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It wasn’t a shutout, but Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC had one of its best defensive performances of the season to date.

Only on one other occasion had the squad held its opponents to no more than three total shots. But unlike the Hounds’ earlier match against Ottawa Fury FC, this time the team accomplished the feat outside of Highmark Stadium’s friendly confines.

Smothering the Richmond Kickers’ attack, Pittsburgh (5-1-6) defeated the old-time adversary, 2-1, this past Saturday at City Stadium. Leading the defensive charge for the Hounds was a former Kicker – one who had earned USL All-League First Team honors in 2016 for the rival side.

“Our main focus was to stay organized,” defender Hugh Roberts said. “At the end of the day if we limit their chances, we limit their scoring opportunities and we wanted to make sure we were on the offensive front putting pressure on them rather them putting pressure on us.”

Starting his fourth straight game for the club, Roberts posted a Hounds-high five clearances at his old stomping grounds this past weekend. This marks the second straight match the Gaithersburg, Maryland native has led Pittsburgh in this statistic.

Roberts and the Hounds now will have something on their schedule that they have not been accustomed to seeing – a break. After a stretch of six games in 18 days, the Black and Gold will have two weeks off from its past showdown against Richmond until its next match against New York Red Bulls II on June 16.

“We’ve had so many games in so many amount of days,” Roberts said. “It’s not even just physically, but mentally too, just to get a nice, little mental break.”

As the team is in the midst of this two-week hiatus, it will allow its many veteran players to receive needed rest, in addition to helping its athletes become even healthier. Since sustaining a leg injury about two months ago, defender Joe Greenspan has progressed in his rehabilitation process and practiced alongside his teammates this past week.

Having the 6-foot-6-inch center back available again will be a welcome addition to an already dominant backline. The United States Naval Academy product leads the club with 14.5 clearances per game this season.

“He’s a great leader for this team,” Roberts said. “He has tremendous experience from MLS. He’s a big, vocal person in the back as well. To have him come back will be great for us defensively.”

While Greenspan and the Hounds use this extra week to recuperate, they will have a tough matchup once they return to action. Scheduled to clash with Red Bulls II (4-3-5) at 7 p.m. on June 16 at Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh will need all the help it can get to slow down a New York attack that paces the Eastern Conference with 202 shots.

Roberts said he plans to hit the gym and continue to run in order to keep his fitness up for the New York match, as he, like many players, will return home during the club’s off period.

“I’m looking forward to enjoy these next couple days off and just relax with the family,” Roberts said about returning home to Maryland. “Everyone is home, and it will be good to see everybody.”

Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (5-1-6) used a barrage of 20 shots to defeat the Richmond Kickers (3-6-1), 2-1, this past Saturday at City Stadium. With goals from Neco Brett and Romeo Parkes, the Hounds captured three points on the road and jumped up into third place in the Eastern Conference standings after Week 12 of USL action. Here’s how the Black and Gold came back after originally falling behind 1-0 in the second half.

72’ Neco Brett Assisted by Kevin Kerr

With a powerful boot from his left foot, midfielder Ben Zemanski sent a ball across the 18-yard box.

Seen above, Kevin Kerr (orange arrow) is uncovered on the opposite end of the penalty area and awaits the sphere to descend. Once it does, the attacking midfielder heads the ball toward the goalmouth near Brett (yellow arrow).

Supporting the notion that two heads are better than one, the Kingston, Jamaica native – despite being marked by the Kickers defense – headed in his sixth goal of the season and the equalizer to bring the score to 1-1.

79’ Romeo Parkes Assisted by Neco Brett

With three opponents closing on him, Kerr fed a through-ball to Brett from the middle third. Receiving the pass, the striker then took one touch to gather control before sending the sphere in Parkes’ direction.

In the above snapshot, Parkes (green arrow) begins his run as Brett (yellow arrow) obtains possession. Splitting the gap between two defenders, he presses forward into the penalty box once his teammate sends a through-ball.

No match for the straight-line speed of Parkes, the Richmond defense and goalkeeper Trevor Spangenberg were subsequently beat to the ball and watched it hit the twine, which provided the Hounds with a 2-1 lead.

The Other Side

The Kickers struggled to generate offensive pressure for the entirety of the match, but they did convert on one of their three total shots.

In the 53rd minute, attacking winger Brian Shriver led a counterattack and slid feet-first to pass a ball to teammate Luiz Fernando, who then gathered it just inside the 18-yard box. The first-half substitute then one-timed a shot by goalkeeper Dan Lynd with the inside of his left foot. The tally provided Richmond with a 1-0 lead at the time.

After this goal, the squad could only muster one additional shot for the remainder of the match – an off-target take by forward Heviel Cordovés from outside the penalty area. Due to the dearth of chances, Richmond could not keep pace once the Hounds found the back of the net.

Tale of the Tape

Outshooting its opponent 20-3, Pittsburgh dominated play on the offensive end of the pitch. Despite this aggregate, the Hounds started slow, as only one of their 10 first-half shots was on target.

Kenardo Forbes did something no one saw coming.

Dribbling the ball laterally across the pitch just outside the penalty area, the attacking midfielder sent a no-look pass forward to fellow teammate Noah Franke.

Although ultimately leading to a shot that missed wide right of the net, Forbes’ instincts created a great scoring opportunity for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC last time out during its match against Nashville SC. For the game, one that ended in a 1-0 defeat, Forbes paced the club with three chances created.

As the team now faces a quick turnaround, the veteran will look to continue his success as a catalyst for the Riverhounds SC (4-1-6) attack when it battles the Richmond Kickers (3-5-1) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at City Stadium.

“The mindset’s to get in the right position, be able to play forward and read the guys’ runs,” Forbes said. “That’s the main key, read the guys’ runs. The guys know once I have my head up I can find them, and they make the run for me.”

Forbes said the first thing he looks for when leading the break is what the defense is giving him. If the first run is covered, then the Kingston, Jamaica native will immediately find the second run.

In the midst of his first season in Pittsburgh after playing three years for the Rochester Rhinos, Forbes has tallied two assists, both of which have come on the road. This Saturday, he will try to once again replicate this success away from home.

“They know me,” Forbes said. “They know I always like to play it forward and find those gaps. Kevin [Kerr] likes to go in those gaps. Neco [Brett] likes to go on the break. I just know their tendencies and find them.”

After going head to head for the past three campaigns as rivals, Forbes and Kerr have teamed up as a part of the Pittsburgh attack in 2018. Since the start of the 2015 season, the two have combined for 36 assists in USL play, including notching four of the team’s nine helpers this year.

“It’s a really good combination,” Forbes said. “He’s a really smart player and a good player, very tricky and knows how to find space. That’s the kind of player I like to play with because he makes me look good.”

Heading into its match against Richmond, Riverhounds SC has hit a cold spell offensively. The team has been shut out in its past two games, even despite tying a season high of 16 total shots last time out.

Perhaps part of the reason for the slowdown in offensive production could stem from the busy schedule the Hounds have played over the past few weeks. Including Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup action, the match against the Kickers will be the team’s sixth game in the past 18 days.

“The coaches rested a couple guys last week and this week,” Forbes said. “We have the right rotations, getting fresh guys to go out and play on the road, so that’s a key for us. We have a deep squad, so that’s very good for us.”

Losing its first game of the season last time out against Nashville SC, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (4-1-6) will look to get back on track in a meeting with the Richmond Kickers (3-5-1) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at City Stadium. These two clubs have not yet met this season, although Richmond held the advantage in 2017 with a 1-0-1 record against the Hounds.

Super Hughman

Receiving the starting nod for the past three matches, defender Hugh Roberts has held down the backline. He’s coming off back-to-back games where he led the club in interceptions (eight against Penn FC on May 26) and clearances (nine against Nashville SC on May 30). As the Hounds chase their eighth shutout, Roberts could once again be a vital part of the Pittsburgh defense this weekend.

All Together Now

With a start from midfielder Noah Franke and a sub-in from forward Dennis Chin last time out, every field player for the Hounds has made an appearance for the squad this year during league play with the exception of Ben Fitzpatrick, who has been injured since the start of the season. As the team completes a stretch of six games in 18 days against Richmond, it will likely vary its lineup once more this Saturday to rotate in fresh legs.

Nothing But Air

Despite tying a season-high 16 total shots last time out against Nashville SC, the Hounds could not hit the twine and only three of these takes were on target – the worst shots on goal percentage the team has had to date. With a quick three-day turnaround, Pittsburgh will look to improve its conversion rate against a Richmond team that allowed three goals on six shots to the Charlotte Independence in its most recent match.

All 12 of Pittsburgh’s goals have come from inside the penalty area this season. The team has yet to score from outside the 18-yard box, as well as off a set piece opportunity.

This season, the Hounds’ performance has dipped in the second half. Five of their six goals allowed have come after the break. In addition, the team has allowed 61 second-half shots compared to just 28 first-half takes on the season. As the Hounds travel to City Stadium this weekend, they will need to shore up their play in the second 45 minutes.

In the midst of their third home game in a stretch of four straight, the Richmond Kickers (3-5-1) will face off against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (4-1-6) at 7 p.m. on Saturday at City Stadium. This will be the first meeting between the clubs this season.

Throughout the campaign to date, Richmond has seen the bulk of its action at home, playing six of its nine matches at City Stadium. To open the season, the Kickers had three home tilts in their first four games. Over this stretch, the club went 1-2-1 with the lone win coming in a 2-1 victory over North Carolina FC.

Over its last five matches, Richmond has performed similarly to the start of its campaign, as it holds a 2-3-0 record during this stint. Most recently, the Kickers dropped a home game, 3-1, to the Charlotte Independence on May 26.

Brian Shriver heads the Richmond attack, as he leads the club in goals (three), points (eight) and chances created (nine) this season. Of the squad’s 10 goals this year, the striker has notched at least a point on five of them. He will be coming off a match in which he scored Richmond’s lone goal – the aforementioned 3-1 loss against Charlotte.

Strengths:

Fouls: Richmond has recorded the least fouls in the Eastern Conference, logging 99 this season.

Conversion rate: Despite low shot totals this year, the Kickers have done well converting those it does take. The team ranks fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 17.2 conversion rate.

Weaknesses:

Clean Sheets: Richmond has only one shutout this season – coming against the Tampa Bay Rowdies – and has allowed 16 goals (tied for third most in the Eastern Conference).

Shots: The club ranks dead last in the Eastern Conference with 72 total shots, an average of eight shots per game.

More than 18,000 fans packed into Nissan Stadium, and former Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midfielder Lebo Moloto did his best to provide Nashville SC with its first-ever home victory.

Posting six shots and two takes on target, Moloto ultimately could not break the Pittsburgh defense, and the two clubs tied their first all-time meeting, 0-0.

As the USL now enters Week 12 of action, Moloto, as well as defender Taylor Washington, will each return to Pittsburgh to face their old team for the first time since leaving, as Riverhounds SC (4-0-6) readies for a showdown with Nashville SC (3-2-4) at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Highmark Stadium. The Hounds will look to get back in the win column, coming off a short week after tying rival Penn FC this past Saturday, 0-0.

“We know next game on Wednesday we are coming with the same mentality and trying to get more and more goals,” defender Hugh Roberts said after the Penn FC match. “At the end of the day, we might of have not scored today, but we know we are going to score at some point. We need to keep our heads up and keep fighting.”

While Riverhounds SC looks to notch more tallies, it will need to simultaneously prevent a former goalscorer from finding the back of the net.

Moloto played for the Hounds during the 2015 and 2016 campaigns, starting 45 of his 51 career games played with the club. The Polokwane, South Africa native racked up 22 points in his Hounds career, which ranks No. 16 in team history.

Meanwhile, Washington will make his first Highmark Stadium appearance since leaving Pittsburgh this offseason. He logged the third most games played (29) for the Hounds and led the squad in interceptions (96) last year.

After helping prevent goals for the Hounds in 2017, Washington will now be a backline foe Pittsburgh looks to exploit on Wednesday.

“The main focus this week is to get in behind,” midfielder Kenardo Forbes said, “create more chances, more open chances, so we can convert easily.”

As Moloto and Washington ready for their return to Highmark Stadium, here is how a few other notable Hounds fared in their respective homecomings.

Brian Ownby: May 16, 2015

Brian Ownby made his Hounds debut in 2014 as a loanee from Houston Dynamo of MLS and scored one goal in his five career appearances with Pittsburgh. In 2015, the striker suited up for the Richmond Kickers and made his Highmark Stadium return on May 16. In the 24th minute, Ownby scored a goal that provided the Kickers with a 1-0 lead. The Hounds later notched an equalizer, which led to the 1-1 final result.

Andrew Ribeiro: Aug. 15, 2015

Playing for the Hounds during the 2014 campaign, Andrew Ribeiro left the club and joined the Charlotte Independence in 2015. When he made his Highmark Stadium homecoming, the defender started and played all 90 minutes, as Charlotte and Pittsburgh battled to a 1-1 draw.

José Angulo: April 12, 2017

Receiving the starting nod for Saint Louis FC, it did not take long for José Angulo to make his impact felt. In the 30th minute, the striker, who is tied for No. 5 all-time in club history with 23 goals, scored an equalizer against his old team. He later was subbed off in the 82nd minute of play. Saint Louis FC won the match, 2-1.