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Etou earns Team of the Week recognition

Riverhounds left back Junior Etou wins the ball from the Tampa Bay Rowdies' Dayonn Harris in the Hounds' 2-0 win on Oct. 7, 2023 at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 10, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC midfielder/defender Junior Etou was included in the USL Championship Team of the Week for Week 31, the penultimate week of the season, the league announced this afternoon.

Etou picked up the weekly honor for the first time this season as a defender after shining at left back in the Hounds’ 2-0 win last Saturday at the Tampa Bay Rowdies. That victory clinched the Players’ Shield and home field throughout the playoffs, and tied the Hounds record of 19 wins in a single regular season.

Etou helped the Hounds begin the match with a flourish by striking a perfect cross to find Albert Dikwa open at the back post for the team’s opening goal after just 29 seconds of play. In addition to the match-opening assist, his third of the season, Etou was a force defensively. He won 8 of 8 duels and regained possession for the Hounds four times, and he was strong while on the ball, winning a match-high four fouls while leading the Hounds in touches.

He was joined the in weekly honors by goalkeeper Jahmali Waite, who took one of the bench spots on the team. Waite made a season-high five saves on the way to his 10th shutout in USL play, making him just the third Hounds goalie to record 10 clean sheets in a season.

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

The Hounds will wrap up their regular season this Saturday, Oct. 14, when they travel to face Detroit City FC in a 4 p.m. kickoff at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Mich. Tickets are on sale now for the Hounds’ playoff matches, beginning with the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals on Oct. 21, through Ticketmaster and the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

Victory at Tampa Bay clinches Players’ Shield

The Riverhounds celebrate with the USL Championship Players' Shield after winning 2-0 against the Tampa Bay Rowdies at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. on Oct. 7, 2023. — *The Riverhounds celebrate with the USL Championship Players’ Shield after winning 2-0 against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. (Photo — Riverhounds SC)*

(Oct. 7, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC claimed the USL Championship Players’ Shield — awarded to the team with the best regular-season record — by knocking off the Tampa Bay Rowdies, 2-0, tonight at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla.

Albert Dikwa scored his league-leading 20th goal in the opening minute, and center back Arturo Ordóñez added a second-half goal in front of a five-save shutout by Jahmali Waite for the Hounds (19-5-6), who matched the team record for wins in a regular-season by knocking off the second-place Rowdies (18-9-6).

It is the first official trophy won by the Hounds and the first time the team has finished atop the Championship or its direct predecessor, the A-League. It is also only the third division/conference title in team history, joining the 2019 team that topped the Eastern Conference and the 2004 team that won the Atlantic Division of the third-tier USL Pro Soccer League.

Along with the Shield, the Hounds will have home field throughout the USL Championship Playoffs, which begin Saturday, Oct. 21.

First half

The Hounds kicked off and went forward straight from the opening whistle.

Kenardo Forbes received the ball in the middle of the field from the right side, and the captain swung a pass the other way to Junior Etou. The left back struck an early cross to the far post, where Dikwa sprinted in unmarked to touch the ball into the net after only 29 seconds, making it the second-fastest goal in team history.

Dikwa’s 20th goal puts him three goals clear of the field in the race for the Golden Boot with one week to play after tonight’s Western Conference games conclude.

The Hounds continued to be organized and opportunistic on the counter, despite ceding 71 percent of possession to the Rowdies. Dikwa nearly had two other goals — a shot in the 16th minute that dragged just wide of the post, and a clever chip that beat Rowdies goalie Connor Sparrow but was nullified by the offside flag.

The Rowdies came alive late in the half with two very good chances. Cal Jennings, one of the players just behind Dikwa in the Golden Boot race with 17 goals, missed just high with a strong header in the 32nd minute. The Rowdies also couldn’t find the frame in a stoppage-time scramble in the box created from a free kick.

Second half

Waite came up huge in the second half, starting with the best of his five saves to deny a shot through traffic by Charlie Dennis. The Jamaican international saw the shot late but was able to get low and push it wide of the post.

The Hounds got their second goal starting with a corner that was cleared by Tampa Bay. But as the Rowdies tried to counter, Luke Biasi slid in the center circle to turn play the other direction.

The ball came to Forbes, who fed Tola Showunmi down the left side, and with his first touches of the ball off the bench, Showunmi found Ordóñez making a near-post run for the finish. The 62nd-minute goal was the fifth of the year for Ordóñez, the most ever in a single-season by a Hounds center back.

With the two-goal lead, the Hounds were able to absorb pressure and limit chances.

Leo Fernandes, the 2022 Championship MVP, forced a leaping save by Waite with a header in the 84th minute. But the Hounds’ goalkeeper was excellent against shots and crosses to record his 10th clean sheet of the season, the third-best total in club history.

Heineken Man of the Match

Jahmali Waite hit a season high with five saves and blanked the Rowdies, who will finish as the Eastern Conference runner-up, for the second time this year. Most impressive was his work in the air, as he was sure-handed facing seven corners and 19 crosses by the Rowdies on a warm, wet Florida night.

What’s next?

With the Players’ Shield wrapped up, the Hounds still have to hit the road for their final regular-season match against a team they could face in the opening round of the playoffs, Detroit City FC (11-14-7). That match will be a 4 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Oct. 14 at Keyworth Stadium in Hamtramck, Mich., and Detroit will need at least a draw to reach the postseason.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-3-2) — Jahmali Waite; Junior Etou (Langston Blackstock 87’), Nate Dossantos (Tola Showunmi 61’), Arturo Ordóñez, Pat Hogan, Luke Biasi; Kenardo Forbes (Robbie Mertz 75’), Danny Griffin, Marc Ybarra; Edward Kizza (Joe Farrell 61’), Albert Dikwa (Dani Rovira 87’)

Tampa Bay Rowdies lineup (3-4-3) — Connor Sparrow; Aarón Guillén, Forrest Lasso, Conner Antley; Jake Areman (Jake LaCava 87’), Lewis Hilton, Yann Ekra (Leo Fernandes 56’), Jordan Doherty; Joshua Peréz (Dayan Harris 45’), Cal Jennings, Charlie Dennis (JJ Williams 56’)

Scoring summary

PIT — Albert Dikwa 1’ (Junior Etou)
PIT — Arturo Ordóñez 62’ (Tola Showunmi)

Discipline summary

PIT — Pat Hogan 41’ (caution – reckless foul)
TBR — Jake Areman 50’ (caution – reckless foul)
TBR — JJ Williams 84’ (caution – reckless foul)

Game Day: Hounds at Tampa Bay Rowdies

Pittsburgh Riverhounds midfielder Kenardo Forbes challenges for the ball against Tampa Bay Rowdies midfielder Yann Ekra during the Hounds' 1-0 win on Aug. 5, 2023 at Highmark Stadium.

Match info

Riverhounds (18-5-9) vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies (18-8-6)
Date: Saturday, Oct. 7
Time: 7:30 p.m.
Location: Al Lang Stadium, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Odds: Hounds +230 / Draw +230 / Tampa Bay +105 (FanDuel)
TV: KDKA+
Streaming: ESPN+ (national), KDKA+ (local)
Live statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live updates: @RiverhoundsSC on Twitter
Match hashtags: #TBRvPIT and #HOUNDTAHN

(Oct. 6, 2023) — The Riverhounds have a chance to claim the Players’ Shield and lock up home field throughout the USL Championship Playoffs, but to do so this weekend, they will need to get a result at one of the tougher away venues in the league when they face the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday at Al Lang Stadium.

Both teams enter the match in good form. The Hounds are unbeaten in their last six matches, and the Rowdies have only lost twice in their past eight matches, both of which came against fellow playoff side Memphis. The Rowdies last loss prior to those was the first meeting of the year between the two teams, Aug. 5, when the Hounds pounced on an early turnover to set up Albert Dikwa for the game’s only goal three minutes into a 1-0 win at Highmark Stadium.

Al Lang has been a historically tough venue for the Hounds, who are 1-4-1 there all-time, and the Rowdies have been strong but not invincible on home grass this season, where they are 11-3-2 entering their regular-season home finale this week.

For the second time this season, Dikwa will share the field with the player nearest to him in the Golden Boot race. Dikwa and his 19-goal total will be running at the opposite goal to Cal Jennings and his total of 17 for Tampa Bay, but that’s no guarantee of offensive fireworks. The last time the top two in the scoring race met — Dikwa and San Antonio’s Tani Oluwaseyi on Aug. 26 — the match ended with the two title contenders battling to a 0-0 draw.

Dikwa and Jennings also are finalists for the USL Championship Player of the Month award for September, and fan voting for the award will continue until noon Monday. Hounds fans can go cast their vote for Dikwa at USLChampionship.com.

But Dikwa’s scoring chase and Kenardo Forbes‘ bid to win the Championship’s assists title — Forbes enters the match tied for first with 10 — are secondary concerns to the Hounds’ chance to capture the first major prize in team history. A win would bring the Players’ Shield to Pittsburgh, while a draw would secure first place in the Eastern Conference for the first time since 2019. Even a one-goal loss would keep the Hounds in first place entering the final week, but that would open the door for either Tampa Bay or Sacramento to claim the Shield in the final week of the season.

If the Hounds are able to secure the Shield on Saturday, it would be a fitting honor to claim in head coach Bob Lilley‘s 200th match leading the club. A win also would equal the most regular-season wins ever by the Hounds, matching the 19 wins of Lilley’s 2019 team that topped the East.

There will be plenty of ways for fans to follow the action in Florida, none bigger than the team’s official watch party at Mike’s Beer Bar on the North Shore. The party begins at 7 p.m., and fans in attendance will have a chance to hang out with Amo and win big prizes, including tickets to the Hounds’ Eastern Conference Quarterfinal match on Oct. 21 and an autographed jersey.

For those who aren’t able to “Meet Us at Mike’s,” the match will be shown live on KDKA+, the local home of the Hounds. The game also will be streamed nationally on ESPN+.

Downloadable Game Notes

Game Notes at Tampa Bay, 10/7/23 Download

Dikwa in running for Player of the Month

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 5, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC striker Albert Dikwa is one of five finalists for the USL Championship Player of the Month for September, the league announced this afternoon.

Dikwa, the leading scorer in the Championship this season with 19 goals, scored five times in the month of September to help lead the Hounds to a perfect 4-0-0 record. It was the second five-goal month of the season for the 25-year-old striker from Cameroon, and the first time he has averaged more than a goal per game for an entire calendar month.

The fan favorite’s career year has propelled him to second on the Hounds’ all-time scoring list with 36 goals in his four seasons in Pittsburgh, the first of which was the pandemic-shortened 2020 campaign. It is the second time Dikwa has been a Player of the Month finalist, having also made the cut in May of this season.

Voting for the Player of the Month is comprised of three weighted parts — a USL Technical Committee vote, a national media vote and a fan vote. The fan vote began this afternoon at USLChampionship.com, and the public will be able to vote through noon on Monday, Oct. 9. The winner will be announced next week after the completion of voting.

Dikwa and the Hounds will be back in action this Saturday, when they visit the Tampa Bay Rowdies for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg, Fla. The match will be shown live locally on KDKA+ and streamed on ESPN+.

Kickoff time confirmed for playoff opener

Aerial view of Highmark Stadium during the Riverhounds' 3-2 win over FC Tulsa on Sept. 30, 2023. — *A sellout crowd at Highmark Stadium watches the Riverhounds’ 3-2 win over FC Tulsa on Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023. (Photo — Riverhounds SC)*

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 5, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will kick off the 2023 USL Championship Playoffs at home with an Eastern Conference Quarterfinal against an opponent to be determined that will be played Saturday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. at Highmark Stadium.

It will be the first home playoff match since 2019 for the Hounds, who are locked into one of the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference and would host at least the first two rounds of the postseason. The current Eastern Conference leaders, the Hounds (18-5-9) can clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs as soon as this Saturday with a win at the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Single-game tickets for the Eastern Conference Quarterfinal will go on sale Tuesday, Oct. 10 at 10 a.m., with a special pre-sale for season ticket and flexbook holders on Monday, Oct. 9. Playoff ticket bundles for all of the Hounds home postseason matches are already on sale through Ticketmaster or at the Highmark Stadium Box Office.

Start times for future rounds of the postseason will be announced as matchups are confirmed. The USL Championship Playoffs culminate with the Championship Final, which will be at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 12 on ESPN2.

Dikwa notches another weekly honor

Albert Dikwa gives a high five to Marc Ybarra after scoring in the Pittsburgh Riverhounds' 3-2 win over FC Tulsa on Sept. 30, 2023 at Highmark Stadium.

PITTSBURGH (Oct. 3, 2023) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC striker Albert Dikwa once again was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week, the fourth such honor this season for Dikwa, the league announced this afternoon with the release of the Week 30.

Dikwa leads the Championship with 19 goals after adding two more last Saturday in the Hounds’ 3-2 win over FC Tulsa. He holds a two-goal lead in the race for the Golden Boot with two weeks remaining in the season.

Against Tulsa, Dikwa opened the scoring in the 12th minute after a long passing sequence led to Dani Rovira crossing from the right wing for Dikwa to score a headed goal at the back post. He added his second goal, also a headed finish, in the 63rd minute by getting on the end of a Kenardo Forbes free kick delivered from well outside the box.

Dikwa’s four Team of the Week honors are the most by a Hounds player this season. It is the second time in as many seasons he has been honored after facing Tulsa, against whom he has five goals in four matches.

He was joined in the weekly honors by Rovira, who earned a bench spot not only for his opening assist, but also for winning 7 of 9 duels and 4 of 6 tackles from his right back position.

To see this week’s complete Team of the Week, visit uslchampionship.com.

The Hounds go on the road this weekend for a top-two matchup in the East with a chance to lock up home field throughout the USL Championship Playoffs when they face the Tampa Bay Rowdies on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 7:30 p.m. in St. Petersburg, Fla. The match will be shown live locally on KDKA+ (WPKD-19) and streamed on the KDKA website.

Dikwa doubles up to see off FC Tulsa

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)

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, 9/30/23 Download

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.

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