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Russell Cicerone named USL Championship Player of the Week

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 24, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC striker Russell Cicerone was named the USL Championship’s Player of the Week for Week 18 after his three-goal performance Sunday in the Hounds’ 4-1 win over Atlanta United 2.

The hat trick was the first for Cicerone since his college days at the University at Buffalo, and it brings the forward’s goal total in 2021 to 11 — one shy of matching in one season his career total of 12 scored from 2017-20. With 11 goals, Cicerone is in a tie for second in the USL Championship for goals, trailing only the 19 scored by runaway leader Hadji Berry of Colorado Springs.

Not only was Cicerone the scoring hero against Atlanta, he was praised after the match by coach Bob Lilley for his two-way play against Atlanta and in the 0-0 draw on Wednesday with the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Cicerone connected on 15 of his 20 passes in the Atlanta match, as well.

The honor is also the first time this season the Hounds’ leading scorer has been named in the starting 11 of the Team of the Week, though he did garner a bench honor in Week 9 of the season.

Joining Cicerone on the Team of the Week, presented by Cleer Audio, is midfielder Alex Dixon, who was named to the league’s best 11 for the fourth time in the past five weeks and fifth time overall in 2021.

Dixon assisted two of Cicerone’s goals against Atlanta, which brings his team-leading total to seven on the season, one off the USL Championship lead. He finished the match with five key passes, and the 5-foot-8 winger also won all four aerial duels he contested against Atlanta.

The Riverhounds return to action on Saturday, when they go on the road to face Hartford Athletic in a 7 p.m. match at Dillon Stadium. The game will be shown on 22 The Point and streamed on ESPN+.

Cicerone's hat trick propels Hounds to 4-1 win over Atlanta

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 22, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC got back in the win column after a three-game winless stretch, defeating Atlanta United 2 by a 4-1 score at Highmark Stadium.

Russell Cicerone scored his first career hat trick, and Tommy Williamson also scored as the Hounds (11-6-4) had their highest scoring total of the year. Darwin Matheus scored to tie things up for Atlanta (6-8-7) in the 15th minute, but the Hounds scored twice more before the break to take a 3-1 lead into halftime.

Cicerone ended the scoring and completed his hat trick — the first hat trick for the Hounds since Neco Brett in the 2019 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals — in the 66th minute.

First Half

After failing to score in their previous two matches, the Hounds were on the attack early.

In the second minute, the Hounds were awarded a penalty kick after a foul by Atlanta’s Aiden McFadden, who pulled Cicerone down off the ball. Cicerone sent the ensuing penalty shot toward the bottom-left corner, only to be denied by goalie Rocco Rios Novo.

Cicerone made amends in the fourth minute, when Alex Dixon played a ball through between defenders. Rios Novo came off his line to challenge the shot, but Cicerone sent the ball past him into the bottom left corner.

In the 15th minute, Atlanta tied the match when McFadden sent a high cross from the right to Matheus in the center of the penalty box. Matheus controlled the ball and sent a hard shot over Danny Vitiello‘s shoulder to even things up.

The scoring continued in the 26th minute. After a corner kick, Kenardo Forbes received a long, diagonal ball along the goal line on the right side. Forbes then hit Williamson with a low pass in front of goal, and Williamson put the shot away with one touch for his fourth goal of the season.

Just five minutes later, Cicerone found his second goal of the match, putting on a slew of 1-on-1 moves to create space from Atlanta’s Bryce Washington before sending the shot into the bottom-right corner.

Second Half

Although the second half didn’t feature as many goals, there were still some good opportunities for the Hounds.

In the 53rd minute, Dixon had space in the right side of the box, but the following shot was just high of the goal. Then, in the 63rd minute, Dixon tried to find Cicerone outside the six-yard box, but his diving header attempt went wide of the mark.

But those two connected to complete the hat trick in the 67th minute, as Cicerone tapped in a low Dixon feed from three yards out for his 11th goal of the season and third of the game.

Hounds Man of the Match

Russell Cicerone earns the honor tonight, tallying the first Hounds hat trick since Brett’s four-goal performance in the 7-0 rout of Birmingham Legion in the 2019 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. He had a total of four shots on target, the only miss being when Rios Novo saved his penalty kick in the third minute.

What’s next?

After playing five matches in 16 days, the Hounds get almost a full week before their next match, a meeting with Hartford Athletic at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Dillon Stadium. The teams played to a 1-1 draw in their first trip to Dillon Stadium back on May 15, while the Hounds won their first meeting in Pittsburgh, 3-1, on July 31.

Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-3) — Danny Vitiello; Preston Kilwien, Shane Wiedt, Mekeil Williams; Louis Perez (Dani Rovira 59’), Todd Wharton, Danny Griffin, Alex Dixon (Anthony Velarde 72’); Tommy Williamson (Tom Judge 59’), Kenardo Forbes (Jelani Peters 83’), Russell Cicerone (Wyatt Borso 83’)

Atlanta United 2 lineup (4-3-3) — Rocco Rios Novo; Aiden McFadden, Bryce Washington (Bradley Kamdem Fewo 45’), Josh Bauer, Caleb Wiley; Robbie Mertz, Ajani Fortune (Phillip Goodrum 45’), Abdoulaye Diop (Matias Benitez 72’); Jackson Conway (Connor Stanley 79’), Darwin Matheus, Machop Chol (Amadou Diop 68’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Russell Cicerone 4’ (Alex Dixon)
ATL — Darwin Matheus 15’ (Aiden McFadden)
PIT — Tommy Williamson 26’ (Kenardo Forbes)
PIT — Russell Cicerone 31’ (Danny Griffin)
PIT — Russell Cicerone 66’ (Alex Dixon)

Discipline summary

PIT — Louis Perez 54’ (caution – persistent infringement)
ATL — Phillip Goodrum 71’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
ATL — Josh Bauer 76’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Dani Rovira 84’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
ATL — Matias Benitez 88’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Todd Wharton 90+2’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

Wiedt remains steady presence along Hounds back line

It’s no secret that injuries have plagued the Hounds’ back line this season:

• Jordan Dover, the club’s most experienced defender, has been out since June 19 with a lower-body injury.

• Mekeil Williams (lower body) and Jelani Peters (illness) missed a crucial division game against Miami on Aug. 11, and Peters missed the next against Charlotte on Aug. 14, both of which were losses. Peters and Williams also missed time in July while playing for Trinidad & Tobago in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

• Tom Judge, who was brought in on loan July 6 to add depth, suffered a head injury just 17 minutes into his Riverhounds debut against Charleston Battery on Aug. 6.

Through all the injuries, however, Shane Wiedt has proved to be one of the Hounds’ steadiest defenders, providing stability at the center back position. This season, Wiedt leads all Hounds defenders in minutes (1,601), clearances (69) and interceptions (32).

Much to the Hounds’ relief, Wiedt has also been relatively healthy. He has appeared in all of the club’s 20 matches, and is the only defender to start more than 15 of those.

Wiedt, who spent the last two seasons with Loudoun United FC after finishing his college career at Pitt in 2018, noted how much head coach Bob Lilley expected of his club defensively.

“I think Bob demands a lot out of our guys here and a lot of consistency throughout the season,” he said. “Being able to play so many games and to play consistently has been good. I think I’ve had more discipline and somewhat of a leadership role, being a center back, being able to control the guys around me and give information to them. It’s been good that (Lilley) put some responsibility on me to handle that.”

“I trust myself. I’m confident in my ability to play,” Wiedt continued. “I think that’s key for any player to be able to have that confidence, to trust all the work that you put in growing up until now.”

While Wiedt has been one of the most sound defenders for the Hounds, he also has his highlight moments.

Perhaps his biggest play of the year came in a 1-0 win against Charlotte Independence on July 3. In the 76th minute, Irvin Parra chipped a ball over the outstretched hands of Danny Vitiello. Wiedt, never giving up on the play, sprinted back to head the ball out of bounds and preserve the lead.

The Hounds had one of their better defensive performances of the season in their last match, a scoreless draw against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. The Hounds dominated possession, holding Tampa Bay to just one shot on target in the final 45 minutes and three total.

So, what was the difference?

“I think just being compact defensively,” Wiedt explained. “A lot of pressing from our guys up top and a lot of hard work is really what it came down to.”

It should also be noted that the Hounds’ back line got reinforcements, as Peters returned from injury, one game after Williams’ return.

The Hounds have one of their toughest defensive matchups yet when they host Atlanta United 2 at 7 p.m. Sunday. Although they’ve struggled on the road, Atlanta has had no trouble generating opportunities, scoring 34 goals on 265 shots.

“I think the key is just to work together defensively,” Wiedt said. “I know Atlanta is on a hot streak; I think they’ve scored at least two goals in their last three games. They’re doing well. It’s just going to come down to hard work and playing together.”

Preview: Riverhounds SC vs. Atlanta United 2

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 21, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC renews acquaintances with Atlanta United 2 in their next game, a non-divisional matchup at 7 p.m. Sunday at Highmark Stadium.

The Hounds (10-6-4) are unbeaten at 2-0-2 in four all-time meetings with Atlanta (6-7-7), and they will look to keep that streak going on tired legs in what will be their fifth match in a 16-day period. The game will be televised on 22 The Point and streamed via ESPN+.

If the playoffs were to have begun before this weekend’s matches, the Hounds — second in the Atlantic Division — would have been hosting Atlanta — third in the Central. But both teams are enmeshed in tight battles for playoff position, meaning even out-of-division points are crucial to both sides.

The Hounds snapped a two-game losing skid Wednesday with a scoreless draw against divisional co-leaders the Tampa Bay Rowdies, while Atlanta is 2-0-1 in their past three matches, scoring 12 goals in the process.

Pittsburgh, meanwhile, has gone 220 minutes since its last goal. Yet, coach Bob Lilley was largely pleased with the way his team competed against the Rowdies, and the boss simply wants his team to translate their 66 percent possession into more dangerous chances. The team’s top two scorers, Russell Cicerone (eight goals) and Alex Dixon (six goals) haven’t found the net in three matches, and more will be asked of them Sunday.

For Atlanta, the finishing touches have come from the youngsters, as 18-year-old Tyler Wolff and 22-year-old Aiden McFadden share the team lead with six goals each. Former Hound and Pittsburgh native Robbie Mertz leads Atlanta with four assists, and it’s a virtual certainty he will be in the middle of the park on his homecoming.

For a deeper look at Sunday’s matchup, including the battle Mertz will face in midfield, check out the 3 Things feature that appears before every Hounds game.

In addition to the match, at halftime the Hounds will honor the University of Pittsburgh men’s soccer team, which reached the NCAA College Cup for the first time in program history this spring. Atlanta defender Bryce Washington was a part of that team, while Hounds defender Shane Wiedt finished his college career in 2018 at Pitt under coach Jay Vidovich.

The Riverhounds’ Tailgate Zone will again be open two hours before kickoff, this match featuring food from Stunt Pig and Los Gingos Tacos, as well as plenty of music and drinks, including the Riverhounds Session Copper from Straub.

Visit Ticketmaster or stop by the Highmark Stadium Box Office to purchase your tickets. To see the complete 2021 schedule, visit https://www.riverhounds.com/game-schedule.

MATCH INFORMATION

Date: Sunday, Aug. 22
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
TV: 22 The Point / WPNT-22
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live Updates: Twitter at @RiverhoundsSC and #PITvATL

3 Things: #PITvATL

After a run of four high-intensity divisional games, the Hounds’ fifth match in 16 days comes against a fresh opponent.

Atlanta United 2, currently third in the Central Division, comes to Pittsburgh for the first time in two years for a 7 p.m. Sunday kickoff that will be shown on 22 The Point and streamed on ESPN+.

While it might not have divisional implications, this is far from a trap game for the Hounds, who know their chances in the Atlantic Division come down to whether they can keep pace with Tampa Bay entering October and their final meeting.

So with an unfamiliar Atlanta team on the other side of the ball, these 3 Things will be important for the Hounds as they look to get their first win in four matches.

1.) Keep up the Tampa tempo

While there were plenty of things to not like about the scoreless draw Wednesday against Tampa Bay — not the least of which was the Hounds failing to record a shot on goal — there was a lot of good to come of that high-pressure result.

Perhaps the biggest surprise was that the Hounds were able to possess the ball for 65.8 percent of the match, their third-best total of the season, and it seemed to wear on the Rowdies as space opened up in the final half hour, most notably leading to Louis Pérez’s late shot off the crossbar.

Enter Atlanta, which has shown the same sort of scoring pop possessed by Tampa Bay — ATL2 was fourth in the USL Championship with 34 goals through Friday — though with far less defensive structure. If the Hounds can keep the ball away from Atlanta the same way they did the Rowdies, it stands to reason the space will be there again, and Atlanta will find it much harder than Tampa Bay to recover.

2.) Howlin’ Wolff

Atlanta United 2 doesn’t skew quite as young as some of the other “2” sides in the USL Championship, but one of their breakout players in recent weeks has been 18-year-old striker Tyler Wolff.

Wolff, the son of former U.S. international Josh Wolff, was the Championship Player of the Week after bagging his first pro hat trick in a 6-2 win over Indy Eleven, and he has four goals in his past three matches. With six on the season in just nine appearances, Wolff has a goal per every 106 minutes played, and those minutes are trending upward with his recent form.

Wolff is likely to be in the starting lineup again Sunday, and the Hounds will need keep close tabs and make things uncomfortable for a young player just finding his form at this level.

3.) Mertz magic vs. Danny danger

The game will also be the return of former Hounds midfielder and Pittsburgh native Robbie Mertz, who leads Atlanta in assists this season despite an injury-bothered start to the year.

That very well could set up an excellent battle of young central midfielders between 24-year-old Mertz and the Hounds’ rock in the center of the park, 23-year-old Danny Griffin.

The former teammates had similar paths to the Hounds — both were unsigned MLS SuperDraft picks out of college — and both were fixtures in the lineup by the end of their rookie season. Though both played similar positions in college, Griffin has settled into a holding role this season with the Hounds, which means he’ll frequently be the one trying to break up attacks going through Mertz.

While games are rarely won or lost on a single 1-on-1 matchup, which of those two controls more of the ball will give their team a decided leg up in the match.

Rowdies, Hounds play to scoreless draw in playoff-style battle

PITTSBURGH (Aug. 18, 2021) — The third clash of the year between the Atlantic Division leaders had a playoff feel, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC and the Tampa Bay Rowdies finished 90 minutes deadlocked with a 0-0 draw at Highmark Stadium.

The match saw the Riverhounds (10-6-4) hold 66 percent of possession, but the Rowdies (11-6-1) came out ahead in the shot count, 8-3, and the corner kick total, 4-3.

Danny Vitiello made three saves to record his fourth shutout of the season for the Hounds, while Tampa Bay goalie Evan Louro did not record a save while picking up the clean sheet.

First half

The match started with both teams taking a cautious approach, underlining the importance of the game to the two teams that began the day tied with 33 points in the standings.

Tampa tried their luck with shots from distance, but their best effort by far was a volley hit well by Laurence Wyke in the 37th minute. Wyke’s shot had power, but it was straight to the feet of Vitiello, who dropped down to hold the shot.

The Hounds didn’t create much going forward with only two shots in the first 45 minutes, but they did establish themselves as the team on the ball — the Hounds finished the game with 628 passes to Tampa Bay’s 324.

Second half

The Hounds looked much more dangerous after the break, and Alex Dixon made a nice 1-on-1 move before flashing a shot across the front of the goal in the 50th minute.

Vitiello made his biggest save of the day in the 61st minute, diving to his left to push away a redirection by former Hounds forward Steevan Dos Santos on the end of a Lewis Hilton free kick.

Both teams went to their benches looking for a spark in the final half-hour, and it was the Hounds who came closest when Louis Pérez entered the game in the final 10 minutes.

Pérez found space 30 yards from goal after a poor clearance by the Rowdies and teed up a left-footed shot. His 85th-minute effort got over a leaping Louro, but it struck the crossbar and bounced away, leaving the match scoreless.

Hounds Man of the Match

Shane Wiedt gets the recognition on a back line with multiple candidates Wednesday. The center back battled in a team-leading 17 duels, including winning 5 of 8 aerial battles. He also completed 85 of 101 passes, recorded five clearances and four interceptions, all of which led the Hounds.

What’s next?

With a crucial point in hand and the first losing streak of the season behind them, the Hounds prepare for an out-of-division clash with Atlanta United 2 at 7 p.m. Sunday at Highmark Stadium. Atlanta (6-7-7) is locked in a standings battle in the Central Division, where the teams placed third through seventh are separated by four points.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-1-3-1) — Danny Vitiello; Ezra Armstrong (Tommy Williamson 66’), Jelani Peters (Preston Kilwien 83’), Mekeil Williams (Louis Pérez 83’), Shane Wiedt, Alex Dixon; Danny Griffin; Anthony Velarde (Todd Wharton 66’), Dani Rovira, Kenardo Forbes; Russell Cicerone

Tampa Bay Rowdies lineup (3-4-3) — Evan Louro; Aarón Guillén, Forrest Lasso, Jordan Scarlett; Sebastian Dalgaard, Laurence Wyke (Jordan Doherty 89’), Conner Antley, Lewis Hilton; Steevan Dos Santos (Lucky Mkosana 72’), Zach Steinberger (Yann Ekra 57’), Jordan Adebayo-Smith (Sebastián Guenzatti 57’)

Scoring summary

None

Discipline summary

TBR — Forrest Lasso 31’ (caution – persistent infringement)
PIT — Anthony Velarde 58’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
TBR — Lucky Mkosana 90+3’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

Hounds drop second straight with 1-0 loss in rainy Charlotte

(Aug. 14, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC dropped a tough road loss to the Charlotte Independence, 1-0, on Saturday night at American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, N.C.

Enzo Martinez scored the only goal less than two minutes into the second half for Charlotte (8-7-2), as the Hounds (10-6-3) were stagnant on offense and got shut out for the first time in 12 matches. It is also just the third time the Hounds have lost consecutive games in four seasons under coach Bob Lilley.

The match, which was the first time the teams met at Charlotte’s new home stadium, was delayed by 30 minutes because of heavy rain and storms in the area. The wet surface affected both teams but seemed to be harder on the Hounds, who mustered just six shots and only one on goal.

First half

Charlotte started out the more promising of the two teams, and they outshot the Hounds in the first half, 5-2. But the Independence had a hard time hitting the target with just one shot on goal.

The lone shot was a great chance for Brandt Bronico in the 30th minute, who got an open header inside the six-yard box from a free kick, but Hounds goalkeeper Danny Vitiello made a reflex save to parry the ball downward and cover it before it could cross the goal line.

Charlotte then put the ball into the net in the 41st minute, but Martinez’s would-be goal was waved off for offside.

Second half

A much different half played out after the break, and Alex Dixon nearly caught Charlotte napping with a curling shot that missed just high only 20 seconds into the half.

But Charlotte finally found the net going the other direction, as Irvin Parra was able to get down the right flank and serve a low pass to Martinez in the middle. Martinez slid for the ball and got the touch needed to get it between defender Shane Wiedt and Vitiello for the 47th-minute goal.

The Hounds began to press forward more after that point, and they finished with 55 percent of possession in the game. But the time on the ball didn’t equal chances, as a long-range effort by Dixon forced the only save of former Hounds goalie Austin Pack in the Charlotte goal.

Hounds Man of the Match

Danny Griffin was one of the few Hounds players who was able to keep his feet on the soggy grass, and he was valuable in the sloppy conditions. He completed 52 of 66 passes (78.8 percent), both second on the team, and he also won 7 of 10 duels while winning the ball away from Charlotte a team-best 13 times.

What’s next?

Things won’t get any easier for the Hounds next week, as another two-match week starts with a home game against the Tampa Bay Rowdies (11-7-0) at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Highmark Stadium. The Rowdies defeated Hartford, 1-0, on Friday night to retake first place in the Atlantic Division, but the top spot will be up for grabs again Wednesday.

Riverhounds SC lineup (3-4-3) — Danny Vitiello; Preston Kilwien (Ezra Armstrong 79’), Shane Wiedt, Mekeil Williams (Jalen Robinson 79’); Louis Pérez (Dani Rovira 71’), Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes, Todd Wharton (Anthony Velarde 71’); Tommy Williamson, Alex Dixon, Russell Cicerone

Charlotte Independence (3-4-3) — Austin Pack; Christian Fuchs, Hugh Roberts, Kevin Riascos; Adam Armour (Clay Dimick 81’), Brandt Bronico, Marcelo Palomino (Distel Zola 90+2’), Joel Johnson; Enzo Martinez (Valentin Sabella 81’), Irvin Parra (Jordan Bender 90+2’), Sylvain Marveaux (Dane Kelly 68’)

Scoring summary

CLT — Enzo Martinez 47’ (Irvin Parra)

Discipline summary

PIT — Preston Kilwien 29’ (caution – persistent infringement)
CLT — Valentin Sabella 83’ (caution – delaying restart)
PIT — Alex Dixon 87’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

As minutes increase, Louis Prez becoming a consistent contributor

When Louis Pérez signed with the Hounds in February straight out of the University of Central Florida, he was one of the few players on the club without USL Championship experience.

To make things even more difficult, he had to compete against veterans such as Kenardo Forbes and Todd Wharton for minutes in the midfield. But months later, Pérez has carved a niche for himself in the offense by working hard and buying into head coach Bob Lilley’s philosophy.

Even though he appeared in the club’s first three matches of the season, Pérez’s minutes were limited. He admitted that it took a while to adjust to the vibe of the club.

“When I first came here, I wasn’t really used to the coaches and what they were asking for,” Pérez said. “It maybe took me a month or a month-and-a-half to get used to them, my teammates and the environment. Everybody needs to be on the same page in terms of running and moving. Just getting used to the movements the coaches wanted for each position took a while.”

Pérez made his first career start against Austin Bold on June 6, playing, at that point, a season-high 45 minutes in the loss.

“It was big, because before that I wasn’t getting any starts,” he said. “It’s always hard when you’re not starting, but with a lot of hard work, even as a left back, I was ready to show some quality.”

He wouldn’t make his second start until the Hounds played against Loudoun United FC on June 30. He had one of his better performances of the season, tallying a team-high three shots, including his first professional goal in 48th minute.

“It was a great moment,” Pérez recalled. “The team was down one goal going into halftime, and I found that goal to get us back into it. I was really happy, even though we didn’t win that game. Fortunately, I got a goal against Hartford (on July 31), and we won that game. I hope I’m going to get some more, for sure.”

One could say the Loudoun game was his breakthrough game, in terms of his playing time and his confidence.

While Pérez’s minutes weren’t consistent to start the year, they have been since that Loudoun game. Of his 399 minutes this season, Perez has played 295 of them over the past eight games, as opposed to just 104 minutes in the first 10.

In the club’s next match on July 3 against Charlotte Independence, he put up another good performance, totaling two key passes and a team-high three shots in 68 minutes of action. He did so playing out-of-position as a left back, where Lilley has used him at times this season to get an extra attacking player — and a left-footed one, at that — onto the field.

Pérez credits his hard work and determination for his shift in play.

“It was a lot of hard work, listening to the coaches and teammates and just trying to be on the same page with everyone as a team,” he said. “It’s not about the individual, but more about the team, so I was just trying to make myself better for the good of the team. Recently, I’ve been playing a lot of minutes, but for me, I hope it’s just the beginning.”

In the club’s past eight matches, Pérez has scored two goals, tied for the third-most in that span, and has notched 16 crosses in that stretch. However, Pérez still thinks he can be sharper, which in turn may let him play even more minutes.

“I still need to be more available, more of an outlet for the team,” he said. “The coaches are asking for me to play a lot of different positions, but I’m happy because it means I’ll get more minutes.”

When the Hounds visit American Legion Memorial Stadium for the first time tonight, Pérez will indeed get more minutes when he makes his second start against Charlotte this season.

And as his confidence increases, who knows? Maybe he’ll score another goal, too.

Miami rallies from two goals down to snap Hounds' win streak

PITTSBURGH (August 11, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC had its four-game winning streak broken after Miami FC rallied from two goals down to defeat the Hounds, 3-2, at Highmark Stadium.

The Hounds (10-5-2) led 1-0 at halftime after Tommy Williamson netted a goal off a free kick. The Hounds added to their lead early in the second half, when Kenardo Forbes notched a highlight-reel volley.

Miami (9-6-3) quickly tied the game with two goals in two minutes. Former Hounds winger Christiano François and former Robert Morris star Speedy Williams scored to level the score, and Williams put in the game-winning goal off a penalty kick in the 82nd minute.

First Half

Miami dominated possession early but had difficulty creating chances.

Its best opportunity came in the 20th minute, when Lamar Walker used a nice fake to create space inside the penalty box. Hounds goalie Jake Leeker easily caught the ensuing shot for one of two saves in his fourth start of the season.

In the 23rd minute, Forbes put on some moves of his own, and eventually put a shot on target that was saved out for a corner kick. Following the corner, Anthony Velarde’s shot missed just left.

The Hounds finally broke through when Dani Rovira earned a free kick about 25 yards from goal in the 40th minute. Williamson stepped up and sent his shot over the wall and into the bottom-left corner for his third goal of the season and his second of the year from a free kick.

Second Half

It didn’t take long for the Hounds to add to their lead.

In the 50th minute, Alex Dixon lobbed a high cross from the right to Forbes, who then struck a rocket volley into the top-left corner to give the Hounds a 2-0 lead. The goal was the first for the Hounds’ captain and all-time assists leader since 2019.

Miami answered almost immediately. François beat defender Preston Kilwien to a ball in the box and put a shot past Leeker to cut the lead in half in the 52nd minute. A minute later, Williams scored when Ariel Martínez dropped a pass back to the Jamaican, who drove a shot that took a slight deflection and hit the back of the net.

Velarde nearly made it four goals in four minutes in the game when he had a chance at a bouncing ball right in front of goal, but the Hounds midfielder was knocked off balance just enough by the defense, causing him to put his shot high.

The game was decided when Kilwien was called for tripping François in the corner of the penalty area. Williams sent his second goal into the bottom-left corner to make things 3-2 in favor of Miami.

The Hounds’ last quality opportunity came in the 88th minute, when Casey Bartlett-Scott sent a header high but off the mark from a corner kick.

Hounds Man of the Match

Kenardo Forbes scored his first goal since Sept. 28, 2019, when he scored twice against Indy Eleven, but he also led the Hounds in touches (83), crosses (4) and duels (16) and was second in completed passes, connecting on 45 of 55 (81.8 percent).

What’s next?

The Hounds won’t have long to dwell on this loss, as they travel to Legion Memorial Stadium for their third matchup of the season against Charlotte Independence on Saturday. The clubs split their first two meetings, both of which finished 1-0 at Highmark Stadium, and they will be meeting for the first time ever at the Independence’s new home.

Riverhounds SC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Jake Leeker; Preston Kilwien, Shane Wiedt, Jalen Robinson (Todd Wharton 63’), Ezra Armstrong; Dani Rovira (Casey Bartlett-Scott 83’), Danny Griffin; Anthony Velarde (Wyatt Borso 83’), Kenardo Forbes, Alex Dixon (Louis Perez 63’); Tommy Williamson (Russell Cicerone 63’)

Miami FC lineup (4-3-3) — Connor Sparrow; Junior Palacios, Baggio Kcira, Luca Antonelli (Janos Loebe 45’), Paco Craig; Bolu Akinyode, Devon Williams, Christiano Francois (Jahshaun Anglin 90+3’); Lamar Walker (Sean McFarlane 45’), Othello Bah (Billy Forbes 63’), Ariel Martinez (Adonijah Reid 63’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Tommy Williamson 40’
PIT — Kenardo Forbes 50’ (Alex Dixon)
MIA  — Christiano Francois 52’
MIA  — Devon Williams 53’ (Ariel Martínez)
MIA  — Devon Williams 82’ (pen.)

Discipline summary

MIA — Luca Antonelli 14’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Preston Kilwien 81’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
MIA — Junior Palacios 86’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

Preview: Riverhounds SC vs. Miami FC

PITTSBURGH (August 11, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC goes for a fourth straight win at home and fifth straight win overall when they host Miami FC at 6 p.m. at Highmark Stadium. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.

This will be the second meeting all-time between the two clubs, who first met June 12 in a game also played at Highmark. The game finished as a 1-1 draw, as Russell Cicerone scored an early goal for the Hounds, only to have former Hounds winger Christiano François tied the game in the closing moments of the first half.

The Hounds (10-4-3) have ascended to the top of the Atlantic Division with their current winning streak, but third-place Miami (8-6-3) is just six points behind with three head-to-head meetings remaining in 2021. The Hounds go to South Florida twice in the final month of the season for matches on Oct. 2 and Oct. 17.

Injuries are an issue for the Hounds entering this match, with three players ruled out — Josh Gatt (knee), Jordan Dover (lower body) and Tom Judge (head) — and another two questionable to play — Albert Dikwa (groin) and Mekeil Williams (lower body). The Hounds’ scoring punch is intact, however, as Cicerone (eight goals) and Alex Dixon (six goals) will try to make this the fourth consecutive game in which the Hounds have scored at least three goals.

Miami comes in much healthier, with just two forwards listed as questionable on their injury report — Richard Ballard (leg) and Pierre Da Silva (foot). They drew their last match on the road at Hartford, 1-1, but have been in reasonably good form of late with a 4-1-1 record over their past six matches. This is the middle match of a three-game road swing for Miami, who travel west this weekend to face the Austin Bold.

Before the match, check out our 3 Things feature to take a closer look at what the Hounds must do to keep stacking up the good results.

For tickets to tonight’s game, visit Ticketmaster or stop by the Highmark Stadium Box Office. To see the complete 2021 schedule, visit https://www.riverhounds.com/game-schedule.

MATCH INFORMATION

Date: Wednesday, August 11
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live Updates: Twitter at @RiverhoundsSC and #PITvMIA

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