Match Recaps

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 21, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC had its outstanding 2023 season come to an end, as Detroit City FC scored in the second half for the game’s only goal to topple the Hounds, 1-0, in the USL Championship Eastern Conference Quarterfinals tonight at Highmark Stadium.

Dominic Gasso scored in the 78th minute for Detroit, who will travel to face Louisville City FC next weekend in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

It was only the second time the Hounds lost at Highmark Stadium in 20 home matches in 2023, a year in which they won the USL Championship Players’ Shield with the league’s best record and advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open Cup.

First half

The Hounds were the more adventurous team going forward for much of the match, holding 57 percent of possession and finishing with a 13-3 edge in total shots.

The game’s first golden opportunity fell to leading scorer Albert Dikwa, who nearly pounced on a poor clearance by the Detroit defense inside the goal box, only to have his effort blocked away by a last-ditch sliding tackle in the 17th minute.

Edward Kizza had another good chance in the 24th minute after Kenardo Forbes played a gentle pass through traffic to send him toward goal. Once again, Detroit’s defenders recovered in time to block away the chance. In the end, neither team recorded a shot on goal in the opening 45 minutes, with Detroit logging only one shot overall.

Second half

The second half began in chippy fashion, as players came together when Maxi Rodriguez put a challenge into Hounds goalkeeper Jahmali Waite in possession of the ball. Rodriguez and Dikwa were carded in the ensuing melee, but things quickly settled down.

Kizza again had an opportunity in transition after Dani Rovira — who began the counter with his tackle in the Hounds’ box — played a pass behind the defense. Kizza rounded Detroit goalie Nathan Steinwascher, but the keeper did well to force him too far wide to put his shot on goal.

Detroit broke through in the 78th minute from a play that began with a free kick in a wide position. The Hounds did well all night to clear Detroit crosses from the box, but on this play, Danny Griffin’s header made it only as far as Gasso, standing 25 yards from goal. The Detroit midfielder struck the ball with power back through traffic in the box, and the low shot flew between defenders and into the net.

The Hounds pushed forward late with two golden opportunities in stoppage time.

Steinwascher made the game’s most important play when Joe Farrell chipped a ball into the box and Dikwa rose to head it near the penalty spot. The Detroit goalie made a full-extension save to his left, pushing the ball out for a corner kick.

The Hounds got one final chance on a cross from Tola Showunmi, and JC Obrégon rose in traffic to win the header, but his shot lofted just over the bar.

Heineken Man of the Match

Kenardo Forbes was excellent in the middle of the park as always, and the Hounds captain was second on the team with 66 touches on the ball, delivered a game-high four crosses and connected on 14 of 17 passes in the attacking third of the field. He also won possession a team-leading 12 times in the match.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou (Langston Blackstock 83’), Nate Dossantos (Luke Biasi 83’), Joe Farrell, Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Tola Showunmi 72’); Kenardo Forbes (JC Obrégon 89’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Edward Kizza (Robbie Mertz 72’), Albert Dikwa

Detroit City FC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Nathan Steinwascher; Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll, Matt Lewis, Michael Bryant; Dominic Gasso, Maxi Rodriguez (Jalen Robinson 89’); Rhys Williams, Abdoulaye Diop, Connor Rutz; Ben Morris (Yazeed Matthews 75’)

Scoring summary

DET — Dominic Gasso 78’

Discipline summary

DET — Matt Lewis 4’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Nate Dossantos 15’ (caution – tactical foul)
DET — Devon Amoo-Mensah 38’ (caution – reckless foul)
DET — Maxi Rodriguez 52’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Albert Dikwa 52’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

HAMTRAMCK, Mich. (Oct. 14, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC closed out its regular season with an eight-match unbeaten streak after finishing deadlocked, 0-0, with Detroit City FC this afternoon at Keyworth Stadium.

The Hounds (19-5-10) came into the match with the best record in the USL Championship locked up, but still fielded a strong lineup in preparation for next week’s playoffs. Detroit (11-15-8), meanwhile, needed to get at least the draw to keep their playoff hopes alive, and they will be the Hounds’ Eastern Conference Quarterfinal opponent if Miami loses later tonight in Sacramento.

Detroit was held without a shot on goal, and while possession was nearly even, the Hounds’ defense successfully defended 10 corner kicks to earn the team’s league-leading 15th shutout and the first as a pro for rookie goalkeeper Christian Garner.

First half

Detroit came out in control of the early moments at home, holding 70 percent of possession in the first 15 minutes. Still, it was the Hounds who had the game’s first excellent scoring chance, as Joe Farrell missed high on his header of a Robbie Mertz corner kick in the 14th minute.

Detroit also came close from a corner kick in the 29th minute when Stephen Carroll pushed a header wide across the goal, and a late scramble in the Hounds’ box seemed like a dangerous moment until Junior Etou made an acrobatic clearance to alleviate the danger.

Second half

After the break was more of the same, though this time the Hounds came out with the upper hand in possession.

The best chance of the game fell to Danny Griffin in the 52nd minute after Marc Ybarra picked him out with a pass chipped from atop the box to the right side. Griffin struck a powerful volley on net, but Detroit goalie Nathan Steinwascher made a reflexive save to keep the ball out.

Ybarra was involved again later in the half when he won a foul just outside the box and slightly to the left of goal. Mertz stepped up and curled the free kick around the wall, but his shot struck the post, and Tola Showunmi was unable to turn the rebound back toward the net.

Shots in the game were even at 7-7, and even the count of total passes was virtually even, 358-351 to Detroit.

Heineken Man of the Match

Marc Ybarra played a big part returning to his home state, as he earned the distinction of being the only Hounds player to appear in all 34 league matches. Ybarra connected on 25 of 38 passes — both most on the team in a very direct match — while he also contested a team-high 16 duels, added two clearances and won three free kicks in addition to setting up Danny Griffin’s big scoring chance.

What’s next?

The Hounds have home field throughout the USL Championship Playoffs, and those will begin with an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 21 at Highmark Stadium. The opponent will be the No. 8 seed, either Detroit or Miami FC.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Christian Garner; Junior Etou, Pat Hogan (Nate Dossantos 46’), Joe Farrell, Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Luke Biasi 62’); Robbie Mertz (Kenardo Forbes 80’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra (Langston Blackstock 81’); JC Obregón (Tola Showunmi 62’), Albert Dikwa

Detroit City FC lineup (4-1-4-1) — Nathan Steinwascher; Devon Amoo-Mensah, Stephen Carroll, Matt Lewis, Michael Bryant; Dominic Gasso; Rhys Williams, Maxi Rodriguez, Abdoulaye Diop, Connor Rutz (Aaron Bibout 76’); Ben Morris

Scoring summary

None

Discipline summary

PIT — Joe Farrell 27’ (caution – reckless foul)
DET — Dominic Gasso 47’ (caution – reckless foul)
DET — Abdoulaye Dipp 71’ (caution – reckless foul)

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 30, 2023) — The Pittsburgh Riverhounds closed out their home regular-season schedule in winning fashion by knocking off FC Tulsa, 3-2, tonight at Highmark Stadium.

Albert Dikwa scored two goals to extend his USL Championship-leading total to 19, and defender Joe Farrell scored for the second straight game for the Hounds (18-5-9). Keegan Hughes scored in the first half for Tulsa (9-14-9), and Phillip Goodrum added a penalty kick in the final minute of the match.

With the win, the Hounds remain in first place in the USL Championship and tied the league record for home wins in a single season (13). The announced attendance of 6,045 was the first time a Highmark Stadium crowd exceeded 6,000 for a regular-season match, and with an average crowd of 5,012, the Hounds broke their per-game attendance record set in the team’s inaugural season of 1999.

First half

The Hounds got on the board early with a well-executed team goal in the 12th minute. After stringing together more than 10 passes in the final third of the field, Dani Rovira placed a cross from the right side to the back post, where Dikwa was waiting for a headed finish.

Danny Griffin nearly had the second goal for the Hounds after more good ball possession, but his shot from the top of the box struck the base of the right post before being corralled by goalkeeper Michael Nelson.

The lead was doubled in the 29th minute from a Hounds corner kick. The kick was only cleared to the top of the box by Tulsa, where Junior Etou headed the ball back toward the front of the goal. Farrell rose up to redirect the ball with his own header, netting his third goal of the season.

Tulsa pulled a goal back three minutes before halftime, when Milo Yosef sent a free kick into the box from along the left sideline. Hughes elevated in the middle of a crowd and headed the ball into the net, scoring his first goal for Tulsa while on loan from the Columbus Crew of MLS.

Second half

Not content to sit on their lead, the Hounds continued to push forward and finished with an 18-7 edge in shots.

Dikwa restored the two-goal lead in the 63rd minute with the Hounds’ fourth set piece goal in the past two matches. The striker rose to score by heading in a free kick served by Kenardo Forbes, which not only solidified Dikwa’s spot atop the scoring race, but it moved Forbes into a tie for the league assists lead with his 10th of the season. Dikwa now has five goals in four career games against Tulsa.

The Hounds nearly got to the finish with a two-goal win, but a foul at the edge of the box called against Nate Dossantos on Tulsa’ Moses Dyer was given as a penalty kick in the final minute of stoppage time. Goodrum converted the spot kick for his 11th goal of the season.

Heineken Man of the Match

Albert Dikwa continues to pile up goals and honors, and another two-goal performance got the Hounds over the line. Dikwa was also honored after the match as the Steel Army Player of the Year, awarded by the Hounds’ independent supporters group.

What’s next?

The Eastern Conference lead and home field throughout the playoffs will be on the line when the Hounds go on the road to face the Tampa Bay Rowdies (18-8-6) in St. Petersburg, Fla., on Saturday, Oct. 7. A win would secure the Players’ Shield and home field for the Hounds, while a tie would maintain the Hounds’ first-place status going into the final weekend of the season.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou (Langston Blackstock 79’), Nate Dossantos, Joe Farrell, Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Luke Biasi 79’); Kenardo Forbes (Robbie Mertz 74’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Edward Kizza (JC Obregón 74’), Albert Dikwa (Pat Hogan 87’)

FC Tulsa lineup (4-1-4-1) — Michael Nelson; Patrick Seagrist (Siad Haji 65’), Ruxi, Rashid Tetteh, Keegan Hughes; Nathan Worth (Blaine Ferri 65’); Marcus Epps, Eric Bird (Tommy McCabe 45’), Collin Fernandez (Moses Dyer 65’), Milo Yosef; Phillip Goodrum

Scoring summary

PIT — Albert Dikwa 12’ (Dani Rovira)
PIT — Joe Farrell 29’ (Junior Etou)
TUL — Keegan Hughes 42’ (Milo Yosef)
PIT — Albert Dikwa 63’ (Kenardo Forbes)
TUL — Phillip Goodrum 90+6’ (penalty)

Discipline summary

TUL — Phillip Goodrum 13’ (caution – persistent infringement)
PIT — JC Obregón 84’ (caution – reckless foul)

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 23, 2023) — Corner kicks made the difference, as Joe Farrell and Arturo Ordóñez headed in first-half goals to propel the Pittsburgh Riverhounds to a 2-1 win over New Mexico United tonight at Highmark Stadium.

The win kept the Hounds (17-5-9) in first place in the Eastern Conference and ensured the team will begin the USL Championship Playoffs at home for the first time since 2019. Kenardo Forbes assisted both Hounds goals in front of another sellout crowd, which moved him into a share of the league lead with nine this season.

Justin Portillo scored a penalty kick in the 83rd minutes for New Mexico (10-14-7), but the Hounds were able to hold on for their fifth consecutive win at home.

First half

The Hounds’ potency from set pieces was on display early, as Farrell headed a Danny Griffin free kick just wide after Albert Dikwa was fouled less than 90 seconds into the match. The team was just as sound on the defensive side, turning away five New Mexico corners in the opening half.

Farrell found the target in the 27th minute on the Hounds’ first corner of the match, rising in the middle of traffic to head Forbes’ delivery curling away from the goal. It was the veteran defender’s second goal in his first season with the Hounds.

Ten minutes later, Ordóñez was the player who elevated to find the net, after making a run toward the near post to meet a lower, driven pass from Forbes. It was the second-year pro’s fourth goal of the season, all coming from set pieces.

Farrell nearly ended the half with his second goal, again from a corner kick, but his effort in the 43rd minute struck the crossbar.

Second half

Hounds goalkeeper Jahmali Waite had his biggest moment in the 51st minute, when he charged off his line to block away a shot by Sergio Rivas, who had slipped behind the defense. Nate Dossantos hustled to clear away the rebound, ending New Mexico’s opportunity.

Leading scorer Albert Dikwa nearly added to his total in the 60th minute from a free kick sent to the back post by Forbes. The striker headed the ball on goal, but defender Zico Bailey was able to clear the ball off the goal line for New Mexico.

New Mexico got on the board after Austin Yearwood fired a cross from the left side that struck the arm of Luke Biasi. Biasi had no time to react, but referee Elvis Osmanovic pointed to the spot after ruling the sprinting Hounds’ defender had extended his arm. Portillo converted the spot kick into the top right corner, cutting the Hounds’ lead.

Heineken Man of the Match

Kenardo Forbes created dangerous opportunities from both dead ball and run-of-play situations, finishing the game with five chances created and his two assists. He also connected on a team-leading 80 percent of his passes on the quick, rain-slicked turf.

What’s next?

The Hounds host FC Tulsa (9-13-9) for their final regular-season home game — Fan Appreciation Night — on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. The teams played to a scoreless draw way back on March 28 in Oklahoma.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou, Nate Dossantos, Joe Farrell (Pat Hogan 79’), Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Luke Biasi 70’); Kenardo Forbes (Robbie Mertz 70’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Edward Kizza (JC Obregón 70’), Albert Dikwa (Tola Showunmi 90+3’)

New Mexico United lineup (4-2-3-1) — Andrew Thomas; Zico Bailey, Karen Ryden, Will Seymore, Arturo Astorga; Justin Portillo, Sam Hamilton (Amando Moreno 46’); Jacobo Reyes (Austin Yearwood 63’), Nicky Hernandez (Daniel Bruce 71’), Sergio Rivas (Santi Moar 79’); Greg Hurst (Shanyder Borgelin 63’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Joe Farrell 27’ (Kenardo Forbes)
PIT — Arturo Ordóñez 37’ (Kenardo Forbes)
NM — Justin Portillo 83’ (penalty)

Discipline summary

NM — Kalen Ryden 2’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Joe Farrell 17’ (caution – reckless foul)
NM — Greg Hurst 46’ (caution – reckless foul)
NM — Arturo Astorga 56’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Nate Dossantos 75’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Robbie Mertz 90+7’ (caution – dissent)

(Sept. 16, 2023) — Robbie Mertz scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute, and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds extended their lead atop the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 win tonight over Miami FC at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami.

The timely goal couldn’t have come at a more important time for the Hounds (16-5-9) or for Mertz, the Pittsburgh native whose last goal was March 11 at Birmingham. Albert Dikwa scored his league-leading 17th goal from the penalty spot to take a 1-0 lead in the 63rd minute.

Miami (7-14-8) battled back to tie the match in the 88th minute with a goal by Ryan Telfer, and they did so playing down a man after midfielder Bolu Akinyode was sent off for his second yellow card.

The match began at 7:50 p.m. after a 45-minute lightning delay pushed back kickoff.

First half

Chances were scarce for both teams through the first 45, as each side managed just one shot on goal.

Junior Etou was the most dangerous creator in the first half, sending in five crosses just in the first 27 minutes alone. The last of those five wasn’t cleared by the Miami defense and fell for Marc Ybarra, who put a strong shot on net, but it was close enough to Miami goalkeeper Adrian Zendejas for him to make the save.

Moments later, Gabriel Cabral took a free kick from nearly 30 yards for Miami and curled a shot on net, but Hounds goalkeeper Jahmali Waite dove to his right to push the ball wide.

Second half

JC Obregón entered the match as a halftime substitute, and it didn’t take him long to make a massive impact on the game.

Obregón got a half step on Miami defender Paco Craig in the penalty box in the 62nd minute, and the Hounds striker drew enough contact from Craig to earn a penalty kick as he hit the ground. Dikwa stepped up and converted the kick with a low shot to the left of Zendejas, who dove the correct way but didn’t keep the ball out.

The goal, Dikwa’s 17th in USL Championship play, pushes him to third on the Hounds’ single-season scoring list behind only Thiago Martins (22 in 2003) and Rob Vincent (18 in 2015).

Things looked bleak for Miami after Akinyode received his second yellow card in the 76th minute for fouling Ybarra from behind, but desperate to stay in the playoff hunt, Miami pushed players forward. It paid off in the 88th minute when a cross from Cabral on the left made it through all the traffic in front of goal and to Telfer, who scored with an open shot at the back post.

But the Hounds trailed for just two minutes. Luke Biasi took a throw-in deep in Miami territory and received the ball back to play Danny Griffin toward the end line. Griffin kept the ball in play and cut a pass back to the front of goal, where Mertz ran through unmarked and finished with one touch.

Heineken Man of the Match

Danny Griffin helped create the game-winning goal with his assist, and he was all over the large playing surface in Miami. The midfielder connected on 64 of 70 passes (91.4 percent), had a team-high 78 touches on the ball and won possession of the ball 12 times — the most on either team.

What’s next?

The Hounds return to Highmark Stadium for their final two home games of the regular season, the first of which is Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m., when the team hosts New Mexico United (10-13-6). It will be only the second meeting between the clubs, who played a 1-1 draw last season in Albuquerque, and the first meeting in Pittsburgh.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou (Illal Osumanu 72’), Nate Dossantos, Joe Farrell, Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Tola Showunmi 84’); Kenardo Forbes (Robbie Mertz 61’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Edward Kizza (JC Obregón 46’), Albert Dikwa (Luke Biasi 72’)

Miami FC lineup (4-2-3-1) — Adrian Zendejas; Aedan Stanley, Paco Craig, Ben Ofeimu, Mark Segbers; Bolu Akinyode (sent off 76’), Gabriel Cabral; Florian Valot, Claudio Repetto (Ryan Telfer 61’), Joaquin Rivas (Christian Sorto 72’); Michael Salazar (Kyle Murphy 72’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Albert Dikwa 63’ (penalty)
MIA — Ryan Telfer 88’ (Gabriel Cabral)
PIT — Robbie Mertz 90’ (Danny Griffin)

Discipline summary

MIA — Joaquin Rivas 9’ (caution – reckless foul)
MIA — Bolu Akinyode 17’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Junior Etou 28’ (caution – reckless foul)
MIA — Paco Craig 62’ (caution – tactical foul)
MIA — Mark Segbers 68’ (caution – dissent)
PIT — Dani Rovira 74’ (caution – tactical foul)
MIA — Bolu Akinyode 76’ (sent off – second caution; reckless foul)
PIT — Danny Griffin 84’ (caution – tactical foul)

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 9, 2023) — Albert Dikwa retook the USL Championship scoring lead with a pair of goals, and Edward Kizza also found the net to give the Pittsburgh Riverhounds a 3-1 win over Loudoun United FC tonight at sold out Highmark Stadium.

Dikwa leads the league with 16 goals after scoring in the 21st and 89th minute, and Kizza’s goal in the 23rd minute gave the Hounds (15-5-9) a 2-0 halftime lead.

Kalil ElMedkhar scored on an excellent shot from distance in the 61st minute for Loudoun (7-19-3), the only shot of the night to beat goalkeeper Christian Garner, who made his third professional start with Jahmali Waite away with the Jamaican National Team.

For the fourth time this season, the Hounds eclipsed the regular-season attendance record with a crowd of 5,512 — the 12th sellout crowd of the season.

First half

The Hounds took the initiative in the first half with 55 percent of possession and 11-2 edge in shots during the first 45 minutes.

The scoring started with Kenardo Forbes receiving a pass on the left side of the field and finding Dikwa running toward goal. The striker controlled the ball on his right foot and put a shot into the bottom right corner for a goal that was his 15th, as well as Forbes’ team-leading seventh assist on the season.

Two minutes later, Forbes sent Kizza toward goal with a pass into the box. A defender’s leg kept Kizza from getting clean contact on his initial shot, but the ball rebounded off Loudoun goalie Dane Jacomen — a Pittsburgh native and former Hounds Academy player — for Kizza to pounce on the rebound.

The Hounds continued to press for a third goal. The best chances came in a sequence in the 37th minute, when Jacomen made two of his five saves to deny Kizza and Dikwa, and the Loudoun defense blocked two more rebounded efforts to prevent a third goal.

Second half

The Hounds didn’t exert the same control in the second half. Though the Hounds continued to have the bulk of the chances — total shots finished 19-5 — Loudoun had 58 percent of the ball after the break.

Things got tighter in the 61st minute, when ElMedkhar had time to tee up a shot nearly 25 yards from goal on the left side and curl it into the top right corner of the net. It was the first time Loudoun had scored in six matches at Highmark Stadium.

The Hounds nearly had a third goal minutes later when Forbes put in the rebound of a shot by Tola Showunmi, but the referee had blown play dead for a head injury to Loudoun’s Bryce Washington, who blocked the initial shot.

Finally, the game was put away with Loudoun pushing players forward for a tying goal. That allowed Luke Biasi to find Dikwa alone behind everyone, and the striker finished on the breakaway around Jacomen.

Heineken Man of the Match

Albert Dikwa continued his career season with his fifth multi-goal game of the year. He totaled five shots in the game, three on net, and also won 2 of 3 tackles and 5 of 11 duels for the ball during his usual high-energy effort.

What’s next?

The Hounds head back on the road next week to face another team battling to stay alive in the playoff race, Miami FC (7-13-8). The teams will meet for the second time this year on Saturday, Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. at Riccardo Silva Stadium in Miami.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Christian Garner; Junior Etou, Nate Dossantos, Joe Farrell (Luke Biasi 86’), Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Pat Hogan 86’); Kenardo Forbes, Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra (Robbie Mertz 63’); Edward Kizza (Tola Showunmi 63’), Albert Dikwa (Illal Osumanu 90+1’)

Loudoun United FC (4-4-2) — Dane Jacomen; Jacob Greene (Abdoul Koanda 90+1’), Bryce Washington (Jeremy Garay 72’), Yanis Leerman, Harvey Neville; Cole Turner, Aidan Rocha, Kalil ElMedkhar, Chris Hegardt (Juan Ramirez 90+1’); Tommy Williamson (Wesley Leggett 72’), Zach Ryan (Isaac Espinal 90+1’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Albert Dikwa 21’ (Kenardo Forbes)
PIT — Edward Kizza 23’
LDN — Kalil ElMedkhar 61’ (Jacob Greene)
PIT — Albert Dikwa 89’ (Luke Biasi)

Discipline summary

LDN — Wesley Leggett 74’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Joe Farrell 77’ (caution – tactical foul)

(Aug. 26, 2023) — An inter-conference battle between top contenders played out as billed with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and defending champion San Antonio FC playing to a 0-0 draw tonight at Toyota Field in San Antonio, Texas.

Jahmali Waite matched a season-high with four saves to record his ninth shutout of the season, and the Hounds (14-5-9) have a USL Championship-leading 13 clean sheets on the season.

Jordan Farr made one save in goal for San Antonio (13-4-9), while the league’s co-leading scorers — Pittsburgh’s Albert Dikwa and San Antonio’s Tani Oluwaseyi — were held in check.

First half

Both defenses shone in the first half, with each making big plays to keep the match scoreless.

Santiago Patiño came close for San Antonio in the eighth minute when he chipped a ball over Waite, who had charged off his line, but Arturo Ordóñez was quick to recover toward goal and cleared the ball from the middle of the 6-yard box.

On the other end, Dikwa had two good chances behind the defense, but each time his effort was snuffed out by a last-ditch challenge — the first by Mitchell Taintor and the second by Carter Manley.

Oluwaseyi had his best look at goal from the top of the box in the 41st minute, but his powerfully struck shot was parried over the bar by Waite to end the half scoreless.

Second half

The Hounds weathered some early possession by San Antonio but regained their footing in a match where they held a 56-44 advantage in possession and had more touches in the opposition box.

Nate Dossantos picked out Tola Showunmi at the near post with a cross at the hour mark, but Showunmi opted to play the ball to Dikwa, who was a stride offside.

San Antonio got a chance in the 76th minute off a Hounds’ turnover in their own half, but again, Waite was able to cleanly save a chance from distance by Oluwaseyi.

The Hounds had some of their best possession in the final 20 minutes, but the best chance to come of it was a give-and-go that set up Danny Griffin for a left-footed shot that Farr easily stopped in the 86th minute.

Heineken Man of the Match

Jahmali Waite shook off a couple shaky plays in the midweek win at Hartford and had a sure-handed performance controlling his box. In addition to his four saves, he orchestrated a defense that defended 10 San Antonio corner kicks and 21 total crosses.

What’s next?

The Hounds have a rare late-season week off, which will allow the players to rest up for a return to Highmark Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 9, when they will host Loudoun United FC (7-18-3) at 7 p.m.

Riverhounds SC lineup (4-3-2-1) — Jahmali Waite; Nate Dossantos, Illal Osumanu (JC Obregón 75’), Arturo Ordóñez, Luke Biasi; Junior Etou (Dani Rovira 90+1’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Robbie Mertz (Kenardo Forbes 75’), Tola Showunmi (Joe Farrell 75’); Albert Dikwa (Trevor Zwetsloot 89’)

San Antonio FC lineup (5-3-2) — Jordan Farr; Ismaila Jome, Mitchell Taintor, Fabien Garcia, Carter Manley, Shannon Gomez; Jacori Hayes (PC 83’), Rida Zouhir, Connor Maloney (Juan Azócar 61’); Tani Oluwaseyi, Santiago Patiño (Justin Dhillon 75’)

Scoring summary

None

Discipline summary

SA — Rida Zouhir 9’ (caution – tactical foul)
SA — Ismaila Jome 21’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Nate Dossantos 41’ (caution – dissent)
SA — Shannon Gomez 90’ (caution – reckless foul) 

(Aug. 23, 2023) — JC Obregón came to the Riverhounds’ rescue late, as the former Hartford man scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute to push the Hounds past Hartford Athletic, 4-3, tonight at Trinity Health Stadium in Hartford, Conn.

The Hounds (14-5-8) got two goals from Albert Dikwa and one by Marc Ybarra to establish a three-goal lead, but Hartford (4-17-4) roared back with three goals in eight minutes by Matt Sheldon, Danny Barrera and Antoine Hoppenot to nearly stun the Eastern Conference leaders.

First half

Dikwa took advantage of some lax Hartford defending to give the Hounds a 2-0 lead with goals in the 13th and 18th minutes.

His first was a close-range tap-in of a deflected ball struck by Ybarra, and his second was on the rebound of his own shot off the post, giving the striker from Cameroon his 14th goal of the season to tie for the USL Championship lead. He also now has 31 goals in four seasons with the Hounds, moving him into the top five in club history.

Hartford had chances to pull a goal back, most notably when Elvis Amoh chipped a ball around charging Hounds goalie Jahmali Waite, only to see Pat Hogan race back and clear the chance off the line. The hosts also had a late penalty claim denied on a handling call against Arturo Ordóñez, but the referee rules the foul occurred just outside the box.

Second half

Things kept getting better for the Hounds in the 52nd minute, when Ybarra played a pass wide to Dani Rovira and got on the receiving end of the return pass for a headed goal. It was the first professional goal for Ybarra, the second-year pro out of Michigan who was playing his 50th USL Championship match.

Hartford came storming back starting in the 78th minute, when Sheldon redirected a high ball into the box by Juan Pablo Torres for a headed goal. Just three minutes later, the match was 3-2 after Barrera buried an open shot from the top of the box after being picked out by a Hoppenot pass.

In the 86th minute, Hartford pulled level when Hoppenot managed to stab the ball into the net after a scramble in the goal box that the Hounds were unable to clear, but the home team’s joy was short-lived.

Rovira picked out Obregón with a pass the striker was able to take on his chest before turning and shooting high into the Hartford goal. It was the third goal since signing last month for Obregón, and his second against his former team in as many matches.

Heineken Man of the Match

Albert Dikwa had already been withdrawn from the game by the frantic final 20 minutes, but the Hounds’ leading scorer made his mark with a pair of first-half goals. He was a constant presence pressuring the Hartford back line, contesting a team-high 15 duels, winning six of them, as well as earning a pair of free kicks.

What’s next?

The Hounds complete their three-game road trip with a highly anticipated match at defending champion San Antonio FC (13-4-8) at 9 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 26. The teams have not met this year, and last year’s lone meeting went San Antonio’s way, 1-0, in Pittsburgh.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Dani Rovira, Nate Dossantos (Junior Etou 65’), Arturo Ordóñez, Pat Hogan, Langston Blackstock (Luke Biasi 65’); Kenardo Forbes, Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra (Robbie Mertz 65’); Edward Kizza (Joe Farrell 83’), Albert Dikwa (JC Obregón 70’)

Hartford Athletic lineup (3-5-2) — Joe Rice; Niall Logue (Danny Barrera 55’), Conor McGlynn, Triston Hodge (Kaveh Rad 69’); Matt Sheldon, Beverly Makangila (Juan Pablo Torres 55’), Andre Lewis, Edgardo Rito (Kembo Kibato 65’), Luke Merrill (Antoine Hoppenot 55’); Elvis Amoh, Prince Saydee

Scoring summary

PIT — Albert Dikwa 13’
PIT — Albert Dikwa 18’
PIT — Marc Ybarra 52’ (Dani Rovira)
HFD — Matt Sheldon 78’ (Juan Pablo Torres)
HFD — Danny Barrera 81’ (Antoine Hoppenot)
HFD — Antoine Hoppenot 86’
PIT — JC Obregón 88’ (Dani Rovira)

Discipline summary

HFD — Luke Merrill 38’ (caution – reckless foul)
HFD — Triston Hodge 43’ (caution – reckless foul)
HFD — Head coach Omid Namazi (caution – dissent)
PIT — Marc Ybarra 57’ (caution – reckless foul)
PIT — Dani Rovira 90+4’ (caution – delaying restart)
HFD — Kaveh Rad 90+7’ (caution – reckless foul)

(Aug. 16, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC had its winning streak snapped on the West Coast with a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Orange County SC tonight at Championship Soccer Stadium in Irvine, Calif.

Milan Iloski, last year’s leading scorer in the USL Championship, scored the game’s only goal on a counter attack by Orange County (11-9-4) five minutes before halftime.

For the Hounds (13-5-8), goalkeeper Jahmali Waite made a pair of saves, but the attack couldn’t find the net despite an 11-8 edge in shots.

First half

The Hounds’ first threatening moments came through center back Arturo Ordóñez, who had a header on target and a left-footed effort over the bar from corner kicks in the first 12 minutes.

Albert Dikwa also forced one of three saves by Orange County goalkeeper Colin Shutler in the 23rd minute, but he couldn’t get much power on his shot moving to the right of goal after being set up by an interception and pass from Marc Ybarra.

Five minutes later, Waite made a stop for the highlight reel with his close-range, diving stop of a Thomas Amang header, and the play ended with Orange County being called offside on the rebound.

The hosts got the breakthrough just before halftime on a long ball forward to Iloski. The striker’s first touch took a fortunate bounce of Ordóñez to turn the defender the wrong way, and that allowed the space for Iloski to finish from the top of the box.

Second half

The Hounds pressed for a tying goal early with long-range efforts by Ybarra and Kenardo Forbes, but the team couldn’t find the frame early in the half.

In the 69th minute, Dikwa reacted quickly to try for a spectacular bicycle kick finish on a pass popped into the box by Dani Rovira, but his effort bounced wide of the left post.

Ybarra had another look at goal in the 90th minute, but a boot in from an Orange County defender took the speed off his shot to make it an easy save for Shutler.

The hosts nearly added a second goal late, but Waite came up with another good save to stop Cameron Dunbar in a 1-on-1 situation from an angle.

Heineken Man of the Match

Danny Griffin had another busy night in the center of midfield before moving into a more defensive role as the Hounds threw extra attackers into the match. The Hounds’ iron man had 84 touches on the ball and connected on 65 of 71 passes (91.5 percent) while winning possession a team-leading 12 times.

What’s next?

The Hounds will be on regular rest for their next match, a road outing against Hartford Athletic (4-15-4) on Wednesday, Aug. 23 in the Connecticut capital. The teams just met in Pittsburgh last Saturday, when the Hounds took a 2-0 win.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou (Trevor Zwetsloot 79’), Nate Dossantos, Joe Farrell (Robbie Mertz 46’), Arturo Ordóñez, Dani Rovira (Edward Kizza 70’); Kenardo Forbes (Luke Biasi 79’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Tola Showunmi (JC Obregón 70’), Albert Dikwa

Orange County SC lineup (4-1-4-1) — Colin Shutler; Ryan Doghman (Andrew Fox 46’), Dillon Powers, Markus Nakkim, Owen Lambe; Kevin Partida; Kyle Scott (Seth Casiple 58’), Milan Iloski, Ashish Chattha (Brent Richards 72’), Kevin Lankford (Bryce Jamison 46’); Thomas Amang (Cameron Dunbar 82’)

Scoring summary

OC — Milan Iloski 40’

Discipline summary

PIT — Joe Farrell 14’ (caution – reckless foul)
OC — Kevin Partida 63’ (caution – delaying restart)
OC — Bryce Jamison 71’ (caution – tactical foul)
PIT — Marc Ybarra 76’ (caution – tactical foul)
OC — Brent Richards 78’ (caution – deliberate handling)