News

PITTSBURGH (July 13, 2019) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (6-3-8) tied the Tampa Bay Rowdies (11-1-7), 1-1, Saturday night at Highmark Stadium.

A penalty kick goal from Kevin Kerr got the Hounds on the board in the 52nd minute. Tampa Bay responded with a late tally from Lucky Mkosana in the 84th minute.

Kyle Morton manned the cage for Pittsburgh, finishing the night with two saves. 

First Half

Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay were unable to convert on their first half chances, playing an even match in the first 45 minutes. The defensive matchup played out, with both team’s backlines holding each other to few on target shots. 

The Riverhounds began their attack early in the first half coming from the foot of midfielder Robbie Mertz, with the shot dribbling into the box for the Tampa Bay goalkeeper. Kerr continued the offensive chances, with a long-range bomb from outside the penalty box in the 5th minute.

Morton was stellar in net for Pittsburgh, collecting two total saves including a shot from Tampa Bay’s Sebastián Guenzatti in the 34th minute.

Resulting from a corner kick in the 42nd minute, Riverhounds forward Steevan Dos Santos’ header from inside the six-yard box was knocked just over the crossbar by a streaking hand from Rowdies goalkeeper John McCarthy. McCarthy collected four total saves in the first half, including the shot from Dos Santos.

Both Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay went into the break with no goals between the two sides. The Hounds out-possessed the Rowdies in the first 45 minutes, having the ball 60.4 percent of the time compared to the Rowdies’ 39.6 percent.

Second Half

The Hounds opened up the second period of play with a penalty kick opportunity in the 52nd minute. Neco Brett drew contact in the penalty box, earning the chance for the Black and Gold.

Kerr took the penalty kick honors and bested Tampa Bay’s goalkeeper with a blast to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 advantage. 

Tampa Bay struggled to find any offensive rhythm in the first 20 minutes of the second half. The Rowdies subbed on Mkosana in the 66th minute in an effort to spark some scoring opportunities.

The Rowdies finally cracked the code in the 84th minute. Mkosana, who entered the match earlier in the half, danced through the Pittsburgh backline and fielded a cross before sending a shot past Morton to knot the score at 1-1.

Dos Santos fired a left-footed missile toward the goal just three minutes later, but the striker lofted the shot well over the cage. 

Pittsburgh appeared to have one final go at goal as stoppage time ticked away, but a cross from Ryan James was unable to connect with a teammate, and ultimately drifted out of bounds.

Hound of the Match

Kevin Kerr gave his club an early advantage when he buried a penalty kick into the back of the net in the 52nd minute. The midfielder finished the evening with two shots.

Stat of the Game: 10

The Hounds’ defenders managed to slow down Tampa Bay’s high-powered attack by forcing a total of 10 interceptions on the night. 

What’s Next:

The Black and Gold will be back in action at home next weekend, hosting North Carolina FC at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Highmark Stadium. The match will mark WQED and Kindness Night.

Lineups:

Riverhounds SC – Kyle Morton – Ryan James, Tobi Adewole, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Joe Greenspan, Jordan Dover – Kenardo Forbes, Robbie Mertz (Noah Franke 85′), Kevin Kerr (Mouhamed Dado 85′) – Steevan Dos Santos, Neco Brett (Christian Volesky 73′)

Subs not used: Austin Pack, Sammy Kahsai, Uchenna Uzo, Anthony Velarde

Tampa Bay Rowdies – John McCarthy – Leo Fernandes, Caleb Richards, Abdoulaye Diakité, Tarek Morad, Malik Johnson (Zach Steinberger 72′) – Jordan Doherty (Kwadwo Poku 73′), Dominic Oduro – Juan Tejada, Sebastián Guenzatti, Leon Taylor (Lucky Mkosana 66′)

Subs not used: Macklin Robinson, Shawn Berry, Mohamed Kone, Jaime Siaj

Scoring Summary:

PIT – Kevin Kerr 52′ (penalty)

TBR – Lucky Mkosana 84′ (Kwadwo Poku)

Misconduct Summary:

TBR – Tarek Morad 13′ (caution)

TBR – Abdoulaye Diakité 51′ (caution)

Head coach Bob Lilley 

On the possession battle between both sides…

“I don’t think either team had much possession. We tried to, their tactics were to lump it long early. So we had to win the head balls and then pick up second balls, and when the ball is in the air so much it’s hard to get in down in play. We competed better, we didn’t expect them to be so direct but I think we handled in pretty well. We limited their opportunities all game.”

On Tampa Bay’s goal…

“Against a team like that, you have to try to find a second goal. I think we tried and unfortunately we didn’t cover in the back. At that stage of the game, to let someone get in behind us is a pretty big mistake. It wasn’t like we were pushed high up the field, it was just a simple ball over the top where the guy made a good run and we got caught flatfooted.”

On giving up a late lead…

“I think we played well enough to get a result. We didn’t have a lot of opportunities, neither did they. I know it was a tight affair. But one goal should hold up, especially when you’re at home. We’ll just go back, work hard this week and hopefully put ourselves in a position to win next week against North Carolina.”

On the aerial play in the match…

“Some teams every time they get it will pump it long. If they try to play through us and they lose it, we can punish teams. Tactics are to pump it long. We have players that are good with the ball on the ground playing an aerial game. I don’t think it helped [Tampa Bay’s] performance, and they’re in first place. Both teams would’ve had a better chance to win in some ways if a soccer game broke out. That’s how games are sometimes. You may have that type of a game in playoffs sometimes.”

Midfielder Kevin Kerr

On being able to get the ball to the front of the net more compared to Charlotte…

“I think Charlotte was a blip. The four-game prior we were flying and then Charlotte was a real disappointing performance. Today we got back on track. We looked to our usual selves, that was a really good Tampa team, obviously top of the league, and they gave us nothing you know.”

On the game being more aerial compared to ground play…

“I definitely feel they came into lockdown in the back and you could see it at the end of the game and they were at the end to the point. I think they would have taken it at the start of the game. Credit us, but we want to punish teams that come in like that.”

On what happened on the Tampa Bay goal…

“It didn’t feel like we gave up too much today. It’s one ball, and our three center backs have been fantastic for the last seven to eight games. They really found their rhythm. It was disappointing because especially they didn’t create much at all. At that point, I felt pretty safe with a 1-0 lead and we would see it out.”

Charlotte, N.C. (July 7, 2019) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (6-3-7) fell on the road to the Charlotte Independence (4-7-8) on Sunday at Sportsplex at Matthews.

Scoring the only goal of the match, Charlotte’s Alex Martinez chipped in a shot in the 23rd minute. This loss snaps the Hounds’ four-game winning streak.

“We didn’t start the game with intensity,” head coach Bob Lilley said. “We were reacting to the game. We let them play whatever they wanted in our end. When we do that, we’re ordinary and we get ourselves in trouble.

“It’s disappointing because I think it could have been a better performance if we competed out of the gate. After the goal, we played more on even terms.”

First Half

The Independence broke onto the scoresheet in the 23rd minute.

Fielding the ball from teammate Niki Jackson, Martinez chipped a shot from just outside of the penalty box. The well-struck sphere fell just behind goalkeeper Austin Pack to provide Charlotte with the 1-0 lead.

Over the course of the first half, the Hounds received their best scoring opportunities from a couple of free kicks from just outside of the penalty box.

In the 37th minute, Kenardo Forbes sent a ball across the 18-yard box to Thomas Vancaeyezeele, who just missed on a header attempt. Four minutes later, Forbes elected to shoot, but his take went over the crossbar.

Second Half

The second half was split by a lightning delay that struck in the 80th minute.

Prior to the delay, Charlotte outshot Pittsburgh, 3-to-2. Neither team had a shot on target during this stretch.

In the game’s final minutes post-delay, the Hounds had their only shot attempt, from the foot of Forbes, blocked away in the 78th minute. The Independence ultimately hung on for the 1-0 victory.

Hound of the Match

Defender Ryan James led the club with five tackles and three interceptions.

Stat of the Game

The Hounds have allowed one goal or less in five straight matches.

What’s Next

Riverhounds SC will return home to battle the first-place Tampa Bay Rowdies (11-1-6) at 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 13 at Highmark Stadium. This match will mark the team’s Hall of Fame Game, as there will be a special halftime ceremony honoring the club’s inaugural Hall of Fame class. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a free rally towel, courtesy of Image360. Fans can purchase tickets at ticketmaster.com.

Lineups:

Riverhounds SC – Austin Pack – Ryan James, Uchenna Uzo (Tobi Adewole 63′), Joe Greenspan, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Noah Franke – Robbie Mertz, Kenardo Forbes, Anthony Velarde (Kevin Kerr 76′) – Mark Forrest (Steevan Dos Santos 63′), Neco Brett

Subs not used: Kyle Morton, Jordan Dover, Sammy Kahsai, Christian Volesky

Charlotte Independence – Brandon Miller – Abdoulie Mansally, Steven Thicot, Hugh Roberts, Joel Johnson – Valentín Sabella (Dominic Oduro 70′), Kevan George, Afrim Taku, Alex Martinez – Enzo Martinez (Aaron Maund 87′), Niki Jackson (Jorge Herrera 70′)

Subs not used: Curtis Anderson, Ryan Baer, Clay Dimick, Zyen Jones

Scoring Summary:

CLT – Alex Martinez 23′ (Niki Jackson)

Misconduct Summary:

PIT – Tobi Adewole 68′ (caution)

PIT – Kevin Kerr 90’+4 (caution)

PITTSBURGH (July 4, 2019) – Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (6-2-7) defeated Bethlehem Steel FC (5-9-4), 1-0, Thursday night at Highmark Stadium.

Kenardo Forbes led the way for the Black and Gold, scoring the lone goal of the match in the 57th minute. The win marked the fourth victory in as many games for the Hounds, and their third clean sheet during that stretch. 

First Half

Pittsburgh and Bethlehem began the first half timidly, with slick field conditions contributing to the slow start for both teams. The two Pennsylvania clubs traded possessions back and forth with no shots collected between either club in the first 20 minutes of play.

Pittsburgh’s first shot occurred at the 21st minute mark from Forbes, who missed left of the net. Pittsburgh’s attack continued with Tobi Adewole following up Forbes’ chance with a header in front of the Bethlehem goalkeeper in the 23rd minute, also missing wide of the net.

Bethlehem had few opportunities in the half, with its closest coming from a powerful boot from midfielder James Chambers missing to the far left of Pittsburgh’s goalkeeper Kyle Morton in the 28th minute.

Riverhounds forward Christian Volesky created several offensive opportunities across the pitch for Pittsburgh. The Hounds’ best chance in the half developed on a Bethlehem broken play with Volesky driving up the right sideline. The striker’s blast in the 32nd minute missed wide right from inside the 18-yard box, eventually sailing into the Steel Army supporter section.

A yellow card was awarded to Bethlehem defender Matt Real in the 36th minute with an on-ball foul on Pittsburgh’s Jordan Dover just outside the 18-yard box. Pittsburgh’s free kick opportunity missed left of the net.

The Riverhounds and Steel FC exchanged chances until the end of the half,  still knotted up 0-0.

The Riverhounds dominated the shot department in the first 45 minutes, posting six total shots compared to Bethlehem’s two. However, neither team was successful in creating an on-target shot in the first half.

Second Half

The Black and Gold opened up the second half with a corner kick in the 52nd minute. 

Forbes lofted the opportunity into the goalmouth, finding the head of Steevan Dos Santos. The forward placed the header over the net, and the score remained tied at 0-0.

Just five minutes later, Forbes lined up for a free kick chance just outside the penalty area. The midfielder ripped a rocket out of the reach of Bethlehem’s diving goalkeeper and into the upper right corner of the net to give the club a 1-0 lead. 

The Hounds nearly struck again in the 65th minute with a scramble in front of the net leading to several offensive chances. Kevin Kerr and Volesky sent shots toward the cage, but were fought off by a combination of Bethlehem’s backline and goalkeeper.

Bethlehem finally earned their first shot of the second half in the 85th minute, but  Kyle Morton fielded the harmless chance with ease. 

Morton would go on to finish the game unscathed, without having to make a single save in the contest. 

Steel FC couldn’t find any offensive rhythm in the game’s final minutes, and the Black and Gold walked out with their fourth consecutive victory. 

Hound of the Match: 

The goal from Kenardo Forbes was all Riverhounds SC needed to grab a victory on Thursday night. Forbes finished with a total of two shots in the win, adding four key passes to his stat line as well. 

Stat of the Game: 0

Pittsburgh’s backline brought the Steel Curtain down against its cross-state rivals, holding Steel FC without a single shot on target in the victory. 

What’s Next:

It will be a quick turnaround for the Black and Gold, as they head south to take on Charlotte Independence at 7 p.m. this Sunday at Sportsplex at Matthews. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+. 

Lineups:

Riverhounds SC – Kyle Morton – Dani Rovira (Ryan James 63’), Tobi Adewole, Joe Greenspan, Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Jordan Dover – Sammy Kahsai (Robbie Mertz 74’), Kenardo Forbes, Kevin Kerr – Steevan Dos Santos, Christian Volesky (Mark Forrest 87’)

Subs Not Used: Austin Pack, Uchenna Uzo, Anthony Velarde, Neco Brett

Bethlehem Steel FC – Tomas Romero – Walter Cortes, Matthew Real, Mark McKenzie, Nathan Harriel – Cole Turner – James Chambers, Zach Zandi, Chavany Willis (Steve Kingue 86’), Issa Rayyan (Axel Picazo 75’) – Faris Pemi Moumbagna (Shanyder Borgelin 86’)

Subs Not Used: Brady McSwain, Michee Ngalina, Selmir Miscic, Ben Ofeimu

Scoring Summary:

PIT: Kenardo Forbes 57’

Misconduct Summary:

BST: Matthew Real 36’ (caution)

BST: Chavany Willis 49’ (caution)

PIT: Dani Rovira 53’ (caution)

BST: James Chambers 72’ (caution) 

PIT: Tobi Adewole 74’ (caution)

PIT: Joe Greenspan 90’ (caution)

Head coach Bob Lilley

On the physical nature of the match…

“They’re athletically a very tough out, they’re big kids. Even the younger ones are solid. They’re solid, they’re athletic. We had to deny space, which I think we did a good job with. We did a good job of limiting their space, the defenders did a good job of covering each other, because they’re explosive. We were able to use our experience and manage the game pretty efficiently.”

On the importance of tonight’s win…

“As we climb the table, we’re going to have to win these types of games. I think with people below you in the standings, you’re always going to be a massive target. People are trying to drag us back and we’re trying to keep climbing. It was a more significant game than most would typically think.”

On Christian Volesky’s performance…

“It’s tough, he had some injuries early in the year. Steevan [Dos Santos] and Neco [Brett] have gotten into a pretty good rhythm. It’s tough when you’re rotating the spot. Christian is dangerous. He gets in good areas. If he could’ve cleaned some things up, he’s maybe the best we have at getting in behind defenses. He reads things well.

On load management with two games in just four days…

“We rested enough guys that we should have some fresh legs for Sunday. I know Charlotte played tonight, so they’ll probably have some squad rotation. The trick was to try to take some educated risks so we could get the points and still have enough for Sunday. Part one is done, hopefully the guys that are asked to step on the field on Sunday are ready for a good Charlotte team recently.”

Midfielder Kenardo Forbes

Were you thinking about scoring a goal with the free kick…

“Yeah, because in the first half I crossed the first one and tricked the goalkeeper. He was looking for the cross, and I just surprised him.”

Did you know the ball was in when you shot it…

“That is a celebration. That was a celebration. As soon as I hit it, I knew it was in.”

Feeling of a four-game winning streak currently…

“It is a great feeling. Three games at home, and won all three games. The guys are confident going into Charlotte. I hope we can keep it going on the road.”