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Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC (4-0-3) continued its unbeaten campaign this past Saturday with a 2-1 victory against Toronto FC II (0-5-2) at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester, New York. Jumping out to an early lead with two first half goals from Neco Brett and Kevin Kerr, the Hounds had assurance once Toronto scored its first and only tally in second-half stoppage time. Here’s how Pittsburgh scored its ninth and 10th goals this season.

12’ Neco Brett

Chasing down a through-ball from Ben Zemanski, Jordan Dover applied pressure on an opposing player at the edge of the 18-yard box and forced the ball to Kerr along the end line inside the penalty area.

As seen above, Kerr (yellow arrow) spots an open Brett (green arrow) just to the right of the penalty dot. Toronto FC II players Brandon Onkony and Robert Boskovic (red arrows) notice this and close on the Pittsburgh striker, but they cannot prevent the ball from reaching Brett’s foot – even despite a deflection.

The Kingston, Jamaica native then continues to one-time a right-footed shot by goalkeeper Caleb Patterson-Sewell to give the Hounds a 1-0 lead.

36’ Kevin Kerr assisted by Neco Brett

They are in the midst of playing their first season together, but both Kerr and Brett showed great chemistry on a give-and-go for Pittsburgh’s second goal of the game.

Originally starting the break at midfield, Thomas Vancaeyezeele distributed a pass to Zemanski. The veteran midfielder then relayed the ball to Kerr, who just had a shot ring off the crossbar 16 minutes earlier. Kerr then sprinted forward and hit Brett with the first pass in the give-and-go sequence.

In the above snapshot, Brett readies to feed the ball back to Kerr, who has a step on Toronto midfielder Luca Uccello (No. 45) after originally dishing the ball to his teammate.

Following Brett’s return, the Pittsburgh veteran chases the ball down in the penalty box and beats a couple Toronto FC II players to the sphere. Understanding he has little time with defenders closing on him, Kerr one times a left-footed shot into the bottom-left corner of the net past Patterson-Sewell to provide the Hounds with a 2-0 lead.

The Other Side

Toronto FC II displayed a consistent attack (five shots in each half) despite owning just 33 percent possession during the match. As Toronto attempted to mount a comeback subsequently falling behind 2-0 after the first 45 minutes of play, it could not consistently penetrate the Hounds defense. Three of the club’s five second-half shots came from outside of the penalty area.

Although in the 90+1 minute, Toronto finally broke through with a goal after finding a way into the penalty box. Mariano Miño, who recorded three chances created in the match, assisted second-half substitute Shaan Hundal, who scored a right-footed tally after finding room inside the 18-yard box. Toronto rushed to midfield after the goal to try to save time for an equalizer, but the club ultimately could not convert a second tally.

Tale of the Tape

Riverhounds SC recorded a season-high five shots on goal against Toronto FC II, and two of its tries found their way into the back of the net. Brett led the way for the Hounds offensively, scoring three points and tying for the team lead with two chances created in the match. All 11 of Pittsburgh’s shots were from inside the penalty box.

Meanwhile, Toronto FC II could not cash in on any of its 10 shots until stoppage time late in the game. Although spoiling a Pittsburgh clean sheet, by then time had run out for a comeback attempt.

For someone known as “The Cheetah,” aggressiveness was already in his nature.

Charging an opposing Atlanta United 2 player in possession of the ball, Christiano François stole the sphere before sprinting along the end line into the penalty area. Once he captured the attention of the Atlanta backline, the midfielder sent a pass to Neco Brett, who then released a left-footed shot into the back of the net.

Although happening in the 26th minute of the match, this assist led to the eventual game-winning goal in Pittsburgh’s 1-0 win against the USL newcomer.

“Every time I come out, I just want to score or get an assist because that’s my job as a winger,” François said after the match. “That’s why the coach plays me because he believes in me. Every time I come out, I have to give a good performance to help the team win.”

After recording his first assist of the season, François, as well as a number of other professional team members, will return to familiar territory, as Riverhounds SC (3-0-3) will clash with Toronto FC II (0-4-2) at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester, New York.

In addition to the attacking winger, players Jordan Dover, Kenardo Forbes, Ray Lee, Dan Lynd, Kyle Morton and Todd Pratzner, as well as head coach Bob Lilley and assistant coach Mark Pulisic will have a homecoming to their old venue, formerly known as Capelli Sport Stadium.

“Bob and I had a good year last year,” Pulisic said. “Unfortunately, things didn’t work out for [Rochester Rhinos] to continue as a club, but we have fond memories of the stadium there, the people and the fans of Rochester.”

Now that Lilley and Pulisic are in Pittsburgh, the team’s performance thus far has mirrored that of old Rhinos teams. On the defensive side of the ball, the Hounds have exhibited exceptional play and rank No. 1 in the Eastern Conference with five clean sheets – one season after Rochester finished second in the conference with 14 shutouts.

Offensively, Pittsburgh has generated much of its pressure from its wingers. Kevin Kerr (12) and François (7) rank first and second on the club in chances created. Playing into this statistic is an array of crosses the team has sent from the outside into the penalty box this season.

Leading up to their match against Toronto FC II this Saturday, the Hounds drilled this approach during a training session. Wingers and other outside position players cycled through drills while sending the ball into the box to central players and forwards.

“We definitely stress the ability to get in behind defenses,” Pulisic said. “The ways to get in behind are not just straight central balls, so we utilize our wide defenders. When we have someone with pace, like Christiano, we like to get him wide sometimes and get in behind.”

As outside midfielders and defenders may streak down the field, it places added responsibility on the team’s center backs to defend against quick counterattacks from the opposition. As defender Joe Greenspan has missed time due to an injured calf, Tobi Adewole and Pratzner have largely held down the center of the backline.

Adewole and Pratzner have combined for 37 percent of the club’s clearances this season. The duo also has started five games together, four of which resulted in a Pittsburgh clean sheet.

“Sometimes it takes a couple times to get used to playing with another guy, but right from the beginning I think we formed a good partnership,” Pratzner said about playing with Adewole. “It’s easy to work with him, and I’m enjoying playing beside him.”

Both of these center backs, as well as the entire team, will aim to shut out Toronto once again this season after defeating the foe 4-0 earlier this campaign. In past meetings, Pittsburgh has been tremendously successful against Toronto and holds a 6-0-2 all-time record in series history.

“We don’t want the guys to get too complacent,” Pulisic said. “We need to sharpen up both areas – both on the defensive end and on the attacking end. Just continue to get better.”

Last time out, Riverhounds SC continued its undefeated run with a 1-0 victory against Atlanta United 2 at Highmark Stadium. Pittsburgh (3-0-3) now turns its attention to a road match against Toronto FC II (0-4-2) at 6 p.m. on Saturday at Marina Auto Stadium in Rochester, New York. The Hounds have never lost (6-0-2) to Toronto since the team north of the border joined the USL in 2015.

Encore

In the Eastern Conference foes’ first meeting this season, Pittsburgh posted four second-half goals en route to a 4-0 victory. Forward Neco Brett scored three of these goals, notching the Hounds’ first hat trick since Rob Vincent scored a trio of tallies against Wilmington Hammerheads FC in 2015. Furthering the ties between the two players, both Brett and Vincent are tied for the most goals against Toronto FC II in club history at three apiece. Look for Brett to play a large role on the offensive end this weekend.

Rochester Reunion

As the game is scheduled to kick off in Rochester, New York, it will be a homecoming of sorts for quite a few professional team members. Head coach Bob Lilley and assistant coach Mark Pulisic, in addition to players Jordan Dover, Kenardo Forbes, Christiano François, Ray Lee, Dan Lynd, Kyle Morton and Todd Pratzner, all spent the 2017 USL campaign with the Rochester Rhinos. Even though it is technically a road game for the Hounds this week, it will be very much a home away from home.

No Fly Zone

Throughout the season, the Hounds’ defense has locked down opposing offenses so much that teams have struggled to launch shots on target, let alone goals. This past week against Atlanta United 2, the Pittsburgh backline held the USL newcomer to zero shots on goal en route to its fifth shutout this season. This success has led the team to post seven saves and five clean sheets over the course of the entire season.

Midfielder Kevin Kerr currently sits at 65 points for his Riverhounds SC career. He is currently No. 3 all-time in the statistic and is two points away from tying former striker Thiago Martins for No. 2 all-time in club history.

Thus far in 2018, the Hounds have placed 18 of their 70 shots on goal. This upcoming weekend against Toronto FC II, Pittsburgh will need to up this ratio to help provide the team with a more dangerous attack to pair with an already stellar defense.

For the second time this season, Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will be taking on Toronto FC II after a 4-0 win for the Hounds in early April. The match will be played at 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 5 at Marina Auto Stadium.

Toronto FC II holds a 0-4-2 record scoring a total of two goals in six games. The losses and draws place them 15th in the Eastern Conference after being outscored 10-2 by its opponents. Toronto is coming off a scoreless draw against third-place in the conference New York Red Bulls II.

Canadian midfielder Aidan Daniels leads Toronto’s offense in shots, while also recording one of the two goals scored this season against the Richmond Kickers. The goal was scored after a 358-minute scoreless streak. Not only is Daniels leading the team in shots, but he also leads Toronto in chances created, earning seven.

Strengths

Passing Accuracy: Toronto has done well creating passes, obtaining an average of 385 per 90 minutes. The club’s 75 percent passing success rate ranks 10th in the East.

Successful dribbles: The Young Reds have been strong on the ball creating 82 successful dribbles with a 56 percent success rate.

Weaknesses

Possession: Toronto has yet to gain the upper hand in possession this season, averaging a 44-percent share in its six games played.

Scoring: On the scoring front, Toronto has struggled mightily. The club ranks last in the Eastern Conference in both goals scored (2) and conversion rate (4.8 percent).