from near the left touchline that got over the head of Guerrero but struck the inside of the far post and stayed out.
It took the Dream until the 68th minute to record their first shot on goal, and they would finish the match outshot by the Hounds 20-3 overall. The Hounds also finished with 62 percent of possession for the contest.
Modelo Man of the Match
Eliot Goldthorp opened his Hounds scoring account by winning then converting a penalty kick, but he was a steady contributor throughout the match. He finished with three shots on target and struck the post once, added three chances created and won possession eight times.
What’s next?
The Hounds head back on the road and back into league play to face Indy Eleven (1-1-1) in Indianapolis at 7 p.m. Saturday, April 4.
Riverhounds SC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Nico Campuzano; Lasse Kelp, Owen Mikoy (Perrin Barnes 66’), Illal Osumanu, Max Viera; Danny Griffin (Sam Bassett 66’), Jackson Walti; Eliot Goldthorp (Victor Souza 82’), Jorge Garcia (Charles Ahl 71’), Robbie Mertz; Trevor Amann (Brigham Larsen 71’)
Virginia Dream FC lineup (4-3-3) — Héctor Guerrero; Jimmy Filerman (Jacob Campbell 74’), Harri Hawkins, Dom Kosséhassé, Mike DeShields (Demetrius Shepard-Lewis 82’); Mike Akinkoye (Anderson Asiedu 54’), Jean-Christophe Koffi (Ibrahim Conteh 82’); Asparuh Slavov; Zoumana Diarra, Nicolas Likulia (Moussa Conde 74’), Elijah Amo
Scoring summary
PIT — Danny Griffin 51’ (Robbie Mertz)
PIT — Eliot Goldthorp 58’ (penalty)
Discipline summary
PIT — Trevor Amann 41’ (caution – dissent)
PIT — Eliot Goldthorp 62’ (caution – tactical foul)
VIR — Dom Kosséhassé 74’ (caution – dissent)
