PITTSBURGH (July 4, 2026) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds’ six-match unbeaten streak came to an end after Brooklyn FC came away with a 2-0 result tonight on their first-ever visit to F.N.B. Stadium.
CJ Olney Jr. and Abdoulaye Kanté scored for Brooklyn (3-8-3), which also ended the Hounds’ (6-5-2) run of 476 minutes without conceding a goal. Brooklyn’s Stefan Stojanovic and the Hounds’ Albert Dikwa both were sent off in the 76th minute after an altercation at the top of the Hounds’ box.
The match was played in front of a regular-season stadium record crowd of 6,376, the second-largest crowd for a Hounds match ever at F.N.B. Stadium. The start of the contest was delayed by an hour because of lightning in the area.
First half
Charles Ahl had a good chance blocked behind by the defense in the fourth minute, and that was part of a strong early start that saw the Hounds take the first six shots of the match. But of those early six, only a left-footed volley by Eliot Goldthorp forced a save out of Brooklyn goalkeeper Lukas Burns.
Brooklyn didn’t record its first shot until a corner kick in the 30th minute, but it was a good chance as John Klein won a header from a corner kick and missed the Hounds’ goal just wide of the right post.
In stoppage time, Stojanovic, who already had been warned by the referee for a late challenge, received the game’s first caution for a blindside tackle on Ahl.
Second half
Brooklyn pulled ahead four minutes after play resumed on a play triggered by former Hounds defender Thomas Vancaeyezeele moving down the right side. He found Olney with a low pass across the top of the penalty arc, and Olney drove a bouncing ball on his second touch into the top left corner of the net.
Stojanovic then triggered the match’s biggest flashpoint in the 75th minute when he fouled Lasse Kelp by undercutting him, and then after the players got untangled, headbutting the Hounds defender. Tempers flared as players from both teams came together, and Brooklyn captain Tommy McNamara shoved Dikwa, leading Dikwa to strike McNamara in retaliation. McNamara hit the deck and rolled over three times to draw attention to the incident, and both Stojanovic and Dikwa were dismissed for their actions.
The Hounds were unable to create another effort on target with both teams reduced to 10 men, and Brooklyn added the insurance goal in stoppage time when another former Hound, J.C. Obregón, fed Kanté in the box for a finish with the defense stretched.
Modelo Man of the Match
Charles Ahl put in a hard-working two-way shift by winning 9 of 14 duels, and connecting on 85.7 percent of his passes, including 7 of 8 in the final third. He also had two shots in the match won four free kicks for the Hounds.
What’s next?
The Hounds will play their final Prinx Tires USL Cup group stage match at home against Loudoun United FC at 5 p.m. Saturday, July 11. The Hounds are not mathematically eliminated from wild card contention in the cup, but they would have to win and get multiple favorable results out other groups to advance.
Riverhounds SC lineup (4-3-3) — Nico Campuzano; Lasse Kelp, Owen Mikoy, Victor Souza, Perrin Barnes (Jorge Garcia 83’); Charles Ahl, Danny Griffin (Jackson Walti 88’), Robbie Mertz; Max Viera (Trevor Amann 58’), Albert Dikwa (sent off 76’), Eliot Goldthorp
Brooklyn FC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Lukas Burns; Gabriel Alves, Rocco Romeo, Callum Frogson, Thomas Vancaeyezeele (Ryan McLaughlin 73’); Tommy McNamara (Abdoulaye Kanté 81’), John Klein; CJ Olney Jr. (Pierre da Silva 87’), Jaden Servania (Taimu Okiyoshi 73’), Stefan Stojanovic (sent off 76’); Markus Anderson (J.C. Obregón 87’)
Scoring summary
BKN — CJ Olney Jr. 49’ (Thomas Vancaeyezeele)
BKN — Abdoulaye Kanté 90+3’ (J.C. Obregón)
Discipline summary
BKN — Stefan Stojanovic 45+1’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Trevor Amann 69’ (caution – reckless foul)
BKN — Stefan Stojanovic 76’ (sent off – violent conduct)
PIT — Albert Dikwa 76’ (sent off – violent conduct)
BKN — Callum Frogson 80’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Lasse Kelp 82’ (caution – tactical foul)
