PITTSBURGH (April 18, 2026) — A perfect home record in 2026 remained intact for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds after they knocked off Detroit City FC, 2-1, tonight in the rain at Highmark Stadium.
Albert Dikwa scored both goals for the Hounds (3-3-1), including the opener just two minutes into the match. Chisom Egbuchulam pulled a goal back in stoppage time for Detroit (3-2-1) to ruin the Hounds’ shutout bid.
It was the 12th all-time meeting between the teams, including last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinal, but it was the first in which more than two goals were scored in a series defined by defense.
First half
The Hounds had the opening kickoff, and Detroit had only a single touch on the ball before the hosts were ahead.
Jackson Walti sent a Detroit headed clearance back forward to Perrin Barnes, and Barnes lobbed the ball forward into the box on his first touch. Dikwa got onto the end of the pass and finished by putting the bouncing ball over the goalkeeper’s shoulder.
Hounds goalkeeper Nico Campuzano came up with three saves in the match, the first a diving stop to block away a heavy shot from the top of the box by Connor Rutz in the 13th minute.
Dikwa continued his active match by creating another chance intercepting a Detroit pass in their own defensive third, but his shot went just wide of the near post. He late created a chance with some clever dribbling, leaving one Detroit defender on the ground before finally pulling the trigger and having his shot blocked behind.
Second half
Detroit came out more directly in the second half, and the visitors finished with a 19-11 edge in shots despite being behind 7-4 in that stat at halftime. Despite that, Detroit only put four of those shots on goal, and it was the Hounds who found the net first.
After a series of end-to-end play, substitute Charles Ahl created havoc by applying pressure with the ball at the feet of Detroit goalkeeper Carlos Herrera. Herrera’s pass was off target, and Dikwa was able to intercept and carry it straight back toward the goal before finishing for his second of the night in the 83rd minute.
Campuzano came up big with another stop in the 89th minute, launching himself to the right to deny Darren Smith’s hard shot that got through traffic, and he held a soft follow-up attempt to end the threat.
Detroit finally got on the board with a minute left in stoppage time, as Smith got on the end of a cross from the left and headed the ball back into the path of Egbuchulam, who finished from the penalty spot with his first touch.
Modelo Man of the Match
Albert Dikwa has two home starts in the league and now two home braces in those games after scoring his fourth and fifth of the season. The striker dealt with the rough and tumble to also create two chances and win five free kick (while conceding three of his own), and he led the team with seven recoveries.
What’s next?
The Hounds move back out of league play and into their first group stage match in the Prinx Tires USL Cup when they host USL League One club Greenville Triumph SC for the first time on Saturday, April 25.
Riverhounds SC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Nico Campuzano; Illal Osumanu, Victor Souza, Owen Mikoy, Perrin Barnes; Danny Griffin, Jackson Walti (Junior Etou 79’); Eliot Goldthorp (Charles Ahl 59’), Sam Bassett (Bradley Sample 79’), Robbie Mertz; Albert Dikwa (Brigham Larsen 90+2’)
Detroit City FC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Carlos Herrera; Tommy Silva, Aedan Stanley (Ates Diouf 61’), Devon Amoo-Mensah, Haruki Yamazaki; Abdoulaye Diop (Ryan Williams 74’), Kobe Hernandez-Foster; Rio Hope-Gund (Callum Montgomery 74’), Connor Rutz (Chisom Egbuchulam 61’), Jeciel Cedeño; Darren Smith
Scoring summary
PIT — Albert Dikwa 2’ (Perrin Barnes)
PIT — Albert Dikwa 83’
DET — Chisom Egbuchulam 90+2’ (Darren Smith)
Discipline summary
PIT — Robbie Mertz 6’ (caution – dissent)
PIT — Jackson Walti 44’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Charles Ahl 76’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Nico Campuzano 90’ (caution – delaying restart)
DET — Darren Smith 90+3’ (caution – reckless foul)
