corporate-logo
#UnitedForSoccer

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC

News

Game Day: Hounds vs. FC Tulsa

Fans lean over the Supporters' Section railing during the Pittsburgh Riverhounds' 2-1 win over Loudoun United FC on Sept. 9, 2023 at Highmark Stadium.

Match info

Riverhounds (17-5-9) vs. FC Tulsa (9-13-9)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds -340 / Draw +390 / Tulsa +750 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+ (national), KDKA+ (local)
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvTUL and #HOUNDTAHN

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 29, 2023) — The Hounds aim to close their regular-season home schedule with a sixth consecutive win at Highmark Stadium when they host FC Tulsa for a 7 p.m. kickoff Saturday.

The match will be vital in the Hounds’ chase for the Players’ Shield, which goes to the team with the top regular-season record in the USL Championship. The Hounds hold a three-point lead over the Tampa Bay Rowdies with each team having three matches to play. That includes next week’s trip to St. Petersburg for the Hounds, who could clinch the Shield in that match should they win this Saturday.

With so much to play for and another sellout crowd expected for Fan Appreciation Night at Highmark, the Hounds are seeking to cap off the biggest home season in club history. The team already has set the club record for most overall home wins (15) and most league wins at home (12) in a single season, and a win over Tulsa would equal the USL Championship record for home wins in a season with 13. Unsurprisingly, the last two Eastern Conference champions — Louisville in 2022 and Tampa Bay in 2021 — are two of the teams with a share of that feat, and the Hounds would be more than thrilled to follow in their footsteps.

Albert Dikwa remains tied atop the race for the league’s scoring title with 17 goals, and in Tulsa, he faces an opponent he has scored against three times in three matches, including his first career two-goal game last season in Oklahoma. The Hounds’ set piece excellence was a driving force in the team’s last match, a 2-1 win over New Mexico, and a Dikwa shot that was barely cleared off the goal line was the only thing that prevented him from taking the Golden Boot lead and kept Kenardo Forbes from his second career three-assist game. As it stands, Forbes’ nine assists place him second in the Championship, one behind San Antonio’s Jorge Hernandez.

The Hounds will want to tighten up on the back end, having logged just one shutout — a scoreless draw in San Antonio — in their past six matches. Still, the team leads the Championship with 13 clean sheets, and the next one for goalkeeper Jahmali Waite will make him the third Hounds goalkeeper to have at least 10 shutouts in a single season, joining Kyle Morton (13 in 2019) and Dan Lynd (12 in 2018).

Tulsa’s attack is led by talented striker Phillip Goodrum, an all-USL player a season ago with Memphis who has 10 goals this season, and playmaking winger Marcus Epps, who leads the club with five assists. Tulsa managed to keep the Hounds off the board in the teams’ first meeting, a 0-0 draw back on March 28, but their 48 goals allowed this season ranks them 20th out of 24 teams in the league.

Fan Appreciation Night at Highmark Stadium is presented by Mike’s Beer Bar and comes with a chance for fans to win great prizes. All fans will receive a scratch-off ticket that gives them an opportunity to take home one of the grand prizes — 2024 season tickets, a $500 Mike’s Beer Bar gift card, a team-autographed Hounds jersey or a club suite for a 2024 match. Other prizes include special giveaway items and concessions discounts, and all tickets are redeemable for 15 percent off at Mike’s Beer Bar.

Saturday’s drink special will be $5 Olimpicos, the official canned cocktail of the Riverhounds crafted by our partners at Quantum Spirits. The refreshing rum, cola and lime combination will be sold in the Tailgate Zone and in-stadium.

In addition to the Fan Appreciation Night festivities, Allegheny Health Network will be on hand for their annual Kick Out Cancer promotion, and the Hounds will conclude the first year of the Change Makers series by recognizing Ebtehal Badawi, founder of Building Bridges, a Pittsburgh-based anti-bullying organization.

The match will air live and local on KDKA+ and the KDKA website, and ESPN+ subscribers will be able to tune in to the live stream of the match. Limited tickets are still available for the match through Ticketmaster, but parking in the West Lot is sold out, so fans are encouraged to make use of the other lots at Station Square or utilize other transit options.

Downloadable Game Notes

Game Notes vs. Tulsa, 9/30/23Download

Terrific trio takes residence on Team of the Week

Riverhounds defenders Arturo Ordóñez and Joe Farrell battle for the ball in the team's 2-1 win over New Mexico United on Sept. 23, 2023 at Highmark Stadium.

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 26, 2023) — The Hounds took over the USL Championship Team of the Week with three Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players — midfielder Kenardo Forbes and defenders Joe Farrell and Arturo Ordóñez — named among the best of Week 29, the league announced this afternoon.

All three players turned in big efforts on both ends of the field in the Hounds’ 2-1 win over New Mexico United last Saturday, which kept the team in control of the race for the Players’ Shield, which goes to the team with the best regular-season record.

Forbes landed his second Team of the Week honor in three weeks after assisting both goals in the win with superb corner kick deliveries. The Hounds’ captain was much more than a free kick taker, however, as he also created five chances total and connected on 80 percent of his passes. Forbes is now one off the league lead with nine assists in 2023.

Farrell earned his first spot in the league’s 11 as a Hounds player with a night highlighted by heading in the opening goal. The veteran center back was a threat all night in the air, also striking the crossbar and missing just wide on two other set piece chances. He also had a match-high four clearances and won 8 of 9 aerial duels on the night.

Ordóñez also found the back of the net with a header for the Hounds’ second goal, as he earned his third Team of the Week honor for the season — tying Forbes and Albert Dikwa for the most on the team in 2023. The center back won 11 of a team-high 15 duels and won possession eight times while adding three interceptions and three clearances.

It is the first time since Week 6 of the 2021 season that the Hounds have placed three players in the starting group of the Team of the Week. To see the complete team for this week, visit uslchampionship.com.

The Hounds return to action for their final regular-season home game this Saturday, Sept. 30, when they will take on FC Tulsa at 7 p.m. at Highmark Stadium.

Hounds prep for regular-season home finale

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 25, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will have its final regular-season home game and Fan Appreciation Night on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. at Highmark Stadium, where the team will host FC Tulsa.

Another sellout crowd is expected for Saturday’s game, which will build on the team’s already record-setting attendance this season, and the match will air live on KDKA+ (WPKD-19) and be streamed on ESPN+.

Here are just a few of the club’s 2023 storylines and accolades heading into the USL Championship Playoffs.

  • Best in the League: The Riverhounds (17-5-9) have the best record in the USL Championship with three weeks remaining in the regular season. They can clinch the Players’ Shield, given to the team with the best regular-season record, for the first time with two wins and a draw in their final three matches, or possibly sooner depending on other teams’ results.
  • Playoff Streak: This is the sixth consecutive year the Riverhounds have qualified for the postseason. That is the longest such streak among Pittsburgh’s pro teams and the second-longest in the USL Championship behind Louisville.
  • Sellouts on South Side: This season has seen the Riverhounds play in front of a sellout crowd for 12 of 16 regular-season matches at Highmark Stadium, a total that does not include the stadium-record 6,107 in attendance for the U.S. Open Cup win over the Columbus Crew of MLS. 
  • New Attendance Record: The team has already eclipsed its mark for total fans in attendance for a season, and after the Tulsa match is in the books, this year’s per-game attendance will surpass the team record of 4,178 fans per game set in the inaugural 1999 season played at Bethel Park High School.
  • Everyone’s Tuning In: As of the most recent reporting announced by Nielsen in August, the Riverhounds had the second-highest total viewership — combining the KDKA+ linear broadcast and ESPN+ streaming — of the 24 USL Championship clubs.
  • Atop the Scoring Race: Riverhounds striker Albert Dikwa is tied for the league’s scoring lead with 17 goals this season, and midfielder Kenardo Forbes, the team’s captain, is second in the league with nine assists in 2023.

Players and coaches will be available for media opportunities throughout the week, and local outlets are encouraged to cover the match. Photography and filming of highlights is permitted, and limited on-field access is available for live TV hits pre-match. To schedule interviews or apply for credentials, please email media@riverhounds.com.

With a home playoff opener clinched and the possibility of home field throughout the USL Championship Playoffs, playoff ticket bundles already are on sale through Ticketmaster.

Set piece strikes propel win over New Mexico

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)

Game Day: Hounds vs. New Mexico United

Nate Dossantos dribbles the ball between defenders in the Hounds' 2-1 win over San Diego Loyal on June 24, 2023 at Highmark Stadium.

Match info

Riverhounds (16-5-9) vs. New Mexico United (10-13-7)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 23
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium
Tickets: Ticketmaster
Odds: Hounds -185 / Draw +290 / New Mexico +430 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+ (national), KDKA+ (local)
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #PITvNM and #HOUNDTAHN

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 22, 2023) — The Hounds are back at home and have a first-time visitor to Highmark Stadium with New Mexico United providing the opposition for Saturday’s 7 p.m. kickoff.

The playoff ramifications are massive on both sides, especially in light of some eye-opening midweek results. The Hounds now control their path to the best overall record in the USL Championship, and with it home field throughout the playoffs, but the margin for error remains slim, and a home game is not where the Hounds want to drop any points. Additionally, the Hounds can ensure a top-four finish and a home playoff game to start the playoffs with a win or a draw against New Mexico, but that issue could already be settled before full time if Louisville drops points in their earlier match at Loudoun.

On the other side, New Mexico is responsible for putting the Hounds in the overall driver’s seat after a 0-0 draw Wednesday at West-leading Sacramento, but that also leaves the visitors three points adrift of the final playoff places on their side of the standings with only four matches remaining to make up the gap.

It is New Mexico’s first-ever trip to Highmark Stadium, and the Hounds will hope the outcome is similar to their other five home matches against Western Conference teams. The Hounds are 4-0-1 at home against West this season, and this is their last regular-season game against the opposite conference.

The Hounds still have Albert Dikwa pacing the Championship’s Golden Boot race with 17 goals, and the team was able to get the job done last Saturday in Miami with Dikwa off the field, as Danny Griffin set up Robbie Mertz for the 90th-minute winning goal in a 2-1 victory. With no more midweek matches and a relatively clean bill of health, Bob Lilley has settled into a more consistent lineup the past few games, though minor tweaks would come as no surprise based on the matchup any give week.

New Mexico, meanwhile, will have to contend with playing only three days prior and making the trip across the country before first setting foot in Highmark for their Friday training session. Their attack been led this season by Salvadorian forward Amando Moreno (nine goals, two assists), but they will also have some dangerous pieces with fresher legs. Longtime Charleston midfielder Justin Portillo is eligible after serving a one-game suspension Wednesday, and pesky veteran winger Santi Moar was an unused substitute, meaning the former Bethlehem Steel player might be in line for action at Highmark once again.

Saturday’s match will be the Hounds’ annual Hispanic Heritage Night celebration, with music and food trucks tailored to the event celebrating our fans and players hailing from Latino and Hispanic backgrounds. Renowned local band Gavas Beat will be performing in the Tailgate Zone, and fans who don’t get to catch them before the match will be able to enjoy a postgame performance in the stadium. Also taking part in the pregame ceremonies will be Roberto Clemente Jr., son of the legendary Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder and a Director with the Roberto Clemente Foundation, which continues his father’s humanitarian mission to this day.

In the Tailgate Zone beginning at 5 p.m., 24-ounce Tecate cans will be on sale for just $5, and the food trucks from La Palapa and Colombino Coffee & Cacao will be on site for fans to enjoy. The $5 Tecate special will also be available in-stadium from 6-7 p.m., and our special Al Pastor Nachos will be available all night from the Nacho Junction stand outside the pub.

Parking in the West Lot for Saturday’s match is already sold out, so fans without parking passes are encouraged to utilize other lots around Station Square. Another sellout crowd is expected by kickoff, but tickets are still available through Ticketmaster or by walking up to the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

Fans catching the action from home will be able to do so live over the air on KDKA+ (Channel 19), and the match will be streamed via ESPN+.

Downloadable Game Notes

Game Notes vs. New Mexico, 9/23/23Download

Dikwa maintaining historic scoring pace for Hounds

Albert Dikwa has been the breakout star of the Hounds’ 2023 season, and with 17 goals in USL Championship play, he enters the final four weeks of the regular campaign with a chance to be the team’s first Golden Boot winner in a decade.

But the goal total Dikwa has posted in his fourth year with the Hounds is also in rare company in club history, and an outside shot still remains for the Cameroonian striker to challenge for the team’s single-season scoring record that has stood for 20 years.

Adding in his game-winning goal against the Columbus Crew in the U.S. Open Cup — team records include all competitive matches, not just the regular season — Dikwa has 18 goals this season. That puts him five behind the mark of 23 goals set by Thiago Martins, the 2003 A-League MVP and top scorer, a tough target to hit but not impossible for a player prone to scoring in bunches.

Dikwa’s season, were it to end today, would rank third in Hounds history, which makes it a perfect time to look back and compare the 2003 season of Martins, Rob Vincent‘s 21-goal 2015 campaign and Dikwa’s current breakout year.

Thiago Martins
#1 — Thiago Martins, 2003 — 23 goals (22 league goals)

Martins came to the Hounds from the Minnesota Thunder in the second half of 2022, and he put the A-League on notice with the club’s first-ever four-goal game in the 2002 season finale, a 7-0 win over the Cincinnati Riverhawks. Once the 2003 season started, it was clear Martins would be a force from the opening match, as he scored a pair of goals in a 5-0 win on the road at a Charlotte Eagles side led by future Hounds head coach Mark Steffens.

The Brazilian put together as consistent of a season as one could ask for, as he racked up his record goal total without a hat trick all season, finding the net in 19 of 25 league matches he appeared. Martins also scored in the team’s lone Open Cup match of the year, a 2-1 defeat in the Third Round at MLS club D.C. United, which brought his total to 23 goals in 26 games.

The one advantage Dikwa could have in his chase for the top spot is a postseason run. The 2003 Hounds posted an impressive 15-9-4 record, but they came up just short of reaching the playoffs out of the Northeast Division — two points behind the Rochester Raging Rhinos and five behind the division-winning Montreal Impact under current Hounds coach Bob Lilley.

Dikwa, on the other hand, could have as many eight matches remaining with a Hounds run to the USL Championship Final, something he is targeting even more than a Golden Boot.

Rob Vincent
#2 — Rob Vincent, 2015 — 21 goals (18 league goals)

While Martins was an established scorer before he arrived in Pittsburgh, Vincent’s 2015 season was more of a surprise. After all, the English midfielder had only seven goals in his first two pro seasons with the Hounds.

But with the arrival of the aforementioned Steffens as head coach, Vincent was moved from a holding midfield role to a more advanced position as a winger and attacking midfielder, and that allowed his powerful and accurate right-footed shot to be on full display.

Once again, the season opener was a sign of what was to come. Vincent scored twice — in addition to assisting two of Kevin Kerr‘s three goals — in a 5-2 romp over the Harrisburg City Islanders. He scored in bunches in 2015 with six multi-goal games, including his only career hat trick in a 3-0 win Aug. 1 at home over the Wilmington Hammerheads, and no one owned the Highmark Stadium turf better, as he netted 15 of his 21 strikes at home.

Vincent’s 18 league goals are the most by a Hounds player in the “modern” USL Championship, but he also came up big in knockout play with goals in three consecutive Open Cup matches — a 3-0 win over West Virginia Chaos; a 90th-minute wonder goal to beat the Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1-0; and a penalty kick to level the score in an eventual 3-1 extra time defeat against D.C. United, his future MLS club. In total, he appeared in all but one of a possible 32 matches that season to set the club’s top scoring mark by a midfielder.

Dikwa still needs three goals to catch Vincent’s overall total, but if he can get one goal in the next four matches, that would pull him level for the team’s best regular season haul in the Championship era.

Albert Dikwa
#3 — Albert Dikwa, 2023 — 18 goals (17 league goals)

That brings us to Dikwa, the current Golden Boot co-leader, who has the chance to be the first to claim that award for Pittsburgh since José Angulo did so with 15 goals over a 26-game schedule in 2013.

The common thread among each of the top scoring seasons is a fast start. Though Dikwa was held off the board in this year’s season opener at Birmingham, he came out firing in the second game with his first career hat trick in a 3-1 win at Memphis 901 FC.

He continued at a blistering pace with 10 goals by the end of May, including the only tally in the Hounds’ 1-0 win over the Columbus Crew of MLS in the Open Cup, but the momentum got derailed in the cup quarterfinals on June 6, when Dikwa suffered a broken collarbone early in the match against FC Cincinnati. After a little more than a month to heal, Dikwa regained his spot in the lineup, and by the start of August, he was back to his rapid scoring pace with seven goals in seven matches since Aug. 1.

As a result of the injury, Dikwa’s total games played won’t be vastly different from that of Martins or Vincent. Should Dikwa appear in the final four regular-season matches, he will have played 28 league games and 31 overall entering the playoffs.

Dikwa downplayed the chase for individual honors when he spoke to reporters after another two-goal performance Sept. 9 against Loudoun, saying: “It’s always about the team for me. We’re like a family, they’re my brothers, and I’m ready to go to war with them. My focus right now is to just help the team, get the trophy and get the championship.”

Given Dikwa’s importance spearheading the Hounds attack this season, it’s more likely than not that team success and further scoring success for Dikwa will stay hand-in-hand down the stretch.

Griffin lands spot in league’s Best 11

Pittsburgh Riverhounds midfielder Danny Griffin

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 19, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midfielder Danny Griffin was selected to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 28, the league announced this afternoon.

Griffin turned in an outstanding two-way performance in the Hounds’ 2-1 win at Miami FC on Saturday, which kept the team alone atop the Eastern Conference standings. The midfielder connected on 64 of 70 passes for a team-leading 91.4 percent clip, and he was a perfect 6-for-6 on long passes.

Defensively, Griffin recovered possession 12 times for the Hounds and intercepted two passes, and to cap the night off, he sprinted to the goal line to track down the ball and set up Robbie Mertz for the game-winning goal in the 90th minute.

It the the first Team of the Week honor this season for Griffin, whose unmatched reliability has seen him play 112 consecutive league matches in four seasons as a pro. The Hounds have also had at least one player on the Team of the Week in four of the past six weeks, and they did not play a match in one of the weeks they were left out.

To see the full USL Championship Team of the Week, visit uslchampionship.com.

The Hounds return home for their next match, Saturday, Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. when they host New Mexico United for Hispanic Heritage Night at Highmark Stadium. Tickets are available now through Ticketmaster and at the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

Mertz wins it in Miami with 90th-minute goal

(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)

Game Day: Hounds at Miami FC

Riverhounds midfielder Marc Ybarra jumps to win a header against Miami FC in the teams' 1-1 draw March 24, 2023, at Highmark Stadium.

Match info

Riverhounds (15-5-9) vs. Miami FC (7-13-8)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 16
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Riccardo Silva Stadium, Miami, Fla.
Odds: Hounds +145 / Draw +230 / Miami +160 (FanDuel)
Streaming: ESPN+
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #MIAvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

(Sept. 15, 2023) — It’s a three-horse race for the top spot in the Eastern Conference with one month to go, and to maintain the top spot, the Hounds will need to hold serve Saturday night in a tricky road match at Miami FC.

Both the Hounds (54 points) and Tampa Bay (53) control their own path to the top spot with the Oct. 7 head-to-head meeting in St. Petersburg looming large, but neither team can afford a major slip-up before then, especially with third-place Charleston now just another point back at 52. That means the Hounds will be out to get full points from their first trip to Florida this season, something they have only been able to do once in three previous visits.

With no more two-match weeks remaining on the schedule, the Hounds won’t be forced to rotate their squad as much as through the middle of the year, so a similar lineup to the 11 that won 3-1 over Loudoun last Saturday is likely. One change to be expected is the return of goalkeeper Jahmali Waite, who returned to training Thursday — along with midfielder DZ Harmon — after being away on international duty.

Waite needs one more shutout to become just the third Hounds goalkeeper to have 10 clean sheets in a single league season, and the Hounds will be looking to add to their USL Championship-leading 13 shutouts overall. That will be objective No. 1 for the side when facing a Miami team that is near the bottom with just 32 goals on the season, ahead of only Detroit, Loudoun and Las Vegas. Still, Miami has some potent attacking players, led by top scorer Joaquin Rivas (six goals) and Kyle Murphy, a former 20-goal scorer who scored one of his five this season in the teams’ first meeting, a 1-1 draw on March 24 at Highmark Stadium.

On the attacking end, the Hounds will need to be more clinical than they were in last weekend’s win, a tight contest that could have been a rout with some better finishing. Though the Hounds scored three, they also posted a season high 19 shots with eight on target, and the chances were there to have the game put away sooner than Albert Dikwa‘s 89th-minute goal.

Dikwa enters the match leading the Championship with 16 goals, and his next goal will surpass former teammate Russell Cicerone for the best goal-scoring season by a player in the Bob Lilley era with the Hounds. He has a chance to become the Hounds’ first Golden Boot winner since José Angulo achieved the feat exactly 10 years ago, but he will need to keep up his scoring pace with just a one-goal lead over Phoenix’s Danny Trejo and four other players — including Sacramento’s Cicerone — within three of the lead.

While Dikwa has been the runaway top scorer, the service for the Hounds has come from a variety of places. Kenardo Forbes has seven assists to lead the team and has an outside shot at his second straight 10-assist season, but defenders Dani Rovira and Luke Biasi have four assists each and midfielder Marc Ybarra has three, highlighting the ball movement when the Hounds are at their best.

Saturday’s road match will be one of only two remaining this season not to air locally, but fans will still be able to stream the action live on ESPN+.

Game Notes at Miami, 09/16/23Download

Forbes, Dikwa link up again on Team of the Week

Kenardo Forbes

PITTSBURGH (Sept. 12, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds striker Albert Dikwa and midfielder Kenardo Forbes both were named to the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 27, the league announced this afternoon.

It is the second time this season that the Hounds have claimed multiple spots in the league’s best 11 after both players were instrumental in the Hounds’ 3-1 win Saturday over Loudoun United FC that kept the team atop the USL Championship’s Eastern Conference.

Dikwa scored two goals in the win to retake the league lead with 16 on the season, while he also won 2 of 3 tackles and 4 of 9 duels contested. The fourth-year Hounds player finished on a well-timed run into the box in the 21st minute and sealed the result with a breakaway goal in the 89th minute.

It is the third Team of the Week honor (along with three bench selections) this season for Dikwa, who was runner-up in voting for USL Championship Player of the Week behind Tampa Bay’s Cal Jennings. The career year for the striker is now among the best in Hounds history, as his 16 league goals ties former teammate Russell Cicerone‘s 2021 campaign for the third-most goals in a single regular season.

Forbes earned his Team of the Week place with a performance that began with an incisive through ball to set up Dikwa’s opening goal and record his seventh assist of the season, one off the league lead. The Hounds captain kept the ball moving throughout the match, connecting on 53 of 60 passes (88.3 percent), and he also created a match-high four chances and won all three tackles he contested.

It is the second Team of the Week honor this season for Forbes, who extends assists records to 51 with the Riverhounds (all competitions) and 62 in the USL Championship regular season.

To see the complete USL Championship Team of the Week, visit uslchampionship.com.

The Hounds return to action this Saturday, Sept. 16, when they travel to Florida to face Miami FC in a 7 p.m. kickoff at Riccardo Silva Stadium that will be streamed on ESPN+.

Presented By