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The 2022 Riverhounds season — the 23rd in team history — is only a day away from kicking off, so now is the perfect time to take a look at the players who will be suiting up in black and gold.

We’re going to go through the roster that is currently 22 deep on a position-by-position basis from front to back. With 10 returning players and 12 new ones, there’s a more even mix of returners and newcomers than in years past; last season, for instance, the team only brought back seven players from the 2020 squad.

And while this preview will be informative, it should by no means be viewed as authoritative. After all, who could’ve anticipated Bob Lilley utilizing Alex Dixon as a wing back last year to get more attacking pop on the field?

But, as best as we can say, here is how the 2022 Riverhounds stack up:

FORWARDS

Naturally, this is the group that generates the most excitement. After all, who doesn’t love goals?

The Hounds’ biggest offseason news was the acquisition of all-time USL Championship goal scorer Dane Kelly, whose 99 goals and track record of success speaks for itself. But let’s not forget the Hounds had a pretty potent group already in place.

Russell Cicerone’s career year — 16 goals, eight assists — put him in the league’s top 10 in both categories, and Dixon had a highly productive year with nine goals and a career-high nine assists himself. Even without any additions, the Hounds were able to keep plenty of scoring pop by picking up those players’ options.

Albert Dikwa returns from the groin injury that cut short his 2021 season, and he seems poised to work in a complimentary role with Kelly. While Kelly has the finishing touch, as shown by a team-leading four preseason goals, Dikwa brings a little more energy and pace to press at the head of the pack.

The wildcards in the group are newcomer William Eyang and newly 18-year-old Academy signing Wyatt Borso. Both found the net twice during preseason and have looked dangerous at times, however, Eyang hasn’t played at the Championship level in six years, and Borso, frankly, only became eligible to vote this week. The potential is there, but are either ready to make that next step toward regular minutes?

In total, the biggest boost this year’s forward group has is depth. Both Dixon and Cicerone played all 32 games last year, and Lilley would love nothing more this year than to be able to keep legs fresh, with Dixon and Kelly both over 30 and Dikwa returning from injury.

MIDFIELDERS

Any discussion of the Hounds’ midfield in the Lilley era obviously begins with the team’s captain and eldest statesman, Kenardo Forbes.

Forbes has been either a First Team or Second Team All-USL selection all four seasons in Pittsburgh, and while his pace might not be where it was five years ago, the field vision and skill in tight spaces of the league’s assists leader remains elite.

One noticeable change occurred in Forbes’ usage last season, as he was deployed in higher areas of the field — even mixing in amongst the forwards at times — and that was made possible by the emergence of Danny Griffin.

Griffin’s ironman role as the team’s holding midfielder made him a priority to re-sign, even as he was getting interest from other USL sides and looks from MLS teams. Game-in and game-out, he covered the greatest distance on the field for the Hounds, and he seems poised to reprise that role again.

Dani Rovira, back for his fourth year with the team, played a utility role last season with time at outside back, partnering Griffin in the center of midfield, and occasionally moving high into a pressing role. He has looked great in preseason in a true midfield role, but in order to keep him on the field, Lilley may be forced to keep moving him around.

Angelo Kelly adds some veteran grit to the center of midfield coming to the Hounds from Charleston. He could partner with Griffin or be the depth piece that spells Griffin, so he doesn’t need to play all but 12 minutes of this season. Rookie Marc Ybarra has shown good technical ability during preseason — fitting for the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year — and he will have time to get up to the speed of the pro game with the quality around him.

The wildcard in this group is Luis Argudo, who was the last remaining trialist among field players this preseason. A veteran with MLS experience — he was in the Columbus Crew side that won 1-0 over the Hounds in the U.S. Open Cup in 2019 — he is a more creative, attack-minded player that could add a new wrinkle to the midfield group.

DEFENDERS

With nine players, the defenders are the biggest unit on the team, and it almost helps to subdivide them into two groups — center backs and outside backs.

The center back group has plenty of continuity from a year ago, with Shane Wiedt, Mekeil Williams and Jelani Peters all accustomed to Lilley’s system and how to play either a back-four or back-three look. Wiedt played every game last season, and both Williams and Peters were regulars who missed time on international duty, so they should form the bulk of the rotation.

First-year pro Arturo Ordóñez has fit in with the rest of the center-back crew seamlessly, not afraid to go into a challenge while still showing a bit of his Spanish upbringing being comfortable with the ball at his feet. The other center back rookie, Nathan Dossantos, is the shortest of the group at 5’11”, but he had a proven track record in college and is adept at winning and moving the ball. As a left-footed player, he also could factor into the mix as a left back.

On the topic of outside backs, this is the position where Lilley has the widest variety of options, all with newcomers.

During preseason, free-agent pick-up Robby Dambrot got plenty of time to operate down the left side, and first-year pro Toby Sims showed an ability to get up and down the field on the right side. Luke Biasi also operated on the right, but at one point slid to the left side when Dambrot picked up a minor injury, while Jesse Williams was a late arrival to preseason but has slotted in with the versatility to play right back, defensive midfield, and even briefly on the right-center side of a back three.

Those four players together provide plenty of options, but Lilley can always plug a Rovira or Dixon in an outside back role to attack, or even slide Dossantos to the left or Wiedt or Williams to the right for a more defensive look. Most likely, the job will be matchup-based, and those could be the positions with the most rotation throughout the year.

GOALKEEPERS

With no incumbent, the biggest question mark entering preseason was the goalkeeper position, and that hasn’t changed after six weeks in camp. Who will be tomorrow’s opening-day starter remained in the air as the team went wheels up for Memphis, and the answer likely won’t be publicly known until the lineup cards are turned in at 6 p.m.

Kevin Silva was the first goalkeeper signed and has professional experience, having played in both the USL Championship and League One with Toronto FC II during the past three seasons. His pedigree — as the nation’s top high school goalkeeper, to UCLA, to a first pro deal with Hearts in Scotland — indicates he should be up to the task, but he has not laid claim to the No. 1 spot as yet.

Chase Vosvick, the team’s other option under contract, was a standout at Loyola (Md.) and the Patriot League’s top goalkeeper for five seasons. And while his college career ended with a shootout loss to North Carolina after holding the Tar Heels scoreless, the jump from Patriot League to the pro ranks is a much larger step up in class. But Vosvick has acquitted himself well in preseason, well enough to keep the decision up in the air.

Lilley does usually carry three goalkeepers on his roster, and he is still in the market to add a player who can compete for the No. 1 spot, as indicated by new players coming in on trial the past two weeks. Whether any of them can stick is yet to be seen, and now that Game 1 has arrived, it will be Silva and Vosvick whose names appear on the lineup card in the immediate future.

Wednesday, Feb. 9

Back on their home turf and back on the front foot, the Hounds got things rolling again with a bounce-back practice in the nicest weather of this preseason — sunny with temperatures in the 50s.

Passes and crosses that were resulting in turnovers a day ago were finding their targets at a much higher rate today, with the likes of Kenardo Forbes, Dani Rovira and Alex Dixon, along with some of the current trialists, creating good chances and setting up goals aplenty.

With more shots going on target, that provided more work for the four goalkeeping trialists who have been with the team since the outset of camp. Those live-fire moments are important in the evaluation process for Bob Lilley and assistants Michael Behonick and Will Marshall, especially with today’s announcement that the Hounds will have one fewer preseason game than originally expected. That leaves only six games — or twelve halves, considering the likely manner in which they will be divvied up — for the top choices to establish themselves and earn a contract, as Lilley intends to carry three goalkeepers once again.

After practice, Lilley spent a little extra time speaking individually with a few of the trialists, giving some tips for improvement and illustrating what will be needed to make the roster. Meanwhile, recent birthday boy Dixon and strike partner Russell Cicerone got in some extra finishing work shooting at the clubhouse end, as the players all seemed relieved to be (at least temporarily) out of the recent oppressive cold.

Tuesday, Feb. 8

Monday to Tuesday was like day to night for the Hounds — or maybe, more appropriately,  sunlight to fluorescent light.

The team moved indoors to the AHN Montour facility for Tuesday’s training session, but that only provided a limited amount of shelter from the cold with construction still continuing around the now-fully installed field. And whether it was the weather or some other reason, practice lacked the sharpness of a day earlier, a point made very clear by Coach Lilley.

Decision making under duress was not at the level the coaching staff expected on this day — the eighth practice of the preseason — as too many turnovers were being made in drills designed to simulate transition opportunities. The issues weren’t isolated to a few players, either, as veterans, Hounds newcomers and trialists alike were subject to criticism.

The practice ran over the scheduled two hours, as Lilley hoped to get a spark from his players. Some bright moments eventually came in the final drill, which yielded a trio of nice finishes by trialists and better overall play toward the end, but the final message of the day was to come back sharper tomorrow in what is expected to be a warmer day outdoors.

Monday, Feb. 7

The second week of preseason got off to a rapid start, as warmer weather and a bit more familiarity led to a more crisp workout on Monday.

There was some movement on the player front made official before training, as it was announced that the contract of Ezra Armstrong — who was not with the Hounds during this preseason due to the pending transaction — had been sold to St. Louis City SC for an undisclosed fee.

While one familiar face is officially gone, another was back in action, as Albert Dikwa was a full participant in training after being away during the first week. Dikwa, coming off an injury-marred 2021, looked mobile and active in his first action as he prepares for his third season in Pittsburgh. Other shifts in the practice squad included the introduction of two new trialists to the mix after four others had their time with the team end after Saturday’s intra-squad scrimmage.

As for the training session itself, things got more compact again after running the full field over the weekend. First up came a brief warm-up period, followed by some 9-on-9 work with players required to possess the ball beyond midfield before they could distribute wide and attack. That activity gave way to even more bombardment of the goals with a 5-on-3 transition drill.

Having played a full game Saturday and with the good quality of work in today’s session, Bob Lilley brought training to a close just past the 90-minute mark — slightly short of the scheduled two hours.

After practice, the captain, Kenardo Forbes, took the time to chat about his impression of training thus far and how the new players are fitting in with the Hounds.

(Editor’s note: Due to Friday’s winter weather, there will be no update for Feb. 4. The blog will be back in action Monday to kick off Week 2 — the first game week of preseason!)

Thursday, Feb. 3

Steady, cold rain led to a slightly abridged practice (and with it, an abridged blog entry for today!) It also meant the coaching staff wanted to keep the players moving to stay warm.

That meant breaking out an old standard among Hounds team drills. Using a full-width field barely 35 yards in length, and each team with two mini-goals to score in — one on the left and one on the right — the Hounds had the full roster of players working on quick ball movement and being able to change the point of attack with two goals to score in.

The coaching staff once again pressed the players to see some more aggressive ball-winning and a faster pace of play as they continued to build toward the week-ending scrimmage, and the flashes of competitiveness were there in the team drill.

Training wound down for the day with a brief passing and shooting drill. That allowed the players to stretch out and swing away after a brisk, compact session, and it gave the four goalkeeping trialists an opportunity to face some shots in a rapid-fire setting.

Wednesday, Feb. 2

Whether the groundhog saw his shadow or not today (he did), we knew we were getting six weeks of preseason.

Wednesdays are often a light day or off day once game weeks roll around, it was a full-bore practice day during this opening week of camp. And while many of the drills and points of emphasis were a continuation of the first two days, this practice ended unlike the first two, as the players got the chance to open up and play a full-field scrimmage for the final 20 minutes of the session.

It was only an abbreviated game setting with some pauses for coaching moments, but it did yield one highlight, courtesy of Dani Rovira. The fourth-year Hound has bounced between many positions over his career, but his high-energy play has made him valuable and helps set the tone in a practice setting. For his goal, Rovira again made a sound play from a holding midfielder role to move forward into space, and he struck the finish well from the top of the box. (In case you missed it, Dani joined the blog earlier this week for a full interview, which can be seen under Monday’s entry.)

After practice, coach Bob Lilley took about 10 minutes to address his players, and while things weren’t all negative, he pointed out to the group that the overall intensity wasn’t turned up to the level he expects. From trialists to players under contracts searching for starting roles, Lilley said he wants to see more urgency from his group in the next two days of practice and on Saturday, when the team will have a full intrasquad scrimmage.

The only other “drama” of Wednesday’s session was a post-practice search for a lost ball — not an uncommon occurrence, but one made more difficult due to the mounds of snow stacked around the field. When the missing ball was finally recovered from in the Paul Child Stand, behind where the netminders do their individual work, captain Kenardo Forbes shared a playfully frustrated accusation: “It’s always the goalkeepers losing them!”

To that, we say: Better there than going in the nets behind them.

Tuesday, Feb. 1

Some warmer temperatures seemed to add life to the second practice session of the new season, and the attacking mindset being pushed on Day 1 continued to be a point of emphasis.

In a practice centered around short-sided drills and transition attacking, the Hounds used the full width of the field to create running lanes, 2-on-1 situations and scoring chances, giving both the attacking players and goalkeepers plenty of activity.

One of coach Bob Lilley‘s teaching moments during the day’s drills came with newcomer William Eyang. Despite being a 6-foot-2 forward who looks at home in front of the net, Lilley spent some time encouraging his new forward to be less stationary and make more decisive runs — even if it’s a run that doesn’t get him open, the coach explained, it could cause a defender to follow him open a gap for the next runner to bolt through.

It wasn’t only forwards putting in work. Defenders had their chances to get forward, as both Mekeil Williams and Robby Dambrot found opportunities to move into gaps and put shots on target.

The constant refrains in the early stages of preseason have been to get forward and create dangerous situations. Certainly, that stems from wanting to build a potent attack from the outset of this season and avoid a slow start. But it also comes from wanting the Hounds’ attackers to put their defensive counterparts to the test with only nine more practices until the preseason opener.

Monday, Jan. 31

No, you’re not imagining things. It’s still January, there’s snow on the ground, but the Hounds are already back on the field!

The first training session of 2022 saw the Hounds’ players under contract sharing the field with more than a dozen trialists — including four at the goalkeeper position — as head coach Bob Lilley and staff began laying the groundwork in a six-week build-up to the season opener in Memphis on March 12.

With mounds of snow standing more than five feet behind each goal on the freshly plowed Highmark Stadium turf, assistant coach Dan Visser started off the action leading players through warm-ups and some quick-touch drills about 15 minutes before the scheduled start time. Because of the weather and being the first practice, the coaches made sure to build up from a slower starting pace to prevent injury and get players’ feet wet, but it wasn’t long before the intensity took a jump for the second hour of training.

As per usual, the team did plenty of work in short-sided and half-field situations, and the season was barely 60 minutes old before Lilley could be heard exhorting his players to make more aggressive runs and try to get behind the defenses.

Hounds captain Kenardo Forbes, who like Lilley is entering his fifth season in Pittsburgh, was his usual sharp self distributing the ball from the center of the park. USL Championship veterans Dane Kelly, Robby Dambrot and Angelo Kelly-Rosales all got their first taste of training under their new coach, and Kelly-Rosales quickly got an earful for playing a square ball rather than the sort of attacking pass through Lilley was looking for.

Russell Cicerone, the Hounds leading scorer a year ago with 16 goals, had some springs on him as the crosses began coming toward goal. He elevated to win an early header, missing just wide, but a short time later, he rose again and this time hit the mark. Dani Rovira also notched a nice finish when the defense allowed him room to cut inside toward goal and he took the space, a move that Lilley praised.

Rovira, who first came to Pittsburgh as a young player out of college at Vermont, is now the second-most-tenured Hounds player behind only Forbes. At the end of the session, the Colombian defender/midfielder stepped inside and shared his thoughts on getting his fourth year with the club started.

This article is the final part of a series recapping the biggest moments — on and off the field — for Riverhounds SC in 2021. Scroll to the bottom for links to the previous installments in the series.

In a season where the Hounds claimed 17 wins, nine of which came in the friendly confines of Highmark Stadium, one night stood above them all for the quality of the win with a major prize at stake.

With four games remaining in the season, the Hounds welcomed the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Sunday, Oct. 10 with a chance to keep pace in the race for a home playoff game and, more tangibly, clinch a spot in the USL Championship Playoffs for the fourth year in a row.

The three previous meetings between the teams played out to a 1-1-1 record for each side, the most recent match being a scoreless draw in Pittsburgh. And there was no question the Rowdies, who would go on to win the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference, would again give the Hounds one of their stiffest tests of the season.

But the home side answered the bell in front of a raucous home crowd, as an opportunistic goal, a massive save and a clinching penalty gave the Hounds a 2-0 victory that highlighted the 2021 season.

Things nearly got off to a bad start when former Hounds striker Steevan Dos Santos headed a ball off the underside of the crossbar but didn’t cross the line, keeping the game scoreless. But much of the first half — like the scoreless 90 minutes in the last meeting — was a cagey back-and-forth between evenly matched teams.

But three minutes before halftime, the Hounds gave the crowd plenty to be happy about during the interval. Preston Kilwien whipped in a cross form the left side that was misplayed by Tampa Bay’s Jordan Scarlett, and Tommy Williamson was in the right spot to pounce for the game’s opening goal.

The biggest moment of the match came in the 57th minute, however, as Tampa Bay won a penalty kick. But with the Rowdies poised to tie the match, Danny Vitiello make his third penalty save in his two seasons for the Hounds, which denied Leo Fernandes and reignited the Highmark crowd.

In the 72nd minute, the action moved to the other penalty spot, as Alex Dixon drew a foul at the top of the box, and Russell Cicerone converted the penalty kick to increase it to a two-goal Hounds advantage.

The win was one of the most electric nights of the season at Highmark, to be sure. But for the team also to solidify its spot in the playoff field for a fourth straight year — a streak only the Hounds, Louisville City FC and Phoenix Rising FC can currently claim in the Championship — was a fitting culmination to another season of strong play under the steady leadership of coach Bob Lilley and staff.

To relive that great night more fully, take a look back at the Match Recap or rewatch the highlights below:

More of the Best of 2021 series:

No. 5: Youth Is Served — Borso makes Pro Team debut under Academy contract
No. 4: Hats off for Russell — Cicerone nets first career hat trick in win over Atlanta
No. 3: It’s good to be King (Kenny) — Forbes takes over club’s all-time assists record
No. 2: New Home Sweet Home — Construction nears completion on new AHN Montour facility 
No. 1: Hounds clinch on one Rowdy night — Victory over Tampa Bay solidifies playoff berth

This article is part of a series this week recapping the biggest moments — on and off the field — for Riverhounds SC in 2021. A new moment will be revealed each day until we hit No. 1 on New Year’s Eve. Scroll to the bottom for links to previous installments in the series.

One of the biggest developments for the Riverhounds in 2021 didn’t happen on the field.

It is the field.

Construction of the Allegheny Health Network Montour Health + Sports Medicine Center in Coraopolis went into overdrive this year, as the team prepares to move into its new indoor training facility and offices in 2022 alongside AHN’s state-of-the-art, 20,000-foot medical facility.

The complex, which will have 10 full-size fields upon completion, will give the Hounds access to brand new facilities on a par with Pittsburgh’s other pro teams. It will also be the base of operations for the Riverhounds Development Academy, giving the club’s youth players access to the very best resources as they develop on the path to the college and pro ranks.

The biggest single milestone during the construction process came on Sept. 17, when Hounds owner Tuffy Shallenberger and executives from AHN were in attendance for the raising of the final steel beam for the frame of the building. That event, also attended by government officials and local media, marked the end of the first phase of construction and put into motion a steady three-month build that has seen roofing, walls and the indoor turf be installed.

While the two existing, outdoor turf fields at AHN Montour have been in use by the RDA and pro team for years, the debut of the indoor field is expected next week when RDA winter training programs begin in the new year. The pro team will also make use of the indoor facility when their preseason camp kicks off Jan. 31.

Just as Highmark Stadium was a huge step forward in 2013 for the Hounds, who were one of the first USL teams to own their own soccer-specific stadium, the AHN Montour facility marks an exciting new chapter in the growth of one of the United States’ oldest professional soccer clubs.

More of the Best of 2021 series:

No. 5: Youth Is Served — Borso makes Pro Team debut under Academy contract
No. 4: Hats off for Russell — Cicerone nets first career hat trick in win over Atlanta
No. 3: It’s good to be King (Kenny) — Forbes takes over club’s all-time assists record
No. 2: New Home Sweet Home — Construction nears completion on new AHN Montour facility
No. 1: Hounds clinch on one Rowdy night — Victory over Tampa Bay solidifies playoff berth

This article is part of a series this week recapping the biggest moments — on and off the field — for Riverhounds SC in 2021. A new moment will be revealed each day until we hit No. 1 on New Year’s Eve. Scroll to the bottom for links to previous installments in the series.

Teammates, fans and even other players around the USL know Kenardo Forbes by his nickname, “King Kenny.”

But midway through the 2021 season, the title became more than just a nickname, as Forbes officially became the Riverhounds’ assists king.

Forbes already held the USL Championship’s all-time assist mark combining his total between Rochester and Pittsburgh, but he entered this past season with 25 since joining the Hounds in 2018, just two behind the club record of 27 held by Kevin Kerr. And though it seemed inevitable that Forbes would claim the team mark, it took a little longer than expected.

The Jamaican midfield veteran went more than a month before getting his first assist of the year, but the first couldn’t have come at a better time, as he set up Russell Cicerone for the decisive goal in a 2-1 win June 19 at the Tampa Bay Rowdies. There wasn’t much waiting for the next one after that, and the home crowd at Highmark Stadium got to celebrate the moment with him.

Forbes showed his vision and incredible patience to tie the record on June 25 against the New York Red Bulls II, as he tracked down a shot by Albert Dikwa that rolled toward the corner after striking the left post. He waited for what seemed like an eternity for attacking runs to be made, which freed up space at the top of the box for Todd Wharton, who received Forbes’ pass and hammered home a shot for the opening goal in a 2-1 win.

The record would become Forbes’ alone the next time the Hounds met the Red Bulls II, this time in New Jersey on July 23.

Not even 10 minutes into the game, Forbes hit a perfectly weighted ball — the kind he has struck so often throughout his decorated career —through to a full-speed Alex Dixon. 

Dixon did the rest, allowing the chasing defender to run past the play before finishing for the first goal in a 3-1 win and giving Forbes his record-setting assist.

That was assist number 28 for Forbes with the Hounds, who would add three more last season to bring his total — and the current record — to 31.

And with Forbes under contract for another year, expect that number to continue to grow as he aims to captain the Hounds to a fifth consecutive playoff berth, a feat no player has experienced with the club.

More of the Best of 2021 series:

No. 5: Youth Is Served — Borso makes Pro Team debut under Academy contract
No. 4: Hats off for Russell — Cicerone nets first career hat trick in win over Atlanta
No. 3: It’s good to be King (Kenny) — Forbes takes over club’s all-time assists record
No. 2: New home sweet home — Construction nears completion on new AHN Montour facility
No. 1: Hounds clinch on one Rowdy night — Victory over Tampa Bay solidifies playoff berth