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The Riverhounds have won two on the hop, and they’re looking to make it three in a row when they host Austin Bold in the first-ever meeting between the two clubs at Highmark Stadium. The match, a 6 p.m. kickoff on Sunday, will be televised on 22 The Point and streamed on ESPN+.

While it can be hard to predict what will happen against a brand new opponent, here are this weekend’s things to watch for in the match:

1) Do your homework

With no matches against a current Western Conference team since 2014, it has been some time since there was a need to prepare for — or even scout — a team from the other conference.

Bob Lilley and staff are having to do that with just three days to prepare after playing midweek at Loudoun United, and it will be interesting to see if they opt for game-specific tactics or keep things more vanilla in terms of formation.

One name that isn’t a stranger is Austin forward Sean Okoli, the 2016 USL MVP with FC Cincinnati. He returned to USL last season after stints in MLS and in Europe, and he already has one goal in the Bold’s first four matches this season. Slowing him will be the No. 1 defensive priority, but how the Hounds go about doing that will come from a 72-hour cram session of film and training.

2) Our Xs from Texas

The Xs in this case are the ones in the name of Alex Dixon, the Houston native who has been the Hounds’ most incisive attacking runner in the past few matches.

Dixon has been, by far, the most consistent player getting behind defenses down both wings, and as a result, his last two games have produced two assists, a goal, a penalty kick drawn and an own goal scored from one of his crosses. If you’re keeping count, that’s five of the Hounds’ six goals accounted for.

Look for Dixon again to try to get the Austin back three to turn their shoulders and have to chase him, but also look for others on the Hounds to try and emulate the runs Dixon has made, as the veteran has provided a blueprint for what makes this side the most successful in attack.

3) Who’s fresh?

That will be a question asked by both coaches, especially with temperatures Sunday expected to peak in the low 90s. The Hounds had a four-hour bus trip back after facing Loudoun on Wednesday, while Austin had a home game Thursday, a 1-0 loss to El Paso, before boarding a flight to the Steel City.

On short rest, expect both teams to employ a little bit of squad rotation. Regular Hounds starters Danny Vitiello and Jordan Dover both began Wednesday’s match on the bench, as did Dani Rovira, Jelani Peters and Tommy Williamson, all of whom have at least one start to their name in the young season.

It’s a very safe bet that some, if not many or all, of those players will be in the Starting XI. Still, it’s unknown whether Lilley will give Danny Griffin, who has played every minute this season in the midfield, or captain Kenardo Forbes a spot on the bench or a day off altogether.

The old adage goes that any time you can get points on the road, it’s a good thing. For the Riverhounds, there’s been a lot of good the past few seasons.

Since the arrival of head coach Bob Lilley in 2018, the Hounds have gone 22-11-12 in league matches away from Highmark Stadium, one of the best marks in the USL Championship over that stretch. That isn’t a coincidence, as lots of planning goes into making a road trip a successful one.

Lilley and assistant coach Dan Visser put plenty of time in planning road trips, as having the players in ideal physical condition is just as important as any tactical preparation. While some of the longer trips involve flights, many, such as tonight’s 7 p.m. kickoff against Loudoun United FC, require loading up on a charter bus the day before the game.

When the Hounds arrive at their destination, they go straight to the field for a short training session, giving the players a chance to stretch their legs. Unlike training sessions at Highmark Stadium, which can run long or be cut short, the coaches stick to a firm time schedule, and the practices involve less talking and more constant movement for a brisk workout. (See the clips above for a glimpse at Tuesday’s training session.)

Once the 60-to-90-minute practice has ended, it’s back on the bus to the team hotel, where a carefully planned meal, team meetings, and most importantly, a good night’s sleep is on the agenda.

Meals and brief walkthrough make up the game day schedule, and roughly two hours before kickoff, the bus arrives back at the venue to suit up for game time.

It’s a pretty simple routine, but it has been a successful one for the Hounds, who have both produced results and avoided too many muscular injuries or other ailments that can be made worse by sitting for a long ride. And, as Lilley said after the team’s 3-0 win last Friday in New York: “It’s always a nicer ride home when you get three points.”

When it comes to sports, and especially soccer, players, coaches and fans everywhere know offense might sell tickets, but defense wins championships. However, Danny Vitiello’s outstanding performance in goal during Saturday’s home opener for Riverhounds SC still wasn’t quite enough to win that particular game.

The Riverhounds fell to the Charlotte Independence, 1-0, in the first game played at Highmark Stadium with the attendance of fans since 2019. Though the Hounds outshot Charlotte, 21-8, they were unable to find the back of the net.

Despite the loss, Vitiello’s work to hold Charlotte’s offense to one goal went far from unnoticed.

In the 15th minute of the match, Vitiello made an incredible pair of saves. First, Charlotte’s Brandt Bronico found himself 1-on-1 with the keeper, but his chip shot was refused by Vitiello’s leaping save. Only seconds later, Charlotte’s Jake Areman attempted to put the rebound away from distance, but he also was denied by Vitiello.

“It was a little unorthodox of a save, but in the moment, I just did anything I could to keep the ball out of the net,” Vitiello said. “That’s the job of a keeper, to make each save as it comes.”

Another great opportunity by Charlotte demanded two saves by Vitiello when Kevin Riascos headed a free kick on frame. Vitiello made that save and shuffled across the goal to stop a second chance by Christian Dean, which completed a sequence that earned Vitiello a nomination for USL Championship Save of the Week.

But in the 34th minute, what would be Charlotte’s last look at net in the match came off the head of Irvin Parra and beat Vitiello for the only blemish on his day.

Though the Hounds came close to an equalizer when Russell Cicerone took a left-footed strike with two minutes remaining in the first half and saw various other chances in the second 45 minutes — outshooting Charlotte in the half, 16-2, — they were unable to capitalize on their opportunities.

“I had a few mistakes in the first half, but I bounced back with a couple of saves,” Vitiello said. “The second half was a bit easier on me. The ball was mostly in their end.”

Vitiello’s stellar performance in goal for the Hounds might not have earned a win Saturday, but it certainly sets the stage for future success. The 25-year-old keeper, who is the reigning USL Championship Golden Glove winner, plans to uphold his growing reputation as a brick wall throughout the season and the duration of his young career.

“I want to reach the highest possible bar for myself and just keep getting better and better,” Vitiello said. “I want to help the team win as many games as possible, and I think getting into the playoffs and a championship is always the goal.”

Reaching that goal begins today, when Vitiello is expected to be back in goal for the Hounds when they visit the New York Red Bulls II at 7 p.m.

“I don’t think we’ve reached our full potential yet,” he continued. “Charlotte was our best game so far, and we just have to keep grinding into this weekend versus the Red Bulls.”

Bob Lilley has coached more than 500 games at the professional level, so he isn’t fazed by three of them not going his way.

The Hounds’ boss was more upbeat than one might expect after his team dropped their home opener to the Charlotte Independence last Saturday by a 1-0 score. While an 0-1-2 start to the season might have some fans feeling uneasy, Lilley has been breaking down tape and liked much of what he saw Saturday.

Still, he emphasized this group — still in the first month of a six-month USL Championship season — is very much a work-in-progress.

“I do think it was our best game to date, and I felt better after watching the tape with what we did over the course of 90 minutes. I think we’re definitely headed in the right direction. It’s always tough to lose a home opener, and certainly, not getting a win yet has been on the minds, but it’s so early, it’s just about getting better,” Lilley said.

The first thing that jumps out from the early returns is the team’s lack of scoring; the Hounds have just one goal in their first three matches for only the third time in team history. But after bombarding the Charlotte goal with 19 shot attempts, including five that were blocked, four saved by goalkeeper Brandon Miller, and a headed clearance off the line, the remedy requires fine-tuning rather than a major repair.

“I think we carried a lot of the play and broke their midfield line consistently. We’ve got to be a little bit sharper. I think there were a lot of goals in it for us. Some of the areas we got the ball running at their back three, and we weren’t able to play the right ball or make the final decision,” Lilley said.

The coach went on to elaborate on what needs to change: “I think at times we’re not stretching, sometimes we have two guys running in the same hole. At times, we’re dynamic, but if we can pull the defenders apart a little bit more, I think we create a little more space for all of our attacking players. We’re close.”

Having been through so many seasons, Lilley embraces the “marathon, not a sprint” mentality. But he also has a sense of urgency, as he sees Friday at the New York Red Bulls II as an opportunity to begin stacking wins this year. 

“I think we’re definitely headed in the right direction. It’s always tough to lose a home opener, and certainly, not getting a win yet has been on the minds, but it’s so early, it’s just about getting better. The last two games, we had a tie and a loss, but in a different stage of the year, that could be two Ws,” he said.

Coach Lilley’s complete comments before the team hit the road, including his thoughts on New York Red Bulls II, can be seen below.