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Two Hounds nominated for USL Championship Player of the Month

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 2, 2021) — Two Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players, striker Russell Cicerone and midfielder Alex Dixon, are among the five finalists for the USL Championship Player of the Month award for August, the league announced today.

Both players have been instrumental in the Hounds’ rise to the top of the Atlantic Division, as the team ended the month of August with a 12-6-4 overall record that had them tied on points for the division lead with the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Cicerone’s six goals tied him for the most in the league during the month of August with Hadji Berry of the Colorado Springs Switchbacks, and it propelled him to second in the league’s scoring race behind Berry with 13 overall on the season. He also recorded one assist during the month and drew eight free kicks as an ever-present threat.

During August, Cicerone recorded his first career hat trick in a 4-1 win over Atlanta United 2, and he scored the most dramatic goal of the month, a stoppage-time game winner in a 3-2 victory over Hartford Athletic.

Dixon has also been a crucial part of the Hounds’ attack with three goals and three assists during August, including a brace that secured a 3-2 win at the Charleston Battery to begin the month.

The team’s assists leader with seven on the year, which puts him one off the USL Championship lead, Dixon provided eight key passes in the month and drew eight free kicks — including two penalty kicks — while alternating between a midfield and wing back role.

The USL Championship Player of the Month is selected using a weighted voting process that includes fan voting with team and media votes representing the 31 USL Championship clubs. Fans can vote for Cicerone or Dixon by visiting USLChampionship.com.

Peters' header gives Hounds 1-0 win, season sweep of New York

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 1, 2021) — Jelani Peters scored a headed goal from a Kenardo Forbes corner kick in the 32nd minute, and that stood up as the only goal to give Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC a 1-0 win over the New York Red Bulls II on Wednesday night at Highmark Stadium.

The Hounds (13-6-4) have won three straight games and retook first place in the Atlantic Division until at least Friday, when the second-place Tampa Bay Rowdies play next. It also completes a four-match season sweep of New York (3-13-4), the first time the Hounds have done that against any opponent in team history.

Danny Vitiello made two saves to record his fifth shutout of the season and 10th of his career, all with the Hounds, which moves him into the top five for shutouts in team history.

First half

A chippy game broke out, with each team being whistled for 17 fouls in the match and Hounds players Tommy Williamson and Shane Wiedt seeing yellow cards in the first 18 minutes of the match.

At the center of the Hounds’ early chances was leading scorer Russell Cicerone, who broke free along the goal line and poked a pass across goal in the 24th minute, only to have the ball roll all the way across just 4 yards from the goal line.

Finally, the Hounds got on the board with the goal headed across the frame and inside the far post by Peters, which was the Hounds’ first goal directly from a corner kick this season. Forbes served the ball from the right corner for his sixth assist of the season and team-record 31st with the Hounds, and for Peters, it was his first goal since making the move to USL with Toronto in 2017.

Second half

Things started slow, and New York pressed the action holding the ball, as they finished with 58 percent of possession.

The visitors’ best chance of the game came in the 65th minute, when a ball was played across to substitute Luther Archimede, but he pushed the close-range effort wide of the post with Vitiello scrambling across. The Hounds mostly kept Red Bulls II out of dangerous areas, however, limiting the visitors to just three total shots.

In the 77th minute, defender Jordan Dover entered the match as a substitute for the Hounds, as the team’s joint-most-tenured player (with Forbes) made his first appearance since June 12 because of a lingering lower-body injury.

Hounds Man of the Match

While many players had solid defensive games, Jelani Peters is the choice for providing the match’s biggest moment. In addition to his first Hounds goal, the Trinidad native was second on the team in clearances with five and interceptions with three, and the 6-foot-5 center back also won all three aerial duels he contested.

What’s next?

The Hounds play their final out-of-division match of the season when they fly to Texas for their first-ever meeting with San Antonio FC (7-5-6). That match against the Mountain Division playoff contenders will be an 8:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday.

Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-3) — Danny Vitiello; Preston Kilwien, Shane Wiedt, Jelani Peters; Tom Judge (Ezra Armstrong 45’), Danny Griffin, Dani Rovira (Jordan Dover 77’), Alex Dixon (Louis Pérez 90+1’); Russell Cicerone, Tommy Williamson (Todd Wharton 60’), Kenardo Forbes (Anthony Velarde 77’)

New York Red Bulls II lineup (4-4-2) — Luca Lewis; JC Cortez (Curtis Ofori 71’), Emir Tombul, Mike Knapp (Luther Archimede 59’), Juan Castillo; Jake LaCava (Nico Rabiu 82’), Daniel Edelman, Kyle Zajec (Sam Williams 72’), Jeremy Rafanello; Omar Sowe, Serge Ngoma (Mathias Jørgensen 71’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Jelani Peters 32’ (Kenardo Forbes)

Discipline summary

PIT — Tommy Williamson 10’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Shane Wiedt 18’ (caution – persistent infringement)
NY — Michael Knapp 34’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Tom Judge 45’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
NY — Luther Archimede 90’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

Preview: Riverhounds SC vs. New York Red Bulls II

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 31, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC kicks off September with its final midweek match of the year, as the Hounds host the New York Red Bulls II at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Highmark Stadium. The match will be shown on ESPN+.

The Hounds (12-6-4) are meeting Red Bulls II (3-12-4) for the fourth and final time this season, making New York the first Atlantic Division opponent the Hounds will complete their season series against. With wins of 3-0 and 3-1 in New Jersey and a 2-1 win in Pittsburgh, the Hounds now have won five straight against the Baby Bulls dating back to last season.

New York will be no easy out, however, despite having lost its past six matches to slip from playoff contention. Red Bulls II has a high-pressing style that causes issues for the best of teams, and dangerous young attacking players, such as forward Omar Sowe (6 goals, 1 assist) and midfielder Jeremy Rafanello (4 goals, 5 assists).

How the teams deal with such familiarity will be seen. The Hounds have only faced the same opponent four times in the same regular season once since 2010, and they have never beaten an opponent all four times they have met.

Though Hounds coach Bob Lilley is expected to rotate his lineup somewhat with the team traveling to San Antonio for a Saturday match just 73 hours later, he is somewhat limited with the same four players — Jordan Dover, Albert Dikwa, Jalen Robinson and Josh Gatt — remaining out and leaving him with only 17 healthy field players.

Russell Cicerone (13 goals, 4 assists), who has five goals in his past two matches and has made the USL Championship Team of the Week twice in a row, is expected to lead the line again with Alex Dixon (7 goals, 7 assists) presenting danger down the flank.

For additional pregame reading, don’t forget to check out the 3 Things feature that appears before every match.

The forecast in Pittsburgh calls for a continuation of the rain that began Tuesday afternoon as the remnants of Hurricane Ida push toward the northeast.

As a result of the expected downpour, the team will not be opening up the Tailgate Zone prior to the match. Gates will still open at 5 p.m., and the Hounds Night promotion — with $2 hot dogs, $3 soft drinks and $3 Hounds Session Copper beers — will still be in effect.

Also for the month of September, fans can use the promo code ROVIRA on Ticketmaster to receive $3 off tickets in the Midview, Edgeview and Supporters sections.

To get tickets for Wednesday’s match, visit Ticketmaster or purchase them at the Highmark Stadium Box Office. To see the complete 2021 schedule, visit https://www.riverhounds.com/game-schedule.

MATCH INFORMATION

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 1
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live Updates: Twitter at @RiverhoundsSC and #PITvNY

Game-winning goal puts Cicerone back in Team of the Week

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 31, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC striker Russell Cicerone was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 19, the league announced Tuesday.

Cicerone scored twice in the Hounds’ 3-2 comeback win over Hartford Athletic on Saturday, which included the game-winning goal in stoppage time at the end of the match. The goals brought Cicerone’s total to a career-best 13 on the season, which places him second in the USL Championship goal-scoring race, and he also completed 22 of 27 passes in the win.

It is the second consecutive Team of the Week honor for the Bloomfield Hills, Mich. native, who is in his first season with the Hounds. Cicerone was on the team and named Player of the Week last week after his first career hat trick in a 4-1 win over Atlanta.

The Riverhounds remain level on points with the Tampa Bay Rowdies atop the Atlantic Division. The team returns to the field at 6 p.m. Wednesday, when it hosts the New York Red Bulls II at Highmark Stadium.

To see the complete Team of the Week, presented by Cleer Audio, visit uslchampionship.com.

3 Things: #PITvNY

As the calendar flips to September, the Hounds are exactly where they want to be — in charge of their path to one or more home playoff games — but it will be no easy task over the final third of the season.

On paper, the team’s home match against the New York Red Bulls II at 6 p.m. this Wednesday seems like one of the easiest in the home stretch. After all, New York is one of the two teams remaining on the Hounds schedule with a losing record, and they have lost six straight.

But viewing things that way sets up the proverbial “trap game,” and in a division race where one slip-up could drop the team from a tie for first to outright third — and a road playoff opener — there’s no room for such an unforced error.

With that in mind, here are the 3 Things to watch in Wednesday’s final midweek match of the season:

1.) No place for complacency

Adding to the potential “trap game” worries is the fact the Hounds already are 3-0 against New York this season. This year will be the first time since 2010 the Hounds have played the same team four times in the same regular season, and the club has never swept a four-game season series with any opponent.

(The Hounds somehow managed to draw all four matchups with the Harrisburg City Islanders in that odd 2010 season, a year of league-shuffling turmoil caused by the start of the now-defunct second NASL, but we digress…)

Back to the task at hand, the Hounds are fully aware of the dangers posed by New York, which nearly got a result before the Hounds won 2-1 in the previous meeting in Pittsburgh on June 25.

The Hounds can’t afford a passive performance against a team that will keep up the pressure, so they need to amp up the pressure and play with the same persistence they showed Saturday after falling behind to Hartford in that 3-2 comeback win.

2.) Let the O flow

The Hounds have seven goals in their past two matches, their best 180-minute output at any point this season. New York, meanwhile, has allowed 44 goals this season, second-worst in the league ahead of only Pacific-trailing Las Vegas.

It’s important that the match doesn’t become an up-and-down track meet, which would suit the younger Red Bulls II side. But if the Hounds can form a defensive wall at midfield and pin the ball deep in the New York half, the hot form of Russell Cicerone and Alex Dixon and the visitors’ penchant for shipping goals seems like a combination that will set off plenty of smoke in the supporters’ section Wednesday.

3.) Puddle jumping

The biggest external factor for tomorrow’s match will be the weather, as the remnants of Hurricane — now Tropical Depression — Ida move south of Pittsburgh.

What little remains of the eye of the storm is predicted to pass through West Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, and Pittsburgh is expected to get steady rainfall from Tuesday afternoon through game time, though rain should be moving out of the area at some point overnight Wednesday.

The path of the storm obviously could change between now and kickoff, but the Hounds need to be prepared to battle New York in heavy rain. That means smart decisions and sure touches on the ball will be at a premium, as the slightest slip or mistake could be just what New York is suited to pounce on and spring an upset.

Cicerone strikes late; Hounds snag victory at Hartford Athletic

(Aug. 28, 2021) — Russell Cicerone scored the match-winning goal in stoppage time, as Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC came away with a 3-2 win over Hartford Athletic on the road Saturday night at Dillon Stadium in Hartford, Conn.

It was the second goal of the match for Cicerone, who opened the scoring from the penalty spot, and Alex Dixon also scored for the Hounds (12-6-4) against the team he played for the past two seasons.

Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. and Danny Barrera scored for Hartford (8-8-3), and the home team nearly held on for the draw despite being reduced to 10 men when defender Tulu was sent off in the 36th minute.

First half

The Hounds were in business just 15 seconds into the game, as Cicerone played Dixon through to goal, and Dixon was taken down by goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell for a lightning-fast penalty kick. Cicerone converted in the second minute for a 1-0 lead.

An end-to-end first half ensued, and Hartford tied the game in the 18th minute when Preston Tabort Etaka headed a ball around Hounds goalie Danny Vitiello, setting it up for Obregón to smash it over the line.

Dixon again was a menace to his former team when he got behind Tulu for a breakaway down the left flank. The Hartford defender gave Dixon a tug of the jersey and knocked him over in the box. That gave the Hounds another penalty, but more significantly, it gave Tulu an early shower as he was shown a red card for denying an obvious scoring opportunity.

But the score remained level at the break, as Caldwell stopped Dixon’s penalty kick, diving the wrong way but dragging his trailing leg behind to stop the shot.

Second half

Hartford pulled ahead 2-1 with a penalty kick in the 51st minute by Barrera, a clean finish after a penalty given in unusual fashion. Play was allowed to continue by referee JJ Bilinski after a free kick by Hartford was cleared by the Hounds, but on the next dead ball, Bilinski awarded the penalty for a foul against Preston Kilwien given by his linesman.

Coach Bob Lilley made three substitutions in the 55th minute, and the fresh legs paid off almost immediately for the Hounds. Ezra Armstrong, one of the three new players on the field, sent a dangerous cross into the box from the left side, and the Hartford defense could head it only as far as the top of the box, where Dixon was waiting to smash home his seventh goal of the season and third against his former team.

It seemed as though a draw might be the result until a corner kick for the Hounds right at the 90-minute mark. Kenardo Forbes whipped the ball into the box, and again, Hartford was only able to clear it to the top of the box.

Cicerone controlled the loose ball and sent a shot into the bottom right corner for his team-leading 13th goal of the season and a Riverhounds victory.

Hounds Man of the Match

Russell Cicerone was visibly running on fumes by the end of the match, but the striker’s stoppage-time winner gave the Hounds the win and gave himself five goals in the past two games. Cicerone is now second in the USL Championship with 13 goals after scoring 12 league goals in his first four pro seasons.

What’s next?

The Hounds return home for their fourth and final meeting of the year with the New York Red Bulls II (3-11-4) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Highmark Stadium. New York, which has lost the previous three meeting with the Hounds, will be on the back end of a road swing, as they also play Sunday at Miami FC before coming to Pittsburgh.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-1-3-1) — Danny Vitiello; Louis Pérez (Ezra Armstrong 55’, Tom Judge 85’), Jelani Peters, Preston Kilwien (Tommy Williamson 55’), Shane Wiedt, Todd Wharton (Wyatt Borso 85’); Danny Griffin; Alex Dixon, Dani Rovira (Anthony Velarde 55’), Kenardo Forbes; Russell Cicerone

Hartford Athletic lineup (4-3-3) — Jeff Caldwell; Gabriel Torres, Thomas Janjigian, Tulu (sent off 36’), Younes Boudadi (Samuel Ashley 19’); Connor McGlynn (Alex Lara 67’), Justin Haak (Kenan Hot 80’), Danny Barrera; Walmer Martinez (Derek Dodson 67’), Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. (Darwin Mom 67’), Preston Tabort Etaka

Scoring summary

PIT — Russell Cicerone 2’ (penalty)
HFD — Juan Carlos Obregón Jr. 18’ (Preston Tabort Etaka)
HFD — Danny Barrera 51’ (penalty)
PIT — Alex Dixon 57’
PIT — Russell Cicerone 90+1’

Discipline summary

HFD — Jeff Caldwell 1’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Dani Rovira 25’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
HFD — Tulu 36’ (sent off – foul denying obvious scoring opportunity)
PIT — Preston Kilwien 45+2’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
HFD — Walmer Martinez 54’ (caution – delaying restart)
HFD — Darwin Lom 69’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

Hounds try to maintain scoring touch heading into final two months

This season, the Hounds have been one of the more efficient offensive clubs in the USL Championship. They boast a 19-percent shot conversion rate, tied for second in the USL Championship, and have scored 32 goals, the fifth most in the league entering this weekend.

The weirdest part about their success? They seem to win more when they have less of the ball, and nowhere was that more evident than in the Hounds’ last match, a 4-1 win over Atlanta United 2.

Atlanta dominated possession in both halves and even outshot the Hounds — when including blocked shots — 13-12. However, the Hounds made more of their opportunities, tallying five shots on target, compared to Atlanta’s two.

Look further into the Hounds’ results and you’ll see another trend start to form. The Hounds are just 3-3-2 when they have more possession than their opponent. When their opponent has more possession, however, the Hounds are 8-3-2.

“I could see our record being correlated with possession,” Hounds assistant coach Dan Visser said. “If you have all of the ball, you may have more defenders in front of you. A team that maybe has less of the ball scores more on counters and restarts and gets more clear looks. If you get more of the ball, maybe you’re willing to take some shots from distance.”

The trend really started to pick up in June, when the Hounds posted a 4-1-1 record when having less possession than their opponent.

Despite having just 31 percent of possession against the Tampa Bay Rowdies on June 19, the Hounds earned a 2-1 victory, their first ever at Al Lang Stadium.

This result served as a stark contrast to the Hounds’ season-opening loss to Tampa Bay, in which they held just 34 percent of possession but managed only one shot on goal.

“It was inevitable that the more we played together, the more familiar we’d become,” forward Alex Dixon said. “I think that’s shown with the movement, both on and off the ball. Also, at the beginning of the year, we weren’t finishing some of the chances that we should have, so it’s nice to see the ball hit the back of the net more consistently now. It’s something we want to continue moving forward.”

Led by Dixon and Russell Cicerone, the Hounds have been more aggressive in the final third regardless of how much possession they hold.

Cicerone’s 11 goals is tied for the second-most in the USL Championship, while Dixon’s seven assists are tied for the third-most in the league.

“We’ve gotten some good attacking play from Cicerone and Dixon,” Visser said. “I think Russell was scoring goals early, and then he wasn’t scoring as much for a little bit, so it’s good to see him get back on the score sheet.

“I think one of the things he gives us pretty consistently is good, hard runs in the box. Sometimes those runs are rewarded with goals, and other times he drags defenders (toward him) and allows other guys to score.”

The Hounds’ offense has been tested during the month of August, both because of the quality of their opponents and the lack of rest. The Hounds played five games in 17 days, coming out of it with a 2-2-1 record. Ahead of their match against Hartford Athletic at 7 p.m. Saturday, the Hounds had five days of rest — their longest “break” of the month.

“It’s still not a full week, but the players got a little bit of necessary rest, physically and mentally,” Visser explained.

“I think the one real positive of playing so many games in a tight window is that you’re forced into giving players opportunities. I think of Ezra Armstrong and Tom Judge, who responded well when we needed to get some fresh legs on. They trained well, we gave them the opportunity, and they responded. I thought Ezra had a few good performances when he had to come on.”

Dixon relayed that the month has been tough offensively, especially with injuries, but thinks that the Hounds have come out the other side better for it.

“We got shut out twice in the last few weeks, which obviously isn’t great, but I still feel like we’re rounding into form,” he said. “We only have 11 games left, and if we want to achieve what we want to achieve, we’re going to have to keep putting the ball in the back of the net.”

While Hartford has slid in the standings since the teams’ last matchup, the Hounds aren’t downplaying the importance of this match. Obviously, three points could make a huge difference in the end, especially considering Hartford has played three fewer matches than the Hounds.

“I’d probably be lying if I said there doesn’t feel like there’s an added emphasis for this game against Hartford, not just because it’s a division game, but also because it’s a division game against a team that is close to us in the standings,” Visser said. “It’s not only an opportunity to get three points, but also a chance to knock them back in the standings.”

Preview: Riverhounds SC at Hartford Athletic

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 27, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC makes its second trip of the season to Connecticut this weekend, as the Hounds face Hartford Athletic in a major Atlantic Division matchup at 7 p.m. Saturday at Dillon Stadium. The game will be televised live on 22 The Point and streamed on ESPN+.

The Hounds (11-6-4) have the division title race in mind, as they remain level on points — though still with fewer games remaining — with the Tampa Bay Rowdies atop the division. Hartford (8-7-3), meanwhile finds itself on the wrong end of tiebreakers in a three-way tie with Charlotte and Charleston for the fourth and final playoff spot, meaning every point over the final two months will be critical to their postseason hopes.

The Hounds are 5-1-1 all-time against Hartford, with a 2-0-1 record at Dillon Stadium that includes the teams’ 1-1 draw on May 15. The Hounds then won the return meeting in Pittsburgh, 3-1, on July 31 after Alex Dixon scored a pair of goals against his former team.

Coming off their first four-goal performance of the year, 4-1 over Atlanta United 2 on Sunday, the Hounds will look to keep things rolling on that end of the field. Russell Cicerone scored a hat trick, and the other goal came off the foot of Tommy Williamson, who netted his first professional assist setting up Cicerone in the team’s last trip to Hartford. With Albert Dikwa (groin) out until at least October, Cicerone, Williamson and Dixon again will be asked to lead the line for the Hounds.

Also ruled out for the Hounds along the back line are Jordan Dover and Jalen Robinson, both with lower-body injuries, though both are eyeing September returns.

For Hartford, which is just 1-4-1 in its past six matches and coming off a 2-0 loss at Miami, Danny Barrera remains the do-it-all player. The midfield captain leads the team in goals with five and is tied for the USL Championship lead in assists with eight.

Hartford does have a clean bill of health, mostly, with only lightly used defender Richie Schlentz (hamstring) and midfielder Luka Prpa (foot), who scored the tying goal in the teams’ first meeting, listed on their injury report.

For a glance at the areas where the teams’ third meeting will be won and lost, check out this week’s 3 Things feature. To see the complete 2021 schedule, visit https://www.riverhounds.com/game-schedule.

MATCH INFORMATION

Date: Saturday, Aug. 28
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Dillon Stadium, Hartford, Conn.
TV: 22 The Point / WPNT-22
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live Updates: Twitter at @RiverhoundsSC and #HFDvPIT

3 Things: #HFDvPIT

There are no secrets in the Atlantic Division at this point of the season.

As the Riverhounds prepare to make their second trip to Connecticut to battle Hartford Athletic for the third time this season, there aren’t many unexpected tactical shake-ups either coaching staff can make for the 7 p.m. Saturday matchup.

Execution will be the deciding factor in the match. The Hounds’ failure to defend late cost them points in the 1-1 draw on May 15, and it could have done the same when the Hounds fell behind in the second meeting on July 31. Fortunately, the offensive execution was there in the second half, and the Hounds pulled away to a 3-1 win.

This week’s 3 Things feature doesn’t reveal much new, but it does highlight the areas that will be most critical in deciding the outcome.

1.) Caldwell vs. the world

As good as Danny Barrera has been as the Hartford captain and scoring leader, their most valuable player this season might be goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell.

Caldwell has played every minute this season for Hartford, and he leads the USL Championship with 74 saves — 11 more than any other player in the league. And he has been under heavy fire in his team’s recent swoon, going 1-4-1 dating back to their trip to Pittsburgh.

In those six matches, Caldwell has made 29 saves, and he has faced at least six shots on goal in all but one. That one was their lone win in the last six, 2-1 over Charleston.

The Hounds peppered the Hartford goal with eight shots, scoring three, the last time the teams met. And while Caldwell has been excellent with a .747 save percentage, the volume of work is clearly wearing down the Hartford backstop and his defense.

2.) Dynamic Dixon

The hat trick by Russell Cicerone obviously grabbed the weekend’s headlines, but Alex Dixon continued to show why he might be the most dynamic threat the Hounds possess.

By setting up two of Cicerone’s goals — one with a pin-point through ball from midfield, the other with a hard drive to the goal line and low cross — Dixon has already set a career high for assists in a season with seven, one off the USL Championship co-leaders, one of whom is Hartford’s Barrera.

Dixon also has six goals already, including his difference-making brace in the last meeting with Hartford, so the formula for success is there.

If the veteran forward/midfielder/occasional wing back can keep the offense humming, the Hounds will be tough for anyone to beat. On the other hand, if Dixon’s success draws extra defensive attention, that should open space for others, such as Tommy Williamson and Louis Pérez working the middle or the opposite flank.

3.) Think vertical

No, not the Hounds when attacking, although Cicerone’s first goal on Sunday showed that can sometimes be a good idea, too.

This is a return to the Hounds’ biggest defensive flaw — susceptibility to the big, direct ball — which Hartford exploited for a Derek Dodson goal before nearly grabbing a 2-0 lead going straight down the middle last match.

No amount of tactics or game planning is going to change what needs to be done. The Hounds defense, regardless of who the starting group is, has to recognize situations where they don’t have cover or are caught too high up the field, and they have to drop back and recover before those situations unfold rather than reacting and chasing when it’s already too late.

Tournament series off to successful start with Riverhounds Classic

With 81 teams and more than 1,200 total athletes from four states competing at four different venues, the first Riverhounds Classic was no small undertaking.

But through the effort of countless coaches, managers, volunteers, referees and others, the Classic — and with it, the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC Tournament Series — got off to a successful start on Aug. 21 and 22.

Matches across the two days were played at Highmark Stadium, Montour Junction, No Offseason Sports and the Peterswood Soccer Complex. In all, 17 champions were crowned in boys and girls age groups from U10 to U15, and all matches in every divisions were able to be played in full.

The first Hounds tournament was a huge success, according to Tournament Director Justin Evans, but that doesn’t mean everything went strictly according to plan.

“Leading up to it, there was a lot of stuff and some unknowns we didn’t know about, but we had some help, and as as a team we got through it. I got nothing but positive feedback from the teams that came from all over the region, and we were blessed with really good weather,” said Evans, the former Hounds and MLS pro and current Hounds Academy coach.

Congratulations are certainly in order for the victorious teams (see below), while the Hounds’ staff now turns its attention to organizing its second event, the Three Rivers College Showcase, which is scheduled to be played over two weekends in December.

While a slightly different style of event — the showcase is focused on opportunities for teams with high-school-aged players who aspire to play at the college or professional levels — the Riverhounds Classic provided a good blueprint for future events.

“I think the thing we learned is that we have the infrastructure and the people, the volunteers — and we can’t thank the volunteers enough — but we have the infrastructure and people to do this,” Evans said. “As far as what we can do to make it better, I think we can probably put it out a little earlier, do a little more communication a little earlier, but it was our first go, and we were trying to get things in order. It was good, overall.”

A big part of future tournament success will be the AHN Montour Health & Sports Medicine Center, which will be the final product of the ongoing development at Montour Junction.

With a total of 10 fields, it will be the largest such complex in Western Pennsylvania that has artificial turf, meaning it will be lest susceptible to the erratic weather in the region. That will allow it to be a central hub for tournament action, akin to the large complexes that host nationally renowned events like the Dallas Cup in Texas or the Jefferson Cup in Richmond, Va.

“That’s what you want. When you go to these tournaments like the Jefferson Cup or regionals, the bigger tournaments where there are massive complexes, you get the feel of the cheering going on at one field, the yelling at the refs at another,” Evans said. “There’s that excitement and that energy that brings a tournament alive, and when they complete Montour Junction, it’s going to completely change the landscape of what we’re able to do.”

For the next couple of weeks, the Hounds Academy staff can turn its attention to their own teams as the 2021-22 competitive season begins in earnest Labor Day weekend. But the hope is that, soon, the RDA and the Tournament Series will help Western Pa. become a regional hub for some of the biggest events in youth soccer.

2021 Riverhounds Classic Champions

Boys
U14/15 Championship — Columbus United SC
U14 Championship — Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2008 RDA II
U13 Championship — Allegheny Force FC
U12 Championship — SCS United
U12 Elite — Pacesetter SC Pre-ECNL
U11 Championship — Pacesetter SC Pre-ECNL
U11 Elite — Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2011 RDA East
U10 Championship — Pacesetter SC

Girls
U14/15 Championship — Western NY Flash Academy
U14 Championship — Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2008 RDA East
U13 Championship — Bridge City SC
U13 Elite — West Allegheny Youth SA
U12 Championship — Columbus United SC
U11 Championship — Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2011 Girls
U11 Elite — Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2011 RDA East
U10 Championship — North Pittsburgh Sports
U10 Elite — Pittsburgh Hotspurs

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