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Velarde's goal sends Hounds to 1-0 win over Charlotte Independence

PITTSBURGH (July 3, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC picked up a key Atlantic Division win, knocking off the Charlotte Independence, 1-0, on Saturday night at Highmark Stadium.

Anthony Velarde’s goal in the final minute of the first half was the difference, as the Hounds (6-4-2) finally got their first-ever victory over the Independence (5-5-0) after failing to do so in the first 12 meetings between the clubs. The win keeps the Hounds in second place in the division behind the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Danny Vitiello picked up his second shutout of the season, as the Hounds held 56 percent of possession (66 percent in the first half) and finished with a 14-5 edge in shots.

First half

The Hounds’ first half might have been their best of the season, as they firmly controlled territory. In addition to the 66 percent possession, the Hounds had eight first-half corner kicks and did not allow a shot by Charlotte.

While Charlotte mustered little in attack, the Hounds came close with multiple chances. Kenardo Forbes and Louis Pérez both missed the frame with open chances, and Velarde took a shot that was caught by Charlotte goalie Brandon Miller, who finished with eight saves.

The Hounds nearly broke through in the 40th minute when Todd Wharton made a move into the box along the goal line on the right side. His low cross found Velarde in traffic, who laid the ball back to Forbes for an open shot, but Miller again made an outstanding save diving to his left.

Finally, the breakthrough came when Forbes played the ball through to Dikwa in the box, and the striker laid a clever flick back to Velarde on his first touch. Velarde slotted it to the left of Miller for his second goal of the season.

Second half

Charlotte began to make more of an impression in the second half, though Pérez had the first good scoring chance when he force another diving stop by Miller on a low free kick from just 20 yards out.

Kevin Riascos just missed for Charlotte with an open header over the bar, but the most dangerous moment came in the 76th minute when Irvin Parra got behind the Hounds’ defense.

Parra was able to chip the ball over Vitiello as he charged off his line, but center back Shane Wiedt hustled back to head the ball around the post for a corner, ending the Independence’s biggest threat.

Hounds Man of the Match

Albert Dikwa gave a tireless effort leading the line, as he, Velarde and Alex Dixon helped keep the bulk of play in the Charlotte half. His assist was quite the deft touch, and he also led the team in total duels (15) and fouls won with four.

What’s next?

The final match of the Hounds 10-in-40-days grind comes at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, when they travel south to visit the Charleston Battery (3-3-2) for the first time this season. Charleston is coming off a 1-0 loss Friday to the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-2-2-1) — Danny Vitiello; Louis Pérez (Dani Rovira 68’), Preston Kilwien, Shane Wiedt, Mekeil Williams, Todd Wharton; Danny Griffin, Kenardo Forbes; Anthony Velarde (Russell Cicerone 67’), Alex Dixon (Jalen Robinson 83’); Albert Dikwa

Charlotte Independence lineup (4-4-2) — Brandon Miller; Kevin Riascos (Tresor Mbuyu 85’), Hugh Roberts, Clay Dimick (Valentin Sabella 77’), Christian Dean; Jake Areman, Marcelo Palomino, Brandt Bronico, Thomas de Villardi (Blake Pope 45’); Irvin Parra (Noah Paravicini 86’), Dane Kelly

Scoring summary

PIT — Anthony Velarde 45+3’ (Albert Dikwa)

Discipline summary

CLT — Kevin Riascos 16’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Todd Wharton 36’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Dani Rovira 80’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
CLT — Marcelo Palomino 90’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

Strike rate highlights Cicerone's growth as a player

Russell Cicerone has been the catalyst for a Hounds offense that had to overcome a slow start to the season.

Off to the best start he has had to a USL Championship season, Cicerone has made his living in the final third. He has scored or assisted on seven of the club’s 14 goals, and he has already tied his career high for league goals in a season with five.

He originally set that mark back in 2019, netting five goals in 33 appearances with Saint Louis FC. The next year, also with Saint Louis, he only needed 16 games to match the milestone. This year, his fifth goal came in the Hounds’ ninth game of the season, a 2-1 win against the division-leading Tampa Bay Rowdies. Suffice it to say, he is poised to crush his career high.

What has been the difference this season? Like a true sportsman, Cicerone credits the team for his success thus far this year.

“I think we have a really strong squad, which always helps,” he said. “Bob (Lilley) has also been working with me a lot on my movement and to try and score different types of goals, whether it be runs in behind, off crosses or a combination play. I think diversifying myself as an attacker has helped me get off to a good start.”

His growth as an attacker has undoubtedly given him more options in the final third. He is second on the team in chances created with 16 and has two assists.

He also notes that his growth as a player has been as much physical as it has been mental.

“The players in the league get better every year. The speed of play gets better, and every year, you have to grow and adapt,” Cicerone said.

“I think recognizing and finding spaces to get on the ball, as well as just trying to be more dangerous in general, has helped me grow as a player in the USL Championship. You always have to grow with the game, and I think I’ve been doing that. I think I’ve been one of the better players at my position the last couple years, and it’s been about doing the right things and finding the right spaces.”

He also noted that a big priority for the team, in general, has been to be more efficient and decisive.

So far, Cicerone has embodied the club’s attempt to prioritize creating dangerous chances over simply dominating the time of possession. He has netted five goals on just 13 shots, and has put seven shots on target.

He will have his chance to get goal No. 6 on the season at home Saturday, when the Hounds host the Charlotte Independence at 7 p.m.

Preview: Riverhounds SC vs. Charlotte Independence

PITTSBURGH (July 3, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC will try to shake off their midweek loss and pick up a second consecutive win at Highmark Stadium, but to do so, they’ll need to overcome a longtime nemesis, the Charlotte Independence.

The match is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start and will be televised on 22 The Point and streamed on ESPN+.

The Independence (5-4-0) come to Highmark having never lost to the Hounds (5-4-2), with seven wins and five draws in 12 all-time matchups. That includes a meeting May 22 in the Hounds’ home opener, when a first-half goal by Irvin Parra was all the scoring Charlotte needed to escape with a 1-0 win.

Since that early loss, the Hounds have steadied themselves with a 5-2-1 mark, but nothing can be taken for granted in a matchup where the winner will hold sole possession of second place in the Atlantic Division.

In that 2-1 defeat Wednesday at Loudoun United FC, the Hounds did get a spark from Louis Pérez, the first-year pro who scored his first goal in his second start for the club. While it’s likely the lineup will be shuffled again, the Hounds are limited on the back line with Jelani Peters still away on international duty and Jordan Dover still being listed as questionable after missing the past two matches.

Charlotte, which was beaten 2-1 by Miami in their last match, is a different team on the attack than when they last came to Pittsburgh, having added longtime USL goalscorer Dane Kelly. Since joining the Independence, Kelly has four goals in six matches.

For tickets to Saturday’s match, go to Ticketmaster or visit the Riverhounds Box Office.

Before the match, check out our 3 Things feature to see how the Hounds get back on the winning track. To see the complete 2021 schedule, visit https://www.riverhounds.com/game-schedule.

MATCH INFORMATION

Date: Saturday, July 3
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Highmark Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Tickets: Ticketmaster
TV: 22 The Point
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live Updates: Twitter at @RiverhoundsSC and #PITvCLT

3 Things: #PITvCLT

After riding high for a couple of weeks, things came crashing back down for the Riverhounds with a 2-1 setback on Wednesday at Loudoun United FC.

There’s no time to hang heads, though, as the Charlotte Independence arrive at Highmark Stadium for a 7 p.m. Saturday kickoff with second place in the Atlantic Division on the line.

Of course, the Hounds are winless in 12 outings against the Independence, but will an Independence Day weekend match be the occasion that breaks the hoodoo the North Carolinians seem to have over our team?

Here are 3 Things to watch in the year’s second meeting between the two:

1.) Bounce-back Bob

While coach Bob Lilley is not one to think much about streaks and stats — he even joked dismissively about the Charlotte “hex” after losing 1-0 in the first meeting — there is one particular trend that brings him a little pride.

Over three-and-a-half seasons with Lilley the Hounds, the team has lost consecutive league matches only twice, and never have they lost more than two in a row.

In their previous bounce-back game, hosting Miami FC after losing earlier that week to Austin, the Hounds came out with a high-energy effort. Though the match ended a 1-1 draw, the Hounds came away feeling much better about their performance, with a few missed chances and valid penalty shouts that went unanswered costing them three points.

While nothing is assured, it’s a fair bet the Hounds will come out motivated Saturday.

2.) Russell on the front foot

Hounds leading scorer Russell Cicerone has been a pivotal player for the team through 11 matches, but he has gone two straight without a goal, only the second time all season that has happened.

Against Loudoun, Cicerone had just 45 touches on the ball, sixth on the team despite playing all 90 minutes. Contrast that with 53 for Louis Pérez, who logged just 61 minutes, and add in that Cicerone only had one shot — not on goal — and it’s fair to say his involvement in the match was down.

While his game revolves around well-timed runs and getting behind defenses, Cicerone might be well-served to get himself involved early against Charlotte, even if that means coming back to the ball and getting touches near the center stripe. But goals do tend to come in bunches, and if he can bag an early one Saturday, it could be the start of another scoring burst.

3.) Net gains

The Hounds have had solid but not spectacular goalkeeping this season, although the potential has been on display.

Against New York, Danny Vitiello made some excellent saves, none more so that his leaping stop of a Jeremy Rafanello free kick when the game was 1-0. But that save led to the corner kick Vitiello spilled leading to an own goal, which by his own admission, was a play Vitiello should have made.

Likewise, against Loudoun, Jake Leeker kept the Hounds in it with a season-best five saves, some of which had a high degree of difficulty. But he also had a shaky moment or two, dropping an early cross and either being unsighted or caught flat footed on the opening goal by Ted Ku-DiPietro.

While it would be hard to say goalkeeping has cost the Hounds at any point this season, look for the men in (usually) red to clean things up and, hopefully, steal some points when called upon.

Jelani Peters poised for first international appearance at Gold Cup

PITTSBURGH (July 1, 2021) — Riverhounds SC defender Jelani Peters was named to Trinidad & Tobago’s final roster for the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, which begins Friday with a 12-team qualifying tournament.

Peters, 27, will be in the mix for his first international appearance with the Soca Warriors, who begin the event facing Montserrat at 9:30 p.m. Friday at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The winner of that match will face the winner between Cuba and French Guiana on July 6, with the winner of that match advancing to the 16-team group stage of the Gold Cup.

It is the second time Peters has been called up to his national team, the first coming in November 2016, when he joined the squad for World Cup qualifiers against Costa Rica and Honduras. He was an unused substitute in those matches.

In his first year with the Hounds, Peters in on pace to have his most active season as a professional since that 2016-17 season, when he appeared in 22 matches for Trinidadian club W Connection before being loaned to Toronto FC II. This year, Peters has appeared in seven of the Hounds’ first 10 matches with five starts, as he has been a regular part of Bob Lilley‘s rotation at center back.

Two other Hounds players were included on preliminary Gold Cup rosters but were not selected for their nation’s final roster. Fellow Trinidadian Mekeil Williams was left off their final team, while Jordan Dover had to withdraw his name from consideration for Guyana because of injury.

Loudoun defends home turf, ending Hounds' winning streak at three games

(June 30, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC had its three-game winning streak snapped, as Loudoun United FC came away with a 2-1 win on Wednesday night at Segra Field in Leesburg, Va.

Ted Ku-DiPietro and Jovanny Bolivar both scored on long-range goals for Loudoun (2-7-0), which defeated the Hounds (5-4-2) for the first time in seven meetings. Louis Pérez scored his first professional goal for the Hounds to tie the match early in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to keep alive the Hounds overall win streak or a four-match road win streak.

The match, which was delayed by 1 hour, 40 minutes due to lightning, saw Loudoun play a physical style, receiving eight yellow cards against just one given to the Hounds. Possession in the match was an even 50/50, while Loudoun outshot Pittsburgh, 14-8.

First half

Both teams had a few early chances, but none were particularly close to breaking the deadlock.

The first early moment of drama came in the 24th minute, when Hounds goalkeeper Jake Leeker and Loudoun forward Darluis Paz collided as Leeker punched a cross away. Both players needed a couple minutes of treatment, but both would continue in the scoreless contest.

Leeker finished with a season-high five saves in the match, including a diving stop on Gaoussou Samake in the 41st minute. But from the ensuing corner, Jeremy Garay was able to win the ball and set up Ku-DiPietro about 22 yards from goal, and the 19-year-old Virginia native scored on a shot through traffic that left Leeker helpless.

Second half

Three minutes after the intermission, the Hounds tied the game 1-1 with a quick-hitting counter attack.

Tommy Williamson forced a turnover in the Loudoun half of the field and found Anthony Velarde in space in the center. Velarde dribbled toward goal and drew defenders before dishing the ball off to Pérez, and the left-footed Paris native calmly netted his first professional goal.

The Hounds tried to spark more offense by bringing Alex Dixon, Albert Dikwa and Kenardo Forbes off the bench in the 61st minute, as all three regulars were left out of the lineup with the team facing four games in 12 days. But it was Loudoun who began to seize the upper hand, and Bolivar scored the winning goal in the 75th minute after finding room to tee up a shot from outside of the box that was perfectly placed inside the far post.

The Hounds continued to press, and it took a spectacular save by Loudoun goalkeeper Jermaine Fordah to prevent a tying goal in the 82nd minute.

Russell Cicerone used a flicked header to send a Forbes through ball toward the back post, and an unmarked Dikwa connected with a stunning overhead kick shot on goal from 9 yards out. Fordah spoiled the bicycle kick effort with his own sprawling stop for the highlight reels, and no Hounds effort from that point came nearly as close to tying the match.

Hounds Man of the Match

Louis Pérez gets the nod for his first goal with the Hounds after finishing his college career at UCF. In addition to the clinical finish, Pérez also led the team with six crosses working from his left midfield position, and he played a season-high 61 minutes in his second start of the season.

What’s next?

With Loudoun picking off the Hounds for the first time, the Hounds now get a chance to pull the same feat against the Charlotte Independence at 7 p.m. Saturday at Highmark Stadium. The Hounds are 0-7-5 all-time against the Independence (5-4-0), who also sit just behind the Hounds in third place in the Atlantic Division standings.

Riverhounds SC lineup (5-2-2-1) — Jake Leeker; Louis Pérez (Alex Dixon 61’), Preston Kilwien, Jalen Robinson, Shane Wiedt, Dani Rovira; Danny Griffin, Todd Wharton (Kenardo Forbes 61’); Anthony Velarde, Russell Cicerone; Tommy Williamson (Albert Dikwa 61’)

Loudoun United FC lineup (3-4-3) — Jermaine Fordah; Timmy Mehl, Micael DeShields (Robby Dambrot 64’), Jacob Greene (Logan Pinchot 64’); Jeremy Garay, Gaoussou Samake, Ted Ku-DiPietro, Kimarni Smith (Nicky Downs 64’); Darius Paz (Abdellatif Aboukoura 68’), Jovanny Bolivar, Kairou Amoustapha (Houssou Landry 90’)

Scoring summary

LDN — Ted KuDiPietro 42’ (Jeremy Garay)
PIT — Louis Pérez 48’ (Anthony Velarde)
LDN — Jovanny Bolivar 75’ (Abdellatif Aboukoura)

Discipline summary

LDN — Micael DeShields 15’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
LDN — head coach Ryan Martin 28’ (caution – dissent)
LDN — Jovanny Bolivar 46’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
PIT — Todd Wharton 54’ (caution – dissent)
LDN — Jacob Greene 57’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
LDN — Timmy Mehl 81’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
LDN — Jermaine Fordah 84’ (caution – delaying restart)
LDN — Kairou Amoustapha 89’ (caution – unsporting behavior)
LDN — Ted Ku-DiPietro 90+9’ (caution – unsporting behavior)

Goal-oriented Hounds thrive getting forward with numbers, support

Goals have been coming for the Riverhounds in recent weeks, perhaps not yet at the rate we saw last season, but still at a clip just shy of two per game dating back to the May 28 win at New York Red Bulls II that began the team’s current road winning streak.

But in their most recent match, a 2-1 home win Friday over that same New York side, the Hounds produced a pair of goals of the variety the coaches — as well as fans — want to see more of, as the team showed off its passing and patience to put two behind the Baby Bulls.

The opening goal in the match, a strike taken by Todd Wharton with both power and accuracy, earned a USL Championship Goal of the Week nomination for both the quality of finish and the club-record-setting assist provided by Kenardo Forbes.

But let’s not forget, that goal was inches away from being an Albert Dikwa finish only a few seconds earlier, and the build-up to that moment was equally impressive.

The move truly began with the ball on the foot of Wharton, of all people, who was positioned in a right wing-back role to begin the match. He, Alex Dixon and Danny Griffin moved the ball amongst themselves before Dixon tried to make his move into the attacking half of the field.

It wasn’t until this point that the replay shown on the broadcast kicks in, about 35 seconds into the clip below. Dixon was dispossessed, only for the ball to go the feet of Russell Cicerone. Undeterred, Dixon made the correct decision to continue his run down the right flank, and Cicerone hit his attack partner in stride with a pass.

Dixon’s early cross was another pinpoint pass to the feet of Dikwa, who smartly took the shot on his first touch, only to strike the left post.

From there, the reward came from attacking as a team, as Forbes stayed with the play and took a position to control the rebound in the left side of the penalty area. Wharton — now six passes removed from his last involvement in the attack — moved into the open space atop the box created by the Hounds’ other attacking runners, and his finish was pure.

All totaled, the Hounds might not have a more complete team goal than Wharton’s so far in 2021, but Dikwa’s goal later in the first half certainly rivals it.

In this instance, Griffin got the attack started with a good defensive read in the midfield, intercepting a pass forward from the New York back line. Griffin passed to Forbes in a central position and mimicked the run Dixon earlier made so successfully down the right flank, where the return pass from Forbes was on the money. (And where the highlight in the clip below picks up.)

Griffin played through a crunching-but-fair slide tackle by New York’s Juan Castillo, bouncing back to his feet first to send a cross toward Dikwa in the center. That cross was a little too high, but the Hounds throwing numbers forward and staying with the play allowed them to make something of it.

Dani Rovira — the left wing-back — got all the way to the end line to track down the cross, dropping a pass back to Forbes. From there, it was a clever near-post chip by Forbes to find Cicerone’s head, and with little angle to shoot, Cicerone wisely headed the ball centrally, where Dikwa made no mistake with the finish.

On both goals, multiple Hounds players kept the play moving by continuing runs and not being afraid to move forward into the vacant space in front of them, whether they are a forward, midfielder or defender. While other opponents might not leave as many gaps as a young New York side, that means it’s even more critical for the Hounds to pounce on those spaces when they are presented.

Much gets written about how Bob Lilley’s teams defend in numbers and cover behind one another. But, as was the case Friday, the Hounds’ goal scoring also is at its best when players are attacking with the same overwhelming numbers and level of support for each other.

Hounds ready for home swing of USL Academy League

The United Soccer League (USL) freshly commenced its 2021 Academy League season, with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC joining the East-Central Division.

Just two games into the Academy League’s inaugural season, the Riverhounds already spent ample time on the road. Traveling alongside the Riverhounds pro team, the academy team played the undercard game at Indianapolis prior to the Indy Eleven-Hounds matchup June 15. The team finished with a 4-1 loss, but had little time to dwell upon it. Still on the road, the Hounds traveled to Dayton, Ohio the next day where the teams battled in heated contention with the Dayton Dutch Lions. The academy rounded out its second league appearance with a 2-2 draw.

Joining the Riverhounds in the East-Central Division are Cleveland Force SC, Dayton Dutch Lions, Flint City Bucks, Grand Rapids FC, Indy Eleven, Kings Hammer FC and Louisville City FC. All clubs field one elite team composed of the top athletes in their respective programs from the U15-U19 age groups.

The new USL Academy focuses on identifying and supporting leading prospects. These young athletes gain exposure to high-level, professional competition thanks to the direct ties to their USL senior teams.

The Hounds are preparing to suit up again Wednesday, July 14 against Louisville City FC in their first appearance on home turf at Highmark Stadium. For additional USL Academy League information, visit here.

Preview: Riverhounds SC at Loudoun United FC

PITTSBURGH (June 29, 2021) — Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC looks for its fifth consecutive win away from Highmark Stadium and fourth straight win overall when they face Loudoun United FC at 7 p.m. on Wednesday at Segra Field in Leesburg, Va. The match will be streamed on ESPN+.

Friday, the Hounds (5-3-2) earned their first home win of the season, defeating the New York Red Bulls II, 2-1. Kenardo Forbes notched his 27th assist with the Hounds on the first goal, tying him with Kevin Kerr for the most in club history. Forbes also earned a spot on the USL Team of the Week for his play Friday.

Just like the Hounds, Loudoun (1-7-0) is coming off short rest. It returns home after dropping a 3-0 result to the Charleston Battery last Saturday.

The matchup is the Hounds’ second trip to Segra Field this season. The Hounds took care of business in their first encounter on June 2, downing Loudoun, 3-2. Russell Cicerone scored the eventual winning goal for the Hounds at the penalty spot after the team had a 2-0 halftime lead through an Anthony Velarde strike and an own goal.

The Hounds have several streaks on the line in their next match.

They have won their last four matches away from home, including a 2-1 win over the division-leading Tampa Bay Rowdies in their last road match. The Hounds have matched this streak in each of the last two seasons, both of which featured wins against Loudoun.

The Hounds also boast a 6-0-0 record since Loudoun entered the USL Championship in 2019. They’ve recorded four clean sheets against Loudoun and have outscored them 12-3 all time.

Finally, the Hounds have won eight straight weeknight matches. The team’s last loss on a weekday was a heartbreaking 1-0 loss at the hands of the Indy Eleven on Wednesday, June 22, 2020.

To see Riverhounds SC’s complete 2021 schedule visit https://www.riverhounds.com/game-schedule. Also, check out our 3 Things feature and a video breakdown featuring the team’s goals against New York in advance of Wednesday’s match.

MATCH INFORMATION

Date: Wednesday, June 30
Time: 7 p.m.
Location: Segra Field, Leesburg, Va.
Streaming: ESPN+
Live Statistics: USL Championship Match Center
Live Updates: Twitter at @RiverhoundsSC and #LDNvPIT

Forbes garners Team of the Week honor after record-tying assist

PITTSBURGH (June 29, 2021) — Riverhounds SC midfielder Kenardo Forbes was named to the USL Championship Team of the Week announced today for Week 10 of the season.

Forbes, a first-team All-USL Championship selection each of the past two seasons with the Hounds, earned his first Team of the Week honor for 2021 after assisting on the Hounds’ opening goal in a 2-1 win Friday over the New York Red Bulls II. His pass to set up Todd Wharton’s goal became the 27th assist Forbes has recorded with the Hounds, tying the club record set in 2019 by Kevin Kerr.

In addition to his assist, Forbes was credited with three key passes — giving him a team-best 17 on the season — and he completed 43 of 58 passes (74 percent) overall as the Hounds extended their win streak to three in a row.

The Riverhounds (5-3-2) take the field again Wednesday at 7 p.m. when they face Loudoun United FC (1-7-0) at Segra Field in Leesburg, Va. The match will be shown on ESPN+.

For the complete Team of the Week for Week 10, presented by Clear Audio, visit uslchampionship.com

2021 Team of the Week honorees (listed alphabetically)

Alex Dixon — Week 6
Kenardo Forbes — Week 10
Danny Griffin — Week 6
Dani Rovira — Week 6

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